My investigation into traffic and crashes around the Meta data center site in Richland Parish, Louisiana (what Meta says will be the largest in the world) aired on @npr.org Morning Edition today:

A couple of months ago, I was out in Richland Parish, LA, talking to people about the new Meta data center being built. Everyone talked about the traffic and reckless drivers. So, I started looking into it. Their concerns were valid. 🧵 www.wwno.org/local-region...

Congratulations to Audrey Brown, Christopher Burrell, Rebecca Cadenhead, @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social , Will Katcher, @josephinelee.bsky.social , Rachel Livinal, @jimmylovrien.bsky.social #CHJDataFellowship #DataFellows

From @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social | Anyone looking for a COVID shot for themselves or their kids in Louisiana is facing a new maze of pharmacy restrictions after changing federal guidance on the vaccine. MORE HERE ⬇️

Thank you @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social for getting my good side.

Great reporting from Drew Hawkins @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social and Gulf States Newsroom @gulfstatesnewsroom.bsky.social

There have been a lot of stories about the media in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Here's a story you haven't heard. It's about a small, punk-rock monthly magazine called Antigravity. @antigravitymag.bsky.social www.wwno.org/katrina-20/2...

From Drew Hawkins... "What does heat in New Orleans SOUND like? We know what it feels like. We know what the data looks like. But I had this idea of a way to represent the temperature data through sound — using music." www.tiktok.com/@drewhawkins... @climatecentral.org @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social

For the latest Backstory, we sat down with @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social to discuss his investigation, "Trauma-informed nurses help sexual assault survivors. Most hospitals in the Gulf South don’t have them," produced in partnership with @gulfstatesnewsroom.bsky.social: soundcloud.com/typeinvestig...

The Trump Administration is delaying critical funding used for opioid overdose prevention — especially naloxone (Narcan) — from the CDC’s Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) program. Cutting or delaying this funding could directly lead to more overdose deaths. wbhm.org/2025/alabama...

A really well-reported story by @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social on the importance of sexual assault nurse examiners and the impacts for survivors who lack access to them in the Gulf South: www.typeinvestigations.org/investigatio...

@wadrewhawkins.bsky.social wrote about today's ICE raids, Latin America's banana plantations, and the history that connects them. antigravitymagazine.com/feature/frui...

Absolutely loved this story. Talks about the links between the Latin American coups of the mid 1900s and the modern disappearing of migrants in America. (From @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social in @antigravitymag.bsky.social ) antigravitymagazine.com/feature/frui...

Powerful and eloquent essay that updates the long and shameful history of U.S. involvement in “disappearances.” How many more years will pass before we in the U.S. end these abuses and make real amends?

This is the story of a man with no name who was disappeared from a mall in New Orleans. It's about disappearances—past and present. About the U.S. legacy in Guatemala. About banana empires, CIA coups, and the people still paying the price. antigravitymagazine.com/feature/frui...

Jamilla Webb attended the second national Get Free: A Black Feminist Reunion conference (featuring keynote speaker Angela Davis); @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social‬ investigates banana plantations, ICE raids at Canal Place, and the history that connects them...

A big list of 30 opioid settlement story ideas and 30 other public health story ideas: docs.google.com/spreadsheets... I created this with @aneripattani.bsky.social and @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social .

Building empathy into #addiction and #homelessness coverage, by @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social healthjournalism.org/blog/2025/06... via @healthjournalism.org #journalism

Tons of great stories in here — guarantee you’ll get some ideas! Great working on this with @edmahon.bsky.social and @aneripattani.bsky.social

New Orleans put its own spin on the #nokingsday protests in cities across the country #neworleans #noking #trump @gulfstatesnewsroom.bsky.social @npr.org

"Alabama has 44 certified [sexual assault nurse examiners] for the entire state. Louisiana has 42." "Mississippi only has 6 — for a population of almost three million." "It's a life-lasting impact when those services are not there for a survivor." #USA #Healthcare

Trauma-informed nurses help sexual assault survivors. Most hospitals in the Gulf South don’t have them. @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social reports in partnership with Gulf States Newsroom (@wwno.org): www.typeinvestigations.org/investigatio...

Found this on Instagram by Gulf States Newsroom and @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social interviewing those on medicaid. Every day people living, working, and trying to survive. Don't let the narrative be of lazy people committing fraud. We all know people using medicaid whether they tell us or not.

a short explainer on HB 531 re: forensic medical exams, which just passed in the house at the Louisiana legislature #louisiana #legislature

A bill moving through the Louisiana Legislature is drawing attention to major gaps in how the state provides care for sexual assault survivors. Rep. Johnson introduced it and said “The situation is so dire, it’s like the Wild Wild West.” www.wwno.org/public-healt...

I went to the Angola Prison Rodeo the other weekend -- the only rodeo in the country where incarcerated men compete in bull riding, buck breaking, and other controversial, dangerous events (like "Convict Poker") my latest: www.wwno.org/law/2025-05-...

Some Louisiana lawmakers are trying to ban fluoride in the state's public water systems. More with audio🎧 from @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social: www.wwno.org/politics/202...

In a 6-3 vote, a bill that would ban the addition of fluoride to Louisiana's public water systems cleared the state senate's Health and Wellness committee Wednesday. The bill now heads to the Senate floor for debate. MORE from @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social for @wwno.org & the Gulf States Newsroom ⬇️

an internal email from Purdue Pharma CEO Craig Landau, perfectly summarizing the origins of the opioid epidemic

went out with a self-described “harm reductionist” in Birmingham, AL last night. narcan is everywhere — and overdose deaths are down. But resources for users are sparse and tranq like xylazine is causing horrific wounds in a population hesitant to get medical care. #opioid #medsky

An Alabama judge ruled the state's attorney general can't prosecute people or organizations who help people get an abortion in another state. My latest for NPR/KFF: www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Visited Vets Recover in Mobile, AL. They have one of the state’s two detox facilities and their entire mission and approach is centered on the peer-to-peer relationships critical for recovery for veterans #medsky #opioid

Tensions ran high last night at a town hall about proposed changes to French Quarter security. Via @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social: www.wwno.org/law/2025-03-...

It was Mardi Gras in the Netherlands too! "Carnaval" celebrations date to the 14th century there, @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social reports. He met a princess in a small Dutch village. Listen🎧 or read here: www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-03...

in the netherlands for a reporting trip on harm reduction and opioid use, went to a small Dutch village and got to catch the Carnaval celebrations. here's a short fun piece on what I found there: www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-03...

ICE playing “Ice, Ice, Baby” at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. #neworleans #ice

A couple of months ago, I got a call from a Mississippi family who told me about their battle to get their insurance company to approve life-saving heart surgery -- only to have the hospital then refuse to do the operation. #medsky My latest: www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-02...

story on @npr.org this morning about extra security costs impacting independent Mardi Gras parades -- with appearances from local krewes Chewbacchus and Krewe du Vieux. Appreciate the thoughtful opening from @steveinskeep.bsky.social www.npr.org/2025/02/20/n...

In light of the New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street, New Orleans is requiring more police officers for security for parades. More cops = more costs. The city covers these costs for larger, more traditional parades. But not independent walking parades. My latest: www.wwno.org/latest-news/...

who is she

You can listen to @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social radio spot on the NFL Players Association statement for @npr.org newscast here ⬇️

Nurses on strike in New Orleans gained a new supporter on Friday — the NFL Players Association. Days before Super Bowl 59 in the Superdome, the org said it “stands in solidarity” with the nearly 600 UMC nurses negotiating their first union contract. More from @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social & myself

Your Professor was honored to be interviewed by @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social for Gulf South Gumbo on LPB, NPR, and podcast. It was a lot of fun and we discussed some serious Carnival history and topics! I also reveal my favorite #kingcake of 2025! #controversial #carnival2025 #OurCarnivalHeritage

We get to recommend a story for a 30 minute discussion in the grad fiction workshop I was able to hop into this semester, and I'm pitching Wound Paint by @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social (published on @havehashad.com), because it's the first story that jumped to mind that I think everyone needs to read.

(2/10): @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social's interview with a pedicab driver who saw the attack was wrenching. Drew and colleagues at WWNO also covered mutual aid, getting information out about blood drives and other ways to help survivors.

almost 20 years ago the NYer published "Beginners," a draft of Carver’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” without Lish’s edits; they also published a kind of annotated comparison of the two drafts. idk but I think about it often, and found it on webarchive web.archive.org/web/20080716...

www.npr.org/2025/01/09/n... Great, heartfelt reporting by someone who lives in New Orleans. Really proud of you @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social

The New Year's tragedy on Bourbon Street will have a long tail, needing resources aimed at healing and recovery. Listen🎧 to more on that from @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social: www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-01...

have a story on how new orleans is recovering from the attack on bourbon street on @npr.org w @steveinskeep.bsky.social and Leila Fadel tomorrow #neworleans

A single mom who worked hard to provide for her son, a Princeton football player who received All-Ivy League honors and an 18-year-old with dreams of becoming an engineer are among the dead in Wednesday’s attack in New Orleans.