The Founders Show
A look at Louisiana politics from Chaplain Hy McEnery and Christopher Tidmore
Episodes
November 11, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher discussed the results from last Tuesday. It was a GOP slaughter, but Hy says the Democrats won in Democratic states, while Christopher offers a warning.
Democrats in Mississippi broke the G.O.P.’s State House supermajority last Tuesday after a special election was forced by a court-ordered redistricting to offer Black voters a chance for more representation in the State Capital. Two Public Service Commission seats...
Democrats in Mississippi broke the G.O.P.’s State House supermajority last Tuesday after a special election was forced by a court-ordered redistricting to offer Black voters a chance for more representation in the State Capital. Two Public Service Commission seats...
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November 1, 2025 • 54 mins
Mayor-elect Helena Moreno declared last week, “The city of New Orleans should not, and I will not stand for, having a (state) fiscal administrator come in."
Hy and Christopher discuss Gov. Jeff Landry’s proposal that he has the power to appoint a budgetary Tsar over local finances. Does it carry about as much legitimacy as his idea that President Trump should appoint the next LSU football coach?
Both agree that the Governor’s opinio...
Hy and Christopher discuss Gov. Jeff Landry’s proposal that he has the power to appoint a budgetary Tsar over local finances. Does it carry about as much legitimacy as his idea that President Trump should appoint the next LSU football coach?
Both agree that the Governor’s opinio...
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October 25, 2025 • 54 mins
October 30 at 6pm, The Garden District Book Shop on 2727 Prytania will welcome Theresa McCulla speaking about her new book Insatiable City. The event is free and open to the public.
Hy and Christopher welcome Eric Williams to help interview Teresa on what food means to New Orleans. It’s a fascinating conversation.
Insatiable City, a 2025 James Beard Foundation Book Award Nominee in Reference, History, and Scholarship and a Smithsonia...
Hy and Christopher welcome Eric Williams to help interview Teresa on what food means to New Orleans. It’s a fascinating conversation.
Insatiable City, a 2025 James Beard Foundation Book Award Nominee in Reference, History, and Scholarship and a Smithsonia...
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October 25, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher start talking about the turnout in the Mayoral election. Many have praised the 40.1 percent who went to the polls - we think it’s too low. Read more about it in our official editorial.
Nearly four months ago, Hy and Christopher posed the question of whether Royce Duplessis could replicate the coalition that allowed him to best Democratic Rep. Mandie Landry in 2022. Would the state senator be able to build a biraci...
Nearly four months ago, Hy and Christopher posed the question of whether Royce Duplessis could replicate the coalition that allowed him to best Democratic Rep. Mandie Landry in 2022. Would the state senator be able to build a biraci...
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October 13, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher take on the impact of the government shut down on our national parks, talk about October 15 deadline to pay our federal employees, whether we can return to the decorum of Ronald Reagan in our politics, And looking forward to the November elections, where a controversial tax will be on the Orleans ballot for affordable housing. Should we pass another tax when the council keeps rolling forward our existing miliage...
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October 11, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher ponder how to improve public education in Louisiana, and one of the best opportunities that is going on is happening up in Monroe. The first International Baccalaureate school, with the IB educational program available for students from the very beginning opens its doors in Monroe.
Educator Adam Ryland joins us to talk about the opportunities of multidisciplinary education and engagement with students. St. Frede...
Educator Adam Ryland joins us to talk about the opportunities of multidisciplinary education and engagement with students. St. Frede...
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September 29, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher breakdown the current NOLA Mayoral race and pose the question of how high African-American turnout will be? If it’s low, Helena Moreno will teeter on the verge of a first primary victory. If it’s moderate, Royce Duplessis has a chance to make the runoff— and unify African-American voters behind him in November.
We then talk about the various Orleans Council races, and after the break, we break down the Slidell May...
We then talk about the various Orleans Council races, and after the break, we break down the Slidell May...
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September 9, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher take on John Kennedy’s radioactive “alien” shrimp, the lack of decorum in politics, and the New Orleans Mayoral race.
But our main topic has to do with all the talk about Trump sending National Guard units to New Orleans We talk about the history of federal military occupation of Louisiana after the Civil War and Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.
Christopher writes an editorial in The Louisiana Weekly challenging Trump‘...
But our main topic has to do with all the talk about Trump sending National Guard units to New Orleans We talk about the history of federal military occupation of Louisiana after the Civil War and Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.
Christopher writes an editorial in The Louisiana Weekly challenging Trump‘...
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September 3, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher host the candidates for New Orleans Criminal Sheriff on this week’s edition of the Founders Show. Incumbent Susan Hutson, former NOPD member Robert "Bob" Murray, former Judge Julian Parker, 2nd District Constable Edwin Mark Shorty Jr., and former NOPD interim superintendent Michelle Woodfork join us. We asked the questions what they would do if elected Sheriff, how they would deal with the aftermath of the recent...
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August 25, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher look back to the seminal moment of 21st Century New Orleans history. We remember Armand St. Martin’s subsequent yearly efforts to “artistically remember” the storm, often with humor. We play his song “Contraflow”, which lampooned many of the bureaucratic screw ups of the time. In particular, in the ballad, Armand asks the question which every New Orleanian asks about this time of year, “Where’s Nash when we need ...
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August 11, 2025 • 54 mins
Live from Canada, Christopher joints Hy from the middle of the St. Lawrence River, traveling down the waterways of historic “New France”. He talks about visiting the original home of Charles LeMoyne and how Montreal was the parent of New Orleans.
We also talk about the looming loss of a congressional seat, and the fact that the loss of population is not only causing that possibility, but our real economic problems. In 2024, just o...
We also talk about the looming loss of a congressional seat, and the fact that the loss of population is not only causing that possibility, but our real economic problems. In 2024, just o...
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August 4, 2025 • 54 mins
This week on the Founders Show, Hy and Christopher take a deep dive into the future of education.
Several Louisiana school districts have been experimenting with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. Pass the BAC exam, and virtually any university on the planet will throw open its doors. Currently, 5800 schools worldwide use IB’s curriculum.
For the first time in history, a school is being created—in Monroe—with the IB progr...
Several Louisiana school districts have been experimenting with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. Pass the BAC exam, and virtually any university on the planet will throw open its doors. Currently, 5800 schools worldwide use IB’s curriculum.
For the first time in history, a school is being created—in Monroe—with the IB progr...
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July 25, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher spend the second half of the Founders Show talking about the entrance of Eric Skrmetta into the US Senate race on Friday, July 25. Qualifying is actually in December for a closed primary in April 2026, so his primary election occurs less than nine months from today.
The Louisiana Public Service Commissioner, who represents a district the size of a congressional seat, cuts into US Sen. Bill Cassidy’s support in the...
The Louisiana Public Service Commissioner, who represents a district the size of a congressional seat, cuts into US Sen. Bill Cassidy’s support in the...
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July 18, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher discuss fundraising in the Mayor’s race and the rising danger of inflation later in the program, but our main issue are the cuts in the PBS budget.
WWOZ management called in all of its senior staff and stakeholders for strategy session to deal with the danger of the recession bill on Wednesday, July 17, when it became clear that Donald Trump’s $9 Billion cut in the foreign aid public media budgets would pass the U...
WWOZ management called in all of its senior staff and stakeholders for strategy session to deal with the danger of the recession bill on Wednesday, July 17, when it became clear that Donald Trump’s $9 Billion cut in the foreign aid public media budgets would pass the U...
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July 11, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher begin the show with a spirited dive into New Orleans’s bohemian past where the funerary tradition is honored by a drink comprised of absence, gin, and vermouth. Chronicling this history, author Sue Strachan joins us on the Founders Show, talking about her new book The Obituary Cocktail, and it’s premier at the Garden District Book Shop on Friday, July 18. More information at gardendistrictbookshop.com
We then ask ...
We then ask ...
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July 8, 2025 • 54 mins
The Founders Show comes to you from Colonial Williamsburg this week as Hy and Christopher discuss the importance of the 4th of July as the show begins They go on to examine the “Big Beautiful Bill”, its impacts, benefits like a $1000 deduction for nonprofits (even if you claim the standard deduction), and the likelihood that a Louisiana legislative special session will be called to make up for the loss of Medicaid dollars. Could yo...
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We kick off the show talking about the fact that New Orleans is no longer a major city - at least according to the federal government. We keep into that theme in our conversation with former New Orleans Councilman and state Senator Jon Johnson. He’s running for Council District E, and we ask the question as a convicted felon, can he win? Johnson believes he can.
We then talk about the big beautiful Bill, which reached its first hurd...
We then talk about the big beautiful Bill, which reached its first hurd...
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June 20, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher are joined for the second half of The Founders Show by Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, who has launched an inquiry into why the blackouts were ordered with just nine minutes notice by a little known federal regulatory group one month ago.
MISO is more than a soup, but Skrmetta believes that Louisiana and her electric utilities would be better off working with other southeastern states for a new intersta...
MISO is more than a soup, but Skrmetta believes that Louisiana and her electric utilities would be better off working with other southeastern states for a new intersta...
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June 17, 2025 • 54 mins
The Founders Show comes to you live from the Thousand Islands on the Canadian-US border, from the deck of the famed Canadian Empress riverboat.
We’ve been sailing down the St. Lawrence Seaway, and that triggered our kick off topic for this week’s show. The U.S. / Canadian relationship has been in the news quite a bit over the last year. North of the border, voters have resented the “51st state” comments, so much so that Canada re-el...
We’ve been sailing down the St. Lawrence Seaway, and that triggered our kick off topic for this week’s show. The U.S. / Canadian relationship has been in the news quite a bit over the last year. North of the border, voters have resented the “51st state” comments, so much so that Canada re-el...
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May 23, 2025 • 54 mins
Hy and Christopher are joined by Curtis Robinson of the Hunter-Gatherers podcast to interview the legendary David Amram. At 94 years young, the famed jazz and folk musician has played with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Leonard Bernstein. He invented jazz poetry with Jack Kerouac in Greenwich Village. And Amram explains why New Orleans is the most American city.
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