My first experience with breaking news involved my home state. Hurricane Katrina had just barreled through south Louisiana, leaving a path of destruction and a difficult road to recovery. But when you looked at the news, talking heads focused on the looting of stores. They highlighted the violence that erupted in a city trying to rebuild itself from nothing. They gave no context, no empathy for the people desperately trying to survive a catastrophe.

That coverage hurt.

But it instilled a desire to pursue the truth in its most honest, empathetic form.

Covering Louisiana has become a passion of mine. I am pleased to bring its politics, history, and way of life to the forefront. Without further delay, here is a snippet of my time here.