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Why NASA sends hot sauce into space

Aerospace

NASA sent five hot sauce varieties on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Artemis II" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/04/01/artemis-launch-date-rocket-made-michoud" data-vars-content-id="26518a0c-ec7f-468c-a4b5-efc75434514a" data-vars-headline="Why NASA sends hot sauce into space" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/04/01/artemis-launch-date-rocket-made-michoud" target="_self">Artemis II</a>, deeming the spicy staple an essential item.Why it matters: Even in space, flavor matters.

How mahjong became the hottest game in town

Events dedicated to the strategy game are becoming wildly popular.

Culture

Kelly Walker was eager to connect with new friends when she started hosting mahjong nights at her home a little more than a year ago.Why it matters: The game nights have since became so popular that venues across <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New Orleans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans" data-vars-content-id="eaf9d044-eacb-4799-a2de-88241a410aa9" data-vars-headline="How mahjong became the hottest game in town" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans" target="_self">New Orleans</a> are asking her to set up shop.

New Orleans debuts one of country's longest riverfront parks

Here's a first look at the downtown park.

Business

New Orleans opens the first phase of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Riverfront for All" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2025/04/21/audubon-riverfront-park-renderings-timeline" data-vars-content-id="7349e2b8-ec0f-43ae-ae9b-a02ea81b02bc" data-vars-headline="New Orleans debuts one of country&#x27;s longest riverfront parks" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2025/04/21/audubon-riverfront-park-renderings-timeline" target="_self">Riverfront for All</a> park this week, completing a project that&#x27;s been in the works for more than a decade.Why it matters: The Audubon Nature Institute, which manages the public-private partnership, hopes to build on the momentum and add a second phase along the Mississippi River.

First look: New Orleans' riverfront park and playground

Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park opens Tuesday.

Development

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/04/06/goldring-woldenberg-riverfront-park-hours-playground" data-vars-content-id="0fb521b4-9328-4bdb-9225-3fb8e399e8ca" data-vars-headline="First look: New Orleans&#x27; riverfront park and playground" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/04/06/goldring-woldenberg-riverfront-park-hours-playground" target="_self">Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park</a> opens Tuesday in downtown New Orleans. The big picture: The park is built on top of Gov. Nicholls Wharf&#x27;s concrete deck, with the Mississippi River flowing underneath, according to Jackson Kerby, Audubon&#x27;s VP of construction.

The best way to X-ray a hummingbird

The university treats about 1,400 wild animals a year.

Education

Ruby-throated hummingbirds will soon make their annual migration north from Mexico through Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states.Why it matters: Some will end up injured, and those that do might land at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine&#x27;s Wildlife Hospital — which just published new research showing the best way to identify fractures in these tiny birds.

Loyola wins federal approval for prison education Pell Grants

It's one of a few options for Louisiana's incarcerated students.

News

Loyola University recently became Louisiana&#x27;s first four-year institution for incarcerated <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="students" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/education" data-vars-content-id="3307be46-5bf2-4a36-ba0c-b6bd44e0ceb4" data-vars-headline="Loyola wins federal approval for prison education Pell Grants" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/education" target="_self">students</a> to receive U.S. Department of Education approval.Why it matters: Its students can now apply for Pell Grants, which do not need to be paid back, freeing up funding for program expansion for incarcerated student education, its leaders say.

LSU gets new president, chancellor, athletic director

And Gov. Jeff Landry is making his feelings known, too.

In the span of just eight days, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="LSU" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/education" data-vars-content-id="6a9c0808-6789-4946-8454-e3bd616f3ebd" data-vars-headline="LSU gets new president, chancellor, athletic director" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/education" target="_self">LSU</a> lost its football coach and athletic director, and tapped a new president, chancellor and replacement athletic director.Why it matters: The changes mark a new era for some of the university&#x27;s most prominent roles.

Louisiana battling chronic absenteeism

Officials are trying a new strategy to keep kids in school.

Louisiana <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="education" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/education" data-vars-content-id="9ae82835-a8d9-4ffc-81e8-ead361eb9e47" data-vars-headline="Louisiana battling chronic absenteeism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/education" target="_self">education</a> officials are trying a new strategy to keep kids in school this year. Why it matters: Truancy has been linked to lower test scores, negative impacts on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="social-emotional development" data-vars-click-url="https://seis.ucla.edu/news/the-effects-of-absenteeism-on-academic-and-social-emotional/" data-vars-content-id="9ae82835-a8d9-4ffc-81e8-ead361eb9e47" data-vars-headline="Louisiana battling chronic absenteeism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://seis.ucla.edu/news/the-effects-of-absenteeism-on-academic-and-social-emotional/" target="_blank">social-emotional development</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="increased substance use" data-vars-click-url="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2815052/" data-vars-content-id="9ae82835-a8d9-4ffc-81e8-ead361eb9e47" data-vars-headline="Louisiana battling chronic absenteeism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2815052/" target="_blank">increased substance use</a>, increased chances of trouble at home and higher likelihoods of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="criminal activity" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles/truncy.pdf" data-vars-content-id="9ae82835-a8d9-4ffc-81e8-ead361eb9e47" data-vars-headline="Louisiana battling chronic absenteeism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles/truncy.pdf" target="_blank">criminal activity</a>.

Louisiana among states with highest COVID cases

A surge is unsurprising during back-to-school days.

Health

Louisiana is among a group of states with the highest rate of COVID cases right now, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;stratus&quot; COVID variant" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/08/covid-19-stratus-variant-symptoms-cases-cdc" data-vars-content-id="08268821-f2fd-4076-9ab6-155d7332d5b4" data-vars-headline="Louisiana among states with highest COVID cases" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/08/covid-19-stratus-variant-symptoms-cases-cdc" target="_self">&quot;stratus&quot; COVID variant</a> is surging throughout the country, and with kids heading back to school, it&#x27;s not exactly surprising.

New Orleans students more likely to attend school in extreme heat

Some schools already struggle to keep classes cool.

As K-12 students head back to school in New Orleans this week, more will be sitting in classrooms in extreme <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="urban heat zones" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/11/heat-islands-us-record-temperatures" data-vars-content-id="12e05d0f-ef26-49e9-82aa-76d156be4ba0" data-vars-headline="New Orleans students more likely to attend school in extreme heat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/11/heat-islands-us-record-temperatures" target="_self">urban heat zones</a> than the U.S. average, a new analysis finds.Why it matters: The heat island effect can make some neighborhoods notably warmer than others, especially during <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="heat waves" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/23/heat-wave" data-vars-content-id="12e05d0f-ef26-49e9-82aa-76d156be4ba0" data-vars-headline="New Orleans students more likely to attend school in extreme heat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/23/heat-wave" target="_self">heat waves</a>.Flashback: Some regional schools started last year with canceled classes because of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="inadequate air conditioning" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/09/04/louisiana-schools-air-conditioning-heat-waves" data-vars-content-id="12e05d0f-ef26-49e9-82aa-76d156be4ba0" data-vars-headline="New Orleans students more likely to attend school in extreme heat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/09/04/louisiana-schools-air-conditioning-heat-waves" target="_self">inadequate air conditioning</a>. Driving the news: About 76% of public K-12 students in the 65 most populous U.S. cities attend schools where the heat island effect increases temperatures by at least 8°F, per a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new analysis from Climate Central," data-vars-click-url="https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/schools-and-urban-heat-2025" data-vars-content-id="12e05d0f-ef26-49e9-82aa-76d156be4ba0" data-vars-headline="New Orleans students more likely to attend school in extreme heat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/schools-and-urban-heat-2025" target="_blank">new analysis from Climate Central,</a> a climate research group.<ul><li>Researchers there examined more than 12,000 schools, with nearly 6.2 million students.</li><li>The group&#x27;s analysis is based on its previous work modeling urban heat zones, as well as National Center for Education Statistics data.</li></ul>What&#x27;s next: New Orleans is among cities working to alleviate its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="heat island effect" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/07/23/new-orleans-heat-island-effect-mapped" data-vars-content-id="12e05d0f-ef26-49e9-82aa-76d156be4ba0" data-vars-headline="New Orleans students more likely to attend school in extreme heat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/07/23/new-orleans-heat-island-effect-mapped" target="_self">heat island effect</a>, with city leaders last year announcing plans to create a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="heat mitigation plan" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/07/16/new-orleans-heat-mitigation-plan-extreme-weather" data-vars-content-id="12e05d0f-ef26-49e9-82aa-76d156be4ba0" data-vars-headline="New Orleans students more likely to attend school in extreme heat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/07/16/new-orleans-heat-mitigation-plan-extreme-weather" target="_self">heat mitigation plan</a>.

Where to find free school supplies in New Orleans

Tariffs are making back-to-school budgets tighter.

Parents heading into the back-to-school season are facing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rising prices" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/10/trump-tariffs-shoes" data-vars-content-id="0d16fc37-4d73-4aae-9d18-3d5387943b1a" data-vars-headline="Where to find free school supplies in New Orleans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/10/trump-tariffs-shoes" target="_self">rising prices</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="looming tariffs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/economy/tariffs" data-vars-content-id="0d16fc37-4d73-4aae-9d18-3d5387943b1a" data-vars-headline="Where to find free school supplies in New Orleans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/economy/tariffs" target="_self">looming tariffs</a> — forcing them to shop smarter and earlier.Catch up quick: New U.S. tariffs on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chinese imports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/11/trump-china-tariffs-magnets-visas" data-vars-content-id="0d16fc37-4d73-4aae-9d18-3d5387943b1a" data-vars-headline="Where to find free school supplies in New Orleans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/11/trump-china-tariffs-magnets-visas" target="_self">Chinese imports</a> — including backpacks, pens, binders and shoes — kicked in earlier this year and remain historically high.

School zone camera revenue still in limbo in New Orleans

A new law requires the city to share the fines with schools.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="School zone cameras" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/10/07/new-school-zone-rules-cameras-times-appeal-tickets" data-vars-content-id="895899f4-273a-45c7-a571-867d45f2b1b9" data-vars-headline="School zone camera revenue still in limbo in New Orleans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/10/07/new-school-zone-rules-cameras-times-appeal-tickets" target="_self">School zone cameras</a> are expected to turn on Friday in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New Orleans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans" data-vars-content-id="895899f4-273a-45c7-a571-867d45f2b1b9" data-vars-headline="School zone camera revenue still in limbo in New Orleans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans" target="_self">New Orleans</a>, but the fight over where the fines go is still unresolved. Why it matters: Parents and school leaders want to know if ticket revenue will reach classrooms this year.

High lead levels lead to sudden day care closure

The Algiers Point day care had 30 students.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="High lead levels" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/11/25/lead-pipe-map-jefferson-parish-water-testing" data-vars-content-id="fabe44c1-50fe-4527-b4b5-fabe7a3190cd" data-vars-headline="High lead levels lead to sudden day care closure" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/11/25/lead-pipe-map-jefferson-parish-water-testing" target="_self">High lead levels</a> have led to a lease dispute and the sudden closure of an Algiers Point day care.Why it matters: The closure leaves 30 young New Orleanians and their families without day care, and raises questions about why state officials didn&#x27;t make sure a lead test had happened before it even opened.

More Northeast students are heading to LSU

Politics, warm weather and school spirit are big draws.

More Northeastern teens are heading to the South for large state schools, with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="LSU" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/education" data-vars-content-id="0d179aa6-6cc0-4dd2-83b8-e437d0fa3048" data-vars-headline="More Northeast students are heading to LSU" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/education" target="_self">LSU</a> seeing a nearly 500% increase in attendance from students in the Northeast between 2014 and 2023, an Axios data analysis shows.Why it matters: It seems like everyone wants to be a Tiger.

Education 📚

The best way to X-ray a hummingbird

Student absences spike during first week of immigration sweeps in New Orleans

New Orleans schools earn B grade, but new rating system looms

Loyola wins federal approval for prison education Pell Grants

LSU gets new president, chancellor, athletic director