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New Orleans will host one of the biggest gatherings of tall ships

Here's what to know about the free tours.

Things to Do

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New Orleans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans" data-vars-content-id="1bbe9ab2-db9b-443e-b77a-af3cf8207405" data-vars-headline="New Orleans will host one of the biggest gatherings of tall ships" 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> hosts a flotilla of international tall ships next week for the kickoff of Sail 250, which is part of the country&#x27;s 250th birthday celebrations.Why it matters: The 12 ships will be open for free public tours along the Mississippi Riverfront.

New Orleans among worst places for new grads to find jobs

News

Fast-growing Southern metros offer the best job opportunities for new college graduates, according to a new study.The big picture: Birmingham, Alabama, and Tampa Bay, Florida, top the list, based on payroll processor ADP&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ranking" data-vars-click-url="https://www.adpresearch.com/2026-youve-graduated-now-what/" data-vars-content-id="11f30d2f-4d60-4c2a-bd04-0b85b4bc7eb6" data-vars-headline="New Orleans among worst places for new grads to find jobs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.adpresearch.com/2026-youve-graduated-now-what/" target="_blank">ranking</a> of 20-something hiring rates, wages and affordability.

New Orleans homicides down 26% as violent crime falls nationwide

Crime remains one of the country's most politically potent issues.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Homicide rates" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/01/06/violent-crime-murder-capital-improvement-statistics" data-vars-content-id="91c82c7e-41a2-4931-b5bd-f13654308034" data-vars-headline="New Orleans homicides down 26% as violent crime falls nationwide" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/01/06/violent-crime-murder-capital-improvement-statistics" target="_self">Homicide rates</a> in New Orleans continue to fall year over year, extending a nationwide decline that began after the pandemic-era crime spike.Why it matters: Crime remains one of the country&#x27;s most politically potent issues, even as many major cities report sustained declines in violence.

New TSA tech aims to speed up lines at MSY

You have to pay for TSA PreCheck use the new Touchless ID option.

Passengers at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/03/23/msy-airport-expansion-timeline-parking-garage" data-vars-content-id="f43f9267-e20f-4c1a-88ac-95cdde5e7cf4" data-vars-headline="New TSA tech aims to speed up lines at MSY" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/03/23/msy-airport-expansion-timeline-parking-garage" target="_self">Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport</a> now have a faster option at the TSA checkpoint.Why it matters: Long lines at security are a vibe-killer for the start of your trip.

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.

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.

Education 📚

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