New Orleans

A picture of New Orleans with the letters MSY

blue

Get smarter, faster on what matters in New Orleans with Carlie Kollath Wells and Chelsea Brasted.

Axios New Orleans

Standard

New Orleans Alerts

Alert

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting New Orleans.

Axios New Orleans Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

New Orleans Members

Membership

Axios New Orleans Partners

Isaias expected to strengthen to near Category 3 strength 

Watches are in effect from Louisiana to Florida.

News

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tropical Storm Isaias" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/10/06/invest92l-gulf-forecast-hurricane-louisiana-isaias" data-vars-content-id="57637ff6-3850-4f01-ab57-fdd365813cdc" data-vars-headline="Isaias expected to strengthen to near Category 3 strength " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/10/06/invest92l-gulf-forecast-hurricane-louisiana-isaias" target="_self">Tropical Storm Isaias</a> is rapidly strengthening in the Gulf and is expected to be nearly a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall this weekend near the Alabama-Florida state line.Why it matters: Hurricane and tropical storm watches are in effect from Louisiana to Florida.

New Orleans' distinctive Eiffel Tower building hits the market

Its current tenant, the Nieux Society, is looking for a new location.

One of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New Orleans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans" data-vars-content-id="e96819f4-84f6-4f3c-9cc6-8744c2c52723" data-vars-headline="New Orleans&#x27; distinctive Eiffel Tower building hits the market" 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>&#x27; most recognizable buildings is back on the market. The big picture: The distinctive building at 2040 St. Charles Ave. is made of 11,000 pieces of the Eiffel Tower&#x27;s former restaurant, according to a 1986 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New York Times article" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/10/garden/new-orleans-s-eiffel-tower.html" data-vars-content-id="e96819f4-84f6-4f3c-9cc6-8744c2c52723" data-vars-headline="New Orleans&#x27; distinctive Eiffel Tower building hits the market" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/10/garden/new-orleans-s-eiffel-tower.html" target="_blank">New York Times article</a>, which opened 562 feet above Paris in 1937.

Gulf system expected to become season's first hurricane

Residents from Louisiana to Florida should be on alert.

A tropical depression in the Gulf is expected to become the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="first hurricane" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/09/15/hurricane-season-atlantic-historic-no-storms" data-vars-content-id="72644985-cee6-4036-8698-0bb41da9e928" data-vars-headline="Gulf system expected to become season&#x27;s first hurricane" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/09/15/hurricane-season-atlantic-historic-no-storms" target="_self">first hurricane</a> of the Atlantic season.Why it matters: It could bring heavy rain, gusty winds and coastal flooding to the Gulf Coast, but it&#x27;s too early to tell how much <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New Orleans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans" data-vars-content-id="72644985-cee6-4036-8698-0bb41da9e928" data-vars-headline="Gulf system expected to become season&#x27;s first hurricane" 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> could see.

Hurricane Isaias forms, expected to rapidly intensify in Gulf

Landfall is forecast overnight Friday near the Alabama-Florida state line.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Hurricane Isaias" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/10/07/tropical-storm-isaias-hurricane-strength-track-louisiana" data-vars-content-id="8b6ee3ff-e530-494d-a2b2-faf5b9616f5d" data-vars-headline="Hurricane Isaias forms, expected to rapidly intensify in Gulf" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/10/07/tropical-storm-isaias-hurricane-strength-track-louisiana" target="_self">Hurricane Isaias</a> is expected to rapidly intensify in the Gulf and become nearly a Category 3 storm before making landfall late Friday near the Alabama-Florida state line.Why it matters: New Orleans is now outside the storm&#x27;s cone, but NHC says residents from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle should monitor Isaias closely.

Lane Kiffin reignites LSU vs. Ole Miss rivalry

Sports

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="LSU" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/sports" data-vars-content-id="dfca141d-d53e-4c8d-b545-8651b7432cc8" data-vars-headline="Lane Kiffin reignites LSU vs. Ole Miss rivalry" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/sports" target="_self">LSU</a> heads to Oxford, Miss., on Saturday to play Ole Miss in a primetime matchup.Why it matters: It&#x27;s a new week with new drama for the Tigers.

LSU could get booted from the SEC

It's the latest escalation of a bitter fight with the conference.

LSU&#x27;s biggest opponent this season? The SEC.Zoom in: The athletic conference will consider booting the school out of its ranks in a meeting Thursday, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ESPN reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49869481/sec-files-amendment-authority-expel-lsu-conference" data-vars-content-id="fb061def-50d7-417f-b71b-9161e765e032" data-vars-headline="LSU could get booted from the SEC" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49869481/sec-files-amendment-authority-expel-lsu-conference" target="_blank">ESPN reports</a>.

LSU launches free AI literacy course online

The intro-level class offers a general intro to the tech.

Education

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="LSU" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/education" data-vars-content-id="b76f5dfa-2bba-4015-b1da-e2f8cb266ba9" data-vars-headline="LSU launches free AI literacy course online" 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> launched a free online AI literacy course.Why it matters: It&#x27;s not just that AI is coming for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="jobs that can be automated" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/28/ai-jobs-white-collar-unemployment-anthropic" data-vars-content-id="b76f5dfa-2bba-4015-b1da-e2f8cb266ba9" data-vars-headline="LSU launches free AI literacy course online" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/28/ai-jobs-white-collar-unemployment-anthropic" target="_self">jobs that can be automated</a>, but it also <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="poses a risk" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/24/ai-use-inequality-class" data-vars-content-id="b76f5dfa-2bba-4015-b1da-e2f8cb266ba9" data-vars-headline="LSU launches free AI literacy course online" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/24/ai-use-inequality-class" target="_self">poses a risk</a> for workers who fail to become fluent in its use, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Anthropic data" data-vars-click-url="https://www.anthropic.com/research/economic-index-march-2026-report" data-vars-content-id="b76f5dfa-2bba-4015-b1da-e2f8cb266ba9" data-vars-headline="LSU launches free AI literacy course online" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.anthropic.com/research/economic-index-march-2026-report" target="_blank">Anthropic data</a> has shown.

Mapped: Louisiana is back in class while summer lingers elsewhere

Gone are the days of a shared "back-to-school" moment nationally.

America&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="start-of-school season" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/education" data-vars-content-id="9a1165b1-afef-4c6a-a174-b111382f2759" data-vars-headline="Mapped: Louisiana is back in class while summer lingers elsewhere" 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">start-of-school season</a> stretches nearly two months.Why it matters: Gone are the days of a shared &quot;back-to-school&quot; moment. Schools reopen on schedules that stretch from mid-July to mid-September, depending on where they are.

NOPD cracks down on speeders in back-to-school rush

School zone traffic cameras remain turned off.

Public Safety

<figure><img alt="An SUV drives past a trio of New Orleans Police cops as one of them uses a radar gun on passing vehicles." height="450" id="3577b332-b7dd-475a-bae8-e788a273bb20" src="https://images.axios.com/NV_Lr34ZRUDGy4U_YIYH98IQTLE=/2026/08/11/1786457179120.gif" width="800"/><figcaption>The speed limit in school zones is 20 miles per hour. Video: Chelsea Brasted/Axios</figcaption></figure>Students are returning to class and the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New Orleans Police Department" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/public-safety" data-vars-content-id="3f3a31d6-1065-4d73-9747-f9368941569a" data-vars-headline="NOPD cracks down on speeders in back-to-school rush" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/public-safety" target="_self">New Orleans Police Department</a> is cracking down on speeders in school zones.Why it matters: Manual enforcement is the only way to slow down school zone speeders with tickets while the city&#x27;s traffic cameras remain turned off.

Kamala Harris aims to rally Southern voters

The Supreme Court "basically undid the Voting Rights Act," she said.

Politics & Policy

<figure><img alt="Kamala Harris onto a modern-designed set onstage, while she claps and waves. Four people stand behind her and clap to welcome her." height="450" id="8d322ed0-5741-4f5c-b6d6-1f59240ad8df" src="https://images.axios.com/EfcE3IFoDOQlohCEgzG020Svw2s=/2026/08/07/1786128163737.gif" width="800"/><figcaption>Mayor Helena Moreno and former Rep. Cedric Richmond welcome former Vice President Kamala Harris onstage Friday. Video: Chelsea Brasted/Axios</figcaption></figure>Former Vice President <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Kamala Harris" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" data-vars-content-id="ad854f81-4e03-49cc-b17f-95a518c59eaf" data-vars-headline="Kamala Harris aims to rally Southern voters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_self">Kamala Harris</a> plans to spend the next few months rallying <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Southern voters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/08/05/mitch-landrieu-long-play-southern-politics" data-vars-content-id="ad854f81-4e03-49cc-b17f-95a518c59eaf" data-vars-headline="Kamala Harris aims to rally Southern voters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/08/05/mitch-landrieu-long-play-southern-politics" target="_self">Southern voters</a> after the Supreme Court &quot;basically <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="undid the Voting Rights Act" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/05/kamala-harris-louisiana-callais-new-orleans" data-vars-content-id="ad854f81-4e03-49cc-b17f-95a518c59eaf" data-vars-headline="Kamala Harris aims to rally Southern voters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/05/kamala-harris-louisiana-callais-new-orleans" target="_self">undid the Voting Rights Act</a>,&quot; she said while speaking to students Friday in New Orleans.The big picture: Harris characterized the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Louisiana v. Callais decision" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/29/supreme-court-redistricting-race-gerrymander" data-vars-content-id="ad854f81-4e03-49cc-b17f-95a518c59eaf" data-vars-headline="Kamala Harris aims to rally Southern voters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/29/supreme-court-redistricting-race-gerrymander" target="_self">Louisiana v. Callais decision</a>, which narrowed legal protections against racial gerrymandering, as one of several &quot;obstacles&quot; to voting ahead of November&#x27;s elections.

UNO officially becomes LSUNO with return to LSU system

Leaders hope the transition helps stabilize the school.

The University of New Orleans&#x27; 15-year run within the University of Louisiana System comes to an end Wednesday as the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="school folds back" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2025/09/03/uno-shifts-back-to-lsu-system-amid-crisis" data-vars-content-id="87565511-c90a-41b5-a1dc-494f1a654a5a" data-vars-headline="UNO officially becomes LSUNO with return to LSU system" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2025/09/03/uno-shifts-back-to-lsu-system-amid-crisis" target="_self">school folds back</a> into LSU&#x27;s umbrella.Why it matters: The change, officials hope, will bring stability to New Orleans&#x27; largest public university after years of budget woes, layoffs and program cuts amid declining enrollment.

Louisiana's latest report card: The good, bad and ugly

Many of Louisiana's challenges are generational.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Louisiana" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans" data-vars-content-id="0faa633f-a6c7-4695-a258-ab8a146aa585" data-vars-headline="Louisiana&#x27;s latest report card: The good, bad and ugly" 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">Louisiana</a> is constantly being ranked, officially and unofficially, on just about every facet of life.Why it matters: Want to know your drinking water quality, school ranking or how safe it is to walk in your neighborhood? There&#x27;s a report for that.

New Orleans among worst places for new grads to find jobs

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.

The best way to X-ray a hummingbird

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

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.

🤸 Back in play

Louisiana among states mandating recess for kids

A state map shows school recess laws in the U.S. As of December 2025, 13 states (including D.C.) mandate recess laws, while 12 others have physical activity laws. Most states, 26, have no state mandate.

School recess laws

💸 School costs climb

Southern families expect to spend $800+ on back-to-school shopping, survey says

A bar chart shows expected U.S. family back-to-school spending for 2026-27 by region. The U.S. average is $922. The Northeast is highest at $1,076, followed by the West at $960 and Midwest at $954. The South is lowest at $832. Data is from 2,080 adults surveyed May 20-22, 2026.

Education 📚

Lane Kiffin reignites LSU vs. Ole Miss rivalry

LSU could get booted from the SEC

LSU launches free AI literacy course online

Louisiana among states mandating recess for kids

Southern families expect to spend $800+ on back-to-school shopping, survey says