Jazz Fest kicks off today with two weekends of music, food and culture at the Fair Grounds.

Why it matters: It's one of our biggest events of the year, drawing massive crowds and big-name talent.

The big picture: Headliners this weekend include Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks, David Byrne, Kings of Leon, Lorde, Ani DiFranco, Nas and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

• Local stars include Jon Batiste, Irma Thomas, Big Freedia, Cyril Neville, John Boutté and The Revivalists.
• Tickets are discounted for Louisiana residents, with the cheapest ones on Thursdays.
• Case in point: Local tickets are $75 today versus $109 for regular admission.

By the numbers: Jazz Fest draws about 500,000 visitors and generates an estimated $500 million in economic impact.

• This year's fest has more than 600 musicians and artists, with 85% of them from Louisiana, officials say.

What's new: The Cultural Pavilion highlights Jamaican music and food. Ziggy and Stephen Marley headline, while Sean Paul brings dancehall beats.

• Paul Rogers created this year's poster, which celebrates the 125th anniversary of Louis Armstrong.
• This year's BayouWear print is called "Rhythm in Blues." Inspired by Black Masking Indians, it features electric blue feathers and rhythm instruments.

Logistics: The fest is cashless. Bring your cards and tap-to-pay options.

• NOPD, Louisiana State Police and the National Guard will patrol.
• Expect road closures around the Fair Grounds.
• Organizers encourage public transit, biking and rideshare options. If you drive, follow all the parking rules or consider parking in one of the nearby paid lots.

Pro tips: Prepare for hot, sunny days and lots of walking.

• The Grand Stand has real bathrooms if you want to avoid port-a-potties.
• Make time for the Folklife Village. It features Native American food, art, dancing and storytelling.
• Children get in for $5. Here's what we learned last year with our kiddos.

Want to fest at home? WWOZ is broadcasting the tunes on 90.7 and on its website.

Go deeper: See the fest map, food vendors and craft vendors.

• What you can and can't bring.

The Saints enter the NFL Draft ready to build around Tyler Shough, the promising young quarterback they selected this time last year.

Why it matters: Shough's rapid rise to Rookie of the Year contender creates a degree of urgency for the Saints to build up the roster around him.

State of play: New Orleans is thin at wide receiver beyond Chris Olave, who's on the last year of his contract and has been injury-prone.

• Other needs include cornerback and pass rusher. The Saints have eight picks in this draft, including No. 8 overall Thursday night in the first round.

Names to know: Many analysts have forecast the Saints will use that pick on Carnell Tate, the Ohio State star considered the draft's best receiver.

• But Tate may not make it to the eighth pick. Another touted receiver who could is Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson.
• Other options for No. 8 could include pass rushers Reuben Bain Jr. of Miami and David Bailey of Texas Tech, or cornerback Mansoor Delane, a local favorite who played for LSU.

The intrigue: If the Saints don't take a receiver in the first round, a name to watch in Round 2 is Louisville's Chris Bell.

• Bell and Shough were college teammates, and Bell told reporters that Shough "wants me so bad, and he's been pushing my name."

How to watch: The draft starts Thursday at 8pm. Rounds 2 and 3 air at 7pm Friday, with the remaining four rounds airing Saturday, starting at noon.

• There are a ton of places to watch: ESPN, ABC (for Round 1), Disney+, NFL Network and the ESPN App.

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🏢 Mayor Helena Moreno marked 100 days in office this week with the release of a progress report outlining her administration's priorities, including tackling the ongoing budget crisis. (The Times-Picayune🔒)

🤳 Chef Michael Gulotta of TANA and MoPho talks about his struggle with social media influencers in a new column for Food & Wine.

• Meanwhile, The New York Times says audiences are tired of pay-for-play reviews. They want authentic videos that focus on under-the-radar spots.

🤣 Rosie Tran, a comedian from the West Bank, has a new show, "Rosie Tran Presents...," which is now streaming on Amazon Prime. (Fox 8)

📊 A new GNO Inc. jobs report highlights recent workforce growth trends and what they could mean for the region's economy. (Press release)

• Explore the job data.

UCLA researchers say they've found a way to reduce mineral sunscreen's biggest drawback: the white cast.

Why it matters: The chalky residue — especially on darker skin tones — keeps many people from wearing mineral sunscreen, despite its role in preventing skin cancer.

Catch up quick: Mineral sunscreen is widely considered the safest form of sunscreen, particularly for people with sensitive skin.

• Its active ingredient, zinc oxide, blocks both UVA and UVB rays and does not penetrate skin.
• But even tinted mineral sunscreens can be hard to wear, because they can stain and feel cakey.

Between the lines: Conventional zinc oxide particles tend to clump together, scattering visible light and creating a white or gray cast, according to UCLA.

What happened: UCLA researchers developed a new kind of zinc oxide made of tetrapod-shaped particles that "can't pack tightly and aggregate, so they stay evenly distributed in the sunscreen," says AJ Addae, first author of the study.

• The new sunscreen formulation appeared warmer and closer to natural skin tones in UCLA tests, even without added pigments or special coatings.

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