Stay off the road this afternoon if you want to avoid the worst Memorial Day weekend traffic.

Why it matters: AAA predicts this will be the busiest Memorial Day ever for travel — meaning your departure time could make or break your trip.

Zoom in: Sunday is a good driving day, it estimates.

By the numbers: More than 45 million Americans are expected travel 50 miles or more over Memorial Day weekend. That's 200,000 more than last year.

• The bulk of them — more than 39 million travelers — will be driving.

What we're watching: Aggressive Monday-morning drivers.

• AAA clocked a 29% spike in Memorial Day speeding compared to other Mondays, with speeding peaking between 7am–9am.

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Passengers at MSY 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 big picture: The New Orleans airport now has TSA PreCheck Touchless ID with a dedicated security line, TSA spokesperson Gervais Joubert says.

• It's similar to PreCheck, but instead of giving your ID to an agent, passengers look into a camera that uses biometric comparison technology to verify their identity in seconds, he says.
• MSY started testing the option in February, Joubert says. It's now available at 65 airports.

How it works: TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is available to passengers who pay for PreCheck and who are flying with specific airlines.

• Right now, Southwest, Delta, American, United and Alaska Airlines are participating in New Orleans.
• Passengers can enable Touchless ID during booking by entering their Known Traveler Number and selecting the Touchless ID option.
• It will add a special icon to your boarding pass, Joubert says.

State of play: Security lines have returned to normal, Joubert says, and are no longer snaking back into the parking garage like they were earlier this year during a partial government shutdown.

• ICE agents, who were sent to help at TSA checkpoints at that time, are no longer working at MSY either, he says.
• Travelers should still get to the airport at least two hours early, especially on Sundays and Mondays, says MSY spokesperson Erin Burns.
• Parking availability also is expected to be dicey during busy summer weekends, she says. Check the options before you go and consider reserving a spot.

New screening machines

🇬🇱 Gov. Jeff Landry is on his way home from Greenland, where he serves as the Trump-appointed special envoy.

• "As I leave this great island, I am incredibly grateful for the warm welcome and eye-opening conversations." (Facebook)
• His visit has been controversial. (Axios)

🏈 Ed Orgeron is back at LSU to work for head coach Lane Kiffin. (Instagram)

🇺🇸 Jefferson Parish officials host a Memorial Day ceremony at 10am today inside Lakeside Shopping Center.

• The National WWII Museum hosts a remembrance ceremony Monday.
• Greek Fest starts today. More things to do.

🏗️ State Sen. Jay Morris is facing scrutiny amid reports he intertwined Meta's data center deal with his own real estate business. (Floodlight)

🚌 Lona Edwards Hankins, RTA's chief executive, has resigned and signaled that she plans to sue the agency. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)

🍝 Tana, an Italian restaurant in Old Metairie, is revamping. Its lounge will become a members-only club called Blue Room. (Facebook)

🧳 An Assumption Parish man who tried to fly from New Orleans with meth hidden in a Zatarain's container was sentenced to 40 months in prison. (Press release)

This year's Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be below average in storm activity for the first time in more than a decade, NOAA meteorologists said yesterday in their annual forecast.

Why it matters: Residents should still take the season seriously and prepare now, officials stressed.

The big picture: This year will likely see eight to 14 named storms and three to six hurricanes, one to three of which will be Category 3 or higher, NOAA administrator Neil Jacobs told reporters.

• That's in line with Colorado State University's forecast, which called for below-normal activity with 13 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

Zoom in: The main driver behind the forecast is a high likelihood of El Niño conditions, Jacobs said.

• El Niño occurs when water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean become warmer than usual.
• Those conditions can lead to high-altitude winds over the Atlantic that make it harder for hurricanes to form.

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