Robin Barnes is one of the most visible working singers in New Orleans today, but somehow she's gained that reputation without ever putting out her own full-length album.

Why it matters: That changes now.

The big picture: Barnes, aka the Songbird of New Orleans, has been performing since she was just 6 years old, and she's been working at it professionally since 2017.

• In that time, she's collaborated with just about everyone in town, stacked up awards from Gambit and New Orleans Magazine, gained an enviable social media following, and held down contemporary jazz gigs all over the city.
• That's a testament to how in New Orleans, there's enough opportunity that if a musician never wanted to make an album, they probably wouldn't have to, Barnes says.
• "That's fine for some people, but for me, I want to be a bigger part of the stewardship of New Orleans culture, the Louisiana culture," she says.

And that means something specific to Barnes, a ninth-generation New Orleanian who grew up in the 9th Ward.

• The women in Barnes' family have passed down their oral history from eldest daughter to eldest daughter.
• As Barnes considered developing her debut album, that tradition clicked into place.
• "This is not a vanity project," Barnes says. Instead, it's how she's choosing to pass down her family history to her own eldest daughter, Riley, 6.

Zoom in: Speaking with Axios New Orleans in January, when she was still in the throes of recording, Barnes had just captured Big Chief Monk Boudreaux's deep voice for the introduction to "Put Your Hands Up."

• Boudreaux's words hover over the vibrant, danceable track. "Let them know where you come from and who you are," he says. "Believe me, you are the one."
• "He's just in his living room sewing on his suit," she says, still emotional and shaken by the experience of recording with the iconic Mardi Gras Indian. "And he put into words what I'm trying to do on this album."

What's next: Barnes' debut album drops May 1.

• Then, she closes the Lagniappe Stage at Jazz Fest on May 3.

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Speaking of Jazz Fest, British singer-songwriter Raye took the stage with an eventful set that reportedly included a surprise engagement in the crowd.

Why it matters: Raye performed on Day 1 of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which will span two weekends of music, food and culture at the Fair Grounds.

• According to The Times-Picayune, a couple in the audience got engaged during the show — and Raye later performed "Where is my Husband?"

Go deeper: Jazz Fest 2026: What to know before you go

Gov. Jeff Landry and his wife were among the guests evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday after shots were fired.

• Landry told The Times-Picayune that he's "back and safe and everything's okay."
• In a statement on Facebook, he said the event "is yet another reason that President Donald J. Trump's ballroom should be built!"

🤖 New Orleans Police said they plan to operate a drone in the Fairgrounds area "for the duration of" Jazz and Heritage Festival. (NOPD)

💔 A Louisiana high school is remembering Martha Odom, a 17-year-old killed in a shooting at the Mall of Louisiana, as a hardworking student with a "joyful presence." (WAFB)

🎾 The Jefferson Parish Council last week approved a deal to transform the Johnny Bright Playground into a tennis hub under a partnership with Split-Sets Foundation. (WVUE)

U.S. beef supplies are shrinking, imports are rising and prices are stuck near record highs — with little relief in sight.

Why it matters: The all-American hamburger is becoming a luxury item, nudging consumers toward cheaper proteins like chicken and pork.

The latest: U.S. beef production is forecast to fall again in 2026, to about 25.79 billion pounds, according to a new USDA outlook.

• Prices are holding near record levels, with cattle expected to average roughly $241 per hundredweight this year — about 8% higher than 2025, per USDA estimates.

The big picture: The U.S. beef market is shifting from a surge in prices to a plateau — where costs remain high because supply can't quickly recover.

• Ground beef averaged about $6.70 per pound in March for U.S. shoppers, roughly 16% higher than a year earlier, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Between the lines: Even record prices aren't fixing the supply problem, according to economists and industry data.

• Years of drought pushed the U.S. cattle herd to its lowest level in decades, forcing ranchers to shrink herds and slowing rebuilding as feed, labor and financing costs rise.
• Cattle are being kept on feed longer, producing heavier animals that help offset — but don't solve — the shortage, USDA data shows.

Zoom in: The U.S. is leaning more on imported beef.

• Imports are nearing 5.8 billion pounds this year, while exports are expected to fall about 8%, according to USDA forecasts.
• That shift is reshaping the market — especially for ground beef.

What's next: Rebuilding the U.S. cattle herd — when it begins — won't happen overnight. It can take more than two years for new cattle to reach the food supply.

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