Mayor Helena Moreno is shaking up how City Hall approaches climate change.

Why it matters: Hundreds of residents are pushing back and asking Moreno to reverse course.

The big picture: Moreno's administration laid off several members of the city's Office of Resilience and Sustainability. A new executive order says the initiatives will be spread across all city departments.

• "We need more than just a small little office to work on climate and resiliency issues," Moreno told reporters Tuesday. "In every city department, we have to be thinking about these things."
• Moreno also said she wasn't happy with the ongoing delays in reopening Lincoln Beach, which is under the purview of the office.

Yes, but: The layoffs sparked immediate pushback. A Change.org petition calling for Moreno to save the office has more than 1,400 signatures.

• Petition organizers said in a press conference yesterday they feel the move deprioritizes the city's climate change work.
• "I have a hard time seeing how a lot of the city employees could just add that to their plate if we're reducing staff capacity," says Jackson Voss, one of the organizers.
• Chris Lang, one staffer who was let go, echoed Voss' concerns, saying he and his colleagues didn't have time to hand off their work.

What she's saying: "I get that there might be some people who are upset," Moreno said Tuesday.

• "But I ask this — give me a shot to show you that there is actually a better way to do it and a way to actually work more urgently on these issues, because these are issues that I very much care about."

Zoom in: Joe Giarrusso, Moreno's new chief administrative officer, tells us it's unlikely the administration will reverse course.

• "ORS is not being disbanded," he says. "It is being redirected."
• The restructuring is a change in strategy, and a result of budget cuts.

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Holidays collide this weekend, with parades rolling for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Mardi Gras.

Some best bets ...

✨ Larry Morrow brings a new hospitality conference to town this weekend. Tickets are free.

🎉 Krewe de Mosaïque rolls at 6pm Saturday in the French Quarter. Route.

🦞 Crawfish boils are back at Port Orleans on Saturday. Details.

🧚🏻 The Mystic Krewe of Apollo celebrates the LGBTQ+ community Saturday at its ball. Tickets.

🎂 The Dollys throw their namesake an 80th birthday bash on Oak Street this Sunday.

Martin Luther King Jr. events

✊🏾 The Algiers America MLK Celebration Parade rolls at noon Saturday from L.B. Landry to Edna Karr. Details.

🔨 Day of service: Moreno and the City Council lead several projects Monday. Sign up.

• City Park has options, too.

🍴 Million Meals for MLK hosts an event Monday at Dillard. Details.

🚲 Critical Mass NOLA has a community bike ride Monday to visit six historic sites Dr. King visited. Details.

🎶 The Louisiana Children's Museum hosts Peace Day on Saturday with activities honoring Dr. King. The children's parade rolls at 2pm.

🤩 The Ogden hosts its free annual MLK Day celebration on Monday.

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👀 Gov. Jeff Landry, the recently-named special envoy to Greenland, is taking a softer tack toward diplomacy with the arctic nation than President Trump, who says he will act to take it over whether Greenlanders "like it or not." (AP)

🕺 Jazz Fest's daily lineups should drop today, organizers say.

🏡 A developer plans to turn Uptown's Poor Clare Monastery into a condo complex with 38 high-end units. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)

🤝 Before leaving town, Kamala Harris had lunch at L'il Dizzy's, met with former Mayor Marc Morial and got introduced to students with the Trombone Shorty Academy.

👥 City Council moved forward yesterday with confirming Moreno's department nominees: Charline Gipson as city attorney and Jennifer Avegno as director of human services. (Press release)

If your New Year's resolution is to use all of your PTO, here's how to best do it by creating longer stretches of time off.

Why it matters: Research shows that taking time away from work improves well-being.

Get the most out of your vacation days by combining them with federal holidays and weekends.

• Start this week by taking tomorrow or Tuesday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• Next month, make it a double whammy with Presidents Day (Feb. 16) and Mardi Gras (Feb. 17). Take off Friday or Ash Wednesday.
• In May, take off Friday, May 23, or Tuesday, May 27, for a four-day Memorial Day weekend.

Full plan

With the return of Mardi Gras, we also recognize the return of King Cake Baby.

Why it matters: That's either good or horrifying — depending on who you ask.

The big picture: The seasonal NBA mascot is known for his delightfully creepy-cute antics, and a Pelicans spokesperson tells us he debuted on Kings Day when the Lakers handed the team a 111-103 loss.

What we're watching: He'll make additional appearances at each home game until Jan. 30, when fans can expect a king cake-themed giveaway as the Pels take on the Memphis Grizzlies, the team rep says.