Lakeside Mall will celebrate its first holiday season in at least seven years without any additional space available for lease.

Why it matters: It's a stark contrast as other local shopping centers struggle to stay afloat.

The big picture: The slow, painful death of the American mall has been charted for years, though the pandemic helped somewhat to revive interest, according to Axios' Erica Pandey.

• "The malls caught COVID when the population caught COVID, and those that were fit and strong made it through," says Michael Brown, a partner in consulting firm Kearney's Consumer Products and Retail Practice. "There's a long future for the malls who are doing it right." Go deeper.

Zoom in: Lakeside, which turned 65 this year, is one of the lucky ones, and that's by design, marketing director Erin Graham tells us.

• "Our goal has always been to try to find exclusive retailers, those larger retailers you can't find in this region, and bring them here," Graham explains.
• Lakeside, Graham says, pulls in day-shoppers from a 55-mile radius, which is much larger than the industry standard of 25 miles for a super-regional mall. "The reason is we provide them with retailers they can't find anywhere else locally," Graham adds.

Case in point: Just this year, Lakeside celebrated the first Louisiana openings for Alo, Mango and Garage.

• Anthropologie opens a new store there this Black Friday as it closes its longtime location at Canal Place downtown.

What's next: Holiday shoppers can expect retailer kiosks for temporary tenants scattered throughout the fully-leased mall.

• Plus, Graham says, "we're always trying to find ways so it's not just a place for shopping. It's a community space."

Mall death data

Gov. Jeff Landry now hopes to deploy the National Guard to New Orleans by November, according to Fox.

Why it matters: That timeline seems to walk back Landry's initial confidence in President Trump's approval on the request.

Catch up quick: For weeks, Trump signaled his support for a National Guard deployment in Louisiana.

• Then, Landry took him up on the offer, issuing the formal request Sept. 29 and breaking the news in an appearance on "Hannity."
• "Have they [the Trump administration] responded?" host Sean Hannity asked.
• "Oh yeah, the president is happy to send us the troops," Landry replied.

Yes, but: It's been more than two weeks, and that approval hasn't appeared.

• It's somewhat mystifying, especially given Landry's friendship with the president.

Between the lines: As governor, Landry, whose staff did not reply to a request for comment, could deploy the Louisiana National Guard at any time, according to Louisiana National Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. Noel Collins, but it would come on the state's dime.

• If Landry secures Trump's approval, then the feds would pay the bill.

A White House official declined to comment on the timeline, noting they "would not get ahead of the President on any potential announcements," Axios' Brittany Gibson reports.

What deployments cost

🪽 Angel Reese, a former LSU basketball star, became the first professional athlete to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. (AP)

✍️ Gov. Landry is calling state lawmakers back to Baton Rouge next week to reschedule dates for next year's congressional elections. Landry hopes to give the Supreme Court a chance to decide on the state's big redistricting case before holding those elections. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)

👀 Mayor-elect Heleno Moreno is searching for her second-in-command. Applications are now open for the chief administrative officer position.

⚖️ Tulane suspended Delta Tau Delta fraternity after a months-long hazing investigation. (Hullaboo)

📖 Kevin Federline, aka Britney Spears' ex-husband, says in a new memoir that "it's become impossible to pretend everything's OK" with the Kentwood native. (New York Times gift link)

• Spears' response: "The constant gaslighting from my ex-husband is extremely hurtful and exhausting." (Instagram)

No Kings protest organizers expect thousands to gather in New Orleans tomorrow in an event Republican lawmakers decry as "a hate America rally."

Why it matters: The latest round of protests comes amid growing frustration about the ongoing government shutdown and widespread opposition to President Trump's military crackdown on Democratic-led cities.

The big picture: New Orleans is one of 10 anchor cities nationally. That means the organizers get additional event and security guidance from national partners.

• The rally is from 3:30 to 5:30pm between North Galvez and North Prieur streets on the Lafitte Greenway. Kermit Ruffins will perform.
• Events are also planned in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Hammond, Leesville, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, Ruston and Shreveport.
• More than 2,500 events are planned across all 50 states.

The other side: The recurring movement against the Trump administration has garnered sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers who say Democrats are protesting as a ploy during the government shutdown.

Keep reading

We're back with another fun uniquely New Orleans haunting.

This one comes from reader Renee P.: "We have lived amicably with our ghost, Henri, for the past 16 years. ... I went away last weekend for a short trip and came back to find the TVs turned on — a frequent occurrence when Henri feels ignored."

• "Small objects continue to disappear and reappear, and the occasional picture flies off the wall."

Yes, but: "Henri might well be merely a convenient excuse for encroaching absent-mindedness ... but I like to think we have grown comfortable with each other."

Go deeper: Renee has written about Henri for The Times-Picayune.