Axios New Orleans

March 09, 2026
π Welcome back. It's Monday and National Meatball Day.
- Our go-to options: Gendusa's spaghetti or Midway's Kingpin pizza.
- We need to try Pulcinella's. What are your faves?
Today's weather: Dense fog advisory, then cloudy with a high of 82. Rain possible.
π§ Sounds like: "Mardi Gras Love" by Subtweet Shawn and TreBilly. What Shawn says about his new viral song.
Today's newsletter is 928 words β a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: π€ Rebuilding ties with Baton Rouge
Louisiana's legislative session starts today, and Mayor Helena Moreno is betting that collaboration, not confrontation, will deliver for New Orleans.
Why it matters: The city needs the Legislature's buy-in on revenue and structural reforms. Moreno is testing whether a softer approach in a GOP-controlled Capitol can deliver results.
The big picture: Moreno met with the full New Orleans delegation and other state lawmakers recently to pitch legal changes she says are "critical" to the city.
- Her legislative goals focus on stabilizing the city's fiscal crisis and improving infrastructure and public safety.
- She supports reforming the Sewerage & Water Board, increasing fines for historic district violations and boosting 911 user fees.
- If the 911 bill passes, monthly charges for mobile users in the state will go from $1.25 to $2. The change would generate an extra $10 million for the city's 911 center, according to the Times-Picayune.
Zoom in: Moreno also wants to study the groups with authority along the downtown riverfront.
- Officials say the goal is to recommend consolidation options.
- While many items on Moreno's agenda had proposed bills as of Friday, this one did not.
- See the full list.
What we're watching: Gov. Jeff Landry will address the joint Legislature at 1pm today.
- He has proposed doubling the public dollars spent on private Kβ12 school tuition for the second year in a row, the Louisiana Illuminator reports.
- He's expected to lay out his broader agenda in the speech.
By the numbers: Lawmakers can propose unlimited bills, excludingΒ most tax-related measures, according to the nonpartisan Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana.
- More than 1,350 bills were prefiled, PAR says.
- Expect debates on economic development, criminal justice, data centers and child welfare, lawmakers said at a recent PAR event.
Go deeper: Gambit has a deep dive into the local proposals.
2. π Parade conduct in spotlight
City Council members today will scrutinize what worked and what didn't during Mardi Gras.
Why it matters: Carnival costs taxpayers about $1 million per day, Council President JP Morrell says, and the city expects a "good party" in return.
The big picture: The council will discuss problems during the Carrollton, Thoth, Tucks, Freret and Oshun parades, the agenda says.
- The krewes face consequences after allegations of racist displays, aggressive bead throwing and banned commercial throws.
- Tucks already kicked out two members leaders say were "dangling Black Barbie dolls by the neck from a bead."
- Other krewes say they are investigating issues during their parades.
State of play: Taxpayers subsidize Carnival festivities, Morrell said in a recent social media video.
- The city spends about $1 million per day on fire, police, EMS, sanitation and other public services, he says.
- The krewes only pay $1,000 for their parade permit.
- The expectation is the krewes "throw a good party," while the city provides a "safe, hospitable environment," Morrell says.
Yes, but: Officials also expect the people riding in a parade to not be "drunk jerks" or promote their businesses and political positions, he said.
- "If you are incapable ... of following the rules, then there are plenty of krewes that will," Morrell says.
What's next: The meeting starts at 10am. Watch the livestream.
3. Fully Dressed: π§³ Pack your patience
π Security lines at MSY stretched into the parking garage yesterday amid a partial government shutdown and reported TSA sickout. (The Times-Picayune π)
- The delays could last all week. Airport officials say travelers should arrive at least three hours early. (X)
π« Bourbon Street may get new swinging gates to replace the bollards and other barriers. (Fox 8)
β»οΈ The city's recycling program likely won't expand, with officials saying they don't have the money needed to match a federal grant. (Verite)
π§ The Chef Menteur Pass Bridge will be closed for six more weeks after engineers found additional problems. (Press release)
π₯ New Orleans Entrepreneur Week starts today. Most events are free and open to the public. (Schedule)
πΊ Reporter Morgan Lentes is leaving WSDU for WAFB. (Instagram)
πΆ Jazz Fest tickets are now on sale, with special prices for Louisiana residents. (Prices)
π¦ͺ Oyster deal alert! Boucherie now has them for 17 cents each. (Instagram)
4. β½οΈ Pain at the pump
Americans are likely to feel the impact of President Trump's war with Iran in their wallets.
Driving the news: Oil prices, then gas prices, spiked following the U.S. and Israel's strikes on Iran.
- The national average for regular gas hit $3.11 a gallon Tuesday, an 11-cent increase overnight, according to AAA.
- It was the biggest single-day spike since March 2022, according to GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan.
- Yesterday, it hit $3.45. In New Orleans, a gallon was $3.02, up from $2.73 a year ago.
What's next: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) yesterday called on President Trump to release oil from the national stockpile to counter soaring gas prices β an idea that Republicans have been slow to embrace.
- The reserve holds hundreds of millions of barrels of crude oil in underground salt caverns along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast.
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Thanks to our editor Crystal Hill, who hates the time change.
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