Axios New Orleans

June 18, 2026
What's up, friends? It's Thursday.
Today's weather: Partly sunny with storms likely. "Feels like" 106. More on that below.
🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios New Orleans members Matthew Delaughter!
- Happy early birthday to Teresa Wanser-Ernst, Cynthia RePass and Leah Simon!
🎧 Sounds like: "Aquaman" by Twurt Chamberlain, who's at the Dew Drop Inn's Freedom Fest on Sunday.
Situational awareness: We're off tomorrow for Juneteenth. We'll be back in your inbox Monday.
Today's newsletter is 993 words — a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: 🌀 Storm mode activated
New Orleans is handing out sandbags, staffing drainage pumps and canceling events ahead of Tropical Storm Arthur.
Why it matters: The season's first named storm is expected to drench south Louisiana through Saturday morning.
- See the latest track.
The big picture: Heavy rain is the biggest threat from this system.
- The worst of the storm is expected to miss New Orleans, but Mayor Helena Moreno says the city is prepared "in case that scenario changes."
- South Louisiana will likely get 3 to 6 inches through Saturday morning, with 10 inches possible in some spots, the National Weather Service says.
By the numbers: Some of Arthur's rain bands could have rainfall rates up to 5 inches per hour, enough to overwhelm the region's drainage systems.
- Pumps in Orleans and Jefferson parishes generally can handle 1 inch of rain in the first hour and then a half-inch per hour after that.
Zoom in: New Orleans opened several DIY sandbag stations yesterday, and NOPD moved response boats across the city.
- Crews in Orleans and Jefferson parishes are cleaning catch basins, and officials say pump stations will be manned until the threat passes.
- See the pump status for New Orleans.
What's next: Residents should clean their catch basins ahead of the rain.
- Once the storms get here, drivers should stay off the roads, officials say.
- City leaders are also asking residents to call 311 to report traffic signals that flash in the rain. Officials say they've fixed about half the lights with water-intrusion problems and are trying to identify the rest.
2. 📆 Things to do
New Orleans has several events this week in honor of Juneteenth, the federal holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S.
If you go: Check for weather changes before you head out.
👟 Freedom Ball: Rich Family Ministries hosts its annual ball tonight at the Jazz Museum.
🎺 Juneteenth Second Line: Starts at noon tomorrow at St. Philip and Rampart with the New Orleans Baby Dolls, Free Spirit Stilt Walkers and more.
🎉 New Orleans Juneteenth Festival: Dawn Richard, Flagboy Giz and more headline this event at Congo Square tomorrow.
🤩 Bayou Road Juneteenth Block Party: Kids' events, farmers market and more on Saturday.
🧠 Juneteenth Blueprint to Freedom Economic Summit: Panel discussion at 11am Saturday to talk about business models that can be catalysts for practical change in Louisiana.
🥳 Juneteenth Freedom Gala: Reflects on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence while exploring themes of self-emancipation.
🍹 Freedom Float: Dew Drop Inn hosts a pool party Sunday.
Other things to do:
🥃 Father's Day: Several restaurants have special brunches Sunday to celebrate Dad.
☀️ Summer solstice celebration: The Coven of the Thorn Rose leads this year's ritual Sunday at Crescent City Conjure.
🌈 Chromatica: More than 50 belly dancers gather for a Pride-themed show at Cafe Istanbul.
⚔️ Mini Renaissance Fest: Urban South has medieval games, miniature farm animals and turkey legs Saturday.
🦄 Sequin alert: Fringe + Co. has its anniversary sale Saturday, a rare opportunity to shop its warehouse in person.
3. Fully Dressed: 😕 2 more closures
🍳 Wakin' Bakin' is closing its Mid-City location after 15 years. The French Quarter location is staying open. (Facebook)
- Las Cruces in Metairie also is closing. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)
- They join LUFU's Decatur Street spot and at least eight other restaurants that have called it quits this summer.
👨🍳 E.J. Lagasse, Emeril's son who runs the South's first two-star Michelin restaurant, is dubbed "America's most talented nepo baby" in a new profile from New Orleans writer Brett Martin. (GQ)
🗳️ Early voting ends Saturday for the closed-party primary runoffs. See our voter guide.
Mystikal, the rapper known for early 2000s hits like "Shake It Fast," was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a 2022 rape. (AP)
🎉 LSU AgCenter horticulturist Joe Willis recently won the National Garden Club's Award of Excellence. He's the first Louisianan to win the group's highest honor. (Press release)
🚧 New projects:
- Jefferson Parish officials broke ground this week on a $4.4 million project that will become the new home of August Moon restaurant and Hoang Law Firm.
- LCMC's New Orleans East Hospital broke ground on an inpatient behavioral health unit. (Biz New Orleans)
- Entergy is replacing 500 utility poles along Veterans Boulevard. It's also replacing or reinforcing 640 poles in St. Bernard Parish.
- Nearly 700 light poles along the Westbank Expressway are getting new LED bulbs in a $1.7 million project. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)
4. 🐣 And we're back
👋 Chelsea here. Yes, really! I clocked back in at Axios yesterday after about four months of parental leave.
I spent that time healing and getting to know my new daughter.
- I also celebrated my oldest's third birthday, watched the "America's Next Top Model" documentary, read 24 books, took the baby to a Roman wedding, visited my sister and kept up with New Orleans' chaos from Carlie's hard work on the newsletter.
🙃 Yes, but: I averaged around 100 missed emails a day, so if you sent a note ... maybe send it again?
Go deeper: Why parental leave matters
5. 🐟 Light it up

There's a new light sculpture at the Audubon Aquarium entrance.
Why it matters: The piece, "ChamäleTuna" by artist Ilya Sobol, is interactive.
- It changes colors based on what approaching viewers are wearing. Cool!
The big picture: The sculpture is the latest part of Audubon's massive riverfront overhaul.
🚗 Carlie is looking forward to visiting the Mississippi Gulf Coast this weekend.
💙 Chelsea is incredibly thankful to Carlie and editors Crystal, Mike and Jen for the teamwork that allowed her to take all that time off.
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Thanks to our editor Jen Burkett.
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