Some Louisiana elections will look a lot different this year as closed party primaries begin — reshaping contests like Rep. Julia Letlow's new Trump-backed challenge to incumbent Bill Cassidy's Senate seat.

The latest: President Trump endorsed Letlow's then-potential Senate run in a Truth Social post on Saturday, only for the northeastern Louisiana Republican to announce yesterday that she's indeed going after Cassidy's seat.

• Cassidy has occasionally sparred with Trump since joining the Senate in 2015. He voted in 2021 to convict Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The big picture: The Cassidy and Letlow contest tees up an interesting race to watch within Louisiana's closed party primaries this year.

• Under Louisiana's jungle primary system, any registered voter can vote for any candidate, and any candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote can win outright.

Catch up quick: But, responding to a call from Gov. Jeff Landry last year, state lawmakers closed party primaries for U.S Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Louisiana Supreme Court, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Public Service Commission.

• The move was controversial, with most voters opposing the move — and somewhat ironic, given Landry himself was elected governor outright during an open primary.

Yes, but: It's a done deal, and now state elections officials are working to make sure voters know what to expect at the polls this year.

• That could be a tall order. According to one recent poll, 43% of voters weren't aware of the change.

How closed party primaries will work

Some New Orleans households are seeing jumps in their gas bills this winter after Entergy carved out its natural gas business and sold it to Delta Utilities last year.

Why it matters: It's creating a mix of confusion and frustration amid an already increased cost of living.

The latest: A recent town hall meeting in Baton Rouge brought out residents frustrated over their recent Delta gas bills, WBRZ reported.

• In social media posts seen by Axios, some New Orleans customers shared similarly eye-popping jumps in their own bills. One customer shared a screenshot of their bill totals jumping from $33.01 in August to $243.50 in January.
• As of late last week, the Alliance for Affordable Energy had received two customer complaints about their Delta bills.

Between the lines: Councilman JP Morrell, who chairs New Orleans City Council's utilities subcommittee, said some confusion likely stems from customers not realizing just how much of their previous Entergy bill actually came from gas, especially during the colder months.

• Plus, natural gas prices have been on the rise, which affect bills, Morrell says.

What they're saying: "Delta Utilities has maintained the existing base rate structure and billing methods that were in place prior to our acquisition," a Delta Utilities spokeswoman said.

• But, between September and December, "natural gas consumption surged by 145% ... as customers relied more heavily on their gas furnaces for heating," she said.

What we're watching: Gas prices are likely to increase again this week as an arctic blast drops temps across the U.S.

What to do about high bills

🐯 LSU Tiger Girls' hip hop and jazz routines at UDA College Nationals went viral — and we're here for it. The team placed second in both categories. (LSU Reveille)

🏛️ The court battle continues over Louisiana's Ten Commandments law. A multi-faith group trying to block it went before the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday.

• No matter the ruling, legal experts expect the law to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)

💵 Mayor Moreno says mandatory furloughs for non-essential city employees won't include those making less than $40,000. (Press release)

🍴 Restaurant news:

• Closed: Brewery Saint X and Devil Moon BBQ. (Instagram)
• Open: Chada (Dahla's new Mid-City location), Social and Soon Enough. (Tulane Hullabaloo)
• Coming soon: French Truck in the former PJ's location on Metairie Road. (New Orleans Magazine)
• Congrats again! Saba and Hungry Eyes got their Michelin plaques.

👋 Carlie here. Pagoda Cafe has everything I want for a chill weekend morning: good food, friendly service and a shaded patio.

Why it matters: Breakfast feels luxurious when it isn't eaten at your desk.

The big picture: Pagoda Cafe in the 7th Ward is known for its breakfast tacos and homemade pastries.

• My sister and I enjoyed the Cuban pulled pork taco and the Tien Dat lemongrass tofu taco on a recent sunny morning.
• The mushroom, sweet potato and rice turnover was also excellent dipped in Pagoda's housemade red sauce (think ketchup, not marinara).

Zoom in: Pagoda shifted from single ownership to a worker-owned cooperative in 2022.

Zoom out: Pagoda is part of a thriving stretch of Bayou Road anchored by Black-owned restaurants like Addis NOLA, Nonno's Cajun Cuisine, Coco Hut and CupCake Fairies.

• Leo's Bread is across the street.
• When we were there, neighbors were playing horseshoes in the neutral ground. Just lovely.

More photos

Rex honored New Orleans icon Arthur Hardy yesterday in an annual lunch for the Carnival organization.

• Hardy previously announced that this year will be his last as a working member of the media. The "Mardi Gras Guide" creator looks forward to simply being a very well-informed participant in the future.

Fun fact: Rex will unveil a new title float this year, bringing its lineup to 30.

• Rex's old title float will now be known as the proclamation float.