Bourbon Street's fate is in the hands of Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the City Council.

Why it matters: Security experts say vehicles should be permanently banned from the majority of the city's most famous street.

The big picture: The pedestrianization of Bourbon Street is a controversial move that was decried by residents and street entertainers at a French Quarter town hall last month.

• NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick acknowledged yesterday that a full closure is the "gold star" for security, but local leaders will have to decide what's acceptable for the community.
• The proposals will most affect French Quarter residents and businesses, she said, so their voices will be centered in the conversation going forward.

Catch up quick: Consulting firm Teneo was hired to advise the city on counterterrorism after the Bourbon Street attack.

• Their report offers dozens of recommendations for improving security in the French Quarter and elsewhere in the city during Mardi Gras.

How it would work: Teneo recommends permanently closing the first nine blocks of Bourbon to vehicles, including cross streets, from Canal to Dumaine.

• That would extend the current entertainment district on Bourbon by a block.
• Barricades would be installed at all entry points to block vehicles.

The friction point: About 3,000 people live in the French Quarter, says Erin Holmes, executive director of the Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents and Associates organization.

• Residents and businesses need vehicular access, she said.
• The current proposal is "not realistic or attainable," she said, adding that Teneo focuses on security, not urban planning concerns.

Zoom in: The decision to close Bourbon Street would ultimately have to come from Cantrell and the City Council, Kirkpatrick said.

• Representatives from the council and City Hall said they were still reviewing the report.

More recommendations

📣 What should happen? Reply with your thoughts about reconfiguring Bourbon Street.

Rep. Troy Carter is among federal lawmakers trying to make it harder for bots to cut in line to buy tickets to the biggest events in entertainment.

Why it matters: If passed, the bill's authors say, it'll be easier for you to snag those Beyoncé or Taylor Swift tickets next time they're in town.

The latest: If passed, the new legislation would add teeth to a 2016 law that sought to prevent scalpers from using software to buy tickets at high volumes.

• That legislation gave the Federal Trade Commission a way to crack down on scalpers who use bots. But eight years after the act was passed, the FTC had only used it once.

The new law would require online ticket sellers like Ticketmaster to notify the FTC about successful bot attacks, like the ones infamous for targeting Swift's "The Eras Tour," among other measures.

• Companies that violate it could face fines of up to $10,000 per day.

The big picture: The bill has bipartisan support, along with endorsements from big music industry players like the Recording Academy and Live Nation.

• President Trump also issued an executive order in March directing the FTC to "rigorously enforce" the earlier BOTS Act.

Go deeper

⛳️ There's a clear winner in the local race to open a golf entertainment complex: Five O Fore is now open, while Topgolf has yet to start construction downtown. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)

🔬 The state's crime lab is close to clearing its thousands-long backlog of forensics evidence, including sexual assault kits. Less than 90 remain for testing. (Gambit)

❌ FEMA canceled more than $700M in Louisiana projects that would have raised homes and built levees to protect against future flooding. (WWL)

🧑‍⚖️ Unless the Trump administration can provide evidence to back up its deportation request for Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, a federal judge in Louisiana says she'll throw the case out tomorrow. (AP)

🎉 French Quarter Fest starts today. Our guide.

• Expect road closures and heavy traffic downtown through late Sunday.

🍓 The Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival is this weekend if you are up for a road trip. (Details)

🎩 The Louisiana Museum Foundation celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette's visit to New Orleans with a reenactment on Saturday. (Details)

🐣 City Park hosts its annual Egg Scramble on Sunday. (Tickets)

More ideas

Louisiana could ban ultra-processed foods in public school lunches as soon as this year.

Why it matters: Most students in the state are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch programs, which means any school lunch changes could be far-reaching.

The latest: Two state lawmakers have proposed bans on ultra-processed foods in school lunches for consideration during the legislative session beginning Monday.

• One proposal could even extend a ban to SNAP purchases of soft drinks.

Zoom in: In Louisiana, 62% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022–23, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

More on the proposed bills