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T u e s d ay, F e b r u a ry 3, 2026
Moreno unveils plan for Mardi Gras security
Measures include street closures, increased law enforcement
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ELECTION 2026
Attacks begin in Senate race
Cassidy releases ad against Letlow as polls put her in lead BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
Senate president. Now, the two remaining board members who were not chosen by Gov. Jeff Landry are resigning, effective Monday. One of them, Deborah Settoon, a 67-year-old former Shell engineer, stands accused of punching the agency’s 46-year-old police chief, Joshua Rondeno, at a closed-door meeting in
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy and U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow are suddenly engaged in a pitched battle as Cassidy tries to fend off her and other Republican challengers in his race for reelection this year. On Saturday, a super PAC supporting Cassidy launched a TV ad that slammed “liberal Letlow.” The ad linked Letlow to two leading Democrats — former President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — and accused her of voting with Biden more than any of the other four Republican members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation. On Sunday, Letlow responded by playing her strongest card. “I am so proud to have earned the endorsement of President Donald Trump, and now I’ll continue fighting alongside him to secure our borders and to continue to grow our economy,” Letlow Cassidy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. She also said: “Well, it didn’t take long for Bill Cassidy and his never-Trumper, pro-impeachment allies to begin attacking me.” The opening salvo by the proCassidy super PAC, Louisiana Letlow Freedom Fund, and Letlow’s response took place nearly two weeks before candidates qualify for the race over a three-day period beginning on Feb. 11. The closed Republican primary — which also allows unaffiliated voters to participate — is on May 16. Three different polls show Cas- Fleming sidy trailing in head-to-head races against Letlow and another Republican challenger, state Treasurer John Fleming. Besides Letlow and Fleming, three other Republicans have also announced intentions to run in the Senate race: state Sen. Blake Miguez, Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta and St. Tammany Parish Council member Kathy Seiden. No major Democratic office holder has announced plans to run yet. Pearson Cross, a political science professor at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, finds it noteworthy that the Louisiana Freedom Fund would launch the attack ad so early. “This shows the seriousness of the threat that Julia Letlow poses to Bill Cassidy,” Cross said. “The Cassidy campaign and their aligned super PAC realize they have a limited window to
ä See TURMOIL, page 5A
ä See SENATE, page 7A
STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER
City employee Arthur Baylor puts a fresh coat of purple paint across a bannister in front of Gallier Hall as Department of Property Management workers construct Mardi Gras stands along St. Charles Avenue on Monday. BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer
Over 1,800 local, state and federal law enforcement officers will comb the streets of New Orleans in the lead-up to Fat Tuesday, part of a designed to mimic the city’s security for Super Bowl LIX, Mayor Helena Moreno and other city officials said Monday. Bourbon Street, a signature destination during Carnival and the target of a deadly vehicle-ramming attack last January, will be closed entirely to vehicular traffic in the season’s first and second big weekends, officials said. The French Quarter will be partially closed to traffic in the first weekend and fully closed, with some exceptions, during the
Mayor Helena Moreno, center, is joined by city officials as she talks about
ä See SECURITY, page 7A the 2026 Mardi Gras season during a news conference on Monday.
Resignations increase levee board turmoil Battery allegation intensifies dispute
and new appointments, is facing a new round of turmoil. In recent months, Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office has opened an inBY ALEX LUBBEN vestigation of the nine-member board. Misdemeanor battery charges have Staff writer been filed by the agency’s police chief The board that oversees much of New against one of its board members. And Orleans’ $14.5 billion hurricane-protec- state lawmakers are considering steption system, which has faced upheaval ping in, including Metairie Republican over the past year due to resignations Cameron Henry, the powerful state
La. artists grab a few Grammy Awards Jon Batiste, PJ Morton among the winners
Jon Batiste, the Kenner native and St. Augustine High School and New Orleans Center for the Creative arts graduate, added to his extensive Grammy collection as “Big Money” was named Best Americana Album. BY KEITH SPERA Batiste didn’t fare as well in Staff writer the Best American Roots PerforNew Orleans and Louisiana art- mance or American Roots Song ists eked out a handful of wins dur- categories. He lost to Mavis Staing the pre-telecast portion of the ples in the former and I’m With 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday. Her in the latter.
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During the Sunday night CBS Grammy telecast, Batiste performed alongside Lauryn Hill and others as part of the show’s “In Memoriam” remembrance of recently deceased musicians. The Best Regional Roots Music Album category was guaranteed to produce a local winner, as all five nominees were Louisiana affiliated.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RICHARD SHOTWELL
New Orleans native Jon Batiste holds his award for Best Americana ä See GRAMMY, page 5A Album for ‘Big Money’ at the Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Business ......................6A Commentary ................5B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
13TH yEAR, NO. 175