🍴9 new restaurants

Hello, Thursday.

• It's Oct. 3. IYKYK.

Today's weather: High in the low-80s. Storm chances begin and last through the weekend.

• A tropical disturbance, which looks like a pumpkin, could turn into a depression this weekend in the Gulf.

🎧 Sounds like: "Good Old Days" by Gretna Fest performer The Revivalists.

Today's newsletter is 883 words — a 3.5-minute read.

The City of New Orleans is inching closer to ending federal oversight over NOPD after more than a decade.

Why it matters: City leaders say ending the federal consent decree will free up officers to do their jobs more effectively, while critics say they are concerned about discriminatory practices if the feds aren't watching.

Catch up quick: The consent decree is a formal process for federal oversight of the police department until certain benchmarks are met.

• The city, NOPD and DOJ entered the agreement in 2013 to ensure that NOPD's services "improve public safety, increase public confidence and protect the constitutional rights of all citizens," according to the federal monitor's website.
• It came after former Mayor Mitch Landrieu requested the DOJ look into the department after deaths of unarmed civilians in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, AP reported.

The big picture: NOPD agreed to the decree as a way to "fundamentally change the way it polices" after that investigation found a pattern of excessive force, discriminatory policing and unconstitutional stops, searches and seizures.

• Now, city leaders and the DOJ say NOPD has improved enough to merit the winding-down phase of the agreement.
• The groups will next accept public comment before a judge decides if NOPD can move onto the final step, a two-year sustainment period of continued monitoring and court oversight.

What she's saying: "The consent decree handcuffs our officers by making their jobs harder, pestering them with punitive punishment and burying them with paperwork," Mayor LaToya Cantrell told reporters in 2022, according to NBC.

The other side: Community members with New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police gathered this week to push for the decree to stay in place, according to WDSU.

What's next: The first virtual public meeting is noon Tuesday. Register here.

Learn more about the ongoing trouble spots

Good news — September had more restaurant openings than closings.

Openings

🐔 The Coop, a new concept from Chicken's Kitchen, is now open for breakfast and lunch. (Instagram)

🍔 Bubs' Grab & Go opened on Freret Street. (Instagram)

🍗 Chi Chi's Chicken & Beer also opened on Freret Street with Korean chicken, sushi sandos and beer. (Instagram)

🍸 Aguasanta, a restaurant and cocktail bar from La Tia in Metairie, opened on Oak Street. (Instagram)

🥐 Lagniappe Bakehouse opened in Central City. (Axios New Orleans)

🫘 Ray's Uptown opened on Prytania Street. (Facebook)

🥙 Istanbul Grill, a Turkish restaurant, opened in Metairie. (Website)

🥖 Le Ponce, a cafe and bakery from Cafe Degas, opened in the Bayou St. John neighborhood. (Eater)

🔮 Tatlo, a Filipino witch bar, celebrated its grand opening in the French Quarter. (Axios New Orleans)

Closings

🐓 Red Bird Fried Chicken closed its Lakeview location. Desi Vega's Prime Burgers & Shakes is slated to open there this month. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)

Go deeper for 9 more restaurants in the works

🔎 NOPD reopened a cold case after new DNA testing identified a 2002 murder victim as Lelia Ann May Malley, whose body was found in the 1200 block of Eliza Street. NOPD is looking at using the new technology in another three cases. (Press conference)

• Contact Crimestoppers if you have information about Malley.

🏈 Everyone's wondering if Davante Adams will soon wear a Saints jersey. The All-Pro wide receiver could be up for a trade. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)

🤩 Dakar NOLA chef Serigne Mbaye is on the Time100 Next list. The write-up is glorious. (Time)

🗣️ Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order aimed at improving college campus free speech protections. He also doubled down on his hopes to bring back a live tiger to LSU's football gameday tradition. (Illuminator)

Instagram Teen Accounts have automatic protections for who can contact teens and the content they can see. Plus, only parents can approve safety setting changes for teens under 16.

What this means: Built-in protections for teens, and peace of mind for parents.

Learn more.

Louisiana is one of the country's fastest shrinking states, and new census data reveals where everyone's been going.

Why it matters: People move for a lot of reasons, but knowing where residents are going can help reveal motivations that lawmakers can use to better inform policy.

Between the lines: We're not going far.

• Most Louisianans are ending up in bordering states and counties.
• But not everyone is leaving. Louisiana also has too many people dying, says The Data Center's Allison Plyer.

How it works: The map above is based on new state-to-county migration estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey between 2018-2022.

Zoom in: Louisiana's population loss is a big cause for concern.

• Earlier this year, the New Orleans metro area was estimated to have the biggest population loss nationwide, the Census Bureau said, even as the national population grew.

Go deeper

🎶 The sprawling NOLAxNOLA festival continues through Sunday with live performances across the city. (Events)

🎉 Gretna Fest brings local and touring acts, family-friendly cultural stages and a marching band showcase to downtown Gretna all weekend long. (Details)

🐶 🐱 Have a barking good time at the LASPCA's annual Carnival fundraiser. (Tickets)

🍗 Get all the finger-lickin' fried chicken you can handle at the National Fried Chicken Festival through Sunday. (Tickets)

💃 Que Pasa Fest is in Lafreniere Park through Sunday. The event celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. (Details)

More events

A new splash pad is now open in Marrero at the Johnny Jacobs Playground.

Why it matters: The New Orleans metro has shockingly few free public places to cool off, so every new opportunity for that is cause for celebration.

More ways to cool off

Instagram Teen Accounts help parents support teens as they grow. Teen Accounts include automatic protections limiting who can contact teens and what content they see.

The impact: More protections for teens, and peace of mind for parents.

Learn more.

🐯 Chelsea is excited to see friends at LSU's Manship School Hall of Fame tonight.

🧼 Carlie is de-goo-ifying her cat after the poor furball stepped on a sticky mouse trap.

Tell a dog mom to subscribe.

Thanks to our editor Jen Ashley, who is thrilled Pizza Hut still does the Book It program.