🥳 Morning, friends! It's Tuesday.

• We're excited to see y'all at Axios Social Club tonight. Here's to good food, new connections and a fun night out.
• Sign up to hear about our next one.

Today's weather: Partly sunny with rain possible. High of 82.

• Invest 92L is expected to become a tropical depression in the Gulf this week. It's too early to tell if it will threaten Louisiana. See the latest.

🎧 Sounds like: "Say Yes To Heaven" by Lana Del Rey, who is celebrating two years of marriage to her Louisiana swamp guide. Her photo with her stepkids is going viral.

Today’s newsletter is 993 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Fire ants are partially to blame for flashing traffic lights in New Orleans, a city leader said yesterday.

Why it matters: The destructive critters were just one revelation from the three-hour budget meeting.

The big picture: Steve Nelson, the deputy CAO for infrastructure, says his overarching goal for the Department of Public Works is to have zero fatalities on city streets.

• Last year, there were 52, with many coming from vehicles hitting pedestrians.
• There have been 25 deaths so far this year, he says.
• August was the first month in 10 years with no fatalities.

Zoom in: Nelson says he's partnered with NOPD and the Health Department to get to the root causes.

• NOPD has stepped up its traffic enforcement this year and partially credits the additional patrols to the 24% year-to-date decline in fatalities.
• Yesterday, Nelson told the City Council about some of the infrastructure issues the department is tackling to make the roads safer.

🚦Flashing lights: Many traffic lights flashed when it rained or immediately afterward. Nelson says his team has been drilling down on causes and fixing them.

• In one case, they found that fire ants were eating the electrical tape, compromising the wires.

🎨 Road striping: This will be a big focus for 2027, Nelson says.

• He wants to repaint crosswalks and restripe the center lines, lane lines and white edges, among other things.

🚧 Missing street signs: It's taking at least two years to replace missing street signs. DPW is working to shorten the timeline.

🕳️ Smoother streets: DPW is speeding up paving through an in-house crew.

The intrigue: An idea from City Council President JP Morrell that "kinda makes me wanna throw up in my mouth a little bit": Use AI to make the reporting process easier.

• Find a way for residents to send in a photo and use AI to read the metadata and fill out a work order, he says.

Keep reading

👋 Carlie here. I sat through three hours of city budget updates yesterday so you wouldn't have to.

🐀 High rats: Remember when NOPD superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the rats were getting high? "I know that that's not happening anymore" because of the cleanup efforts, says council budget chair Lesli Harris.

🏢 New City Hall: The capital plan includes a $349.49 million request for a new City Hall, but Morrell says that number is likely "not even adequate."

🏖️ Lincoln Beach: The parking lot construction, which is now considered phase 1, is on track to start this year. It's been delayed for years.

🚁 Drones: The city wants to use drones to help with roof inspections on public buildings.

🪦 Cemetery tours: Tours have been booked to capacity. The city makes about $400 per day from them.

🤨 State vs. city: About 170 of the city's signalized intersections are on state routes, but the city is responsible for maintaining them. The city also cuts grass along state routes.

• Talks are ongoing about the state sharing a larger portion of the cost.

What's next: Public budget hearings continue all month. See the schedule.

👀 Sen. John Kennedy says he's thinking about a presidential campaign "if a bunch of goobers" run on the Republican ticket. (The Hill)

• ICYMI: Mitch Landrieu is contemplating a run too, just on the other side of the aisle.
• See the latest 2028 presidential chatter from our colleagues.

🏨 The Fairmont New Orleans is set to open Nov. 2, we're told. It will have two new restaurants from Emeril. Reservations are now open.

🏳️‍🌈 Three New Orleans gay bars have ended a partnership with CrescentCare that provided free HIV testing. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)

• The ban is fueling backlash for Woods Enterprises, which manages Good Friends, Rawhide Lounge and Café Lafitte in Exile.

📺 WWL anchor Brandon Walker left the station last week for a job in Houston. (Instagram)

• His colleague, Leigha McNeil, also is leaving for Houston. See other recent TV personality changes.

🚔 NOPD, OPSO and community groups host Night Out Against Crime events tonight in the 7th Ward, Broadmoor, Tremé, French Quarter, Lakeview and more.

The leaves are changing. Just not here.

The big picture: Peak foliage is expected to sweep south over the next several weeks, according to a map on Explore Fall.

• Southeast Louisiana will be one of the last places in the country to see colorful leaves.
• It could be November before the trees change, the map shows. Head to north Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi or Alabama for better odds.
• The Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville is a scenic road trip option.

💭 Carlie's thought bubble: Anyone else get FOMO in the fall? Red leaves, apple-picking and flannels? Le sigh.

• At least we get Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and awesomeness the rest of the year.

Explore the map

New Orleans showed up yesterday for former Saints player and ALS advocate Steve Gleason.

• Along with Mayor Helena Moreno, Gleason led a second-line from Gallier Hall to the Caesars Superdome as the city celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Saints' post-Katrina return to the historic venue.

✊ The bottom line: One city, one team.

📧 Chelsea is observing Inbox Zero Day today and every day.

📨 Carlie is the opposite of an inbox zero-er.

Tell a leaf-peeper to subscribe.

Thanks to our editor Jen Burkett.