AGP Executive Report

NBA & Global Sports: Adam Silver says the NBA’s Europe league is still on track for a 2027-28 launch, with franchise bids due soon and Spurs star Victor Wembanyama fueling the buzz. Saints & Local Sports: Alvin Kamara shows up at Saints OTAs in a “pleasant surprise” for fans, while Tyler Shough’s sharp work continues as the team opens more practice access. Entertainment & Community: T-Marie brings Cajun dance instruction to New Marigny Theatre as part of a Louisiana Cultures Camp weekend. Local Retail: Rouses plans a new Chalmette store in St. Bernard Parish, slated for 2Q 2027. Politics & Public Life: Gov. Landry will sign a law cutting Orleans Parish Criminal District Court judgeships from 12 to nine, reshaping the court’s bench. Civic Tension: A recall effort targets Landry and Murrill, with organizers saying they’ve gathered thousands of signatures. Arts Calendar: “What’s Happening” listings and summer guides keep the focus on concerts, festivals, and weekend plans across Louisiana. Sports Gambling Watch: Florida and other states debate safeguards as college betting expands.

Local Arts & Events: Shreveport’s Highland Jazz & Blues Festival is set for Sept. 19 at Columbia Park, with Dumpstaphunk headlining and a full lineup across three stages plus kids and pet areas. Entertainment & Culture: A 10-minute play festival by Spectral Sisters Productions runs June 4-7 in Alexandria, mixing comedy and drama with local and regional writers. Sports & Community: The 50th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl lands in Shreveport-Bossier on Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN, marking a milestone for the local tradition. New Orleans News: The city plans a $110M loan to address its budget deficit, and voters will later decide whether SWBNO can replace lead pipes on private property using new state-backed steps. Arts Spotlight: Baton Rouge textile artist Monette Lewis-McCullough is in Johnny Depp’s “The People’s Artist” Top 5 race—voting closes June 4. Legal/Local Celebrity: Shia LaBeouf pleaded guilty in New Orleans to misdemeanor battery tied to a Mardi Gras bar fight, avoiding jail with probation and classes.

Weather Watch: Torrential downpours are expected to hit South Louisiana again today, with a stalled frontal boundary along the coast fueling daily instability and Gulf “spin” worth monitoring. Sports & Community: The LHSAA is reshuffling prep sports sites—boys basketball heads to the Cajundome in Lafayette (March 2027), while state wrestling moves to New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Local Recreation: NORDC says New Orleans recreation centers are seeing big participation gains, and the agency’s CEO is stepping down June 12 with an interim leader taking over June 13. Arts & Culture: The Louisiana Folklife Center at NSU hosts “Fiddlin’ with the Finest” in Baton Rouge June 13, and the Coushatta Tribe’s 29th annual powwow runs June 12-13 at Coushatta Casino Resort. Food Scene: Bywater’s Pizza Delicious keeps climbing—named a Top 50 U.S. pizzeria by 50 Top Pizza for the fourth straight year. Weekend Plan: Louisiana’s annual Free Fishing Weekend is June 6-7, no license needed in public waters (with some species requiring a free landing permit).

Baton Rouge Politics: Three Metro Council members—Brandon Noel, Denise Amoroso, and Jen Racca—have been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury in the AG’s ongoing corruption probe, which has already produced multiple indictments tied to city contracts and officials. High School Sports: The LHSAA is moving three Sugar Bowl state championship events for 2026-27: boys basketball to the Cajundome in Lafayette, wrestling to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, and powerlifting to West Monroe. Local Arts & Community: Southern University senior Macie Smith opened two beauty supply stores in Baton Rouge, building a “safe space” brand rooted in respect and representation for Black students. Entertainment & Film: Kerry Washington revisits “Django Unchained,” saying Tarantino’s script terrified her at first—then pushed her to grow. Music: Nicholls State University will launch the John and Beverly Stafford Endowed Scholarship in Instrumental Music, honoring two Hall of Fame educators. Sports Spotlight: Alvin Kamara’s agent says the Saints running back expects to be in New Orleans for 2026, even as contract and trade talk continues.

Local Sports Spotlight: UALR’s Chris Curry is calling the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans “super lethal” after the program’s first-ever NCAA super regional berth, following a regional title run that included a win over Southern Miss. NCAA Baseball: The 2026 super regional matchups are set after six winner-take-all games, with Little Rock advancing and West Virginia staging a wild comeback to earn a home matchup. Arts & Entertainment: New Orleans’ Jacob Lewis is the face of a PBS KIDS series, with cameras capturing his Cajun-rooted hobbies and an anti-bullying project. Music: Cyril Neville drops a new solo album, “Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone.” Community & Outdoors: LDWF’s annual Free Fishing Weekend is June 6-7, no license needed but regulations still apply. Local Governance: Orleans Parish Criminal Court judgeships are set to shrink, and court-watchers warn it could mean delays. Design/Style: A roundup of small bathroom storage ideas is making the rounds online, with quick upgrades aimed at tiny spaces.

Local Arts & Culture: A Milton High graduate is bringing her magical-realist art back home for a June 13 studio sale in Georgia, with New Orleans inspiration fueling her mixed-media work. Northshore Business: The Chopin Law Firm opened a new Covington office on Holiday Blvd to expand in-person personal injury services across St. Tammany. Food & Community: Johnny’s Pizza House opened a new Mississippi location in Brandon, adding more chances to get its signature “Sweep the Kitchen” and other fan-favorite combos. New Orleans Entertainment: SOhO’s ON Culture spotlight highlights a June 5 Christopher Cross stop at the Lobero Theatre and a June 8 brass-and-second-line party with SOUL Brass Band and Brasscals!. Sports & Local Interest: Louisiana’s legislative session was upended by the Supreme Court’s map ruling, while the state also launched “Bryan’s Call,” a new missing-person alert for people with disabilities. Sports Notes: LSU football chatter continues around Lane Kiffin’s 2026 expectations, and Louisiana’s LSWA Class 1A baseball/softball awards recognize top performers like Charli Neumann and Kade Luker.

New Orleans Arts & Events: The Creole Tomato Festival marks its 40th anniversary at the French Market with music stages, cooking demos, and a tomato-eating contest (June 6-7). Music & Film: Purple Takeover spotlights Prince with a dance party at Tipitina’s (June 6) plus “Under the Cherry Moon” and “Purple Rain” screenings at the Prytania (June 5-11). Community Festival: Ocrafolk Festival returns June 5-7 at Berkley Manor with stilt walking, live music, henna, and on-the-spot poetry. Sports (Louisiana teams): Mississippi State crushed Louisiana 19-5 to win the Starkville Regional and advance; Ole Miss also moved on after beating Arizona State 5-4. Local Weather Readiness: New Orleans is laying out hurricane-season prep under Mayor Helena Moreno, with a new deputy-mayor structure at NOCEM. Home & Insurance: Fortify Homes Program applications open June 1 for grants up to $10,000 to upgrade roofs to hurricane-resistant standards. Entertainment News: A New Orleans-set historical musical-adventure is in the works with Nigerian-British actor Chukwudi Iwuji attached.

New Orleans Pride Month: Longue Vue House and Gardens kicked off the LGBTQ celebration with Family Equality Day, rainbow décor, crafts, and a community resource fair ahead of Pride Month’s June 1 start. Local Arts & Culture: A major New Orleans figure, Adelaide Wisdom Benjamin—Carnival royalty and longtime philanthropist who helped save the New Orleans Symphony—died over the weekend at 93. Music Calendar: Summer is filling up fast, with a roundup of 19 New Orleans area festivals and events plus a look at top concerts for the rest of 2026. Community Events: Family Equality Day is part of a broader Pride push, including Pride Northshore events returning to Mandeville. Food & Dining: A guide to surviving the New Orleans summer restaurant slump focuses on deals, extended hours, and how to plan dining for the season. Sports (LSU): LSU recruiting momentum continues with Easton Royal’s Baton Rouge visit and a separate report on an elite LSU target reopening recruitment after decommitting. Entertainment (Shrimp Fest): Delcambre Shrimp Festival unveiled its full 2026 lineup, including Mark Chesnutt as Saturday headliner.

NCAA Baseball (Starkville Regionals): UL’s season hit a wall in its opener, falling 12-2 to Cincinnati, and now the Ragin’ Cajuns face elimination Saturday vs. Lipscomb (3 p.m. CT, Polk-Dement Stadium) with lefty Ty Roman slated to start. Local Governance/Justice: Louisiana AG Liz Murrill’s office is investigating allegations that St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith attacked a vocal online critic at a Madisonville steakhouse. Public Safety: Baton Rouge police arrested a second suspect in a Florida Boulevard shoe-store shooting that left Na’Quail Weaver dead. Education/Policy: Gov. Jeff Landry signed a law toughening “drug-free school zone” penalties around schools and school buses, taking effect Aug. 1. Arts & Culture: Electric Wizard’s “Dopethrone” gets a behind-the-scenes look, and 6LACK announces a global “10 Years of 6LACK” tour with U.S. dates. Sports (LSU): A five-star Ruston tight end, Ahmad Hudson, reportedly plans to play basketball at LSU alongside football.

NCAA Baseball: The No. 25 Ragin’ Cajuns got walloped 12-2 by Cincinnati in the Starkville Regional opener and now face elimination Saturday vs. Lipscomb, streaming on ESPN+. Local Sports: Louisiana’s start time was delayed by rain, and the winner moves on while the loser heads home. Arts & Culture: Jason Moran curates the Discover Jazz Festival, pitching it as “community reflection and deep listening,” with major performances in Burlington, Vermont. Music Spotlight: Louisiana’s Wade Landry was inducted into the Acadian Museum in Erath for decades of Cajun music work. Sail 250 / New Orleans: Tall ships and Navy vessels began public tours as Sail 250 ramps up around America’s 250th. Wildlife & Outdoors: Louisiana biologists are restoring Toledo Bend fish habitat by planting native eelgrass. Community Spotlight: Shreveport kicked off its America 250 celebration with Red White & Boom. Public Safety: NOPD says a man barricaded himself at the Hale Boggs federal courthouse and threw objects from an upper floor before being Tased.

Jazz & Soul Spotlight: The Dakota’s lineup kicks off tonight with Kurt Rosenwinkel, then builds to Ms. Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton—big, genre-bending nights for Louisiana-area music fans. French Quarter Date-Night Buzz: Dua Lipa’s global “date night” picks include Preservation Hall, calling it the “heartbeat of New Orleans jazz.” Local Arts on the National Stage: “Blue — The Life and Art of George Rodrigue” won a national Emmy, spotlighting Louisiana storytelling and Rodrigue’s Cajun art legacy. Redistricting Watch: Louisiana lawmakers approved a new GOP-leaning congressional map after the Supreme Court struck down the old one—eliminating one majority-Black district and sending the fight to the governor’s desk. Statehouse + Everyday Life: Louisiana’s new balloon-release law (HB 851/Act 196) bans organized releases of 12+ balloons starting Aug. 1, and SUN Bucks summer benefits begin loading for eligible families. Sports Betting Scandal: NBA player Terry Rozier faces new federal charges tied to an alleged bribe scheme involving leaving a game early. Food Scene: North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list again puts New Orleans on the map with Dakar NOLA making the cut. Community Events: The Great Louisiana Fair returns at Louisiana Downs, plus a Shreveport “Red, White, and BOOM” America 250 kickoff.

Redistricting Fight: Louisiana House lawmakers advanced a new congressional map that would eliminate a majority-Black district, setting up a final Senate vote and raising fresh concerns about voting rights after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. College Sports Transparency: A Louisiana bill would limit public access to records tied to how college athletes are paid, sparking debate over privacy versus accountability. Local Arts & Dining: New Orleans restaurants Dakar NOLA, Emeril’s, and Acamaya landed on North America’s “50 Best” list, a big moment for the city’s food scene. Pop Culture in Shreveport: Geek’d Con 2026 returns Aug. 14-16 with celebrity guests, panels, and autograph options. Family Fun: The Great Louisiana Fair kicks off in Bossier City with rides, live acts, and classic fair food running through June 14. Sports Heritage: A new Billy Cannon exhibit opened at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, spotlighting the LSU legend’s full story. Weather Prep: Gov. Landry signed an expansion of the Fortify Homes roof-grant program to help homeowners brace for hurricane season.

New Orleans Live Music: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy brings its swing-revival energy to the Orpheum Theater Sunday, with Hobo Gadget Junk Bank and teen pianist River Eckert opening. Downtown Arts & Comedy: Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré debuts the music-forward stage adaptation of Once starting June 5, while the Queer Comedy Fest keeps laughs coming in town this week. Classical Spotlight: Lyrica Baroque’s summer concert features New Orleans baritone Bryan Batt at Christ Church Cathedral Thursday, with works by Samuel Barber plus showtunes and local favorites. Community & Culture: Downtown Sounds unveils its 2026 summer lineup, kicking off July 8 with local and regional acts. Local Life: Lafayette officials say underage drinking downtown is still a stubborn problem, even as enforcement ramps up. Public Safety: Kenner police report 12 arrests in an undercover online child-predator sting. State News: Louisiana reached a deal with ExxonMobil to resolve coastal land disputes and address orphan wells. Environment & Pride: Volunteers removed a record 566 tons of litter during Love the Boot Week across all 64 parishes.

Arts & Music: Ledisi brings her voice and stage presence to “Ain’t Misbehavin’” at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center through June 8, reviving Fats Waller and the Harlem Renaissance. Live Entertainment: The Great Louisiana Fair opens tomorrow (May 29) at Louisiana Downs with opening-night admission and unlimited rides for $10, plus rides, Kiddieland, and free family shows. Touring Country: Hunter Hayes adds new Evergreen Tour dates, with many out west (Louisiana not confirmed). Local Arts/Community: UNO names Dr. Michael “Gio” Giorlando its new athletic director as the school transitions into the LSU system. New Orleans Business Buzz: A new Porsche dealership opens along Veterans Blvd in Metairie/Kenner area, part of a broader corridor growth. Sports & Culture: The Savannah Bananas and Hondo Rodeo Fest helped protect Superdome-area revenue after major cancellations. Politics & Sports Betting: AG Dave Yost and other attorneys general urge the CFTC to treat sports prediction markets as state-regulated gambling. Local Happenings: Craft Academy for Excellence in Science & Mathematics holds its Class of 2026 graduation, recognizing nearly 100 students.

New Orleans Dining: The Grill Room at The Windsor Court is rolling out weekly specials—Wine Wednesday (50% off cellar bottles, 25% off by-the-glass), Thursday Oyster & Prime Rib pairings, and Industry Sundays—adding a fresh rhythm to Uptown nights. Local Justice: Orleans Parish Sheriff Michelle Woodfork says a man mistakenly released from the Orleans Justice Center is back in custody after a clerical error tied to a new jail management system. Arts & Culture: New Orleans is hosting the North America’s 50 Best Restaurants awards week, with Dakar NOLA and Emeril’s both in the mix for top rankings. Entertainment Tech: Meta is launching paid tiers for its AI chatbot, starting at $7.99/month, with expanded image/video tools and higher-use reasoning features. Community Pride: Baton Rouge Pride is previewing Pride Month events, including a Pride drag brunch and the 2026 Pride Court. Sports (Louisiana angle): LSU’s Lane Kiffin says he’s not focused on Ole Miss yet as SEC Spring Meetings buzz continues.

Louisiana Health & Science: Zealand Pharma says it will share late-breaking Phase 2 obesity data on petrelintide at the American Diabetes Association’s 2026 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans (June 5–8), with the ZUPREME-1 results getting an official press spot. Central Louisiana Growth: Louisiana Economic Development unveiled a $3.6B AI data center plan in Rapides Parish (“Delta Forge 1”), targeting mid-2027 openings and promising major construction and long-term jobs. Local Sports: Many’s baseball and Winnfield’s softball swept top honors on the 2026 All-District 3-2A lists, with Payton Hyden and Karley Caskey taking MVP roles. New Orleans Watch: Orleans Parish officials say an assault suspect, Dreion Williams, was mistakenly released due to a paperwork issue and is now on the run. Baton Rouge Area: Leaders discussed a possible move for the Greater Baton Rouge State Fair to Baker’s former Woody Dumas Golf Course ahead of 2027.