| By KASEY BUBNASH | Staff writer |
Good morning and thanks for joining us. Here are some of today's top headlines. Debt forgiveness: About 66,000 low-income New Orleans patients are off the hook for $59 million in unpaid bills they owed to Ochsner Health for doctor visits, hospital stays and other medical procedures. Stephanie Riegel explains how the massive debt forgiveness became a reality thanks to a deal the health system finalized with the city and a nonprofit organization called Undue Medical Debt. Library closures: Three New Orleans Public Library branches are temporarily closed for air conditioning and mold issues, continuing a pattern of building failures that hit branches hard last summer during record-breaking temperatures. Joni Hess has the details. Bolden house blues: Five years ago, the future seemed bright for a decrepit 19th-century shotgun house that was once home to a jazz legend. A New Orleans-born R&B star pledged to protect the vulnerable property by converting it into a recording studio and museum. But today, as Doug MacCash reports, it remains gutted and unoccupied. Check back for more news, entertainment and sports from The Times-Picayune here. Kasey | 