| BY BOB WARREN | Staff writer |
Happy Thursday, friends. You can officially start thinking about the weekend now. We've got a full menu of news, features and sports today at the Lunch Line Cafe, so dig in. Fiscal fallout: Louisiana faces a looming budget shortfall, and some tax cuts expected next year could make things even worse. Meghan Friedmann has the ugly details. Debating trees: New Orleanians have always been protective of the city’s tree canopy, especially the avenues of old oaks across some sections of town. So the suggestion that some of that canopy be cut back to reduce power outages has sparked a lively debate. Josie Abugov has the story. 40,000 gators: It’s alligator hunting season in Louisiana, and a record-breaking 40,000 tags have been issued this year. Staff writer Christopher Cartwright and photographer Javier Gallegos headed into the swamps near Morgan City for one such hunt. Hoda's retirement: Hoda Kotb will step down from NBC's Today Show early next year. The TV morning talker, still fondly remembered locally from her stint on the WWL anchor desk decades ago, said it's "time to turn the page," Keith Spera reports. Photographs and memories: Contributing writer Mike Scott offers a fascinating dig into a 116-year-old photograph of the Wallace newsstand, which stood at the corner of Royal and Canal Streets. Enjoy this little trip back in time. Did you get this newsletter forwarded from someone else? Sign up here. And here's the link to subscribe to The Times-Picayune and support our coverage. Have a spectacular day, Bob | 