NEW ORLEANS — 16 parade horses are looking for forever homes after the Mardi Gras parades are over. One group is calling for Zulu to end its black makeup tradition. And Empire actor Jussie Smollett has turned himself in to face a charge of making a false police report.
Here are the top stories you Need to Know to start your Thursday morning.
Horses and riders are a staple of any Mardi Gras parade, but sometimes those horses do not have homes after the parades are over. Three organizations are hoping to change that.
The Humane Society of Louisiana, Cascade Stables and Barney's Farm Sanctuary is teaming up to find new owners for 16 parade horses after Mardi Gras. (Read more)
Take Em Down NOLA has scheduled a press conference to demand that the krewe prohibit its riders from wearing the traditional black makeup during the 2019 parade.
Zulu argues parade costumes bear no resemblance to those worn by "blackface" minstrel performers at the turn of the century. (Read more)
Chicago police say "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett has turned himself in to face a charge of making a false police report when he said he was attacked in downtown Chicago by two men who hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and looped a rope around his neck. (Read more)
Highly anticipated and controversial cleanup operations will begin this week at a 15-year-long oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Wednesday. (Read more)
A stationary front will sit over the area today. This will continue to bring us scattered showers and storms today. A few downpours will be possible. High temperatures will be unseasonably mild in the mid 70s. (Read more)