| BY GORDON RUSSELL | Staff writer |
Thanks for starting your day with Morning Headlines. Here are some of our top stories. Bringing home the bacon: Late Friday, the Senate finally passed a budget that averts a partial shutdown of the federal government. It also includes lots of earmarks for Louisiana, Mark Ballard writes. Where's Saffron? The city's most famous opossum was seized during Carnival by agents of the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Saffron's owner misses him, and he hasn't been able to find out much about where he is or if he'll ever get him back, Doug MacCash reports. Krewe reschedules: Looking ahead to Mardi Gras, the overlords of New Orleans' best-known sci-fi krewe worried about the all-powerful tractor beam of the Super Bowl. They've opted to move their parade a week, Doug MacCash writes. Housing crunch: The New Orleans City Council wants to permanently dedicate a specific share of the city budget to affordable housing amid skyrocketing costs. Sophie Kasakove has the details. Check out all the latest news, sports and entertainment coverage from The Times-Picayune. Gordon | 