| By Drew Broach | Deputy metro editor
WATCH THAT WAVE: We're nearing the peak of hurricane season, and sure enough there's a troublesome tropical wave moving northwest from the coast of Colombia into the Caribbean Sea. It's way too earlier to say how strong it might become or where it will land, but weather forecasters already are warning it could deliver "dangerous impacts" to Louisiana. Check for updates in the hurricane center.
INFANT MORTALITY: COVID-19's Louisiana death toll has reached into infancy, killing a child younger than 1 year, the state Health Department reported Wednesday. The grim news capped a seven-day period in which Louisiana logged 361 COVID deaths, the most since the pandemic's first wave in the spring of 2020. We talked with three physicians on video about what they're seeing. Watch the replay. If cash prizes weren't enough to persuade you to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, perhaps you would consider a donut. Krispy Kreme is giving two for free to people who show proof of inoculation.
LIEN FREE: LaToya Cantrell was dogged by personal tax problems when she ran for New Orleans mayor in 2017 and into her first term. The IRS alleged she and her husband owed about $95,000 over a six-year period, resulting in liens on their property. But she said Wednesday they've won their appeal, and the liens have been lifted.
Look for these and other stories in the Front Page and on NOLA.com. Thanks for starting your day with us. D.B. | 
