| By DREW BROACH | Deputy metro editor |
BARRIER BOLSTERED: Louisiana’s biggest coastal restoration project to date was declared complete Thursday, ending more than two years of work to rebuild three barrier islands along the Gulf of Mexico. The $166 million job required almost enough sediment to fill the Caesars Superdome twice. (Want more coastal and environmental news? Sign up for our free newsletter.) 1 for 2: New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell won one and lost one at the City Council meeting Thursday. Nineteen months after banning the use of facial recognition technology to investigate violent crime, the council sided with Cantrell in a 4-2 vote to end the prohibition. But council members also proposed to curtail the mayor’s travel, after two recent European trips drew criticism that she was avoiding problems closer to home. POKING HOLES: Jason Williams’ defense attorney sought Thursday to undermine the credibility of the federal government’s key witness in the Orleans Parish district attorney’s tax fraud trial. Williams, meanwhile, was the target of a death threat. Thanks for starting your Friday with us. Remember, you can keep up with the latest news all day on NOLA.com. D.B. | 