| By Drew Broach | Deputy metro editor ABSENT FOR MALICE: The man accused of attacking an intensive care unit nurse at Ochsner Medical Center's west bank campus wasn't even at the hospital when the nurse was knocked unconscious Jan. 27, the suspect's attorney says. Perhaps agreeing with that assertion, prosecutors have decided not to charge the man. RESTAURANT ROYALTY: The James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for its 2022 awards Wednesday, and one restaurant and six chefs working in New Orleans made the cut. WELCOME TREND: At the start of 2022, New Orleans police were logging an average of two carjackings every day, the highest rate in at least a decade. Community outrage reached a fever pitch and public officials pledged to stanch the crime wave with a series of swift measures. Since then, the rate of carjackings has fallen by two thirds, giving some leaders hope that those tactics are beginning to produce results. Thanks for starting your Thursday with us. Be sure to check out NOLA.com for more news throughout the day. D.B. | 