| By DREW BROACH | Deputy metro editor |
LATE CHECKOUT: After a two-year investigation, the U.S. Justice Department has concluded that Louisiana's Department of Public Safety and Corrections regularly violates the Constitution by holding people in custody beyond their release dates. At times, more than a quarter of all released inmates were found to have been incarcerated too long. WILL HE OR WON’T HE? All the big-name Republican candidates for Louisiana governor have said they’re in or out, except one: U.S. Rep. Garret Graves of Baton Rouge. That has led supporters and opponents alike to put intense pressure on him, a situation that will only heighten this week with political insiders from Louisiana decamped to the nation’s capital for Washington Mardi Gras. CULINARY FINEST: There’s a new slate of New Orleans restaurants and chefs in the running for this year’s James Beard Foundation awards, including emerging talent, classics and revived classics. Want more restaurant and food news? Sign up for our Where New Orleans Eats newsletter, emailed weekly. It's free. Thank you for starting your Thursday with Morning Headlines. Stay up to date with the latest news all day on NOLA.com. D.B. | 