Capping spending: An amendment to the city charter that aims to rein in spending is set to be considered by the New Orleans City Council in January. The council is expected to decide on guardrails to stop city departments from spending more than the amount the council approves each year. The charte r change would also need voter approval. Read more from The Center Square.  At the pump: Gas prices in Louisiana have dropped to their lowest levels since 2021. The statewide average gas price is $2.48 a gallon, the lowest since March 2021 and roughly 20 cents cheaper than this time last year. Read more from WBRZ-TV.  Government data: A closely watched U.S. Energy Information Administration oil report was delayed for hours after federal staffing cuts and outdated code caused a mismatch between publication dates and report-generation systems. The agency has lost over 100 staff this year, raising concerns about reliability of market-critical data going forward. Read more from Bloomberg. A subscription may be required.    ...read more read less