NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Powerful storms with a threat of tornadoes are expected to punch through Louisiana and other parts of the South on Tuesday just as huge parades and costumed revelers are set to celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans and other southern cities. The alarming forecast will be one of the first big tests for the National Weather Service after hundreds of its forecasters were fired last week under President Donald Trump's moves to slash the size of the federal government. Former employees say the firing of meteorologists who make crucial local forecasts across the U.S. could put lives at risk.