The Times-Picayune 03-31-2025 by The Advocate

ELECTION 2025

CONVERGING CULTURES

ABOVE: The third annual Gretna Italian-Irish Parade rolls in Gretna on Sunday. The parade featured more than 1,600 riders on 55 ﬂoats and trucks, bands and marching groups.

John Beninate was the Italian grand marshal, and Paul Leman the Irish grand marshal.

MIDDLE RIGHT: A rider tosses a cabbage as the third annual Gretna Italian-Irish Parade rolls on Sunday

STAFF PHOTOS By SCOTT THRELKELD

Queen Hailey Bourgeois waves as the Gretna Italian-Irish Parade rolls on Sunday

Work-based learning lags in La., study finds

Fewer high schoolers participating in internships, apprenticeships

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO | Staff writer

Fewer Louisiana high schoolers are participating in internships and apprenticeships than their peers in neighboring states, despite a push by state education officials to increase the number of work-based learning opportunities for students, a new study found. In 2023, about 5% of high school se-

niors graduated with internship credits an all-time high for Louisiana but signiﬁcantly lower than other Southern states, according to data compiled by Leaders for a Better Louisiana, a civic organization focused on education and economic development.

Louisiana also lags in the number of students in apprenticeship programs, which typically last for a year or longer and help students learn trades such as construction, electrical work or plumbing. Just 3 out of every 1,000 high schoolers in the state complete an apprenticeship, the study found. The report comes as Louisiana’s Education Department is encouraging schools to promote work-based learning. A new accountability system that

takes effect next school year will rate high schools partly based on student participation in internships and apprenticeships, despite some concerns about limited opportunities in rural areas. “We support that Louisiana is encouraging more high school students to gain real work experience before graduation,” said Better Louisiana CEO Adam Knapp “As we grow this number, we encourage more businesses across the state to consider high school students as part of their workforce supply.”

Work-based learning gives students real-world job experience before they

Political foes, Landry allies united against amendments

60% of Louisiana voters rejected constitution changes

BY ALYSE PFEIL | Staff writer

Louisiana voters decisively shut down four constitutional amendments Saturday, handing Gov Jeff Landry and Republican supermajorities in the Legislature one of their ﬁrst major political setbacks.

The Legislature passed all four proposals by two-thirds majority votes Then Landry crisscrossed the state stumping in particular for Amendment 2, a revision to Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution that governs state ﬁnances. He promoted it as a pivotal piece to an expansive package of tax policy reforms he championed during a November special session.

Yet every amendment, which failed by similarly large margins, was rejected by over 60% of voters.

“It’s clear from the stunning repudiation of all four of these amendments that the governor and the Legislature, at least in this case, are out of step with the vast majority of people who voted,” said Pearson Cross, a professor of Louisiana

ä See AMENDMENTS, page 5A

N.O. housing agency director shares plans

Willman took helm at authority 2 months ago

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE | Staff writer

Two months after taking the helm of New Orleans’ public housing authority, Marjorianna Willman has big plans to turn an agency plagued in recent by management and personnel woes.

Willman, who now oversees housing for 23,000 low-in families across the city week that she has already major changes in a bid vacant units, maintain vouchers, and beef up stafﬁng, former director, Evette scrutiny

are graduating with work-based learning credits than their peers in other Southern states, a new study found

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK Instructor and chef Theresa Edwards helps Brielle Credeur make pralines at the W.D. and Mary Baker Smith Career Center in Lafayette on Feb 6. Fewer Louisiana high schoolers

Greenland’s leader says U.S. will not get island

The prime minister of Greenland pushed back Sunday against assertions by U.S President Donald Trump that America will take control of the island territory

Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States. Trump wants to annex the territory, claiming it’s needed for national security purposes

“President Trump says that the United States ‘will get Greenland.’ Let me be clear: The United States will not get it. We do not belong to anyone else. We decide our own future,” Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post.

Nielsen’s post comes a day after the U.S. president told NBC News that military force wasn’t off the table with regard to acquiring Greenland.

In Saturday’s interview, Trump allowed that “I think there’s a good possibility that we could do it without military force.”

“This is world peace, this is international security,” he said, but added: “I don’t take anything off the table.”

Rain turns to ice, cuts power in Midwest states

Freezing rain brought down trees and power lines in Michigan and Wisconsin, cutting electricity for thousands of people Sunday in the upper Great Lakes region.

More than 200,000 power outages were reported in Michigan and Wisconsin. Churches that had power as well as schools and ﬁre halls, were turned into warming centers as utilities worked to restore electricity, a job that will likely stretch into Monday in small communities and rural pockets.

The National Weather Service office in Gaylord, Michigan, was in the middle of it, saying on X: “Accumulations range here from a half inch to nearly a whole inch of ice!”

Despite the calendar showing spring, “it’s still winter,” said Ryan Brege, managing director of the Alpena County, Michigan, Road Commission, 250 miles north of Detroit.

Alpena Power said nearly all of its 16,750 customers — homes and businesses were in the dark. Authorities in South Carolina reported progress Sunday in controlling wildﬁres in the Blue Ridge mountains. The Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge ﬁres have burned about 17 square miles. Mandatory evacuations were ordered Saturday for some residents of Greenville County.

“Thank you for the prayers. They’re being heard. There’s rain in the air,” said Derrick Moore, operations chief for the ﬁreﬁghting Southern Area Blue Team.

Plane crashes into home in Minnesota

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — One person in a small plane traveling from Iowa to Minnesota died after the aircraft crashed into a house in a Minneapolis suburb Saturday a city ofﬁcial said The residents of the home were not hurt, Brooklyn Park spokesperson Risikat Adesaogun said. But the house was destroyed. The Federal Aviation Administration said the single-engine SOCATA TBM7 departed from Des Moines International Airport with a destination of the Anoka County-Blaine Airport, located in another Minneapolis suburb.

Palestinians in Gaza mark Muslim holiday

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH and TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Palestinians in Gaza marked the normally festive Eid al-Fitr on Sunday with rapidly dwindling food supplies and mourning for several children killed in Israel’s latest airstrikes

There was anger as the bodies of 14 emergency responders were recovered in the southern city of Rafah a week after an Israeli attack, which the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called the “single most deadly attack on Red Cross Red Crescent workers anywhere in the world since 2017.”

Many Palestinians prayed outside demolished mosques to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan It’s supposed to be a joyous occasion when families feast and purchase new clothes for children, but most of Gaza’s 2 million people are just trying to survive.

“It’s the Eid of sadness,” Adel alShaer said after attending prayers amid rubble in the central town of Deir al-Balah. “We lost our loved ones, our children, our lives and our futures.”

Twenty members of his extended family have been killed by Israeli strikes, including four young neph-

ews a few days ago, he said and be-

gan to cry

Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas and resumed the 17-month war earlier this month with a surprise bombardment that killed hundreds, after the militant group refused to accept changes to the truce reached in January Israel has not allowed food, fuel or humanitarian aid to enter Gaza for a month.

“There is killing, displacement, hunger and a siege,” said Saed alKourd, a worshipper

“We go out to perform God’s rituals in order to make the children happy, but as for the joy of Eid? There is no Eid.”

Arab mediators are trying to get the truce back on track. Hamas said Saturday it had accepted a new proposal from Egypt and Qatar. Israel said it made a counterproposal in coordination with the United States, which has also been mediating. Details were not immediately known.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the bodies of eight of its emergency medical technicians, and ﬁve members of Gaza’s Civil Defense, were recovered a week after they and their ambulances vanished in Rafah during heavy ﬁre.

The PRCS said a ninth colleague was still missing, adding that the targeting of medics “cannot be

seen as anything other than a war crime.”

Gaza’s Health Ministry asserted that some of the bodies had been bound and shot in the chest, and it called on the United Nations and other international organizations to investigate and hold Israel accountable.

Israel’s military on Sunday said its troops had opened ﬁre on vehicles “advancing suspiciously” without emergency signals or movement coordinated in advance. It asserted that nine “terrorists” had been killed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue military operations while negotiating. He rejected claims that Israel does not want to end the war, while laying out conditions that go far beyond the ceasefire agreement and have been rejected by Hamas.

“Hamas will disarm. Its leaders will be allowed out. We will look out for the general security in the Gaza Strip and allow for the realization of (President Donald) Trump’s plan,” Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting.

Israeli strikes on Sunday morning killed at least 16 people, including nine children and three women, according to Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Wis. high court refuses to take case challenging Musk’s $1M payments

BY SCOTT BAUER Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. — A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court on Sunday refused to hear a last-minute attempt by the state’s Democratic attorney general to stop billionaire Elon Musk from handing over $1 million checks to two voters, a ruling that came just minutes before the planned start of the rally

Two lower courts had already rejected the legal challenge by Democrat Josh Kaul, who argues that Musk’s offer violates a state law “Wisconsin law prohibits offering anything of value to induce anyone to vote,” Kaul argued in his ﬁling. “Yet, Elon Musk did just that.”

But the state Supreme Court, which is currently controlled 4-3 by liberal justices, declined to take the case as an original action. The court gave no rationale for its decision.

Kaul had no immediate comment on the court’s order

Musk’s attorneys argued in ﬁlings with the court that Musk was exercising his free speech rights with the giveaways and any attempt to restrict that would violate both the Wisconsin and U.S. constitutions.

The payments are “intended to gener-

ate a grassroots movement in opposition to activist judges, not to expressly advocate for or against any candidate,” Musk’s attorneys argued in court ﬁlings. Wisconsin’s tightly contested Supreme Court election, where ideological control of the court is at stake, is on Tuesday

The court’s four liberal justices have endorsed Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, the Democratic-backed candidate.

Musk’s attorneys, about four hours before the rally was to begin, asked that two liberal justices who have campaigned for Crawford — Jill Karofsky and Rebecca

Dallet — recuse themselves from the case. His attorneys argued their work for Crawford creates “the specter of inappropriate bias.” If they did recuse, that would leave the court with a 3-2 conservative majority

Both justices rejected the request and said they would spell out their reasons why at a later date.

One of the court’s conservative justices has endorsed Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, who also has the backing of President Donald Trump and Musk. Schimel wore a “Make America Great Again” hat while campaigning Sunday

At the rally scheduled in Green Bay for Sunday evening, Musk promised to hand over a pair of $1 million checks to voters who signed an online petition against “activist” judges. Musk and groups he supports have spent more than $20 million to help Schimel get elected.

Schimel said in a national television interview that he does not control “any of the spending from any outside group, whether it’s Elon Musk or anyone else” and that all Trump asked was whether he would “reject activist judges” and follow the law

“That’s exactly what I’ve committed to anybody, whether it’s President Trump, Elon Musk or any donors and donors or supporters or voters in Wisconsin. That’s my commitment,” Schimel told “Fox News Sunday.” Schimel did not say whether he would attend the rally

Crawford’s campaign declined comment on Kaul’s legal ﬁling.

The contest has shattered national spending records for a judicial election, with more than $81 million in spending.

The judicial election comes as Wisconsin’s highest court is expected to rule on abortion rights, congressional redistricting, union power and voting rules that could affect the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election in the state.

Iran rejects direct talks with U.S.

By The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

Iran’s president said Sunday that the Islamic Republic rejected direct negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, offering Tehran’s ﬁrst response to a letter that U.S. President Donald Trump sent to the country’s supreme leader President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran’s response, delivered via the sultanate of Oman, left open the possibility of indirect negotiations with Washington. However, such talks have made no progress since Trump in his ﬁrst term unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. In the years since, regional tensions have boiled over into attacks at sea and on land. Now, as the U.S. conducts intense airstrikes targeting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen, the risk of military action targeting Iran’s nuclear program remains on the table.

“We don’t avoid talks; it’s the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far,” Pezeshkian said in televised remarks during a Cabinet meeting. “They must prove that they can build trust.”

The U.S. State Department, responding to Pezeshkian, said, “President Trump has been clear: The United States cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”

“The president expressed his willingness to discuss a deal with Iran,” it added. “If the Iranian regime does not want a deal, the president is clear he will pursue other options, which will be very bad for Iran.”

Trump said before Pezeshkian’s comments that he was considering military action and secondary tariffs, if Iran doesn’t agree to a nuclear deal “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” Trump said in a comment aired Sunday by NBC News.

Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. A report in February, however, by the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MAHMOUD ILLEAN

A Palestinian girl is tossed into the air Sunday as people gather for Eid al-Fitr prayers by the Dome of the Rock shrine in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City

PROVIDED PHOTO

A bush is coated with thick ice Sunday at the National Weather Service office in Gaylord, Mich.

What Trump’s tariff rollout could mean for you

President calling it ‘Liberation Day’

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald

Trump said Wednesday will be

“Liberation Day” — a moment when he plans to roll out a set of tariffs that he promises will free the United States from foreign goods.

The details of Trump’s next round of import taxes are still sketchy Most economic analyses say average U.S families would have to absorb the cost of his tariffs in the form of higher prices and lower incomes. But an undeterred Trump is inviting CEOs to the White House to say they are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in new projects to avoid the import taxes.

It is also possible that the tariffs are short-lived if Trump feels he can cut a deal after imposing them

“I’m certainly open to it, if we can do something,” Trump told reporters. “We’ll get something for it.”

At stake are family budgets, America’s prominence as the world’s leading financial power and the structure of the global economy Here’s what you should know about the impending trade penalties:

What exactly does Trump plan?

He wants to announce import taxes, including “reciprocal” tariffs that would match the rates charged by other countries and account for other subsidies. Trump has talked about taxing the European Union, South Korea, Brazil and India, among other countries.

As he announced 25% auto tariffs last week, he alleged that America has been ripped off because it imports more goods than it exports.

“This is the beginning of Liberation Day in America,” Trump said.

“We’re going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things that they’ve been taking over the years. They’ve taken so much out of our country, friend and foe. And, frankly, friend has been oftentimes much worse than foe.”

In an interview Saturday with

NBC News, Trump said it did not bother him if tariffs caused vehicle prices to rise because vehicles with more U.S. content could possibly be more competitively priced.

“I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars,”

Trump said. “I couldn’t care less because if the prices on foreign cars go up, they’re going to buy American cars.”

Trump has also suggested that he will be ﬂexible with his tariffs, saying he will treat other nations better than they treated the United States But he still has plenty of other taxes coming on imports.

The Republican president plans to tax imported pharmaceutical drugs, copper and lumber He has put forth a 25% tariff on any country that imports oil from Venezuela, even though the United States also does so. Imports from China are being charged an additional 20% tax because of its role in fentanyl production. Trump has imposed separate tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico for the stated reason of stopping drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Trump also expanded his 2018 steel and aluminum tariffs to 25% on all imports.

Some aides suggest the tariffs are tools for negotiation on trade and border security; others say the revenues will help reduce the federal budget deﬁcit. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said they will force other nations to show Trump “respect.”

How could tariffs affect economy?

Nothing good, according to most economists. They say the tariffs would get passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices for vehicles, groceries, housing and other goods. Corporate proﬁts could be lower and growth more sluggish Trump maintains that more companies would open factories to avoid the taxes, though that process could take three years or more.

Economist Art Laffer estimates the tariffs on vehicles, if fully implemented, could increase per vehicle costs by $4,711, though he said he views Trump as a smart and savvy negotiator The investment bank Goldman Sachs estimates the economy will grow this quarter at an annual rate of just 0.6%, down from a rate of 2.4% at the end of last year

Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus, Ohio, said on Friday that tariffs could increase the median cost of a home by $21,000, making affordability more of an obstacle because building materials would cost more.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told “Fox News Sunday” that the auto tariffs would raise $100 billion annually and the other tariffs would bring in about $600 million per year, or about $6 trillion over 10 years. As a share of the economy, that would be the largest tax increase since World War II, according to Jessica Riedl, a senior

Trump says he’s considering ways to serve third term despite constitutional prohibition

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN

Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump said Sunday that “I’m not joking” about trying to serve a third term, the clearest indication he is considering ways to breach a constitutional barrier against continuing to lead the country after his second term ends at the beginning of 2029.

“There are methods which you could do it,” Trump said in a telephone interview with NBC News from Mara-Lago, his private club. He also said “it is far too early to think about it.”

The 22nd Amendment, added to the Constitution in 1951 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four times in a row, says “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”

Any attempt to remain in ofﬁce would be legally suspect and it is unclear how seriously Trump might pursue the idea. The comments nonetheless were an extraordinary reﬂection of the desire to maintain power by a president who had violated democratic traditions four years ago when he tried to overturn the election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Jeremy Paul, a constitutional law professor at Boston’s Northeastern University, said “there are no credible legal arguments for him to run for a third term.”

NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Trump if one potential avenue to a third term was having Vice President JD Vance run for the top job and “then pass the baton to you.”

“Well, that’s one,” Trump responded. “But there are others too. There are oth-

ers.”

“Can you tell me another?” Welker asked.

“No,” Trump replied.

Derek Muller, a professor of election law at Notre Dame, noted that the 12th Amendment, which was ratiﬁed in 1804, says “no person constitutionally ineligible to the ofﬁce of President shall be eligible to that of VicePresident of the United States.”

Muller suggested that Trump is talking about a third term for political reasons to “show as much strength as possible.”

“A lame-duck president like Donald Trump has every incentive in the world to make it seem like he’s not a lame duck,” he said. Representatives for the congressional leadership did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the AP

couldn’t care less because if the prices on foreign cars go up, they’re going to buy American cars.”

fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested that tariffs would be a one-time price adjustment, rather than the start of an inﬂationary spiral. But Bessent’s conclusion rests on tariffs being brief or contained, rather than leading other countries to retaliate with their own tariffs or seeping into other sectors of the economy

“There is a chance tariffs on goods begin to ﬁlter through to the pricing of services,” said Samuel Rines, a strategist at WisdomTree.

“Auto parts get move expensive, then auto repair gets more expensive, then auto insurance feels the pressure. While goods are the focus, tariffs could have a longerterm effect on inﬂation.”

How are other nations reacting?

Most foreign leaders see the tariffs as destructive for the global economy, even if they are prepared to impose their own countermeasures.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Trump’s tariff threats had ended the partnership between his country and the United States, even as the president on Friday talked about his phone call with Carney in relatively positive terms. Canada already has an-

nounced retaliatory tariffs.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the tariffs were “not coherent” and would mean “breaking value chains, creating inﬂation in the short term and destroying jobs It’s not good for the American economy, nor for the European, Canadian or Mexican economies.”

Yet Macron said his nation would defend itself with the goal of dismantling the tariffs.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has avoided the tit-fortat responses on tariffs, but she sees it as critical to defend jobs in her country

The Chinese government said Trump’s tariffs would harm the global trading system and would not fix the economic challenges identiﬁed by Trump.

“There are no winners in trade wars or tariff wars, and no country’s development and prosperity are achieved through imposing tariffs,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

How did he land on the name?

Based off Trump’s public statements, April 2 is at least the third “liberation day” that he has identiﬁed.

At a rally last year in Nevada, he said the day of the presidential election Nov. 5 would be “Liberation Day in America.” He later gave his inauguration the same label, declaring in his address: “For American citizens, Jan. 20, 2025, is Liberation Day.”

His repeated designation of the term is a sign of just how much importance Trump places on tariffs, an obsession of his since the 1980s. Dozens of other countries recognize their own form of liberation days to recognize events such as overcoming Nazi Germany or the end of a previous political regime deemed oppressive.

Trump sees his tariffs as providing national redemption, but the slumping consumer confidence and stock market indicate that much of the public believes the U.S. economy will pay the price for his ambitions.

“I don’t see anything positive about Liberation Day,” said Phillip Braun, a finance professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. “It’s going to hurt the U.S. economy Other countries are going to retaliate.”

“I

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

AP PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JAE C. HONG

La. could criminalize intentional exposure of STIs

Bill creates felony in case of incurable infections

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

A bill set to be considered during the upcoming legislative session would make it a crime to intentionally expose others to a sexually transmitted infection, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, depending on the circumstances.

State Rep. Pat Moore, D-Monroe, said she ﬁled House Bill 76 at the request of a Louisiana woman who said she contracted genital herpes from her husband, who was not honest about his condition and also was unfaithful. Moore ﬁled similar legislation in 2021.

“I think it’s something that we truly need to consider,” Moore said of HB76

Critics say it is usually impossible to prove what someone’s intent was, and that the law would further stigmatize STIs They point out that the state does not have laws criminalizing exposure to illnesses like the common cold.

Under the proposal, intentionally exposing someone to incurable STIs such as HIV or genital herpes would be a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a ﬁne of up to $5,000.

The penalties would be harsher in cases involving child or statutory rape, or where the victim is older than 65 or has an intellectual disability Cases where both parties knew of the infection would not lead to a conviction.

The bill defines “exposure” as sexual intercourse, needle sharing or selling or donating bodily ﬂuids such as blood. The bill also makes it a misdemeanor to expose others to curable STIs, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. Those accused could be sentenced to up to six months in prison or have to pay a $1,000 ﬁne.

Moore said spiking STI rates were another factor behind her decision to bring the bill. STI rates in Louisiana skyrocketed in the years following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. They began to level off late last year, but Louisiana still ranks among the highest in the nation for chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea. Patty Kissinger, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Tulane University, said she did not favor criminalizing STI exposure, even

though punishment may seem appropriate in certain egregious cases.

Criminalization “is a dangerous thing because it increases stigma for STIs,” Kissinger said.

“What if I had a cold, and I shook hands with somebody?” she asked.

Kissinger also wondered how it would be possible to prove an exposure was intentional.

There is already a controversial law on the books that makes it a felony for someone who knows they are HIV positive to expose someone else through any means of contact It mandates up to 10 years in prison and 15 years on the sex offender registry for those convicted.

Critics say the law is outdated, given that modern-day treatments can make it next to impossible to spread the virus Others have argued the law’s deﬁnition of “ex-

posure” is so vague that it could include means of contact that cannot actually transmit the virus.

(Moore’s law more speciﬁcally deﬁnes “exposure”.)

Between 2011 and 2022, at least 176 people were arrested under Louisiana’s HIV criminalization statute, according to a report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law A 2022 analysis of law enforcement incident-level data and the state’s sex offender registry found that the law was disproportionately enforced based on race and sex: 91% of arrests for allegations related to HIV crimes were of Black men, a population that makes up 44% of Louisianans living with HIV. Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

Continued from page 1A

and American politics at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

When it became clear that Amendment 2 was going to fail, Landry issued a statement attributing the loss to liberal billionaire George Soros.

“Soros and far left liberals poured millions into Louisiana with propaganda and outright lies about Amendment 2,” the statement said. “We realize how hard positive change can be to implement in a state that is conditioned for failure.” Through a spokesperson, Landry declined to comment further Sunday and did not answer questions seeking evidence for his claims about Soros and outof-state spending.

John Couvillon, a Baton Rouge pollster and political analyst, said “unusually energized” early voting participation by Democrats could reflect people “taking their anger out on the governor or perhaps even the president through “’no’ votes on all four amendments.”

The state’s urban centers voted overwhelmingly against the amendments:

In East Baton Rouge Parish, 3 in 4 voters rejected Amendment 2, while 91% of voters in Orleans Parish voted no. But Republicans also helped knock down the governor’s tax amendment, Couvillon pointed out. Even in Landry’s hometown parish of St. Martin, 51% of voters said “no” to Amendment 2. In Jefferson Parish — where 55% of voters backed President Donald Trump, and where Landry defeated Democrat Shawn Wilson 40% to 26% — twothirds of voters rejected it. “It was the perfect storm of disaster,” Couvillon said. Given that the votes were nearly identical for all four amendments, Couvillon said, the turnout represents voters’ general dissatisfaction — a kind of

“primal scream.”

Who pushed back?

In more than a year in ofﬁce, Landry has pushed an aggressive agenda and has usually achieved his goals.

Most recently he and the Legislature made sweeping changes to the tax code, including: a ﬂat 3% individual income tax rate, a ﬂat 5.5% corporate income tax rate, the elimination of Louisiana’s corporate franchise tax as well as an increase of the state sales tax rate to 5% and a broadening of the base of goods and services that are taxed.

Landry pitched Amendment 2 as the next step in his plan to rewrite tax laws to make Louisiana more competitive economically with other states.

But the four ballot questions ended up generating two major opposition campaigns from unlikely bedfellows: religious organizations on the political right worried about losing valuable property tax exemptions and a coalition of community, social justice and advocacy organizations on the political left that feared limits on state spending as well as harsher punishments for juveniles in the criminal justice system, among other concerns.

On the left, a coalition called No to Them All, made up of many Louisiana community and advocacy groups, launched a messaging campaign against all four ballot measures.

“No to Them All was an umbrella for the efforts of dozens of nonprofits and individuals who opposed these misleading and harmful constitutional amendments,” the coalition said in a statement.

The group declined to give an accounting of major campaign funders.

“The effort relied on endorsing organizations to mobilize their own time and resources in support of our shared goals; as a coalition, there was no central entity or funder behind it,” the statement said.

Among the group’s members were Invest in Louisiana, Together Louisiana and

don’t know how to win.

“The people do win — overwhelmingly,” he said.

Ajumble of ideas

Some observers said the amendment’s supporters were trying to do too much too quickly The amendments would affect everything from courts to taxes to juvenile crime and elections for judicial seats Amendment 2 alone was over 100 pages long.

Cross called Amendment 2 “a hodgepodge of numerous elements designed to remake Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution” that “had way too much going on.”

could put a lot of things into one constitutional amendment and people wouldn’t notice a lot of the details.”

Couvillon also said the governor waited until it was too late to deﬂect messaging from opposition campaigns.

“You can’t half-ass it and wait ’til early voting to start your campaigning,” he said. Nonetheless, both Couvillon and Cross said defeat at the ballot box Saturday in no way spells the demise of Landry’s political fortunes or policy plans.

Step Up Louisiana.

Also part of the effort was Liberty & Dignity Coalition, a group of advocacy organizations particularly focused on opposing Amendment 3, which would have resulted in more teenagers being treated as adults in the criminal court system.

Kristen Rome, executive director of the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights, said the notion the amendment failed because of one person or organization was wrong.

“People got out and voted,” she said “No one can make people get up, get in their cars, drive to their polling places and press the button. People did that because they knew what was going on.”

On the right, the Rev Tony Spell, the charismatic, politically engaged pastor of Life Tabernacle Church and one-time Landry ally, joined forces with Woody Jenkins, chair of the East Baton Rouge Republican Party and a longtime political player They raised concerns about loosening constitutional protections for property tax exemptions that churches and nonprofits receive.

Jenkins said Landry’s statement attributing the loss to Soros was “an insult to the people of this state” as well as “a face-saving device.”

“The credibility of the administration and the Legislature with people right now is obviously very low,” he said. “People had every chance to vote for (Amendment 2). There were told at every turn how great it was, but they did not believe it.” Jenkins also took issue with the governor’s idea that the people of Louisiana

“Mostly that was a result of the governor and the people who wrote the amendment trying to shoehorn all their constitutional changes into the form of a constitutional amendment,” Cross argued, a move borne out of an earlier failed attempt to rewrite the entire constitution.

Jenkins, who for months has been vocally opposed to Amendment 2, said, “They had the feeling that they

“I don’t think it says anything about the longterm success or failure of Landry’s policy agenda,” said Cross. “I just think that it indicates disgruntled voters at this stage.

“I don’t see this as a watershed moment for Louisiana politics and for Gov Landry I see this as a reaction to some amendments that people really didn’t warm up to or didn’t understand.”

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.

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2 mayoral candidates lay out platforms

Moreno wants to lead ‘renaissance’ in city

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

To address crime in New Orleans, mayoral candidate Helena Moreno wants to lead a “renaissance” of the city’s recreation agency, permanently shutter “problem properties” and hire someone to make antiviolence programs a facet of all corners of city government. Moreno detailed those proposals in a sweeping public safety agenda issued by her campaign on Thurs-

day, as the race for New Orleans mayor intensiﬁes before an ofﬁcial qualifying period in July She will unveil additional planks of that platform in the weeks ahead, the campaign said in a statement.

Her anti-crime platform proposes a “community” approach, Moreno said, emphasizing programs in schools, neighborhoods and public parks that aim to stem root causes of vio-

School Board down to 2 chief hopefuls

Different backgrounds in education weighed

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

Orleans Parish School Board members must choose between two starkly different contenders to lead the New Orleans school system.

lence before it happens.

Swifter police work, more robust New Orleans Police Department recruitment and more coordination across law enforcement agencies are key to a more effective response once crime happens, Moreno said. She pledged to make all of those ideas a reality if she’s elected.

“This public safety plan

ä See MORENO, page 2B

Thomas backs a plan to elect police chief

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Oliver Thomas, a veteran New Orleans City Council member and candidate for mayor, wants the city to start holding elections to decide its chief of police — a long-debated proposal that would fundamentally shift the structure of New Orleans law enforcement. Thomas unveiled that proposal as he announced his mayoral bid March 18 folding it into an ambitious policy platform that prom-

ises improvements across five hot-button New Orleans issues: public safety, infrastructure, government transparency economic opportunity and education. Thomas wants to start a “90-day pothole ﬁx guarantee program” with a new online portal and dashboard meant to hasten the lethargic pace at which New Orleans responds to crumbling roads. He says he’ll “modernize” the Sewerage & Water Board’s troubled payment system. And he called for a new “Mayor’s Office of Ethics and Government Integrity” to prevent waste. His pitch for elections to decide the superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department — an idea ﬂoated by

MOVING TO THE RHYTHM

New Orleans native Sharon Latten-Clark has spent nearly a quarter-century leading Sophie B. Wright, once a struggling middle school, through its transformation into a charter school and reopening after Hurricane Katrina She has borne witness to the sea change in New Orleans education over the past two decades and also sits on the state Board of Secondary and Elementary Education.

Fateama Fulmore, who became the district’s deputy superintendent in 2022 under the previous schools chief, has more than a decade of experience in central ofﬁce roles in Omaha, Nebraska; Philadelphia; and North Carolina school districts. After Avis Williams stepped down from New Orleans schools’ top post in November, Fulmore became interim superintendent and was thrust into the school system’s ﬁnancial crisis. Now, after selecting the two women as finalists, the School

ABOVE: Members of Bamboula 2000 perform Sunday during the Congo Square Rhythms Festival at Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans. The free, two-day festival by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation featured live music on two stages, food, an art marketplace and activities for children.

BELOW LEFT: Darrielle Craddock, 6, shakes the bells on a bracelet she just ﬁnished making in the festival’s Kids

Tent. BELOW RIGHT: Da Truth Brass Band performs for the crowd

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

Elsewhere in the nation, potholes and other examples of roadway deconstruction are mere impediments and irritations. But in New Orleans, they’ve become the sites of merriment, mirth and joyful social gatherings. Who could forget the flooded pit on Esplanade Avenue that was used as a neighborhood swimming hole? Or the time the precipitous plunge in the pavement on Felicity Street became a wedding venue?

ä See HOPEFULS, page 2B ä

Now, a demolished patch of Laurel Street has been converted into an elegant al fresco dining destination. Ernie “The Attorney” Svenson said he’s not sure why workmen demolished part of the intersection of Laurel and Webster streets on Wednesday All he knows is that when the jackhammering and backhoeing were done, a “rubble pile” surrounded by yellow caution ribbon, traffic cones and a road barrier was left behind, just a few yards from the entrance to Patois restaurant.

Svenson, a law technology consultant, said that as he marveled at the jumble of concrete chunks, a Patois waiter named Caelen Corr arrived for work on Wednesday afternoon. “Can you believe this?” Corr rhetorically asked, as he surveyed the shambles. Noting a ﬂat area of earth amid the wrecked infrastructure, Svenson facetiously suggested that a table and chairs could be nestled in, providing a picturesque pothole

STAFF PHOTOS By SCOTT THRELKELD

Ernie Svenson, Mike Gollner and Stephen Adams raise a glass Wednesday to New Orleans infrastructure in the midst of the freshly demolished roadway at the corner of Laurel and Webster streets.

PROVIDED PHOTO By SUSAN LANGENHENNIG

N.O. police special ops officer arrested on stalking count

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

The New Orleans Police Department arrested one of its special operations officers on a single count of stalking on Wednesday, NOPD public information officer Reese Harper conﬁrmed.

Officer Kaja Rhea, 25, is accused of harassing his exgirlfriend’s new boyfriend in what authorities describe as a “dangerous escalation,” which kicked off after the woman posted a photo of herself with her new partner on Valentine’s Day. According to an arrest warrant, the multiple confrontations began when Rhea stalked the

boyfriend using his police unit in Orleans Parish and culminated when he tried to ﬁght him in Kenner

Authorities said Rhea staked out the man’s MidCity residence and trailed him in his NOPD-marked unit in the early morning hours of Feb. 23, after he’d sent texts “questioning his involvement with (Rhea’s ex) and whether he lived on Canal Street,” the warrant states.

A month later, about 6:39 a.m March 23, Rhea allegedly challenged the new boyfriend to a ﬁght in Kenner After his invitation to ﬁght was declined, Rhea tracked down his former girlfriend at the man’s work-

place, the Target at 1401 W Esplanade Ave. Rhea took the woman’s phone and used it to text her new boyfriend “harassing messages,” the warrant states.

The next day, Rhea twice appeared at Target, tried to open the man’s car door handle and fled when the man called 911.

“These repeated confrontations necessitated multiple police interventions,” the warrant states.

A history of discipline

Rhea was booked into the Orleans Justice Center on Wednesday Magistrate Commissioner Peter Hamilton found probable cause for stalking. He set bail at

$2,500 and released Rhea on his own recognizance, court records show Rhea had also faced discipline from the department previously after he failed to write a report for an aggravated assault in December 2022 at 1100 S. Claiborne Ave. Instead, he downgraded the assault to a miscellaneous incident with a “necessary action taken” disposition, Civil Service records show Rhea was issued a one-day suspension in 2023 for neglect of duty

In 2024, Rhea was paid $124,616, according to public records procured by whistleblower and University of New Orleans chemistry instructor Skip Gallagher Of

that, $34,632 came from paid details, and the rest from his NOPD salary At least once in 2022, the hours he logged for paid detail work overlapped with those he logged on the clock as an NOPD ofﬁcer, according to an email from the NOPD’s Professional Standards & Accountability Bureau.

Former football star

A Hollygrove native and 2019 alum of Warren Easton Charter High School, Rhea was an honor roll student and a member of the varsity football team, according to Civil Service records. He was hired by the NOPD in October 2021 and graduated with Recruit Class No. 194 in May 2022, according to records from the New Orleans Civil Service Department. In May, he received a certificate of training for NOPD’s Mounted Unit, according to NOPD’s social media. He was pursuing a degree in criminal justice at Delgado Community College at the time of his arrest. He has been reassigned from special operations to desk duty pending the outcome of criminal and internal investigations, NOPD said. His next appearance in Orleans Parish Criminal Court is April 25. If convicted of stalking, Rhea faces imprisonment for up to a year and a ﬁne of up to $1,000.

Covington voters decide council seat with no runoff necessary

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

Blake Bushnell won a seat on the Covington City Council on Saturday night, beating Hermon Joseph and

MORENO

Continued from page 1B

is not just about reducing crime, it’s also about building a safer, healthier, more just, and more equitable New Orleans for everyone,” said Moreno, a former state representative and current vice president of the New Orleans City Council. “By investing in our youth, enhancing police practices, and fostering community collaboration,

THOMAS

Continued from page 1B

— represents perhaps the plan’s most radical proposal. It would require convincing voters to change the city’s charter — and, according to other ofﬁcials who have studied the concept, a potential restructuring of the Police Department’s budget Thomas said he became more interested in the idea after voters gave the City Council the power in 2022 to approve or reject Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s Cabinet picks.

“We added another political body to the mix, and not the residents,” he said. “That doesn’t seem right.”

Thomas’ platform, which includes 37 goals across the five subjects, underscores his pledge to lead New Orleans on a “comeback” that he says mirrors a redemptive path he traced for himself since pleading guilty to federal bribery charges in

HOPEFULS

Continued from page 1B

Board must choose one to become superintendent.

While Clark has deep New Orleans ties and the respect of many city educators, plus a role in shaping state education policy, Fulmore offers system-level experience and has made strides in the temporary role.

Whoever is chosen will lead the 43,600 students in New Orleans’ school system, which is made up of dozens of semi-autonomous charter schools that set their own curriculum and make dayto-day operational decisions. That leaves the district superintendent to handle bigger-picture tasks like enrollment and holding schools accountable to academic and financial standards, while also contending with a budget deﬁcit, dropping student enrollment and an uncertain federal education landscape.

Blaine Stanga in a special election

The three candidates, all running for their first elected ofﬁce, were seeking the council’s open District B seat. The post was previ-

we can create meaningful change and ensure the wellbeing of our citizens.”

Moreno’s leading opponent in the race, her council colleague Oliver Thomas, issued his own campaign platform as he announced his long-rumored candidacy last week. Thomas’ platform covers a slew of subjects at once, including his promise of a 90day pothole repair program and a proposed change to the city charter so that voters can elect New Orleans’ police chief.

2007 and serving three years in federal custody. City Council Vice President Helena Moreno has raised nearly $1 million in support of her own campaign, which she announced in December. She is expected to roll out her own platform in phases in the coming months.

Electing N.O. police chief?

Thomas, who holds the council’s District E seat and has held two other seats on the panel over three decades in city politics, sided with Cantrell in the 2022 battle over whether the council should have a say in approving Cabinet picks. He split from Moreno and others on the council by voting not to override the mayor’s veto of legislation that sent the charter change to voters. The veto-override was successful, and voters handed the council the power to approve or reject mayoral appointees that fall. The council greenlit Cantrell’s pick for a new po-

ously held by John Botsford, who was elected as an atlarge council representative last year The term expires in 2027. District B encompasses the northeastern section of

The October municipal election will determine both the next mayor and a new slate of City Council members. The current council — including Moreno and Thomas — plus Mayor LaToya Cantrell, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, local, state and federal law enforcement leaders, community workers and activists have presided over a nation-leading drop in violent crime over the past three years.

lice chief, current Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, a year later Other Louisiana municipalities elect their police chiefs. But those are mostly small-town departments in rural areas, law enforcement experts say Thomas said he became interested in replicating that idea — which would diminish his own authority if he’s elected — through conversations with residents. He said they deserve more of a say in the selection of their police chief.

“I’ve heard more and more in conversation with residents, ‘Who does the police chief answer to?’” Thomas said.

Council President JP Morrell, who sponsored legislation in 2022 to give the council confirmation authority, has ﬂoated the idea of electing New Orleans’ police chief in the past.

He said the biggest challenge that emerged was the difﬁculty in charting a path for the ofﬁce’s budget.

the city Stanga has been serving as interim council member

Complete but unofﬁcial returns show: n Bushnell, R, 212 votes, 58%

Local voters, too, have grown less anxious about the issue, data show In last fall’s Quality of Life Survey, a biannual poll by the University of New Orleans Survey Research Center, 27% of Orleans Parish respondents said the biggest problem facing their parish is crime, compared to 56% in 2022. Moreno proposes revitalizing the New Orleans Recreation Development into a “vibrant hub” with expanded programming for young people.

“The number one obstacle to electing your police chief, without having an independent budget, is you have a police budget that’s in tension with the rest of the city budget,” Morrell said. He pointed to council spats with the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office — whose leader is elected, but whose budgets require council approval — as an example.

Morrell, who has clashed with Thomas on the council, acknowledged that “there are pros” to the concept.

“You allow people to weigh in, and that person has to stand on their own record,” he said.

Thomas said he was not concerned about the potential for politics to complicate the role, saying voters are more suited than politicians to screening candidates.

Arthur Hunter, who channeled a stint as an NOPD ofﬁcer into a yearslong career as a judge and is also running for mayor, called a news conference outside NOPD headquarters

n Joseph, I, 41 votes, 11% n Stanga, I, 110 votes, 30% Issues in the low-key race ranged from trafﬁc control and drainage improvements to making sure the city grows in an orderly fashion.

She says she will hire a new ofﬁcial within city government, a deputy chief administrative ofﬁcer for public safety to “lead violence prevention efforts across departments and ensure coordination between city and external agencies.”

And, among other proposals, she pledged to continue an approach charted under a city “padlock” law she authored to pursue “permanent closure” of hubs for suspected drug activity, violence and sex trafﬁcking.

Wednesday to blast Thomas’ plan. “As the only candidate for mayor who has worn an NOPD uniform, I felt compelled to respond to this misguided idea,” Hunter said. “Our chief of police needs to be a career law-enforcement ofﬁcer, not a politician.”

Other goals, hires

Thomas’ platform features other ambitious goals. He wants to ensure that streetlight repairs occur within 30 days citywide, and within seven days in “crime hot spots” — locations with higher rates of violent crime, or neighborhoods with blighted properties, inadequate lighting or frequent emergency service calls, said his campaign manager, Ethan Ashley

Thomas pledged to expand New Orleans’ Mow to Own program, which offers adjoining landowners the chance to purchase tax delinquent blighted properties He’ll move to let owners buy blighted properties

Bushnell, 45, is an AT&T field engineer He has pledged to hold town hall meetings to keep the district informed. Turnout was around 24%, totals show

Arthur Hunter, who worked a stint as a New Orleans police officer before serving more than two decades as a judge and is also running for mayor, criticized Moreno’s plan in a statement as “introducing more bureaucracy without clear justiﬁcation.”

A spokesperson for Thomas’ campaign declined to comment.

James Finn covers politics for The Times-Picayune | Nola.com.

anywhere on their block, provided they plan to build a home on the lot, Ashley said. To run his campaign, Thomas has hired Ashley, a former member of the Orleans Parish School Board. Kristine Breithaupt, a digital media strategist who has worked for politicians including Cantrell and U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, is heading up the campaign’s digital and communications work. Consultant Brandin Campbell of the firm Capture Connect Media is also working on Thomas’ campaign, Breithaupt said. Moreno has staffed her campaign with her own mix of political veterans. Candidates for mayor must sign up officially for that job during a July qualifying period. The field appears largely set, analysts have said, citing Moreno and Thomas’ name recognition, Moreno’s fundraising strength and a malaise over city politics that many say has tarnished political outsiders’ view of the Mayor’s Office.

“New Orleans is a unique city that has the most unique education system in the country, and it’s a relationship-driven ecosystem,” said Dana Peterson, CEO of New Schools for New Orleans, an education advocacy group.

Members of the public can meet both candidates at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Walter Cohen High School.

Decadeslong track record

In her more than two decades as head of Sophie B. Wright Charter School, Clark has built a reputation as a no-nonsense leader and advocate for her students and school.

Ramsey Green, a former official with the Recovery School District who oversaw the rebuilding of the New Orleans school system after Katrina, recalled walking with Clark through the hallways of Sophie B. Wright where she knew the names of every student, teacher and custodian.

When schools were competing for limited Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for renovations she attended every public meeting and rallied members of nearby Touro Synagogue to voice their support for the school. Green said that even when he and Clark disagreed, they ended conversations with a hug.

“Her vision is one of joy and focus, and when I think about that time when schools were ﬂooded and destroyed shells,

“The board has to decide who has the greater chance of success in that reality.”

I think about Sharon and her smile,” Green said. “The only reason Sophie B. Wright came back was Sharon.”

Clark’s roles on BESE, the Louisiana High School Athletic Association executive committee and School Leader Forum, a consortium of charter school leaders in New Orleans, “are a deﬁnite plus,” said Patrick Dobard, former superintendent of the Recovery School District. Clark has a track record of fostering relationships in the city and state and would likely be able to recruit a strong central ofﬁce team, he said.

Caroline Roemer, chief of Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, noted that Clark would have “zero learning curve” with her years of experience working within the system Precedent would permit Clark to maintain her position on BESE if she became New Orleans schools chief, Roemer said, allowing her to “to give voice to our students and the needs of our city” during state policy debates.

Other education observers said Clark’s ability to command respect from school leaders and city officials alike might make her a stronger candidate depending on what the board decides to prioritize.

The board said it was seeking a candidate who can “master” operational aspects of the job, hold charter schools accountable, manage district-run schools and engage “the community in sharing the responsibility for achieving our aspirational goals and objectives,” according to the job posting.

“It’s very important that we as a board hire a superintendent that shares our values and that we have a lot of trust in,” Orleans Parish School Board President Katie Baudouin said at a public hearing that kicked off the search in January Thrust into crisis

Though Fulmore has had less time to build relationships in New Orleans, she was thrust into the top leadership at a time of crisis and has held her own, observers say During her time as Williams’ top deputy, Fulmore helped enact the district’s five-year plan and a new charter school accountability system. When Williams stepped down after drawing criticism for what some charter leaders perceived as a lack of communication, Fulmore heeded calls to give school leaders more input She established a charter advisory council, charter

school finance committee and several work groups to address issues like chronic absenteeism. She also launched public questionand-answer sessions she called “Candid Conversations with Dr Fulmore.”

“I’m listening and I’m taking in what you’re saying,” Fulmore said at a recent session at L.B. Landry High School, “and just because I may not have the answer now, it doesn’t mean that what you’re sharing can’t contribute to the solution later.”

The board recently approved Fulmore’s plan to pull funds from district surplus and operating budget to cover the ﬁrst half of the $50 million budget deficit that schools were facing because of inﬂated tax revenue projections.

Roemer said Fulmore’s leadership as interim has shown promise and neither Fulmore nor Clark would be “bad choices.” She praised Fulmore for instituting more channels of communication with charter leaders and leading the charge on ﬁnding a solution to the budget crisis.

Board member Olin Parker has also lauded Fulmore for her “constant communication” with the board and school leaders on the ﬁnancial issue.

“I’ve heard many comments from our partners at schools saying they’ve been grateful for the amount of communication from the district on this,” he said at a recent meeting.

Peterson, the New Schools for New Orleans CEO who has called for the next superintendent to be someone local, said Williams’ biggest challenges were a “lack of familiarity with the system and lack of relationships.” Whichever candidate is selected, he said, must be ready to build off the academic success New Orleans schools saw last year “We’ve got to keep the momentum going,” Peterson said, “and we want the best person who can accomplish that.”

Casey, Mary

Gamble,Allison

Hines Sr., Ronald

Johnson, Gladys

Martin, Larry

E Jefferson

Garden of Memories

Johnson, Gladys

New Orleans

Boyd Family

Martin, Larry

Charbonnet

Hines Sr., Ronald

Lake Lawn Metairie

Casey, Mary

Obituaries

Casey, Mary Katherine Brady

Mary Katherine Brady

Casey, awoman of extraordinary vitality and an exuberant loving spirit, was born in Houston, Texas on November 29, 1930. Although she moved with her family to New Orleans at the age of 17, she remained alifelong Texan at heart and was not shy about proclaiming her Texas pride. In Houston she attended St. Agnes Academy where she was instilled with alasting appreciation and knowledge of literature and poetry and was aproud graduate of the class of the 49ers. In New Orleans she graduated from Loyola University where she was chosen Campus Queen and was a member of Cardinal Key. At Loyola she met the love of her life, Thomas Casey. They married shortly after graduation and had 65 happy and fulfilling years together. At Loyola Kathy and Tom met so many dear friends who remained their closest friends for their entire lives. Kathy and Tom together were tireless advocates for their family, their Catholic faith, the city of New Orleans, and the state of Louisiana. Kathy was her husband's biggest asset while serving as his campaign manager for his successful elections to the Louisiana House of Representatives, the Louisiana Senate, and to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1973. She was adedicated volunteer at her children's schools of Ursuline Academy, Jesuit High School, and Academy of the Sacred Heart. She was chairperson of Pre-Cana for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, president of the Ladies Auxiliary of New Orleans Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Louisiana State Legislature Wives Auxiliary. She served on the Board of Directors of Citizens for Quality Nursing Home Care, Louisiana Independent Colleges and Universities, Odyssey House, New Orleans Opera Guild, and the Louisiana Arts Council, and she was an active member of the Orleans Club. Because of her great love for New Orleans, she thoroughly enjoyed being atour guide for the city for over 20 years. She, together with Tom, was very involved in the Catholic Church as adaily Mass attendee, Pre-Cana mentor, and member of many Catholic organizations. She was aparishioner of St. Rita Church, Holy Name of Jesus Church, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, and was acommitted adorer at Holy Name adoration chapel. She received the Order of St. Louis Medallion Award from the Archdiocese of New Orleans for service to the Church. In raising their family, Kathy and Tom instilled in their children a deep Catholic faith and taught their children by example how to treat others with compassion, courtesy, and kindness.

Kathy and Tom were avid travelers, visiting all 50 states and over 50 countries, often bringing along various children and grandchildren. Kathy loved

Commerce and the Louisiana State Legislature Wives Auxiliary. She servedonthe Board of Directors of Citizens for Quality Nursing Home Care, Louisiana Independent Colleges and Universities, Odyssey House, New Orleans Opera Guild, and the Louisiana Arts Council, and she was an active member of the Orleans Club. Because of her great love for New Orleans, she thoroughly enjoyedbeing atour guide for the city for over 20 years. She, together with Tom, was very involvedinthe Catholic Church as adaily Mass attendee,Pre-Cana mentor, and member of many Catholic organizations. She was aparishioner of St. Rita Church, Holy Name of Jesus Church, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, and was acommitted adoreratHoly Name adoration chapel. Shereceived the Order of St. Louis Medallion Award from the Archdiocese of New Orleans for service to the Church. In raisingtheir family, Kathy andTom instilled in their childrena deep Catholic faith and taught their children by example how to treat others with compassion, courtesy, and kindness. Kathy and Tom were avid travelers, visiting all 50 statesand over 50 countries, often bringing along various children and grandchildren. Kathy loved politics, history,geography, English literature, opera, and Saints football. She was completely devoted to her family and friends. Her husband, children, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, nieces and nephews adoredand admired her. Her home was the center of untoldnumbers of family gatherings, dinners, holiday celebrations, and parties. She made everyone feel welcome, special, and loved. She passed into eternal life surroundedbyher family on March 26, 2025 after avery brief illness. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Alcade Casey, her sister, Angela Brady Kelly, and her parents Teresa Chambers Brady and John Francis Brady. She is survived by her five children: Pamela CaseyStanton (Kim), ThomasAlcade Casey, Jr.(Elizabeth), Katherine Casey Caffery (Michael), Shannon Casey Countryman (Clay), and John Brady Casey (Ashley). She is also survived by 11 grandchildren: Sarah Stanton Craft (George) Peter CaseyStanton, John Brennan Stanton (Anne), Michael St. Marc Caffery, Jr., Thomas Casey Caffery, Kate Countryman Clausen (TR), Betsy Brady Countryman (fiancé John Horey), Anne Brady Caffery, MollyCasey Countryman, Caroline Whittington Casey, and Kathryn Grace Casey, by 10 great-grandchildren, and by many beloved nieces and nephews. The family wouldlike to thank the outstanding staff at Lambeth House, 2nd floor St. Anna's. They are angels on earth.

Afuneral Mass willbe held at St. Rita Catholic Church, 2729 LowerlineSt., New Orleans on Wednesday, April2 at 12 noon with visitation at 11 a.m. In lieuofflowers, donations arerequested to TheNational Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, 2701 State Street, New Orleans 70118 or Covenant House, 611 North Rampart Street, NewOrleans 70112.

Gamble, Allison Barkley

Allison Barkley Gamble passed away peacefully at her home in Chicago, IL on March 23, 2025 at theage of 63. She was born in New Orleans and graduated high school from Metairie Park Country Day .She received aBSinForeign Service from Georgetown University and then an MA in Art History at the University of Chicago, where she also pursued a Doctorateinthe same field.A passionate advocate for the arts, Allison spent her entire career immersed in the world of art. She was the Managing Editor of The NewArt Examiner. She taught Art History at several colleges throughout Chicagoand contributed as awriter and art critic to several prominent art publications. Additionally, Allison worked as an Art Installation Consultant with galleries across the country. Artwas notjust a profession, buta lifelong passion. Her grandmother, Margaret Witherspoon, was an acclaimed artist in New Orleans, and her uncle, Colo Milling, was awell -known Bronze Sculptor. In addition to her career, Allison was deeply committed to animal welfare. She devoted countless hours volunteering at nokill animal shelters in Chicago, giving her time and love to animals in need. All of her dogs, Britta, Callie, Hannah and Hallie were rescue dogs. Allison is survived by her husband,David Johnson, her dog Hallie, her parents, Cameron and Nancy Gamble, and her sisters, Nancy Gamble and Barkley Gamble.

It is with profound sad‐ness that we announce the passing of Ronald Hines Sr., affectionately known as "Big Ronald." Mr Hines a distinguished husband, father grandfather and Marine, peacefully passed away on Sunday, March 23 2025 at the age of 75, sur‐rounded by those who loved him dearly. He was born in New Orleans on No‐vember 2 1949 to the late Jeff, Jr. and Luella Hines Ronald was a student at Booker T Washington High School Survivors include his devoted wife, Elois Hines; supportive brothers, Jeff Hines, III and Jihad x Al- Mujaheed aka Charles Hines; beloved children Sonya Bullock (Sokoto), Rona Sr. (Latas erone Hine enty ﬁve t and grea dren; belo ricia Morga eces neph other relati iends. In ad ents, Mr Hi ceded in dea erna‐dine Moran, Eddie and Jef‐frey Hines; nieces and a nephew, Zita Hines, Yolanda Scott and Arthur Moran, III. A Funeral ser‐vice honoring the life and legacy of the late Ronald Hines, Sr. will be held at St Peter Claver Church, 1923 St Philip Street, New Orleans LA on Wednesday April 2, 2025 at 10 am, Pas‐tor Troy Lawrence of Reap‐ing the Harvest, Ofﬁciating Interment Southeast Louisiana Veterans Ceme‐tery 34888 Grantham Col‐lege Drive, Slidell, LA. Visi‐tation 9 am in the church Please sign online guest‐book at www charbonnetf uneralhome.com Charbon‐net Labat Glapion, Direc‐tors (504) 581-4411.

loved him dearly He was born in New Orleans on No‐

vember 2, 1949 to the late

Jeff, Jr. and Luella Hines

Ronald was a student at Booker T Washington High School Survivors include his devoted wife, Elois Hines; supportive brothers Jeff Hines, III and Jihad x Al- Mujaheed aka Charles Hines; beloved children, Sonya Bullock (Sokoto) Ronald, Jr., Jamal, Sr (Latashia) and Lerone Hines, Sr (Lauren); twenty ﬁve treasured grand and great grandchildren; beloved partner, Patricia Morgan; many nieces nephews, cousins, other relatives and close friends In addition to his parents, Mr. Hines is also preceded in death by siblings, Berna‐dine Moran, Eddie and Jef‐frey Hines; nieces and a nephew, Zita Hines Yolanda Scott and Arthur Moran, III. A Funeral ser‐vice honoring the life and legacy of the late Ronald Hines Sr will be held at St. Peter Claver Church, 1923 St Philip Street New Orleans, LA on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 10 am Pas‐tor Troy Lawrence of Reap‐ing the Harvest, Ofﬁciating Interment Southeast Louisiana Veterans Ceme‐tery, 34888 Grantham Col‐lege Drive, Slidell, LA. Visi‐tation 9 am in the church Please sign online guest‐book at www charbonnetf uneralhome.com Charbon‐net Labat Glapion Direc‐tors (504) 581-4411.

age 87, passed away Wednes‐day March 26, 2025, at her residence with family by her side. She was born April 15, 1937, in Venezuela to Armando and Carmen Noda. Gladys was a de‐voted parishioner of St Ann Catholic Church and a member of the Latin Amer‐ican Women’s Club. She had a fulﬁlling life in caring for her children and grand‐children, traveling other countries as well in the states, but most of all she had a very caring heart for others. Gladys was pre‐ceded in death by her par‐

en, trav countries as well in the states but most of all she had a very caring heart for others. Gladys was pre‐ceded in death by her par‐ents; her first husband Yvar J. Torrealba in 1972; her second husband, Richard “Dick” Johnson; two brothers, Miguel Noda and Armando Noda; and two sisters, Alicia Oropeza and Olga Jimenez. She leaves her cherished mem‐ories to her two sons, Yvar Leonardo Torrealba (Scott Countryman) and Yvar Ar‐mando Torrealba (Patri‐cia); three grandchildren: Yvar M. Torrealba Sofia Torrealba, and Lucia “Lulu” Torrealba; five stepchil‐dren: Rick Johnson, Mike Johnson, Mary Ann Hughes, Billy Johnson, and Shawn Johnson; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and other family members

The family will receive friends 10:00 am - 11:00 am on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Garden of Memo‐ries Funeral Home, 4900 Airline Drive, Metairie, LA 70001. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow the visita‐tion starting at 11:00 am at the funeral home Entomb‐ment will follow the mass at Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery In lieu of ﬂow‐ers, the family wishes for memorial contributions to be made to The National Pancreatic Cancer Founda‐tion at www npcf us Ex‐pressions of love and sym‐pathy may be placed and viewed at www gardeno fmemoriesmetairie com.

Larry Martin passed away on March 21, 2025, at the age of 77. Larry is sur‐vived by his children: Tamara McIntosh, Shani Washington, and Larry Monroe, and grandchil‐dren: Sydney Washington and Hannah McIntosh Also survived by his nieces, nephews a host of other relatives and friends Pre‐ceded in death by his par‐ents Egar Martin, Sr and Blanche Holmes Martin brothers: Albert, Barry, Edgar Jr Herman, and Jerry, sisters: Audrey, Car‐olyn Gloria, Leah, Wilma

Johnson, Gladys M.

Gladys

Johnson,

Martin, Larry

Hines Sr., Ronald

Louisiana legislators need to act on online age verification

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves. My husband and I live on a farm outside of Baton Rouge, where we raise our child and run our farm. Just as I advocated for animals when I was crowned Mrs. Louisiana American 2023, I feel a stronger responsibility, as a mother of a 10-year-old boy, to speak up and protect my son as he enters the online world.

There’s nothing more important to me than ﬁghting for my son’s future, and that starts with making sure Louisiana lawmakers protect our children in every aspect of life — especially online by introducing age veriﬁcation legislation this year

As many tweens do, my son loves to play video games. Unfortunately, we’ve had to deal with strangers trying to contact my son and his friends through these games. This is extremely frustrating because there’s no way for my child or me to truly know if the people trying to connect with him are who they claim to be. As he anticipates joining social media soon, this concern remains at the forefront of my mind

Misrepresenting age online isn’t just a gaming or social media issue — it impacts the entire online ecosystem. I could easily sit back and hope that by the time my son joins social media, the issue of age veriﬁcation will be addressed, but that would be naive. Our children deserve to be protected online, and Louisiana parents need support from our legislators to tackle this concern holistically I urge my representatives to take this issue seriously and to take this important ﬁrst step to ensure the safety of our children and teens online. We must build a strong foundation of safety for the next generation of teens in Louisiana.

JAMI REDMOND

Mrs. Louisiana American 2023

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’s city of residence.The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com.

TO SEND US A LETTER SCAN HERE

A demonstrator holds a poster during a rally to protest President Donald Trump’s policies last month in Los Angeles.

Allies, enemies watch how we treat Ukraine

Ukraine is ﬁghting for its freedom, and the U.S. was helping. But the Trump administration is quitting on them, just like it did to our Kurdish allies in Syria. Does our ﬂag still stand for freedom, or are they taking that away?

Trump claims he is working for peace in Ukraine.

But once Russia’s Putin is appeased there, he next attacks the Baltic countries, where we have Louisiana troops currently stationed in defense. The choice there for the U.S. would be to stand and ﬁght — and die — for freedom, or to quit and run once again.

The irony is that the United States would be safer, stronger and remain at peace if we stand up to bullies like Vladimir Putin, and stand by our allies, as we have done since World War II.

So I ask all our senators and congressional representatives — Cassidy and Kennedy, Scalise, Johnson, Higgins, Letlow, Carter and Fields: Do we still stand strong in defense of freedom, or are we now the “allies” who cowardly slink away? Russia and China await your answer

EDWARD C. BRITTON Baton Rouge

Libraries are oases for learning

Asit dan bibliyotèk laparwas Lès Baton-Rouj-la sî Bluebonnet, mo wa plin moun dédan ki ê lir travayé, é diskité ent yé-minm ê pattajé yê konnésans. In nidé byin intélijen, non? In sèrvis piblik ké piblik sèrvi byin. Dan bibliyotèk-layé trouvé dan nô laparwas, n’a trouvé livyé é DVD-yé en françé, spañol, hindi, vyètnamyin, lalman, shinnwa é plin lòt langaj. Isit, moun kontinnwé aprenn déyò lékòl, trouvé in kominnité ki linm diskité nidé-yé, é chombo yê léspri en bon santé. Lá, m’ê ékri ça isit en kourivini, obin kréyol Lalwizyàn, min çé gras a litérati, konvèsasyon, é kominnité ké mo ka fé ça. Çé in lòt rézon pou protéjé bibliyotèk-yé ki fourni léspas pou édé moun aprenn kishò tou néf o en tradisyon, sèrvi Latwal-la, é minm kolaboré.

Translation: Sitting here in the East Baton Rouge Parish Library on Bluebonnet, I see plenty of people inside reading, working and talking amongst themselves — sharing knowledge. A fresh idea, no? A public service that serves the public well. In the libraries found in our parish, we’ll ﬁnd books and DVDs in French, Spanish, Hindi, Vietnamese, German, Chinese and plenty of other languages. Here, people continue to learn outside of school, ﬁnd a community that loves

Supporters prefer to ignore some facts of Khalil case

Rabbi Katie Bauman and two other authors asserted in a guest column recently that due process rights of Mahmoud Khalil have been violated by and subsequent to his arrest. They are unequivocally incorrect. First, his arrest was not about free speech and was not only about antisemitism. Second, although the good rabbi lists some legal reasons green card holders can be deported, she left out one: deportation predicated upon acts that have a “potentially serious adverse impact on foreign policy and related to national security.”

It is a fact that Khalil handed out flyers supporting Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Considering that the U.S. is presently in negotiations to free one or more Americans held hostage by Hamas, it is not difficult to understand how Khalil’s action could have an adverse impact on foreign policy (thus, Mahmoud’s arrest was not just about free speech and antisemitism). Also, apparently Khalil did not report on his green card application that he worked for two years for UNRWA, an organization that both the U.S. and Israel stated employed thousands of active Hamas members and some directly involved in the Oct. 7 attack. As to her claim that due process was denied to Khalil, he recently had his first court hearing. Another has been scheduled for April. Bauman is correct that the burden is on the government to prove any violation of the terms of his green card. If he fails the court hearing next month, he can appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals and further appeal to the federal circuit courts. Bauman’s claim that Khalil was denied due process is false. Khalil’s arrest and deportation hearings are fully in accord with the rule of law

JOSEPH MOLYNEUX Metairie

to have conversations about ideas, and keep their minds in good health.

I’m translating this from Kouri-Vini, the endangered Creole language of Louisiana, but it’s thanks to literature, conversation and community that I can do that.

It’s another reason to protect libraries that provide space to help people learn something new or that’s part of a tradition, use the internet and even collaborate.

JONATHAN JOSEPH MAYERS Baton Rouge Poet Laureate 2021-2023

Cut postal budget by reducing mail frequency

The U.S. Postal Service is billions of dollars over budget with no relief in sight, and so the question that begs for an answer is, do we need mail delivered to our homes six days a week? If so, why not seven?

It’s estimated that 81% of residential mail is considered junk mail. I receive brochures weekly advertising for hearing aids, bank loans, political causes and many more. Once a month, I receive a brochure from a local funeral parlor offering a 5% discount on cremations with a ten-day expiration date. What if we received this valuable mail every other day and not daily? DOGE might want to consider this cost-saving alternative. It’s luxury versus need when the American taxpayers are footing the bill. Agree?

JIM CARRUTH Baton Rouge

Variety of viewpoints represented, but Trump supporters unsatisfi

With so many media outlets and the richest man on the planet having the biggest platform, conservatives still whine about not being treated fairly in the media. President Donald Trump calls the media “the enemy of the people.” He has gone as far as to suggest some members should be prosecuted.

Two letters in your opinion page recently stand out. Patrick Grossie, of Lafayette, wrote on March 19 that conservative views weren’t adequately represented on your pages. I would like to know what Grossie considers conservative viewpoints. Are they the views of a man many of us admire named Ronald Reagan or is it just the viewpoint of President Donald Trump? Reagan, a man of integrity, was always respectful even to those with whom he disagreed. Trump conﬂates conservatism with attacking freedom of the press, blaming a lot of our problems on people of color, disrespect for the Constitution and ignoring the rule of law if it doesn’t coincide with his worldview

Your paper is very even-handed and has been very fair All Grossie has to do is look at another letter written by John K. Roberts of Gretna. Roberts heaps praise on Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley I ﬁnd it hard to take Brumley seriously when next year’s students will have to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Let’s not forget this is the same man who allows schools to use Praeger University videos, which say that slavery wasn’t so bad if you put it in the context of the times in the 18th and 19th centuries.

CHARLES V. DUNCAN Lafayette

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Several reading areas were created in the South Branch Library in Baton Rouge.

COMMENTARY

ROLE REVERSAL

Wow! We received 822 tasty entries in this week’s Cartoon Caption Contest.We had several zany ideas, from Miracle-Gro to separation anxiety Our winner came up with the perfect short, funny excuse to help this poor guy out of his crazy situation. Creative stuff, folks! As always, when we have duplicate entries, and we always do, we pick the earliest sent in Great job! — Walt

LAUREN GAUTHIER, KENNER: “I shouldn’t have left the energy drinks next to the seafood in the fridge.”

JIM WILLIAMSON, MANDEVILLE: This is the best stretch ever! Can you do my neck next?”

MORGAN J. LANDRY, PIERRE PART: “Pinch me.This has got to be a nightmare!”

EILEEN MENARD MARTIN, LAFAYETTE: “Who knew crawfish needed anger management classes?”

JOHN BARRERA, CONCORD, N.C.: “This is what they call March Madness in Louisiana!!”

JASON BONE, NEW ORLEANS: “The man you’re looking for is Tony Chachere!”

ASHTON PHELPS JR., NEW ORLEANS: “There’s a boil water advisory right now!”

DARREN TROSCLAIR, LAPLACE: “I swear I didn’t put the pineapple in there!”

RALPH STEPHENS, BATON ROUGE: “I’m a vegetarian!!! I’m just here for the corn, potatoes and beer!!!”

JAY HIGH, BATON ROUGE: “Wait! Don’t do it! I begged them to have fried catfish! you gotta believe me!”

ARTHUR WELLER, SLIDELL: “I said I wanted 200 pounds of crawfish, not ONE 200-pound crawfish!”

GARILYN NORTH, METAIRIE: “Did I mention I’m allergic to shellfish?”

BOB USSERY, NEW ORLEANS: “you say I’m going to soak in a nice hot bath?”

DAVID DELGADO, NEW ORLEANS: “My wife doesn’t think I have any taste!”

WENDY KING, NEW ORLEANS: “Wow! Talk about claws and effect!”

KENNETH HOFFMAN, NEW ORLEANS: “Help me, Franz Kafka, you’re my only hope!”

MARY H.THOMPSON, GREENSBORO, GA: “yes, I’m definitely feeling purged now Thank you for asking.”

MARK MARLEY, NEW ORLEANS: “What kind of mushrooms were in the crawfish boil?!?!!”

PAMELA WOOTTEN, NEW ORLEANS: “About ‘sucking the heads’ pure urban legend!”

CHARLES MARSHALL, METAIRIE:

“I knew I shouldn’t have put the Miracle-Gro on the same shelf with the Zatarain’s!”

BRYAN RUIZ (GRADE 4, PHILLIS

WHEATLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL), NEW ORLEANS: “I did not expect this, for my first time trying crawfish!”

JEFF HARTZHEIM, FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C.: “If you squeeze my tail, I’m going to H.R.!”

ANN WILLS, NEW ORLEANS: “They’re running kind of big this season!”

RORY STEEN, DENVER, COLO.: “If you can wait a few minutes, the next batch will be spicier.”

JIMMIE PAPIA, METAIRIE: “you must have come from the swamp by the nuclear power plant.

FLOYD HODOH,AKRON, OHIO: “Have you tasted the corn?”

MICHAEL GOODMAN, MANDEVILLE: “I swear, I’m just a shrimp and crab guy!”

DON RANDON, GRETNA: “I’m experiencing severe separation anxiety!”

RICHARD MILLER, BATON ROUGE: “Well this sucks.”

A stronger grid is imperative for La.

From the power that lights our homes to the infrastructure that supports our communities, a reliable energy grid is essential to the security and economy of Louisiana and the nation.

Last year’s record-setting hurricanes exposed just how vulnerable our state’s power grid is, leaving families in the dark and threatening both local recovery and national security America should be an energy powerhouse, leading the world in innovation and reliability, but that won’t happen if Louisiana and the MISO South region are left behind.

This month, electric grid leaders at MISO the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the entity that manages the grid across 15 states, including Louisiana — met to discuss the future of our energy infrastructure.

Advocates from across the MISO South region spoke out, highlighting a critical disparity: while MISO has developed a robust transmission enhancement plan for its northern region — ensuring reliable, affordable power for communities now and in the future MISO South still lacks a plan, investment and a clear strategy to support its communities and protect military installations.

As a veteran who served at Fort Johnson with the 5th Infantry Division, I saw ﬁrsthand how critical a reliable power grid is to military operations. Louisiana is home to key installations like Barksdale Air Force Base and the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, both of which play vital roles in our nation’s defense.

But our military readiness is directly tied to the reliability and strength of our civilian grid — and right now, that grid is falling short. Natural disasters, cyberattacks and supply chain disruptions expose our state and our national security to serious risk

While current Department of Defense regulations require a minimum 14-day backup energy supply for critical military missions, many installations struggle to meet this resilience standard, potentially crippling communication, delaying emergency response efforts and endangering lives.

Today, nearly 99% of U.S. military installations depend on the civilian power grid for their electricity, meaning that when the grid goes down, our military’s ability to execute critical missions goes down with it. But the lack of modern transmission infrastructure doesn’t just hurt national

security, it also drives up costs for Louisiana families and businesses. Without strong regional transmission infrastructure, prices spike and energyintensive industries are left with no reliable path to grow or invest. For a state like Louisiana, where manufacturing, data centers and energy innovation offer enormous economic potential, failing to upgrade our grid means leaving jobs and prosperity on the table.

MISO must commit to developing a Long Range Transmission Plan for MISO South, the same way it did for MISO North. No more delays, no more excuses

Our Public Service Commission and Gov Jeff Landry must demand action to protect Louisiana’s economy, military installations and communities. Energy dominance isn’t just about production, it’s about building the infrastructure to move power where it’s needed, when it’s needed. Modernizing our transmission grid is the fastest, most effective way to strengthen our economy, lower costs and protect our national security Louisiana cannot afford to be left behind by MISO any longer The time to act is now John Szoka is the CEO of the Conservative Energy Network.

Why do Louisiana U.S. Reps. Steve Scalise and Mike Johnson, two of the most powerful members of Congress, think your children should have a better chance of getting cancer, leukemia, suffering brain dysfunction and terrible lung diseases? And why are they joined in this decision by their Louisiana colleagues in the House, Clay Higgins, Mike Johnson and Julia Letlow, as well as U.S. Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy?

Oh, and why do they also want your children and future Louisiana generations to continue to live in the country’s most polluted state with the third worst release of industrial toxins and associated health impacts — all of which help result in the fourth lowest life expectancy in the nation?

I ask this because why else would they have remained silent when President Donald Trump cheered a promised rollback of 31 regulations protecting families from these terrible outcomes — all so fossil fuel producers could make a little extra money?

This isn’t hyperbole from environmental extremists out to kill industry These warnings are coming from leading medical authorities, including the American Lung Association. Labeling Trump’s plan a “tragedy for health,” the lung association called the changes what they were, “a historic handout to polluters at the direct expense of the health of families across America.”

The group made the obvious point that the rollbacks violate the EPA’s legal mandate to “protect the environment and human health.” Well, Trump disagrees.

His EPA director Lee Zeldin, wants to change that congressionally mandated mission to “relieve the economy of unnecessary bureaucratic burdens that drive up costs for American consumers. to lower the cost of buying a car heating a home and running a business to rollback trillions in regulatory costs killing the energy industry.”

Of course, that is nonsense. When those Biden-era regulations were in effect, the United States began producing more oil and gas than any nation in history and is now the world’s leading exporter of gasoline.

Here are some of the most egregious actions Zeldin and Trump are so proud of.

n Rolling back of almost all regulations opposed by the petrochemical industries. These include spending money to reduce emissions of benzene, toluene, xylene and hexene, all known carcinogens; sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, linked to respiratory problems like asthma; and heavy metals like mercury, nickel and cadmium, which can cause neurological and developmental problems as well as cancer

n Reducing or killing the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards on coal-powered plants. Mercury, a known neurotoxin, is one of the most dangerous pollutants, with even small amounts linked to serious health problems in the nervous, digestive and immune systems, and on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes and development of children in utero.

n Closing the EPA Ofﬁce of Research and Development, which studies environmental hazards, so you won’t know just how bad things are, and what new threats are being caused by the polluters.

n Eliminating the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which used science and measurements to prove carbon dioxide was a pollutant causing serious health impacts, and was key to justifying regulations reducing emissions, driving climate change.

n Rolling back the Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for American energy and manufacturing sectors, both of which help reduce premature death, heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function and increased respiratory symptoms like coughing and difﬁculty breathing. In every announcement about these dangerous changes, the EPA website has shouted about savings for polluting industries and the possibility of reduced costs for consumers. It never once mentions the expected increase in your medical costs or the extra suffering and likely shorter life spans for your children.

If you live in Louisiana, you might want to ask your representatives in Congress why they think it’s a good idea for your kids to have better chances of painful, life-shortening diseases — just to increase proﬁts for wealthy industries.

Why else would they support these changes?

Bob Marshall, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Louisiana environmental journalist, can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com, and followed on Twitter @BMarshallEnviro.

WINNER: Laura Lawrason, New Orleans

Bob Marshall

John Szoka GUEST COLUMNIST

New Orleans Forecast

ing,” Svenson said “Where there was once just a table, now there was a ‘reserved’ sign, a candle and dinnerware.”

dining experience.

As cocktail hour approached, Svenson returned to the deconstruction site and placed a small, portable table and three chairs in the more-or-less horizontal dirt in the middle of the roadwork with pals Steve Adams and Mike Gollner At Gollner’s suggestion, the trio ordered Negronis — a bracingly bitter cocktail perfectly beﬁtting the milieu — from the bar at Patois.

Corr delivered the cocktails, plus a white tablecloth and flowers, adding to the juxtaposition of elegance and annihilation. As the friends sipped, passersby paused to gawk, exchange witticisms relating to the condition of the Crescent City’s streets, and click cellphone photos.

Soon, Ryan Carr, the manager of Patois, arrived to inspect the scene, proposing appetizers, which were delivered to the shattered site.

“I ended up serving these people,” Carr said. “It was set up just as a joke, but it ended up being a full dining experience.”

Things “were snowball-

The trio, Carr said, ordered fried oysters in spicy Buffalo wing sauce, deviled eggs, duck confit salad and two bottles of a tart Spanish wine.

Dog walker Susan Langenhennig said as she beheld the surrealistic scene in the twilight, an especially delightful incident unfolded. A formally attired waiter from nearby Clancy’s restaurant had made his way down the street to see what the hubbub was all about.

Sizing up the situation, the waiter stepped into the rubble, withdrew his table scraper from his pocket and expertly swept the crumbs from the tablecloth while standing amid the crushed concrete.

One of the keys to life in New Orleans, Svenson said, is this: “If there’s something that’s screwed up, let’s make fun of it.”

The impromptu street theater seemed to delight all onlookers, Svenson said.

Sometime during the evening, he said, an elderly woman stopped to say, “This is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen.” What made the tongue-

in-cheek satire all the more acute to residents of the neighborhood is that the new unsightly traffic impediment shares the intersection of Laurel and Webster streets with a pothole that is so persistent it’s become legendary “They’ve been working on that intersection for years,” Corr said. “It’s a sinkhole.” Over time, neighbors — including Corr’s mom and Svenson have planted a ﬂower bed in the old, chronic pothole. They have erected seasonal displays, including Easter decorations and a Christmas tree. They even gathered to sing Christmas carols around it. A photo of the pothole has appeared in The New York Times, and it has been the subject of an illustration in a children’s book.

Svenson said that on Wednesday, as workmen were digging up the street, he asked if their new project had anything to do with ﬁnally ﬁxing the old pothole. But, he said, he received no reply Carr said he’s dubbed the new landmark “Rubble without a clue.” Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate. com.

PROVIDED PHOTO By SUSAN LANGENHENNIG

Patois restaurant manger Ryan Carr serves an appropriately tart Priorat wine on Wednesday as Ernie Svenson, Mike Gollner and Stephen Adams satirize the

at the corner of Laurel and Webster streets.

Alvarado, Brooks lift Pels past Hornets

Borrego leads New Orleans in coach Green’s absence

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

James Borrego knows better than most just how tough this season has been for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Borrego, the Pelicans’ associate head coach, has sat in the chair beside Willie Green through what has been an injury plagued season ﬁlled with disappointment.

On Sunday, Borrego was in charge in place of Green, who missed the game for personal reasons.

The Pelicans prevailed 98-94 over the Charlotte Hornets at Smoothie King Center in a game between two of the worst teams in the NBA.

Jose Alvarado made sure the Pels left with a win. After Charlotte’s Nick Smith buried a 3-pointer with 39.5 seconds left to give the Hornets a 94-93 lead, Alvarado answered with a reverse layup and got fouled on the play He knocked down the free throw to put the Pels up 96-94 with 31.4 seconds remaining. Then, after a Charlotte turnover, Alvarado drove to the basket and dished out an assist to Keion Brooks to seal it “He’s a winner,” Borrego said. “ He loves being in those moments.” Brooks led the Pelicans with a career-high 17 points and Antonio Reeves ﬁnished with 16.

“The young guys got it done tonight,” Borrego said. “Keion had a heckuva game.”

The Pelicans (21-54) avenged their 12392 loss to the Hornets (18-56) in late January. That loss two months ago in Charlotte was one of six 30-point losses the Pels have suffered in what has been a trying season. Borrego coached a team Sunday that was missing Zion Williamson (low back contu-

ä See PELICANS, page 2C

SPORTS

NC AA T OU RN AM EN T

EIGHT • UCLA 72, LSU 65

LSU ends second straight season one step shy of Final Four

OUT OF REACH

Sunday

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

SPOKANE, Wash. — Her hands were on her hips. Her nose was sore and bloody After Aneesah Morrow committed her fifth foul, the look of realization crossed her face. Her season and her collegiate career was over On Sunday, the LSU women’s basketball team nearly snuck into the Final Four But No. 1 seed UCLA protected a 14-point third quarter lead, held off the No. 3 seeded Tigers and picked up a 72-65 win in the Elite Eight, advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s national semifinal round for the first time in its history Morrow nearly inspired a miraculous comeback. Some late third-quarter pushing and shoving in the paint gave her a bloody nose. All she needed was a quick trip to the locker room to patch it up and return to the game. She wasn’t going to go out like that. LSU, though, needed something more to stay alive.

LSU scores 8 in ﬁrst inning to

Tigers’ bats light up late into the night to earn SEC win

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

As the hours ticked by and the rain continued to fall, LSU’s bats were ready to pounce on Saturday night at Alex Box Stadium. But they really had to wait. Nearly four hours passed before freshman Derek Curiel stepped into the box to start the bottom of the ﬁrst inning. But he and junior Jared Jones wasted no time getting LSU’s offense rolling. Curiel singled up the middle before Jones blasted a ball nearly halfway up the batter’s eye in center ﬁeld for a two-run home run that traveled 440 feet.

“That’s one of the most impressive swings I’ve ever seen,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “And (we) just kept going after that.”

“I’m tough,” Morrow said, “and I’m going to go out there and compete with my teammates. I’m going to try to do everything that I can.”

UCLA created open 3-pointers and drained most of them, building a second-half lead that was too large for the Tigers to erase. By the end of the game, UCLA had converted just 38% of its total ﬁeld-goal attempts but shot an efﬁcient 10-of-24 from beyond the arc.

LSU made a late push. Flau’jae Johnson’s scooping layup trimmed UCLA’s lead down to 65-62 at the 3:24 mark of the fourth quarter

But the Tigers ultimately committed too many turnovers (15) and missed too many shots (10 in the fourth quarter) to steal a win.

Johnson scored 24 of her 28 points in the second half. Morrow ﬁnished with 15 and 7 rebounds, and Mikaylah Williams added a total of 10 points. No other Tiger scored more than four

sweep Mississippi St.

By the end of the inning, LSU scored eight runs on eight hits to take an 8-0 lead, catapulting the Tigers to a 17-8 victory and a series sweep over Mississippi State.

The high-scoring affair turned the night into a marathon for everyone at the park. Following a three-hour and 36-minute rain delay, Saturday’s game began at 9:36 p.m. and lasted four hours and eight minutes. It didn’t end until 1:44 a.m. on Sunday morning. “This is crazy,” redshirt sophomore right-hander Jaden Noot said. “I’ve never played this late (before).”

Four Tigers had three hits, including junior nine-hole hitter Chris Stanﬁeld.

“On home games, I’d say close to right before (the game starts), we throw (batting practice) to a lot of them quickly, like ﬁrm (and at) game speed,” Johnson said “And there was more of them down there because we had the three hour delay tonight.

This is crazy, I’ve never played this late (before).”

JADEN NOOT, LSU pitcher

The top three hitters in LSU’s lineup — Curiel, Jones and junior Daniel Dickinson — were a combined 8-for-13 at the plate. Jones, Dickinson, sophomore Steven Milam, senior Luis Hernandez and junior Ethan Frey each drove in multiple runs.

“And we had one thing we wanted to be a little better (at) than yesterday, and you had to because they do have good arms. And we were right (on top of it) from the ﬁrst pitch of the game in terms of just ready to go and pouncing on mistakes.”

After the massive ﬁrst inning, LSU got a run-scoring single from sophomore Jake Brown in the second and a two-run double

ä See SWEEP, page 3C

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JENNy KANE

UCLA forward Janiah Barker shoots as LSU guard Mikaylah Williams defends during the first half of their Elite Eight game on

in Spokane, Wash. Williams had a total 10 points in Sunday’s loss.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU left fielder Derek Curiel yells towards the bench while heading to first in the first inning against Mississippi State on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado scores a layup and is fouled by the Charlotte Hornets during the second half of their game Sunday at the Smoothie King Center

Liberty re-sign two-time

WNBA MVP Stewart

NEW YORK Breanna Stewart resigned with the New York Liberty on Saturday the team announced.

The move wasn’t a surprise after she helped lead the franchise to its ﬁrst WNBA championship last year

Stewart has won three league titles, the ﬁrst two coming with Seattle. She earned WNBA MVP honors twice and was Finals MVP twice.

Lee wins ﬁrst PGA Tour title

The Associated Press HOUSTON Min Woo Lee kept his calm amid tremendous charges by Scottie Scheffler and Gary Woodland, winning the Houston Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title with the best lag of his life that set up a final par for a oneshot victory Lee bent over and repeatedly clutched his fists when his 55foot putt settled inches from the cup on the 18th hole, leaving him a tap-in par for a 3-under 67. He finished at 20-under 260, breaking the tournament record by four shots.

“It’s hard — it’s really hard,” Lee said. “Obviously, Scottie is a wonderful golfer and he keeps you on your toes. The ﬁrst time being in front, I’m glad I got it done. I’m very exhausted. It was a lot of mental grind. I’m so proud of how I handled myself.” Every shot mattered after Lee made one bad swing to make what looked like a Sunday stroll turn very stressful. He led by ﬁve shots on the back nine until Woodland, who played his last four

PELICANS

Continued from page 1C

sion), CJ McCollum (foot contusion) and Jordan Hawkins (back spasms). As a result, the Pelicans used their 42nd different starting lineup.

“I’m not sure I’ve been a part of a season like this before,” Borrego said. “In totality, I have not seen this. You go through stretches in a season where you’re injured. Every team does. But to see it start to ﬁnish, I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s a great opportunity for our young guys.” Borrego, in his second season on the Pelicans’ staff, has been in this role before. He spent four seasons as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets prior to coming to New Orleans.

“I’m fortunate to have had a little run at this, so it kinda kicks you back into that mode again,” Borrego said. “It’s good to have a little test run again and get out

holes in 4-under par to tie the Memorial Park course record with a 62, made his charge.

Schefﬂer, in his ﬁnal start before defending his Masters title, ran off four straight birdies to get within one shot until his 7-iron on the 18th hole came up some 25 yards short of the pin. He chipped to a few feet for par and a 63.

Lee was still in control until he sliced his tee shot on the par-5 16th into the water, having to hit his third from the tee and doing well to two-putt from 40 feet for bogey That ended 41 consecutive holes without a bogey, and dropped his lead to one shot with two to play

Lee missed well to the left on the 18th not an issue because Memorial Park has minimal rough — and his approach went just over the back of the green. He chose to putt instead of chip, and it worked out to near perfection.

Woodland was on the range, watching on his phone. It was his best ﬁnish since he had brain surgery to remove a tumor in September 2023. This is ﬁnal year of

his exemption from winning the 2019 U.S Open at Pebble Beach, and the runner-up ﬁnish will serve him well.

Schefﬂer was in the scoring area watching Lee clinch the victory He looked over at his caddie and laughed. He closed with a 63 and couldn’t have done much more.

“Just trying to put as much pressure on Min Woo as I could have,” Schefﬂer said. “I was hoping to be able to do that on the front nine. I wasn’t able to get off to a good enough start. And he played some really good golf. I think he made one mistake on 16, but I think he did some really good stuff out there and he just went out and beat us this week.”

The 26-year-old Lee, whose older sister Minjee Lee is a major champion on the LPGA Tour, had won three times on the European tour and once on the Asian Tour He became the ﬁfth player this year to win for the ﬁrst time on the PGA Tour

Sami Valimaki of Finland also tied the tournament record of 62 and ﬁnished fourth.

Rory McIlroy shot 64, with bo-

there with the fellas.”

It’s also good that it came against his former team.

“It’s a whole new regime

(there),” Borrego said before the game. “Just thankful. I had a great time in Charlotte, four great years. I learned a lot, grew

“Bringing Stewie back to the Liberty was our top priority this offseason,” New York GM Jonathan Kolb said. “Her impact on and off the court is immeasurable she’s not only one of the best and most accomplished players in the world, but a leader whose relentless drive is foundational to the standard we continue to build upon in New York.”

New Mexico taps Olen as next basketball coach

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico hired UC San Diego’s Eric Olen on Sunday as its next basketball coach. Olen will replace Richard Pitino, who left to become Xavier’s coach on Tuesday “Eric is a proven winner with an incredible track record,” New Mexico athletic director Fernando Lovo said in a statement. “Beyond the accolades and success on the court, he is a values-driven leader who puts student-athletes first.” Olen spent 21 years at San Diego, the last 12 as head coach, and guided the Tritons through their transition from Division II to Division I. San Diego qualified for the NCAA Tournament this season in its first year of eligibility after winning the Big West Conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Tritons lost to Michigan 68-65 in the first round.

Malinin glides to second figure skating worlds title

BOSTON Ilia Malinin walked toward the ice for his free skate at the world championships with the swagger of a conquering hero.

Then he backed up the bravado.

geys at the start and finish of his final round before the Masters. He tied for fifth and was headed home to get the final touches on his game before going to Augusta National to try to complete the career Grand Slam.

The other battle on the course was between Michael Kim and Ben Grifﬁn, both trying to move inside the top 50 in the world ranking and earn a spot in the Masters.

Kim made a 6-foot par putt on his last hole for a 69 to tie for 32nd, allowing him to move to No. 50 by the slimmest or margins over Griffin. The difference in their two-year average points was 0.2. Lee already was in the Masters from being in the top 50 at the end of last year Now he has a PGA Tour title, setting him up for the rest of the $20 million signature events this year “Everyone out here knows how talented the kid is. He’s an absolute stud,” Woodland said. “We all know once you break through for him sky’s the limit so really happy for him. For me, it was great just to get those juices flowing again, just to see some results.”

a lot. It’s good to see those guys. I wish Melo (Ball) was playing. I’d love to see him out there and competing against him. It’s a little strange that you’re going against your former team like that, but I’m looking forward to it.”

The Pelicans shot just 2 of 13 on 3-pointers in the ﬁrst half and trailed 52-43.

“First half, we had good looks and they didn’t fall for us,” Borrego said. “But a big third quarter for us. We found some rhythm.” Reeves heated up in the third quarter, nailing three consecutive 3-pointers to get the Pelicans going on their way to a 74-73 lead heading into the fourth quarter

“For a young team to close like that, I’m proud of them,” Borrego said.

Borrego improved to 2-0 as Green’s replacement. In the 2023’24 season, Borrego led the Pels to a 131-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Up next for the Pelicans is a two-game road trip to Los Angeles to play the Clippers Wednesday and the Lakers Friday

The 20-year-old from Fairfax, Virginia, laid down another highﬂying, high-energy program while defending his title Saturday night, earning a standing ovation inside TD Garden and capping a memorable home championships for the Americans, who won three gold medals in the four ﬁgure skating disciplines to take a wave of momentum into an Olympic year Malinin finished with a seasonbest 318.56 points after his free skate, set to “I’m Not a Vampire” by Falling In Reverse, to win his second gold medal by more than 31 points.

Former LIV golfer wins Hero Indian Open

NEW DELHI Former LIV Golf player Eugenio Chacarra overcame a slow start to win the Hero Indian Open for his first European tour title on Sunday Chacarra shot a 1-under 71 in the final round to finish at 4 under and clinch the victory in his ninth tournament on the European tour The Spaniard ended up two shots ahead of Japanese Keita Nakajima, who shot an even-par 72 in the final round. Chacharra, who was playing on a tournament invitation, won in his fifth LIV start but was left off the Fireballs roster for the 2025 season by fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia.

“I’m very grateful for that opportunity,” he said, thanking organizers for the invitation. “You guys probably changed my life from today so thanks for that.”

Jets GM Mougey says Fields is starting QB PALM BEACH,Fla.— Justin Fields is the New York Jets’ QB1 right now — and they hope for the foreseeable future. While speaking to reporters Sunday at the NFL’s league meetings, new general manager Darren Mougey left no doubt as to who’s atop the Jets’ depth chart.

“We believe Justin is the starter,” Mougey said “We believe in Justin. We believe we can win with Justin, so we’re excited about Justin.”

The Jets signed Fields to a twoyear, $40 million contract including $30 million in guarantees — on March 10. The 26-year-old quarterback is making starter-type money, so Mougey’s declaration wasn’t a major surprise. But it at least cements his status at the moment ahead of veteran Tyrod Taylor — who Mougey said would be “right on his heels”

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Pelicans center yves Missi shoots through the Charlotte Hornets defense during the first half of their game on Sunday at the Smoothie King Center

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS

Min Woo Lee, of Australia, reacts after a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Houston Open golf tournament on Sunday in Houston.

vu: Tulane swept at South Florida

Green Wave facing same scenario as last year

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

The only positive from the Tulane baseball team’s sweep at the hands of South Florida this weekend is the knowledge it has been there before and recovered

Last year, Texas-San Antonio won three straight at Turchin Stadium in the second week of American Athletic Conference play, dropping the Wave to 2-4. Tulane went 13-8 the rest of the way, then won the league tournament for the second straight season.

The Wave (17-12, 2-4) is in the same position this year after losing 10-3 to the Bulls (16-9, 5-1) on Sunday in a game moved up two hours to 10 a.m. because of approaching weather in Tampa, Florida. After Tulane took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, South Florida tagged six pitchers for two runs in the third, three in the fourth and four in the fifth while sweeping the Wave for the first time since 1993.

“We got swept last year in the same exact deal and we still have a lot of baseball, but you can’t just say, hey, we have a lot of baseball,” Tulane coach Jay Uhlman said “You have to do something about it.”

by Matthias Haas and Tanner Chun in a three-hit first inning, managed only three more until backup freshman catcher William Good’s solo homer over the left field wall with two outs in the ninth. The shot, which came after he made a nice catch of a foul ball while leaning over a railing in the eighth, was his first hit in 14 at-bats this season. Signs of trouble were apparent before the series started. Since scoring 10 or more runs in six of its first eight games, Tulane had gotten 10 or more hits only four times in its next 17, scoring a total of 20 runs in five road contests. After ranking 68th out 305 Division I teams in fewest walks per nine innings a year ago, the Wave had slipped to a tie for 126th in the same category Issuing 24 free passes in its AAC-opening series against Wichita State. Both deficiencies contributed to uncompetitive losses in the first and third games against South Florida. Bulls ace Corey Braun tossed a two-hitter on Friday in a 3-0 shutout. Wave pitchers walked eight on Sunday, with seven occurring from the third through the fifth

Tulane starter Carter Benbrook retired the ﬁrst six batters before allowing three consecutive batters to reach base in the third as the ﬁrst run scored. Wes Burton replaced him and walked in the tying run.

After Burton issued a third walk — all on full counts — to start the fourth, freshman Julius EjikeCharles entered and gave up an RBI double and a two-run homer

Moore, a ﬁrst-team All-AAC preseason pick coming off a banner year, has a 6.57 ERA while allowing 28 base-runners (hits, walks, hit batters) in 12 1/3 innings.

“We need him to get it turned around,” Uhlman said. “It’s a confidence issue. Sometimes when you have expectations, those things are heavy at times. He kind

The game got out of hand in the ﬁfth, when Gavin Smith loaded the bases with two outs before former closer Jacob Moore surrendered a bases-clearing double and then another double.

LSU drops series to S. Carolina

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

LSU’s softball series against South Carolina started with a dominant blowout but fizzled out into a doubleheader sweep by the No. 10 Gamecocks Sunday at Tiger Park. The No. 3 Tigers blew a seventh-inning lead in a 5-3 first-game loss in eight innings, and watched the visitors take an early lead in the second and beat them 4-1. In Friday’s opener LSU (31-3, 6-3 in SEC) waxed the Gamecocks 11-3 in a five-inning mercy rule win. Sunday was a different story as LSU struggled to finish one game and score in either “We just didn’t have it today, LSU coach Beth Torina said. “We came out flat and didn’t have it at all at any point in this day.”

The Tigers out hit South Carolina 7-6 in the first game and had six against winning pitcher Jori Heard (11-2) in the second, but she scattered them through six innings. Heard had allowed four runs in 12/3 innings of relief in the series opener. On Sunday, she struck out ﬁve, walked two and got a big double play to snuff out an LSU threat.

First-game winner Sam Gress pitched the ﬁnal inning and LSU got the tying run to the plate with two out in the seventh when Danieca Coffey struck out looking to end the game.

LSU starter Jayden Heavener (6-2) struck out 10, but three first-inning walks plus a hit batter gave South Carolina the lead The Gamecocks got another in the second when a wild pitch set up a run-scoring single by Quincee Lilio. Lexi Winters hit a run-scoring single in the fifth and pinch hitter Mya Flindt hit a solo homer in the sixth to widen the lead to 4-1. Heavener walked five, hit one batter and threw two wild pitches. All five hits figured in Gamecock scoring.

“I wish we would have had a little bit better start, set a little better tone from the beginning especially after coming off of a loss. I wish we had come out sharper in the ﬁrst inning. Overall, I thought she pitched well enough to win.” LSU got a run in the second on a walk to Tori Edwards, a single by McKenzie Redoutey and a grounder by Savanna Bedell. Another rally was cut short when Maci Bergeron lined

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU right fielder McKenzie Redoutey talks with head coach

Beth Torina in the fifth inning of a game against Charlotte on Feb 7 at Tiger

“I wish we would have had a little bit better start, set a little better tone from the beginning especially after coming off of a loss. I wish we had come out sharper in the first inning. Overall, I thought she pitched well enough to win.”

JAyDEN HEAVENER, LSU pitcher

into a pitcher-to-second double play with two runners on in the third. In the ﬁrst game, pitcher Sydney Berzon (14-2) entered the seventh inning with a one-hitter and a 2-1 lead. But she gave up backto-back doubles to Lilio and Karley Shelton to tie the game and a base hit by Ella Chancey to give the visitors a 3-2 lead.

The Tigers came back in the bottom half to tie it on Coffey’s sacrifice fly but stranded the potential winning run at second when Jalia Lassiter popped out to shortstop.

In the eighth, Berzon unraveled, giving up two hits, a walk, and hitting two batters to produce two runs. LSU got a one-out double in the bottom half from Edwards but Gamecock starter Gress got fly ball outs from Redoutey and Jadyn Laneaux to end the game. Gress (8-3) walked three and struck out seven. The loss marred a big game for sophomore designated player Bedell, making

her third career start She entered the game with three career hits but doubled that with two singles and her first career home run, a solo shot to give LSU a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Her other hits also figured in the other two runs scored.

“It felt great. On Friday I was close to one and felt like it was coming soon,” Bedell said. “I was working on being on time. I’m really happy about it and my teammates were too.”

The Tigers were uncharacteristically sloppy with their first four-error game in the opener Shortstop Avery Hodge and Coffey miscues in the first gift-wrapped a run, Daniel booted one in the third and another by Coffey in the fourth. Berzon pitched around that trouble and finished with four strikeouts, four walks and six hits allowed, five in the final two innings.

The Tigers are back in action on Tuesday against McNeese at 6 p.m. (ESPN+) in Lake Charles.

of came out of nowhere last year

He’s like a lot of our guys right now, including myself We have to look in the mirror at what can we do differently and how are we going to ﬁx us and do it together I told them there are going to be a lot of naysayers out there that are telling you that you are not good enough, but this is the same team that was 17-7.”

Tulane, which had two doubles

Park

TCU, Texas ready for Elite Eight showdown

BY ALANIS THAMES AP sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A little over

a year ago, coach Mark Campbell’s TCU women had to forfeit a pair of games and hold open tryouts on campus because they didn’t have enough healthy players. The Horned Frogs added four walk-ons. They had an awful stretch in which they lost 11 of 12 games. Two of those losses were to Vic Schaefer’s Texas Longhorns, who TCU will meet Monday in the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Building his program from what he’s described as “Under Frogs” to a team competing for a chance in the Final Four wasn’t always fun Campbell said, but when he looks back, it was those early trials that got TCU this far.

“I think last year laid a foundation of toughness and resilience and fight for our program,” Campbell said, “that’s carried over now that we added the talent level that we have to the foundation from last year That combination is why we’re 34-3, we’re in the Elite Eight.”

Neither game was particularly close the last time TCU faced its former Big 12 foe. Texas forward Madison Booker, then a freshman, had 21 points when the Longhorns beat TCU 72-60 at home in January 2024, two games before TCU had to forfeit matchups against Kansas State and Iowa State. Texas blew out the Horned Frogs 65-43 on TCU’s home court a month later

Since then, TCU added Hailey Van Lith, the standout point guard who has led the program to its best season ever She scored 26 against Notre Dame in the Sweet 16 to send TCU to its ﬁrst Elite Eight.

Now her eye is on getting her team to Tampa, Florida, the site of the women’s Final Four

“We have a huge game to win,” Van Lith said “Super excited to get to compete on that stage against two Texas schools.

You deﬁnitely know what you’re ﬁghting for, and I feel something in my heart for these girls. Like I said last game, I’m going to go out there and play as hard as I can. I’m going to give everything I have If I have to dive on every ball, I will do it if it will give us an extra possession.

That’s my mentality and I’m really hoping to advance.”

Monday’s game in part reﬂects a shift in Big 12 basketball, said TCU center Sedona Prince, as Texas and Baylor have long been the powerhouses of the conference.

TCU hasn’t played Texas since the Longhorns moved to the Southeastern Conference this season, but the Horned Frogs beat Baylor three times — twice in the regular season and again in the conference tournament for their ﬁrst Big 12 Tournament title.

NCAA TOURNAMENT

TICKET TO TAMPA

South Carolina beats Duke, returns to Final Four

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Dawn Staley took a victory lap around the court, giving high-ﬁves to fans and South Carolina’s band and even autographing the rear end of a baby’s pants. The Gamecocks’ coach has her team back in a familiar place the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament. This time, South Carolina had to grind out a close game to get there.

Chloe Kitts scored 14 points and the defending champion Gamecocks reached the national semiﬁnals for a ﬁfth straight year beating Duke 54-50 on Sunday “It is not going to look pretty It’s not There’s stretches in each game that does not look pretty,” Staley said. “Some of it’s not going to look as smoothly as us coaches and players envision. How we practice. But you certainly have to get down and play the kind of game that’s presented in front of you. We’ll do that. If we’re not scoring a lot of points, we’ll up our defense.”

South Carolina did just that.

Now, Staley’s top-seeded Gamecocks are two wins away from becoming the first team to repeat as champions since UConn won four straight from 2013-16. South Carolina will play the winner of the Texas-TCU game that takes place Monday night. The Final Four is Friday night in Tampa, Florida. Second-seeded Duke was looking to get to its first national semifinals since 2006. That team lost in overtime to Maryland in the title game. The Blue Devils women were also looking to join the men’s program in the Final Four South Carolina (34-3) was stymied for most of the game by Duke’s stingy defense. The Gamecocks came in averaging 80.5 points, but points were difficult to come by Sunday “I thought they forced us into taking some bad shots that almost ended our season, really especially in the first half,” Staley said. The game was tied at 46-all when Sania Feagin, who finished with 12 points, hit a jumper to put the Gamecocks ahead with 4:21 left.

Kitts, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the region, added two free throws 42 seconds later to make it 50-46.

Toby Fournier, who led Duke with 18 points, scored with 3:21 left to get the Blue Devils (29-8) back within two. The Blue Devils trailed 52-50 with 29.8 seconds left when South Carolina’s Bree Hall was called for an offensive foul on an inbound play, giving Duke a chance to tie or take the lead.

Duke worked the clocked down before Ashlon Jackson airballed a 3-pointer from the wing with 7 seconds left. Hall got the rebound and South Carolina called timeout.

“Went with the ball in Ashlon’s hands as she had been making plays for us in the fourth quarter out of the ball screen,” Duke coach Kara Lawson said. “She tried to make a play and just missed it.”

Kitts was fouled with 5.7 seconds left and calmly sank both free throws to seal the win, much to the delight of a majority of the 11,252 fans in attendance who traveled to Alabama.

‘I WANT MY OWN’

Ahead of WNBA decision, LSU’s Flau’jae eyes another championship

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

SPOKANE, Wash. – Flau’jae Johnson arrived at a crossroads on Sunday

The last game of the LSU women’s basketball team’s season, an Elite Eight loss to UCLA, could double as the ﬁnal contest of her collegiate career Johnson can either return to the Tigers for her senior year or declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Which path will she choose?

So far Johnson hasn’t announced an ofﬁcial decision.

But she did discuss LSU’s difﬁcult 72-65 loss to the Bruins on Sunday in front of her locker, wrestling with the emotions that accompany the abrupt end to a promising season just one step shy of the Final Four.

“Once I taste the national championship more and more,” Johnson said, “I feel like that national championship I have, yeah, I was a big factor in it, but there were bigger factors. I want my own one, you know what I’m saying? Where I lead the team That’s what you really want.”

Most women’s college basketball stars play a full four seasons before they join the WNBA. But USborn players can declare for the draft of the calendar year in which they turn 22 years old. Johnson, a junior, will celebrate her 22nd birthday in November

That fact gives the basketball and music star a chance to leave college early

If Johnson wants to take advantage of that opportunity, then she must notify the league within the next few days. This year, the draft is scheduled for April 14.

Johnson has started 104 games across the last three years. In each season, she’s increased her scoring average. The All-American led the

LSU

Elite

Tigers in scoring for most of this year, averaging a career-high 18.6 points per game on 47% shooting.

“I had not coached and won anything at LSU,” coach Kim Mulkey said, “and (Johnson) came to LSU. So, she jumpstarted our program, really And then the portal helped us. We brought in Angel (Reese) and lots of other players But Flau’jae was a high school All-American, and we got her So, I’m forever indebted to Flau’jae Johnson.”

On Sunday, Johnson scored 24 of her 28 points in the second half, willing LSU back into a battle with UCLA. One of her layups even cut the Bruins’ lead to 65-62 with 3:24 left in the fourth quarter

It was a bounce-back performance for Johnson. On Friday, in the Tigers’ Sweet 16 win over No. 2 seed North Carolina State, the ju-

UConn, USC hope to take next step toward title run

BY ANNE M. PETERSON AP sportswriter

SPOKANE, Wash. — UConn coach

Geno Auriemma caused a minor stir during last year’s NCAA Tournament when he proclaimed that his star guard, Paige Bueckers, was the best player in the country

It raised eyebrows given Iowa phenom Caitlin Clark’s stature, but Auriemma stood by his assessment.

With a career-best 40-point performance in this year’s Sweet 16, Bueckers keeps proving that she is, indeed, one of the game’s top talents and perhaps the best player in the tournament this year

Bueckers and her UConn teammates have aims on a national title, something Clark failed to do with Iowa, losing twice in the championship game. But ﬁrst, the Huskies (343) have an Elite Eight rematch with Southern California (31-3).

“You try not to think about the stakes or the pressure or getting to the Final Four,” Bueckers said. “Obviously, that’s there, so you try not to think about it and just go out and play every single game the same way, like it’s your last, like it’s the most important 40 minutes of your life.”

With Bueckers expected to be the top pick in April’s WNBA draft, each game could be her last for UConn. She took over in the second half on Saturday to lead the Huskies to an 82-59 rout of Oklahoma.

Bueckers’ 40 points topped her previous career high of 34, set in UConn’s second-round victory over South Dakota State in her ﬁnal home game at Gampel Pavilion.

She also matched her career high with six 3-pointers against the Sooners before checking out to a standing ovation.

“Paige was spectacular,” Auriemma said.

“That was as good a game as I’ve seen her play the whole time she’s been here, at the most important time. When you’re a senior and you’ve been around as long as she has, this is what you’re here to do. This is why you came here.”

Bueckers arrived at UConn in 2020 and was the consensus national player of the year as a freshman. She played just 17 games the next season and sat out the entire 2022-23 campaign with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

This season, she earned AP All-America honors and was named the Big East player of the year for the third time.

Auriemma has led UConn to a record 11 national titles, most recently in 2016. The Huskies lost to Clark and Iowa in the Final Four last season.

“Paige has been an incredible player for years now,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said “She does it efﬁciently It’s her ability to score, her ability to pass and involve others to move without the basketball. I think what we’re seeing is a little different now it’s an urgency, right? Not that she’s not been urgent before, but you see it in her face. There’s no more waiting. It can’t be ‘OK, next time.’ It’s right now.”

nior scored a season-low 3 points on 1-of-8 shooting. Johnson said that the shin injury that shelved her for LSU’s regular-season ﬁnale and Southeastern Conference Tournament run didn’t affect her in either game. Mulkey has described it as “shin inﬂammation,” but Johnson said on Sunday that it was a stress reaction. Now she won’t have to battle any lingering pain into the Final Four But Johnson will, however, have to grapple with her future, and she’ll do so on the heels of a sour conclusion to her junior season.

“I feel like I ain’t really do nothing, for real,” Johnson said. “I mean, we going to Elite Eights, but that’s not no success for me. Some people have to be in the Elite Eight. I don’t want to be in no Elite Eight. I want to be in the Final Four.”

Fans had anticipated a possible Elite Eight showdown between Bueckers and USC star guard JuJu Watkins, but Watkins suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second round.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By yOUNG KWAK

guard Flau’Jae Johnson stands on the court towards the end of an

Eight game against UCLA on Sunday in Spokane, Wash.

AP PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT TCU guard Hailey Van Lith shoots during the first half of a Sweet 16 game against Notre Dame on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.

PRESS PHOTO By BUTCH DILL

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, center left, celebrates with players after defeating Duke to advance to the Final Four on Sunday in Birmingham, Ala.

AP PHOTO By JENNy KANE

UConn guard Paige Bueckers passes the ball during the second half of a Sweet 16 game against Oklahoma on Saturday in Spokane, Wash.

NCAA TOURNAMENT

Houston’s defense carries Cougars to 7th Final Four

BY MICHAEL MAROT AP sportswriter

INDIANAPOLIS Houston’s relentless, harassing defense had Tennessee’s shooters dancing around. Now the Cougars are two-stepping it back to Texas.

L.J. Cryer finished with 17 points, Emanuel Sharp scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and the nation’s stingiest defense delivered a historic NCAA Tournament performance, leading topseeded Houston past second-seeded Tennessee 69-50 on Sunday for the Midwest Region title and its seventh trip to the Final Four Next up is Cooper Flagg and ﬁvetime national champion Duke on Saturday in San Antonio, just a 3 1/2-hour drive from Houston’s campus. First, the Cougars wanted to savor the journey they took to this net-cutting celebration one that failed to materialize each of the past two seasons when they were eliminated in the Sweet 16 as a No. 1 seed “It’s a good feeling knowing what we’ve been through,” Sharp, the region’s most outstanding player, said of Houston’s ﬁrst Final Four appearance since 2021. “A lot of people doubted us.”

The Cougars (34-4) broke the school’s single-season record for wins, extended the nation’s longest active winning streak to 17 games and gave coach Kelvin Sampson a third chance to reach his ﬁrst national championship game. Houston has played on college basketball’s biggest stage twice, losing title games in 1983 to N.C. State and in 1984 to Georgetown during the Phi Slama Jama era. They’re back this time thanks to Sharp, who made two of his four 3-pointers in quick succession to thwart a second-half charge from Tennessee.

Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey scored 17 points apiece for the Volunteers (30-8), who again fell short of the program’s ﬁrst Final Four appearance. Coach Rick Barnes’

LSU

Continued from page 1C

Three Bruins scored in double ﬁgures, including star Lauren Betts, the 6-foot-7 center who scored 17 points, corralled 7 rebounds and blocked 6 shots UCLA’s leading scorer was Gabriela Jaquez, a junior guard who scored 18 points after nailing four of her five 3-point tries. Sophomore forward Timea Gardiner buried another ﬁve 3s.

“Betts did not beat us,” coach Kim Mulkey said. “We guarded her as tough as we could guard her We did not take advantage of Betts being off the ﬂoor in the second quarter and we allowed perimeter threes and other people to step up.”

These two teams met last season in the Sweet 16, a year to the day of the game they played on Sunday in the Elite Eight LSU won the 2024 matchup, sending a

team was also eliminated in a regional ﬁnal last year

Houston won this one with a familiar formula.

The nation’s top scoring defense held the Vols to 15 first-half points, the fewest in an Elite Eight game since 1979. It was also the lowest first-half scoring total by any No. 1 or No. 2 seed in a tourney game since seeding began that same year “I feel like we always want to throw the first punch,” said Milos Uzan, who scored four points after making the decisive basket against Purdue. “Emanuel was able to get a jump ball early I feel like that shook those guys up a little bit and it was super important to keep our foot on their neck.”

The Cougars stayed locked in even when the Vols could have cut the deficit to single digits in the second half. The nation’s top 3-point shooting team quicklye extended the margin

refocused, motivated UCLA team into this season eager to avenge the loss and potentially reach the Final Four for the ﬁrst time in program history

The Bruins won enough contests to draw the tournament ﬁeld’s No. 1 overall seed.

On Sunday they looked the part. Even without Betts

Officials whistled the first-team All-American center for a second foul at the 57-second mark of the first quarter That call forced Betts to the bench, where she sat for the entire second frame LSU, however failed to take advantage.

back to 17.

How bad was it for the Vols?

They made only 6 of 28 shots in the ﬁrst 20 minutes and missed their ﬁrst 14 3s before Zakai Zeigler finally ended the drought with 38 seconds left to make it a 34-15 game, an all but insurmountable advantage. Tourney teams that trailed by 19 or more points at halftime fell to 0-244 all-time.

Tennessee’s top scorers, Lanier and Zeigler, were a combined 5 of 27 from the field. Zeigler had five points and five assists.

“When Zakai came off, it hurt me because I knew how much he cared. He said, ‘I’m sorry,’ ” Barnes said. “He’s got nothing to be sorry about because he gave us everything. I know those guys. They know I’m an older guy, they know I’d love to win a national championship, but they have not one thing to hang their head down or be sorry about.”

UCLA won the minutes it played without Betts by 10 points. By halftime, Williams and Johnson had scrounged together only three buckets, Sa’Myah Smith had picked up her second foul, and the Bruins had canned ﬁve 3-pointers on only 10 attempts enough to give themselves a 3126 cushion ahead of the secondhalf action they’d play with Betts back on the ﬂoor

“Our defense on Betts was as

Auburn completes sweep of No. 1 seeds into Final Four beating Michigan St.

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

Johni Broome had 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Auburn took command with 17 unanswered points in the first half to beat Michigan State 70-64 on Sunday and complete a sweep of No. 1 seeds advancing to the Final Four Auburn (32-5) earned its second Final Four trip, while Michigan State (30-7) fell short in its bid to send coach Tom Izzo to his ninth national semiﬁnal. Auburn’s only previous Final Four appearance came in 2019, also under coach Bruce Pearl. The South Region champion Tigers, the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, became the last of the No. 1 seeds to advance to the Final Four joining Florida, Duke and Houston.

It’s the first time all top seeds have reached the Final Four since 2008, which was the only previous year of all No. 1-seeded semifinalists since seeding began in 1979. And higherseeded teams went 12-0 in regional semifinals and finals for the first time since the tournament expanded in 1985.

Auburn will face Florida, which beat Texas Tech 84-79 in the West Region ﬁnal, in an all-Southeastern Conference semifinal on Saturday in San Antonio.

Jaxon Kohler led the Spartans with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jaden Akins had 15 points. Broome fell on his right arm while attempting to block a shot with 10:37 remaining and left the game. Broome, the Associated Press SEC player of the year and a ﬁrst-team AllAmerica selection, appeared to hurt his right elbow on the fall.

Broome returned with 5:29 remaining, drawing an immediate

good as we could do,” Mulkey said. Our discipline defensively cost us. Examples would be when the shot clock was winding down, we are taught every day it’s a hot situation, and it’s an automatic switch, and we gave up several of those today, wide-open shots.”

But LSU nearly did enough across the third and fourth quarters to overcome the open looks they allowed in the ﬁrst and second. UCLA just hit a few more shots in the fourth.

With 1:30 left, Jaquez snuck open in the right corner and buried the dagger 3-pointer the bucket that put UCLA up 62-52.

“It was a good game,” Mulkey said. “It was a good game.”

The Elite Eight is the only round of the NCAA Tournament in which coach Kim Mulkey’s teams have a losing record. That mark, with LSU’s loss to UCLA factored in, is now 5-8

A win would’ve given the Tigers’ their seventh trip to the Final Four

But now, for the second year in a

ovation from Auburn fans. He had the elbow wrapped and sank a 3-pointer less than a minute later

“It was a scary moment,” Broome said. “I went down but my team had my back.”

Auburn was the only Elite Eight team to win each of its ﬁrst three March Madness games by double digits, including its 78-65 Sweet 16 victory over Michigan. Michigan State rallied for a 7370 win over Mississippi in the Sweet 16.

The Spartans led 8-6 before the Tigers took command with the 17-0 run. The Spartans were held scoreless for 5:46 while missing 10 consecutive shots during the Auburn run.

A 3-pointer by Broome, who did most of his scoring near the basket, capped the run for a 23-8 lead.

Auburn led 33-24 at halftime. The Spartans pulled within ﬁve points at 35-30 early in the second half but got no closer

row, they suffered a loss that left them on the outside of that group looking in.

Morrow is out of eligibility and she’s soon expected to declare for the WNBA Draft. Johnson, a draft-eligible junior, can renounce her last year of eligibility and join Morrow in the pros if she wants to. The only other Tigers who cannot return next year are seniors Shayeann Day-Wilson and Amani Bartlett Last-Tear Poa, a holdover from the 2023 national title team, is also a senior, but a recent NCAA rule change awarded her and other former junior-college athletes an extra year of eligibility LSU is set to add four freshmen, a group that comprises the nation’s No 1 class. Next year those newcomers, and potentially more from the transfer portal, will try to help the Tigers climb back over the Elite Eight hump.

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.

AP PHOTO By yOUNG KWAK

LSU forward Aneesah Morrow, left, guard Mikaylah Williams and UCLA forward Timea Gardiner go after a rebound during the second half of their game on Sunday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AJ MAST

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson holds the Midwest Region championship trophy after defeating Tennessee in the Elite Eight on Sunday in Indianapolis.

AP PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV Auburn forward Johni Broome reacts to a play against Michigan State during the second half of their Elite Eight game on Sunday in Atlanta.

FUN FOR EVERYONE

Some

New Orleans summer camps help kids with disabilities and special needs

SBY SARAH RAVITS Gambit Weekly

ummer camps are meant to give kids a sense of independence and the chance to make new friends and learn new things — not to mention they provide a break for parents who may or may not be struggling to keep them entertained when they’re out of school.

But for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities, it’s not quite as easy to send a kid off to any summer camp, especially if the child has around-the-clock needs or requires special medical attention.

Fortunately there are a variety of options for kids outside their school, medical or home setting, including specialty camps that cater to kids with different needs and inclusive camps that provide extra support. After all, all young people deserve a chance to have a carefree, fun summer while honing new skills and interests.

Note: This is not a comprehensive list, and many additional local summer camps provide resources and support staff for children with disabilities. Camp Lighthouse The nonproﬁt Lighthouse Louisiana puts on its annual summer enrichment program for young people who are blind or visually impaired. Its two-week camp gives campers the opportunity to learn speciﬁc adaptive skills, like going to local shops and practicing paying for items, navigating public transit like the streetcar, learning how

How ‘lemonading’

BY AVERY NEWMARK

hosting virtual game nights and jumping on the sourdough trend. Clinical psychologist Dr Linda Blair doubles on this theory, explaining to Good Housekeeping ä See LEMONADE, page 2D

Open dialogue key to explaining Alzheimer’s to a child

How can you help a young child understand Alzheimer’s disease?

Just as Alzheimer’s disease is unique in each affected individual, so is a child when it comes to discussions about the illness. What you say to the child and how you explain the disease process to him depends on his age, his level of comprehension, and developmental skills. He will not understand the biology of the disease, so be simplistic in your terms. For instance, talk about some illnesses of which he is familiar perhaps, or illnesses he has already experienced, such as chickenpox or measles. You can explain to him that while these illnesses have physical signs, Alzheimer’s is a sickness in the brain that no one can see. Then you can add that with this illness (Alzheimer’s), the brain makes the person with the condition forget or sometimes get angry but reassure the child that his loved one doesn’t mean to act that way Show understanding and reinforce that it is OK for the child to have feelings of sadness or anger Assure the child that no one caused the disease, as he may think he did something to cause the affected person to act the way he is behaving. There are various children’s books available that can illustrate the disease process in a simple, age-related way for young people, which might give a child a better understanding of the disease.

A few examples are: n “What’s Happening to Grandpa?” by Maria Shriver n “Nice to Meet You

Again: Empowering Children to Find Joy and Understanding in Loved Ones with Dementia” by Suzanne Bottum-Jones

n “Sometimes Even Elephants Forget: A Story About Alzheimer’s Disease for Young Children” by Kathleen Welch

n “The Girl, the Star and the Spider” by Sherry Van Atta Smelley

It is also important to show the child that he can still talk to his loved one and that they can enjoy activities together Playing music and singing along, doing simple arts and crafts projects, and reading stories aloud are all examples of creative and enjoyable activities the child and loved one can enjoy together These special times will not only make the child more comfortable with his loved one and the situation at hand but will also give the loved one some much-needed socialization and external stimulation to maintain a quality of life. Additionally, they would both be strengthening their relationship in positive ways. Instead of thinking all the time that his loved one has a disease that’s taking his memory, the child will be making special memories with his loved one in the times they spend together The child will gain a greater sense of understanding of the disease process as well as develop compassion and empathy

PROVIDED PHOTO By CHARLIE MCKENZIE/CAMP TIGER Campers at Camp Tiger go on field trips to places like the Audubon Zoo, Insectarium and Aquarium, and Folsom’s Global Wildlife Center

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM LIGHTHOUSE LOUISIANA

Study suggests physical activity slows Alzheimer’s

Dear Doctors: What do you know about a study that says aerobics might be good for slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease? I’ve read that being active helps your memory, but how would it affect an actual disease?

Dear reader: You are referring to a study conducted by researchers in Great Britain that appeared in the journal Brain Research

Dr. Elizabeth Ko Dr Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

And you are correct that it investigates the idea that regular physical activity can have a positive effect on the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The study is part of a growing body of research into the role of physical activity in bolstering and preserving cognition. What makes it notable is that the ﬁndings offer clues to the question that you have posed, which is what causes the protective effect. Although the word Alzheimer’s has become shorthand for dementia, it is actually a speciﬁc form of the brain disorder Alzheimer’s disease is caused by the buildup in the brain of a sticky substance known as beta-amyloid protein. This protein collects into clumps known as plaques, which damage the neurons and disrupt neural pathways An erosion of the my-

LEMONADE

Continued from page 1D

that stress hijacks the brain’s fear center (the amygdala), making problem-solving harder A playful mindset, however, helps override this stress response, opening the door to new possibilities.

How to keep ‘lemonading’

As life continues to throw new challenges our way — from work burnout to dating mishaps we can all beneﬁt from a little lemonading. Here are four tips from Self on how you can bring this mindset into your daily life:

Reframe the narrative: Instead of thinking, “This situation sucks,” try asking, “What’s one small

CAMPS

Continued from page 1D

to grocery shop and more. There are also outings to City Park, the Cool Zoo and more “Oftentimes kids with visual impairments don’t get the opportunity to enjoy these types of activities,” says Cathleen Randon, vice president of development and communications for Lighthouse. “During the camp they are able to experience these ﬁeld trips with their peers in a safe environment with staff helping them along the way.” Camp Lighthouse runs June 2-6 and June 9-13 To sign up, contact Lighthouse Louisiana at (504) 899-4501 or email info@lighthouselouisiana.org.

Crane Rehab Center

Crane Rehab Center in Metairie is a rehab facility that provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and more. Starting in early June, the center hosts its annual PEAC Summer Camp, a series of weeklong programs. The camps are for children ages 3-8 who can participate in a small group setting. The camps promote learning new skills and developing new interests while learning how to interact with others. For more information or to register visit campscui. active.com.

NORD Camps

The New Orleans Recreation Development Commission partners with several local organizations,

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday, March 31, the 90th day of 2025. There are 275 days left in the year

Today in history: On March 31, 1968, at the conclusion of a nationally broadcast address on Vietnam, President Lyndon B. Johnson stunned listeners by declaring, “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president.”

Also on this date: In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain issued the Alhambra Decree, an edict expelling Jews from Spanish soil, except those willing to con-

elin sheath, the fatty membrane that surrounds and protects neurons, may also play a role in the formation of toxic proteins. The ﬁrst area to be affected is the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that allows us to form memories. As the disease progresses, it gradually begins to affect the areas of the cerebral cortex that are associated with reasoning, logic, language and behavior

Previous studies conducted in rodents have found that exercise can have a protective effect on the hippocampus. In this new study, researchers wanted to learn why Their test subjects were 10 geriatric rats who were old enough for their brains to have begun the physical changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Half of the rats were put on

an eight-week exercise program. This consisted of 30 minutes on an exercise wheel, ﬁve times per week. The other ﬁve, who served as the control group, remained sedentary

When the researchers examined the rat brains at the end of the study, they found measurable differences in the two groups. The exercise group not only had a higher volume of normal neurons, but it also had lower amounts of the toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The exercise group also had lower amounts of a type of immune cell, which, when it malfunctions, is associated with age-related inflammation. The researchers concluded that regular physical activity may lead to beneficial changes in brain chemistry that reduce inflammation, slow

the accumulation of toxic proteins and, thus, improve the survival of neurons. This has consequences not only for people living with Alzheimer’s disease, but also for all adults as they reach older age. Although this was just one small study, the results are promising. The researchers are planning a human clinical trial. With an estimated 6.9 million people in the U.S. over the age of 65 now living with Alzheimer’s disease, any advances toward managing the disease are very good news. Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

way I can make this better?”

Have a laugh: Whether it’s a never-ending work meeting or a spilled coffee disaster, ﬁnd the humor in the situation. It makes problems feel smaller, even the really sucky ones.

Stay curious: People who explored new hobbies during lockdown reported higher happiness levels.

Keep that playful spirit alive by trying something new, even if it’s just a different route to work.

The time is now: You can’t live in the future A present mindset is a key factor in lemonading.

“Pay attention to how deeply and actively you engage in activities, rather than just going through the motions,” lead study author Dr Xiangyou Shen told the publication. “At day’s end, swap ‘How productive was I?’ for ‘What moments of fun did I have?’”

including schools and nonproﬁts, to offer affordable programs for young people Many of those camps can accommodate kids with disabilities and provide extra on-site support.

There are about 30 camps to choose from this summer Primary camps, where kids engage in a range of activities, start in early June and last through late July Youth camps serve kids ages 4-12, and teen camps serve kids 13-15.

There are also specialty camps that last six to eight weeks, where kids can hone specialized skills in activities like tennis, dance, coding and STEM.

While NORD used to have camps speciﬁcally for kids with disabilities, Larry Barabino Jr NORD’s CEO, says last year the commission shifted its focus toward inclusive camps, where kids of all abilities can interact with each other

“Kids (with disabilities) want to be included with everyone else, they don’t want to be isolated,” he says.

He says parents have warmly received it, and it’s been convenient for families who have multiple children. “If kids have siblings, they are able to have them all in the same location,” he says. “It allows kids to interact with each other, with or without disabilities.”

Barbarino says there are extra support services on hand for kids who are disabled or need a little extra attention at many of the camps (each program varies, so check ahead of time)

“A lot of our staff works in the school system and in spe-

TODAY IN HISTORY

vert to Christianity. In 1918, the United States ﬁrst observed daylight saving time, moving clocks ahead one hour In 1995, Tejano music star Selena, 23, died after being shot by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of Selena’s fan club who was found to have been embezzling money from the singer In 2004, four U.S civilian contractors were killed by Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah, Iraq; frenzied crowds then dragged the burned, mutilated bodies and hanged two of them from a bridge. In 2005, Terri Schiavo, 41, died at a hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida, 13 days after her feeding tube was removed in a wrenching

cial education,” he says. “So those are the ones we pair for our inclusive camps.”

Kids with disabilities can also bring in their own support, for example, if a child requires their own aide or if the family simply feels more comfortable with someone they know and trust being on-site.

“There are some parents that are really protective of their kids,” Barabino says. “We’re able to allow the extra support if needed.”

For more information, visit nordc.org/summer

Camp Tiger at LSU

Camp Tiger is a free, weeklong day camp for kids ages 5-16 with developmental disabilities and other special needs. Hosted by LSU School of Medicine students in New Orleans, the camp runs from May 19-May 23.

Generally, each camper has about 2 or 3 counselors assigned to them, but they are also allowed to bring in their ADA specialist if needed. There are doctors and emergency responders onsite, says Charlie McKenzie, a current medical student and the camp’s director Counselors accompany young campers on local outings. There are ﬁeld trips to a bowling alley, an arcade, the Audubon Zoo, Insectarium and Aquarium, as well as Folsom’s Global Wildlife Animal Center There’s also a ﬁeld day at the LSU Dental school, with games, facepainting, a catered lunch and snowballs.

“It’s everything you can do that’s designed in New Orleans for people 18 and under,” says McKenzie. “Our

right-to-die court battle that began in 1998. In 2022, scientists announced they had ﬁnished fully sequencing the human genome, the full genetic blueprint for human life. Today’s birthdays: Actor William Daniels is 98. Actor Richard Chamberlain is 91. Actor Shirley Jones is 91. Musician-producer Herb Alpert is 90. Actor Christopher Walken is 82. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, is 81. Former Vice President Al Gore is 77. Actor Rhea Perlman is 77. Rock musician Angus Young (AC/DC) is 70. Hockey Hall of Famer Pavel Bure is 54. Actor Ewan McGregor is 54. Actor Brian Tyree Henry is 43. Filmmaker Chloé Zhao is 43.

mission is to provide the most fun possible for these kids.”

Camp Tiger is free to attend and includes breakfast and lunch each day of the camp. McKenzie says it’s a welcome break for parents who are often burdened by costs of care for their children.

“It allows the parents to drop them off with us and know that they’re safe and having fun,” McKenzie adds. Registration is open through early April. Sign up at lsuhsc.edu/orgs/camptiger/application.aspx.

Email Sarah Ravits at sravits@gambitweekly.com.

CHILDREN

Continued from page 1D

for his loved one and for those who take care of him. The explanation of Alzheimer’s, given the span of the disease, could become more of an ongoing process for the child rather than a one-time discussion or lesson. Be sure to acknowledge any feelings or fears he may be experiencing as he continues to witness his loved one’s progression of the disease and allow him to talk openly and freely about it.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren

Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Restructuring your routine, lifestyle or health routine to fit your objective will ease stress and help you become more efficient. Change begins with you and how you manage your time and money.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Review your options before you say or do something that can influence a meaningful relationship or your position. You can accomplish the most by setting high standards and working behind the scenes.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Communication is the best route forward. Realistically adapting your expectations will be necessary to make a difference. Strategize and be ready to go above and beyond the call of duty.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Do the work yourself, and you'll avoid setbacks Be receptive to change and eager to take on projects that can highlight your abilities and lead to new opportunities.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) You may have to restructure what you do or how you deal with others to get things done. Stop dreaming and start doing before someone steps in and takes control. Put your energy into creative development.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Set limits to avoid debt and outside interference. Choose your direction based on what you can handle. Focus on your health and diet, and maintain balance and equality in all you pursue.

LIBRA (sept 23-oct. 23) Live and learn. Participate in events that offer insight

into alternative ways to use your skills or market yourself. Open-mindedness and receptivity will lead to new beginnings

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Initiate plans. Your actions will position you for success. Networking events will offer insight into the possibilities. Communication is the key to valuable introductions

sAGIttARIus (nov 23-Dec 21) Tread carefully. Someone will take advantage of you if you aren't explicit regarding what you are willing to do. An emotional situation will result in poor decisions

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Educate yourself before you take sides or participate in something questionable. Make a change if it will help you avoid a no-win situation. Make your surroundings more comfortable.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep your finger on the pulse and your mind on what matters. Express your intentions and desires, and find out where you stand. It's up to you to ask for what you want.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Don't waste precious time on people and pastimes that cause you grief. Seek out people who offer positive input and push you toward taking responsibility for your life and happiness.

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy's cLuE: t EQuALs c

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Will Rogers said, “People are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers,insteadoftheirconscience,betheir guide.”

At the bridge table, defenders have gottenmuchsmarteroverthelastcouple ofdecades,lettingtheirpartnersbetheir guide instead of guessing.

In this example deal, how should West plan the defense against three spades after he leads the club ace: jack, two, five?

Since South was vulnerable, had a relatively weak suit and 7-2-2-2 distribution, he opened with two spades, not three. No doubt North should have jumped to four spades, but that would have ruined the story.

West needs to find five tricks. There are two logical ways to procure them: East has the heart ace and the defenderscantaketwoclubs,twoheartsandthe spade king, promoted as a winner on the third round of hearts. Or East has acejack-thirdofdiamonds,givingEast-West two clubs and three diamonds. But how does West know which way to turn?

Under the club king, East can play his nine or his four Each can be used to send a suit-preference signal. Here, because East has the heart ace, in the higherranking of the other two side suits, he plays his club nine. Then West will know to cash his heart king and continue with his second heart. East will win with his ace and play a third heart, letting West score his spade king. Watch out for employing “useless” cards for suit-preference signals when attitude and count are either known or irrelevant. © 2025 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

wuzzles

Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD = gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or

sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:8

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a

WiShinG Well

Scrabble GramS

roSe