The Advocate 04-17-2025

Stateofficialsspar over carinsurance

Temple says legislation is setting him up to take thefallfor rising rates

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Ahigh-stakes legal and political battle between Gov. Jeff Landry and Insurance Commissioner TimTemple —one that affectseveryonewho has car insurance —played outina House committee room at the State Capitol on Wednesday

After hearing from Landry,the House Insurance Committee sided with him by overwhelmingly passing ameasure that he saidwouldallow Temple to reject excessive rate increases for car insurance.

Temple spoke after Landry and told committee membersthatHouseBill 576 would give the commissioner the authority to act capriciously in ruling whether to approverateincreases, a move he said would ultimately harm the state.

The governor said passing the bill is so important to him that he would call legislators into aspecial session to consider it again if they reject the

An Easter Tradition

ance ratesthat are driving angry voters to give an earful of complaints to Landry,Temple and state legislators.

Under some measures, Louisiana has the highest carinsurance rates in the country

Asked after thehearing what would happen if the bill passes and Temple doesn’tstop thecontinued climb in insurancerates, Landry replied, “The people could hold him accountable.” Temple, asked afterward whether he thought the governor was trying to set him up to take theblame, referred to arecentinterviewthatLandry gave to conservative talk show radio host Moon Griffon.

“If therates don’tgodown, then it’s on him,” Landry toldGriffon, referring to Temple.

PSCabruptly haltsenergy efficiency program

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

About ayear after Louisiana’sutility regulator movedtoset up along-sought program to help residents reduce energy use and save on theirbills,the Public ServiceCommissionvoted Wednesday to abruptly change course and end the program Acomplexvote by thecommission’sthree Republican members —JPCoussan, Eric Skrmetta and Mike Francis —ends astatewide program to put millions toward energy efficiency in homes and businesses, especially for low-income residents. Staffwas in the process of standing up the programwhenthe commissionvoted to endit Wednesday at ameeting in Many,south of Shreveport. Instead, the commission, which oversees electric utilities, appears poised to double down on a program that allowsthe elected commissioners to steer millions in energy efficiency improvements to government officials and offices in their districts. The money goes to sheriffs, schools, parish councils and other local facilities. It wasnot immediately clear whether the commissionwould attempt to set up adifferent type of program that allows residents to take advantage of more energy efficiency programs, or stick with the samesystem that it has had foryears. Butthe move is awin forutilitieslikeEntergy

measure

Eight ofhis aides were in the small committee room while Landry spoke in favor of thebill.

Underlying the three-hour hearing on HB576 is the political fight over who will take the heat for car insur-

Said TempleonWednesday: “I don’t know if he really intended that. But he said it.”

Undercurrent law, the commissioner approvesrate increases that

ä See INSURANCE, page 4A

Number of eligible students will depend on financial allocation

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Anew program to help Louisiana families pay forprivate education drew nearly 40,000 applicationsinless than two months, state officialssaid Wednesday —a numberthat Gov. Jeff Landry, who haschampioned the program, called “astounding.”

Beginning next school year,the LA GATOR Scholarship Program will give tax dollars to eligible families to payfor private school tuitionand other approved expenses like tutoring and school

ä See GRANTS, page 4A

Atraditional favoritethat expresses thereal meaning of Easter.Available in 14K yelloworwhite gold. From: 1/10ct, $395; 1/4ct, $595; 1/2ct, $895;3/4ct, $1,195; 1ct, $1,495; 1.50ct,$2,395

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Gov. Jeff Landryspeaksduring aHouse Insurance Committee meetingatthe State Capitol on Wednesday.

STAFF FILEPHOTO

Commissioner of Insurance Tim Templespoke in opposition to legislation that would givehis office more authority

Weinstein’s lawyers seek to move him from jail

NEW YORK Nine jurors were picked Wednesday on the second day of jury selection in Harvey Weinstein’s #MeToo rape retrial.

At the same time, the disgraced movie mogul’s lawyers asked a judge to allow him to spend his nights at a New York City hospital instead of jail for the duration of the trial, citing his many health issues including cancer and problems walking that require the use of a wheelchair.

The jurors were picked from a group of 25 prospective jurors who spent the past two days answering questions from prosecutors and Weinstein’s lawyers to gauge theirability to be impartial. They are the first jurors picked after none were chosen Tuesday Jury selection will resume Thursday with a fresh group of about 80 prospective jurors to begin the screening process anew Judge Curtis Farber has said a total of 12 jurors and six alternates will be picked.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs seeks two-month delay

NEW YORK — Attorneys for hiphop producer Sean “Diddy” Combs asked a federal judge in New York on Wednesday to delay his May 5 sex-trafficking trial by two months so they can better prepare a defense

The lawyers said in a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian that prosecutors have been slow to turn over some potential evidence for review, making it difficult to be ready in three weeks. Prosecutors oppose the request, the lawyers said. A spokesperson for prosecutors declined comment.

Subramanian wrote in an order responding to the delayedtrial request that he will address the issue during a hearing scheduled for Friday

Pending the conference, the judge wrote, both sides should proceed as if the early May trial remains in place.

‘Fireball’

lights

up Mexico City skies

MEXICO CITY About 3 a.m. on Wednesday, a bright object, initially appearing to be a meteorite, lit up the skies over Mexico’s capital, stretching across plains, volcanoes and small towns

Videos of a ball of fire shooting over the Latin American country and dissolving in a burst of light over Mexico City struck awe in many — and quickly became the fuel for memes circulating on social media.

Soon, photos of the apparent meteor edited with cartoon characters and political jokes flooded the internet.

But scientists across Mexico were quick to note that the object rocketing across the skies was not a meteorite; it was a bolide. Bolides, defined by NASA as fireballs, are “exceptionally bright meteors that are spectacular enough to be seen over a very wide area.”

Colossal squid caught on camera for first time

A colossal squid has been caught on camera for the first time in the deep sea by an international team of researchers steering a remotely operated submersible.

The sighting was announced Tuesday by the Schmidt Ocean Institute.

The squid filmed was a juvenile about 1 foot in length at a depth of 1,968 feet in the South Atlantic Ocean. Full-grown adult colossal squids, which scientists have uncovered from the bellies of whales and seabirds, can reach lengths up to 23 feet almost the size of a small fire truck.

CORRECTION

An article in Tuesday’s edition about proposed changes to the state Department of Transportation and Development misquoted state Rep. Ryan Bourriaque as saying, “We can acknowledge that the department is unfunded.” Bourriaque actually said, “We can acknowledge that the department is underfunded at times.” The Advocate regrets the error

Judge finds cause for contempt

Trump administration violated orders to turn around planes

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON A federal judge on Wednesday said he has found probable cause to hold the Trump administrationincriminalcontempt of court and warned he could seek officials’ prosecution for violating his orders last month to turn around planes carrying deportees to an El Salvador prison.

The ruling from U.S District Judge James E. Boasberg, whom

President Donald Trump has said should be impeached, marks a dramatic battle between the judicial and executive branches of government over the president’s powers to carry out key White House priorities.

Boasberg accused administration officials of rushing deportees out of the country under the Alien Enemies Act last month before they could challenge their removal in court, and then willfully disregarding his order that planes already in the air should return to the United States.

The judge said he could hold hearings and potentially refer the matter forprosecutioniftheadministration does not act to remedy the violation. IfTrump’sJusticeDepartmentlead-

ership declines to prosecute the matter, Boasberg said he will appoint another attorney to do so.

“The Constitution does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders especially by officials of a coordinate branch who have sworn an oath to uphold it,” wrote Boasberg, the chief judge of Washington’s federal court.

The administration said it would appeal.

“The President is 100% committed to ensuring that terrorists and criminal illegal migrants are no longer a threat to Americans and their communities across the country,” White House communications director Steven Cheung wrote in a post on X.

The case has become one of the

in

an

Israeli official: Troops will remain indefinitely

BY ISAAC SCHARF, WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister said on Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely remarks that could further complicate talks with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes across Gaza killed another 22 people, according to local health officials, including a girl who was not yet a year old. The girl’s mother, who was wounded, embraced her daughter still wearing a bloodied blue dress, before she was taken for burial.

Israeli forces have taken over more than half of Gaza in a renewed campaign to pressure Hamas militants to release hostages after Israel ended their ceasefire last month. Israel has also refused to withdraw from some areas in Lebanon following a ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group last year, and it seized a buffer zone in southern Syria after rebels overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad in December

“Unlike in the past, the (Israeli military) is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

The military “will remain in the security

zones as a buffer between the enemy and (Israeli) communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza — as in Lebanon and Syria.”

The Palestinians and both neighboring countries view the presence of Israeli troops as military occupation in violation of international law

Lebanese president Joseph Aoun said that Israel’s continued presence in some areas in Lebanon was “hindering” the Lebanese army’s full deployment as required by the ceasefire negotiated with Israel.

Two Israeli drones strikes on Wednesday in southern Lebanon killed two people, the health ministry said The U.N said Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed more than 70 civilians since the ceasefire took effect in November

Hamas has said it will not release dozens of remaining hostages without a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire.

“They promised that the hostages come first In practice, Israel is choosing to seize territory before the hostages,” the main organization representing families of the hostages said in a statement. “There is one solution that is desirable and feasible, and that is the release of all the hostages at once as part of an agreement, even at the cost of ending the war.”

10 guards charged in fatal beating of New York inmate

BY MICHAEL HILL and DAVE COLLINS Associated Press

UTICA,N.Y Ten New York prison guards were charged Wednesday in connection with the fatal beating of a 22-yearold inmate last month — including two charged with murder It’s the second time a group of correctional officers in the state was indicted for a death behind bars this year

The indictment says several guards severely beat Messiah Nantwi, a prisoner at the Mid-State Correctional Facility, who was hospitalized and died on March 1 “due to massive head trauma and numerous other injuries to his body.” Three guards are accused of plotting to lie about Nantwi having a makeshift knife in his room.

In addition to the 10 guards, six other correctional officers agreed to cooperate with the investigation, a special prosecu-

tor overseeing the probe said. Two will plead guilty to felonies and four will plead guilty to misdemeanors, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick is also the prosecutor in the death of Robert Brooks, who was fatally beaten late last year at the Marcy Correctional Facility just across the street from the Mid-State prison. Six guards have pleaded not guilty to murder charges in Brooks’ death and other prison employees have been charged.

The Utica-area facility was one of many state prisons struggling to function during a three-week wildcat strike by guards upset over working conditions, which forced the governor to send in National Guard troops to maintain operations. Incarcerated people and their advocates complained that services and conditions deteriorated during the walkout.

most contentious amid a slew of legal battles being waged against the Republican administration that has put the White House on a collision course with the federal courts. Administration officials have repeatedly criticized judges for reigning in the president’s actions, accusing the courts of improperly impinging on his executive powers. Trump and his allies have called for impeaching Boasberg, prompting a rare statement from Chief Justice John Roberts, who said “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”

Boasberg wrote that the government’s “conduct betrayed a desire to outrun the equitable reach of the Judiciary.”

1 dead, 9 wounded in Russian strikes

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian glide bombs and artillery struck a city in southern Ukraine on Wednesday, killing one person and wounding nine others as Moscow forces continued daily attacks across the country

The city of Kherson was struck with glide bombs on Wednesday morning, and when rescue teams arrived at the scene, Russian forces launched an artillery barrage, said the region’s head, Oleksandr Prokudin. “This is a deliberate tactic by Russia to hinder the rescue of the injured and harm doctors, rescuers, and police,” he said. The attack damaged a sports facility, a supermarket, residential buildings and civilian vehicles, Proku-

din added. The strike on Kherson followed other deadly attacks in recent days. On Palm Sunday, two Russian ballistic missiles hit the northeastern city of Sumy near the Russian border, killing 35 people and injuring more than 100 others in the deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians this year The Russian military said that the strike targeted a gathering of senior military officers, but did not offer evidence. In Sumy on Wednesday, mourners buried 11-year old Maksym Martynenko one of two children killed in the attack — and his parents Nataliia and Mykola. Their three caskets were open for final farewells at a church in the city center before the bodies were taken to the family’s village for burial in the same plot.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

A Palestinian woman reacts Wednesday as others carry the body of a relative killed in

Israeli airstrike

preparation for burial at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City

California sues to stop Trumptariffs

BY SOPHIE AUSTIN Associated Press/Reportfor America

SACRAMENTO, Calif. California Gov.Gavin Newsomsued the Trump administration on Wednesday,challenging the president’sauthority to impose sweeping tariffs that have set off aglobal trade war.

The lawsuit argues that President Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffson Mexico, Canada and China or a10% tariffonall importsis unlawful. Theact enables a president to freeze and block transactions in response to foreign threats but doesn’t allow the president to adopt tariffs, the suit says. The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, also argues that enacting such tariffsrequires approval from Congress.

Trump has offered many justifications for increasing tariffs, including that they aredesignedtospurU.S manufacturing and stop the flowofillicit fentanyl into the country.California’smove followsrapidlychangingtariff plans by the Trump administration.

AWhite House official slammed the lawsuit and defended the tariff plan.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By NOAH BERGER

California Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses PresidentDonald Trump’stariffs during aWednesdaynewsconference at an almond farminCeres, Calif., as almond farmer Christine Gemperle, listens.

“Instead of focusing on California’srampant crime, homelessness, and unaffordability,GavinNewsom is spending his time trying to block President Trump’s historicefforts to finally address the national emergency of our country’spersistent goods tradedeficits,” White Housespokesperson Kush Desai said. “The entire Trump administrationremains committed to addressing this national emergency that’s decimating America’s industries and leaving our workersbehind with every tool at our disposal, from tariffs to negotiations.”

nia, which hasthe largest economyand is the largest importeramong U.S. states. Many businesses have told state officialstheywill start passing thecostoftariffs to consumers. The state budget could takea major hitwith the tumblingstock market because California disproportionately relies on income tax revenues from capitalgains —mostlymoney made from investments andstocks— fromitswealthiesttaxpayers. The additional costsfrom tariffs couldalsohamstring the state’sabilitytoplan for the future and payfor services, the suit states.

Md.senator meetswith El Salvador vice president

BY YOLANDAMAGAÑA, MARYCLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN Associated Press

SAN SALVADOR Maryland

Newsom,aDemocrat, said the tariffs have essentially resultedininflatedcosts and could bring billions of dollarsindamage to Califor-

“Nostate is poised to lose more than the state of California,” Newsom said Wednesday at anews conference.

Trump joinsJapan tariff talksas U.S. seeksdeals

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE, MARI YAMAGUCHI and JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Wednesday inserted himself directly into trade talks with Japanese officials, asignofthe highstakes forthe United States after its tariffs rattled the economy and caused the administration to assure the public that it would quickly reachdeals.

The Republican president attended themeeting alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick,top economic advisers with acentral role in his trade and tariff policies.

“Hopefully something can be worked out which is good

(GREAT!) for Japan andthe USA!” Trump wroteinasocial media post ahead of the meeting

Afterward, he posted: “A GreatHonor to have just metwiththe Japanese Delegation on Trade. Big Progress!”

The president’schoice to get directly involved in negotiations points to his desire to quickly finalizea slew of trade deals as China is pursuing its own set of agreements. It’s an open test of Trump’sreputation as adealmaker as countries around theworldseek to limit the potential damage unleashed by his import taxes.

The sweeping tariffs that Trump announced on April 2 triggered panicinthe financial markets and generated

recession fears, causing the U.S. president to quickly put apartial 90-day hold on the import taxes and increase his already steep tariffs against China to as much as 145%.

The pause temporarily sparedJapan from 24% across-the-board tariffs, but there continues to be a10% baseline tariffand a25% tax on importedcars, auto parts, steel and aluminum exports.

With Japan charging an averagetax rate of 1.9% on other countries’ goodsand having alongstanding alliance with theU.S.,the talks on Wednesday are acrucial indicator of whether the Trump administration can achieve ameaningful deal that reassures themarkets, American voters and foreign allies.

Kennedy: Autism casesclimbing

BYAMANDASEITZ Associated Press

WASHINGTON Healthsecretary Robert F. Kennedy

Jr.warned that childrenin the U.S. are being diagnosed with autism at an “alarming rate,” promising on Wednesday to conduct exhaustive studies to identify any environmental factorsthat may cause the developmental disorder His call comes the day after the Centers for Disease ControlandPreventionreleaseda report that found an estimated 1in31U.S. children have autism, amarked increase from 2020. Autism experts applaud efforts to further understand thecondition, but saythe number of reported cases began to balloon as the definition of the condition expanded to include mildcases.

“Autism destroys families,” Kennedy said. “More importantly,itdestroys our greatest resource, which is our children. These are children whoshould notbesuffering like this.” Kennedy described autism as a“preventable disease,” although researchers and scientists have identifiedgenetic factors that are associ-

ated with it. Autism is not considered adisease,but a complex disorder thataffects the brain. Casesrange widely in severity,with symptoms thatcan include delays in language, learning, and social or emotional skills.Some autistictraits can go unnoticed well into adulthood.

Those who have spent decades researchingautism have found no single cause. Besides genetics, scientists have identified various possible factors, including theage of achild’sfather,the mother’sweight, andwhether she haddiabetes or was exposed to certain chemicals.

Publication

NoticeisherebygivenpursuanttoArticle7, Section23(C)oftheLouisianaConstitution AndR.S.47:1705(B)thatapublichearingof

Livingston Parish Fire Protection District #7 in Livingston Parish will be held at its regularmeeting placeatStation #1 located at 19784 La Hwy42, Livingston,La70754 on Monday June 2nd ,2025 at 7:00 p.m. to considerlevying additional or increased millagerateswithoutfurthervoterapproval andadoptingthe adjusted millageafter reassessment androllingforward to rates not to exceed theprior year’s maximum. Theestimatedamountoftax revenues to be collectedinthenextyearfromtheincreased millage is $174,702.37 andthe amount of increase in taxes attributable to the millage increase is $41,928.57

Sen. Chris VanHollen traveled to El Salvador on Wednesdayand met with the country’svicepresident to push for therelease of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, aman whowas sent there by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation.

VanHollen said at anews conference in San Salvador that Vice President Félix Ulloasaidhis government could notreturn Abrego Garcia to the United States and declinedtoallowVan Hollen to visithim in thenotorious gang prisonwhere he is being held.

“Why is the government of El Salvador continuing to imprison aman where they have no evidence that he’s

committed any crime and they have not been provided anyevidencefrom the United States that he has committed any crime?” Van Hollentold reporters after the meeting. “Theyshould just let him go.”

VanHollen’strip became aflashpoint in the U.S.

TheTrumpadministration sharply criticized it, while Democrats have rallied around Abrego Garcia.

President Donald Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said this week that they have no basis to send him back, even as the U.S. SupremeCourt has called on the administration to facilitate his return.

Trump officialshavesaid that Abrego Garcia, aSalvadorancitizen who was living in Maryland, has ties to theMS-13 gang, buthis attorneys say the governmenthas provided no evidenceofthatand Abrego Garcia has never been

charged with any crime related to such activity

“Wehave an unjust situation here,” said VanHollen, amember of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “The Trumpadministration is lying about Abrego Garcia. The American courts have looked at the facts.”

Trump officials reiterated Wednesday that he would notbereturnedtothe United States. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt heldanewsbriefing with the mother of aMaryland woman, Rachel Morin, who was killed by afugitive from El Salvador in 2023.

“It’sappalling and sad that Sen. VanHollenand the Democrats applauding histriptoElSalvador today are incapable of having any shredofcommon sense or empathy fortheir own constituents and our citizens,” Leavitt said at the briefing.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOBySALVADOR MELENDEZ

Maryland Sen.Chris VanHollen speaksWednesday to the press in La Libertad, El Salvador.Van Hollen traveled to the countrytopush for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, aSalvadoran citizen whowas living in Maryland and deported to El Salvador by the Trumpadministration.

are “actuarily justified,” meaning astaffer has reviewed thedata from insurance companies and found the proposed increase to be mathematically sound.

Under HB576, by Rep. Robby Carter,D-Greensburg, thecommissioner could simply decide that the proposed rate increase was excessive and deny it.

The commissioner needs that authority to stop insurancecompanies from continuing toraise rates, Landrytoldthe committee members.

Using populist language, Landry said lawmakershave passed ahost of measures in recent years at the behest of insurance companies to lower rates.

“Wehave been asked to trust them,” Landry said. “Butwe have no ability to holdthemaccountable if they lie.” As aresult, he added, “Insurance companies continue to report record profits while our rates continue to rise. It’sfrustrating our citizens.”

Rep. Tammy Phelps, D-Shreveport, expressed that sentiment when she accused Temple of not doing enough to stop the rate increases.

She said she favoredHB576 becauseshe is on the side of consumers.

Temple replied that giving an insurancecommissioner the authority to rebuff rate increases without basing the decision on data would discourage companies from wanting to do business in Louisiana. Consumers would be the losers, he added, saying he hasalready refused to approve 40 rate increases.

The bill sought by Landry is part of what he calls “a balanced approach” to solving Louisiana’scar insurance crisis.

The governor is also supporting several bills that trial lawyers oppose. Temple blames high insurance rates on alegal system that he says allows too many lawsuits and big payouts for injured drivers and their attorneys.

GRANTS

Continued from page1A

uniforms. It will replace the state’sexisting voucher program for poor families

Familiessubmitted more than 39,000 applications from March 1toApril 15, exceeding many observers’ expectations and demonstrating strong demand for the state grants. But only a fraction of those families will receive grants, which can range from about $7,600 for lower-income familiesto nearly $15,300 for students with disabilities. Theactualnumberofparticipants will depend on how much moneythe Legislature allocates for the program. With the state facing aprojected $194 million shortfall, top lawmakers want to fund LA GATOR at roughly the same level as the voucher program, which got about $44 million for 5,300 students this school year.But Land wants than

Hissolution is to impose fewer restrictions on insurancecompaniesand restrict the legal rights of trial lawyers in the belief that those changes would make more companies wanttocome to Louisiana to operate.

Temple said thatisalreadyhappening for property owners after the Legislature passed aslew of insurance measures affecting them last year. Eight insurers have filed for lower rates this year,hesaid.

But the auto insurance problem remains particularly acute for commercial trucking companies, said Renee Amar,a lobbyist for truckers. They typically have only two choices for insurers, which drives up their rates, she added.

20 Republican-led states that have created tax-funded grants, also called education savings accounts,to help parents pay for private education. Champions of this approach, including President DonaldTrump, say parents should decide whetherthe tax dollars allocated for their childrengotopublic,private or home schools. State Superintendentof Education CadeBrumley said WednesdaythatLAGATORreceived more applicationsthan many similar programs in otherstateswhen they first launched.

Along with Landry’saides, insurance company lobbyists took many of theother seatsinthe committee room Wednesday,and theysided with Temple when it came their time to speak.

RodneyBraxton, alobbyist for theInsuranceCouncil of Louisiana, saidpassage of HB576 would have “a chilling effect” on insurers. The high car insurance rates have emerged as thebiggest political issue during the regular legislative session that began Monday One of thesubplots is that Landry and Temple have not been talking while House members, pushed by freshmen Republicans, have been holdinghearingsfor

months to find solutions. Most of their bills align with the insurance industry Landry andTemple said the two finally got together on Tuesday

Both said they hada cordial discussion at the Governor’sMansion.

“Webothwantthe same goal, which is forcitizens andbusinesses to have lower insurance,” Temple told reporters afterward. “Wejust have alittle bit differentperspective on howto getthere.”

Seven Democrats and six of the 10 Republicans voted forHB576.

The four Republicans who bucked the governor were: Reps. DennisBamburg of Bossier City, Jay Gallé of Mandeville, Troy He-

bert of Lafayette and John Illg of Metairie.

“A number of us hadquestions about whatwewere trying to accomplish and whether it really moved the needle,” Illg said afterward.

In an unusual move, Rep. Chad Brown, D-Plaquemine,aformer deputy insurance commissioner, presented the bill for Carter.Afterward, he said the Governor’s Office asked him to do so because he is so steeped in theissue.Carter said in aphone interviewlater that he missedthe hearing because he was sick in bed.

Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

“Louisianafamilies are making it clear —they want more educationaloptions and thefreedom to choose what worksbest for their children,” he saidinastatement.

Students whoreceived vouchers this school year will be given top priorityfor LA GATOR grants, followed by studentswith disabilities and children from families with atotal income at or below 250% of federal poverty guidelines, or $80,375 fora family of four

It appears that most applicants fall into one of those categories: More than80% meet the income requirements, andabout 8% are students withdisabilities, stateofficials said. Assuming there are notenough grants for every student in those groups, the state will award stipends based on which families applied first.

In other states with voucher-likeprograms, many of

the grantshave gone to families with children already in private schools or homeschooled —not parents of public-schoolstudentsseeking better options. For example, nearly three-fourths of students who participated in Arizona’sexpandedvoucher program when it launched in 2022 hadnever been enrolled in apublic school. Asimilar scenario could unfoldinLouisiana.Less than30% of LA GATORapplicants— about 11,000 students—are enrolled in public schools,according to the

state education department. The majority arealreadyenrolled in private schools or homeschools.

Because most applicants don’tattend public schools, they will represent anew expense forthe state.

The new costs come as the state facesarevenue shortfall and uncertain federal funding. And if lawmakers want to keep publicschool teachers from facing pay cuts, they will need to come up with nearly $200 million.

Rep. Laurie Schlegel, RMetairie, said the LA GA-

TORapplication numbers showfamilies’ hungerfor moreschool options. But Schlegel, whoco-authored abill that would increase state spending on TOPS college scholarships by an estimated $47.5 million, said lawmakers are stilldeciding how much money to put into the GATOR program “Itwill need to be weighed with all the other priorities of the state,” she said. Email Patrick Wall at patrick.wall@theadvocate. com.

GALLEGOS

$570M tied to paused Mid-Barataria project

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority approved the agency’s annual plan Wednesday, which forecasts record spending of nearly $2 billion on projects aimed at creating new wetlands, elevating homes and building additional hurricane protections.

But more than a quarter of that spending, $573 million, is tied to one project, the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, which is in limbo after Gov Jeff Landry questioned its effectiveness and state officials issued a 90-day pause on the project earlier this month. The annual plan provides funding for the project as though construction were to proceed. The board unanimously voted to approve the spending plan, which now moves to the Legislature for final approval.

PSC

Continued from page 1A

and Cleco, whose leaders have argued against efforts to set up the energy efficiency program led by a third-party administrator The utilities want to continue a “quick start” program to deliver more basic upgrades, a program they oversee.

It’s a blow for advocates who have lobbied for years for the commission to set up a more substantial program. The commission enacted the initial initiative more than a decade ago but punted for years on taking the next step until former Republican Commissioner Craig Greene helped bring it across the finish line last year Last year, Coussan replaced Greene, who retired.

Louisiana residents pay low rates for electricity, but electric bills are high — and unaffordable for many — in large part because they use

“We felt that you can’t just take something off (the plan) until there’s something officially done,” said CPRA board chairman Gordon Dove. “It was suspended for 90 days because the cost is just atrocious.”

In addition to the Mid-Barataria project, which would create a break in the Mississippi River levee in Plaquemines Parish and use the river to rebuild land, Dove said there are 140 other projects funded through the agency’s annual plan Those include a pair of multiyear $3.4 billion projects One in southwest Louisiana, is breaking ground this year and aims to elevate between 800 and 1,000 homes and is being carried out in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Another, the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Hurricane Protection System will provide storm surge protection to about 60,000 residents from LaPlace to Garyville.

During the meeting, state Rep. Jerome Zeringue, R-Houma, who is Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier’s designee on the agen-

more energy than residents in any other state The Louisiana legislative auditor, in a recent report, noted other states have taken steps to promote energy efficiency to lower rates.

Francis, who brought the motion to end the program, defended the so-called “public entities” program that sends money to government agencies locally And he raised concerns about the amount of money being allocated to running the new statewide program.

“We’re talking about schools.

We’re talking about hospitals,” Francis said. “They serve everyone in the community.”

Logan Burke, head of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, which advocated for the program, said the decision will cost residents money on their electric bills, which are already unaffordable for many

“We are decades behind on addressing energy waste,” Burke said. “It doesn’t matter how low the rate is when we’re throwing money

cy’s board, said that he was uncomfortable with a plan that included the $2.9 billion diversion project when “the intent (is) to work to cancel it,” he said.

“It seems somewhat disingenuous to vote on a plan when we know that this one project is no longer included without a path forward or an indication of what we intend to do now that that project is being canceled.”

Dove countered that there were other plans in the works, and that CPRA and the governor’s administration would present them to the public “once we finish this aggressive compilation of everything.”

Zeringue, as the house speaker’s representative on the board, does not get a vote.

During the meeting’s public comment period, representatives from environmental advocacy groups expressed their support for the Mid-Barataria project and criticized efforts to kill it.

“How can a project that has anchored four coastal master plans be excluded?” said Simone Maloz the campaign director of Restore

“We

LOGAN BURKE, head

out the doors and windows.”

A handful of advocates and customers spoke out against the move, but critics complained public participation was limited by the remote location at a fishing resort near the Texas border. Francis, the commission’s chair, added the item to the agenda a couple days before the meeting, further angering critics.

The complex motion to suspend the program, which caused a lengthy debate, also upset Democratic Commissioner Davante Lewis, who wrote on the social media site X after the vote that he’s “still confused about what the

the Mississippi River Delta “Louisianans want action, they do not want abandonment of the projects designed to protect their future.”

Kristi Trail, the executive director of the Pontchartrain Conservancy, urged the board not to approve the annual plan unless the Mid-Barataria project would proceed as previously planned.

“We’ve heard suggestions that a smaller diversion would suffice,” Trail said “However, the current scale of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is necessary to effectively address the magnitude of Louisiana’s coastal land loss.”

Ethan Melancon, the advocacy director for the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, said the Mid-Barataria project “is and can be the solution to major issues that’s facing the Barataria Basin.”

“We’ve heard it’s the linchpin. We’ve heard it’s the cornerstone,” he added. “All the terms they have used are true.” But he stressed that his organization was committed to supporting other diversion projects that are also included in CPRA’s annual plan.

Republicans did, and if you watch the meeting so were they.”

By contrast, last year’s vote to set up the more substantial program came after the Alliance and Together Louisiana packed the meeting room in Baton Rouge and after months of debate over how to best help residents lower their energy usage.

Ultimately, the advocacy groups got much of what they sought: A third party would run the program, not utilities. And companies like Entergy and Cleco wouldn’t be able to charge customers for energy they would no longer be able to sell if homes and businesses had better insulation and didn’t need as much power

“The least expensive generation plant for customers is the one they’re not forced to pay for,”

Greene said last year Louisiana residents have been hit with soaring bills in recent years, especially in 2022, when natural gas prices skyrocketed and utilities passed the costs to

The project broke ground in 2023 and was expected to move forward before Landry took office in 2024. Shrimpers and fishermen have long opposed the project, which is expected to hurt some coastal fisheries. Landry appears to have taken their concerns to heart: He said last year the project would “break our culture.”

The Mid-Barataria project appears to have support among Louisianans more broadly Several of the commenters cited independent polls released this week, paid for by Restore the Mississippi River Delta, that found that 83% of respondents supported the diversion project.

“You can’t get 83% of people to agree on the color of this table,” said Ryan Lambert, a charter boat captain in Buras. “But 83% of the people say they want the diversion because (CPRA) did such a good job over the years, going and being transparent, teaching people, going all throughout the state with meetings, showing how it can be done, why it should be done.

customers. Louisiana electric companies rely heavily on natural gas to power their turbines, meaning price swings can hit customers. At the same time, utilities are charging customers to pay for repairs and upgrades to their aging electric grids, which have been hammered by hurricanes.

The commission is set to debate the matter again next month, specifically around the public entities program and whether to continue moving forward on a more robust energy efficiency plan.

In the meantime, utilities like Entergy and Cleco will continue to be in charge of the “quick start” program. That program assists only a small fraction of utility customers.

Skrmetta said in a recent interview that he believed the new energy efficiency program was going to be “inflationary” for customers. He also questioned the “quick start” program by pointing out that most people don’t take advantage of it.

BRIEFS FROM STAFFAND WIRE REPORTS

Houston nonprofitdigital news outlet to close

The Houston Landing, anonprofit digital news outlet,said it is shuttingdown due to “financial challenges” less than two years afteritwas launched

The Landingstarted in publishing in June 2023, backed by more than $20 millioninseed funding from ahost of organizations, including Houston Endowment, American Journalism Project and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Thepublication waslaunched after atwo-year study from the American JournalismProject found Houston residents saidtheydid not feel they had access to adeeply reported stories that impacted their daily lives.

But the board said it hasbeen unable to develop revenue to support its ongoing operations and will shut down in about amonth. The Landing spent $2 million more than it brought in last year,and oneofits initial founders decided to stop donatingmoney to the organization, according to the Columbia Journalism Review

“Weare proud of the Landing’scoverage of Greater Houston and continue to believedeeply in the need for more free,independentjournalism in our region,” said Ann B. Stern, board chair of Houston Landing.

“This decision was difficult but necessary.Houston Landing’sreporting has made a meaningful impact in the community,but it struggled to find its long-term financial footing.”

The board said it is indiscussions with The Texas Tribune, an Austin-based nonprofit news outlet, about establishing a Houston newsroom. The Texas Tribune is expanding across the Lone Star State and is set to open newsrooms in Waco and Austin this year Administration to end free tax filing program

The Trump administration plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program, an electronic system for filing tax returns directly to the agency for free, according to two people familiar with the decision.

The program developed during Joe Biden’spresidency was credited by users with making tax filing easy,fast and economical.But Republican lawmakers and commercial tax preparation companies complainedit was awaste of taxpayer money because free filing programs already exist, although they are hard to use.

The program had been in limbo since the start of the Trump administrationasElonMusk and the DepartmentofGovernment Efficiency have slashed their way through thefederal government. Musk posted in February on his social media site,X,that he had “deleted” 18F,agovernment agency that worked on technology projects such as Direct File.

Those familiar with the decision to end Direct File said its future became clear when the IRS staff assigned to the program were told in mid-March to stop working on its development for the 2026 taxfiling season.

Chinese sites Temu, Shein to raise prices

China-foundede-commerce sites Temu and Shein say they plan to raise prices for U.S. customers starting next week, aripple effect from President Donald Trump’sattempts to correct the trade imbalance between the world’stwo largest economies by imposing askyhigh tariff on goods shipped fromChina.

Bothcompanies said they wouldbemaking “price adjustments” starting April 25, although neither provided details about the size of the increases. Since launching in the United States, Sheinand Temu have given Western retailers arun for their money by offering products at ultralow prices, coupled with avalanches of digital or influencer advertising

Fedpatient on interest rate moves

Powell plans‘to wait forgreater clarity’

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve can stay patient andwaitto see how tariffs and other economic policies of the Trump administration play out before making any changes to interest rates, Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday

“As that great Chicagoan Ferris Buelleronce noted,‘Lifemoves pretty fast,’ ”Powell said in a speech to the Economic Club of Chicago. “For thetimebeing, we arewell-positioned to wait for greater clarity” on the impact of policy changes in areas such as immigration, taxation,regulation and tariffs, hesaid

Thesharp volatility in financial markets sincePresident Donald

Trump announced sweeping tariffs April 2, only to put mostof them on hold aweek later,has led to speculation about whetherthe Fedwould soon cut its key interest rate or take other steps to calm investors. Yetthe Fed is unlikely to intervene unless there is abreakdown in themarket for Treasury securities or other malfun ctions, economists say In hisprepared remarks, Powell reiterated that the Trump administration’s tariffs are “significantly larger than anticipated.”

mandates it’s been givenbyCongress:Toachieve maximum employment andmaintainstable prices.Should both inflationand unemployment rise, that would be a“challenging scenario,” he said, because theFed would essentially have to choose whether to keep interest rates high to fight inflation or cut them to spur growth and hiring.

“The same is likely to be true of theeconomic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth,” he said.

Powellalso said that the Fed could face threats to both of the

“Our tool only does oneofthose two things at the sametime,” he said in aquestion-and-answer session.

Powell and many Fed officials have signaled previously that they aremoreconcerned about tariffs pushing inflation higher than their potential hit to growth.

That would mean that even if the economyweakened, the Fed might keep rateselevated to combat inflation.

Powell said the inflation from tariffs will likely be temporary,

but “could also be more persistent,” echoing aconcern expressed by amajority of the Fed’s19-member interest rate-setting committee in the minutes of their meeting last month.

Yetsome splits among the Fed’s interest rate-setting committee have emerged. On Monday, Fed governor ChristopherWallersaid that he expects the impact of even alarge increase in tariffstobe temporary,evenifthey are left in place for several years. At the same time, he also expects such large dutieswould weigh on the economyand even threatena recession.

But otherFed officials, including Neel Kashkari, president of theFed’sMinneapolis branch, have said they aremore focused on fighting theeffectsofhigher tariffs on inflation, suggesting they are less likely to support rate cuts any time soon.

U.S. stocks drop as Nvidia slides

Fogoftrade warthickens

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEWYORK U.S. stocks fell Wednesdayafter Nvidia warned newrestrictions on exports to China will chisel billions of dollars off its results, while companies around theworld said President DonaldTrump’strade war is clouding forecasts for howtheyand the economy will do this year

TheS&P 500 sankafter falling as much as 3.3% earlier.Such an amount would have vied for one of itsworst lossesinyearsbefore the historic, chaoticswings that have upended Wall Street in recent weeks.

The Dow JonesIndustrial Average and the Nasdaq composite also plunged.

Nvidiadropped 6.9% afteritsaidthe U.S. government is restricting exportsofits H20 chipstoChina, citing worries thatthey could beused to build asupercomputer.The restrictions could mean ahit of $5.5 billion

to Nvidia’sresults for the first quarter, covering charges related to inventory and purchase commitments.

Advanced MicroDevices sank 7.3% after it said U.S. limits on exports to China forits own chips may mean ahit of up to $800 million for inventory and other charges.

In Amsterdam, ASML’s stock sank5.2%. The Dutch company,whosemachinery makes chips, said demand forartificialintelligence technology is continuing to drivegrowth. “However, therecent tariff announcements have increased uncertainty in the macro environment and the situation will remain dynamicfor awhile,” CEO Christophe Fouquet said.

The uncertainty around Trump’stradewar has been scrambling plans for companies acrossindustries andaround the world. It’s so dynamic that United Airlinesgave two differentfinancialforecasts forhow it may perform this year,one if there’sarecession and one if not. The airline said it madethe unusual move to give twin forecasts because it believes it’s

“impossible to predict this year with any degree of confidence.”

United’sstock finished roughly flat even though it reported astronger profit forthe latest quarter than analysts expected.

Many investors are bracing fora possible recession because of Trump’stariffs, which he has said he hopes will bring manufacturingjobs back to theUnited States andtrim how much moreitimports from other countries than it exports.

Asurvey of global fund managers by Bank of America found expectationsfor recession are at the fourth-highest levelinthe last 20 years.

One U.S. companythatmoves products around thecontinent, J.B. HuntTransport Services, tumbled7.7%for oneofWall Street’ssharper losses, even though it reported slightly stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Tariffs could also drive up inflation, at least temporarily,bypushing U.S.importers to pass alongthe higher costs to their customers.

Lafayette-basedDupré Logisticsacquired

Transportation companyhas over 700trucks

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

Dupré Logistics, aLafayettebasedtransportation company with apresence across theGulf Coast, has been acquired by aNew York-based investment firm Stonepeak, which specializing in infrastructure and real assets, announced apartnership on Wednesday with Dupré Logistics, headquartered at 201 Energy Parkway.Terms of thedeal were

not disclosed. Reggie Dupré, whofoundedthe company 45 yearsago and was later CEO as well as boardchairman, will remainwith thecompany as a board member. Chris Sower,who has more than 25 years in thesupply chain logistics industry,was named interim chief executiveofficertosucceed former CEO Mike Weindel. Dupré servesa broad range of industrieswith more than 700 trucks and 1,000 professional drivers. Stonepeak, which has offices around the world, has $72 billion

of assets. It providescapital and operationalsupport to grow investmentsindigital infrastructure, energy and energy transition, transport and logistics and real estate.

“Over the last 40 years, Dupré has established an impressive footprint, becoming an integral part of the supply chain in the SunBelt,” Stonepeak managing director Graham Brownsaid. “We believe that Dupré will be agreat complement to our growing transportation and logistics portfolio and look forward to working handin-hand with Reggie, Chris, and the Dupréteam to take the company to thenext level.” Said Dupré: “Weare thrilled to have found Stonepeak and en-

ter this new era alongside such a strong partner.Their proven track record, investment strategy and alignment with our core values makethem the perfect partner as Dupré continues to expand.” Dupré has garnered awards in the transportation industry, includingtwo first-placeSafety Awards from the Louisiana Motor Transport Association last year

The companyhas annualrevenue estimated at more than $300 million.

G2 CapitalAdvisors facilitated the transaction as adviser to the seller

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ theadvocate.com.

Powell

Dupré

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByRICHARD DREW

Specialist Gennaro Saporito works Wednesdayonthe floor of the Newyork Stock Exchange.

Authorities look for motive in arson

Pennsylvania governor’s residence targeted

BY MARK SCOLFORO and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

HERSHEY, Pa. — Authorities investigating why a man set fire to Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro’s official residence are probing whether the suspect was motivated by the Democrat’s Jewish faith or positions on Israel’s war in Gaza.

Police have said that Cody Balmer of Harrisburg, harbored hatred toward Shapiro. Several search warrants released Wednesday offer the first details about a potential motive for the arson attack early Sunday in a room where only hours earlier Shapiro and his fam-

ily celebrated Passover with members of the Jewish community Balmer called 911 less than an hour after the fire erupted, promised a confession and talked about Palestinians being killed, police wrote in search warrants

Exactly what the man was trying to say and who he was referencing isn’t clear from the partial quotations included in the search warrants Police quoted Balmer as saying “our people have been put through too much by that monster,” and that Shapiro “needs to know that he will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.”

During a police interview after turning himself in, Balmer “admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro,” according to a police affidavit that did not expand on that point. Police

obtained search warrants for Balmer’s electronic devices and a storage locker seeking any writings or notes that contain “the name of Josh Shapiro (or a) reference to Palestine, Gaza, Israel or the current conflict in Gaza.”

Shapiro declined to talk about a motive on Wednesday, saying prosecutors will ultimately determine what prompted the attack. “It’s not for me to answer that,” he said.

The governor has been publicly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the nature of Israel’s military action in Gaza, but also has backed Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas. Balmer 38, had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder but didn’t believe the assessment, his brother, Dan Balmer, told The Associated Press.

Police: Student opens fire at Texas school, injuring 4

BY JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press

DALLAS The student ac-

mained hospitalized for observation but were expected to recover, the Dallas Fire-Recue Department said.

BY BRIAN MELLEY, JILL LAWLESS and SYLVIA HUI Associated Press

LONDON The U.K. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a woman is someone born biologically female, excluding transgender people from the legal definition in a long-running dispute between a feminist group and the Scottish government.

The court said the unanimous ruling shouldn’t be seen as victory by one side, but several women’s groups that supported the appeal celebrated outside court and

hailed it as a major win in their effort to protect spaces designated for women.

“Everyone knows what sex is and you can’t change it,” said Susan Smith, co-director of For Women Scotland, which brought the case. “It’s common sense, basic common sense, and the fact that we have been down a rabbit hole where people have tried to deny science and to deny reality, and hopefully this will now see us back to reality.”

Five judges ruled that the U.K. Equality Act means trans women can be excluded

from some groups and singlesex spaces such as changing rooms, homeless shelters, swimming areas and medical or counseling services provided only to women.

The court said the ruling did not remove rights for trans people still protected from discrimination under U.K. law But it said certain protections should apply only to biological females and not transgender women.

The ruling brings some clarity in the U.K. to an issue that has polarized politics in some other countries, particularly the United States.

cused of injuring four in a shooting at a Dallas high school was let into the building through an unsecured door and then walked down a hallway toward a group of students, opening fire on them and then appearing to take a point-blank shot at one, according to an arrest warrant released Wednesday

The 17-year-old suspect was being held in Dallas County jail on Wednesday on a charge of aggravated assault mass shooting. He was taken into custody several hours after the shooting, which happened just after 1 p.m. on Tuesday at Wilmer-Hutchins High School.

Four male students were injured in the shooting and taken to hospitals, according to authorities. By Wednesday, two had been discharged and two re-

Three of those injured were between the ages of 15 to 18 and were shot, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue. A fourth person whose age was unknown had an injury that Dallas Fire-Rescue said could only be identified as a “musculoskeletal injury” to the lower body Dallas Fire-Rescue said Wednesday that a fifth person — a 14-year-old female — was later taken to the hospital for anxiety-related symptoms. She had not been shot.

The shooting drew a large number of police and other law enforcement agents to the roughly 1,000-student campus.

School surveillance camera footage showed that an unidentified student let the suspect in through an unsecured door prior to the shooting, according to the

arrest warrant. The arrest warrant said that after spotting the group of students in the hallway he displayed a firearm and began firing “indiscriminately” before approaching a student who was not able to run and walking toward that student and appearing to take a point-blank shot.

Christina Smith, assistant police chief for the Dallas Independent School District, said during a Tuesday news conference that she did not have any information on what led to the shooting.

Smith said the gun didn’t come into the school during “regular intake time.” She said “it was not a failure of our staff, of our protocols, or of the machinery that we have.” But she said she could not elaborate on that. Dallas school district officials did not immediately respond to an email or call from The Associated Press seeking additional information on Wednesday

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIO CORTEZ

Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde, left, speaks Tuesday with law enforcement outside Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas.

Cuts threaten Children’s Advocacy Centers

Agencies

could lose $1.2M, La. director says

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Louisiana’s Children’s Advocacy Centers, which serve children who are victims of abuse or human trafficking or who have witnessed violent crimes, are facing a $1.2 million budget cut that their leaders say could force them to close their doors or lay off staff if the state government doesn’t help

Walker police face excessive force suit

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

A Walker couple claims that after they called 911 upon finding their son unresponsive in a pool, police used excessive force, including a Taser, and unlawfully arrested the husband.

Eric and Sarah Courtney filed a lawsuit earlier this month over an incident with the Walker police last April.

On an early morning in April 2024, Sarah Courtney and her husband, Eric, found their young son Issac’s “lifeless body” floating in their swimming pool. They immediately called 911 and several officers arrived.

One officer left and took Issac with him to a nearby hospital — causing Eric Courtney to believe his son had died, the lawsuit says. Officer Blake Cavalier then reportedly ordered Eric Courtney to the front of the house and asked for identification, according to the lawsuit. Eric Courtney was distraught, believing his son died, and when he did not respond in a manner appropriate to Cavalier, the officer became hostile, according to the legal filing. Cavalier told him to sit down, and when he did not immediately comply, Cavalier “grabbed Mr Courtney’s shoulder with a shoulder lock maneuver throwing him to the ground,” the lawsuit says. Other officers came to assist Cavalier and kneeled on top of Eric Courtney, the lawsuit alleges.

“It is alleged on information and belief that Officer Cavalier falsely communicated to the officers that he had been assaulted by Mr Courtney — and that Mr Courtney needed to be subdued,” the lawsuit said. The lawsuit claims officers then handcuffed Eric Courtney and struck him repeatedly with their knees. An unidentified officer then extracted his Taser, the Courtneys claim.

“Do not TASE him,” the lawsuit quotes Sarah Courtney, who was standing nearby, as saying

The officer fired the device at Eric Courtney as he was lying face down on the ground in handcuffs, the lawsuit alleges.

Officers transported Eric Courtney to the Livingston Parish Detention Center where the Courtneys claim he was stripped and placed in a cell. A guard told him he was there “because he refused medical treatment,” the lawsuit states Eric Courtney claims that while he was in the cell, he was told his son had a pulse and was going to live, which was the first time he learned that his son was alive. After his release, Eric Courtney needed medical treatment for a fractured rib, multiple abrasions and contusions, the lawsuit says. He faces criminal charges of resisting arrest by force, battery on Cavalier and damage to a police car The Courtneys sued Cavalier,

“We have several centers who are definitely facing some difficult decisions to, like I said, to keep the doors open or, of course, to keep staff,” Krystle Mitchell executive director of the Louisiana Alliance of Children’s Advocacy Centers, or LACAC, told the House Appropriations Committee. “I would say the majority of that allocation would go to the salaries at the CACs (Children’s Advocacy Centers).”

Mitchell asked the committee to add $1.5 million to the budget for the centers. Gov Jeff Landry’s office had already included an initial $1.5 million in its proposed executive budget, she said, and the second allocation would ensure CACs had at least $3 million from the

state The centers “provide not only the forensic interview, which is key for the prosecution, they also provide victim advocacy services, mental health services as well as the multi-disciplinary approach to child abuse cases,” Mitchell said. In 2023, centers statewide served 7,573 children, conducting 5,991 forensic interviews, according to the LACAC’s website. They also provided abuse prevention education

to over 14,000 children and over 47,000 adults, the website says.

CACs across the country receive funding from the federal Crime Victims Fund, which supports victim services, said Mitchell. The fund gets its money from federal criminal fines, penalties and forfeited bail bonds, according to the federal Office for Victims of Crime. The fund began to decline with

Five-month-old jaguar cub Lacumba III explores her exhibit recently at the Baton Rouge Zoo. Born in December, Lacumba III is the first jaguar birth at the zoo since the late 1990s and the first in the Jaguar Species Survival Plan since April 2023

NEW PROWLER

Union action could disrupt Central, Zachary schools

Bus drivers seeking safe workplace, official says

BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer

Just a few months after unionizing, privately employed school bus drivers in Central and Zachary have voted to take an unspecified “job action” which, if not resolved, could disrupt school operations for the 10,000plus children who attend public schools in those communities. School bus giant First Student Inc. employs drivers and other

transportation workers, who now are part of Amalgamated Transit Union, ATU, Local 1546.

“First Student has continuously downplayed our members’ contributions and ignored their safety,” George DeCuir, president of Local 1546, said Wednesday in a news release. “Our members are deeply hurt and disappointed to be forced into this situation, but they are no longer willing to work under these unsafe and demeaning conditions.” The release did not say when or what kind of job action is contemplated, but it said that in order to avoid “further disruption,” First

La. Supreme Court denies appeal in Painter case

Suit stems from race for Ascension Parish president position

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

Following the Louisiana Supreme Court’s decision not to consider an appeal in a long-running lawsuit involving the Ascension Parish president, his attorney says the case against his client “is over.”

Filed in 2020, the lawsuit stemmed from the 2019 parish president race between

Murphy Painter and Clint Cointment, who won the race. Painter alleged Cointment and others conspired to publish misleading quotes from a secret recording to undermine his campaign.

In late 2023, Judge Ad Hoc Ashly Bruce Simpson dismissed Cointment from the case “with prejudice.” The 1st Circuit Court of Appeal upheld that verdict 3-0 in late December And on Tuesday the state Supreme Court stated it would not consider an application to consider the judgment on procedural grounds, as it was not

STAFF PHOTOS By HILARy SCHEINUK

Lacumba III’s mom, Jenny, keeps a close watch.

Police: 2 accused in reporter’s death sought to drug, rob men

New details revealed in court testimony

BY JOSEPH CRANNEY Staff writer

Two people accused by Jefferson Parish authorities in the Super Bowl week death of a Kansas City reporter had been scheming with other women to drug and rob men, a Kenner police detective told a judge Wednesday, using alcohol and Xanax as a “knock out” punch before making off with cash,

phones, jewelry and other property

Detectives obtained a trove of text messages between suspects Danette Colbert and Rickey White, which police said show a trail of incidents similar to 27-year-old Adan Manzano’s death in a Kenner hotel room in February, which they believe was unintentional. Manzano was a Telemundo reporter and a father of one After a night of drinking with Colbert, Manzano’s body was found at the Comfort Suites on Feb. 5, four days before the Super Bowl at the Superdome.

Mother arrested after infant’s death

19-year-old faces murder count

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

A mother in New Roads was arrested in connection with the death of her infant son on Monday

Ke’iondra Butler 19, was booked into the Point Coupee Parish Detention Center on one count each of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

Officers with the New Roads Police Department responded Monday morning to a medical call about an unresponsive infant at a residence on Pennsylvania Street. According to Pointe Coupee Parish District Attorney Tony Clayton, the baby had blood around his mouth and nostrils at the time of death. The infant was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Clayton said Butler’s story about the circum-

WALKER

Continued from page 1B

the city of Walker and Walker Police Chief David Addison, claiming unlawful detention, unreasonable seizure, excessive force and false arrest. Walker City attorney

Continued from page 1B

Student and leaders of the two school districts need to “engage in meaningful dialogue and act responsibly.” When reached Wednesday, the superintendents of Central and Zachary said they had not heard about the union vote, but they planned to reach out to their First Student counterparts to learn more. Jen Biddinger, a spokeswoman for First Student, said having a safe workplace is “of the utmost importance to us” and that the company has reviewed “every safety concern presented by the union and shared our findings with them.” The discussions are part of an ongoing meeting with the union to develop a collective bargaining agreement.

“First Student remains committed to reaching a mutually beneficial labor agreement with ATU Local 1546 as soon as possible, ensuring school bus transportation continues uninterrupted for the families we serve,” Biddinger said. In the release, Decuir said members “voted overwhelmingly” in support of the job action and did so mainly because of “inhuman and unsafe” working conditions and job duties for First Stu-

Surveillance footage showed that Manzano and Colbert were out on Bourbon Street the night before, and captured the pair in the hotel lobby before they went to Manzano’s room.

Kenner Police Detective Jeffrey Fitzmorris said Wednesday that Colbert and other women prowled New Orleans nightlife hot spots to target men they could ply with drugs and alcohol.

The group referred to Xanax as “knock out,” abbreviated in text messages as “KO.” White provided transportation, helped

draw cash from the stolen credit cards or move other stolen property, Fitzmorris said.

In one text to White, which Fitzmorris said was related to a different case, Colbert wrote, “Got the phone code. Give me a min He got money in here and I’m waiting for him to sleep. About to check the ATM then to you.”

At the conclusion of Wednesday’s hearing, Jefferson Parish Criminal Commissioner David Wolff ordered that Colbert, 49 of Slidell, and White, 34 of Harvey, continue to be held

without bail. The pair are booked on a range of charges including second-degree murder, robbery and fraud.

Attorneys for the pair didn’t return messages seeking comment.

White’s attorneys said during Wednesday’s hearing that White was out of the state when Manzano died, according to WDSU.

Jefferson Parish Assistant District Attorney Michael Morales told Wolff that investigators have yet to obtain proof that Colbert gave Manzano drugs, but that there was “loads of circumstantial evidence

Body found in homeless camp

against her.” Earlier toxicology reports showed Manzano had the depressant benzodiazepine in his system, a class of drugs that includes the generic version of Xanax. Colbert and White also exchanged 30 phone calls on the day of Manzano’s death, authorities said. “The arrest warrant is replete with text message after text message stating her intentions were to drug individuals to obtain their money,” Morales said, adding that unintentionally killing someone during the commission of a robbery is homicide.

CUTS

Continued from page 1B

stances of her child’s death was inconsistent in her conversations with police In addition to the bleeding, older welts could be seen on the child’s skin, Clayton said.

An autopsy is underway Clayton said he is looking for signs of other abuse from the autopsy results, such as possible blunt force trauma to the head or malnutrition

“Cases like these are tough,” he said. To prove that any negligent care is worthy of a homicide charge, prosecutors would have to show that incidents of violence led causally to the child’s death. A lesser charge of criminal negligence is possible if that level isn’t reached

Butler has another 2-year-old child, who has been transferred into the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services.

Email Quinn Coffman at quinn.coffman@ theadvocate.com

Robert King said he could not comment on pending litigation. Walker Police spokesperson John Sharpe said Friday he had no knowledge of the police employees receiving the lawsuit

Email Claire Grunewald at claire.grunewald@ theadvocate.com

dent workers that include:

n Operating buses that are out of compliance with federal safety standards.

n Operating buses with broken air conditioning and heating.

n Having to clean up “bodily fluids” left by students and doing so without proper personal protection equipment

n Handling diesel exhaust fluid without proper training or protections.

“We are very sorry for the impact this will have on students and families, but our members can no longer, in good conscience, operate under conditions that jeopardize their health and the safety of the children they transport,” DeCuir said.

Both Central and Zachary go on Easter break starting Friday, and students won’t return to school until April 28. First Student workers in Central and Zachary about 350 of them — voted last year to join ATU Local 1546; the union is based in suburban Washington, D.C. Also joining the union then were workers who provided bus service for a handful of charter schools: Great Hearts Harveston, South Baton Rouge Charter Academy, Lanier Elementary, Dalton Elementary and Prescott Academy.

Email Charles Lussier at clussier@ theadvocate.com

Health department planned cleanup of N.O. area

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

A body was discovered in a homeless encampment Wednesday morning in the Treme/Lafitte neighborhood ahead of a planned cleanup of the area.

City Council Member Eugene Green said the body was discovered by a health department employee. Green did not identify the person who died, but said he was homeless and had been previously contacted by service providers.

Green was participating in the cleanup at the site next to the Lafitte Greenway, which is in his District D. He said neighbors have complained about illegal dumping and trash buildup.

City departments had partnered for the clean-

up, but did not plan to remove people staying there, according to WWL-Louisiana.

Green said areas identified as encampments and dumping sites are cleaned up regularly in the interest of neighbors, as well as people who sleep there. It’s typical for a representative from the Health Department or Department of Homeless Services and Strategy to reach out to people staying there

Crime scene investigators were also at the scene, and the cleanup was canceled after the body was found.

“I want to encourage anyone who is unhoused, or any advocate to recognize that living on the streets of New Orleans or any city is dangerous,” Green said.

“I want them to find a way to ask more for resources and take advantage of the spaces that are available.”

Green said a shelter is always safer than sleeping on the street, and the city could do more to encourage people to go inside.

The city has been working to build more shelter space to address a “longstanding shortage of beds available for homeless people,” including plans to build a 65-bed city-run shelter in Mid-City

The apartment-style shelter would be the first of its kind in the city, and advocates say it is a better option for those with mental illness who may struggle with close quarters.

Advocates have said policies enforced by most shelters, such as sobriety requirements, strict curfews and gender restrictions, can deter some from staying.

“No matter the conditions that are indoors, they are always better than living outdoors. We can do everything possible and we can do more to make people feel comfortable, but we have to start off with this argument and it has to be an absolute argument,” Green said.

Email Marco Cartolano at Marco.Cartolano@ theadvocate.com.

Teens charged in parade shooting

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Three teenagers were indicted on charges of attempted second-degree murder Wednesday in connection with a shooting after the 2024 Baton Rouge Christmas Parade. Treyvon Collins, 18; Christopher King, 15; and Eddie Monroe, 17, were each indicted by the grand jury of East Baton Rouge Parish on charges of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.

Collins also was charged with illegal use of a firearm while committing a crime.

COURT

Continued from page 1B

filed timely Louisiana law gives 30 days for an application to be filed.

Painter’s attorney, Kim La nd ry , wrote in an email that she plans to file a request for rehearing after she couldn’t log into her account with the Clerk of Court’s Office. She attempted to file it after normal business hours but before midnight on the due date, but had to get IT department help from the Clerk of Court’s Office the next day, she added.

“The inability to log into the account was of no fault of the Applicant,” Landry wrote. “And the denial of the Court to consider the Application does not ad-

Authorities say the three were involved in a shooting that took place on the levee in downtown Baton Rouge on Dec. 14, 2024, during the Christmas Parade.

According to a previous arrest warrant, three suspects were seen on video surveillance at a nearby store before the shooting. Outside the store, one of the suspects allegedly brandished a firearm while aggressively speaking with another male.

The argument escalated into violence, and the suspects fired on another group of young people before fleeing, according to the war-

dress the merits of the case.”

In a statement to The Advocate, Cointment’s attorney, Tim Pujol, said the rejected application ended the case specifically against his client.

“The District Court, First Circuit Appellate Court and now the Louisiana Supreme Court have found that there is no evidence that Mr Cointment had anything to do with the taping of Painter or the editing or publication of that tape,” he wrote Portions remain pending Painter, a former Ascension chief sheriff’s deputy and former commissioner of the state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, also accused Dustin Clouatre; Clouatre’s employer, Hughes Insurance; The Pelican Post and its editor, Wade Petite; and District Attorney Ricky Babin of collaborating with Cointment.

Judge Simpson dismissed claims against Babin in 2021 and granted a motion to dismiss the case against Hughes Insurance last year.

According to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal’s

rant. One woman suffered a nonlethal bullet wound to her back during the gunfire. As the parade crowd fled at the sound of gunfire, someone riding an ATV hit and injured another person.

According to a Baton Rouge Police Department news release from January, King was previously arrested in 2024 on a count of firstdegree murder

The three teenagers’ next court appearance will be on May 22.

Email Quinn Coffman at quinn.coffman@ theadvocate.com.

decision in December, Painter alleged Clouatre secretly recorded him in 2019 and sent the recording to Petite, who published it online in an opinion piece that implied the cover-up of five child rapes.

“According to Painter, the purpose of the conspiracy was to get him to withdraw from the election so that Cointment would be elected unopposed and Clouatre’s employer Hughes Insurance Services, L.L.C., would be awarded the parish insurance business by Cointment,” the Dec. 30 decision stated.

Cointment testified in a deposition that he was “never involved in any conspiracy with anyone to defame Painter,” the decision said.

The case against Clouatre, Petite and The Pelican Post remains pending.

Petite did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Clouatre’s attorney Scott Kaiser was out of the office.

Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher cartwright@theadvocate. com.

the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which slowed federal cases said Mitchell. Since then, the fund has continued to be depleted, and CACs have faced multiple years of cuts, she said. This year the cuts are especially deep for Louisiana CACs, according to Mitchell: between 50% and 68%. Collectively, the cuts total $1.2 million, she said.

During Tuesday’s appropriations meeting, a member of the governor’s staff vouched for the CACs: Monica Taylor, director of human trafficking prevention for the Governor’s Office She called the work the CACs do a “method of crime prevention.”

“If someone can get help for the abuses and the things that have been done to them, they are less likely to end up in our criminal justice system, number one,” Taylor said. “And number two, we have found through child advocacy centers, domestic violence centers and sexual assault centers that the longer a victim has advocacy services, the longer they will stay engaged in the criminal justice system and prosecute their perpetrators.”

“That’s why some of this funding is so important,” she added.

State Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee and plays a key role in creating the budget, said in a statement that he was “encouraged to do everything possible” to backfill the $1.2 million.

“This is another example of the effects of a reduction by the federal government,” he said.

Landry has attempted to create a “standstill” budget for next year, keeping spending levels from state coffers as similar as possible to the current year’s budget.

But that could prove difficult as Louisiana expects to lose money through federal cuts administered by the Trump administration, which has promised to slash what it calls wasteful and inefficient government functions.

The Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire Elon Musk, lists at least $133 million in cuts to organizations in Louisiana, though the accuracy of the agency’s figures has been questioned.

The cuts are expected to hit the Louisiana Department of Health, which administers the state’s Medicaid program, the hardest. This month, state health officials said they anticipate losing up to $86 million from eight federal grants set to be eliminated by the Trump administration.

Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

Rougeand agraduateof Central High School passedawayApril 13,2025 VisitationatCharlet Fu‐neral Home,Zachary,LA Saturday, April19, 2025, 11 am– 2pmwithservicesto follow. Internment at a later date.For more infor‐mation, please seewww charletfuneralhome.com.

on December 8, 1933 in Budapest, Hungary. Judywas amedical student in Budapest when she escaped communist Hungary with her fiancé and her in-laws to be.She married Paul Sam Roheim, MD of Kiskunhalas, Hungary,on January16, 1957, in Vienna, Austria. After immigrating to NewYork City, she finishedher medical schooling at DownstateUniversity CollegeofMedicine in Brooklyn, NY in 1961, specializing in psychiatry. She livedinPhiladelphia and NewYork City. The couple settled in NewOrleans, LA in 1978, where she was head of thePsychiatricDepartment at Ochsner Medical Center. She worked for Ochsner for 31 years, retiring at 80 years old. After Hurricane Katrina, she and Paul moved to Baton Rouge to be close to their nephew, Steven. Judywas amember of Hadassah, theJewishFederation of Great Baton Rouge and various medical organizations. She worshiped at Beth ShalomSynagogue (Unified Jewish Congregation of Baton Rouge). Judy

was afrequent lecturer at schoolsand church in BatonRouge and NewOrleans aboutthe Holocaust and her experiences in Budapest as ayoung teenager in theBudapest Ghetto during WorldWar II.Because she was blonde and she could assimilate,she would removeher required Jewish Star of David and escapetoget food to bring back to her family in the ghetto. Her escapefrom communist Hungary with her future husband and inlaws showed her steadfast love of her life,Paul. They heldhandsuntil thevery end of Paul's life.Until recently,she continued lecturing on theHolocaust, saying it (lecturing) has to be done to remind people that what happened could happenagain. Judyispreceded in death by thelove of herlife,Dr. Paul Sam Roheim; mother, IbiUlmer; father, Lexi Markovits; son Dr. John Roheim; and aunt, Martha Simonyi. She will especially be missed by her longtime caretaker, Paul's nephew, Steven Paroczay. She is survived by her grandchildren, Noah

andAlliRoheim. Agravesideservice will be held Thursday, April 17, 2025 at the Jewish Liberal Cemetery, Baton Rouge,at12 p.m. We wouldliketo thank thenursing home staff of the2nd floor of the Wellness Center at St JamesPlace for their excellentcare as well as the Hospice of Baton Rouge Memorial donations in Dr Roheim's name canbe made to Hadassah https:// www.hadassah.org, the Jewish Federation of Greater Baton Rouge https://wwwjewishbr.org, or Friends of theAnimals of Baton Rouge https://www.fotabr.org. Please share your condolences at www.sealefuneral.com.

LSU gymnastics againreaches forthe high bar

As LSU gymnasts makea run fora repeat in thenational championships in Fort Worth, Texas, at the NCAA meet,whichstarts today, we must take time to praise thesolidarity of this team.

Last year,when the teamwon itsfirst gymnastics national championships in school history,the odds were thatitwould beafavorite this year.After all, several of thesuperstarsof the 2024 championship season returnedfor an encore. They include HaleighBryant, Sierra Ballard, Chase Brock, Aleah Finnegan,Konnor McClain, Alyona Shchennikovaand Olivia Dunne. And the team added promising newcomers, including freshman Kailin Chio,who had a standout seasononvault and wasnamed SEC Freshman of the Year

Yetthe only thing harder in sports than getting to the top of the mountain is staying there. This season, LSU gymnastsshowedtheywere up for the challenge. Despiteafew hiccups, including an upset loss to Arkansas in January that coach Jay Clark called “growing pains,” the team managed to stay focused.Wemust add here that Clark and his team havebeen outstandinginbuilding this program, andwe’re glad LSU can keep such talent despite efforts to lure him away Clark called on the teamtostepupits mental toughness, and it responded.Onits waytothe NCAA championships, LSU was able to plow down thecompetition andhas not losta meet since Jan. 24.

It entered the tournament as theNo. 1seed, winningregionals with itshighestscore ever However,the semifinal field featureseight teams, each with astrongshot at the title.Some have along gymnastics pedigree, like Oklahoma, which won the two previousNCAA championships before LSU derailed its three-peat chances in athriller lastyear.Some arehungry forredemption, includinga UCLA team that hasn’twon atitle since the2003-24 season but is led by Olympian Jordan Chiles. Aftertoday’s competition, the top two teamsineach semifinal will compete in the finals on Saturday.

In addition to the team competition,LSU gymnastics is also highly favored forsome individualawards. Bryant,who wonthe SEC allaround title in March, will belookingtodefend theNCAAall-around title shewon last year Safe to say, we expect there will be fireworks at Dickies Arena for the nextfew days.All eyes will be on LSU gymnasts as so many seniors are looking to end their collegecareer on ahigh note. Whatever happens, we say they’re already winners. Their success hasnodoubt been abig reason for the increasing crowds at women’s gymnastics events around thecountry andinterest in women’ssportsingeneral. When we look at this team, we see thekind of camaraderie and dedicationthat we know will lead them to succeed in whatever the futureholds.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

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GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

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OPINION

Localclergycalledontolead outreach to ICEdetainees

Twointernational studentsinthe U.S., one with agreen card and another on avisa, have now been arrested in or near their homes in New York and Massachusetts. They are being detained in Louisiana while awaiting deportation for having protested or signed editorials concerning the turbulent situation in the Middle East. As an American citizen, Iamoutraged. Ienjoy aconstitutional right to freedom of expression and believe that thisright extends to those who visit and otherwise reside in our country.As aChristian, Iamalso outraged. Christ instructs his followerstogive refuge to therefugee and to care for all those who are in distress, regardless of whether we identify them as friends or enemies News reports suggest that federal authorities in Louisiana are denying thetwo detained students visits with family,friends and lawyers.This kind of isolation must be terrifying. Websites for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sites in our

state, however,all indicate that “clergy may visit detainees at anytime,” by prior arrangement with theoffice of thechaplain or religiouscoordinator at each site. Most of the ICEfacility websites give telephone numbers for theseoffices Iurgelocal clergyofwhatever denomination to contact these offices and to meet regularly with these detaineesina spirit of charity.Archbishop Gregory Aymondhas in the past made clear public statements on behalf of immigrants and refugees, reminding local Catholics that Christ mandates our welcome and protection of them. I urge him especially,inanecumenical spirit,toreach out to faith leaders in thedetainees’ own religious traditions and to encourage them to visit the detainees. By providing spiritual comfort and reassurance, clergy will remind ICE officials and the general public of the detainees’ essential humanity MICHAEL P. KUCZYNSKI NewOrleans

The focus of improved highways in Louisianashould be on reform of the stateLegislature and its ties to thecontracting organizations, material suppliers and other special interest organizationswho provide campaign contributionsand other goodies to members of theLegislature. That, along with inadequate funding, are the real problems that prevent theDepartment of Transportation and Development from carrying out the highway priorityprogram that is based on professional studiesand allocation of available funding It is tragic that so-called “reform” is being based on astudy that was paid for by ahighway advocacy organization,which lobbies forincreased highway program funding.Ofcourse, there are needs for improvement at DOTD, but it needs to be based on solid facts and not on political considerations.

To err is human, but to refuse to amend is ashame: the Trumpadministration has admitted that it deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an American citizen, to El Salvador because of an “administrative error,” but that it is now beyond their power to correct their error and bring him back. If theadministration is unable to retrieve him, it is an embarrassment; if unwilling, it is an unconscionable

KENNETH A. PERRET Baton Rouge

failure and unpardonable sin.

It is not histrionic to fear that the Trumpadministration may use this excuse of error in future deportations if it pays no political price forthis one. What use are our legal protections, then, if this administration can arrest us, ship us off and declare, “Oh well, what’sdone is done?”

ZACHARYMcGAR St. George

There is agroup mindset permeating today’ssociety that sets a dangerous precedent. These individuals have taken it upon themselves to decide what behavior society should follow.Ifyou don’t behave as they have determined you should, they feel they have the right to be violent, attack you and/ or destroy your property All this is done in the nameof righteousness —they are always right, and you don’tunderstand what is right. They believe their behavior entitles them to infringe on your rights. Few reasons justifyany group destroying your property and your rights. The justification is centered on Elon Musk aligning himself with Donald Trump, making Elon their opponent. So evil! These individuals must be held accountable forthe damage and danger they pose. Many are paid agitators and are evil themselves. There is no reason to justifythis behavior.It’scriminal. We have the right to disagree, but not the right to attack or destroy personal property.Both deserve jail time. Liberal media and government leaders seemingly justifythis behavior and, in manycases, openly encourage it.

I’mnot optimistic that this situation will quickly be remedied. Hate is tough to overcome, especially when it’spaid to take place and is deeply ingrained in closed minds. The combination is lethal and perpetual.

My first presidential administration (JFK)asavoter began astudy of how the government behaved. Over the years, I’ve witnessed how socialist/communist ideals have permeated the thinking of liberal leftists. They believe the ends justify the means—a dominant communist belief that never produces good results.

My college history professor, Dr.Joe Grey Taylor,warned about this takeover in 1961. What foresight from this brilliant man

The English say,“God save the Queen.” It’s timeAmericans say, “God save America.”

BILLYARCEMENT Prairieville

ON THERECORD

LOUISIANAAGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER MIKESTRAIN

‘Everybody’s gottoeat’

Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain sat down with columnists Faimon Roberts and Stephanie Grace recently to talkabout farmers, tariffs, the economy and other topics affecting the industry today.This conversation has been edited for length and clarity

Roberts: What do you see as the biggest challenges to agriculture in the upcoming year?

Strain: The biggest challenge right now is the low commodityprices, and we’re working desperately to get that up. Now,you wouldn’tthink that when you go to the grocery to buy food products, that there’sa huge disconnect between what the farmer gets and what is going on at retail.

We’re at the end of the season, when you would expect the prices to be higher.And if you look at theprice of soybeans, they’ve been hovering at or below $10 or so. If you look at rice, $13, $14, that’sjust too low.And so for many of our farmers, if thecommodities prices do not riseacross America, then they’re going to have big issues going intonext year on getting crop loans.

Grace: So we’re seeing high grocery prices —everyone’s talking about this —but lowcommodity prices. Where the disconnect?

Strain: The disconnect is the fact that inflation pressures supply and demand, and the increased cost due to inflation from the point of processing forward is being borne by the consumer From that point on, different entities set the price and the farmer is basically told: This is what you’re going to get. There’salso the disruption in the worldwide economy,worldwidemarket issues dealing with the value of the American dollar versus foreign currency.It’s making it harder for us toexport and cheaper for us to import, which adversely affects the price of our commodities, because our commodities are sold in dollars. And since the dollar is much stronger than the euro, the pound, the yen and yuan, it is much more difficult for us toexport. Forty percent of the value of these commodities is based on the export market. So across the board, we import in all goods and commodities over atrillion dollarsmore than we export in the United States. The imbalance of trade agriculturally is going to be between $45 and $55 billion.

Grace: Do tariffshelp?

Strain: So you have to look on amacroeconomics level with tariffs, and also look at what tariffs can do. And with tariffs, the problem is we are exporting money out and not importing money in through all of our products. This is putting astrain on our entire financial system, driving the imbalance in the currencies, andyou see it in the foreign currencies being driven down by the amount of dollars we’re putting into the foreign economies. We’ve got to move more goods offshore. If you look at our soybeancrop, athird or more of our entire crop has to be exported. We’re the largest exporter of food in the world, twice thesize of Ukraine.

And we have got to move those markets, increase supply going out and get abetter,amore favorabledollar

ExportingLouisiana products

Roberts: We’ve seen news stories about the cuts to USAID harming Louisiana and other farming

state’sexports. What impact are those having?

Strain: That’sgoing to be remain to be seen. If you look specifically at rice withUSAID, between Louisiana and Arkansas, we’re the two largest producers. Fifty percent of the rice crop is shipped outside the country.If you look at USAID, 5% to 10% of the entire rice crop that is shipped out is for food aid. So if youtake 10% of 50%, that’s 5% of the total rice crop that’s shipped out for food aid.

Thebottom line is that the world’shungry,and there are a lotof parts of the world that are not getting adequate nutrition. If you take the islandofCuba, the average Cuban is 250 to 275 calories short per day,everyday, and that’s happening across the world.

Oncethesemonetary things are corrected, Ithink you’regonna see agreater demand for the products we have. The bottom line is thatweare continuing to consume more across the world thanwe’re producing, we’re eating into inventories, but at some point the inventory is going to get too tight, and that’s going to cause —hopefully not arapid rise in commodity prices —but it is going to cause ariseincommodity prices.

Grace: Ithink I’m hearing you say thatyou think that these aid programs should continue. Is thatright?

Strain: Well, Imean, Iguessfor the sake of the farmers and also forthe people who are receiving food, which is the greatest form of diplomacy

We need to look in these programs to find out where the waste, fraud and abuse are and clean that up, period. Now,with thatbeing said, wherever we can feed those thatare starving, we need to do that —but we’ve got to look at where the money is really going.

Grace: Have you seen diversions?

Strain: Ihaven’t,because most of that’shandled federally Roberts: What are you hearing from rice farmers?

Strain: They’realittlenervous right now,because no one knows exactly what’s goingtohappen. Normally,most of the rice is going into the ground by Valen-

tine’sDay.Soyou’re seeing the rice being planted. We got to plant therice so we can have the crawfish, right?And so thefarmers, they’re gonnaplant,and then we’re gonna work really hard to try to get good commodity prices

Roberts: What aresome markets that are outtherethat you think we should be getting into?

Strain: Pacific Rim, looking at India specifically,and maybe South America, Mexico as well. We’re shipping alot of rice to Cuba.

Roberts: In thelast few years, we’ve seen sort of an unprecedented runofweather events in Louisiana.

Strain: Ag commissioners recognizethat we live with the climate changing, and it’simperative upon us to start looking ahead and be better prepared. We know that plant pests anddiseasecan generally be foundalatitude further north than 10 yearsago. And we’re recognizing that we need to try to be prepared and start looking ahead.

Waitingonthe Farm Bill

Roberts: What impact has thedelay in theFarm Bill had in Louisiana, and what you would like to see in anew Farm Bill?

Strain: I’mthinking thenew Farm Bill, we’re going to have to make sure we have adequate and consistentfarming funding for theforeign ag service so that we can do theoutreach and get into themarkets. We need to make sure that we are stepping up on research to deal withany emerging diseases that may be there. We also need to makesurethat crop insurance is adequate and thereference prices are correct. Don’tput all these programs in and have reference prices that are 10 years out of date. Reference prices and yields, they need to be correct.

Grace: Will it be adifferent process because of the atmosphere up there than it hasbeen in the past?

Strain: Ithink alot of the legwork has been done. This thing should have been passed two yearsago, right?Sowhen it gets down to the bottom line, once it’s all written out, then you’re gonna have SNAPversus commodities.

Grace: SNAPhas become very politicized. Do you think SNAP

should be altered?

Strain: Well, whatIwould like to see is that we raise incomes up enough to where people don’t have to rely on it. No one in this country should ever go hungry Iwould like to seeittowhere people are earning their way off those programs.

Political evolution

Grace: Let’sshift alittle to state politics.Itseems from the outside that politicshas changed quiteabit over the periodyou’ve been in office. Howdoyou think it’s changed?

Strain: In my family,webelieve that of allthose things that God gives us,wegot to give back,and it’s in public service. So as you recall, Ireplacedmycousin in theLegislature,Big Bill Strain. He was there like 28 years. At that time, there were far fewer Republicans, there were more Democrats. But it wasa very, verycordial. Idon’t see it as being quiteascordialasitwas.

Grace: It’sbecome much more partisan

Strain: Andwealways talked about that we didn’twantitto become partisanbecause Iwork with all sides of the aisle, Democrats, Republican,even those independents. That’sjust my naturetodothat. My legislative instruments, Inever looked at when Iaskedthe author,Democrat or Republican,it’swho’sthe champion of thatissue

Grace: It seems like everything’s aparty-line vote these days.

Strain: Butnot in agriculture Everybody’sgot to eat. Their constituents buy groceries. Iget along fine with Troy Carter.He and Iare good friends. And Ican talktoTroyjust like I’m talking to Clay Higgins or Julia Letlow or any of them.

Grace: There have been controversies over how much former agricultural land has been taken up by solar farms. How has that affected the farmers in the state?

Strain: If youlose10,000 acres of sugar,you could lose amill. That’sabig deal.It(solar) needs to be on land of minimalfoodproducing value

Roberts: Ialso wantedtoask about the condition and the future of the timber industry in Louisiana.

Strain: Oneofthe issuesthat

we’re continuing to battle is the dumping of Canadiantimber on the American market. The Canadians dump softwoods on ourmarkets, depressing our markets.

And so overall, we have gotto getinterest ratesdownsowecan rebuild andstart building more houses. Do we need Canadian timberfor that? No, sir,wegot plenty.Wehavemassive amount of timber.

The otherthing thatweare doing is developing additional utilizationfor the timber.We have 15 million acres of farmed softwoods andabout 3.6 million acres of hardwoods. So that’s18.6 million acres.Like with Drax, where we mix hardwood and some soft wood. We send that to England andEurope, where they burn it forelectricity

Gettingshrimprules right

Grace: Before we wrap up, what should we be looking at coming from youinthe legislative session?

Strain: Ithink we will see some changesinthe wayseafood is dealtwith that, because it’svery complicated what we’re doing now.

We areinspecting imported seafood,but we areworking on a contract underCRT through the shrimp safety task force, along with wildlife andfisheries and the seafood promotion board and health andhospitals. So it’svery complicated.But Ican tell you we aretesting seafood, we are looking at labels. The shrimp industry is struggling to survive.Wehavereally gottoworktohelppromote Louisiana shrimp. If you go back to my first days in the Legislature, we had big shrimp boils. Now we have crawfishboils. We really pushedand promotedthe crawfish industry And nowthe crawfishindustry, it’s$250, $300 million ayear,but the shrimping industry is dying on the vine

What’sonthe menu has got to be what’sbeing served. Now, if youchoosetoserve foreign shrimp, that’sfine.You can’tsay thatit’sLouisiana shrimp when it’simported. Youcan’tdothat because consumer has aright to knowwhatthey’re eating and to be protected

STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK Agriculture Commissioner MikeStrain

Stephanie Grace Faimon Roberts

SPORTS

Kellypredictsquiet spring portal forLSU

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

When the transfer portalopened in December,LSU had to address needs throughout the roster. It was acriticalstretch for the football program, and coach Brian Kelly vowed the coaching staff would be aggressive.

LSU ended up signing 16 transfers, giving it one of the top classes in the country.And because of how much it got done at the time,

“I likeour roster right now.Itwouldn’t surprisemeifwedidn’thaveanybody in the portal on either side, leaving our programoradding.”

BRIANKELLy, LSU coach

Kelly strucka differenttonebeforethe transfer portal opened again Wednesday “I like our roster right now,” Kellysaid. “Itwouldn’tsurprise

me if we didn’thaveanybody in the portal on either side, either leaving our program or adding. If youasked me rightnow,I would be happy to take this roster right

into May on both sides of it.”

Although that indicates LSU won’tbeasactive in thespring portal window,Kelly acknowledged playerscould leave at any time from now until April25. LSU alsomay pursuetransfers if they fit positional needs and come at the right price.

“If something shows itself that is an incredible opportunity,we’re certainly going to investigate any time that we can help our football team,” Kelly said. “We’realways

going to be looking to help our team, butit’snot like it wasobviously in January.

Adefensive tackle and safety likely would top the wish list. LSU hosted multiple transfer safeties in the winter portal window but only signed NC Stateredshirt sophomoreTamarcus Cooley.It doesn’t haveproven defensive tackles, and similarly,offensive tackles maybeconsidered

‘Her ownstory’

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Whenthe Saints drafted Kool-AidMcKinstry in the second round last year, there was aquestion aroundwhen thecornerback would see the fieldbecauseofhow stacked the team was at the position Life can changefast in the NFL,huh?

ä April 24-26.

Just one year later,cornerback is ahuge need for the Saints. Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo —last year’s Week 1starters—are gone. McKinstryand Alontae Taylor are in line to replace them, but there’snodoubt New Orleans could useadditional help in the secondary With defensive coordinator Brandon Staley installing anew scheme, the Saints likely will look for adifferent kind ofcornerback than Dennis Allen preferred. Let’s take alook at who could be aperfect match. Will Johnson, Michigan

Adefensive playmaker,Johnson had nine interceptions in three years at Michigan. The 6-foot-2, 194-pounderhas good size and plays with afluidness thatallows himtobe in position to forceturnovers. According to NFL.com’sLance Zierlein, Johnson “is at his best when playing withhis eyes forward instead of chasing routes down the field.” That mightfitwell if Staley implements more zone coveragefor theSaintsnext season. The former Los Angeles Chargers coach ran zone coverage 67.1% of thetime in his two-plus seasons at thehelm,whereas that number was 60.6% for New Orleans

BY SCOTTRABALAIS Staff writer

FORT WORTH, Texas— Aleah Finnegan

can’t count the number of times she has watched the2024NCAA gymnastics finals

“It’samemory youjust can’t beat,” she said.

Especially theending. LSUfinished on balance beam,withFinneganbasically needingtoavoid afalltoclinchthe program’sfirst NCAAteam championship.

Lele,asshe’sknown by her teammates, didn’tfall. She soared. Finneganglided through her trademark back handspring, back layout,back layout switch

MUSICTHERAPY

leap triple combination, then nailed her gainer full dismount for a9.95.

As soon as shefinished, Finnegan burst into tearsasshe fell intoassistant coach Ashleigh Gnat’sarms. All theyears, all the competitions, all the endless hours of practice had paid off in the ultimate momentfor Finnegan and LSU.

“Every so often someone will come up to me andsay where they were,” Finnegan said.

Where Finneganand theTigersare now is right back where they triumphed last April. Back at Dickies Arena, trying to win asecond straight NCAA title.

Their quest starts Thursdaynight as No.1 overall seed LSUcompetes at

8p.m.inSemifinal II against No.4.Utah, No. 5UCLAand No.8MichiganState Thetop twoteamsfromthat semifinal will meet the top twoteams from Semifinal Iat3:30 p.m.amongNo. 2Oklahoma, No. 3Florida,No. 7Missouri and No. 11 Alabama in Saturday’schampionship meet

Both semis will aironESPN2, withSaturday’s3p.m. final on ABC.

As Finnegan is eagertopoint out, the Tigers aren’t seeking arepeat of last year’sperformance.

“Last August whenwecame back from thesummer,weclosedthe chapter on

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy

Ole Miss defensive back Trey Amos, aUL

ä See KELLY, page 3C

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU gymnast Aleah Finnegan breaks into tears after she realized her routine on the balancebeam clinched LSU’s firstNCAA championship on April 20 at Dickies Arena in FortWorth, Texas

NC AA Gy MN AS TI

On TV

COLLEGE BASEBALL

6p.m. Virginia at FloridaSt. ACCN

7p.m. Alabama at LSU ESPNU

7p.m. Texas A&M at Arkansas SECN

WOMEN’S COLLEGE GYMNASTICS

3:30 p.m. NCAA Semifinals ESPN2

WOMEN’S COLLEGE LACROSSE

5p.m. North Carolina at DukeESPNU

7p.m. Michigan at NorthwesternBTN

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

5p.m. Mississippi at GeorgiaSECN GOLF

1p.m. PGA: RBCHeritageGolf

5p.m. LPGA: JM EagleGolf

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

11:30 a.m.Washington at Pittsburgh MLBN

5:40 p.m. Kansas City at DetroitFS1

6:05 p.m.N.y.yankees at Tampa BayPRIME

8:30 p.m.L.A.Angels at Texas MLBN NHL

6p.m.Washington at Pittsburgh ESPN

8:30 p.m.Calgary at Los Angeles ESPN MEN’S SOCCER

11:40 a.m.BetisatJagiellonia Bialystok CBSSN

2p.m.Rangers at Athletic Bilbao CBSSN

LSUbullpen on rise,but Guidry out

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

The bad news LSU fanswere dreading became areality Tuesday

Juniorright-handerGavin Guidry is officially out for the season. Coach Jay Johnson announcedGuidry willundergo season-ending backsurgeryFriday and spend the nextthree to four months recovering.

“He’sa terrific human being, and he hashandled this better than anybody Iwould have ever expected to handle this,”junior Jared Jones said. “He’sthe best competitor on our team, even though he’snot pitching.And I know this is hard for him,and I’m going to try andbethere and support him as best Ican.”

LSU hasn’thad Guidry at its disposal since he suffered the injury during thefirstweek of the season. Since he hasn’tpitched this season, it won’tchange how Johnson utilizes his bullpen

“There’sreally no change,” Johnson said, “because we’ve been operating without (him) the whole season.”

Johnson will need other relievers to step forwardasLSU gears up for apostseason push.

That charge begins Thursday when the Tigers kick off the secondhalf of their Southeastern Conference scheduleagainst Alabama at Alex Box Stadium (7 p.m., ESPNU).

“Super excited about the future of our pitching staff,” Johnson said. “For the rest of this year and for the years to come.”

Junior right-hander Zac Cowan and freshman right-hander Casan Evans have been staples in the bullpen all season without Guidry Cowan has a0.79 ERA in 34 innings, and his walk rate is at 4.7%.

Evans holds a0.73 ERA andleads the team in strikeout rate among pitchers who have thrown at least 10 innings this season (39.4%).

Evans and Cowan becomingtwo of the better relievers in the sport has created ahigher floor for the bullpen. Whether Johnson can get the rest of his relievers on asimilar track will determine theunit’s fate.

Last weekend against Auburn and Tuesday night vs. McNeese State were steps in the right direction. In LSU’slastfour games, relievers not named Cowan and Evans have a1.46 ERA in 121/3 innings.

“I think we’reexpanding that window of guys that we really can go to in any situation,” Johnson

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSUpitcherGavin Guidrydelivers apitch against Ole Miss on May16at AlexBox Stadium.Guidry,who has not pitched this season,was ruled outfor therest of 2025and will have back surgeryFriday

said. Those relievers also walkedonly four batters.For the bullpen,commanding the baseballhas been a problem for much of this season.

Juniorleft-hander Conner Ware, junior right-hander Connor Benge,redshirt sophomore lefthander DJ Primeaux and freshman right-hander Mavrick Rizy have been called upon in some big spots in SEC play,but they’ve had atendency of handing outfree passes.

Benge and Ware have walked at least six batters per nine innings. Rizy has hitthree batters and walked eight others in 162/3 innings. Primeaux has hit five batters andwalked six in nine innings.

“Some daysyou don’t have it,” Rizy said, “but on those days, it’s like, ‘Can you bring it withyour best stuff that you have for that day?’

Benge allowed an earned run on Tuesday but got LSU out of ajam in the fourthinning. Primeaux and Ware threw acombined 21/3 score-

less frames across LSU’slast four contests. Rizy had40-plus pitch outings Fridayand Tuesday.He wasespecially good against McNeese State, striking out sixbatters and not walking anyone in 22/3 innings.

“Thatwas electric last night from thesixth inning on of guys being able toget anyone out,” Johnson said. “(It’s) another layer of what we’ve done so far to win games.”

Freshman left-hander Cooper Williams and redshirtsophomore right-hander Jaden Noot haven’t thrown as often as Benge, Rizy, Primeaux or Ware have against SECcompetition,but they have thepotential to help LSUonweekends moving forward.

Williams and Noot havehad some troublecommanding the ball. Williams holds a19% walk rate despite his ERA sitting at 0.00. Noot walked two batters in hislastouting against Nicholls State. ButWilliams emerged against Auburnand McNeeseState, not

ON DECK

WHO: LSU (32-6, 10-5 SEC) vs Alabama (30-8, 8-7)

WHEN: 7p.m.Thursday

WHERE: Alex Box Stadium

TV: ESPNU

RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM, 870 (New Orleans);KLWB-FM, 103.7 (Lafayette)

RANKINGS: LSUisNo. 9by

D1Baseball; Alabama is No.15

PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU— LHP

Kade Anderson (6-1, 3.48 ERA); Alabama —RHP TylerFay (0-0, 4.98 ERA)

WHATTOWATCH FOR: Anderson gets the nod forLSU after allowing five earned runs in 41/3 innings last week against Auburn. He’ll be matchedupwith Fay, aredshirt sophomore whosurrendered two earned runs in 31/3 innings on Sundayagainst Mississippi State.

allowinganearned run and strikingout three batters in 12/3 innings. Noot also has the potential to help out in alongreliefrole, throwing multiple innings in four of his last fiveoutings. “(Cooper’s) competed. He hadn’t been on the mound for10daysor so,” Johnson said last Friday. “I thought his arm looked live.”

Perhaps LSU’sbiggest wild card out of the bullpen is junior righthander Jacob Mayers.

Despitehaving one of the best fastballsonthe team, command issueshaveprevented him from earning more time against SEC competition.Hehas morewalks (12) than innings pitched(eight) this season.

But like the rest of the bullpen, Mayers’ last two outings have been promising. He struck out four batters and didn’tissue a walk in shutout innings against Auburn and McNeese State.

It’shard to understate Guidry’s value outofthe bullpen. As a freshman, he threw the final pitch of LSU’s national championshipclinching victory and posteda 3.77 ERA. Last season,helowered his ERA to 2.59 and struck out 34 battersin261/3 innings.

Butthe Tigers have gotten used to life without him this season, and this bullpen slowly has improved.

“They are getting better,” Johnson said.

Email Koki RileyatKoki. Riley@theadvocate.com.

LSUsoftball lookstoend SECskid againstTexas

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

The LSU softball team hashit askid, and getting out of it this weekend willnot be an easy feat After winning eight of their first 11 Southeastern Conference games and climbing to No. 3in the national poll, the Tigers have lost four consecutive conference games and will try to correct their path at No.3Texas during athree-game series beginning at 4:30 p.m. Thursday

The teams play again Friday at 4:30 p.m. and wrapupthe weekend series with an 11 a.m. game Saturday on ESPN2

The No. 9Tigers (35-8, 8-7 SEC) suffered their first sweep of the season at Texas A&M last weekendasthe pitching faltered in 127, 9-7 and 4-2 losses.

The sweep pushed the Aggies into the No. 1spot in the national rankings while then-No. 1Texas dropped two of three to Tennessee to fall two spots. The Tigers continuetoproduce good offensive numbers, owning the second-best teambatting average in the league behind Texas at .353.

Tori Edwards took over the team lead in batting average at .435 and has 15 homerswith 61 RBIs.

LSU third basemanand leadoff

hitter Danieca Coffey has been in abit of aslump during the four-

ä LSU at Texas. 4:30 P.M.THURSDAy,SECN+

game SEClosingstreakwithonly three hits in 18 at-bats, but she’s still batting.432 forthe season. More worrisome is thepitching.

AceSydney Berzon (15-3, 2.25 ERA) allowed five runs in the first twoinnings of the Texas A&M openerand finished with sixearned runs in four innings pitched in the 12-7 loss.

Jayden Heavener (11-3, 2.70) struggled mightily with her control, allowing seven runs on one hit andfive walks, allinthe first inning. She retired only two batters.

Texas, which lost in the 2024 Women’sCollegeWorld Series finalsagainstOklahoma, hasa potent offensive lineup that leads the conference in team batting average(.370) andissecond in home runs with 59.

TheLonghorns are 39-5 and 11-4in SEC play, ahalf-game behind A&M in the standings. Leadoffhitter and right fielder AshtonMaloney leads theteam with a.460 average, andcenter fielderKayden Henry is right behind at.458 with 24 stolen bases in 25 attempts. Those two set the tablefor a trioofpower hitters. Catcher Reese Atwood is batting .419 with ateam-best 14 homers and57

LSU first basemanTori Edwards drives the ball against Alabama on April 5atTiger Park. Edwards’ .435 batting averagenow leads the Tigers.

RBIs. First basemanJoley Mitchell is batting .406 with10homers and 39 RBIs, andleft fielder Katie Stewart has11homers and leads the team with62RBIs. Right-hander Teagan Kavan is

Commanders are in talks about astadium deal

The Washington Commanders andtheDistrict of Columbia are in discussions abouta newfootball stadium in the nation’scapital, aperson with knowledge of talks said Wednesday No deal has been finalized yet. The team hasbeen looking for a new stadium for several years, and that search moved to anew level when JoshHarris’ group bought theCommandersfrom previous owner Dan Snyderin2023. Places in Washington, Virginia and Maryland have all been under consideration. The site of old RFK Stadium is believed to be the preferred destination. TheWashington NBCaffiliate reported Wednesdaythatthe team and D.C.governmentwereclose on an agreement to build there, with the framework of adeal north of $3 billion.

Ex-Texas WR Bond sues woman afteraccusation

Former University of Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond was arrested last week after asexual assault accusation, but the 21-yearold has filed adefamation lawsuit against his accuser Bond faces asexual assault charge after awoman accused him of assaulting her at his apartment, asking her to sign anon-disclosure agreement and offering her money after the incident.

Bond, whodeclared forthe NFL draftearlierthis year,has denied the allegations. The suit, filedin federalcourt,accusesthe woman of sparking a“smear campaign” against him aftershe initiated communications via social media beginning in October 2024. The woman waseight years older than Bond during their first encounter

Tennisplayer apologizes for deodorant request

British tennis player Harriet Dart hasapologizedafter asking the chairumpire to tellher opponent to put on deodorantbecause she “smells really bad.”

Dart lost 6-0, 6-3 to French player Lois Boissoninthe first round of the clay-court Rouen Open on Tuesday, andshe said during achangeover to the umpire:“Can youtell (Boisson) to wear deodorant?. Becauseshe smells really bad.”

Afterthe footagespreadonsocial media, Dart posted an apology on Instagram.

Boisson, who made herfirst WTA Tour appearanceofthe seasonand is working her way back up from 303rd in the rankings after injuries, gave alight-hearted response by posting aphoto of herwith adeodorant edited above herhand.

Duke freshman Knueppel declares for NBA draft

Duke’sKon Knueppel is heading to the NBA after one college season.

The 6-foot-7, 217-pound wing announcedhis decision Wednesday after aseason thatincluded him being named MVPofthe Atlantic CoastConferenceTournament while helping the Blue Devils reach the Final Four Knueppel averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists as the team’s No. 2scorer behind Associated Press national player of the year Cooper Flagg.

Knueppel is the first memberof Duke’stoutedfreshmanclass to go pro. He’s widely projected as alottery pick. Knueppel is only the eighth freshman to winMVP honors at the ACC Tournament.

Umpire hospitalized after foul ball hits hisface

Veteran umpire Hunter Wendelstedt wenttoahospital forfurther examination on Wednesdayafter he was struck in the face behind first base by aline drive foul ball in Minnesota.

Crew chiefToddTichenor, who called home plate during the 4-3 victory by the Twins over the New York Mets, told apool reporter after the gamethat Wendelstedtwas coherentand speaking but going through aconcussion protocol.

“Hopefully it’s just some stitches is what I’mthinking,” Tichenor said. Major League Baseball said Wendelstedt was undergoing additional tests.

“Weare encouraged that he was in good spiritswhenhewas in touch withour medical staff,” MLB said. “Wewill continue to monitor his status.”

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

1

HALEIGH BRYANT, SR., LSU Theengaging NCAA all-around champion won theSEC allaround titleinMarch.Ifshe can winatthatmeet, shecan repeat at nationals.

FINNEGAN

Continued from page1C

last year,” Finnegan said. “Everything started fresh and brand new.It’sanew team and anew environment

“We’ve done areallygood job trying to leave last year in last year.We’re notlooking to duplicate anything.”

What is true in that respect for the 2025LSU gymnastics team is true for Finnegan herself.

She arrived at LSUin2021 two years after her older sister,Sarah Finnegan, completed one of the greatest careers in programhistory. Shewon two NCAA individual titles, the2019 AAI award, five Southeastern Conference titles, 95 totalwins and 23 All-America honors.

“It wasn’taslam dunkthatshe would come here,” LSU coach Jay Clark said of Aleah Finnegan. “She had been in her sister’s shadow throughout their elite careers and everything else.

“When she decided to come here, there had to be some concern that she was always going to beknown as Sarah’slittle sister.But (the coaching staff) made sure that

NewOrleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr gives a thumbs up to the fans as he walks off the field after the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Saints 25-10 at the Caesars Superdome on Dec. 29. STAFF PHOTO

By DAVID GRUNFELD

2

JORDAN BOWERS,SR. OKLAHOMA

Tied forsecond nationally in the all-around,Bowers hadthree perfect 10stowin theNCAAWashington regional all-around titlewitha 39.900

3 JADE CAREY, SR., ORE. ST

Atwo-timeU.S Olympicgold medalist and thenation’sNo. 1-ranked all-arounder,the only thing missingfromher résumé is an NCAA individualtitle

she knew this was allabout Aleah Finnegan. We wanted hertowrite her own story,and boy has she.” Finnegan has been stellar in her own right with 43 career wins, including the2024NCAA floor title and ashare of the 2025 SEC beam championship with

fellow LSU senior Haleigh Bryant. She also hasadozen AllAmerica honors. Coming off an appearance for ThePhilippinesinthe 2024 Paris Olympics(her mother Linabelle’s homecountry), Finnegan got 20 of her wins this season and was one

Saints QB Carr skips voluntaryoffseason work

BY MATTHEW PARAS and JEFF DUNCAN Staff writers

Derek Carr has notattendedthe first phase of the New Orleans Saints’ voluntary workouts at the team’spractice facility this week sourceswithknowledgeofthe situation said.

Carr was not required to be there, but his absence comesas he dealswith ashoulder injury that could keep him out forall of next season. As Carr reportedly weighs whether to getsurgery,a source said it stems from an old shoulder injury.OnWednesday, Sports Illustrated reportedCarr’s camp has told people the injury originated from the 2023 season when the quarterback suffered an AC sprain against the Green Bay Packers. Thoughvoluntary,the Saints have had strong attendance for the first phase of workouts which the league limitstoonly meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation. Carr is one of just ahandful of playersonthe 72-man roster who

KELLY

Continued frompage1C

because of inexperience at the position But LSU already has reached the 85-scholarship limit,so some players wouldhave to leave in ordertobring in more transfers. TheSEC said it would maintain an 85-scholarship limit for the 2025 season, even though rules around roster sizes will change as aresultofthe House settlement, which must be approved.

have not been in attendance so far this week,with the program beginning Monday.Healso has notbeen in thebuilding to rehab hisinjury,sources said.

TheSaints’ in-house production team released 34 seconds of footagefromthe workouts this week in which players such as Spencer Rattler, Demario Davis andCam Jordan were featured.

Carr’sabsence, and news of his injury,were reported after months of lingering questions aboutwhether the 34-year-old wouldremainwith theSaintsnext season. Coach Kellen Moore gave anoncommittal answer about Carr’sfuture at his introductory newsconference, but he and general manager Mickey Loomis then saidthey werecommitted to the quarterback at the NFL scouting combineweeks later

On March 8, the Saints restructured Carr’scontract to clear $30 million in salary-cap space —a move that also increased his 2026 cap hitto$69.2 million. The team didnot need Carr’s permissionfor the transaction. Around that time, ESPN reported the quarterback

After itssuccess in the winter portal window,LSU doesn’t have to take the same approach now At the time,the Tigers needed alot of experiencedplayers who could help the team contend aftermissing theCollegeFootball Playoff for the first threeyears of Kelly’s tenure. LSUsigned what wasthe No 1transfer class in thecountry, according to 247Sports, though it hassince been overtakenby Texas Tech.

LSU wanted to get most of its work done then. Asking prices tend to rise in the spring— as the Tigers learnedinthe defensive

4

JORDAN CHILES,JR. UCLA

Athree-time Olympicmedalist (gold,silver, bronze), Chiles has twoNCAAtitlesfrom2023(floor, bars)and is tied for firstnationally on floor.

of six finalists for this year’sAAI award given to the nation’stop senior female gymnast.

“She’s exceeded beyondanything Icould have hopedfor,” Clarksaid. “I knew she was talented. ButIdidn’tknowshe would play the role as effectively as she has and go beyond that and become an Olympian andstill be able to lead her team in theway she has.

“Wedon’ttalkabout Aleah as much as we have Haleigh over the years. Butshe’s alot like Haleighin terms of thecharacter of the person. She’s just alovelyhuman being. She lovespeople, and she loves people deeply.I couldn’tbemore proud of the career that she’s had andthe impact that she’shad on the program and me personally.”

By now,the endofher fourth and final collegiate season,the routines are deeply ingrained.

What does Finnegan think about when she’s4feet off the ground performing on that 4-inchwide balance beam?

“I have certainkeywords,” Finnegan said. “Sometimes Italk to myself up there. If the mouth is closed, the brain can wander

“Keywordslike ‘use your wrists’ or ‘move your arms’ or ‘push off

SAINTS

under Allen. Johnson is coming off of aseason-ending toe injury but is reportedly healthy now. He chosenot to runa40-yard dash at his recent workout forteams but still participated in other drills.Hecould be off the board by the time the Saintspick at No. 9, though.

Jahdae Barron, Texas

The Saints hired Texas defensive passgamecoordinator Terry Joseph forthe samerolethis offseason, so if NewOrleans is interested in Barron, the team will have plentyofinsight to lean on. Barron wasaversatile piece wholined up alloverthe field and was productive doing it. He’s coming off afive-interception seasonafter moving to outsidecorner, ashift from playing on the inside earlier in his college career

was open to testing the market if theSaints wanted to trade or release him. It is notpublicly known when the Saints found out about Carr’s injury. Mooremade no reference to thequarterback possibly being hurt whenhemet withreporters April1atthe NFLowners’meetings in Palm Beach,Florida. Asked then whether Carr was still “bought in” to the Saints, Moore said, “yeah, we’re excited to team up.” Moore also indicated that he expected Carrtobeinattendance for thestartofthe offseason program “Derek, I’m excited to have him back withusreally shortly,” Mooresaid. “Obviously,April 14th will start, andI think that’sthe fun part. These guys go through the offseason. They have achanceto spend time with their family,invest in allthat, whichisthe right thing to do.And once youkind of getback,April 14th,you begin the process.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com

tackle market last year —and after afundraising push forits NILcollective, therewas enough moneytofront loaddealsahead of the expected beginning of revenue sharing this summer. Combiningthe transfers with key returning playersand incoming freshmenhas given Kelly confidenceinwhatLSU can accomplish.Hehas said thisteam can winthe SEC, and he spoke highly of the roster throughout spring practice.

“You want to be in aposition whereyou bring in portal players building off of what you already have,” Kelly said, “andthat’swhy

5

LEANNE WONG, SR. FLORIDA

Tied forsecond nationally with Bowers in theallaround,she won theSEC bars titlewitha perfect10, oneofthree shehas this season Scott Rabalais

with your legs.’Itseems silly when you’ve done this azilliontimes, but it’spart of it.”

The Tigers are in about the same position health-wise as they were when they won theirregionalat Penn State two weeks ago. Clark said therewas aconcernKonnor McClain may have injured herself Monday in LSU’s final practice in Baton Rouge,but after Wednesday’spractice session here he is fairly confident she can compete on bars, beam and floor,ifneeded. LSU will start on bars, then go to beam,floor and vault.

At the regional, Clark didn’twant his team to peak too soon. Here, it’s timefor LSU to go all out and for the Tigers to make sure they advance to Saturday

“When you get here, you’ve got to pretty much put togethertwo big ones,” he said. “You’ve got to go hard. You’ve gottoput your foot into the gas alittle bit and go.” Do that, and maybe Finnegan or one of her teammates will have a title-clinching performance worthy of watching over andover again.

For more LSUsports updates, signupfor ournewsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

season that convincedNFL teams that he was capable of becoming astarter

At Ole Miss, Amos played on the outside and registered an SEChigh 16 passesdefended. He took advantage of his transfer there after spending time at Alabama —asabackuptoMcKinstry, coincidentally —and UL,where he played for theRagin’ Cajuns for three seasons.Hecould be an option on Day 2for the Saints. Azareye’hThomas, FloridaSt. Another possible Day 2option, Thomas startedonly oneseason at Florida State but hadanimpressive campaign in which he allowed only 17 catches. Thomas is tall (61) andhas notable speed,running a4.43 40-yard dash. He also excelsatpress-man coveragebut is lengthy enough to hold his own after that. There arequestions about whether Thomas can contribute right away.Zierlein projects him as astarter in twoorthree years. Dorian Strong,Virginia Tech

At 5-11, Barron wouldn’tbethe biggest outside cornerbackinthe world. But the Saints have aquestion mark at nickelcornerback do they move Taylor back inside? Put Isaac Yiadom there? —and Barron could be the answer

Trey Amos,Ole Miss

On paper,Amos matches the kind of corner that the team drafted often under Allen. His height (6-1) and 8.37 Relative Athletic Score areinthe range of the Saints’ preferences,and he has“an appetite forpress” man coverage, accordingtoThe Athletic’s Dane Brugler.Bruglerevencompared himtoAdebo, who Brugler said had asimilar kind of super senior

The Saints reportedly hosted Strong for avisit this week. The Virginia Tech product was afiveyear starter,and five of his seven interceptions came in the last two seasons. The Athletic noted that coaches praise Strong for being aleader who has “locked-in confidence.” The23-year-oldcould be aDay 3pick, though, because of his lack of twitch. While there are also concerns abouthis speed Zebra Sports clocked himasone of the fastest players during the week of practices ahead of the Senior Bowl —with Strong topping outat21.36 miles perhour. That was behind only USC cornerback Jaylin Smith.

this roster is the bestroster we’ve hadbecause we’re building both depth withinour football team and we’re bringing in veteran players. So, thatmix is thebest mixthat we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

His belief that the quality of the rosterhas improved helps explain whyLSU will try to reach the end of the spring portal window without muchactivity one way or another

There could be additions and losses, but for the most part, Kelly wants to maintain whatLSU has in place. “Maybe that’sfool’sgold, maybe

that’s wishing more than anything else,” Kelly said. “ButIlike what we’vedone with this roster. Ilike thedevelopment of it.Not allof that is in my control, obviously But Ican tell you we’re not actively saying we’vegot to have this, we’ve got to have that.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSUgymnast Aleah Finnegan starts her routine on the floor against MissourionJan. 31

Straka gives Zurich another top-20 pledge

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Another top-20 player has committed to the Zurich Classic.

Sepp Straka, the world’s No 17 player, will team with two-time PGA Tour winner Brice Garnett in this year’s Zurich Classic, tournament officials announced Wednesday

Straka is ranked second in the latest FedExCup standings behind Rory McIlroy, who also is committed to compete in the April 24-27 Zurich Classic, which will be played at TPC of Louisiana next week.

Straka and Garnett teamed to finish in a tie for 11th place in last year’s Zurich Classic.

“Sepp Straka has won multiple titles and has both Ryder Cup and Olympic experience,” said Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, which operates the tournament for the PGA Tour

“Brice Garnett has also won twice on the Tour, so they have experience closing out golf tournaments.”

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai

GilgeousAlexander drives past Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Goodwin during a game on April 8 in Oklahoma

City

PHILLIPS

The Zurich previously has received commitments from reigning champions Rory McIlroy (No. 2) and Shane Lowry (No. 15), as well as top-25 players Collin Morikawa (No. 4), Wyndham Clark (No. 14) and Billy Horschel (No. 23).

McIlroy won the Masters in dramatic fashion Sunday to become just the sixth player in history to complete the career Grand Slam.

Straka, a 31-year-old native of Vienna, Austria won the American Express in January and has posted seven top-25 finishes this season, including three top 10s.

He tied for seventh in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and tied for fifth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

He earned his first career victory in 2022 at The Honda Classic, becoming the first player from Austria to win on the PGA Tour

He began playing on the Tour in the 2018-19 season and became one of eight rookies to make the FedExCup playoffs.

In 2023, Straka tied for seventh in the PGA Championship and tied for second in the British Open.

Straka was a member of the

Thunder and Cavaliers play a waiting game in first round of playoffs

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

Oklahoma City and Cleveland are the top seeds in the NBA playoffs, which comes with some perks. They’ll have home-court advantage for at least three rounds and, presumably an easier path than others to advancing.

It also comes with a challenge: They’ll have just one full day to really prepare for Game 1

Some teams will have a full week to prepare for their first playoff foe. Some teams get four or five days. But given the way the play-in tournament is structured, the Thunder and Cavaliers won’t know their foes until late Friday night — then will open Round 1 matchups against those opponents on Sunday, with only one practice day to lock in on a game plan.

“It’s tough. It’s interesting,” Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said. “There were years where I had that issue and it’s definitely more challenging.”

The exact same scenario didn’t hold the Thunder back a year ago. New Orleans won the Western Conference’s elimination play-in game for the No. 8 seed on a Friday, started a series at topseeded Oklahoma City on Sunday, the Thunder squeaked out a win in Game 1 and went on to sweep the matchup with a couple of blowouts in there.

And just like last year, the Thunder are spending these extra days working on themselves

“It’s a unique situation to have this much time in between games and to not know your opponent,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “Now, our opponent won’t be able to prepare. We’ll both have the same amount of time to prepare. We both have Saturday and then we play Sunday So, you’re in no disadvantage. But we definitely learned from last year on how to manage the week.”

The Cavaliers won’t present any information on opposing personnel to their players until after the opponent is locked in. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson did get one piece of information very late Tuesday night, that his team’s Game 1 will be at 7 p.m. on Sunday It could have been as early as 1 p.m., depending on what the league and its broadcast partners wanted. To Atkinson, those few extra hours can make a difference.

“We’ll have more time to maybe

2023 Ryder Cup team that defeated the U.S. in Rome.

He represented Austria in the 2024 Olympics in Paris and finished tied for 35th.

He finished 10th in the 2020 Olympics after leading the first round with a 63, tied for the lowest score in Olympic golf history Garnett, 41, won the 2024 Puerto Rico Open in a playoff against Erik Barnes.

His best finish this season was a tie for 11th at the Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

In 2018, he won the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in wire-to-wire fashion after posting an opening round score of 63. The Gallatin, Missouri, native teamed with Chesson Hadley to lead at 22 under during the final round of the 2018 Zurich Classic, but they were overtaken on the back nine and finished tied for fourth.

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@ theadvocate.com.

Benson explains reasons for hiring Dumars to run Pelicans

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

Gayle Benson wasted little time

finding the next person to be in charge of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Benson explained her decision Wednesday morning when the team officially announced Joe Dumars as the new executive vice president of basketball operations.

It’s the second-worst record in franchise history Benson hired Dumars less than 48 hours later

dive into personnel a little more,” Atkinson said.

The Cavs have had an assistant coach assigned to each specific team all season, so work is being done on all three of their possible Round 1 opponents. Atkinson won’t start thinking about possible matchups until later this week.

“I think there is an organization to it, a real organization,” Atkinson said. “And it’s multi-faceted.

We have things we’ve been working on, things we think will translate to playoffs.”

There are four matchups Indiana-Milwaukee and New York-Detroit in the East, the Los Angeles Lakers-Minnesota and Denver-the Los Angeles Clippers in the West that have been set since the end of the regular season. Those teams get a full week to get ready for Round 1, knowing their opponents. All of those series open on Saturday

The No 2 seeds in each conference learned their opponents on Tuesday night, when Orlando earned the right to play Boston and Golden State won its way into a playoff meeting with Houston.

Had the Magic or Warriors lost Tuesday they would have had to play elimination games on Friday Winning to open the play-in tournament allowed both teams a chance to take a little bit of time to exhale

“It took 83 games, but we’re right where we want to be — which is back in the playoffs and we’ve got a chance,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “But maybe most importantly, we get the time to rest and prepare because these guys need that desperately right now.”

Oklahoma City will play either Memphis, Sacramento or Dallas in Round 1 of the West playoffs Cleveland will play either Atlanta, Chicago or Miami in Round 1 of the East playoffs.

Sometime Friday night, the Thunder and Cavaliers will finally know who it is.

Neither club seems overly worked up about the uncertainty that they’re dealing with this week.

And it hasn’t been much of a problem in the past, either; since 2021, when this version of the play-in tournament began No 1 seeds are 6-2 in Game 1s against No. 8 seeds, plus have gone on to win that opening series seven of eight times — the exception being when Miami upset Milwaukee in 2023.

“Joe’s achievements as a renowned Hall of Fame player NBA champion and front office executive are indisputable,” Benson said in a written statement. “I have a great deal of respect for what Joe has already accomplished as a player and executive, but more importantly I admire his character and leadership. His vast experience and relationships throughout the NBA, along with his strong leadership qualities, will have a tremendous impact on our organization and our goal of winning an NBA championship.”

Dumars replaces David Griffin, who spent six seasons in the role. Griffin was fired on Monday, a day after the Pelicans finished their season with a 21-61 record

“As we went through this past season, I gave it a lot of careful thought and reflection relative to how we need to move this organization forward and what kind of leadership that will take,” Benson said. “Joe was someone I was very familiar with, having dealt with him over the past few years at league meetings. My decision today was not hastily made, and not without spending valuable time talking to players, coaches and league officials. That input was critical.”

Dumars, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer starred with the Detroit Pistons in the late 80s and early 90s and won two NBA titles as a player He moved to the Pistons’ front office in 2000 and helped build a team that won the NBA championship in the 2003-04 season. He spent the past three seasons as executive vice president of basketball operations for the NBA.

Now Dumars, a Natchitoches native who starred at McNeese State, returns to the state he was born and raised.

“As a Louisiana native, this is truly a full circle moment,” Dumars said in a statement. “I grew up as a Saints fan and the first AAU basketball team I played on at 16 years old was based in New Orleans, so this opportunity is very special to me on a personal level. I look forward to being a part of the Pelicans organization, and building a team that proudly represents our fans on the court and in our community.”

Dumars will begin his new duties on Monday He will have some big decisions to make as the Pelicans head into this offseason. The Pelicans finished with the fourth-worst record in the NBA this season and will have a high draft pick. They’ll find out exactly what that pick is on May 12 when the NBA lottery is held. The draft will be held on June 25.

“There is a lot of talent on this roster,” Dumars said “My vision is to build a disciplined team that is built on toughness, smart decision-making and a no-excuses mindset.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

Butler determined to bring Curry, Green another championship

BY JANIE MCCAULEY AP sportswriter

SAN FRANCISCO

Two months in and Jimmy Butler has become so comfortable with the Golden State Warriors that he is now shouting when someone takes a bad shot, or he is demanding the ball be in his hands if it has been a possession or two without having touched it.

Draymond Green, for one, is loving how Butler is taking charge — he is Playoff Jimmy after all and this is his time of year He has earned it. He thrives on the postseason stage.

ter beating the Grizzlies 121-116, Golden State has some muchneeded rest and recovery before traveling to Texas to take on the Rockets. Game 1 in Houston is Sunday

“I want everybody to be happy, for sure Steph, he deserves it, what he’s done for the game of basketball not only this city and this organization,” Butler said. “He’s in it for the long haul. He wants to win. He wants to win every single game, every single possession.”

nothing better So I can’t wait.” Butler, Curry and Green won’t be content with anything but a deep run.

The Warriors had begun 12-3 despite losing Klay Thompson to Dallas but then went 13-23, leaving their record at 25-26 when general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr pulled off the blockbuster trade.

Butler had 38 points, seven rebounds and six assists against Memphis while Curry scored 37. They hugged afterward.

Butler can’t help but be confident with Curry on his side

“He’s different. You can just see a whole different intensity level and focus. I’m a basketball fan and so I’ve watched it on TV for years,” Green said. “To see it up close and personal, it’s a real thing. Sometimes you get in the NBA and these guys get these nicknames and you’re like ‘Man, stop it.’ There’s some other nicknames out there, they’re not real. That one’s real, and I’m happy he’s on our side.”

Butler chuckled and smiled when asked what he has been yelling lately

“You want me to tell you what I said?” he said, “... Nah, they going to fine me.”

On Tuesday night, Butler helped the Warriors finally win a play-in game after going 0-3 in appearances last year and in 2021, so now he is ready to do everything he can to capture a championship and help Curry and Green bring home a fifth title. With a few days off at last af-

Curry turned 37 last month and returning to the playoffs means so much, wrapping up his 16th NBA season after missing out in 2024.

“It’s easy to not take it for granted because we weren’t there last year,” he said.

“From 2013 to ‘19, we made the Finals runs but we were in the playoffs every year and a twoyear stretch where we missed it and then ’22 came around. It’s just a reminder that it’s not guaranteed, I don’t care how talented you are.”

Coach Steve Kerr felt the same way He couldn’t wait to get to work with his staff on the game plan for a Rockets team that won 106-96 on the Warriors’ home floor April 6.

“This is what we do. I mean, this is so fun This is the best time of the year You know, this is Year 11,” Kerr said. “My favorite, maybe my favorite day of the season is tomorrow (Wednesday). We come in as a staff, we look at Houston tape We start to put together our game plan. The players are resting. We’ve got a couple of days before we’ll see the players again. We get to go to work and try to beat a great team in a seven-game series. There’s

“Hell, I think any team has a chance when I’m on the team, but I know that every team has a chance if Steph is on the team,” he said. “So I get to play Robin. That’s my Batman, and I don’t know who else is we got all the villains over there, Two-Face and Joker and Riddler and everybody else in the Western Conference. But we got a lot of games to win.” Before Butler even arrived to play his first game Feb 8 after the trade from Miami, he promised Dunleavy Kerr Curry and Green that he would make a difference

He knew the Warriors would make the playoffs with him.

“Whenever I talk to Steph and Dray and Steve and Mike before I even got here, I was telling them, I can help. Now I don’t know in what manner that I can help, but we’re going to make the playoffs,” Butler recalled.

“I feel like I can give any team, for sure this one, a chance to win, and they believe it. I believe it. And that’s all that you can ask for Now we’ve just got to go out there, execute, play our tails off, and win some more basketball games.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS Sepp Straka waves after making a putt on the second hole during the Masters on Friday in Augusta, Ga.

Butler

Coldcomforts

BY APRIL HAMILTON| Contributingwriter

When my oldest daughter was in pre-K—more years agothan seems possible— Ipacked up my old school ice cream machine, abig bag of ice, some rock salt,apint each of cream and milk, abit of sugar and abasket of market-fresh strawberries andhauled it all into her classroom. Ialso carried a tremendous amount of courage, giving each preschooler aplastic knife to slice off the tops of the juicy berries andthencut them intoirregular pieces.

The bits were collected in abig bowl and mashed up with the sugar, cream andmilk.

1.

Homemade

Syrup

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER

BY BETH DOOLEY

Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

Radishes can do awhole lot morethan garnish avegetable plate or cheese board. Crisp and peppery,radishes are arefreshing taste of spring and they makeacrunchy addition to salads, slawsand sandwiches. Local farm-fresh radishes are in our farmers markets and co-ops now —bright red, purple, white and those pretty pink-tipped French varieties.

The

TNSPHOTO By LINDA GASSENHEIMER Poisson en Papillote (Steamed Fish Parcels) with Garlic Bread

PHOTO By APRILBUFFINGTON

Strawberry IceCream

Makes about 1quart. Recipeadapted from White Mountain Ice Cream Maker Manual.

For afun waytoserveice cream cones,placethem in stemless champagne flutes. Recipe can be scaled up depending on thevolume of yourice cream maker.Keep in mind that the pink liquidexpandsasitfreezes

1cup whole milk

½cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

1teaspoon vanilla extract

1cup heavycream

1pint basket of fresh strawberries, rinsed, capped and finely chopped

STRAWBERRY

Continued from page1D

Their unforgettable glee still tickles me, adozen or so 3- and 4-year-olds collaborating on homemade strawberry ice cream. We pouredthe pink mixture into the churn’scontainer, watching the ruby bits of berrybob to the top and the tiny seeds fleck the mixture like fresh cracked pepper Once the mixing paddle was in place, on went the lid. Then we layered the ice and salt all around the container nestled inside the rustic wooden barrel and let the machine do its thing. Their glee crescendoed as the motor strained, signaling the ice cream was ready.The teachers helped

1. Heat milk in asmall saucepanovermedium heat untilbubbles form around the edge. Remove from heat. Whisk in the sugar and salt, stirring until dissolved. Addthe vanilla andcream andwhisktoblend. Stir in thechopped strawberries

manage the crowd while I dolloped the pink soft-serve into cones andpassedthem aroundtothe incredulous kids. Pink smiles surrounded me. Pure magic. My mother started this tradition in my early days after we gathered fresh strawberries like Easter eggsfrom aU-pick farm. Instead of classroom chaos, we churned our ice cream in the driveway where the salty water could spill outofthe churn’sbucket withoutmakinganindoor mess. Mom would suggest we wait for the ice cream to “cure,” meaningitsits in the container withfresh icepacked all around it soit could firm up We enjoyed it as-is. Nothing compares. At thepinnacle of Loui-

2. Chill the mixture until cold,atleast30minutesorup to overnight.Churn according to your icecream maker instructions. Scrape the soft ice cream into acontainer withatight-fitting lid and freezeuntil firm— or enjoy immediately as soft-serve.

siana strawberry season, where their sweet perfume mingles withthe brass band at the farmers’ market, my longing for homemade strawberry ice cream consumes me. There is no shaking nostalgia. In the absence of aclassic churn, Iordered theice cream attachment for my KitchenAid mixer and got busy Icould not decide between pale pink ice cream or velvetyred sorbet, so Imade both.

When my now-grown-andflown daughters flock back to thenest, we will re-create this taste memory with my new toy and the classic recipe, plus theaddition of thenondairy sorbet. We will time travel back to thepreschool days. Cue thegiggles. Afew simple ingredients are all it takes.

Pan-RoastedRadisheswithLemon on Crostini

Serves 2to4.Recipe is from BethDooley.Serveoncrisp crostini or triangles of light toastfor an elegant appetizeroralongside soup or salad.

1bunch radishes, sliced

2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2tablespoons unsalted butter

2cloves garlic, smashed

1tablespoon lemon juice

4to6 crostini or toast triangles

Coarse salt

Chopped parsley for garnish

1. Place alarge skillet over medium heat. Add the oil andbutter andwhen thebutterismelted, addthe garlic cloves.

2. Arrange the radish slices cut-sidedown without crowding the pan. Cook without moving until the radishes are tender and wrinkled, about 3to5minutes.

Roasted WholeRadishes

3. Removethe radish slices, setaside,and swirl in the lemon juice.

4. Arrange the radish slices on the crostini, drizzle with thelemonypan butter and sprinkle with coarse salt. Garnish with the parsley

Serves 2to4.Recipe is byBethDooley. This works beautifully withthe smaller round radishes or theFrenchBreakfast varieties. Serveasavibrant side dish, toss withpasta, or toppolenta.

1bunch radishes with leaves

2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarsesalt

Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to

RADISHES

Continued from page1D

and turns them juicy,succulent —evenabit sweet They’re similar to baby turnips, but way tastier as they become more complex.

The roasting process is reliable and simple. Cut the larger orbs into halves or quarterssothey roastup evenly and at the same rate.

400F andline abakingsheet with parchment. 2. Scatter theradishes on the baking sheet anddrizzle with the oil; sprinkle with the salt and pepper

Just toss them in oil, spread on abakingsheet so they’re nottouching,sprinklewith abit of coarse salt andblast them in theovenuntil they begintowrinkle. For quicker results, slice theradishes into coins and pan-roast them in butter or oil on the stovetop.

Serve roastedradishes on crostinifor an elegant appetizer and easy snack.Fold them into awhole grain pilaf with chopped herbs;

Dear Heloise: Here’smybit on the recent chain on garage sales. Ifigured there are two reasons tohave a garage sale: to get rid of stuff and tohave fun. So, when someone offers me $2.50 for an item that I’d marked $3, Ishake my head and say, “Nothing doing! I won’ttake apenny morethan $2.25!” It’saninstant sale, and I’ve met my two goals for theevent During the next-to-final hour of the sale, Isell anythingand everything for anickel. Then, for the last hour,Igive the customers anickel for every item they take. They feel like they’ve won something, and Idon’thave to pack all theleftovers back into the house. I’ve gotten rid of the stuff, and I’ve had fun. —J

Keith Cook, in Omaha, Nebraska

No leftover soap here

3. Roastthe radishesuntil they begintoshrivel and become tender,about 15 minutes,shakingpanoccasionally

4. Removeand serve warm or at room temperature.

tangle withpastaorpile on butterypolenta and dust with Parmesan. Addcauliflower,carrots, beets and/or parsnips to theroasting pan for awinning side dish to grilled fish, crispy chicken and seared steak, and spark it all with hot sauce. If the tops are green and vibrant, don’tdiscard them. They add acrisp, finishing touch. Radishes, when roasted, areone of the simplest foods packed with surprise

By The Associated Press

ries and their early years together

Dear Heloise: Your reader had acomplex method of dealing with soap slivers. Inever have them When my bar gets thin enough to be flexible, Ibreak out anew one and use it enough to get it good and wet.At the end of my shower,I rub the two bars together and leave them to dry.Bythe next shower,they are like one bar.Easy peasy! —Emily Murphy, in Kingwood,Texas

Memories

Dear Heloise: When my mother passed with dementia in her 80s, my father,who had taken care of her forfour years, was very depressed. He kept talking about his memo-

TODAYINHISTORY

in prison today.)

Today is Thursday, April 17, the 107th day of 2025. There are 258 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On April 17, 1961, some 1,400 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in an attempt to topple Fidel Castro, whose forces crushed theincursion within three days.

On this date:

In 1964, Jerrie Mock completed the first solo around-the-world flight by awoman, landing her single-engine Cessna plane in Columbus, Ohio, after a 29-day journey

In 1969, ajury in Los Angeles convicted Sirhan Sirhan of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (Sirhan’sdeath sentence would be commuted to life in prison with thepossibility of parole. He remains

In 1970, Apollo 13 astronauts James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise and Jack Swigert splashed down safely in the Pacific, four days after aruptured oxygen tank crippled their spacecraftwhile en route to the moon

In 1972, the Boston Marathon allowed women to compete forthe first time. Nina Kuscsik wasthe first officially recognized women’schampion, with a timeof3:10:26.

In 1975, Cambodia’sfiveyear civil war ended as the capital Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge, which instituted brutal, radical policies that claimed an estimated 1.7 million lives (nearly one in four Cambodians) until the regimewas overthrown in 1979.

In 1993, afederal jury in Los Angeles convicted twoformer police officers of violating the civil rights

Ithought of aproject that Ihoped would help with his depression. Ibrought over our laptop and told him to tell me stories of the past, growing up, meeting Mom, their early years together, etc. The order didn’tmatter because Icould arrange it later Ityped and printed out pages. He would read and edit them. When he was finished with his stories, Iput them in order,and I printed abinder forhim with pictures Icould find to correspond with the story.Hetold me many times how it brought him out of his depression. I madecopies forall of our family as well. —Leanah L., in Normal, Illinois

Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

of beaten motorist Rodney King. Twoother officers were acquitted. In 2020, President Donald Trump, via Twitter, urged supporters to “LIBERATE” three states led by Democratic governors, apparently encouraging protests against stay-athomemandates aimed at stopping the coronavirus. Today’sbirthdays: Actor David Bradleyis83. ActorClarke Peters is 73. AuthorNickHornby is 68. ActorSean Bean is 66. Rock singerMaynard James Keenan (Tool) is 61. ActorLelaRochon is 61. ActorKimberly Elise is 58. Singer-songwriter Liz Phair is 58. Directorproducer AdamMcKay is 57. Rapper-actor Redman is 55. Football Hall of Famer Tony Boselli is 53. ActorJenniferGarner is 53. SingerVictoria Beckhamis51. ActorRooney Mara is 40.

ARIEs (March21-April 19) Learn,converse, gain experience and master the art of negotiation. Putyour energy andenthusiasm into networking, and you will gainacceptance among your peers.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Apersonal changeisfavored. Observe your surroundings andthe opportunities around you, andconsider if there is abetter location to call home. Take nothing for granted.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Put await-andsee policy in place. You'll overreact if youaren't careful. Expecttemptation to cross your path. Put your energy into research and communicating with people offering firsthand information.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Appearing vulnerable will attract scammers. Pay more attention to how you look and present yourself to others. Invest more timeand money in yourself instead of buying into someone else's adventure.

LEo (July23-Aug. 22) Raise issuesof concern, andbethe one to make adifference. Listentothe input youreceive frompeople you influence or work alongside, and you'll find away to move forward that appeases the majority.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Refrain from letting your emotions and ego get in the wayofcommon sense.Change is needed, butdon't trytofix what's already working. Focus on the problemand apply asolution.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Expand your interests, knowledgeand experience.

Socialize, andyou'll find common ground with someone youencounter; but first,take care of responsibilities, or someone will complain.

scoRPIo (oct.24-nov. 22) Adiversion will help yougainmomentum.There is plenty to achieve if you are diligent about how you proceed. Seek out people who can help you excel.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Keep an open mind, but put your assets somewhere safe. Don'tbetempted to bail anyone out or take on responsibilities thatwillweigh youdownorcost youemotionally,physically or financially.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan.19) Work to avoid interference. Putmore time and effort into self-improvementinstead of trying to change others. Question everything and everyone.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb.19) Stick close to home and to what's familiar.You'll feel better if you organize your space. Invest your time andmoney in yourself, upgrade your skills and tailor opportunities to suit your needs

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March20) Setboundaries to detersomeonefrom talkingyou into something you don'tneed or want. Put your energy into personal and professional goals that make you feel better about your life.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature,isnot based on scientific fact. ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILYCIrCUS

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

bIG

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increases fromMonday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Daniel J. Bernstein,a research professor of computer science at theUniversityofIllinoisinChicago,said,“Themost important functionofa bibliographic entry is to help the reader obtainacopy of the cited work.”

The most important function of a bridge entry is to help theplayer obtain themaximum number of tricks

In this deal, how would you program acomputer (South)tomake three notrump? West leadsa lowheart.East wins withhis queen and returns thesuit to dummy’s ace.

One thing should be immediately apparent to South: If he loses the lead beforehehas taken nine tricks, he will go down. The defenders will cash too many heart tricks.

Next, declarer shouldrealize that he needs the club finesse to succeed. And if it is winning, he can collect nine tricks via one spade, one heart, three diamonds and four clubs

Theotherhurdleisthattheclubfinesse mightneedtobetakenthreetimes.When this is the case, first lead thelowest card that can take the trick when the finesse is working. Here,Southshould first run dummy’s club nine. Then he runs the queen. Next he plays aclub to his jack. And lastly he claims

Note that if declarer starts with dum-

my’s club queen, East defeats the contract by not covering. Then, if South plays his two, he will have to take the nextclubtrickinhishand.Or,ifdeclarer unblocks the10orjack under thequeen, Eastcan cover thenine to leave his eight beating South’s two on thefourth round of thesuit

©2025 by NEA, Inc dist.

By AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word,phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Wordsmustbeoffour or moreletters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by theaddition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,”are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

ToDAy’s WoRD nAscEnT: NAY-sint: Having recently comeinto existence.

Average mark 20 words

youfind26ormore words in NASCENT?

yEsTERDAy’s WoRD —FoRAGInG

today’s thought

“They went out from us,but they were not of us;for if they had been of us,theywould no doubt havecontinuedwithus: buttheywentout,that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1John 2:19

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

Real Christians stick with Jesus. Jesus has them and they have him. G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

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• Whya Succession maybenecessary when youdie?

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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUDIE WITHOUTAWILL,AND WHYYOU

DO NOTWANTTOBENAMED THE ADMINISTRATOROREXECUTOR

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HOWWILL MYASSETSGET TRANSFERRED TO MY HEIRS:

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WHAT IS USUFRUCT?

Ausufructis aright that apersonhas fora certain period of time on the property of another person. Thefeatures of the right of ausufruct vary with thenatureofthe thingssubjecttoit. Usufructs areoften established when some-one dies. Forexample,a marriedpersonmay,in hisWill, leave his surviving spouseusufructofeverything he owns whenhedies, butthere arecertain restrictions and limitations when establishing ausufruct. Theusufructuary may have numerousobligations,such as an obligation to provide security,the responsibility to providerepairs,the paymentofnecessary expenses,taxes,debts,and othercharges. consequences.Typically,noone paysincome taxonagift regardless of thevalueofthe gift Asizeablegift will haveestateand gift taxconsequences

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