Louisiana college students would get bigger state-funded TOPS scholarships under anew billproposed this legislative session with one major exception.
House Bill 77,which advanced out of the Education Committee
on Wednesday,would overhaul the scholarship amountsthat students get fromTOPS, Louisiana’sprogram for high-achieving students whoattend anyofthe state’spublic colleges anduniversities.
It aims to bring scholarship amountsmoreinline with rising college costs and standardize rates across schools, said the bill’s
co-authors,Rep. LaurieSchlegel, R-Metairie, and Rep. Christopher Turner,R-Ruston.
Butit’llcostthe state an extra $47.5 million, according to estimates, andlower the amount awarded to some students at LSU’s Baton Rouge campus.
The bill would createanew $12,000annual“Excellence”award
for thehighest-scoring students andset new standard amounts for theother TOPS awards, which currently vary based on each school’s tuition Thenew amounts —$6,000 per year forthe Opportunity award, $6,500 forPerformanceand $9,000 for Honors —are higher than what studentsatmost schools currently receive. The updatedrates would get closer to covering the full cost of tuitionand fees, which range
SIGN LANGUAGE
ArtistAmelia Smith,ofEunice,paints the Lafayette sign at Parc Sans Souci in Lafayette earlier this week. Smith said that she painted the sign, with the help of her 12-year-old daughter Olivia, to represent sights of South Louisiana familiar to her,likeegrets, crawfish and magnolias, as well as to showcase Lafayette, FestivalInternational and its sponsor LFT Fiber
from $4,200 annually at mostcommunity colleges to about $9,500 at the University of New Orleans and $11,300 at University of Louisiana at Lafayette,according to state data.
Cuts eyed to PBS, NPR
Louisiana wouldface lack of funding
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON —Daniel Tiger and “NOVA” would be offthe air in Louisiana should the Trump administration and U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy succeed in their plans to defund public broadcasting, local public media leaders say Kennedy,R-Madisonville, filed a bill in February to abolish the Corporation forPublicBroadcasting, whichfunds National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service, famous for Julia Child, Fred Rogersand Ken Burnsdocumentaries. He wants the measure included in the budget bill that Congress is about to consider Some Republicanshavecomplainedfor yearsabout what they see as bias against conservatives in public broadcasting.
The Federal Communications Commission, whichregulates what is seen on televisionand heardon the radio, recently launched an investigation into NPR and PBS underwriting. And the Department of Defense revoked NPR’sPentagon press office access.
The White House is including cuts to public broadcasting assistance in itsrequest to strike $9.3 billioninforeign aidand other programs, multiple national news outlets reported, citinganadministrationofficial granted anonymity to speak freely.Congress returns to Washington on April 28, and lawmakers haveasked for detailedrequests to give Congress more say in the cuts Trumpisconsidering in his efforts to streamline government.
Supporters of public media ar-
ä See CUTS, page 4A
Ambassador grouptohit streetsofdowntownLafayette
BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor
Arecentlyhiredambassador group will start working on the streets of downtownLafayette the weekofFestival International. Block by Block has already ar-
rived in Lafayetteand is hiring staffers to be on the streets next week, said Kevin Blanchard, CEO of the Downtown Development Authority Thecrew will consist of four fulltime employees walking downtown streets seven days aweek do-
ing tasks such as picking up trash, assisting visitors, cleaning graffiti, maintaining landscapingefforts and other duties,Blanchard said during arecent meeting with local commercial real estate agents. Funding forthe programwill come from theDowntownEco-
nomic Development District and will cost about $375,000 annually for theequivalent of four fulltime staffers.Currently theareais maintained by 21/2 staffers at acost of $70,000, with $50,000 coming from Lafayette Consolidated Government and the rest from DDA
The EDD’sbalance currently sits at just over $2.2million and collects about$600,000 ayear, Blanchard said. The crew has hired an operations manager and is interview-
ä See GROUP, page 5A
STAFF PHOTOSByLESLIE WESTBROOK
Taiwan military found with Chinese permits
TAIPEI,Taiwan At least 62 activeduty Taiwanese military members have been found holding Chinese residency permits, the self-ruled island’s Defense Ministry said, in the latest revelation of Chinese influence in the Taiwanese armed forces.
Since splitting amid civil war in 1949, China has considered Taiwan a renegade province and increasingly relied on “gray area” tactics to undermine Taiwan’s will to resist on top of its threat of a military invasion.
Such residency permits give the holder the right to reside in China, potentially an option in case of an outbreak of hostilities. China, which does not recognize Taiwan passports, also issues a special document allowing Taiwanese to visit the mainland.
Holding such documents is legal in Taiwan, but can affect access to sensitive information. The 62 active-duty service members will be barred from handling intelligence and confidential data, Defense Minister Wellington Koo told a legislative hearing on Wednesday
Cable car accident in Italy kills at least 4
MILAN A cable car carrying tourists south of Naples crashed to the ground Thursday after a cable snapped, killing at least four people and critically injuring one, officials said.
The snapped cable brought both the upward and downward-going cable cars to a halt as they traversed Monte Faito in the town of Castellammare di Stabia. The upward cable car eventually crashed, causing the fatalities and injury, while eight tourists and an operator were evacuated from the downward cable car Naples Prefect Michele de Bari said.
“The traction cable broke. The emergency brake downstream worked, but evidently not the one on the cabin that was entering the station,” said Castellammare Mayor Luigi Vicinanza
Italy’s alpine rescue, along with firefighters, police and civil protection services responded to the accident
The accident occurred just a week after the cable car, popular for its views of Mount Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples, reopened for the season.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed her condolences for the victims and their families and said she was in touch with rescuers She was in Washington, D.C., where she met with U.S. President Donald Trump.
U.S. pastor abducted in Africa has been rescued
JOHANNESBURG An American pastor who was kidnapped last week by armed and masked men during a sermon in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa was rescued on Tuesday after three of his abductors engaged in gunfire with officials and were killed, police said Wednesday
The 45-year-old American, Josh Sullivan from Tennessee, has been based in the Motherwell township branch of the Fellowship Baptist Church since 2018 alongside his wife and two children. The missionary was abducted on Thursday when four men broke into the church. They stole two cellphones from members of the congregation before seizing Sullivan from the pulpit and bundling him out of the building. His truck was found abandoned a few hours later
A multi-agency task force, including the Anti-Gang Unit and the Serious Organised Crime Unit, took over the investigation. On Tuesday night they approached the location where they suspected Sullivan was being held, a house in KwaMagxaki in the city of Gqeberha, about 20 minutes’ drive from the Baptist church. According to police, a shootout began when suspects in a car parked outside the house tried to escape and began firing at them. Three unidentified suspects were killed, police said. The number of kidnappings in South Africa has risen by 264% over the past decade police data showed.
Aid groups: Thousands of Gaza children malnourished
BY WAFAA SHURAFA, FATMA KHALED and LEE KEATH Associated Press
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Aid groups are raising new alarm over Israel’s blockade of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, where it has barred entry of all food and other goods for more than six weeks. Thousands of children have become malnourished, and most people are barely eating one meal a day as stocks dwindle, the United Nations says.
The warning came as Israeli strikes overnight and into Thursday killed at least 27 people, including at least six women and 15 children.
The humanitarian aid system in Gaza “is facing total collapse,” the heads of 12 independent aid organizations warned in a joint statement. They said many groups have shut down operations because Israel’s resumed bombardment the past month has made it too dangerous.
No food, fuel, medicine or any other supplies have entered Gaza since Israel imposed its blockade on March 2. It renewed its bombardment on March 18, breaking a ceasefire, and seized large parts of the territory, saying it aims to push Hamas to release more hostages. Hundreds have been killed, and more than 400,000 Palestinians have been forced to flee their shelters in the latest of multiple displacements.
A strike in the southern city of Khan Younis killed a family of 10, including five children, four women and a man, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. Strikes in northern Gaza killed two other couples with nine children, according to the Indonesian Hospital.
A later strike hit a school sheltering displaced people in the northern district of Jabaliya, killing three people and a child. The blast left walls in rubble and
classrooms strewn with debris, charred mattresses and scattered cans of food.
The Israeli military strikes homes, shelters and public areas daily, saying it is targeting Hamas militants, and blames militants for civilian deaths because they operate there. It says it tries to limit civilian casualties. There was no immediate comment on the latest strikes.
The U.N. humanitarian office, known as OCHA, said almost all of Gaza’s more than 2 million people now rely on charity kitchens, which can prepare only 1 million meals a day. The meals mainly consist of rice or pasta with no fresh vegetables or meat.
Other food distribution programs have shut down for lack of supplies, and the U.N. and other aid groups have been sending their remaining stocks to the charity kitchens.
In markets — the only other place to find food in Gaza — prices are spiraling and shortages are widespread, with fresh foods nearly non-existent. As a result, humanitarian aid is the primary food source for 80% of the population, the World Food Program said in its monthly report for April.
“The Gaza Strip is now likely facing the worst humanitarian crisis in the 18 months” since the war began, OCHA said.
“Kids are eating less than a meal a day and struggling to find their next meal,” said Bushra Khalil, policy head at Oxfam. “Everyone is purely eating canned food. Malnutrition and pockets of famine are definitely occurring in Gaza.”
Water is also growing scarce, with Palestinians standing in long lines to fill jerry cans from trucks. Omar Shatat, an official with a local water utility, said people are down to six or seven liters per day, well below the amount the U.N estimates is needed to meet basic needs.
Crews work to restore power after Puerto Rico blackout
BY DÁNICA COTO Associated Press
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico
Crews scrambled to restore power to Puerto Rico on Thursday after a blackout hit the entire island, affecting the main international airport, hospitals and hotels filled with Easter vacationers
The outage that began past noon Wednesday left 1.4 million customers without electricity and more than 400,000 without water More than 850,000 customers, or 58%, had power back by Thursday afternoon, while 89% of customers had water restored. Officials expected 90% of customers to have power back within 48 to 72 hours after the outage.
“This is a shame for the people of Puerto Rico that we have a problem of this magnitude,” said Gov Jenniffer González, who cut her weeklong vacation short and returned to Puerto Rico on Wednesday evening.
She said it would take at least three days to have preliminary information on what might have caused the blackout, which snarled traffic, forced hundreds of businesses to close and left those unable to afford generators
scrambling to buy ice and candles.
“There’s still a long road of recovery,” she said.
“Our system is very fragile.”
González warned that the boiler of one power plant was not functioning and would take one week to repair, which could affect generation next week when people return from vacation.
It’s the second massive blackout to hit Puerto Rico in less than four months, with the previous one occurring on New Year’s Eve
“Why on holidays?”
griped José Luis Richardson, who did not have a generator and kept cool by splashing water on himself every couple of hours.
Trump administration sues Maine over transgender athletes
BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, ERIC TUCKER and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Trump administration on Wednesday sued Maine for not complying with the government’s push to ban transgender athletes in girls and women’s sports, escalating a dispute over whether the state is abiding by a federal law that bars discrimination in education based on sex.
The lawsuit follows weeks of feuding between the Republican administration and Democratic Gov Janet Mills that has led to threats to cut off crucial federal funding and a clash at the White House when she told President Donald Trump: “We’ll see you in court.”
The political overtones of the moment were clear, with Attorney General Pam Bondi — and one of the athletes who joined her on stage at the Justice Department — citing the matter as a priority for Trump. Bondi said other states, including Minnesota and California, could be sued as well.
“President Trump, before he was elected, this has been a huge issue for him,” Bondi said. “Pretty simple: girls play in girls’ sports, boys play in boys’ sports. Men play in men’s sports, women play in women’s sports.”
Trump campaigned against the participation of transgender athletes in sports in his 2024 race. As president, he has signed executive orders to prohibit that and to use a rigid definition of the sexes, rather than gender, for federal government purposes. The orders are being challenged in court.
Trump’s departments of Education and Health and Human Services have said Maine’s education agency is violating the federal Title IX antidiscrimination law by allowing transgender girls to participate on girls teams. The Justice Department is asking the court to order the state to direct all schools to prohibit the
participation of males in athletic competition designated for females.
Maine officials have refused to agree with a settlement that would have banned transgender students from sports, arguing that the law does not prevent schools from letting transgender athletes participate. Mills said Wednesday that the lawsuit was expected and is part of a pressure campaign by Washington to force Maine to ignore its own human rights laws.
“This matter has never been about school sports or the protection of women and girls, as has been claimed, it is about states rights and defending the rule of law against a federal government bent on imposing its will, instead of upholding the law,” Mills said in a statement.
Maine’s attorney general, Aaron Frey, said Wednesday he is confident Maine is acting in accordance with state and federal law
“Our position is further bolstered by the complete lack of any legal citation supporting the Administration’s position in its own complaint,” he said in a statement. “While the President issued an executive order that reflects his own interpretation of the law, anyone with the most basic understanding of American civics understands the president does not create law nor interpret law ” The government’s complaint cites as examples the case of a transgender athlete who in February won first place in pole vault at a Maine indoor track and field meet and a transgender athlete who last year began competing in female cross country races in the state and placed first in a girl’s 5K run.
The lawsuit reflects a stark philosophical turnabout from the position on gender identity issues taken during Democratic administrations. Under President Joe Biden, the government tried to extend civil rights policies to protect transgender people.
filled the air as a growing number of Puerto Ricans renewed calls for the government to cancel the contracts with Luma Energy, which oversees the transmission and distribution of power, and Genera PR, which oversees generation.
González promised to heed those calls.
“That is not under doubt or question,” she said, but added that it’s not a quick process. “It is unacceptable that we have failures of this kind.”
González said a major outage like the one that occurred Wednesday leads to an estimated $215 million revenue loss daily
ASSOCATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA
Palestinians inspect the remains of a displacement tent hit by an Israeli airstrike overnight, killing 10 members of the Abu Al-Rous family, in Khan younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Thursday.
ASSOCIATD PRESS PHOTO By ALEJANDRO GRANADILLO
BY KATE PAYNE and DAVID FISCHER Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The 20-year-old son of asheriff’s deputy openedfire Thursday at Florida State University with his mother’sformer service weapon, killing two people and woundingatleast six others, investigators said. Officers quickly arrived andshotand woundedthe shooterafter he refused to comply with commands, said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. Authorities have not yetrevealeda motivefor theshooting, which began around lunch time just outside the student union, sending students and frightened parents
hiding for coverina bowling alley and afreight elevator inside the building. The shooter,identified by policeasPhoenix Ikner,is believedtobea Florida State student, investigators said. He had obtainedaccess to aweapon that belongs to his mother,who hasbeenwith the sheriff’soffice for over 18 years, said Walt McNeil, sheriff of Leon County.Police said they believed Ikner shot the victims using his mother’sformer service handgun.
Thetwo people whodied were notstudents at the university, saidFloridaState University Police Chief JasonTrumbower, addingthat he would notrelease additional information about the
victims.
TallahasseeMemorial Hospitalconfirmed it wastreating sixpatients wounded from in the shooting, onein critical condition.
Ambulances, fire trucks andpatrol vehiclesfrom multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus just west of Florida’s capital after the university issuedanactiveshooter alert
Thursday
Ryan Cedergren, a21-yearold communications student, said he andabout 30 others hid in the bowling alleyinthe union’slower level after seeing students running from a nearby bar “In that moment,itwas survival,”hesaid.
Chris Pento said he and
his twins were getting lunch at the student union during acampus tour when they heardgunshots. “Itwas surreal. And people just started running,” he toldWCTV in Tallahassee.
They crammed into aservice elevator after encountering locked doors at the endofa hallway.“That was probablythe scariestpoint because we didn’tknow.It could get worse, right?” he said. “The doors opened and twoofficers were there,guns drawn.”
Dozensofpatrol vehicles, including aforensics van, wereparked outside the student union hours after the shooting. Officersblocked off thearea with crime scene tape.
Students and staff who left behind phones, keys and other items in the rush to evacuate waited in theshade and prayed for the victims.
President Donald Trump said from theOvalOffice that he had been fully briefed on the shooting. “It’s ahorrible thing. It’shorrible thatthings like this take place,” he said.
After receiving warnings of an active shooter, students and faculty took cover and waited in classrooms, offices and dorms across campus.
The first thing you think of is just, ‘This can’tbetrue,’ right?” said Kai McGalla, asophomore whospoke by phone while lockeddown at acampus testing center
Junior Joshua Sirmans, 20,
was in the main library when alarmswent off. Law enforcement officers escorted him and other students from the library with their hands over their heads, he said. Florida State University is oneofFlorida’s12public universities, with its maincampus in Tallahassee. About 44,000 students are enrolled in the university,per the school’s2024 fact sheet. In 2014, the main library wasthe site of ashooting that wounded three people. Officersshotand killedthe gunman, 31-year-old Myron May The university canceled all classes and events for Thursday.Italso canceled homeathletic events through Sunday
Judgewillheararguments as groups trytoblock executiveorder
BY CHRISTINA LARSON AP science writer
WASHINGTON Endangered
sea turtles show signsof recovery in amajority of places where they’re found worldwide, accordingtoa new global survey released
Thursday
“Many of the turtle populations have come back, though some haven’t,” said Duke ecologist Stuart Pimm, who was not involved with the research. “Overall, the sea turtle story is one of the real conservation success stories.”
The study looked at 48 populations of sea turtles around the world. Scientists measured the impacts of threats such as hunting pollution, coastal development and climate change to the marine animals.Inmore than half of the areas studied, threats are declining overall, the study found. But there are some exceptions.Sea turtle populations in the Atlantic Ocean are more likely to be recovering than those in Pacific waters. And leatherback turtles are
not faring as well as other species.
Globally,leatherbacksare consideredvulnerable to extinction,but many groups arecriticallyendangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
All seven of theregions where leatherbacks are found face high environmental risks, said study co-author Bryan Wallace, a wildlife ecologistatEcolibrium in Colorado.
Leatherback turtles are famous for making thelongest known marinemigrationsofany animal —with some individuals swimming as manyas3,700 miles each way.That feat moves them through awide swath of regions and may expose them
to unique risks, he said.
Meanwhile, greenturtles arestill considered endangered globally,but their populations show signs of recovery in many regions of the world, researchers found.
“By ending commercial harvests and allowing them time to rebound, their populations arenow doing really well” in coastal watersoff manyregions of Mexico andthe U.S.,saidco-author Michelle María Early Capistrán, aStanford University researcher who has conducted fieldworkinboth countries.
Sea turtles wereprotected underthe U.S.Endangered SpeciesAct of 1973,and Mexico banned all captures of sea turtles in 1990.
LOSANGELES Erik and Lyle Menendezcould learnthis week whether they will get reduced sentences—and the chance of freedom —nearly 30 years after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
ALos Angeles judge will preside overthe resentencing hearing that’sexpectedto last two days startingThursday. Thejudge couldrule during the hearing or issue awritten decision later.Ifhe shortens their sentences, the brothers would still need approvalfrom the state’sparole board to leave prison.
The District Attorney’s
Office filed amotionlate Wednesday to delay the resentencing hearings so the court can obtain one aspect of the state paroleboard’s comprehensive risk assessments. California Gov. Gavin Newsomordered the assessments in February and the brothers’ final risk assessment hearings are scheduled for June 13.Prosecutorssaid in their filing that one part of the risk assessment has alreadybeen completed.
Thebrothers were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison withoutthe possibility of parolefor murdering their entertainmentexecutive father JoseMenendez and mother Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home
in 1989. The brotherswere 18 and21atthe time of the killings. Whiledefense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said thebrothers killed their parentsfor amultimillion-dollar inheritance.
The case has captured the public’sattention for decades,and the Netflix drama “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”and documentary “The Menendez Brothers” have been credited with bringing newattention to the case. Supporters of the brothers haveflown in from across thecountry to attend rallies and hearings in recent months.
BY ALISWENSON Associated Press
NEWYORK Afederal judge on Thursday will hear arguments in threecases from national Democratsand voting rights groups that arechallenging President Donald Trump’srecent executive order on elections, which,among other changes, would require proof of citizenship to register to voteinfederal elections.
TheDemocratic National Committee,the League of UnitedLatinAmerican Citizens, theLeague of Women Voters Education Fund and others are seeking to block Trump’ssweeping overhaul of federal election processes, alleging that the changes he wantsare unconstitutional.
TheRepublican president’s executive order says the U.S. hasfailed“to enforce basic and necessary election protections” and calls on states to work with
federal agencies to share voter lists and prosecute election crimes. It threatens to pull federal funding from states where election officials don’tcomply
It also aims to mandate majorchanges to election processes, including adding aproof-of-citizenship requirementtothe federal voter registration form and requiring all mail ballots to be received, rather than just postmarked, by Election Daynationwide.
Theplaintiffsargue Trump’sorder is illegal because it asserts power that he does nothaveoveran independent agency.That agency,the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, sets voluntary voting system guidelines and maintains the federalvoter registration form
The plaintiffs alsoargue the order violates the Constitution, which says that states —not thepresident —get to decide the“times,
places and manner” of how elections are run. The Constitution’sso-called Elections Clause also gives Congress the power to “make or alter” election regulations, at leastfor federal office, but it doesn’tmention any presidentialauthorityover election administration.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., will consider the plaintiffs’ pleas forapreliminary injunction,temporarilyblocking the orderasthe lawsuits play out. She instructed the parties to be prepared to discuss arange of topics, including whether the Election Assistance Commission can comply with Trump’sdemandswhile followingthe lawand whether the plaintiffs have standing to raise each of their claims. The hearing comes as other lawsuits against Trump’sexecutive order arepending.
Parish GOP leader says he’s targeted by governor
EBR’s Jenkins says bill could unseat him as party chair
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
A legislative bill that would expand membership of the Republican Party’s executive committee in East Baton Rouge Parish normally would attract little attention
But GOP stalwart Woody Jenkins is raising a stink about House Bill 200, saying he believes Gov Jeff Landry is using it to try to punish him for campaigning against a proposed constitutional amendment sought by Landry that voters soundly rejected last month
The added committee members could unseat Jenkins as the parish party chair, a position he has held since 2012.
“Why would the governor be so interested in taking over a local Republican Party?” Jenkins asked “It’s obvious that it’s political payback, particularly over Amendment 2, on his part. It reminds me of Huey Long.”
TOPS
Continued from page 1A
The amount for TOPS Tech, a separate scholarship that pays for two years of vocational training, would also increase. It would go up to $3,500 — about $1,000 higher than the current average.
The bill would give a big boost to “students who only receive TOPS and no other academic scholarships to help fund the hefty burden of college,” Walker Pearson, student body president at Louisiana Tech University, told lawmakers Wednesday
But there is a big catch: The proposed Opportunity and Performance amounts are several hundred dollars lower than the existing rate at LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge, which has by far the most TOPS recipients of any
CUTS
Continued from page 1A
gue that public broadcasting outlets, which operate on donations as well as taxpayer dollars rather than selling advertising, offer local and in-depth reporting
Louisiana Public Broadcasting is a state agency that receives most of its funding from the state general fund and from corporate and viewer donations, said C.C Copeland, LPB’s president and chief executive officer LPB is budgeted to receive $13.2 million from the state in the fiscal year that begins in July
As the only statewide network, LPB is called whenever the Legislature convenes, for gubernatorial news conferences, when hurricanes threaten, and other events.
LPB shares its broadcast with private stations.
LPB also provides educational programming that augments kindergarten through 12th grade teaching in schools and programming that homebound and homeless children can use to continue their education.
Amendment 2, which would have rewritten the tax section of the Louisiana Constitution, was one of the four proposed changes that voters rebuffed. Landry campaigned extensively for Amendment 2.
Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge and the sponsor of HB200, said Jenkins’ concerns are misplaced. McMakin said he simply wants to involve more elected officials with the Republican Party and the bill has nothing to do with Jenkins.
“Nothing came from anyone on the governor’s staff,” McMakin said, adding that he hasn’t discussed the bill with Landry He acknowledged discussing HB200 with members of the governor’s staff but declined to identify them.
Jenkins, publisher of the Central City News, is one of the best-known Republicans in Baton Rouge, having served in the state Legislature from 1972-2000. During those years, he was a TV station owner and prominent voice against abortion. He subsequently lost three high-profile elections, co-chaired Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign in
state school. Nearly 9,300 students at that campus received one of those awards this school year, according to state data.
If the bill passes, those students would get smaller scholarships and pay more out of pocket.
To soften the blow, lawmakers amended the bill Wednesday to include an additional $700 annual stipend for TOPS recipients at LSU’s Baton Rouge campus and its Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, which also would see a drop in award rates.
“I do believe they appreciated my amendment,” Schlegel said. An LSU spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the bill.
Even with the stipends, LSU students at those two campuses would get about $760 less for Opportunity awards and $660 less for Performance under the proposed rates. By contrast, award amounts would
Removing the federal funding would end the programming that is funded by PBS. That means shows like “NOVA,” “Frontline” and “Finding Your Roots” would be gone from airways in the state and probably other states as well, Copeland said The Corporation for Public Broadcasting gives money to PBS, which gives that money to local stations Louisiana receives about $2.5 million
The stations then pay PBS dues to allow access to its programming. Louisiana pays about $2.4 million in dues. That money is then given as grants to the producers, who are also raising money from other sources to put together the individual programs.
“It’ll be a domino effect,” Copeland said. “If we can’t pay it and CPB doesn’t pay the other locals and they stop paying the dues, then PBS collapses.”
The lack of funding would mean the end of PBS’s children’s programming in Louisiana — cartoons such as “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” which teaches practical skills like being polite to adults and trying new foods, to children between the ages of 2 to 5, Cope-
“Why would the governor be so interested in taking over a local Republican Party? It’s obvious that it’s political payback, particularly over Amendment 2, on his part. It reminds me of Huey Long.”
WOODy JENKINS East Baton Rouge Parish Republican Party chair
Louisiana and served as a Trump delegate to the Electoral College in 2020.
Derek Babcock, who chairs the Louisiana Republican Party, said he went to the Governor’s Mansion on Tuesday to tell Landry that he will oppose the bill.
“We have an agreement to have differing views on it,” Babcock said, adding, “I think the bill is unconstitutional I don’t think the Legislature has the authority to dictate to the party on how to seat their members. You would set a precedent with every time someone has a problem with an RPEC in their parish.”
Kate Kelly, the governor’s
increase by more than $1,400 for Honors recipients, who must score 27 or better on the ACT and earn a 3.5 GPA or higher in high school to qualify
While some LSU students would take a hit, about 70% of students statewide who receive Opportunity or Performance awards and all Honors recipients would get more money under the proposed rates, Schlegel said.
The legislation is meant to bring the scholarship amounts, which have been frozen for nearly a decade, in line with college costs that have risen steadily during that time. And the new Excellence award, for students who score 31 or higher on the ACT aims to deter high-achieving students from leaving Louisiana for colleges in other states that offer more generous scholarships.
“I’m on a mission to keep our kids here,” Schlegel said.
Bigger awards also mean a big-
land said. PBS also is a primary funder for “NOVA,” the renowned science program.
Public radio stations in Louisiana don’t receive any state money
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds local public radio stations through National Public Radio. The amounts differ depending on the size and reach of the station.
For instance, WWNO in New Orleans receives about $220,000 a year and WRKF in Baton Rouge receives about $150,000, said Paul Maassen, general manager of WWNO and WRKF. For both stations, the money accounts for about 8% of the stations’ budgets
The rest comes from individual donations, local business underwriters, and various grants from public and philanthropic sources, he said.
But WWNO and WRKF operate in large cities with lots of donors For other stations, such as those that operate in rural areas, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting money can account for up to 40% of the budget.
Maassen said receiving the federal money helps with their fundraising efforts.
spokesperson, said in a text that Landry “knows nothing of the bill.”
HB200 would add nine elected officials to the 17-member party parish executive committee. As currently written, the changes also would apply to the East Baton Rouge Parish Democratic Party Executive Committee.
“It’s totally unnecessary,” said Randal Gaines, the Louisiana Democratic Party chair “It appears to be evolving from some self-serving political agenda.”
McMakin said he plans to amend the bill to take out the Democratic Party when it is heard by the House and Governmental Affairs Committee on April 23.
McMakin said one of the reasons he filed HB200 is because of an unexplained $24,000 expenditure by the parish party for a “campaign consultant” in 2023.
Jenkins said that money went to Kimberly Powers a member of the parish Republican state central committee, to coordinate political campaigns throughout the parish. He said he donated half of the money that went to her Jenkins noted that Republicans hold a majority of seats on the East
ger price tag. The bill is projected to increase state spending on TOPS by $47.5 million next school year, bringing the total to about $330 million, according to an estimate by the legislative fiscal office. That could be a heavy lift for the Legislature, which is trying to find nearly $200 million to keep teacher pay from falling even as the state faces a projected revenue shortfall and possible federal funding cuts.
During Wednesday’s Education Committee hearing, Rep Phillip Tarver, R-Lake Charles, said legislators must rein in state spending.
“I’m not going to keep growing government,” he said. “This session for me is going to be about drawing a line in the sand.”
Another of the bill’s objectives is to create consistency across campuses. Each school’s TOPS awards are tied to its tuition rate from the
“It’s really a platform for the fundraising and it does helps with the operating funds for our local programming,” he said. “The strength of what we do is local.”
He added, “If you cut CPB funding, that is going directly impact every local station across the country.”
Kennedy said the federal government subsidizes public media to the tune of about $500 million annually He noted that Louisiana has 318 radio stations, of which 10 get money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and 48 television stations, eight of which get federal money Kennedy argues that continuing taxpayer funding is wasteful spending when streaming, cable and other technologies provide plenty of programming.
He also contends that public broadcasting is biased.
On April 9, Kennedy showed a series of headlines during a speech on the Senate floor to prove his point.
One headline read “The Hidden Racism of Young White Americans.” It was a PBS news report from March 2015 about studies on relations between Blacks and
Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Metro Council and hold all the parishwide seats except for the District Attorney’s Office. Jenkins championed the unlikely candidacy of football coach Sid Edwards, a Republican, who was elected mayor last year “We’ve been an influence to help elect good Republicans,” Jenkins said. Besides speaking out, Jenkins is using his platform at the Central City News to publicize his opposition to HB200. An article published Thursday raised questions about the bill, saying it would amount to a takeover of the parish Republican Party Articles in the newspaper — which were shared widely on social media — criticized Amendment 2, which won only 35% of the vote on March 29.
Besides chairing the East Baton Rouge Parish Republican Executive Committee, Jenkins also organizes a weekly luncheon for party activists during the legislative session.
Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.
2016-17 school year, when the Legislature froze the amounts to contain the program’s ballooning costs. McNeese State University President Wade Rousse said the differences can fuel the misconception that award amounts reflect school quality
“An institution that has a higher TOPS award is not necessarily higher quality,” he said at the hearing. “And it certainly might not be the best fit for an individual student.”
The bill would establish a set rate for each award that is the same at every school.
The changes would ensure that awards are “fair and consistent,” said Pearson the Louisiana Tech University student, and show “that excellence and hard work truly are valued in Louisiana.”
Email Patrick Wall at patrick. wall@theadvocate.com.
Whites.
One of the headlines he criticized was “How Illegitimate CRT concerns shaped Louisiana’s new social studies standards.” That was a nearly 8-minute report broadcast in April 2022 by WWNO in New Orleans.
The piece discussed Critical Race Theory, an academic framework to explain how systemic racism in the past influences the present, and how critics of the theory cited it in creating curriculum changes for Louisiana high schoolers.
“Now, look, you don’t have to be a Latin scholar to see that these articles are biased — every single one of them — at the federal level and at the state and local level in Louisiana,” Kennedy said. “And you know what, that’s the right of these state and local television stations. They have the right to say this stuff, but they don’t have the right to say it with your money.”
Maassen said, “I can’t tell you the number of stories we do. It’s a whole lot. Our goal is to provide different points of view You’re not going to agree with everything you hear.”
U.N. says U.S.-Iran talks at a ‘very crucial’ stage
Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program at issue
BY JON GAMBRELL and AMIR VAHDAT Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program are “in a very crucial” stage, the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Thursday while on a visit to the Islamic Republic.
The comments by Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Tehran included an acknowledgment his agency likely would be key in verifying compliance by Iran should a deal be reached. Iran and the U.S will meet again Saturday in Rome for a new round of talks after last weekend’s first meeting in Oman.
Grossi’s visit also coincided with Saudi Arabia’s defense minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, visiting Tehran as the highestranking official from the kingdom to visit Iran since the two countries reached a Chinese-mediated détente in 2023. That’s as Saudi Arabia tries to end its decadelong war against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen — even as a new, intense campaign of U.S. airstrikes targets them.
The stakes of the negotiations Saturday and the wider geopolitical tensions in the Mideast couldn’t be higher, particularly as the IsraelHamas war rages on in the Gaza Strip. U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash
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ing others to join the staff, Blanchard said. The manager has worked for the company in larger metros in Texas and understands how their system works, he said The company sent representatives to Lafayette on March 29 for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Big Event day and in two hours, removed all stickers off poles downtown that had been there for years, he said. Trucks and equipment are being delivered this week.
“We’re going to get reports every month on what they’ve been up to,” Blanchard said “People are very excited.
We’ve got little handouts that I’ve been dropping off with downtown businesses.
I hope small businesses really feel loved and cared for That’s what we’re trying to do.
airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program if a deal isn’t reached Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
Grossi arrived in Iran on Wednesday night and met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who now is in Moscow for separate talks likely over the negotiations. On Thursday, Grossi met with Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, then later toured a hall featuring some of Iran’s civilian nuclear projects.
“We know that we are in a very crucial, I would say, stage of this important negotiation, so I want to concentrate on the positive,” Grossi told Iranian media. “There is a possibility of a good outcome. Nothing is guaranteed. We need to make sure that we put all of the elements in place in order to get to this agreement.”
He added: “We know we don’t have much time. So this is why I’m here. This is why I’m in contact with the United States as well.”
Asked about Trump’s threats to attack Iran, Grossi urged people to “concentrate on our objective.”
“Once we get to our objective all of these things will evaporate because there will be no reason for concern,” he said.
For his part, Eslami said Iran expected the IAEA to “maintain impartiality and act professionally,” a report from the state-run IRNA news agency said.
Since the nuclear deal’s collapse in 2018 with Trump’s unilateral withdrawal of the U.S. from the accord, Iran has abandoned
The area is also home to a growing residential and retail presence, along with 37 restaurants.
The staff will be similar to a crew that had the same responsibility in River Ranch when Blanchard worked for Southern Lifestyle Development, he said.
“They weren’t going to walk past a piece of trash because it wasn’t their job,” he said. “They were getting paid better than $10 an hour to do the work. That’s what this ambassador program is. This ambassador program is going to be a gamechanger.”
Block By Block is based in Louisville, Kentucky, and is in mid-sized cities and large metros across the country, according to its website. It currently has 150 unique programs in the United States.
all limits on its program, and enriches uranium to up to 60% purity — near weaponsgrade levels of 90%.
Surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA have been disrupted, while Iran has barred some of the Vienna-based agency’s most experienced inspectors. Iranian officials also have increasingly threatened that they could pursue atomic weapons, something the West and the IAEA have been worried about for years since Tehran abandoned an organized weapons program in 2003.
Despite tensions between Iran and the agency, its access has not been entirely revoked. But Grossi acknowledged in a French newspaper interview that “Iran has enough material to build not one but several bombs.”
“It’s like a jigsaw puzzle; they’ve got the pieces and one day they might be able to put them together,” he
told
off, admittedly.”
the brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, arrived in Tehran on Thursday. Iran’s joint chief of staff, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, greeted the prince on his arrival and an honor guard played for the two men. Prince Khalid, a fighter pilot, has become the first Saudi defense minister to visit Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He’s also the highest-ranking Saudi royal to visit in decades. The last was King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who did so as crown prince in 1997 for an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting held in Tehran. The state-run Saudi Press Agency, announcing the prince’s arrival, said his trip would include “a number of meetings to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and issues of common interest,” without elaborating.
The crew will be responsible for an area that has 2.3 million visitors each year, with just under half coming from outside Lafayette Parish, DDA data shows.
Also, downtown officials will start a site development plan this fall that will identify key sites that have potential for development, Blanchard said. Many of those sites could be on the northern edge of downtown by the railroad tracks. Some of those are owned
by the state Department of Transportation and Development, which bought them years ago as part of a previous potential route of the Interstate 49 Connector One block, which at one time included Coburn’s Electric could soon be owned by the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority, director Alex Lazard said. Downtown still needs a critical mass of residents, said Johnny Blancher, owner of Rock ‘n’ Bowl and other downtown properties. Blancher sought to put a 177-unit mixed-use project downtown at the current site of Lafayette City Court before Mayor-President Monique Boulet halted it.
“The runway is really long,” Blancher said of downtown’s potential “You will be surprised who wants to either own the condo or rent the apartment. We’re the only (city) that hasn’t made a significant push into downtown residential. Those same things are wanted here. We just have to build it.”
Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com. GROUP
Le Monde. “There’s still a long way to go before that happens. But they’re not far
Prince Khalid bin Salman, the son of King Salman and
PHOTO PROVIDED By THE ATOMIC ENERGy ORGANIZATION OF IRAN
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, center, visits an exhibition of Iran’s nuclear achievements in Tehran, Iran, on Thursday
Shown
BY EMMA BURROWS
andANGELA CHARLTON
TheAssociated Press
PARIS France hosted high-level talks Thursday to discussUkraine and its security,the first time since President Donald Trump’s inauguration that top American, Ukrainian and European officials are known to have met together to discuss an end to the war
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and presidential envoySteve Witkoff joined other top Ukrainian andEuropean officials for hours of separate meetings at theFrench presidential palace before French President Emmanuel Macron brought them all together for afinal round of talks at the end of the day
The meetings come as concernsgrow about Trump’s readiness to draw closer to Russia and after weeks of U.S. efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine failed to bring an end to the fighting. There is also frustration among Europeans over the Trump administration’s other moves, from tariffs on some of its closest partners to rhetoric about NATO and Greenland.
American view in Paris Rubio wrote on Xthat the American delegation in Paris was looking to “secure real, practical solutions to end the Russia-Ukraine war.” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce offered no additional details aboutthe talks, telling reporters in Washingtonthat thegroup wastryingtofind apath forward “to stop the bloodshed.” Untilnow,Trump’s officials have pursued separate negotiating tracks between the UnitedStates and Ukraine, and between the U.S. and Russia.
Senior U.S. officialshad previouslymadecomments
ASSOCIATEDPRESS
suggesting Europeanrepresentatives would notbe involved in ceasefire negotiations. Experts said the talks are thought to be the first timeWitkoff —Trump’s chief envoy taskedwith negotiating with RussianPresidentVladimir Putin —has met senior Ukrainian officials.
Alina Polyakova,president of theCenter for European Policy AnalysisinWashington, said the meeting in Paris was a“unique moment because it is the firsttime Trump’srepresentatives, Ukrainians andEuropeans are discussing Ukraine aroundthe same table.
“That’sreally,really important. And Ithink thatis emergingbecause Ithink the U.S. processhas stalled and they realized that you need European input becausethey have skin in thegame,” she said
“This is not just about aswathofterritory in Ukraine,”she said. “Thisis aboutbroader questions of European securityand you can’tdisentangle those.”
Ukraine’sgoals
The outcome of the talks wasn’timmediately clear but UkrainianPresident
VolodymyrZelenskyysaid he wantedhis representatives to raisethe question of security guarantees for Ukraine and saidhegave his team amandate to discuss afull andpartial ceasefire—but not mattersrelating to the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Ukraine’spresidential adviser, Andrii Yermak, said theUkrainian delegation andEuropean partners discussed the nextstepstoward achievinga “justand lasting peace,”including a full ceasefire, the deployment of amultinational military contingent,and the development of an effective security architecture for Ukraine.
“It was avery substantive conversation. We continue our work,” he wrote.
Trump’sspecial envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, alsojoined the talks. Other participants included Ukrainian ForeignMinister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister RustemUmerov, British Foreign Secretary DavidLammy,the German government’sforeign policy adviser and German Foreign Ministry’spolitical director
Barrot
Lafayette AmeriCorps volunteers dismissed
Some told program was demobilized
BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer
Several AmeriCorps volunteers in Lafayette were dismissed this week after a federal directive. A letter was sent to at least five
volunteers from the National Civilian Community Corps, or NCCC, Tuesday afternoon, KATC reported It told members the program was being demobilized and ordered them to return to their home base.
The notice came as the Department of Government Efficiency slashes federal programs on its mission to cut spending. An unsigned memo said the NCCC’s “ability to sustain program operations” was impacted by “new operational parameters” laid out by the Trump administration’s priorities, The Associated Press reported.
The Acadiana Advocate reached out to AmeriCorps by email and had not received a response at the time of publication.
Members, who receive a living allowance and have basic expenses covered, would be paid through the end of April, according to the AP. The NCC celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. But a White House official told the AP the Trump Administration questioned using taxpayer money for the pro-
IN THE FEST LIGHT
ABOVE: Micaela & Fiesta Flamenco of New Orleans perform at the New Iberia Spanish Association Spanish Festival in New Iberia. A parade of families and a paella cooking contest were on Saturday. LEFT: Spanish flags were handed out during the parade. RIGHT: Brock Broussard of Loreauville prepares paella on Saturday.
PHOTOS By LEE BALL
SU student
BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer
QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer
BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer
OPINION
NIHcutswillhaveadevastating impact on La.
The Preamble states that one of the main purposes of enacting theU.S. Constitution is to “promote the general welfare.” The general welfare has been interpreted as referring to the well-being of society,including its health and safety Congress has the power under Article I, Section 8, Clause 1tospend money for the general welfare of the people of the United States. When it comes to assistance, including promoting the health of citizens, Louisiana hasa disproportionate need for support from the federal government. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the UnitedStates with about 1in4 Americans atrisk of dying from cancer.Morethan 1.6 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed and nearly595,000 cancer deaths occur annually,with direct medical costs totaling over $87 billion nationally. Louisiana has the fifth-highest cancermortality rate in the nation, with 218.2 per 100,000 Louisiana
Walter LegerJr. GUEST COLUMNIST
citizens dying fromthe disease annually.The highest deathrates in the state are associated with lungcancer,cancersof the breast, prostate, colon andrectum and pancreas. To accelerate the early diagnoses of cancer and address Louisiana’s high rate of cancer mortality, theLegislatureestablished the Louisiana Cancer ResearchCenter.The LCRC is charged with advancing researchand education in thediagnosis, detectionand treatmentof cancer, initially bringing together Louisiana’s two great health sciences centers at LSU and Tulane and laterXavier University and Ochsner Health System to collaborate.
Proposed National Institutes of Health fundingcutsnow threaten to blockLouisiana’s fight against cancerand otherdiseases. Significant NIH funding to Louisiana in the fields of medical research totals more than $300 million annually
The NIH reimbursesthe univer-
sitiesfor “indirect costs”including construction, maintenance of laboratories and high-tech facilitiesfor energy,utilityexpenses related to research, as well as safety, securityand other governmentmandated grant expenses.These indirect cost reimbursements areprovidedasnegotiated and arestrictly audited. They areessentialtoconducting world-class research effectively,efficiently, safely and securely
This type of research is disproportionately important in Louisiana withour high incidence of cancer,diabetes, Alzheimer’s, hypertension and other life-threatening diseases and conditions
While the proposed cutscan be devastating to thehealth of our citizens,the impact of the cuts can have real economic consequences as well. According to anational study of all states by theUnited for Medical Research organization, Louisiana received grants thatdirectly supported nearly 3,500 jobs and $600 million in economic activityinthe state. It concluded thatfor every$1inNIH-
funded research, there is $2.46 of new economic activity LSU reports nearly $500 million of research expenditures, providing healthcare workers, as well as basic, translational and clinical biomedical research for the people of the state of Louisiana.
Tulane’smission is heavily research-focused and touches everysegment of communities throughout Louisiana, supporting morethan 30,000 jobs statewide and generating $88.2 millioninannual taxrevenue.
In recent years, these two great universities have been successful in recruiting some of the best biomedical scientists in the world by leveraging federal dollars and strategic targeting. The annual economic impact to Louisiana is billions of dollars.
The chainsaw cut to the NIH in the rate of indirect cost reimbursement would be devastating to vital research projects, likely resulting in setbacks in research discoveries, job losses and loss of traction just as we have been working to position Louisiana as
one of the leading bioscience research centers in the nation. To ensure the constitutional mandate to “promote the general welfare”bysaving lives and simply because it is the right thing to do, we ask our congressional leaders to support biomedical research by continuing indirect costs funding at current levels. The NIH has recognized the importance of providing reimbursement for indirect costs to universities while seeking cures for diseases. This is awise investment of tax dollars that will reap benefits by saving and improving lives through cures and by creating jobs and opportunities for Louisiana.
Louisiana has outstanding congressional leadership in both houses. We need to call upon them to use ascalpel, not achainsaw, whenitcomes to fighting cancer and other diseases.
Walter J. Leger,Jr.,isathreetime cancer survivor and amember of theBoard of Trustees,Louisiana Cancer Research Center
Revisionisthistory at American museumsneeds to be addressed
In asmall microschool in northwest Louisiana, personalized learning has unlocked remarkable opportunities for students like Isak Schmidley.Isak made history as the youngestever graduate of LSU Health Sciences Center At just 16 years old, he earned abachelor’sdegree inmedical laboratory science —all without taking on a single student loan. The key to his success?
thousands of studentsinLouisiananow canpursue an education that best fits their needs. The LA GATOR Scholarship also makes it possible forinnovative models like microschoolstoflourish.
Isak is agraduate of Country Day Montessori School. The microschool’spersonalized approach allows all students to study at their own pace. When they master aconcept, they move on. Thismodel has yielded extraordinary results,withnearly every graduate earningatleast an associatedegree. One student even went on to graduate from Bossier Parish Community College at just 13 years old!
Microschools have emerged as apowerful disruptive innovation in theconventional schooling paradigm.These small school modelsoffer aflexible, student-centered approach by emphasizingsmallclass sizes, personalized learningand community-driven education.
Unlike traditional schools, which often focus on standardized processes and scalability,microschools aredesigned to adapt quickly to the unique needs of theirstudents and families. By leveraging technology, creatively utilizing spaces and tailoring curricula, microschools redefine education, filling gaps left by larger,less agile institutions. They embodythe essence of educational innovation, challenging thestatus quo and providing aroad map for amore inclusive and customized learningexperience.
Education is undergoinga profound transformation, moving far beyond the conventional brick-and-mortar public school model that has long defined American schooling. Today,families are seeking educational options that are flexible, personalized and better suited to the diverse needs of their children.
Advances in technology,agrowing emphasis on individualized learning and the demand for greater choice have opened the door to innovative approaches that challenge traditional assumptions about what education should look like. These changes reflect abroader shift in how we think about learning, making roomfor modelsthat prioritizecreativity,community and adaptability over one-size-fits-all solutions.
Louisiana is embracing thiseducational transformation through the “GivingAll True Opportunity to Rise” or LA GATOR scholarship program. With the passage of the LA GATOR scholarship program in2024,
By expanding access to funding and resources traditionally limited to public schools, the programlevelsthe playing field andempowers school founders to provide customizededucation tailoredto theunique needs of their communities. The LA GATORScholarship programnot only supportsthe growth of microschoolsbut also reinforces Louisiana’s commitment to reimagine education for the 21st century
In itsfirst phase,the LA GATOR Scholarshipisopentofamilieswho currently participateinthe Student Scholarships for EducationalExcellenceProgramand those earning up to 250% of the federalpoverty level.Scholarships range from $5,500 to $15,000, with higher amounts forstudents with exceptionalities.
Currently,the voucherprogramserves 5,541 students, but the LA GATOR Scholarshipaimstoreach significantly more families, expanding to offerevery student in thestate an education savings account by Phase3
Unlike its predecessor,the LA GATOR Scholarship allows ESAs to cover arange of services beyond private school tuition, such as tutoring, therapies, artsprograms and microschooling. It allows entrepreneurs to provide educational and vocational services, broadening options for students statewide.
By expanding whateducation funding can cover,Louisiana joins agrowing waveof states redefining how students access learning opportunities. In stateswith universal ESAprograms like Florida,Arizona, Utah and West Virginia —microschools have become asignificant part of theeducation ecosystem.
No longer are Louisiana’sstudents confined to factory-era education. Instead, they can prepare for an innovative, everchanging 21st-century market. Education must followsuit by offering acustomizable marketplace of choices, allowing parents to set theirstudents up forsuccess starting right now Louisiana has the tools to reshape education for future generations. Educators, entrepreneurs and communitiesmust unite to ensure every student has access to abrighter,more personalized path to success.
NathanSanders is apolicy and advocacy directoratthe nonprofit EdChoice. Traci Schmidleyisthe founder of Country Day Montessori School in Red River Parish and aleader of Microschool America (and Isak’s mom)
Lastmonth, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting revisionist history and divisive ideologies at our national parks andthe Smithsonian museums. Whatever one thinks of the scope of that EO, it does aim to address areal problem.Under theguise of telling amore inclusive, equitable and accurate history,the American story at present is being distorted at museums and historic sites across the nation. The EO supplies afew examples of discordant notes at the Smithsonian, such as “hard work” being labeled an aspect of “White culture.”
This is no happenstance. In 2022, Lonnie Bunch, secretary of theSmithsonian Institution, co-chaired atask force to produce areport on excellence in diversity, equity,accessibility and inclusion, which begins: “DEAI is integral to excellence in museum practice. FULL STOP.”
TheAmerican Alliance of Museumsis responsible for thereport and further claims that museums should “champion an anti-racist movement” to create a “more just and equitable world.” The AAM is composed of 35,000 museums and museum professionals. Funding for thereport wasprovided by the AndrewMellon, Alice L. Walton and FordFoundations.In2023, Mellon committed $500 million to transforming our nation’smonuments landscape,inpart because thereare no “U.S.-born Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, or self-identified LGBTQ+ people” in thetop 50 individuals mostfrequently memorialized. Considering thepositions of those involved, the number of members in theAAM and the magnitude of funds at play,efforts to promoteDEI at museums andhistoric sites are indeed widespread. At theheart of this conflict is afundamental divide regarding the purpose of museumsand historic sites. Traditionally,those institutions have aimed at promoting civic education and preserving the American heritage. Agrowing trend, however,istouse them to further social justice, engage in activism and tell amore “inclusive” and “equitable” version of history
Each side claims to offeramore accurateversion of American history.Let’s examine the evidence.
Both Mount Vernon, hometoGeorge Washington, and Montpelier,home to James Madison, have incorporated tours andexhibitsonslavery,detailing the realities of the institution and individual stories of enslaved people.
Mount Vernon has done so in amodest and fact-driven mannerwithout straying from its core mission of presenting
the accomplishments of George Washington. Montpelier,onthe other hand, has no exhibits dedicated to the seminal contributions of James Madison. While someofthe exhibits on slavery are informative, others contain distortions and omissions. One panel on the first 18 presidents and their relationship with slavery notes that some presidents (Jefferson and Madison) never freed their slaves but fails to mention that Washington did, while another indicates that the enslaved population in New Hampshire in 1790 was11% when the actual figure was 0.11%.
In the Museum and Education Center at Mount Vernon, students are confronted with decisions George Washington himself faced, and advisers like Alexander Hamilton and James Madison step forward to voice their opinions. The exercise is about genuine education: demonstrating complexity and tutoring young people in the art of making prudential choices. In contrast, Montpelier’sexhibit for children (funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services) asserts that, “[b]ooks are great tools forintroducing young children to topics like race, identity,and justice.” One of the available books contains “imagination exercises” that encourage children to put themselves in the role of aslave-owner,whipping an individual until his “flesh cried blood.”
Rather than promoting liberal education, which encourages children to think forthemselves and aims at truth, Montpelier fails to present all the facts and aspects of the American story —both the triumphs and the failures —favoring an ideological telling that fosters resentment.
While both Mount Vernon and Montpelier could be considered as telling a more“inclusive” version of American history,only Mount Vernon’stelling is accurate. Montpelier is misconstruing American history and promoting activism,providing an example of the false revisionist version of history Trump’s executive order aims to combat.
Someofthe exhibits at the Smithsonian museums, as wellasstatements by Smithsonian leadership and the overall trajectory of the museum industry, raise legitimate concerns that America’s public museumswill follow the model of Montpelier over Mount Vernon.
BrendaM.Hafera is theassistant director and seniorpolicyanalyst at TheHeritage Foundation’s Simon Center forAmericanStudies
COMMENTARY
ROOM FOR DEBATE HIGHER ED
President DonaldTrump is threatening to to pull federal funding from Columbia University, HarvardUniversity andother privateinstitutions that don’t comply with the administration’sdirectives.This wouldbeabig blowto universities that have long relied on this federal moneytosupportthe research their faculty members do.Aswe watch this ideological battle playout, here aretwo perspectives.
Trump’sIvy League warisa smokescreen
Let’scut to the chase. Mostof Donald Trump’sthreatsagainst Ivy League colleges areanattempt to divert attention away from an economy heading into crisis. The trade war is producingeconomic and foreign policy nightmares. Despite the DOGE show,budget deficits are projectedtorisefurther under Republican rule. The stock market is traumatized Investors are startingtobail out of U.S. Treasury debt. Recession and possibly stagflation are both forecast
andpolitical might. Foreigners fight to getinto them.And so do the parentsofright-wingerscurrently pulling the strings in Washington. They want the prestige and the opportunity to pair their children with childrenofthe rich.
Government,collegesbattle in contestofbad behavior
universities think because they think things like this: “Mispronouning” merits punishment, and advocating genocide against Jews deserves “contextualizing.”
Even Trump’sbeloved oildrillers are suffering. Thestock of the fracking company once run by Energy Secretary Chris Wright has fallen43% this year.The U.S. already had“energy dominance” under Joe Biden. Now it faces oversupply.
And so Trump has chosen atarget associated with the elitism that his MAGA base has cometoresent Better that MAGA fume over those Ivy League leftists than plans tocut theMedicaid that so much of the base relies on.
Trump is also helped by the cowardice some of the fancy schools have shown against outrageous student behavior. Letting protesters hidebehind masks as theytake over public spaces was pathetic. And some charges that eliteuniversities were tolerating abuse of Jewish students were justified.But weakness, more than antisemitism,probably explains the administrations’ fear of calling police or even expelling students who erectedtents on the quads against schoolrules andthen refused to leave withoutconcessions. HarvardUniversitydid Americaagreat servicebyrejecting Trump’slatest efforts at extortion —his threats to cut over $2 billion in federal money and withdrawthe school’stax-exempt status.
The Ivies andthe elite non-Ivies (Stanford University,MIT,University of Chicago) are privateinstitutions. The governmenthas no right to take over the hiring of staff or assign auditors to examinewhat is taught. These institutions cantake credit for much of this country’s economic
Three of Trump’skids attended one of the Ivies,the University of Pennsylvania, as did Trump. The president has frequently boasted of his attendance at UPenn’sWharton School of Finance, referring to his education there as “super genius stuff.” Elon Musk has tweeted that the level of propaganda at eliteuniversities “would make North Korea jealous.” He hasn’tdisclosed the schools his college-age children have attended,but at least one of them currently goes to Brown University —famed as perhaps the most fashionably left of the bunch. Then there are thewildly expensiveand hard-to-get-into private high schoolsprized for their reputationsasfeeders for the Ivies. The politically connected and extremely rich fight to get their kids intothese launching pads for the ruling class
Regardless of thepolitical bent of the teachers at the “top” universities, what the best of them offer is critical thinking, and critical thinking oftengoes in conservative directions. Conservative Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaughand Clarence Thomas all attended Yale Law School. John Roberts and Neil Gorsuch went to Harvard Law. Fourofthe conservatives went to Ivy League schools as undergraduates
As noted at theopen, this drama aboutHarvard attempting “to cross” thegreat and powerful Donald Trumpisa sideshow.It’sa colorful, easy-to-sell controversy for mediaof all political persuasions Nonetheless, themonumentally bigstory is what’shappening in the financial markets—toinflation, to the dollar and to America’sreputation as astable place in which to invest. The war against the Ivies is nearly all asmokescreen.
FromaHarropisonX,@FromaHarrop.
The Trumpadministration’scoercion of Columbia University involved reciprocal misbehavior by theschool and the government. This and other threatened punishment is probably aharbinger of further unlawful behavior by alawless government against teachinginstitutions that are slow learners Columbia was dilatory and incompetentindealing with demonstrations that disrupted education and created ahostile campus environment for a disfavored minority,Jews. Columbia deserved to pay acost for this violation of existing laws and regulations. There are, however,other pertinent rules.
The administration’sMarch 13 letter to Columbia ordered “immediate compliance” with its demands for: expulsion of certain students and student groups, reform of admissions policies and disciplinary procedures, and government supervision (“receivership”) of theMiddle Eastern, South Asian and African studies department.But Keith E. Whittington,director of Yale Law School’sCenter for Academic Freedom and Free Speech,notes: “Federal statutes require that the government demonstratewith awritten report to Congress and after afull hearing that there has been alegal violation before an educational institution can have its fundingcut off. Even if those procedural hurdles had been met, federal law does not permit administration officials to withhold any and all federal funds that might flow to an educational institution. It limits any withholding of funds ‘to the particular program,orpart thereof, in which such noncompliance has been so found.’”
The punishment that Columbia seems to have evaded by surrendering was therevocation of $400 million in funding for,among other things, medical and other scientific research.
When thenext progressive administration in Washington uses such financial coercion to force universities into accepting federal dictation of admissions and disciplinary policies, and supervision of curriculums about, say, race and gender,today’s“conservatives” will be embarrassed, if any are indeed capable of experiencing that emotional condition. There probably is scant public support for Columbia, Pennoruniversities generally They are learning, painfully,that when you ask for trouble, you should expect trouble. Of higher education, it is fair toask: Has so much prestige ever been squandered so quickly? Universities issuing solemn pronouncementsabout political eventshave appeared childishly self-absorbed. They seem unaware that few people takeseriously what
Intellectuals, often the last to understand things, are discovering the obvious: When universities adopt stances that are adversarial and disdainful toward the (they say: systemically racist, social-justice-deprived) society that sustains them,the sustaining wanes. Since 2017, afew of the largest college endowments have been taxed at 1.4%. JD Vance has suggested 35%, perhaps forall endowments. When the Trumpadministration seriously comes after endowments, the schools looking around forfriends will find few.
Progressives relish enforcing the principle that when government pays the piper,government gets to call the tune —even when the federal government pays asmallportion of the piper’sincome. Federal money has turned manyofsociety’sinstitutions —state and local governments, K-12 schools, universities, businesses, and others —into paid pipers.
The Obamaand Biden administrations spoke of using federal money fora“whole-ofgovernment approach” to coerce all-of-society conformity to government’spreferences In 2011, the Education Department’scivil rights division becameacivil rights violator with its 19-page “Dear Colleague” letter amenacing evasion of the Administrative Procedure Act’sdue process provisions. The letter,rescinded by the current administration, threatened schools with terminations of federal funding if they did not adopt new “sexual harassment” enforcement policies. Schools weretold that accused individuals could be convicted, and given life-shattering punishments, on the basis of only “a preponderance of the evidence,” not proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
The current administration’sdisregard of the law does not seem like carelessness. It seemstobeachest-thumping expression of the belief that respecting legal boundaries is forweaklings.
Defiance of clear legal strictures indicates that some“conservatives” are jealous that progressives have been having all the fun throwing the government’sweight around. Be that as it may —and however muchColumbia, Penn and many other institutions have forfeited the public’ssympathy —government should not slice through the law to get at them.
Email George Will at georgewill@washpost. com.
George Will
Froma Harrop
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByCHARLES KRUPA
Astudent walksthrough the courtyard outsideEliot House at Harvard University in Cambridge,Mass.
Woman’s persistence, DNA testing key
BY JILLIAN KRAMER Staff writer
Nearly 50 years after a man raped Jennifer Brush in her Uptown apartment, a jury delivered aconviction in the case Thursday,ending Brush’sdecadeslong quest forclosure and justice. Ronald Craig, 69, is guilty of first-degree rape and aggravated kidnapping.He faces life in prison. Brush was a19-year-old Tulane University student living in aMagazineStreet apartment when two men, their faces covered by bandanas, entered the apartment and held her at gunpoint. One raped her.The other sexually assaulted Brush, prosecutors said, but couldn’t
Continued from page1B
penetrate her.That man has never been identified. Without suspects, Brush’s case wentcold for decades. Then,in2018, Brush identifiedherself publiclyasa rape survivor in anopinion article for her local paper,spurring afresh investigation.
In 1975, when Brush was raped, DNA testing hadn’t been developed. But now, with advanced technology, Louisiana State Police Crime Lab analystscouldtest a sample taken from apair of underwear Brush wore after the assault for DNA They founda partial DNA matchtoCraig.Hewas arrested in 2020.
Thursday’sverdict was a resounding relief for Brush, who took the witness stand two years ago in Craig’sfirst trial in OrleansParish Criminal District Court. That jury hopelesslydeadlocked after four hours, and prosecutors had struggled to set asecond
“Get ready for unforgettable nights filled with amazing cocktails, fun events, and awelcoming atmosphere where everyone can be their trueselves. Whether you’re here for alively dragshow, karaoke, or simply to connect withfriends, The JeffersonStreet Library is your new home away from home,” according to aFriday,April 11 post shared by Bolt and TheJefferson Street Library Facebookpages
VOLUNTEERS
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and get assignedtoprojects with nonprofits and community organizations or the
BILLBOARD
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the district forthe following year According to Renata Colbert, Caleb’saunt, the campaign seeks notonlyto honor her nephew’s memory,but to demand change in the wake of his preventable death.
“In honor of our nephew, CalebWilson, we created this billboard campaign to demand accountability, raise awareness andensure that his story is never forgotten,” Colbert said in a news release along with three of Wilson’suncles.
“Caleb was abrilliant, kindhearted young man with limitless potential —agifted musician, aloving family member,and alight in the lives of everyone who knew him. That light was extinguished far too soon because of hazing.”
The billboard will switch through multiple displays. Onereads “Caleb Wilson. He hadafuture. Hazing tookit away,” in large red lettering next to aphotoofWilsonon Southern’scampus. Below the message are Wilson’sbirth and death
Federal EmergencyManagementAgency In 2024, theprogramoffered about $22 million in free tax return preparation, processedmore than 4,000 post-disaster needassessments,treated more than
dates: Nov.1,2004, to Feb. 27,2025.
“Calebwas failed.Completely.Inthe mostunthinkable, irreversible way,” the billboard says at thebottom.
Anotherdesign reads out alist of life milestones that Wilsonwill now never reach: his 2026 graduation, his first day on the job as amechanical engineer,his wedding, the start of hisfamily It ends with acheckmark next to the onlymilestone he did reach: his March15 funeral and burial
“These billboards are a public declaration of our grief, our love, and our fight forjustice.Theyspeak to what Caleb lost— butalso what the worldlost,” Wilson’sfamily wrote in the news release. “Wewant every student,parent,educator, and community member to understandthe real cost of hazing.This is not tradition —it’strauma. And we will notallowittocontinue to go unchecked.”
The physicalbillboard is located at 1000 Poydras St. and will remain active through Saturday
The 88th annual meeting of Omega Psi Phi’sNinth District gathers fraternity membersfromArkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and
trial as Craig’shealth took a downturn
For the last five years, “I let thisdefine me,” Brush said The Times-Picayune does not typicallyidentify survivors of sexual assault,but Brush agreed to be named for this article.
“If you’d askedmetwo hours ago, Iwould have said it isn’tworth it, for anywoman,” Brush said Thursday afternoon. “Butgetting this verdict changed everything.”
Assistant Orleans Parish District Attorney Penny Kissinger said in her closing argument thatthe facts of the rape were “undisputed.” Kissinger prosecuted the case with Mary Glass, the headofthe sexual assault kit initiativeatthe District Attorney’sOffice.
The chances that theDNA that was found in Brush’sunderwear belonged to anyone other than Craig, Kissinger said,were 1in46billion
Boltoffered weekly drag performances andother night life eventsdesigned to welcome people from across Acadiana and south Louisianawho identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community When theyclosed, proprietor Justin Menard teased a second act, writing on Face-
46,000 acres to prevent wildfires, helped more than 388,000 people in disaster areas and supportedmore than 8,700 K-12 students in out-of-school programs, according to its annual report. The program has helped
Texasatthe Hyatt Regency New Orleans—just blocks from the billboard.
In the wake of Wilson’s death,politicians andfraternity and sorority leaders have offered measures they believe could prevent another hazing-related death
Tony Clayton, district attorneyfor the 18thJudicial District andchairman of SouthernUniversity’s Board of Supervisors, has proposed putting all recruitmentand intake activities at Southerninthe hands of the graduatechapters of Greekletter organizations, not undergrads.
StateRep. Delisha Boyd D-New Orleans, introduced
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greater than fivetimes the earth’s population
But the sample testedhad eroded with time, leaving only nine of 26 potential comparisonpoints. BradySmith, Craig’sattorney, argued the sample was so degraded that theanalysts’ test results couldn’tbetrusted. “Making thebest of what we’ve got is not enough for aman’slife,” Brady argued.
The jury deliberated for approximately three hours beforerendering its verdict.
“There is light at theend of thetunnel if you come forward,” Brush said.
“I wanttotellwomen:It is possible to get aconviction.It’snot impossible,” she added. “And this conviction is tellingmen whorapewomen: You’re not going to get away with it.”
Email JillianKramer at jillian.kramer@ theadvocate.com.
book, “Asone chapter ends, another will begin! This isn’t goodbye, it’sasee you later!” Bolt wasthe “onlyspotfor gooddrag performances,” according to longtimecustomerand New Iberia resident Cameron Broussard. With this news, Jefferson Street Library is poised to
Acadiana in the past from supporting schoolswith mentorship opportunities to helping repair homesdamaged by floods. TheAssociated Press’s Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report.
legislation at the State Capitol this session that would require morestringent anti-hazingeducation for Louisiana college students She has dubbedher bill the ”Caleb Wilson Act.”
Thebillboardcampaign comes amonth after Wilson’sfuneralMarch 15 in Kenner,and one week after two TulaneUniversity fraternitieswere suspended for suspected hazing.
Email Quinn Coffman at quinn.coffman@ theadvocate.com.
Crawfish fundraiser helps fightchildhood cancer
BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer
The annual Crawfish for aCure presentedbyThe Crawfish Bossistaking place on April 26 to support FUNraisers for St. Jude. To support the cause, purchase 5pounds of boiled crawfish with corn and potatoes for $20. All sales from the event will be donatedtoFUNraisers for St. Jude as the Acadiana-based nonprofit continuestoraise funds forSt. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Supporters can place orders aheadoftimeat threedifferent locations in Lafayette, Euniceand Crowley,and then pick up orders at The Crawfish Boss,located at 2600 Milton Ave., in Youngsville on April 26. The Crawfish
open as Acadiana’sonly gay bar,the latest in aline of institutions that stretchback to bars like Fantasy,Leaping Lena’sand Frank’sthat were popularLGBTQ+ gathering spots in 1970s and’80s Lafayette. More recently,gay bars like Jules Downtown and
PRINCIPAL
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“I am dedicated to working to achieve the collective vision we allshare forour schools, our students and ourfuture,” shesaid. “I look forward to working together to ensure that every student, regardless of background or ability, hasthe toolsand opportunities to succeed.”
AUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette alumna, Dickerson started her education career at OssunElementary, where she taught fourth grade.She hasservedasa curriculum coordinator and assistantprincipal of Ossun Elementary
She was later appointed principal of Ridge Elementary and has served there for eight years. Under her leadership, the school fostered astrong culture of
Boss will have drive-thru hours fromnoon to 5p.m. that day for pickup. This is thethird year that FUNraisers forSt. Jude has joined up with CrawfishBossowner BrianBlancofor the fundraiser “His unselfishness and desire to help the children and families is unparalleled. Please support his business and show him some love,”the organization posted on Facebook. Locationsfor preorders: n Lafayette :M ot or City Car Dealer,1111 N. University Ave. n Eunice: First Baptist Church, 311 Park Ave. n Crowley: Stine Lumber,235 Odd Fellows Road. Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com
Fame overlapped briefly withBolt, which opened in 2014 and remained open in various downtown Lafayette locations formore than 10 years.
EmailJoanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.
academic excellenceand community engagement, according to the announcement “Mrs. Dickerson is acompassionate, visionary leader whose deep roots in Lafayette Parish and unwavering dedication to students make her the idealperson to serve as ChiefofElementary Schools,” LPSS superintendent Frances Touchet Jr.saidina statement. “Her leadership will be instrumental in supporting our principals, strengthening ourelementaryprograms anddriving student success across thedistrict.” The appointment comes at about the sametimeLPSS announced several other elementary principal changes and district-level appointments.
Email AshleyWhite at ashley.white@ theadvocate.com.
SPORTS
Crescent City Classic prepares forincrease in runners
BY SPENCERURQUHART Staff writer
The 47th Crescent City Classic is set for its traditional Easter weekenddate, andthe number of runners is expected toincrease.
The 10K race begins at 8a.m.Saturday and goes 6.2 miles throughout New Orleans, starting near the Caesars Superdome before reachingthe historic French Quarter.Runners then make their way up Esplanade Avenue and cross the finish lineatCityPark.
Race preparation has included expanding the fence line to accommodate the increased field as well as bringing in more misters, water,ambulances and medical personnel to aid runners.
“We’re expecting 30%more runners than last year,which is significant,” Crescent City Classic race director Eric Stuart said. “Wedidn’tcome back as strong from the pandemic, but we sureare makingupfor it now.Running is cool again. Thereare running booms, and it’sdefinitely happening this year.People are also usingitasa social function.”
The race’smotto, ‘A Race For All Y’all,’ attracts people of all sorts of skill levelsto sign up. Spectators can expect to seethe likes of skilled distance runners, families with their kidsand people dressed in costumes. The Crescent City Classicused to recruit
ä See CLASSIC, page 4C
FILE PHOTO By KIRK MECHE
Former CarverHigh guard DorianFinister is one of five transfer portal commitmentsso far for the UL Ragin’Cajuns
Cajuns’roster taking shape undernew sta
ff
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
signeesand portaltransfers The most high-profile high school signee in recent memory officially joinedcoach Quannas White’snew staff Thursday in 6-foot-7 wing Joshua Lewis of Blake High School in Tampa, Florida. Lewis originally committed to SouthFloridalast May,but changed his plans afterthe tragic death of coachAmir Abdur-Rahim in October.Lewis then committed to Iowa in January,only to decommit in March, before visiting Florida State on April 1. Lewis, who also had interestfromAuburn, Cincinnati and Illinois, averaged 16.8points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assiststhis past season at Blake High. Recruitingprofiles describe him as aplus-defender and above average rebounder
COMEBACK CAJUNS
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
This time theULRagin’ Cajuns were on the right side of history Indeed, South Alabama’sfrustration in the seriescontinued witha27th straight loss to theCajuns in dramatic fashion.
AfterKayla Falterman’sinfield single with the bases loaded tied the gameinthe seventh, UL got agame-winning RBI single from DayzjaWilliams in the eighthfor a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over the Jaguars in the Sun Belt seriesopener Thursday at Lamson Park.
The Cajuns are now 21-22 overalland 7-9inSun Belt play, while SouthAlabama droppedto18-24 and7-8 Game 2ofthe series is scheduled for6 p.m.Friday
Thewinning rallybegan withone-out singles from Mia Liscano andMaddie Hayden, before ahard smash off the third baseman forthe game-winning RBI
The winning streak over the Jaguars dates back to the 2016 season. UL entered the series in 10th place in the Sun Belt standings with 11th place James Madison owning the tiebreaker over the Cajuns. Only the top 10 teams qualify
ä See CAJUNS, page 4C
Familiar
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
For the fourth time in fiveweekends, LSU baseball will be playing against an old friend. Alabama and former Tigers catcher BradyNeal traveledtoBaton Rouge this weekend to face off against hisformer team. Neal’smatchup against his former team follows LSU’sseries against Sam Dutton and Auburn last weekend, Cam Johnson andOklahoma the week before and Aiden Moffettand Texas in Week 2ofthe Southeastern Conference schedule. Including Neal, Moffett, Dutton and Johnson, here’sa look at howLSU transfersfrom last year’steam are performing with their new programs.
BradyNeal•C•Alabama Neal was splitting time behind the plate withjunior Will Plattner to start SECplay, but the former Tiger started at catcher in
every game last weekend against Mississippi State. Prior to this weekend’sseries, Neal had a.206 batting average with one homerun and a.309 slugging percentage in 22 starts. Ryan Kucherak •INF •Northwestern Kucherak has started in 34 games forthe Wildcats, posting a.221batting average with seven homeruns and a.295 on-base percentage.He’sbeen Northwestern’s starting shortstop and went 3for 13 with ahomer last weekend against Michigan State. AidenMoffett •RHP •Texas Moffett has had ahard timegetting opportunitiesthis season.He’sonly
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP UL center fielder Maddie Hayden’ssingle playeda big role in both of UL’s runs in Thursday’s comeback win
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Thomas takesleadatHarbour Town
BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer
HILTONHEAD ISLAND,S.C. Justin
Thomas had around to match the immaculate weather Thursday at Harbour Town with 11 birdies that allowed him to tie thecourse record with a10-under 61 to lead the RBC Heritage
The best shot he hit all day was an 8-iron that dropped near the pin and settled 5feet away.He missed that birdie putt, one of the few chances he didn’tconvert There waslittletocomplain about on aday of hardly any wind, acourse in mint condition andwarm sunshine thatadded to the RBC Heritage being the ideal place to decompress from the hectic week at the Masters
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler,coming off atie for fourth at the Masters, had very little stress at Harbour Town in around of 64 that looked easy which is not to say it felt that way.
“I will never say that golf is easy,ever.Golf is hard,” Scheffler said with alaugh. But he was out of position only once off the tee and one other time when he went long ofa green and both times he saved par.Otherwise, he putted for birdieor better on the other 16 holes and converted enough chances for a start that only looked good —not great —because of Thomaswith the lowest score at Harbour Town in 10 years.
Bay Hill winner Russell Henley also had a64, while Wyndham Clark wasanother shotbackat65. The group at 66 included former
Hilton Head winner Matt Fitzpatrick and GaryWoodland, on theroad back from brain surgery and building momentum from a runner-upfinish in Houston.
Fifty players in the 72-man field broke par onacourse that yielded an averagescore of 69.2
“I felt likeifyou compared my four rounds lastweek to today,today wouldbeamuch less stressfulroundofgolf in terms of scrambling for apar,” Scheffler said. “A lot of the stuff Ihad to do last week Ifelt like Ididn’thave to do today to shoot agood score. Thegolf course is obviously abit different, but Iwas in position most of the day today
“Overall, yeah, Iwould say stress-free day ” Thomas is winless since capturinghis second PGA Championship title in 2022, though hisgame has been trending enough in the right direction that he is No. 8inthe world. TheMasterswas adisappointment— no round lower than 70, 13 shots behind in atie for 36th —but he put in some good work at Hilton Head fortwo days and madeitpay off. Six of his birdie putts were inside 10 feet,and he threw in three birdies from the 35-foot range, oneofthemonthe 17th hole that put him in range of the course record.
He thought he had it with that 8-iron to afront pin on the 18th, whichruns along theCalibogue Sound, only to miss the putt. He also misseda4-footpar putt on the10th.
“I’ve been playing really well, really solid. Felt good about things,” Thomas said. “I just didn’t play well last week. Putsome really good work in the couple days leading into the start today,and Ifelt prepared. It was just about going out and doing it, and it was nice to do so.”
Among those who played later as the breeze —and nothing more than abreeze —began to pick up wasJustinRose, wholostin aplayoff last week. He birdied hislasttwo holes fora 67 to join agroupthatincluded Jordan Spieth,Patrick Cantlay and Tommy Fleetwood Masters championRoryMcIlroy decided to skip this signature eventevenbeforethe Masters got started. Hilton Head wasnot a course he felt suited him with its tight,tree-lined angles.
Thomas felt differently
“I love it.I wish we played more places like it,” Thomas said. “I think more architects should design places likethis. It kind of stands of testoftime,I think. Especially if we continue to get weather like this and if these fairways getfirm —the greensare already getting firm —it’sgoing to be everything we want by the end of the week.”
He got everything he could have wanted —savefor that birdie putt on the 18th—atthe start of the week.
Bhatia,Young latest Zurich Classiccommitments
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
Apair of rising youngstars have committed to play in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, as Akshay Bhatia and Carson Young willteam up in next week’sPGA Tour event, tournament organizersannounced.
“This is another promising young pair,” said Steve Worthy CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation which runs the Zurich Classic. “Akshay has two wins on the PGA Tour and has Walker Cup team experience, and Carson has shown some strong play over the last year.They should be fun to watch.” Once the youngest U.S. Walker Cup player in history,the 23-yearold Bhatia ranks 26th in theworld after atie for 42nd in the Masters tournament. The Californianative won his first PGA Tour event in 2023 in the Barracuda Championship and won again in 2024 at the Valero Texas Open. So farthis year he hasthree top10 finishes, the best atie for third in The Players.
Bhatia was just 17 and still a senior in high school when he
played on the 2019 U.S.Walker Cup team that defeated Great Britain and Ireland 151/2-101/2.He wasthe first high school student to ever represent theU.S.inthe Walker Cup.
Young, 30,earned his PGA Tour card for the2023 season and posted two top-10 finishes and eight top-25 finishes in his first full campaign.
In 2024, Young wasrunner-up by asingle stroke in theWorld Wide Technology Championship in Mexico, tying forsecond behind Austin Eckroat withJustin Lower. His second-place finish in that tournament capped apromising season that included six top25 finishes, ofwhich three werein thetop 10.
This year,the formerClemson golfer’sbest finish has been atie for 10th in thePuerto Rico Open.
Thecommitment of the Bhatia-Young team follows astring of high-profile commitments to the tournament,which runsnext Thursday-SundayatTPC LouisianainAvondale Newlycrowned Masterschampion Rory McIlroy,No. 2inthe world rankings and No. 1inFedExCup points, is slated to team up
AkshayBhatia hits his
round of the RBC HeritageonThursday in Hilton Head Island,S.C.
again withShane Lowry,ranked 15thinthe world, to defend their title in this year’sZurich Classic. They will be joined by two-time major champion Collin Morikawa, No. 4inboth world ranking and FedExCup points, playing with Kurt Kitayama. The ZurichClassic tournament field will be finalized Friday
Single day tickets for the Zurich Classic are $45 and will be mobile entryonly.Active military are admitted free Wednesday-Sunday through VetTix, andchildren 15 and under areadmitted free with aticketed adult.
For more information call (504) 342-3000 or visit www.zurichgolfclassic.com.
Parich continuing long traditionCHNIpolevaulters
BY NEAL MCCLELLAND
Contributing writer
Over the past generation or so, Catholic High of New Iberia has produced 15 outdoor state champions in the pole vault and 12 indoors. That group is led by 2021 Olympian Morgann LeLeux Romero who, along with younger sister Reagann LeLeux, have fiveoutdoor state titles each. The list also includes Gavin Gautreaux and Nick Russell with two titles each and Damian Breaux with one CHNI sophomore EliParich could add his name to thelist Parich, who startedpole vaulting in the eighth grade, won the
District 8-2A title Wednesday at amodest height of 10 feet, but didn’thave much competition and was just strivingtoadvance to the regional meet nextweek.
“I tried acoupleoftimesat14 feet,but it’snext week at regionalswhere I’m going to try for 15 feet,” he said.
Parich’spersonal record —set this yearatthe Teurlings meet is 15-3. He has his sightsset on Gautreaux’sschool record of 16 feet and would also liketobeat Gautreaux’sand Russell’srecord of two outdoor statetitles each.
He said hedoesn’t feel the pressure of meeting the high standardsofpast pole vaulters at the school.
“I actually met Gavin last week,
Parich said. Ilovethinking Ihave all these people behind me who were coached by the sameperson (Shane Leleux). Iuse that to fuel me that Ican be better than the past champions who came to this school. Theirlegacy doesn’tholdmedown, it pushes me to be better.”
It was aday for jumpers at the district meet.
Delcambre sophomore Emma Smith, whofinishedsecondat state lastyear andwon the Division II indoor titleinFebruary, won the girls high jump at 5-4, aftersetting the school record of 5-9 at the Kaplan Relays.
“I neverthought thatI would jump that high so early,” Smith said about her 5-9 mark last week.
“Winning indoor just made me
want to work harder and do better this year in outdoor.”
Catholic-New Iberia sophomore DylanNelson won the boys high jump and senior Brock Nicholas claimed the triple jump.
“I hadsome good competition but they were knocked out early so Iwas able to win,” Nelson said.
“Last year,I pretty much woneverymeet but Iendedupthird in district andfourth in regionals,” he said. “That motivated me,and this yearIwant to at least go to stateifnot winstate.”
Nicholas seta personal record of 44-5 in winning the triple jump.
“Each meet my distances keep going up and hopefully that will continue through regionals and state.
FROM
Bucks’ star Lillard cleared for full basketballactivity
MILWAUKEE MilwaukeeBucks guard Damian Lillard is off bloodthinning medicationand hasbeen cleared for full basketball activity, amajor step forward in his return from the deep vein thrombosis that has kept him out for the last month.
TheBucks stillaren’tindicatingexactly when the seven-time all-NBA performer might play again, though he hasbeen ruled outfor theirfirst playoff game. The Bucks are seeded fifth in the Eastern Conference and open the playoffs Saturday at Indiana against the fourth-seeded Pacers. Lillard last playedina game March 18. The Bucks announced aweek later the star had deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and was undergoing blood-thinning medication.
Nats’ López suspended for throwing at McCutchen Washington Nationals pitcher JorgeLópez hasbeensuspended three games and fined for throwing at Pittsburgh’sAndrewMcCutchen, Major League Baseball announced Thursday López was ejected from Wednesdaynight’s game against thePirates after ahigh pitch near McCutchen’s head led to the benchesbriefly clearing in the seventh inning. López hit the previous batter, Bryan Reynolds, witha pitch before facing McCutchen, who had to fall to the ground to avoid getting hit by a92mph ball near his head.
The right-hander has filed an appeal of thesuspension, which was set to begin Thursday but will not take effect until that process is done.
FAMU to hire Heisman winner Ward as hoops HC TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Former Florida State dual-sport starand 1993 HeismanTrophywinnerCharlie Ward is set to become the new men’sbasketball coach at Florida A&M University Ward’shiring wassupposed to becomeofficial during aboardof trustees meeting Wednesday afternoon, but anationwide Zoom outage forced the meeting to be postponed to alater date. Nonetheless, the sides have a five-year,$975,000 contract in placethatispending boardapproval. Under the proposed deal, Ward would earn $175,000 during the 2025-26 season and get a $10,000 raise annually.The contract runs through June 2030.
Struggling Rockies fire hitting coachMeulens
DENVER— The Colorado Rockies
fired hitting coach Hensley Meulens and replaced him with former manager Clint Hurdle on Thursday The Rockies, who hadthe dayoff before starting aseries against the Nationals, are3-15. Theyare hitting .220, tied for 27th with 12 homers and last with 52 runs.
The 57-year-old Meulens had been the club’shitting coach undermanager Bud Black since 2022. He servedinthe same position forthe SanFrancisco Giants, helping manager BruceBochy guide that organization to three World Series titles.
Hurdle managedthe Rockies from 2002-09, atenure highlighted by atrip to the World Series in 2007. He was the club’sminor league hitting coach from 1994-96 and big league hitting coach under DonBaylor,Jim Leyland and Buddy Bell from 1997-2002. He later worked with the Rangers before managing the Pirates from2011-19.
Pegula, Gauff reach quarterfinalsinStuttgart
STUTTGART,Germany— Third-ranked JessicaPegula cruisedintothe quarterfinals of the Porsche Grand Prix with a6-1, 6-1 victory over Magdalena Frech on Thursday Pegula, who won the Charleston Open title this month, needed just 59 minutestooust her Polish opponent at theindoor clay-court tournament.
The third-seeded American will next face Ekaterina Alexandrova in arematch of their Charleston semifinal. Alexandrova advanced by beating sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-2. Fourth-seeded Coco Gauff also won6-1,6-1,eliminating Ella Seidel in 57 minutes to set up aquarterfinal match against fifth-seeded Jasmine Paolini, who advanced with a6-1,7-5 winoverJuleNiemeier
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKE STEWART
tee shot on the third hole during the first
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKE STEWART
Justin Thomas hits from the eighth fairwayduring the first round of the RBC Heritagegolf tournament on Thursday in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
CAJUNS
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to participate in the Sun BeltTournament.
On her assigned seniornight, UL starter
Tyra Clary retired the first 11 batters she faced. The Jaguars’first baserunner was Olivia Branstetter’ssingle off the wall in rightcenter with two outs in thefourth South Alabama also got an infield single with two outs from Frankie Andujo in the fifth, but Clary stranded two to keep the game scoreless.
In the sixth, though, Presley Lively ledoff with adouble to leftcenter.Pitching coach ShelbiSunseri immediately visitedClary butleft herin.
Amity White got the sacrifice bunt down and after Branstetter was intentionally walked, Stephanie Gonzalez got the RBI squeezebunt down for a1-0 lead.
The play was reviewed, but the safe call wasupheld.
Mallory Wheelercame on to get two outs
and preserve the one-run deficit, but the damage was done. It wasn’tthat UL’s offense didn’thave any chances off USA starter Olivia Cato.
UL left the bases loaded withtwo outsin thefirst, but thereal frustration came in the bottomofthe fifth.
ErinArdoin singles up the middle and Mia Liscano’sbunt singleset the stagefor the top of theorder
But theCajuns didn’tbunt to advance the runners and ended up stranding two in scoringposition.
UL then left the bases loaded again in the bottom of thesixth after aSam Roe leadoff single, Gabbie Stutes was hit by apitch and Ardoin walked.
Cato threwacompletegametoimprove to 5-3onthe season, giving up no runs on five hits,two walks, twohit batsmenand strikingout two.
Wheeler got thewin to improve to 9-8after 2.2 shutout inning.
Email Kevin Footeatkfoote@ theadvocate.com.
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elite runners from throughout world, but that model has changed with increased appearance fees. The focushas shifted back to local runners.
“Wefeel the elites didn’tenhance our race enough,” Stuart said. “People are more interested in the locals, so we’ve moved to that model. We were the first big race to embrace the pros in the ‘80s,but their appearance fee has becomemoreexpensive than the prize money.”
ThreeofUNO’s topdistancerunners are set to compete this year as well as runners from local running clubs such as the Power Milers. Last year’smale winnerMatthew Hansen, an Australianative, was arunner at UNO.
Acap of around 18,000 runners is expected to be met with over 15,000 havingsigned up as of Monday
“We’re farther ahead than whatwe had all of last year,” Stuart said.“We usually get a third of the runners sign up the last week, but we have acap because we can’t runout of race bibs, t-shirts andmedals. Ithink we’ll hit the cap (ofaround 18 000).” Runner 321
The Crescent City Classic has partnered with “Runner 321” for the fourthstraight year,aprogram that reserves race bib No. 321 for arunner with Down syndrome.
14-year-old Riley Armstrong from Raceland is set to be this year’s321 runner and
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hasn’tallowed ahit and has six strikeouts on the season.
SamDutton•RHP •Auburn
Dutton was lights out in his last start against LSU on Friday.The Alabama native tossed six shutoutinnings and allowed just three hits to lower his ERA on the yearto 2.34 in 50 innings. He’s made nine startsthis year as Auburn’sace.
CamJohnson •LHP •Oklahoma
Johnson started the season in Oklahoma’s weekend rotation but was later moved to a midweek starting role. His last appearance before thisweekend came in reliefonSunday against Vanderbilt when he allowed a single and awalk beforerecordinganout to end the inning. This season, he hasa 5.49 ERA and 18 walks in 192/3 innings
Paxton Kling• OF •PennState
Kling has been Penn State’sbest hitter. The Pennsylvania nativeleads the teamin batting average, slugging percentage and home runs while servingasthe Nittany Lions’ starting center fielder.Hewent 2for 11 with ahomer last weekendagainstSouthern California.
MicahBucknam •RHP •DallasBaptist
Bucknam had trouble carving out arole at LSU, but that has not been the caseat DBU. He’sbeen the Patriots’ Friday starter,
will compete alongside her parents Ross and Heather Armstrong and her three brothers. Lastyear’s 321runnerEmma Ryan competed despite alsobattling leukemia, which helpedinspire Riley
“When we watched the video (of Emma Ryan), Ithink it motivated (Riley)for the challenge,” Ross Armstrong said. “Down syndrome kids aresucha git. They help push each other to meet their potential. (Riley) is really starting to get fired up.
“Runner321” beganasaninitiativeby Adidasfor high-profile long-distance races throughout theU.S. such as the Crescent City Classic to save bib No. 321 for Down syndrome runners.
“(TheCrescent City Classic) has been amazing to be apart of,” saidJason Heine, who’sinvolved with the 321 program. “Their motto is ‘A Race For All Y’all,’ and they’re certainly living by that.”
Tradition
New Orleansresidents look forward to theCrescent City Classiceach year with the race drawing asignificant crowd.
Therace has taken place on Easter weekendfor thepast 47 years. Stuart has served as race director since 2012 and plans on keeping the race at its traditional date despitea suggestion that adifferent datecould be more profitable.
“It’sa47-year tradition,”Stuart said.
“Some we’ve seen outtraining sinceNovember,then they allcome together for this race. It’smeaningful for the city,and it means alot to alot of people. It’sbeen a longstanding tradition on Easter weekend. We’rehappy with wherewe’re at.”
posting a3.63ERA with 70 strikeouts in 52 innings before his 10th start of theyear on Thursday.Last weekend against Jacksonville State, he surrendered just three hits in 52/3 shutout innings.
NicBronzini•LHP •Washington
Bronzini walked two batters, allowed ahit and recorded one out in his only appearance on March 4against Portland.
ZebRuddell •OF•Louisiana Tech
Ruddell had a.243batting average with four home runs anda .381 on-base plus slugging percentage in 32 games (29 starts) before LouisianaTech’sgame on Thursday against Liberty.Hewent 2for 9last weekend againstMiddle Tennessee and blasted ahomer in his return to AlexBox Stadium on April 1.
Austen Roellig•INF •Utah
After redshirting last season with the Tigers, Roellig hada .362 batting average, .413 on base percentage and a.485 slugging percentage in 32 starts forthe Utes entering this weekend’sseries with Baylor.He’s played second base, third base and shortstop but has spent mostofhis time at third. This past weekendagainst BYU,the California native went 5for 10 with fiveRBIs.
Derrick Mitchell •OF•AustinPeay
Mitchell hasonlyplayed in one game for the Governors. He went0for 3with astrikeout on Feb. 17 against Arizona State.
Email Koki RileyatKoki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.
NCAA panelOKs rule to discourage faking injuries
BY ERIC OLSON AP collegefootball writer
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel gave final approval to arule designed to discourage football players from faking injuries to stop the gameclock, the NCAA announced Thursday
Beginning this season, if medical personnel go onto the field to evaluate aplayer with an apparent injury afterthe ball is spotted for thenextplay, thatplayer’s team will be charged atimeout. If theteam does nothavetimeouts remaining, a5-yard delay-of-gamepenalty will be assessed. Feigning injuries, sometimes at the coach’sinstruction, had becomeatactic defenses use to slow down tempooffenses or as away for an offense to avoid adelayof-game penalty or get an extra timeout.
The NCAA Football Rules Committee has been concerned about feigned injuries for severalyears. Beforethe 2021 season, a framework was put in place that allows a school or conference to request apostgame video review regarding questionable actionsinvolving injuries. If it is determined aplayer faked an injury to manipulate the rules, theoffending team’sconferencewas notified for possible disciplinary action. Achange to overtime timeouts also was approved. Beginning with athird overtime, each team will have onetimeout for the duration of thegame. Previously, teams wereallotted one timeout foreach overtime. Beginning in the third overtime, teams alternaterunning 2-pointplays until awinner is decided.
Therewill be changeinverbiage when thedecision on avideo reviewisannounced.The referee will only saythat
the call on the field is “upheld” or “overturned.” The terms “confirmed” and “stands” will not be used.
There also were acouple tweaks to kick and punt formations. No offensive player will be allowedinthe direct line of thesnap to the potential kicker or within the frame of the snapper on punts for the formation to qualifyasascrimmage kick formation. If ateam is notinscrimmage kick formation, it must have five players numbered 50 through 79 on the line of scrimmage. Additionally,ifthe snapper is on the end of the line by formation, the snapperwill lose scrimmage kickprotectionand theopposition can line aplayer over the snapper If anyplayer on akickoff-return team makes a“T” signalwithhis arms during the kick, the team gives up the right to return the kick and the play will be whistleddead. No player can call defensive signals that simulate the sound or cadence of the offensive signals. The defensive terms “move” and “stem”would be reserved forplayers on thatside of theball and could notbe used by the offense.
After thetwo-minutetimeout in either half,ifthe defense has 12 or moreplayers on the field and all the players participate in the play, the officials will administer a 5-yard penalty.The offensive team would have the optiontoreset the game clock back to the time at the start of the play. If the 12th player is attempting to leavethe field andhas no influenceonthe play,the defensive team will be penalized5 yards with no adjustment to the gameclock. Also, coach-to-player communication implemented forthe Football Bowl Subdivision last year will be allowed in the Football Championship Subdivision.
STAFF FILEPHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER
The first groupofrunnerstakes off from theCaesars Superdome on March 30, 2024, during the annual Crescent City Classic in NewOrleans
Back to Neverland
TheFamily Dinner ComedyTroupe takesonthe 1991 swashbuckler “Hook” forSpoof Night!at7:30p.m. FridayatManship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St., Baton Rouge. Evening includes movie screening, livecommentary, drinking games and loads of laughs; costumes encouraged.$17. manshiptheatre.org.
THE ADVOCATE.COM | Friday, april 18, 2025 5CN
Sounds of the South
The soundtrack of aN.O.-setvideo game is produced in thecitywith localmusicians
BY LESLIECARDÉ
Contributing writer
When abig video game production company hires aGrammy-award winning composer like Austin Wintory,out of Hollywood,tocreate the musical scorefor agamethattakes place in New Orleans, what does the composer do?
He moves production to New Orleans, specifically Esplanade Studios, and hires the most talentedlocal musicians money can buy If this sounds expensive, it is, but the gaming world generates the kind of revenuethat justifies big production budgets. The revenue that blockbuster videogames bring in is staggering.ThinkGrand Theft Auto V or GodofWar.Interms of media,itisnot film, TV or records that reap the big bucks; it’svideo games.
Movies and television together account for about $35 billion in box office revenue annually (theaters and streaming), and the global recorded music industry generates around$27 billion, but the global gaming industry generates around $200 billion over the same time period.
“Some games are free to play, but you must have arecurring subscription,” said video game and film composer Wintory. “Those games can makeunbelievable fortunes. Take the video game League of Legends. It makes so much money because there are fan bases in the hundreds of millions, and there’san ancillary merchandising market, as well.
“See asword in aparticular gamethat you like? Youcan own it, because there’sanentire adjacent industry manufacturing the props made popular in these games.”
N.O. musiciansondeck
Assembling agroup of musicians in New Orleans is easy, because the city has some of the best in the business. On arecent evening at EsplanadeStudios, Wintory is working with his group of percussionists.Whether it’s Alexey Marti on congas or Doug Beloteondrums, the composer is very specific aboutthe particular soundheislooking for Wintory and drummer Belote get into the nitty-grittyabout technique:when to use the pedal, at what point to bring in the snare, and how to shake up the rhythmic profile while staying on the brushes. It all sounds like code, but it is the language of musicians trying to elicit avery clear-cut and definitivesound
“For composers who score films, and I’ve done about 60 movie scores, the process behind video games is much
ä See SOUNDTRACK, page 6C
Jazz Fest-bound band LVVRSwillhave newsingle outsoon, albumcoming this fall
BY JUDYBERGERON| Staff writer
When LVVRS frontman River Gibson says theband has a lot going on, he’snot kidding.
Areturn appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, anew single dropping soon, anew album out this fall— yes,things arehappening for the pop-rock band formed on Valentine’sDay 2018 (thus the name LVVRS, pronounced Lovers).
Formerly based in Lafayette, the band’snewest lineup is scattered from LouisianatoFloridaand Georgia. In addition to Gibson, membersare Gareth Calk,synth; Zac Lyons, bass; Mike Hilbun, lead guitar; andBrenon Wilson,drums
ä See LVVRS, page 6C
LVVRS FRIDAY,APRIL25 n 3p.m.: New Orleans Jazz & HeritageFestival n 8:30 p.m.: Jazz Fest After-Party, Rock ’N’ Bowl, New Orleans (opening forCowboyMouth) SUNDAY,APRIL27 n 8:30 p.m.: Festival International AfterParty, Rock ’N’ Bowl, Lafayette
Michael B. Jordan stars in directorRyan Coogler’s ‘Sinners.
BY OWEN GLEIBERMAN Variety Entertainment News Service
“Sinners,” written and directed by Ryan Coogler,isalush, enveloping, historical, phantasmagorical social-panorama from-dusktill-dawn vampire film It’sa richly imagined, vibrantly acted portrait of aDeep South community in the early 1930s. It’salso awild and bloody throatripping blowout—athriller that
pushes the vampire-as-metaphor thing about as farasitcan go. (The film has alot on its mind.) “Sinners” works more than it doesn’t, even if it doesn’talways gel, but it’sa commanding demonstration of how lavishly spirited and “serious” apopcorn movie can be. The movie used New Orleans,
ä See 'SINNERS', page 6C
Wintory
PROVIDED PHOTO By ANGELO JOSEPH
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION By CHRISTOPHER MARTIN
FRIDAY
LIVE MUSIC: CaneRiver Pecan CompanyPie Bar, New Iberia, 5p.m
CHALAN THIBODEAUX: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6p.m.
HUGH AND THE WRECK-
ING CREW: AgaveDowntown, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.
THE CAST: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Buck& Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.
JACK WOODSON: Charley
G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.
JENNIFER KAYE AND DARYLFONTENOT: Cafe
Sydnie Mae, Breaux Bridge, 6p.m.
MYLES AND BRENNAN OF THE GOOD DUDES: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6p.m.
BRANDON MENARD: The Alley Downtown,Lafayette, 7p.m.
SOUTH AUSTIN MOONLIGHTERS: Hideawayon Lee, Lafayette, 7p.m.
DWIGHT JAMES &THE ROYALS,EVER MORE NEST,TOM ANDES,AND
PAQUES IN THEPARC: Vermilionville, Lafayette, noon
CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC
TODAYINHISTORY
By The Associated Press
Today is Friday,April18, the 108th day of 2025. There are 257 days left in the year
Todayinhistory
On April 18, 1906, the deadliest earthquake in U.S. history struck San Francisco, followed by raging fires acrossthe city. More than 3,000 people are believed to have been killed by the quake, which was estimated to havereached as high as 8.3 magnitude on the Richter scale.
On this date:
In 1775, Paul Revere beganhis famous ride from Charlestownto Lexington, Massachusetts, warningcolonists that British Regular troops were approaching In 1942, in the first World War II attack on theJapanesemainland, 16 U.S. Army Air Force B-25 bombers conducted an air raid, ledbyLt. Col. James Doolittle, over Tokyo and several other Japanese cities.
In 1978, the Senate approved the Panama Canal Treaty,providing for the complete turnover of control of the waterway to Panama on the last day of 1999. In 1983, 63 people, including 17 Americans, werekilled at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, by asuicide bomber driving avan laden with explosives. In 2015, aship carryingmigrants from Africa sank in the
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Just back in Lafayettefrom a business trip to Nashville,Tennessee,Gibson, 30, sat down for an update.The interview has been edited for clarity andlength. So, are you guys getting readyfor Jazz Fest?
Oh, yeah, yeah,yeah. We had all my band in town allweekend, and we were rehearsing and we did a big photo shoot and all that stuff. So we’regetting pumped for sure. We played Jazz Festlast year and had such agood experience. They have us on the Gentilly Stage, which is freaking huge, it’sthe second biggest stage. And we’re playing in front of (right before) Cheap Trick. It’sgonna be fun. Last year,Heart wasplaying on our stage. Walk us through the whole experienceof playing Jazz Fest.
It’sareal deal, it’sthe biggest festival in the whole South. You’vegot to getthere earlyin the morning to get all our gear loaded, sound check. And whenever you have to get on stageor you have about10minutes to set up and play,you know,it’squite nerve-racking. Andtobeinthe presence of, you get to meet so many amazing peoplein the business,musiciansand peoplebehindthe scenes. It’s just really incredible to be apart of that.
The big thing for me is that I’m happy to be there becausewe’re kindofdifferent from the typical thing that they book as far aslocal musicians, you know,theyhave alot of jazz and all, alot of New Orleans, roots bands, but we’re an alternative bandfrom Lafayette, andthat just doesn’thappen very often that they askabandlikeus to play
That’sjust the really special thing for me. And I’m happy to represent, you know,where I’m from and to be able to bring my music to the stage. It’sjust really an honor
JAM: Vermilionville, Lafayette, 1p.m
JAMMIN’ ON THE BAYOU: St. Landry Visitors Center,Opelousas, 1p.m
GRACE NOVASAD: The TapRoom, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m.
KENHOLLOWAY: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Randol’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.
MATT RICHARD: The Alley Downtown, Lafayette, 7p.m
CHALAN THIBODEAUX: The Barrel, Broussard, 8p.m
CHARLES TRICHE: Whiskey &Vine,Lafayette, 8p.m.
HIGH PERFORMANCE: La Poussiere, Breaux Bridge, 8p.m
ACATH+BAG +FISH: Blue Moon Saloon,Lafayette, 8p.m
THE ROUGE KREWE: Rock ‘n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9p.m
ORYVEILLON: Cowboys Nightclub, Scott, 10 p.m.
SUNDAY
GLENN ZERINGUE: Whiskey&Vine, Lafayette, 11 a.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.
CICO’SSONGWRITING
CIRCLE: NUNU Arts and CultureCollective, Arnaudville, noon
‘SINNERS’
Continuedfrom page5C
Mediterranean off Libya. As manyas700 people are believed to have drowned.
In 2016, “Hamilton,” Lin-ManuelMiranda’ship-hop stage biography of America’sfirst treasury secretary,won thePulitzer Prize for drama.
In 2019, the finalreport from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russiainvestigation was made public. It outlined Russianinterference in the 2016 presidential election but “did not establish that members of the TrumpCampaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.”
In 2023, Fox and Dominion VotingSystemsreached a$787.5 millionsettlement in thevoting machine company’s defamation lawsuit, averting atrial in acase that exposed how thetop-rated networkpromoted falsehoods regardingthe 2020presidential election
Today’sBirthdays: Actor Hayley Mills is 79. Actor James Woods is 78. Actor Rick Moranis is 72. Actor Eric Roberts is 69. Journalist-author Susan Faludi is 66. Actor JaneLeeves is 64. Ventriloquist-comedian Jeff Dunhamis63. Talk show host Conan O’Brien is 62. Actor Eric McCormack is 62. Actor Maria Bello is 58.Football Hall of Famer Willie Roaf is 55. Actor David Tennant is 54. Filmmaker Eli Roth is 53.
Tell us aboutthis newsingle
Ijust actually got the finalmix back on that. Aguy out of Los Angeles did that one. He’s done a lotofworkwith artists like Post Malone andMiley Cyrus, and a lot of Grammy winners and stuff. The single’sprobably goingto be out in late May.It’scalled “The Bed.”
It was kind of one of those songs that really,the idea came to me and Isat down with it and the wholesong just fell out. It was just one of thosestories thatyou hear whereanartistgetsanidea and in five minutesthe entire song is done. The whole thing just kind offellout.Ipersonally think it’sone of the best.It’skind of a balladsong. It’sdefinitely apretty heavy song lyrically,definitely a breakup type song. The heaviest lyrics that we have so far so it’s kind ofcool. It’salittle different for us, you know?
It takes me awhile to write songs sometimes because Ioverthinkthings. Butthis one just cameout likeitneeded to be said. …It’sthe most personal song I’ve ever done.
It will be the first single from ournew album, “Heaven and the Heartland,”expectedinOctober Has your band’s sound changed anysince with the new (all-male) lineup?
It sounds really awesome. The sound is much bigger.I’vebeen ecstatic. It’slike the music feels likethere’salot more life to it. There’sa lotmorerhythmtoit. It really has breathed anew life into the music that we couldn’t achieve before without having more instruments involved, as youcan imagine. Thesongsonthe newrecord, Iwould say are alittle more organic, alittle moreheartfelt, just because that’sjust theway this body of music came out. But we haven’tlost the disco aesthetic and the rhythmicelements or anything. It’svery much the same band.
Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.
LE BALDUDIMANCHE— JEFFERYBROUSSARD & THE CREOLE COWBOYS: Vermilionville, Lafayette, 1p.m
CAJUN JAM: BayouTeche Brewing, Arnaudville, 2p.m
GENO DELAFOSE: Rock ‘n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 5p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Randol’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30p.m.
CEDRIC WATSON &BIJOU CREOLE: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 7p.m.
SCOTT H. BIRAM: Freetown Boom Boom Room, Lafayette, 8p.m.
Bogalusa, Donaldsonville and Labadieville as filming locations. It opens in theaters Friday
“Sinners” is set in 1932, over one long day and night in the rural town of Clarksdale, Mississippi, aplace of sharecroppers and blues singers and racist rednecks and sexy pent-up passion. Michael B. Jordan, in adual role, plays theSmokestack twins, Smoke and Stack, who grew up in Clarksdale but left to fight on theGerman front in World WarI and wound up in Chicago, where they worked for Al Capone and honed their underworld skills. They’ve been hustlers, pimps and killers. Now they’ve returned to their hometown, in the land of Jim Crow,because as one of them putsit, “Chicago ain’tnothing but Mississippi withtall buildings.” Jordan’sdouble performance is introduced with state-of-the-art digital trickery,asthe two characters pass acigarette back and forth, and thefilm makes asly point of not distinguishing them in any super-obvious way.Smoke sportsa blue Britishflat cap; Stack wears ared brimmed hat and has two of his teeth outlined in gold. But they’ve got thesame thick goatee, thesame hefty muscled handsomeness, thesameairy down-homecrushed-mint drawl.
We’vegot to look closer to pick up on the difference, which is there in Stack’ssoft smile, and Smoke’s lack of one; in Stack’stough but coiled willingness to cut people a break, and Stack’scolder attitude Jordan makes the differences quiet and subtle and bone-deep, the way Robert De Niro did in his criminally underrated double performance in “The Alto Knights.”The Smokestack twins are the crooked version of agood and bad cop, though with spirits joined at the well-dressed hip. And Jordan invests themwith consummate star panache.
Horror movies often have grandiose themes, but “Sinners” is therare mainstream horror film that’sabout something weighty and soulful: thewages of sin in Black America, an idea that in the movie extends from the embrace of criminality as away to transcend oppression to theliteral “deal withthe devil” that Robert Johnson is said to have madeata crossroads to gain his world-shaking musical gift.(As thevisionary
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different,” Wintory said.
“I mustcome up with ascorefor thesegames beforeIever see the video, whereas when scoring afilm, youare rolling the footageand designing music that goes witheach frame. Because Idon’t have footageinthisinstance, Iask thestudios behind the video games alot of thesame questionsthat Iwould ask afilm director,becauseit’scritical Ihave the rightfeel. So, I’ll want to know what we are trying to communicate, what they want the audience to walk away with, and what thehigh-level philosophical aspirations of this game might be.” Musicfor differentscenarios
Wintory says he also needs to get into thedetails of what the music is going to attach to. Is themusic accompanying combat,orisitavisualization of therooftopsofLondon? He says it’svery important to have radically differentmusic
THURSDAY COMMUNITY HOUR COMMUNITY DRUM CIRCLE: MoncusPark,
of the blues, he was essentially theinventor of rock ’n’ roll.)
Robert Johnson doesn’tappear in “Sinners,” but one of the film’s main characters, who would have been born around the same time (in 1911),isSammie Moore (newcomer MilesCaton), known as Preacher Boy,and he’sgot asingular talent —his twanging guitar and lyrical voiceseem to swing the blues right up to the sky.He’s the Smokestack twins’ cousin, and theyengage him to play at the juke joint. They make the same offer to Delta Slim, abroken down old tough-dog harmonica and piano player (played by apitchperfect DelroyLindo) who will go anywhereifthere’senough liquor (the twins have brought 500 bottlesofIrish beer from up north).
In many ways, “Sinners” is a personal vision, steeped in its nervy and expansive collage of ’30s Black America. The movie is exquisitely shot, with Autumn Durald Arkapaw’scinematography immersing us in the sunlit splendorand leafy ominousness of back-country Mississippi. It’s alsothe fifth film (out of five) that Coogler has made with Jordan, and you feel the director’sflair in the supple waythat he gets us onto Smoke and Stack’swavelength, making us eager to see them succeed. For all their strong-arm tactics, these two carry themselves as formidable businessmen. To make thejuke joint work, they want to put on ashow that will stop the night.That’show they intend to make akilling, which is exactly what happens, though not in the way theyplanned. If you didn’tgoinknowing
that can be appropriate formany different kinds of scenarios. While atypical film may run between 90 minutesand two hours, videogames canbelongand may require40-50 hours of music.It’s aprocess that can takeyears, just for one game. And, it’s acollaborative process between the composer,and in this case the co-producer Jay Weigel, andthe scoreengineer, Misha Kachkachishvili, who all find themselves at amixingconsole, making the sure the elements are all coming together to produce the desired sound, whichWintory has running through his brain.
Aboy wonder from Denver who conducted the Utah Symphony at theage of 18, Wintory,41, now has 300 scores behind him. His score forthe video game Journey made history as the onlyvideogame soundtrack to be nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack forVisual Media.
Although Wintory now makes his homeinLos Angeles, center of thefilm world, L.A. is not ahub for videogamecomposers.The clos-
Want yourvenue’s music listed? Email info/photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY forthe following Friday’spaper.
that “Sinners” was ahorror film, you wouldn’tguess it from the first hour.It’sgot that much realistic vivacity.Each twin has leftawoman behind, and that’s part of the film’s layering. Mary, played by Hailee Steinfeld with aristocratic airs (more than ever, she seemsborn to play Elizabeth Taylor), wasloved and abandoned by Stack, and though he won’t say it aloud it’sclear that what made him cut off the relationship was the impossibility,inhis mind, of sustaining it in aracist world. Smoke abandoned Annie, the local medicine womanhehad a baby with (the infant died). She’s played by WunmiMosaku, an actor whohas come out of next to nowhere, and look out —she’sa powerhouse of stern passion. Vampire metaphors are almost always erotic, but despite the rather steamy atmosphere of “Sinners” (at the juke joint, there’sa whole lotta hookin’ up goin’ on), that’snot whatitmeans here. The vampires are presented as extensions of the racist white culture that wants to stop the party.Three vampires show up at the joint, but the wayvampire protocol works they’ve got to be invited in in order to enter.And Smoke and Stack are too suspicious to kowtow to these gate crashers. But that’s OK —they’ll infiltrate it adifferent way, by getting Mary to come out and talk to them (as they play a nice folk song).
The vampires promise eternal life, but they’re like zombies who have come to leech away your freedom. And that, in the case of this setting, takes on amore heightened meaning, since the Black characters are already searching forataste of freedom, which they find through the liberating spirit of the juke joint.
Once the key characters are trapped and fighting fortheir lives, “Sinners” becomes atale of vampirism as cult. There’sa terrifically creepy scene in which the vampires, led by O’Connell’s fiery-eyed Remmick, go into an Irish step dance (at this point there are Black vampires who’ve been bitten and are part of the cult), and the message is: Give up your freedom and join us!
Stay tuned forthe lengthy postcredits sequence, which is more than ateaser —it’sthe place where Coogler,casting Louisianaborn blues veteran Buddy Guy, completes his film’s fanciful cosmology.Though maybe he should have madeitalittle less fancy
est thing to that, Wintory says, is Japan. In the states, it might be Seattle or Silicon Valley,all tech hubs. So,it’snicetohaveavideo game produced in New Orleans —not atech hub, but definitely a place where the crèmedelacrème of musicians reside.
The video game Wintory is working on here in the city,whose subject matter andtitle are forthe moment tightlyunder wraps, will debut later this year and showcase NewOrleans, this time, in adifferent light.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER
NewOrleans actor Deneen Taylor plays apartygoer in the Louisianashot movie‘Sinners.’
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Position yourself for advancement.Participate in eventsthatencourage networking, build your brandand influence others to follow your example. Followyour instincts andexcel
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Learning something that offers insight into what's possible andhow youcan diversify your skills to accommodatetoday'smarket will payoff. Home improvements or lifestyle changes will enhance your outlook
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Emotional spending, poor investments and scams are on the rise. Listen, learn and walk away from suspicious offers. Set boundaries and knowyour limitations.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Advancement or an investment looks promising. Put more credence into work-related matters. Take care of responsibilities diligently and punctually to avoidcriticism.
LEO (July23-Aug. 22) Question information, offers andpeople with whom you engage in serious conversations. Verify whatever youhear, and when in doubt, sit tight. Prioritize peace and love.
VIRGO(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Slow down. Say no to anyonemaking ultimatums or trying to talk youinto something you don't need or want. Steer clear of excessive people andindulgent behavior.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Stay in touch with people wholiftyou up. Taking short trips or classes and applying your energyand input to matters that can
helpyou succeed look promising. Misunderstandings are apparent
SCORPIO(Oct.24-Nov. 22) Pay attention to where your money goes. Refrain from overspending on entertainment or donations. Avoid impulsive actions, indecisiveness and trying to please too many people.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Keep tabs on your money, possessions and conversations with peopleclose to you. Don't make promises that you can't keep or give in to anyoneusing emotional blackmail.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Payattention. Refuse to believe everything you hear. It's atake-charge moment and a time to enforce your rights. Head in a directionthat gives you thechoice and freedom to livelifeyour way.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep your finger on the pulse and your eye on where your money goes. Hit the reset button and put abudget in place that helps you save for something you want to pursue.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Put your emotionsand egoonthe sidelines.Clear your head, focus on what matters and whereyou can positivelyimpact the outcome, and avoiddicey situations that can lead to personal or domestic setbacks.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands foranother.
TODAy'SCLUE: VEQUALS C
FAMILY CIrCUS
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
LAGoon
bIG nAte
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
Puzzle Answer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
BY PHILLIP ALDER
William Shakespeare wrote, “Allthe world’s astage, And all themen and women merelyplayers: Theyhave their exits and theirentrances.”
In abridge contract, having no entry often results inanexit withaminus score. And sometimes you need to use a defenderfor an entrance.How does that applyinthisdeal?Southisinfourspades, and West leads the diamond 10.
When Eastopened one diamond, South just closed his eyes and blasted into four spades, hoping that if his partner had a weak hand, thepenalty conceded would be less thanhis opponents could have obtainedintheir bestcontract. If West had been psychic, he would have ledeither theclub 10 (immediately giving the defenders three clubs and one heart) or the heart nine (East wins with his aceand returnsthe suit to kill thedummy).But since East had opened onediamond, selecting that suit was normal. The originalSouth won trick one with dummy’sace and discarded aheart from his hand. Thenhecalled foralow heart. East went in with the ace and led the diamondking. Now declarer had to go down two. (Yes, Eastmight have returned a heart, whichwould have been right if Westhad begun with asingleton heart. But East thought that his partner would have leda singleton initially.)
South should have left the diamond ace on the board andruffedthe first trick in his hand. Then he draws trumps and plays on hearts. East may duck the first round and take thesecond, but then he mustput declarer into thedummy. The contractmakeswithanovertrickinstead of going down two.
Each Wuzzle is awordriddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,”are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns,
words,orvulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
toDAY’s WoRD RAtcHEt: RACH-it: To causetomove by steps or degrees, usually up or down. Average
Canyou find 41 or morewords in RATCHET?
YEstERDAY’s WoRD —nAscEnt
today’s thought “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, anditdoes not yet appear what we shall be:but we know that, whenheshall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall seehim as he is.” 1John 3:2
Andrews McMeel Syndication
wuzzles
loCKhorNs
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C. PiCKles
UnitedHealth keeps Wall Street in check
Most U.S. stocks climbed Thursday,but the worst drop for UnitedHealth Group in a quarter of acentury kept Wall Street in check.
The S&P 500 edged up slightly,eventhough 3ofevery 4 stocks climbed in the index. The Nasdaq composite slipped abit in amostly steadier performancefollowingits sell-off theday before.
The Dow Jones IndustrialAverage dropped, largely because of just one stock. UnitedHealth Group lost morethan afifth of itsvalue andfell 22.4% following aweaker-than-expected profit report
Helping to lead the way higher on Wall Street was EliLilly, which jumped 14.3% after the drugmaker reported encouragingresults foraonce-daily pill that could helptreat people withobesity and diabetes.
Stocks of companies in the oil-and-gas industry also rallied after the price of crude rose to recover some of its sharp losses taken this month. Diamondback Energy jumped 5.7%, and Halliburton climbed5.1%
Technology stocks held firmer after global heavyweight Taiwan Semiconductor ManufacturingCo. reported aprofit for the latest quarter that matched analysts’ expectations. Perhaps more importantly,italso said it hasn’tseen adrop-off in activity from its customersbecause of PresidentDonald Trump’s trade war,assome other companies have suggested.
Jobless benefitclaims fall for another week
U.S. applications for jobless benefits fell again last week as the labor market continues to hold up despite fears of atariffinduced recession.
Jobless claim applications fell by 9,000 to 215,000 for the week endingSaturday,the Labor Department said Thursday.That’s well below the 225,000 new applications analysts forecast. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered aproxy for layoffs, and have mostly stayed between 200,000 and 250,000 for the past few years.
The four-week average of applications, which can soften some of the week-to-week swings, fell by 2,500 to 220,750. Despite showingsome signs of weakening during thepast year,the labormarketremains healthy with plenty of job openings and relatively few layoffs. Railroad, chemical maker reach settlement
Norfolk Southern reached an agreement withone of two companies abouthow much each side willhelp payfor a $600 million class-action settlement, which the railroad agreed to after the disastrous 2023 Ohio train derailmentand toxic chemicals that were released and burned.
This lawsuitdoesn’tchange anything about how much money people will receive from the settlement or anypayments to thevillage of East Palestine or anyone else —those are all established in various settlement agreements. Thiscaseonly affects whichcompanies have to write the checks to pay for the class-action settlement, which is separate from the cost of the massive environmental cleanup.
The railroad and OxyVinyls, the chemical companythat madethe vinyl chloride that was released and burned after the derailment, announced the settlement Thursday in the midst of the ongoing trialover who should pay people affectedby the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.Nodetails were released.
The third company involved in the lawsuit, GATX, which owned the railcar that caused thederailment,declinedto comment on the settlement. The case is expected to go to the jury next week in atrial that began late last month.
Residents are still waiting to receive most of the money from the settlement because of pending appeals,although somepayments have started to go out.
IMF: Tariffswilltrigger inflation
Global economy projectedtoweaken
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer
Surging U.S. tariffs will weaken theglobaleconomyand push up inflation this year, according to projectionstobereleasednextweek by the International Monetary Fund.
The IMF’sManaging Director KristalinaGeorgieva, saidThursday that theTrump administration’s sharp increasesinduties have causedglobal uncertainty to spike. The import taxes will slow global growth, but notcause a
worldwiderecession, sheadded The details of the IMF’soutlook will be issued Tuesday
The world economy’sresilience is being tested “by thereboot of the globaltrading system” that threatenstocauseturbulence in financial markets, Georgieva said.
Thatturbulencehas been playing out in financial markets for weeks now,especially on Wall Street, which has experienced wild swings from day to dayand often hour to hour
The IMF chief also echoed some Trump administration concerns. She called on countries toreduce their tariffs and lower other barriers to trade, aprocess that she said hadstalled out in the past decade
after making steady progress for many years after World WarII. “Trade distortions —tariff and nontariff barriers —have fed negative perceptionsofa multilateral system seen to have failed to deliveralevel playing field,”she said. “Thisfeeling of unfairness in some places feeds the narrative: we play by therules whileothers game the system without penalty.”
Georgieva added that tariffs cause uncertainty, which can be costly. Duetothe complexity of supply chains,the costofa single item can be affected by tariffs in dozens of countries, she said. Increased trade barriers also tendtoimmediately impact growth, and while it can lead to
more domestic production, that takestime to implement, she added.
In its mostrecent projections issued in January,the IMF forecast theworld economytogrownominallyfasterand forinflation to come down, though it warned that outlook was clouded by President Donald Trump’spolicies, including tax cuts and increased tariffs on foreign imports.
TheWashington-basedlending agency said at thetime that it expected the world economy to grow 3.3% this year andnext, up from 3.2% in 2024.
Global inflation was forecast to fall from 5.7% in 2024 to 4.2% this year and 3.5% in 2026.
Google networkdeclaredmonopoly
BY MICHAELLIEDTKE AP technologywriter
SAN FRANCISCO Google has been branded an abusive monopolist by afederal judge for the secondtime in less than ayear,thistime for illegally exploiting someofits online marketing technology to boost the profits fueling an internet empire currently worth $1.8 trillion.
Theruling issuedThursday by U.S. District Judge Leonie BrinkemainVirginia comes on the heels of aseparate decision in August that concluded Google’snamesake search engine has been illegally leveraging its dominance to stifle competition andinnovation
After the U.S. Justice Departmenttargeted Google’subiquitoussearch engine duringPresident Donald Trump’sfirstadministration, the same agency went after the
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AAMER MADHANI and JOSH BOAK Associated Press
WASHINGTON— President Donald TrumpattackedFederal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday for not cutting interest rates and said he could fire him if he wanted to, renewingathreat from his first term thatcouldcause amajor legalshowdown over theissue of thecentral bank’s long-standing political independence.
“IfIwant him out,he’ll be out of there real fast, believe me,”
Trump said in the Oval Office whiletakingquestions from reporters during avisit withItalian Prime MinisterGiorgia Meloni.
company’slucrative digital advertising networkin2023 during President Joe Biden’s ensuing administration in an attempt to undercut the power that Google hasamassed since its inception in aSilicon Valley garage in 1998.
Although antitrust regulators prevailed both times, the battle is likely to continue for several more years as Googletries to overturn the two monopoly decisions in appeals while forging ahead in the new and highly lucrative technological frontier of artificial intelligence.
The next step in thelatest case is apenalty phasethat will likely begin latethis year or early next year.The same so-called remedy hearings in the search monopolycaseare scheduledtobegin Monday in Washington D.C., where Justice Department lawyers will try to convinceU.S.District Judge Amit Mehtatoimposea sweeping punishment that includes aproposed requirement for Google to sellits Chrome web browser Brinkema’s115-page decisioncenters on the marketing machine thatGoogle has
“I’m not happy withhim.”
Trump’scomments followeda posting on his social media site in whichthe Republican president called on Powell to lower the Fed’sshort-term interest rate and said, “Powell’stermination cannot comefastenough!”The Fed chair’sterm ends in May 2026. Powell wasinitially nominated by Trumpin2017 and was appointed to another four-year term by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022. At aNovember news conference, Powellindicated he would not step down if Trump asked him to resign and in remarks Wednesday, made clear that “our independence is amatteroflaw.” He added: “We’re not
spent thepast17years building around its search engineand otherwidelyusedproducts andservices,including its Chrome browser,YouTube video site and digital maps.
Thesystem was largelybuilt around a series of acquisitions that started with Google’s$3.2 billion purchase of online ad specialistDoubleClickin2008. U.S. regulators approvedthe dealsatthe time they were made before realizing that they had giventhe Mountain View,California,company aplatform to manipulate the prices in an ecosystemthata wide range of websites depend on for revenue andprovidesa vital marketing connectiontoconsumers.
In astatement,Google said it will appeal the ruling.
“Wedisagree with the Court’sdecisionregarding our publisher tools,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vicepresident of regulatoryaffairs. “Publishers have many options andtheychooseGoogle because our ad tech toolsare simple, affordable andeffective.”
removable except for cause. We servevery long terms, seemingly endless terms.”
Trump’scriticism stems from his view that, as he saidThursday, “we have essentially no inflation.”
TheFed sharply raised rates in 2022 and 2023 to slowborrowing andspending andtame inflation whichdropped steadily from a peak of 9.1% in 2022 to 2.4% last month. Inflation is not far from theFed’s targetof2%. TheFed even cut rates three times at the end of last year
Butsincethen, Powell andmost otherFed policymakers have underscored that they are keeping rates on holdbecause of the uncertainty created by Trump’s
sweeping tariffs, including a10% tax on allimports anda 145% levy on imports fromChina In remarks Wednesday in Chicago,Powellreiterated that the Fed waswaiting for greater clarity before making any moves and said the tariffs would likely worsen inflation.
Powell has steadfastly maintained that the Fed is independent from politics, astance that Fed chairs havestressedsince at least the 1970s. Back then, the Fed waswidely seen as worsening a15-year run of high inflation by giving in to demandsfrom President Richard Nixontokeepinterest rates low in the run-up to the 1972 election.
