The Acadiana Advocate 04-22-2025 by The Advocate

Francis’ humble style charmed the world

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, his-

INSIDE

ä JD Vance was one of last leaders to meet with Pope Francis. Page 4A ä Several cardinals considered frontrunners to be the next Pope. Page 5A ä What happens next? Page 5A

tory’s ﬁrst Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday He was 88. The Vatican said Francis suffered a stroke which led to a coma and his heart to fail, as he recovered from a ﬁve-week hospitalization for double pneumonia. His funeral and burial at Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major across town are expected over the weekend. Bells tolled in Catholic churches from his native Argentina to the Philippines and across Rome as news spread around the world.

“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived

Diocese of Lafayette mourns passing of Pope

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

The Diocese of Lafayette and Lafayette’s Catholic community on Monday mourned the passing of Pope Francis, who died early Monday morning at the age 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.

Lafayette Bishop Douglas Deshotel released a statement saying a special diocesan memorial Mass will be announced.

Deshotel said Francis called on everyone to reach out to those who are marginalized, called out the futility of war and urged nations to look for peaceful ways to resolve their differences.

“He also called us to be good stewards of creation and to see in the beauty of creation of the

With two cases identified in La., hospitals prepping for measles

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

“That’s

iarity with a disease thought to be eliminated could ripple through

emergency rooms in Louisiana as hospitals prepare for the possibility of local cases amid a nationwide outbreak. With two cases identified in Louisiana and vaccination rates slipping below the threshold for community protection, hospitals are preparing by educating their staff on symptoms and reviewing

protocols for isolation and contact

tracing. Many health care providers in Louisiana have never seen a case outside of a textbook.

“Most of them are too young to have actually seen a case with their own eyes,” said Kline, now physician in chief at Manning Family Children’s in New Orleans.

Louisiana’s first case was

announced by the state Health Department on Saturday in an unvaccinated adult who had recently traveled internationally was treated for measles at a New Orleans-area hospital. That person is not hospitalized and is now in isolation. As ofﬁcials contacted

MATT ROURKE

Pope Francis waves to the crowd during a procession in Philadelphia in 2015.

3 killed in Ukraine during Easter ceasefire KYIV Ukraine Russian attacks during the 30-hour Easter ceasefire unilaterally declared by President Vladimir Putin over the weekend killed three people in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, a regional ofﬁcial said Monday Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of Kherson’s administration, wrote on Telegram that the casualties occurred over the last 24 hours, adding that three others were wounded in the region, parts of which are occupied by Russia.

After Putin declared the move on Saturday, Ukraine responded by voicing readiness to reciprocate any genuine ceaseﬁre but said the Russian attacks continued. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia violated the ceasefire more than 2,900 times. Zelenskyy said that Russian forces carried out 96 assault operations along the front line, shelled Ukrainian positions more than 1,800 times and used hundreds of drones during the course of the ceasefire. “The nature of Ukrainian actions will continue to be mirror-like: we will respond to silence with silence, and our blows will be a defense against Russian blows Actions always speak louder than words,” he said.

The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, listed 4,900 Ukrainian violations of the ceaseﬁre It charged that Moscow’s forces “strictly observed the ceaseﬁre and remained at previously occupied lines and positions.

Speaking Monday, Putin said that the ﬁghting resumed after the ceasefire expired at midnight. Commenting on Zelenskyy’s call for a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire or, at least, a halt on strikes on civilian facilities, the Russian leader noted that Kyiv was trying to “seize the initiative,” adding that “we must think about it, carefully assess everything and look at the results of the ceaseﬁre.”

Houthi rebels says U.S. strikes kill 12 in Yemen

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates U.S. airstrikes targeting Yemen’s capital killed 12 people and wounded 34 others, the Houthi rebels said early Monday.

The deaths mark the latest in America’s intensiﬁed campaign of strikes targeting the rebels.

The U.S. military’s Central Command declined to answer questions about the strike or discuss civilian casualties from its campaign.

The Houthis described the strike as hitting the Farwa neighborhood market in Sanaa’s Shuub district. That area has been targeted before by the Americans.

Footage aired by the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel showed damage to vehicles and buildings in the area, with screaming onlookers holding what appeared to be a dead child. Others wailed on stretchers heading into a hospital. Strikes overnight into Monday also hit other areas of the country, including Yemen’s Amran, Hodeida, Marib and Saada governorates.

Officials: Noem’s purse stolen at D.C. restaurant

WASHINGTON— Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse was stolen at a Washington, D.C. restaurant Sunday night, according to department ofﬁcials.

The department in an email said Noem had money in her purse to buy gifts for her children and grandchildren and to pay for Easter dinner and other activities.

The department in an email didn’t specify what was stolen, but CNN — which was first to report the story — said the thief took about $3,000 in cash, as well as Noem’s keys, driver’s license, passport, checks, makeup bag, medication and Homeland Security badge. The department said Noem had cash in her purse to pay for gifts, dinner and other activities for her family on Easter The Homeland Security secretary is protected by U.S Secret Service agents. The Secret Service referred questions about the incident to Homeland Security headquarters.

White House voices support for Hegseth

New Signal chat revelation stirs fresh Pentagon turmoil

BY TARA COPP and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON The White House expressed support Monday for Defense

Secretary Pete Hegseth following media reports that he shared sensitive military details in another Signal messaging chat, this time with his wife and brother

Neither the White House nor Hegseth denied that he had shared such information in a second chat, instead focusing their responses on what they called the disgruntled workers whom they blamed for leaking to the media and insisting that no classiﬁed information had been disclosed.

“It’s just fake news. They just bring up stories,” President Donald Trump told reporters. “I guess it sounds like disgruntled employees You know, he was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people, and that’s what he’s doing. So you don’t always have friends when you do that,” Trump said.

The administration’s posture was meant to hold the line against Democratic demands for Hegseth’s ﬁring at a time when the Pentagon is engulfed in turmoil, including the departures of several senior aides and an internal investigation over information leaks.

The White House also tried to deﬂect attention from the national security implications of the latest Signal revelation by framing it as the outgrowth of an institutional power struggle between Hegseth and the career workforce. But some of the recently departed ofﬁcials the administration appeared to dismiss as disgruntled were part of Hegseth’s initial inner circle, brought in when he took the job

“This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change that you are trying to implement,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in remarks ampliﬁed by a Pentagon social media account.

The latest news added to questions about the judgment of the embattled Pentagon chief, coming on top of last month’s

disclosure of his participation in a Signal chat with top Trump administration leaders in which details about the military airstrike against Yemen’s Houthi militants were shared.

“Pete Hegseth must be ﬁred,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.

The New York Times reported Sunday that the information shared in a Signal messaging chat with Hegseth’s wife, brother and others was similar to what was communicated in the already disclosed chain with Trump administration ofﬁcials.

A person familiar with the contents and those who received the messages, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, conﬁrmed the second chat to The Associated Press. The person said it included 13 people and was dubbed “Defense | Team Huddle.”

White House officials first learned of the second Signal chat from news reports Sunday, according to an official familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations.

Hegseth, talking to reporters while attending the White House Easter egg roll, didn’t address the substance of the allegations or the national security implications they raised but assailed the media.

“They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations,” Hegseth said. “Not going to work with me. Because we’re changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of warfighters. And anonymous smears from disgruntled former employees on old news doesn’t matter.”

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, struck a similar tone, writing on Sunday night on X: “Secretary Hegseth is busy implementing President Trump’s America First agenda, while these leakers are trying to undermine them both Shameful.”

The Trump administration has struggled in its public explanations about senior ofﬁcials’ use of Signal, a commercially available app not authorized to be used to communicate sensitive or classiﬁed national defense information.

Wife of ex-U.S. Sen. Menendez convicted in bribery scheme

BY LARRY NEUMEISTER and MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, was convicted Monday of teaming up with her husband to accept bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car from three New Jersey men looking for help with their business dealings or legal troubles.

The jury returned a verdict of guilty on all counts in the same federal courthouse in Manhattan where a different jury convicted Bob Menendez of many of the same charges last year The Democrat is supposed to begin serving an 11-year prison term in June.

three-week trial followed the timeline of the whirlwind romance between the couple that began in early 2018 and continued after criminal charges were brought against them in September 2023. Repeatedly during the trial, prosecutors said they were “partners in crime.”

During a 2022 raid on the couple’s Englewood Cliffs New Jersey home, FBI agents found nearly $150,000 worth of gold bars and $480,000 in cash stuffed in boots, shoe boxes and jackets. In the garage was a Mercedes-Benz convertible, also an alleged bribe.

N. Menendez

Nadine Menendez, who stood but did not appear to react as the verdict was delivered by the jury foreperson, was scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, six days after her husband is expected to report to prison.

Outside the courthouse, she wore a pink mask as she stood next to her lawyer, Barry Coburn, said he was “devastated by the verdict.”

“We fought hard and it hurts,” he said.

“This is a very rough day for us.”

The evidence shown to jurors over a

Harvard sues feds to stop freeze of $2.2B in grants

By The Associated Press

BOSTON Harvard University announced Monday it was suing the Trump administration to halt a freeze on more than $2.2 billion in grants after the institution said it would defy the Trump administration’s demands to limit activism on campus.

In a letter to Harvard earlier this month, the Trump administration had called for broad government and leadership reforms at the university as well as changes to its admissions policies It also demanded that the university audit views of diversity on campus, and stop recognizing some student clubs.

Harvard President Alan Garber said the university would not bend to the government’s demands. Hours later, the government froze billions of dollars in federal funding.

“The Government has not — and cannot — iden-

tify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation,” the school wrote in its lawsuit.

“Nor has the Government acknowledged the significant consequences that the indeﬁnite freeze of billions of dollars in federal research funding will have on Harvard’s research programs, the beneﬁciaries of that research, and the national interest in furthering American innovation and progress,” it added.

The Trump administration, in the April 11 letter, told Harvard to impose tougher discipline on protesters and to screen international students for those who are “hostile to the American values.”

Gaza rescue service rejects Israeli probe into medics’ killings

By The Associated Press

CAIRO The main Palestinian rescue service in Gaza on Monday condemned Israel’s probe into the killings of 15 medical workers last month, calling it a “fabricated investigation.”

The army announced the results of its investigation on Sunday saying it had found “professional failures” and dismissing a deputy commander in what it described as an accident.

A total of 15 people were killed in the March 23 incident — including eight medics with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, six members of the Hamas government’s Civil Defense unit and a United Nations staffer Troops bulldozed over

the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. U.N. and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later In a statement, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the investigation underscores “the occupation’s persistence in shielding the truth from the world.” It accused Israel of making “fallacious allegations” that medical rescue teams are part of Hamas and asked why Israel continues to detain a paramedic who survived the attack.

“We call on the international community to abstain from validating the results of the occupation’s fabricated investigation,” it said.

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Both Nadine and Bob Menendez said they are innocent and never took bribes.

Initially they were to be tried together along with the three businessmen, but Nadine Menendez’s trial was postponed a year ago after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery Bob Menendez, 71, resigned from the Senate last August following his conviction. Before the charges were brought he had been chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Prosecutors accused Nadine Menendez of starting to facilitating bribes to the senator around the time that they began dating, before they married in the fall of 2020.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks Monday on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington before President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in the White House Easter egg roll.

POPE FRANCIS:

Dec. 17, 1936 - April 21, 2025

Vance was one of the last leaders to meet with Francis

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON One of Pope Francis’ final encounters before his death was with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who visited the Vatican over the weekend.

The meeting took place on Easter Sunday Vance, a Catholic convert, entered the room and reached down for the pope’s hand “Hello,” the vice president said. “So good to see you.” Francis was sitting in a wheelchair, and his words were inaudible in a video released by the Vatican.

“I know you’ve not been feeling great, but it’s good to see you in better health,” Vance said A priest serving as a translator spoke for the pope.

“These are for your children,” the priest said as someone presented Vance with chocolate eggs. Next came a tray of additional gifts, including rosaries and a Vatican tie.

“Thank you,” Vance said as he held the dark tie. “So beautiful.”

They posed for a photo, Vance standing to the pope’s right before bidding him farewell.

“I pray for you every day,” Vance said. “God bless you.”

Vance’s visit was not without political sensitivities, and he met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Saturday for what the Vatican described as “an exchange of opinions.” The Catholic Church, under Francis’ leadership, has championed the rights of migrants, while Vance and President Donald Trump have advocated for crackdowns.

Vance’s office said the vice president and the cardinal “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”

Trump issued a statement on Truth Social: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and

all who loved him!”

At the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday Trump said he signed an executive order for U.S. ﬂags to ﬂy at half-staff in the

pope’s honor “He was a good man,” the president told reporters. “He loved the world and it’s an honor to do that.” Vance, who continued on to In-

dia after Italy posted additional thoughts on social media.

“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” he wrote on X. “I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill.”

Vance shared a link to remarks that Francis gave on March 27, 2020, as COVID-19 was spreading around the globe.

“I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID,” Vance wrote. “It was really quite beautiful.”

Francis had spoken from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

“Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities,” he said. “It has taken over our lives, ﬁlling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void.”

He encouraged people to rely on their faith to help then endure “because with God life never dies.”

Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy

He made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday — a day before his death to bless thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square, drawing wild cheers and applause Francis performed the blessing from the same loggia where he was introduced on March 13, 2013, as the 266th pope.

From his ﬁrst greeting that night a remarkably normal “Buonasera” (“Good evening”) — to his embrace of refugees and the downtrodden, Francis signaled a very different tone for the papacy, stressing humility over hubris for a Catholic Church beset by scandal and accusations of indifference.

The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought fresh air into a 2,000-year-old institution that had seen its inﬂuence wane during the troubled tenure of Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis’ election.

But Francis soon invited troubles of his own, and conservatives grew increasingly upset with his progressive bent, outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and crackdown on traditionalists. His greatest test came in 2018 when he botched a notorious case of clergy sexual abuse in Chile, and the scandal that festered under his predecessors erupted anew.

And then Francis, the crowdloving, globe-trotting pope of the peripheries, navigated the unprecedented reality of leading a universal religion through the coronavirus pandemic from a locked-down Vatican City

“We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented,” Francis told an empty St. Peter’s Square in March 2020. Calling for a rethink of the global economic framework, he said the pandemic showed the need for “all of us to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other.”

The world mourns World leaders on Monday extolled Francis’ commitment to the marginalized. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is largely Catholic, wrote on

X: “From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. May this hope forever outlast him.”

Flags ﬂew at half-staff in Italy, and crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square. When the great bells of St. Peter’s Basilica began tolling, tourists stopped in their tracks to record the moment on their phones.

Johann Xavier, who traveled from Australia, hoped to see the pope during his visit “But then we heard about it when we came in here. It pretty much devastated all of us,” he said.

Francis’ death sets off a weekslong process of allowing the faithful to pay their ﬁnal respects, first for Vatican officials in the Santa Marta chapel and then in St. Peter’s for the general public, followed by a funeral and a conclave to elect a new pope.

As the sun was setting on Monday evening, the Vatican held a Rosary prayer in St. Peter’s Square in its ﬁrst public commemoration.

In his final will, Francis conﬁrmed he will be buried in St Mary Major Basilica in a simple underground tomb with only “Franciscus” written on it The basilica, which sits outside the Vatican, is home to Francis’ favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, to whom Francis was particularly devoted.

Reforming the Vatican

Francis was elected on a mandate to reform the Vatican bureaucracy and ﬁnances but went further in shaking up the church without changing its core doctrine.

“Who am I to judge?” he replied when asked about a purportedly gay priest.

The comment sent a message of welcome to the LGBTQ+ community and those who felt shunned by a church that had stressed sexual propriety over unconditional love.

“Being homosexual is not a crime,”

he told The Associated Press in 2023, urging an end to civil laws that criminalize it

Stressing mercy, Francis changed the church’s position on the death penalty, calling it inadmissible in all circumstances. He also declared the possession of nuclear weapons, not just their use, was “immoral.”

In other ﬁrsts, he approved an agreement with China over bishop nominations that had vexed the Vatican for decades, met the Rus-

sian patriarch and charted new relations with the Muslim world by visiting the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq.

He reafﬁrmed the all-male, celibate priesthood and upheld the church’s opposition to abortion, equating it to “hiring a hit man to solve a problem.”

But he added women to important decision-making roles and allowed them to serve as lectors and acolytes in parishes. He let women vote alongside bishops in periodic Vatican meetings, following longstanding complaints that women do much of the church’s work but are barred from power

Sister Nathalie Becquart, whom Francis named to one of the highest Vatican jobs, said his legacy was a vision of a church where men and women existed in a relationship of reciprocity and respect.

“It was about shifting a pattern of domination — from human being to the creation, from men to women — to a pattern of cooperation,” said Becquart, the ﬁrst woman to hold a voting position in a Vatican synod.

Still, a note of criticism came Monday from the Women’s Ordination Conference, which had been frustrated by Francis’ unwillingness to push for the ordination of women.

“This made him a complicated, frustrating, and sometimes heartbreaking ﬁgure for many women,” the statement said.

The church as a refuge

While Francis did not allow

women to be ordained, the voting reform was part of a revolutionary change in emphasizing what the church should be: a refuge for everyone “todos, todos, todos”

(“everyone, everyone, everyone”).

Migrants, the poor, prisoners and outcasts were invited to his table far more than presidents or powerful CEOs.

“For Pope Francis, (the goal) was always to extend the arms of the church to embrace all people, not to exclude anyone,” said Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, who takes charge after a pontiff’s death.

Francis demanded his bishops apply mercy and charity to their ﬂocks, pressed the world to protect God’s creation from climate disaster, and challenged countries to welcome those ﬂeeing war, poverty and oppression.

After visiting Mexico in 2016, Francis said of then-U. S. presidential candidate Donald Trump that anyone building a wall to keep migrants out “is not Christian.”

While progressives were thrilled with Francis’ radical focus on Jesus’ message of mercy and inclusion, it troubled conservatives who feared he watered down Catholic teaching and threatened the very Christian identity of the West. Some even called him a heretic.

A few cardinals openly challenged him. Francis usually responded with his typical answer to conﬂict: silence.

He made it easier for married Catholics to get an annulment, allowed priests to absolve women who had had abortions and decreed that priests could bless

same-sex couples. He opened debate on issues like homosexuality and divorce, giving pastors wiggle room to discern how to accompany their ﬂocks, rather than handing them strict rules to apply

“He was a man of peace,” the Rev Benediktus Obon said after holding Mass in Los Angeles. “He loved humanity He embraced all people, and didn’t care who you were We are all creatures of God.” St. Francis of Assisi as a model Francis lived in the Vatican hotel instead of the Apostolic Palace, wore his old orthotic shoes and not the red loafers of the papacy, and rode in compact cars. It wasn’t a gimmick.

“I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful,” he told a Jesuit journal in 2013. “I see the church as a field hospital after battle.”

If becoming the first Latin American and first Jesuit pope wasn’t enough, Francis was also the first to name himself after St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century friar known for personal simplicity and care for society’s outcasts.

Francis formally apologized to Indigenous peoples for the crimes of the church from colonial times onward. And he went to society’s fringes to minister with mercy: caressing the deformed head of a man in St. Peter’s Square, kissing the tattoo of a Holocaust survivor, or inviting Argentina’s garbage scavengers to join him onstage in Rio de Janeiro.

His ﬁrst trip as pope was to the Italian island of Lampedusa, then the epicenter of Europe’s migration crisis. He consistently chose to visit poor countries where Christians were often persecuted minorities, rather than the centers of global Catholicism.

Missteps on sexual abuse scandal

But more than a year passed before Francis met with survivors of priestly sexual abuse, and victims’ groups initially questioned whether he really understood the scope of the problem.

Francis did create a sex abuse commission to advise the church on best practices, but it lost inﬂuence after a few years and its recommendation of a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for predator priests went nowhere. And then came the greatest crisis of his papacy, when he discredited Chilean abuse victims in 2018 and stood by a controversial bishop linked to their abuser Realizing his error, Francis invited the victims to the Vatican for a personal mea culpa and summoned the leadership of the Chilean church to resign en masse.

As that crisis concluded, a new one erupted over ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the retired archbishop of Washington and a counselor to three popes. Francis had actually moved swiftly to sideline McCarrick amid an accusation he had molested a teenage altar boy in the 1970s. But Francis nevertheless was accused by the Vatican’s one-time U.S. ambassador of having rehabilitated McCarrick early in his papacy Francis eventually defrocked McCarrick after a Vatican investigation determined he sexually abused adults as well as minors. He changed church law to remove the pontiﬁcal secret surrounding abuse cases and enacted procedures to investigate bishops who

PHOTO PROVIDED By VATICAN MEDIA

Pope Francis receives Vice President JD Vance, right, before bestowing the Urbi et Orbi blessing in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Sunday

ASSOCATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ODED BALILTy

Pope Francis prays in front of the Western Wall, in Jerusalem’s Old City on May 26, 2014.

PROVIDED PHOTO

In this 1966 photo released by the El Salvador School, Argentine seminarian Jorge Mario Bergoglio smiles for a portrait at the Buenos Aires, Argentina, school where he taught literature and psychology.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By GREGORIO BORGIA

Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who chose the name Pope Francis, waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica after being elected pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013.

POPE FRANCIS: Dec. 17,1936-April 21,2025

Whoare front-runnerstobethe next pope?

By The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Apopular sayingin

Vatican circles is that if you“enter aconclave as pope, you leave as a cardinal.”

It implies the sacred and secretive process is no popularity contest or campaign, but rather the divinely inspired election of Christ’s Vicar on Earth by the princes of the church.

Still, there are always front-runners,known as “papabile,” who have at least some of the qualities considered necessary to be pope —much like those depicted in last year’s Oscar-nominated ﬁlm “Conclave.”

Any baptized Catholic maleis eligible, though only cardinals have beenselectedsince 1378.The winner must receive at least twothirdsofthe vote from those cardinals under age 80 and thuseligible to participate. Pope Francis, who died Monday,appointed the vast majority of electors, oftentapping men who share his pastoral priorities, which suggests continuity rather than rupture.

Anyone trying to handicapthe outcomeshould remember that Jorge Mario Bergoglio wasconsidered too old to be electedpope in 2013 at age 76, and that Karol Wojtyla wasn’tonany front-runner lists going into the 1978 conclave that elected him Pope John Paul II.

Some possible candidates: Cardinal PeterErdo Erdo, 72, the archbishop of Budapest and primate of Hungary, was twice elected head of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences, in 2005 and 2011,suggesting he enjoys the esteem of European cardinals who makeupthe biggest voting bloc of electors. Inthat capacity,Erdo got to know manyAfrican cardinals because the council hosts regular sessions with African bishops’ conferences. Erdo hadevenmoreexposurewhenhe helpedorganize Francis’2014 and 2015 Vatican meetings on thefamily and deliveredkey speeches, as well as during papal visits to Buda-

POPE

Continued from page4A

abused or coveredfor theirpedophile priests, seeking to end impunity for the hierarchy

“He sincerely wantedtodo something andhetransmitted that,” said Juan CarlosCruz, a Chilean abuse survivor Francis discredited who later developed a close friendshipwith the pontiff. But groups that advocated for more action on sexual abuse expressed disappointment in Francis’ legacy “Pope Francis was abeacon of hope to many of theworld’s most desperate and marginalized people. But what we most needed from this pope was justice for the church’s ownwounded,the children andadults sexually abused by Catholic clergy,” said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of the U.S.-based group BishopAccountability

AchangefromBenedict

The road to Francis’ 2013 election was paved by Pope Benedict XVI’sdecision to resign and retire —the ﬁrst in 600 years

Francisdidn’t shyfromBenedict’spotentially uncomfortable shadow.Francis embracedhim as an elder statesman and adviser coaxing him out of his cloistered retirement to participate in the public life of the church until Benedict’sdeath in 2022

“It’slikehaving yourgrandfather in the house, awise grandfather,” Francis said.

Francis’ looser liturgical style and pastoral priorities madeclear he and the German-born theologian came from very different religious traditions, andFrancis directly overturned several decisions of his predecessor.

He made sure SalvadoranArchbishop Óscar Romero, aheroto the liberation theology movement in Latin America, was canonized after his case languished under

DIOCESE

Continued from page1A

WHATHAPPENS NOW

Pope Francis’ death nowsets offthe process of allowing the faithfultopay their final respects, first forVaticanofficials in the Santa Martachapel and theninSt. Peter’sfor the general public.

n Aprecise sequence of events will include the confirmation of death in thepontiff’s home, the transfer of the coffintoSt. Peter’sBasilicafor public viewing,a funeral Mass and burial.The dates haven’t been announced yet, but the burial must takeplace between the fourth and sixthday after hisdeath.

n After the funeral, there are nine days of officialmourning,known as the “novendiali.

n During this period,cardinalsarriveinRometoparticipate in aconclave to elect the next pope.

n The conclave must begin 15-20 days afterthe “sede vacante” —the “vacant See” —isdeclared, although it canstartsooner if the cardinals agree.

n The cardinals will vote in secret sessions, and the ballots will be burned in aspecialstove after each session.

n Black smokewill indicate that no pope has been elected, while white smokewill indicate that the cardinals have chosenthe nextpope.

pest in 2021 and2023.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx Marx, 71, the archbishop of Munich and Freising, was chosen by Francis as akey adviserin2013. Marx later was named to head the council overseeing Vatican ﬁnances during reforms and belt-tightening. The former president of the German bishops’conference was astrongproponent of thecontroversial “synodal path”process of dialogue in the German church that began in 2020 as aresponse to the clergysexual abusescandal there. As aresult, he is viewed with skepticism byconservatives whoconsidered the process athreat to church unity,given it involved debating issues such as celibacy,homosexualityand women’sordination. Marx made headlines in 2021 when he dramatically offered to resign as archbishop to atonefor the German church’sdreadful abuse record, but Francisquicklyrejected the resignation and told him to stay

Cardinal Marc Ouellet Ouellet, 80, of Canada, led the Vatican’sinfluentialbishops ofﬁce foroveradecade, overseeing the keyclearinghouse for potential candidates to head dioceses

around the world. Francis kept Ouellet in the jobuntil 2023, even though he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI, and thus helped select themore doctrinairebishops preferred by the German pontiff. Considered more of aconservative than Francis,Ouellet still selected pastorally minded bishops to reﬂect Francis’ belief that bishops should “smelllike thesheep” of their flock. Ouellet defended priestly celibacyfor the Latin Rite church and upheld theban on women’s ordination but called for women to have agreater rolein church governance. He has good contacts with theLatin American church, having headed the Vatican’sPontifical Commissionfor Latin America for over adecade. Since 2019, his office has taken chargeofinvestigating bishops accused of coveringupfor predator priests,ajob that wouldhave made him no friends among those sanctioned but also could have given him lots of otherwise conﬁdential and possibly compromising information about fellow cardinals.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin Parolin, 70, of Italy,has been Francis’ secretary of state since 2014 and is consideredone of the

maincontenders to be pope,given his prominence in theCatholic hierarchy. Theveteran diplomatoversawthe HolySee’scontroversial deal with China over bishop nominations and was involved —but not charged —inthe Vatican’sbotched investment in aLondonreal estate venture that led to a2021 trial of another cardinal and nine others. A former ambassador to Venezuela, Parolin knows theLatinAmerican churchwell. He would be seen as someone who would continue in Francis’ traditionbut as amore soberand timid diplomatic insider, returning an Italian to the papacy after three successive outsiders: St.JohnPaulII(Poland); Benedict (Germany) and Francis(Argentina). But while Parolin hasmanaged theVatican bureaucracy,hehas no real pastoral experience.

Cardinal Robert Prevost

The idea of an American pope haslong been taboo, given the geopolitical power already wieldedby the United States. But the Chicagoborn Prevost, 69,couldbeafirst. He has extensive experience in Peru, first as amissionary and then an archbishop, and he is currently prefect of the Vatican’spowerful dicastery forbishops, in charge of vetting nominations forbishops around theworld.Francisclearly hadaneye on himfor years and sent him to run the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014. He held that positionuntil 2023, when Francis brought him to Romefor his current role. Prevost is also president of thePontifical Commission for LatinAmerica, ajob that keeps him in regular contact with the Catholic hierarchy in the part of the world that still counts the most Catholics.Inadditiontohis nationality,Prevost’scomparative youthcould count against him if his brother cardinals don’twant to commit to apope whomight reign for another twodecades.

Cardinal Robert Sarah Sarah, 79, of Guinea, the retired head of the Vatican’s liturgy ofﬁce, was long considered the best

and others applaud Pope Francis as he arrives to address ajoint meetingofCongress in 2015, makinghistoryasthe first pontiff to do so

Benedict overconcernsabout the credo’sMarxist bent.

Francis reimposed restrictions on celebratingthe old Latin Mass that Benedict had relaxed, arguingitwas divisive.The move riled Francis’ traditionalistcritics and opened sustainedconflictwith right-wing Catholics, particularly in the U.S

ConservativesopposeFrancis

By then, conservatives had alreadyturnedawayfromFrancis, betrayed afterheopened debate on allowing remarried Catholics to receivethe sacraments if theydidn’tget an annulment —a church ruling that their ﬁrst marriage was invalid

“Wedon’tlike this pope,” headlined Italy’sconservative daily Il Foglio afew months into the papacy, reflectingthe unease of the smallbut vocal traditionalist Catholic movement. Those samecritics amplified

their complaints after Francis approved church blessings for samesexcouples, and acontroversial accord with China over nominating bishops. Itsdetails were neverreleased, but conservative critics bashed it as asellout to communist China, while theVatican defended it as thebest deal it could get.

U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke,a ﬁgurehead in the anti-Francis opposition, said thechurch had become “like aship without arudder.”

Burke waged his opposition campaign for years, starting when Francis ﬁredhim as the Vatican’s supreme court justiceand culminatingwith his vocal oppositiontoFrancis’ 2023 synodonthe church’sfuture. Francis eventually sanctioned Burke ﬁnancially,accusing him of sowing “disunity.”

His2014 Christmas address to the Vatican Curia was one of the greatest public papalreprimands

ever: Standing in the marbled Apostolic Palace, Francis ticked off 15 ailments he said can afﬂict his closestcollaborators, including “spiritual Alzheimer’s,” lusting for power andthe “terrorism of gossip.”

Trying to eliminate corruption, Francis oversaw the reform of the scandal-marred Vatican bank and sought to wrestle Vatican bureaucrats into ﬁnancialline, limiting their compensation and ability to receive gifts or award public contracts.

He authorized Vatican police to raid hisown secretariat of state and the Vatican’sﬁnancial watchdog agency amidsuspicions about a350 million euro investment in a London real estate venture. After a 21/2-yeartrial,the Vatican tribunal convicted aonce-powerful cardinal, AngeloBecciu, of embezzlementand returned mixed verdicts to nine others, acquitting one. The trial,though, proved to be

hand of God, the creator of our home,” the statement said. Others took to social media to share condolences, including Catholic Charities of Acadiana, which said thelifeand ministry of Francisintersected with thevaluesof Catholic Charities of Acadiana. “Hishumble leadership and unwavering call to care forthe poor and marginalized have profoundly shaped our mission and inspired our daily work,” said Kim Boudreaux, thenonproﬁt’sCEO. Sheadded thatFrancis “consistently reminded us thatthe dignity of the human person is not earned, butinherent and God given.” Bells tolled in church towers acrossRome after theannouncement, which was read out by CardinalKevin Farrellfrom the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived. “At 7:35 thismorning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the homeofthe Father.His entire life was dedicated to the serviceof theLord andofhis Church,” said Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, whotakes charge after apontiff’s death. Francis sufferedfrom chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removedasayoungman.Hewasad-

hope for an African pope. Beloved by conservatives, Sarah would signal areturn to the doctrinaire and liturgically mindedpapacies of JohnPaulIIand Benedict. Sarah, who had previously headed the Vatican’scharity ofﬁce Cor Unum, clashedonseveral occasions with Francis, none more seriouslythan when he and Benedict co-authored abook advocatingthe “necessity” of continued celibacy for Latin Rite priests. The book cameout as Francis was weighing whether to allow married priests in theAmazon to address apriest shortage there.

Cardinal ChristophSchoenborn Schoenborn,80, thearchbishop of Vienna, Austria, wasastudent of Benedict’s, andthus on paper seemstohave the doctrinaire academic chopstoappeal to conservatives. However,hebecame associated withone of Francis’ mostcontroversial moves by defending his outreach to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics as an “organic development of doctrine,” not the rupture that someconservatives contended. Schoenborn’s parents divorced when he wasa teen,so the issue is personal. He also took heat from the Vatican when he criticized its past refusal to sanction high-ranking sexual abusers, including his predecessor as archbishop of Vienna.

Cardinal Luis Tagle Tagle, 67, of the Philippines, would appear to be Francis’ pick for thefirst Asianpope. Francis brought the popular archbishop of Manila to Rome to head the Vatican’s missionary evangelization office, which serves theneedsof the Catholic Churchinmuch of Asia andAfrica. His role took on greater weight when Francis reformed the Vatican bureaucracy and raised the importance of his evangelization office. Tagle often cites his Chinese lineage —his maternal grandmother was part of a Chinese family that moved to the Philippines —and he is knownfor becoming emotionalwhendiscussing his childhood.

a reputationalboomerang for the Holy See, showing deficiencies in the Vatican’slegal system, unseemly turf battles amongmonsignors, and how the pope had intervened on behalf of prosecutors. While earning praise for trying to turn the Vatican’sﬁnances around, Francis angered U.S. conservatives for his frequent excoriation of the globalﬁnancial market.

Soccer, operaand prayer

Born Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the eldest of ﬁve children of Italian immigrants.

He credited his devout grandmother,Rosa, with teaching him how to pray.Weekends were spent listening to opera on the radio, going to Mass and attending matches of the family’sbeloved San Lorenzo soccer club. As pope, his love of soccer brought him ahuge collection of jerseys from visitors.

He said he received his religious calling at 17 while going to confession, recounting in a2010 biography that, “I don’tknowwhatitwas, but it changedmylife Irealized that they were waiting forme.”

He enteredthe diocesan seminary but switched to the Jesuit orderin1958, attracted to its missionary tradition and militancy Around this time, he suffered from pneumonia,whichled to the removal of part of his right lung. His frail health preventedhim from becoming amissionary,and his less-than-robustlung capacity was perhapsresponsiblefor his whisperofavoice andreluctance to sing at Mass. On Dec. 13, 1969, he was ordained apriest and immediately beganteaching. In 1973, he was named head of the Jesuits in Argentina, an appointment he later acknowledged was “crazy” given he wasonly 36. “My authoritarian and quick manner of making decisions led me to have serious problems andtobeaccusedofbeing ultraconservative,” he admitted in his Civilta Cattolica interview

mittedtoGemellihospitalFeb.14for arespiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there,the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy He emergedonEasterSunday —his last public appearance, a day before his death —tobless thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CAROLyN KASTER

Vice PresidentJoe Biden, second from right at top, and House Speaker John Boehner,ofOhio,

More lawmakers visiting El Salvador forGarcia

BY MARCOS ALEMAN and MATT BROWN Associated Press

SAN SALVADOR Four HouseDemocrats have traveled to El Salvador to call attention to the plight of a man the Trump administration deported to aSalvadoran prison and has refused to help return —even after the Supreme Court ruled that it was the government’sdutytodo so. Reps. Yassamin Ansari, ofArizona; MaxineDexter,ofOregon; Maxwell Frost, of Florida;and Robert Garcia, of California, arrived Sunday in the Central American nation to investigate the condition of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who had lived in the United States for more than adecade. TheTrump administration deported him, a move that administrationofﬁcials have said in court ﬁlings was done in error But despite aSupreme Court ruling that ordered the Trump administration to help facilitate Abrego Garcia’sreturn, the administration has said it has no power to bring him back, aposition being scrutinized by federal courts as potentially in violation of judicial rulings.

In anews conference Monday in El Salvador’scapital, the Democratic representatives andAbrego Garcia’slawyer said they were in El Salvador “demandinghis safe returnhome.” The group said they hoped to continue to pressure authorities for his release, and that their petition to meet with Abrego Garcia was denied.

“Part of what the Trump administration does is they do so much that they try to make sure people forget —forget about them breaking the law,forget about them completelyignoring the Supreme Court,” Frost said. “We’re not go-

MEASLES

ingtobethe last members of Congress and senators that arehere to make sure that he’sreleased and that ourcountry isfollowing our laws.”

Thequartet’s trip comes after Sen. Chris VanHollen,ofMaryland,traveled to El Salvador last week and met with Abrego Garcia and Salvadoranofﬁcials.Abrego Garcia lived in Maryland withhis wife and three children, whoare American citizens,before he was deportedonMarch 15.

Abrego Garcia’sprotected legal status prohibited him from being deported to El Salvador.Hewas deported on one of threeplanes ﬁlled with migrants accused of beinggang members Frost said the four representatives were in El Salvador to “build off the work” of VanHollen and that they were inquiring about where Abrego Garcia was being held and underwhat conditions.

Chris Newman,a lawyer representing the deportee, added that his primary concerns was Abrego Garcia’saccess to counsel.

Continued from page1A “Wehavesortofdipped below that threshold of herd immunity in Louisiana.Insome areas, we could start seeing some ongoing transmission if it gets introduced.”

others the patient had been in contact with, they discovered asecond caseina New Orleans-area adult who is no longer infectious, health ofﬁcials said Monday

Firstcases confirmed

Measles is ahighly contagious airborne virus that spreads through coughing, sneezing, or even breathing near others. Symptoms usually begin 7-14 daysafter exposure and include high fever,cough, runny nose, red eyes and arash that spreads from the face downward. Complications canbesevere, including pneumonia, brain swelling, and death.

Louisiana had three travelassociated measles cases in 2024. Prior to that, the last recorded case was in 2018. That patient had traveled to Louisiana from Europe to attend WrestleMania and sought care at an urgent care and ER before being diagnosed at Tulane Hospital, highlighting the potential of amissed diagnosis

“For people who aren’tfamiliar with it, or don’thave it on their mind, they can make amistake,”said Dr John Schieffelin, professor of pediatrics at Tulane University and pediatric infectious disease chiefatManning Family Children’s. At that hospital, triage nurses and urgent care staff have been placed on high alert for symptoms.

The Louisiana Department of Health recently ended statewidemassvaccination efforts and directed staff to refrain from recommending speciﬁc vaccines and to instead tell residents to consult their physicians,part

DR.JOHN SCHIEFFELIN, professorofpediatrics at Tulane University and pediatric infectious disease chiefat Manning Family Children’s

of abroader policychange under Surgeon General Dr RalphAbraham However,Abraham said Monday that the state has beenpromotingthe measles vaccinationonthe Health Department website.

“Werecommenditfor our children, and it is agood vaccine,” hesaid While thelatest case was travel-relatedand no pediatriccases have been reported in Louisiana this year,local spread remains arisk.

“We’d be naive to think that we won’t be seeing cases in children here inLouisiana,” Kline said, pointing to the state’sproximityto Texas, where nearly600 measles cases have been reported this year.Two unvaccinated school-aged children have diedthere, and at least 62peoplehave been hospitalized. The outbreak hasspreadtonearbystates of New Mexico, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Dr.Kara Ward, acritical care andemergency medicinephysicianinNew Orleans, said that even asingle case can be operationally disruptive.Hospitals must notify public healthauthorities, isolate thepatient,assess the vaccination status of anyonewho may have

“Weknow nothing of Mr.Abrego Garcia’s whereaboutssince the staged photo op on Thursday with Sen. VanHollen,”Newman said. “Wedemand to immediately know where he is and to have access to him.”

The White House press ofﬁce issueda statementMonday that said the past week “has shown Americans everything theyneed to know about Democrats’ priorities.”

TheWhiteHouse accused the representativesof“picking up their party’smantle of prioritizing adeported illegal immigrant MS13 gang member over theAmericans they represent.”

Garciasaid he andFrost sent a letter lastweek to HouseOversight Committee Chair James Comer,R-Ky requesting that an ofﬁcial delegation go to El Salvador to investigate Abrego Garcia’s condition and push for his return butreceived no response.Ansari said more Democratswould be traveling to El Salvador in the coming days and weeks.

Justice Departmentlawyerssaid

been exposed in waiting areas, andimplement special cleaningprocedures due to the virus’sability to lingerin theair for up to two hours.

“It putsmore strain on the limited resources,” Ward said.

OchsnerHealth, the state’s biggest healthsystem, is continuing to educate staff on measles symptoms and likelihood based on travel history andvaccination status as the Texas outbreak has grown, said Dr.Sandra Kemmerly, systemmedical director of patient safety. If apatient is suspectedto have measles, they aregiven amask and isolated. The hospital contacts the state health department, andthose authorities decide whether a test is necessary.The test is processed by astate lab.

Themeaslesvaccine part of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot —is about97% effective after twodoses. Widespreadvaccination eliminated measles in the U.S. in 2000, but resurgences have occurred in communities with declining vaccine uptake.

In Louisiana,MMR vaccination rates among kindergartners droppedfrom about 96% in 2020 to 92% in the 2023–24 school year, according to theCenters forDisease Controland Prevention. Several parishes, including Livingston, EastBaton Rouge, St.Tammany,Acadia,Lafayette, Terrbonne, Union, Ouachita and West Carrollhave rates below 90%.

“Wehave sort of dipped below that threshold of herd immunity in Louisiana,” Schieffelin said. “Insome areas, we could start seeing some ongoing transmission if it gets introduced.”

While the ﬁrst MMRvaccine is typically givenat

in court last weekthat they have no power to advance Abrego Garcia’s return because he is in aforeign country’scustody.Administration officials also claimed in public comments that Abrego Garcia was engagedinhumantrafﬁcking and terrorism andtherefore correctly deported. White House press secretaryKaroline Leavitt said that if Abrego Garcia weretoreturn to theU.S., “hewould immediately be deported again.”

VanHollen unsuccessfully lobbied the Salvadoran government forAbrego Garcia’sreturn. He told NBC’s“Meet the Press” on Sunday thatthe UnitedStatesis facing aconstitutional crisis if the Trump administration does notfollow theSupremeCourt’sorder to push to bring Abrego Garcia back.

It’s awarning Democrats are increasingly amplifying. Rather than debate PresidentDonald Trump’shard-line immigration policyorthe meritsofthe administration’s invocation of national securitytocarry out deportations, Democratic lawmakersare zeroinginonthe issueofdue process, with some noting that the Supreme Court andlower court federal judges found Abrego Garcia was deported without aproperhearing Ansari said shefindsit“extremely alarming” thatTrump officials seem to have no regard for due process. “Even with all of the illegal actionswe’ve seenoverthe last couple of months, Ithink this is the one thatterrifies me the most when it comes to the future of our democracy,” shesaidinaninterview

Similar concerns were echoed by SupremeCourt Justice Sonia Sotomayor,who wrote in the court’s ruling in Abrego Garcia’s case:

“The government’sargument, moreover,implies that it could de-

12to15months and again around kindergarten, some pediatricians are getting requeststogive it earlier

The Monday after Louisiana confirmed ameasles case, Hales Pediatrics in Uptown NewOrleans received awave of calls from concerned parents, said Dr Nora Oates Childrenasyoung as six monthscan receive an early dose of the measles vaccine though they will still need two standard doseslater,as infants’ immune systems often don’tmount afullresponse at that age.

While the early dose is typically reserved for infantstraveling to or living in areas with active outbreaks,

port andincarcerate any person, including U.S. citizens, without legal consequence, so long as it does so before acourt can intervene.”

Several House Republicanshave visited El Salvador’sTerrorism Confinement Center,the prison where Abergo Garcia is being held, andlaudedthe facilityfor what they viewasElSalvador’s tough-on-crime policies. Republican senators andgovernors have defended Abrego Garcia’sdetention as part of abroader crackdown on illegalimmigration. But at least one Republican senator called his deportation amistake. “The administration won’tadmit it.But this wasa screw-up,” Sen. John Kennedy,R-Madisonville, said on NBC’s“Meet the Press.”

During ameeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Ofﬁce, Trumpremarked that “homegrown” lawbreakers should be deportedtoprisons in theCentral American countryand urged Bukele to “build about ﬁve more places” like the notorious penitentiary where Abrego Garcia is being held.

Congressional Republicans have so far shown little interest in negotiating the dispute between the president and the judiciary Democrats, who are in the minority in both chambersofCongress, have littleleveragetopressure the White House. But Abrego Garcia’s case has becomeboth an alarming andgalvanizing case insidethe party

Democrats “have the power to draw attention to this issue, to keep the pressure up,” Ansari said. “That’swhy you knowsome of us aregoing, andsomanymembers will be going. Because this is about thefutureofour democracy and the future of due process as American citizens.”

Associated Press reporter Megan

Oates said she would “have no reservations about giving it” if aparent was concerned.

Adults who are unvaccinated or unsure of their vaccination history can also get immunized. There is no speciﬁc treatment for measles, said Kemmerly,just supportive care. Severe cases might be managed withsteroids or vitaminD.For immunocompromised people, immune globulin is available if administered shortly after exposure.The measlesvaccine can also prevent infection or lessen illness severity if given within 72 hours of exposure.

“Our best treatment for measles is prevention,” Oates said. About 1in5unvaccinated measles patients is hospitalized. One in 20 children develops pneumonia, the most common cause of measlesrelated death in young children. One to three of every 1,000 children with measles will die from complications, according to the CDC. Despite misinformation about alternative treatments circulating, there are nota lot of treatment options. “Once you comedown with measles, you’re just along forthe ride,” Kline said. Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate. com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Kilmar Abrego Garcia

Vance, Modi meet in India to discuss trade deal, tariffs

BY SHEIKH SAALIQ Associated Press

NEW DELHI U.S. Vice President JD Vance held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday as New Delhi looks to avoid American tariffs, negotiate a bilateral trade deal with Washington and strengthen ties with the Trump administration.

Vance, who is on a largely personal four-day visit to India, met with Modi at his residence in New Delhi and the two leaders “reviewed and positively assessed the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation,” Modi’s ofﬁce said in a statement. They also “welcomed the signiﬁcant progress” in the negotiations of an expected trade deal between the two countries, the statement said.

The White House in a statement said that Vance and Modi set the terms for ongoing talks, “laying down a road map for further discussions.” It’s a sign that talks are moving forward but remain far from finalized, though Trump administration ofﬁcials also spoke with their counterparts from India in a sign of the high level of engagement. The Trump administration has portrayed its strategy of tariffs as forcing negotiations that could limit the reach and inﬂuence of China, the world’s dominant manufacturer

The U.S. is India’s largest trading partner and the two countries are now holding negotiations aiming to seal a bilateral trade agreement this year They have set an ambitious target of more than doubling their bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. If achieved, the trade deal could signiﬁcantly enhance economic ties between the two countries and potentially strengthen diplomatic ties as well.

Vance’s first visit to New Delhi came amid the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s partially-paused tariff program against most countries, including India. Earlier in April, Trump announced a 90-day pause in which imports from most countries would face a baseline 10% tax so that there was time to hold talks and possible structure broader deals. Trump has been personally involved in talks with Japan, but India’s size and potential enable it to possible be a counterbalance to China, which is New Delhi’s main rival in the region Vance is set to deliver a speech on Tuesday from Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur, India, where he may provide more details on the trade talks Modi’s ofﬁce said that the two leaders “noted continued efforts towards enhancing cooperation in energy, defense, strategic technologies and other areas” and “exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward.”

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Monday that Vance’s visit will “further

deepen the India-U.S. comprehensive global strategic partnership.”

Vance was greeted with an Indian classical dance performance after he arrived at New Delhi’s Palam airport on Monday, following his visit to Rome, where he met with Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, a day before the pontiff’s death.

Vance was accompanied by his wife, Usha Vance, a practicing Hindu whose parents are from India, along with their three children and ofﬁcials from the U.S. administration.

The family visited the Akshardham Hindu temple in New Delhi after their arrival and are expected to tour the iconic Taj Mahal monument and the 12th-century Amer Fort — a UNESCO world heritage site during their trip. India is a close partner of the U.S. and an important strategic ally in combating the rising inﬂuence of China in the Indo-Paciﬁc region. It was also part of the Quad, which is made up of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia and is seen as a counterbalance to China’s expansion in the region. Trump is expected to attend a summit of Quad leaders in India later this year

Gunman in racist attack at Texas Walmart pleads guilty

BY MORGAN LEE and JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press

EL PASO,Texas Maribel Hernandez and her husband, Leonardo Campos, were shopping at a Walmart in a Texas border city in 2019 when a gunman who wanted to stop what he believed was a Hispanic invasion opened ﬁre, killing them and 21 others. On Monday Hernandez’s daughter, Yvonne Loya Gonzalez, spoke directly to the gunman, Patrick Crusius, after he pleaded guilty to capital murder in the El Paso massacre: “Their absence in my life has left a deep void in my heart.” The statements by family members and victims that began Monday afternoon are expected to continue through Wednesday Some, including Gonzalez, told Crusius they have forgiven him “I have no more room for hate in my heart,” she said. Crusius, a White 26-yearold community college dropout, did not address the families while accepting the plea deal, which he made after local prosecutors agreed to take the death penalty off the table. He had already been

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO Patrick Crusius attends a sentencing hearing Monday in the 409th District Commissioners Courtroom at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse in El Paso, Texas.

sentenced to 90 consecutive life terms on federal hate crime charges. His accepting of the plea agreement ends six years of efforts to punish him by state and federal authorities.

Crusius, who wore a striped jumpsuit, shackles and a protective vest during the hearing, drove more than 700 miles from his home near Dallas to carry out the shooting on Aug. 3, 2019

“You came to inﬂict terror, to take innocent lives and to shatter a community that had done nothing but stand for kindness, unity and love. You slaughtered fathers, mothers, sons and daughters,” State District Judge Sam Medrano said.

“Now as you begin the rest of your life locked away remember this: your mission failed,” he continued. “You did not divide this city, you strengthened it. You did not silence its voice, you made it louder You did not instill fear, you inspired unity El Paso rose, stronger and braver.”

Medrano sentenced Crusius to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

While one of his lawyers, Joe Spencer, told the court, “We offer our deepest condolences,” Crusius did not explicitly apologize Monday for his actions.

Crusius also pleaded guilty Monday to 22 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which were enhanced with violence and prejudice findings, in relation to the 22 people who were injured but survived the shooting. He was sentenced to 22 additional life sentences on those counts.

“Patrick will leave prison only in a coffin on God’s time,” Spencer said.

Crusius has acknowledged he targeted Hispanics in the attack at the Walmart in the border city that was crowded with weekend shoppers from the U.S. and Mexico.

BY ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN AP science writer

NEW YORK — A newly discovered green comet tracked by telescopes has likely broken apart as it swung by the sun, dashing hopes of a naked-eye spectacle.

Comet SWAN, hailing from the Oort Cloud beyond Pluto, has been visible through telescopes and binoculars over the

PHOTO PROVIDED By INDIAN PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, left, talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday during a meeting in New Delhi, India.

Trumpwelcomescrowdsto WhiteHouse Easter eggroll

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

WASHINGTON President DonaldTrump welcomed tens of thousands of people Monday to the White House Easter egg roll, saying the overcast weather meant no one would have to worry about getting sunburned. He thanked the National Park Service for how “spiffy” everything looked.

More than 40,000 people were expected to participate, he said.

“Happy Easter to everyone,” the president said, ﬂanked on the White House balcony by hiswife, ﬁrstlady Melania Trump, and an Easter bunny mascot. “It was a beautiful day yesterday,and it’sabeautiful day today.We don’thavetoworry about sunburn but it looks like it’snot going to be raining.”

The president and first lady visited the egg rollarea, whereheblewa gold-toned whistle stamped with the presidential seal to start a few races. They also spent time at astation where kids wrote cards to service members. Melania Trump later read “Bunny with aBig Heart” at areading area.It’s astory about aforgetful rabbit who gets injured, must stay in bed and learns to be kinder to his family

Wooden spoon-wielding children competed against each other to guide hardboiledeggs dyedpink, blue, yellow or green across a

By The AssociatedPress

CAIRO—

patch of thelawn to aﬁnish line.Insomecases,eggs were lobbed into the air instead of rolled across the grass, and at leastone wooden spoon wentﬂying through the air

Theparticipants included some of Trump’s grandchildren—son Don Jr.’schildren.

Aspecial station promoting next year’s250th anniversary of America’sfounding providedopportunitiesto sign amini-Declaration of Independence or dressupas Founding Fathers. The daylong event featuredmultiple activity stations, live performances and storytimes.

Trump gave a“special thank you” to his wife for her workorganizing the annualevent. “I also want to thank the

National Park Service,” he said. “The job they do in making everything so beautiful and spiffy,and I’m very difﬁcult when it comes to that. Iwill tell you, very,verydifﬁcult. Theyhavedonean incredible job.You just have to look around and see”

The American Egg Board, which has participated in the Easter eggroll for nearly 50 years andhas been alead sponsor forthe past decade, donated30,000 eggs that were hand-dyedbyboard staffand volunteers,said Emily Metz, board president and CEO She said the board understands the frustration felt by eggfarmers andconsumers over theegg shortage caused by the spread of avianﬂuand how expensive it’sbecometo buy adozen.

an offensiveonel-Fasher,the provincial capital of North Darfur province, on Sunday, theResistance Committees in thecity said.Dozens of other people were wounded in theattack,said the group, whichtracks the war

The RSF renewed its attack on Monday,shelling residentialbuildings and open markets in the city,the activistgroup said.There was no immediatecomment from the RSF El-Fasher,more than500 miles southwest of the capital,Khartoum, is underthe controlofthe military, which has fought theRSF since Sudan descended intocivil war more than twoyears ago,killing morethan 24,000 people, according to theUnited Nations,though activistssay the number is likely far higher

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

President DonaldTrump stands with the Easter bunnyon Mondayasheparticipates in theWhite House Easter egg roll onthe SouthLawnofthe White House in Washington.

JanRisher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

78-year-old makes

social media splash

Yvonne LaFleur did not plan to be asocial media sensation.

But that is what the 78-yearoldNew Orleans style and fashion icon has become since herInstagram account started in earnest in January,already amassing more than 259,000 followers.

In aworld all too oftenfocused on hype and sensationalism, LaFleur’sunderstated elegance, paired with her slow,soothing NewOrleans lilt, has found an audience.

Followers say LaFleursimply rings true, representing, for many,the gold standard of class and luxury The shop feels old-world. Her femininity and softness ooze into every corner.Glimpses of yesteryear are also behind the scenes—likeher team of seamstresses who alter any garment free of charge.

“A fine store should giveitto you fitted properly —with your pants shortened, your wedding dress steamed, taken in and bustled,” she said. “Nobody else does that. They giveyou the stuff —and that’swhatit is, stuff. If it doesn’tfityour body, it doesn’twork.”

Going to her boutique on Hampson Street is like atrip backtoa slower and more caring time. She asked that Iarrivebefore theshop opened, so we would have the chance to visit.

“At 10o’clock, it’slights, camera, action,” she said. When Iarrived, she was on her hands and knees, folding adisplay of lacy underpants. Nimbly, she quickly moved up anddown from the ﬂoor —always graceful and holding aposture my parents tried for years to teach me As she showed me around the store’snooks and crannies, her pace never altered. It was gentle charm as she almost ﬂoated from one room to the next,occasionally stopping to turn a hanger the right way,she shared asteady stream of style tidbits and insights:

n “Headbands are making a comeback.”

n “Mississippi hostesses are the best in the United States. They use their china, their silver,their crystal and their neighbor’sﬂowers, you know, butthey make an effort. On the Gulf Coast, you can tell the localsfrom the people who are just camping out there.

n About 80% of her inventory is made in theUnited States.

n Her millinery department is going strong. “Weare doing a lot now for the Kentucky Derby And for the Royal Ascot even,” shesaid.

n There are reference books fullofwho is wearing which dress to what event —sothat two people don’tshow up in the same frock.

LaFleur said she encourages people who visit her shop to “buy something you don’t already have in your closet, especially if you’re from outoftown You’ll remember your trip by thatspecial piece you bought.”

She estimates that about 60% of her clientele is from outof state. She designs the clothesshe sells. She explained why everything doesn’tcome in every size.

“What you do when you’re making apattern is you pivot from the center,” she said. “For theclothing that Icarry from an 8toa14toasmaller size, it’s very hard to pivot from a14to a0 to a22. Youlose proportion because then things are too longwaisted or whatever.”

La.Sen.Kennedy in Broussard

‘The

only good tariff is adeadtariff’

BY STEPHENMARCANTEL Staff writer

U.S.Sen.JohnKennedy,ata

Monday morning meeting in Broussard, said he doesn’tlike tariffs and he’snot exactly sure what President Donald Trump’s plan is on tariffs but expects it will bring countriestothe negotiation table.

“President Trumploves tariffs. He loves tariffs like the Devil loves sin,” Kennedy said. “I don’tcompletely understand it, and Ithink this is intentional on his part, where thepresident is going with tariffs. Idon’t.”

Kennedy,R-Madisonville,spoke

Monday at asold-outBroussard Chamber of Commerce event at the Madison Banquet and Reception Center On April2,Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on countries across the globe, with China incurring the harshest rate hike. American stocks begana tailspin following the announcement but have since somewhat recovered after the administration said there wouldbea90-day pause, barring anow 145% tariff on Chinese imports.

The United States is in “uncharted waters,” Kennedy said, adding that themodern global economy has not seen tariffs of this magni-

tude. The way he sees it,Kennedy said, tariffs only act to impede the free market. They should be usedonly against countries likeChina that seek to undermine or abuse American markets or those who are activelyhostile toward the United States.

ButKennedy said Trump’sstrategy is working andthatothernations are coming to the table. Trump’s tariffs pause,his administration said, was to give time for him to work outbetter tradedeals with over 75 countries that reached out to the WhiteHouse.

“The only good tariff is adead tariff,”Kennedy said. “I hope our goal is goingtobetoget themtogo to zero tariffs.”

The senator also discussedthe

current budget resolution bill. Kennedy saidthe bill hasathreepronged approach of generally lowering government spending, deregulation and redesigning the tax code.

The amended bill,which the Housepassed April 10, will requireonly asimple majority in the Senate to pass under reconciliation, Kennedy said. Thebill aims to cut$1.7trillioninfederal spending and $4.5 trillion in net tax cuts.

Kennedywants to seeTrump’s 2017 taxcuts, whichare set to expire, be madepermanentand redesign the taxcodetostimulate the economy “And we won’tget asingle

PREP WORK

Officialsweigh possible Cassidychallenge

BYTYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Republican insiders are buzz-

ing over talk that U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,R-Start, is seriously considering whethertochallenge U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy’sreelection next year Gov.Jeff Landry said in abrief interview that he had discussed Letlow’spossible candidacy with Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, but wouldn’t say anything else other than that he is not recruitingher Cassidyendorsed Landry duringthe 2023 governor’s race. Eddie Rispone,a majorRepublican campaign donor who narrowlylostthe 2019 governor’srace, said he called Andrew Bautsch, asenior campaign adviser to Letlow,onMonday after hearing over the weekend that she’sconsideringmaking abid.

“He said they’re concentrating now on her reelection,” Rispone said. “She has alot on herplate with the president gettingbills approved.”

Rispone added he told Bautsch that he is sticking with Cassidy “He’sdone agood job other than the impeachment vote,” Rispone said. “He works hard and has done good things. He’sbeen able to reach across the aisle alittle bitand get thingsdone.”

Cassidy is widely viewed as vulnerablebecause of his vote in

2021 to convictDonaldTrumpof trying to incite ariotatthe U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6that year when he was president.His campaign declined to comment.

StateTreasurer JohnFleming has already declared his candidacy,and at least two other elected Republicans are weighing abid. Letlow is serving hersecond full term andrepresents adistrict basedinnortheast Louisiana that extendssouth to theFlorida Parishesand now includes parts of Livingston and Ascension parishes. It also includes Central, St. Georgeand LSU’scampus in East Baton Rouge Parish

Asked while visiting the State Capitol on Wednesday whether she is considering running, Letlow said, “I’m focused on reelection”and rushed away Bautsch did not return aphone call. Conversations about Cassidy’s chances of winning athird term next year inevitably involvehis vote to convict Trump, which came after theDemocrat-controlled House impeached him. The Louisiana Republican Party quickly voted to censure Cassidy —asymbolic move —and surveys showed that his polling numbersamong Republicans immediately tanked. Many RepublicanscalledCassidy’svote disloyal, noting that Cassidy had

BY ASHLEYWHITE Staff writer

Ridge Elementary School will have anew principal in the fall whofamilies and students are familiar with Donovan Soileau, who is an assistant principal at Ridge, will serveasthe school’sleader starting in the 2025-26 school year,the Lafayette Parish School System announced Wednesday morning. Soileau replaces Rhonda Dickerson,who was named chief of elementary schools forthe district. Theannouncement comes as the school systemmakes several other leadership changes across the district, including to severalother elementary schoolsand Paul Breaux Middle

The educator said he’sexcited to lead Ridge and is looking forwardto“continuing our journey toward excellence and building on the strong foundation alreadyinplace.”

“I am dedicated to supporting the students, staff, and families here at Ridge,” he said in a

statement. “From the moment Ijoined this school as ayoung educator,I knew Ridge was a special place.”

Soileau has more thanadecade of experience in education and hasspent thepast two years as Ridge’sassistant principal. He began his teaching career in Evangeline Parishasa coach and social studies teacher.Hejoined the school systemin2014 as ateacher at J.W. Faulk Elementarybeforetransferring to Ridge in 2017.

While at Ridge, Soileau becameacertiﬁedmentorteacher coach and pursued amaster’s in educational leadership. His leadership style “emphasizes collaboration, growth and meeting the diverse needs of all our students,” according to the school system.

Lafayette schools Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr.said in astatement that Soileau“brings astrong senseofpurposeand a deep commitment to Ridge Elementary.

“His leadership is rooted in student-centered values anda passion for growth. Iamconﬁdent he will build upon the successes of Ridge and continue fostering apositive, achievement-driven environment.”

Email AshleyWhiteatashley. white@theadvocate.com.

Soileau

STAFFPHOTO By BRAD KEMP

ConcertStaging Inc. stagehands laydeckingMondayatthe Scene Ochsner Lafayette General stageinLafayette ahead of Festival International de Louisiane, which gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdaywith Donna the Buffalo.

ä See KENNEDY, page 4B

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Pope Francis’ moralclarity kept church’s teachings relevant

For many Catholics, PopeFrancis wasa ﬁgure who gave constant reminders of Jesus’ teachingtocare for the poor andmarginalizedinour society.The pontiff, who died Mondayatage 88, will be remembered for his humility andasan advocate for peace and global understanding In south Louisiana, where many of the nation’s 53 million Catholics reside, thepope’s death comes as startling news. Though he had struggled with illness for months, Francis appeared on Easter Sunday to bless crowdsinSt. Peter’s Square The ﬁrst pope from Latin America, Francis came to lead an institution seekingfresh voices after years of dealing with an unfolding clergy sex abuse scandalthatrocked churchparishes in Louisiana and elsewhere andthreatened the church’sfoundations. His gregarious style quickly made an impression. He wasnoted for answeringreporters’questions with unexpected frankness. When asked in 2013 aboutclergy who are gay,hefamously responded, “who am I to judge?”

On this issue and others, thepope soughtto strike apath toward compassion andawayfrom rigidity when it comes to how we treat others. It’salesson we all need in these times,and one we hope will be alasting legacy of Francis. He also never stopped speakingupfor the migrants the world over whoface hardship and scorn. Indeed, in his last address,onEaster Sunday,Francis wrote, “On this day, Iwould like all of us to hope anew andreviveour trustin others, including those whoare different from ourselves, bringing unfamiliar customs, waysof life and ideas.” Francis showed courageinremainingtrue to his message even as immigrationbecame ahot-button topic in manyWestern countries. He weathered criticism, too, for his stance on climate change, telling countries at theU.N. conference COP 28 that not protectingthe environment was “anoffense against God.”

He didnot waver, however,onthe church’s teachings regarding abortion,calling it a“grave sin,” and he also spoke out against birth control and in vitro fertilization.Hewas avocal opponent of thedeath penalty as well, framing the issue as part of the church’seffort to supporta “culture of life.”

In an age where so many messages get garbled, Francis’ clarity of vision wasrefreshing —though we recall,tothe delight of Saints fans, there were afew times when the wiresdid get crossed. When the Vatican’s@pontifexaccount on Xused the hashtag saints, socialmedia took it as the pope’simplicit endorsementofour football team.

It couldn’thave been easy to be pope in an age where spiritual matters often take aback seat to more worldly concerns. But Francis put the church in the conversation.Wejoin in the prayersfor him and for thechurchasitlooks for aleader to followinhis footsteps.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com. TO SEND USA LETTER,

Congress lettingTrump runriotoverour country

OurSocial Security is already 90% dismantled. It is very clear that the goal is to destroy thesystem so that it can be privatized (read, robbed). People are being deported and sent to foreign prisons without due process of law as if their lives mean nothing. (It’salready surfacing that they are not all gang members).Itisterrifying to think that President Donald Trumpcould do this to anyone he wants to get rid of. Millions were spent on deportation optics as well —where was the concern for waste there? Medicaid, which millions of people depend on for hospital and nursing home costs, is being threatened. Farmers are denied repayment for investmentsthey have made; food designated overseas is rotting because USAID was butchered. Factories and businesses will close because of the tariffs they must now pay and cannot sustain. The history books are being rewritten, shamefully removing anyone’scontribution

to our history other than White men Studentsand vetswill not see what they have been promised. Health care is on thechopping block. Environmental protectionsare on the chopping block.

Ourformer allies are insulted and angry at Trump’sbullish tactics, and we will pay for their withdrawal of friendship and trade. It is unbearable to see thepeople in alreadyimpoverished or war-torn countries starving and dying as they are.The diseases that can now run rampant in those countries will reach our shores, if one looks at this in apurely selﬁsh way. What Trumpisdoing is gutting our country,our standing with the world, our livelihoods, and causing deadly consequences for many.Never mind what it is doing to inﬂation (up) and theeconomy (down) —the platform he ran on. Idon’tunderstand our Congress members’ enabling of this.

RUTH FLETCHER Metairie

Credit card bill will hurt smallbusinesses

When Ifounded Assured Flooring &Countertops in Louisiana two decades ago, Inever imagined how vital credit card rewards would becometo our operations. Today,they’re acritical tool for managing our expenses and staying competitive.

Every month,wespend thousands on materials, toolsand transportation.Byusing business credit cards that offer rewards, we earn points that help us reinvest in thecompany —whether it’s covering unexpected costs, offering more competitive pricing or keeping cash ﬂow steady during tough times.These rewards aren’tjust perks —they’re part of a strategic ﬁnancial plan that helps us compete with big-box stores.

That’swhy I’mdeeply concerned about the Durbin-Marshall credit card bill in Congress, which would require banks to issuecredit cards on several payment networks to force competition, known as arouting mandate. On paper,this sounds harmless. Butthe realityisthat this bill would lead to amajor drop in interchange

revenue —the very revenuestream that funds rewards programs small businesses like mineneed. According to aUniversity of Miami study,small businesses could lose $1 billion in rewards if this passes. That’smoney that can be used to pay down balances, offset rising costs and keep cash ﬂowing where it’s needed most. Worse, it could weaken the fraud protections we rely on every time we make apurchase. Big retailers like Walmart and Home Depot might have theleverage to weather these changes —but small businesses don’t. We can’tafford the added risk or the lost ﬁnancial support. Small businesses already face enough challenges. Congress shouldn’tdismantle asystem that helps us thrive. Please stand with small businesses and reject the Durbin-Marshall bill. The last thing we need is moreregulations to stand in our way

PHILIP RUIZ owner,Assured Flooring &Countertops

Tulane President Michael A. Fitts’ excellent opinion piece on April 4pointed out the large and important economic impact on Louisiana due to the presence of Tulane and other colleges and universities in this state. In addition to his highly informative article, an article in the fall 2024 issue of “Tulanian” by Mike Strecker and Barri Bronston points out in moredetail the positive beneﬁts of Tulane as an “economic and community powerhouse.”

Tulane, ahighly regarded university nationally and internationally,isbut one of approximately 6,000 universities and colleges in the United States. Many of those schools, both small and large, receive federal funding forresearch, teaching programs, student scholarships, etc. These schools have signiﬁcant ﬁnancial, academic and cultural impacts on afew thousand communities across the country As Strecker and Bronston report for Tulane, the students and staff/faculty of all these schools, across the nation, collectively spend millions of dollars in their local communities: in restaurants, grocery stores, entertainment venues, rentals, house purchases and more. Therefore, the cancellation of funds, or the threat of such, is highly problematical or even existential not only forthe schools, but formany of their communities. Istrongly urge my fellow citizens to contact their local and national representatives and senators to stress the vital importance of continuing federal funding to these institutions.

JEFFREY

D. GREEN Metairie

In his April 16 columninThe Advocate, Cal Thomas asked, rhetorically I am sure, “How did I, my parents, grandparents and ancestors going back to the founding of the nation manage to get a decent education before the federal Department of Education was created?”

My response: “Because Cal Thomas is and his forebears were White.”

Afootnote: The ﬁrst U.S. Department of Education was created in 1867 by President Andrew Johnson to collect and distribute information and statistics about schools.

JAMES R. MADDEN Baton Rouge

Thesesmilestellusabout America

Thepicture really says it all. In grainy,faded tones, it shows a groupofpeople on what appears to be aschool bus. They are Vietnamese refugees, packed in with astack of boxes behind them, likely containing everythingthey owned.

The picture was taken by aTimes-Picayune photographer in December 1975, just months after the communist North Vietnamese army overwhelmed the U.S.backed counterpartsin the south, forcing approximately one million Vietnamese to ﬂee.

The people on that bus were headed from Arkansas to Westwego, where they were among the ﬁrst of thousands of Vietnamese refugees toland in southeast Louisiana. The500-mile journey from Fort Chaffee was, for most of them, certainly the culmination of along and perilous journey,livingday-to-dayina legal limbo with no assurance of what the future held.

Andyet, many of them are smiling.

Staring at the picture, as Idid, while reading Desiree Stennett’sbeautiful piece earlier this month about how the Vietnamese community in southeast Louisiana has gone from small pocketsofrefugees to an integral part of thelocal fabric, Icouldn’thelp but ask whysome of them looked so happy

Those smiles must have masked unimaginable pain and stress, the gutting loss of ahome and family members and complete uncertaintyabout what might come next. But they also show an optimism, adetermination to accept their circumstances and forge something new and better

And boy,did they.The people on that buscould not have foreseen what they would build in southeast Louisiana. They would be joined by thousands of their fellow countrymen, growing in the ensuing half-century from a tiny population to one that is so much apart of Louisiana it’shard toimagine the state without them. After all, Duong Phuong king cakes rule every Carnival season, banh mi po-boys are belovedand plenty of Viet-Cajunculinary treats are found all over It shouldn’tbesurprising thatwhen people with such arich cultural history land in aplace with its own strong traditions, what is born of that mix is something that neither could have predicted, but turns out to be magical. Vietnamese arrivals have thrived outside of the culinary world, too. They have made signiﬁcant marks in Louisiana business, industry and

politics. Vietnam has acomplicated legacy formany Americans. For folks my age —I am closing in on my 52nd birthday —itwas something our parents talkedabout, rarelyinapositive light.

My Americanhistory classes in school never covered it; for some reason,the classes always ended with thetriumph of World WarII. For along time, its people and culture remained amystery to me In the years after Iwas born, the UnitedStatesaccepted hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese who ﬂed after the war.Many settled in other parts of the country,too.

Theirstories are not unlike thestories of other waves of immigrants to south Louisiana: Acadians from Nova Scotia in the18th century,Haitians in the19thcentury and Sicilians in the 19thand early 20th centuries are just afew of the older examples. Each of these groups has exerted aprofound and wonderful inﬂuence on the culture thatmakes Louisiana unique. Sadly,wedon’t have as many photos of those migrations as we do of the Vietnamese.

We are left to only imagine the expressions painted across the faces of thoseAcadian, Sicilian or Haitian refugees as they alighted in Louisiana carrying few possessions but trunkloads of hope and resolve.

Which brings me back to thesmiles in that picture. Somehow,thosefolks, ripped from their homes,land and all that they knew,are able to muster smiles.Through perilous journeys, they had landed in aplace that was different,yes,but had built itselfon being awelcoming place where it didn’tmatter where you came from as long as you werewilling to work hard.

HereinLouisiana, we can see, hear, feel and taste —perhaps more than other places across the United States —the glorious impactsofour centuries-long commitment to accepting the huddled masses from achaotic world. What’s more, the vastmajority of us were, at some point in our ancestry, just like thepeople on that bus.

That’swhat makes this thegreatest place in theworld, still. IwishIcould go back in time, jump up thestairs to that bus and talk to them abouttheir smiles.IwishIcould tellthem, “I’m glad you’re here.” Thereare plentyoffolks now attempting similar perilous ﬂights. Most of them are not criminals or terrorists. Their journeysstart in different places,and they get hereindifferent ways. And yet,mymessage, and the message of millions of Americans remains the same: “Welcome.”

Faimon A. RobertsIII can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com.

Elon Musk’s talking problem

When Donald Trump wonhis second term, there was much speculation about what it would mean to have a presidentwho started out asessentially alame duck. “After nearly adecade —during which so many in the GOP cowered in fear at the costsofdefying Trump —ambitious senators, House members andgovernors will be contemplating their own futures in a world without him,” wrote my colleague E.J. Dionne, adding that “recognizing the limitations on aTrump presidency is afirst step toward holding Trump in check.” However you would describe what is happening now,noone would argue that Trump has been held in check. Instead, we are witnessing something entirely novel in Americanpoliticalhistory: the YOLO presidency. (YOLO,for thoseunfamiliar,stands for “YouOnly Live Once” —which is to say, make themost of every moment youhave.) Rather than being constrained by the fact that he can’trun for officeagain, Trump has been liberatedbythe fact that he doesn’tneed to. He is free to do exactly as he pleases, knowing he will neveragain have to explain himself to voters. And, as they say,you only live once. Of course, Trump has mused about running for athird term, telling NBC News that he was “not joking” about the idea, but the 22nd Amendment is quite clear: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”Itwould take another constitutional amendment to allow him to run again, and he doesn’thave aSupreme

Court pliant enough to wink at some exotic legal theory.ComeJanuary 2029, Trump will leave the White House, and he is certainly acting like someonewho doesn’tneed to worryabout public sentiment.

Polls have repeatedly shown that majorities of voters support the work President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency is doing to cutwaste andfraud in federal spending. ArecentpollbyCBS News found that 51% of those surveyedbelieve there is alot of wasteful spending in federal government agencies, while an additional 36% believe there is some wasteful spending, for atotal of 87% who believe there is waste in government. Given that, it is not asurprise that54% said theybelieve that DOGE leader Elon Musk and his team should have some, or in some cases alot,ofinfluence over the spending and operations of U.S. government agencies. All thatmakes sense. Of course there is waste in a$7trillion federal budget. Of course somebody should try to find it and stop it. So why is the DOGE project so controversial? For four reasons: 1) Democrats and their allies in the media want Musk to fail because they want President Trump to fail. 2) Alarge part of the federal bureaucracywants Musk andTrump to fail because it has an interest in an everexpanding andcostly bureaucracy.3)With a tech-guy,move-fast-fail-then-fix approach to problem-solving, the DOGE ethos is appropriatefor some federal government functions but notfor others. And 4) Elon Musk can’tstop talking. Some of the factors are simply built into the process. Others would be difficult to change. So this will be about the simplest wayDOGE could reducethe friction it encounters as it searches for waste and fraud in federal spending: Have its leader talk less. To take arecent example: Sen. Mark Kelly,a politically ambitious Democrat from Arizona,recently visited Ukraine. Afterleaving the country,Kelly wrote aseriesofposts on Musk’sXplatform tearing into Trump’sstrategy to end the war The president is “trying to weaken Ukraine’s hand” andispursuing a“ridiculous ‘screw you, go it alone’ foreign policy,”Kelly wrote, adding thatthe UnitedStates will notsucceed “by being bullieslike Putin.”

Thatispretty muchDemocratic boilerplate when it comes to Ukraine. So Kelly reasonably opened himself up forcriticism anddebate. But thatisnot what Musk did. Instead,heimmediately respondedtoKelly: “You area traitor.”

The problemwas not just that Kelly is aformer U.S. Navy fighterpilotwho flewcombat missions in the Gulf War, andlater aNASA astronaut who flewfourmissions in the space shuttle.The problemwas about general principles: Why reflexively call someone atraitor? Whatgood does that do? Why go nuclear off the bat?

“I think it reﬂectsbadly on the White House,” amember of the House,Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon,saidofMusk’scomment to Kelly.And then Bacon made perhaps the most important observation of the whole affair: “His [Musk’s] job wastodoanaudit of what we’re spending on.”

Nor hashebeen limited by the normal forces that beset lame-duck presidents. Asupine Republican Senateconﬁrmed a television host to lead the Defense Department and avaccine skeptictohead the Department of Health and Human Services with barelyamurmur of concern.

His more conventional establishment advisers, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, express full-throated defenses of hiswildestinnovations.

Why is this happening? Why does the lame duck not walk or quack like one?

The shortanswer is thatTrump, once again, deﬁes all normal political rules.

Asecondfactoristhat eight years of the hashtag“resistance” taught Trump to ignore public outcry,orbetter yet,to revel in it. In 2021, he left ofﬁce in disgrace, with a34% approval rating. Yet here he is,president again. If experience is the best teacher,itissuggesting he should listen to his heart, not some outraged pundit.

Third, and perhaps mostimportant, Trump is not constrained by party loyalties, of which he hasnone. Mostpresidents havespent decades working their way up theparty ranks and building relationships withotherparty members. The party has becomethe hub of their social network, the deﬁning facet of theiridentity.Naturally,they care about its fortunes and want to leave it

in better shape thanthey found it. Trump has never displayed this kind of loyaltytoany person or institution —and certainly not to apartyhehas always helmed as aconquering invader This all feels so unprecedented becausenormally,someone who actslike Trump can’treach the point where they can act thatway Someone who displays no loyalty to their party will quickly slip off the lower rungs of the greasy ladder that leads to power.Only Trumpsomehow managed to makeittothe topinone wild leap, without ever giving the party achance to shape him. Instead, as has been noted many times,hehas shapedthe party into a reﬂection of himself. And this explains the real mystery of his presidency: Why has he gotten so little resistance from legislators and movement activists, who will ultimately bear the political cost of Trump’slast hurrah? Why hasn’tthere been morepushback from the rising leaders who hope to take his place as the party moves beyond Trump?

The answer is that there is barely any partybeyond Trump. Ideology and organization have both given way to Trumpian whimsy.Hemight not succeed in his dreams of restoring the American empire, but within the Republican Party,his imperial rule seems near-absolute. Whatever the emperor decrees, his subjects must apparently go along —even if the emperor decides theywill be buried with him.

MeganMcArdle in on X, @asymmetricinfo.

Bacon was also irritated by aspat Musk got into with the foreign ministerofPoland. When Musk tweeted,“My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainianarmy.Their entire front line would collapse if Iturned it off.” —whenMusk did that, the foreign minister respondedthatPolandpaysabout $50 million peryear for the service. Thenheadded, “The ethicsofthreatening the victim of aggression apart, if SpaceX provestobeanunreliable provider, we will be forced to look for other suppliers.”TowhichMusk responded, “Be quiet, small man. Youpay atiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute forStarlink.” In reaction, Rep. Bacon said, “going after the foreign minister of Poland —Idon’tthink that’sright, either.

Go back to main point about Musk: “His job was to do an audit of what we’re spending on.” It’shardtoimagine amoreimportant task for aspecial government employee like Musk. So why is he inserting himself into the Ukraine peace process? Maybe he should leavethatto the president. Afew weeks ago, this columnwrote that “One problemthat besets some billionaires is thattheythink theycan do anything they want because theymostly can.” That is certainly true for Musk whenheisrunning Tesla and SpaceX, the companies he created and led to suchextraordinary success. But government andworld affairs just aren’tthe same thing. Byron York is on X, @Bryon York

Faimon Roberts

ega McArdle M n

Byron York

FILEPHOTO By HORACE J. PATTERSON

Vietnamese refugees ride abus to Westwegofrom FortChaffee, Ark., on Dec.12, 1975. Manywere among the first Vietnamese families to be resettled in the area following theVietnam War.

BenFolds to play HeymannCenter

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Singer-songwriter Ben Folds burst onto the 1990s alternative rock scenewith his self-titled band, Ben Folds Five.

Hit radio singles like “Brick,” released in 1997, cemented the band as a major player in the era of pop- andpunk-influenced rock bands that centered angsty songwriting and emotional performances. Thebandbroke up in 2000, and brieﬂy reunited again in 2011 to tour with the Barenaked Ladies before disbanding permanently in 2013.

This September,frontman BenFolds will play Lafayette’sHeymann Performing Arts Center in asolo show

RISHER

Continued from page1B

Iunderstood and explained that my grandmother had been an expert seamstress. Ilargely grew up in her sewing room.

With that detail, LaFleur did what she does well. Not only is she sartorially perceptive, she is amaster of observation. She recognized my interest in sewing and patternmaking and smiled, saying that she wanted to show me something special.

“Funny when you have arelative who sews, they never want you to mess up the fabric, so they don’tteach you,” she said, as she sashayed into an unlit small room off the shop’smain showroom.

“They put such value on the yardage. Youknow, they’re products of the Depression.” Ifollowed her and couldn’thelp but attempt to sashay myself. Once

LETLOW

Continued from page1B

wonreelection in 2020 with Trump’sstrong support.

Republicaninsiders say surveys continue to show that Cassidy’spolling numbers remain underwater, meaning more voters view him unfavorably than favorably

The Cassidy campaign disputes this, especially when independent voters are included in surveys because under the new closed primarysystem, independent voters can vote in the April 2026 Republican primary Cassidyhas been working assiduously to improve his standing with voters.

He has been holding meetings throughout Louisiana to tell voters about his supportfor Trump’spoliciesin Washington.

Cassidy gave his assent for the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.toserveas secretary of health, ahighproﬁle vote given Cassidy’s background as adoctor who has been astrong advocate of vaccines.Cassidy has backed the other controversial Trump Cabinet nominees, including Pete Hegseth as defense secretary Trump has invited Cassidyatleast three timesto the White House during his second term.

Cassidy hasalso been aggressively raising money for his reelection campaign His campaign trumpeted that he raised $1.3 million during the first quarterof

titled “Ben Folds &a Piano.” Theshow will take placeon Wednesday,Sept. 24, and tickets will go on sale on April25onthe Heymann Center’swebsite. Since 2000, Folds has foundsolo success through anumber of albums and musical collaborations with figureslike Weird Al Yankovic, William Shatner andNeil Gaiman.His latest pop album, “What Matters Most,” was releasedin2023, and last year Foldsdropped his first Christmas album, “Sleigher.” AliveBen Folds album, recordedwiththe National Symphony Orchestra,is slatedfor release this year Folds served as the first artistic advisertothe NSOfor eight years,and he received astar on the Music City

inside, she motioned toward theceiling, where her commercial patterns were hanging.

LaFleur studiedfashion at LSU but saidshe really learned how todesign clothes in New York City

She opened her storein 1969, monthsafter graduatingfrom LSU,when she metaMississippi investor whoasked her how much shewould need toopen herown shop. Shesaid, “$10,000.” He pulled out an envelopeof$100 bills. They werepartners for ﬁve years.She wasable to buy the building outright. He later invested inher openinga shopinNew York City.For several years, shewas back and forth betweenNew Orleansand NewYork often. On oneofthosetrips, she wasseated besideJimmy Walsh, whom she later married. He hasbeen Joe Namath’s attorneyfor decades.

Thesedays, thecouple spendsmostoftheir time in NewOrleans.LaFleur sets the tablefor dinner

2025, which left him with $7 5million on hand.

Besides Rispone, other major Republican fundraisers are supportinghim.

Boysie Bollinger,who sold his shipbuilding company several years ago, said Cassidy’sseniority and position as chair of theSenate health committee provideenormous beneﬁtstoLouisiana.

Besides, Bollingeradded, referring to Cassidy’svote to convict Trump, “I’m nota litmus test person.”

Richard Lipsey,aBaton Rouge business owner and another major Republican donor, said he hopesthat Letlow won’tchallenge Cassidy

“They’re both top-notch people,” Lipsey said. “My loyalties would still lie with Bill.”

Pearson Cross, apolitical scientistatthe University of LouisianaatMonroe, said Letlow has earned areputation during herfour years in ofﬁce as being attentive to herdistrict.

“She has been areliable votefor Speaker (Mike) Johnson but hasn’tengaged in theideologicalfights,” Cross added.

Thebiggest wild card will be whether Trumpventshis anger at Cassidy by endorsing Letlow or another Republican challenger,Cross said.

“If Trump endorses her, allbetsare off,especially if he comestoLouisiana to campaign for her,” Cross said, adding that “Fleming, ideologically,islined up with Trump.” Fleming, who servedfour

KENNEDY

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PROVIDED PHOTO

Musician Ben Folds is scheduled to playthe Heymann Center in Lafayette as ‘Ben Folds&a Piano’ on Sept.24. Tickets go on sale on April 25.

Walk of Fame in Nashville in 2018.

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

each morning beforeshe goes to work

“My husband cooks, but Iclean,” shesaid.

Throughout the store, violets are everywhere.

They’re on hergift wrap,bagsand the carpet.

“Ms. Gayle Bird,she’s Gayle Benson now,did the carpet for me,” shesaid.

It’sfrom London. Violets area symbol of loyalty.So Iwant to send loyal customers out of my store.”

She explainedthe violets as her odetoMother Cabrini, herhigh school alma mater.

“Mother Cabrini raised violets,” shesaidasshe picked up aframedphoto of the nun. “She’s my good luck charm.”

With LaFleur,the reference is done with atenderness thatiscompletely endearing. ButI couldn’t help but smile at the New Orleans-ness of the moment, so many things go back to where onewentto high school.

EmailJan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

terms in the House representing north Louisiana, worked forthe TrumpWhite Houseduring the final year of Trump’sfirst term In past interviews, Letlow said that then-President Joe Biden won the 2020 election —something that U.S Rep. Steve Scalise and other Republicanshavenot been willing to say —and also expressed her wonder at servingafterher husband, Luke, won the seat but then died of COVID. Letlow had been asenior officialatthe University ofLouisiana at Monroe.

Akey issue facing Letlow soon is how to respond if fellow Republicans propose reductions in Medicaid to offset at leastsome of the cost of thebig tax cuts thatTrump wants to extend. Aboutone-third of the residentsinLetlow’s district receive Medicaid, which offers public health insurance to low income people.

Twoother Republicans have said they are considering getting into the race against Cassidy

OneisEric Skrmetta, a member of the utility-regulating Public ServiceCommissionwho represents suburban New Orleans parishes.

He said he’ll decide by July 4.

The otherisstate Sen. Blake Miguez,ofNew Iberia. He said heismostly focused now on working through his father’srecent death.

Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com.

Democratic vote, but if we can hold the Republicans together in theSenate, (and) that’sabig if, we only need 51 votes to do this and we’re going to do it,” Kennedy said.

Aquestion arose about judges, and Kennedy said federal judges have been liberalintheiruse of universal or nationwide injunctions, which have been used to block Trumporders on mass deportations andending birthright citizenship.

Kennedy joined Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley,who introduced abillthatwould prohibit granting relief to anyone beyond the parties involvedina lawsuit. The bill would require Democratic support to pass, Kennedy added.

On Thursday,the Supreme Court said it will hear arguments on whether to limit thelower court’snationwide injunction powers.

Withoutmentioning Trumpspeciﬁcally,Kennedy ended his discussion on judges with theedict that courtordersshouldbefollowed.

“You can criticizethe hell out of it, you can appeal it, but you can’tsay Idon’t agreewith it, andI’m not goingtofollowit. Once we start doingthat in America, it will undermine thelegitimacy of ourentirefederal judicial system,” Kennedy said.

The comment is likely in reference to Trump’schallengeofa judge’srulingthat the administration return Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garciatothe country after he was mistakenly deported to aprison in El Salvador.A federal appeal court ruled against Trump’s attempt to block the order

On Sunday,Kennedy told NBC Newsthat deporting Abrego Garcia “was a screwup,” bucking against Trump, but said that he wouldlikely not be returned

to theUnited States.

The senator later said if the presidentdid deny federal judge orders thathe would, “call him out on it,” adding that something like Abrego Garcia’scase would not happen again

While Kennedy wasaddressing supporters inside, asmall group of constituents stood across the street hopinghewould see their signs askinghim for an open town hall and to supportfunding for federal programs that beneﬁt Louisianans.

Bernard Ussher,who held a“Sen. Coward”sign in one hand andanAmerican ﬂag in the other, called for Kennedy to meet with people in asetting where they didn’t have to pay to hear him speak.Attendees had to pay about$15 to get into the breakfast where Kennedy was talking.

Pamela Bradley said she wanted to encourage Kennedy to preserve federal funding for programs that support Louisianans.

“Weare extremely concernedabout Louisiana losing its ability to have information,” she said. “Weneed the National Weather Service.Weneed (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). We need FEMA.Weneed NPR.What is Kennedy going to do about saving these programs?”

Another question Kennedy briefly commented on wasabout carbon capture, statingthat “Louisiana’sgot to figure it out” and thathe’s“gottosee the science to show me that it’s safe.”

Kennedyended his discussion saying that he wants to see the DepartmentofEducation dismantled, calling it “woke.” Staff Writer Ashely White contributed to thisarticle.

LOTTERY NO DRAWING DUE TO EASTER HOLIDAY

Unofficial notification, keep your tickets

FINDING A SPOT

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Making the best of bad news is a goal of most coaches during the course of a long season.

Sophomore outﬁelder Dayzja Williams is helping the UL Ragin’ Cajuns softball team pull off that feat these days.

Prior to Thursday’s Sun Belt opener against South Alabama, starting shortstop Cecilia Vasquez injured her ﬁnger in pregame drills.

That forced the UL coaching staff to make a move it had been considering for a while — moving leading hitter Kayla Falterman down in the order and inserting Williams into the 2-hole.

“For Dayzja, she’s been real intentional, which I’m so proud of her for that,” said UL coach Alyson Habetz, whose Cajuns (23-22, 9-9 Sun Belt) play their ﬁnal midweek game of the season at No. 1-ranked Texas A&M at 5 p.m. Tuesday in College Station, Texas.

In other words, Williams has not only worked while she waited but she also really paid attention to detail during that process.

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

At a time when the value of safeties in the NFL is a contentious topic, the New Orleans Saints shelled out for the position this offseason. The Saints gave Justin Reid a three-year, $30.5 million contract, a large but arguably reasonable deal that makes the 28-year-old the league’s 15th-highest-paid safety. His addition not only addressed the loss of a starter — Will Harris departed for the Washington Commanders — but his presence also should serve as an upgrade at a spot that was iffy for New Orleans last year The deal also prevents safety from being a priority for New Orleans ahead of this week’s NFL draft.

“I actually really liked them to maybe go safety (in Round 1), but then they signed Justin Reid in

free agency,” Yahoo Sports draft analyst Nate Tice said “So that changed my math.”

In the event of a surprise, let’s take a look at the top safeties in this year’s class as well as some candidates who could be on the Saints’ radar on Day 3. Malaki Starks, Georgia Tice liked Starks as a possible ﬁt for New Orleans at No. 9, but the safety is likely to go much later in Round 1 — if he even gets taken on the ﬁrst day at all. Starks has great size for the position at 6-foot-1

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

A funny thing happened to the UL Ragin’ Cajuns during their Easter weekend trip to Norfolk, Virginia.

Not only did the Cajuns return home with a series win but the coaching staff also may have settled on some solutions it hopes will provide more victories in the future.

“I can only speak for myself, but I’m probably well, I am, the most confident I’ve been all season heading into (Tuesday) night and this week,” said UL coach Matt Deggs, whose Cajuns (19-23, 10-8 Sun Belt) will take on Grambling at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Russo Park.

Much of the enthusiasm stems from Saturday’s 10-0 domination of Old Dominion and the lineup responsible for that rubber-game victory

“I do like the lineup we saw on Saturday,” Deggs said. “You will see the exact same lineup (Tuesday) night. That’s how good I felt about it.”

The key switches in the lineup were Maddox Mandino leading off in right ﬁeld and Drew Markle hitting second at second base.

“The wild card in this whole deal is Mandino,” Deggs said. “I thought he was the best player on the ﬁeld on Saturday It just felt right on Saturday having him in that leadoff spot and Markle right there with him. It kind of elongated the lineup a little bit.”

Markle opened the Old Dominion series in center ﬁeld before settling at second base.

“He’s a freaky athlete,” Deggs said of Markle, who started the season at short-

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

right fielder Dayzja Williams

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori makes the stop on LSU running back Josh Williams at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.,

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Braves ace Strider returns to injured list after 1 start

Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider strained his right hamstring Monday while playing catch and was placed on the 15-day injured list.

Mize, Torkelson give Tigers a boost

BY NOAH TRISTER

AP baseball writer

This is a sight the Tigers probably expected a lot more often by now: Casey Mize pitching seven strong innings, and Spencer Torkelson hitting a three-run homer to lead Detroit to a 3-1 victory

There’s still time for both of them to make big contributions to the team that drafted them No 1 overall. When the Tigers returned to the postseason last year for the ﬁrst time in a decade, they did it without great production from Mize and Torkelson, who were supposed to be cornerstones of their rebuild. Torkelson hit 31 home runs in 2023 but managed only 10 (with a .219 average) last season. Mize made only two starts total in 2022 and 2023 before going 2-6 with a 4.49 ERA a year ago. Now both of them are starting to show why they were taken at the top of the draft — Mize in 2018 and Torkelson two years later The 27-year-old Mize is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA this season. Torkelson, who

is still just 25, already has seven home runs and a .288 average that is well above his career high of .233. On Saturday, Mize got the win and Torkelson accounted for all Detroit’s scoring in a victory over Kansas City After relying heavily on Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in their run to a wild card last year, the Tigers are off to a more balanced start in 2025. Only two AL teams have scored more runs than Detroit, which leads the AL Central by a half-game over Cleveland. Only one AL team, the New York Yankees, has a better run differential than the Tigers. Wild inning

The Chicago Cubs became the seventh team in the last 125 seasons to allow 10 runs in an inning and still win. Arizona scored 10 in the top of the eighth on Friday only for Chicago to rally with six in the bottom half and win 13-11.

Remarkably, the Colorado Rockies nearly matched the Diamondbacks’ plight a day later Colorado scored eight runs in the seventh Saturday but still lost 12-11 to

Washington Also Saturday, Miami scored six in the ninth but lost 1110 to Philadelphia. Other big innings from this past week included a nine-run third by Tampa Bay against Boston on Monday, a seven-run ﬁrst by the Los Angeles Dodgers against Colorado on Wednesday, and a sevenrun third by Cincinnati against Baltimore on Sunday. The Rays, Dodgers and Reds all won.

Trivia time

The Milwaukee Brewers broke a franchise record by stealing nine bases in their 14-1 win over the Athletics on Sunday The Brewers stole eight bases against Toronto on Aug. 29, 1992. Which Milwaukee player, who went on to win Rookie of the Year honors that year, stole three bases in that 1992 game?

Line of the week

Cincinnati’s Austin Wynns had six hits in the Reds’ 24-2 blowout of Baltimore on Sunday, although the last two of those came against position players pitching. Wynns also drove in six runs. Wynns had seven hits and two

RBIs all of last season for Cincinnati.

Comeback of the week

After entering the game with a four-run lead in the ninth Saturday, struggling Yankees closer Devin Williams managed to retire only one batter before Tampa Bay tied it. Williams allowed ﬁve straight hitters to reach, culminating in Brandon Lowe’s tying two-run single. Williams managed to induce a double play to end the inning, but Tampa Bay went on to win 10-8 on Jonathan Aranda’s 10th-inning two-run homer

The Rays had a win probability of 0.6% in the ninth, according to Baseball Savant. Williams hasn’t blown a save this season Saturday’s game wasn’t a save situation — but he’s now allowed eight earned runs in eight innings.

Trivia answer

Pat Listach had three of Milwaukee’s eight steals in that game. He went on to ﬁnish the season with 54, second in the American League to Cleveland’s Kenny Lofton.

Flagg headed to NBA as favorite to be No. 1 draft pick

BY AARON BEARD AP basketball writer

Duke star Cooper Flagg is head-

ed to the NBA as the favorite to be the No 1 overall draft pick.

The program announced Flagg’s move in a social media post Monday following a lone college season that saw the 18-year-old become only the fourth freshman named as The Associated Press national player of the year while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four Flagg had reclassiﬁed to get to Duke a year early and his decision was expected all year, even as he generally declined to spell out plans about his professional future as the season pushed into March or mentioned how much fun he had playing in college.

“I mean, it’s been an incredible year with a really great group of people,” Flagg told the AP in March after winning national player of the year The 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward from Newport, Maine, averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals to lead the Blue Devils in each category He’s a versatile threat who showed the ability to thrive as a scorer, playmaker and defender

“His highlights, his statistics, the ways he impacted the game on both ends of the ﬂoor really in every category, was off the charts — as good of a freshman season that a guy has had here,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said in a social media video from the program about Flagg’s NBA declaration.

“But to me the separator and the joy of coaching Cooper is the person he was every day the teammate that he was — never about statistics or anything other than creating an environment and helping his team to win.”

The statistical highlight came when Flagg scored 42 points to

Atlanta made the move retroactive to Friday, two days after Strider returned from elbow surgery and made his first big-league appearance since April 5, 2024. Strider allowed two runs over five innings in a 3-1 loss at Toronto, and the 26-year-old right-hander was slated to make his home season debut Tuesday against St. Louis. Strider made just two starts in 2024 before UCL internal brace surgery on April 12. Strider finished fourth in 2023 NL Cy Young Award voting and was an All-Star, going 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA and a league-best 281 strikeouts.

Eagles, center Jurgens announce 4-year extension

The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens have agreed to a fouryear contract extension through 2029, the team announced Monday

The 25-year-old Jurgens made the Pro Bowl for the first time last season after a switch back to center after six-time All-Pro Jason Kelce retired. Jurgens was a backup as a rookie in 2022 after being drafted out of Nebraska in the second round and made 11 starts at right guard in 2023. Philadelphia went 14-3 last season and dominated Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in winning its second Super Bowl title. The Eagles, led by mobile quarterback Jalen Hurts and a strong offensive line, rushed for a franchiserecord 3,048 yards last season.

QB Iamaleava picks UCLA after Tennessee departure

Nico Iamaleava said he’s heading to UCLA, a week after Tennessee announced the quarterback who helped the Volunteers reach last season’s College Football Playoff was no longer with the program. Iamaleava issued an Instagram post Sunday of himself in a UCLA uniform Tennessee coach Josh Heupel had indicated during the Volunteers’ spring game on April 12 that Iamaleava wouldn’t be part of the team anymore Asked when Heupel knew the Vols would not have Iamaleava moving forward, the coach said it became apparent the previous morning when the quarterback was a “no show” with no communication with Heupel. Iamaleava completed 63.8% of his passes for 2,616 yards with 19 touchdowns and ﬁve interceptions last year in his lone season as Tennessee’s starter

Hawks fire GM Fields, promote from within Landry Fields was ﬁred as general manager of the Atlanta Hawks on Monday after three seasons, with the team missing the playoffs in the last two of those.

The Hawks promoted Onsi Saleh to the GM role, while also announcing that they have opened a search for a president of basketball operations. Atlanta went 40-42 this season, then missed the playoffs after going 0-2 in the play-in tournament.

set an Atlantic Coast Conference freshman record against Notre Dame in January, along with having 30 points, six rebounds and seven assists to help Duke hold off Arizona in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. There were plenty of impressive single plays, too, that demanded highlight-reel placement like his transition dunk through a defender against Pittsburgh in January Flagg closed with 27 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Houston in the national semiﬁnals. The Blue Devils had led by 14 with about 8 1/2 minutes left but faltered late, with Houston scoring the game’s last nine points in the ﬁnal 33 seconds and Flagg missing a late shot for the lead.

Still, he was an elite and hypercompetitive force for one of college basketball’s top teams all season with a game far more advanced than his age, capable of making an impact from baseline to baseline and sideline to sideline. He won’t turn 19 until December which would be roughly two months into his rookie season. Flagg is the third Duke player to announce an early exit for the NBA in the past week, joining freshman wing Kon Knueppel and junior guard Tyrese Proctor

Fields led the decision-making a year ago when Atlanta had the No. 1 pick and selected Zaccharie Risacher who is a ﬁnalist for rookie of the year this season.

The Hawks haven’t won a playoff series since making it to the Eastern Conference ﬁnals in 2021.

St. John’s lands former North Carolina G Jackson

North Carolina guard Ian Jackson is transferring to St. John’s and returning to his hometown to play for Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, the Red Storm announced Monday A highly touted recruit from the Bronx, Jackson averaged 11.9 points while shooting 45.6% overall and

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOSE JUAREZ

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize throws during the first inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday in Detroit.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH Duke’s Cooper Flagg shoots as Houston’s Joseph Tugler defends during the second half at the Final Four on April 5 in San Antonio.

Former D-II standout wantstobloom with Cajuns

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

When Sean Elkinton decided to leave Division II St. Edward’saftera successful 2023-24season, the native of Crosby,Texas, focused on taking his skill set as far as it could go. After one challenging season at LouisianaTech, the 6-foot-8forward wasn’tready to give up on his pursuit.

So Elkinton entered the transfer portal and settled on the UL Ragin’ Cajuns under new coach Quannas White.

“I kind of felt like it wasnecessary for me to explore other options and notsell myself short on anything Icould do,” said Elkinton, who signed with UL lastweek during his ofﬁcial visit.

It was easy to see why Elkinton was looking towarda higher level. In his second season at St. Edward’s, Elkinton averaged 17.5 pointsand 7.5 reboundswhile making 42.9% of his 3-pointers.

During this past season in Ruston, Elkinton averaged 5.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12 minutes a game while shooting 33.3%from 3 and 94.7% at the line.

“I learned alot about myself, especially mentally,” Elkinton said of his time with Louisiana Tech. “It was atough year for me —alot of sickness, alot of injuries and alot of other factors. Ijust thinkitwas

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In the series sweep, Faltermanhit .571 in her new spot while Williams hit .333 with asacrifice bunt, asacrifice fly and stellar defense.

“As aslapper with speed, it’sreally about putting it where they’re not or bouncing it,” Habetz said. “She just really has to perfect her craft, and she’sdone a good job with that.

“If the first baseman is playing back with arunner at ﬁrst, if she can put it to ﬁrst base, she’ssafe every time. When they’re not and arunner is at second and shortstop is over,ifshe can putthe ball up themiddle, she’sonevery time.”

If Williams cancontinue to improve, perhaps UL’s

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JonasSanker, Virginia

Sankerplays with range and has length, giving him the tools to possibly become astarter in the NFL. He was athree-year starter at Virginia, making plentyof impact plays in the box. At 6 feet and 206 pounds, Sanker reportedly needs to work on his pursuit angles and can lose track in his coverage. But he’sathletic and is projected to go in the thirdor fourth rounds.

atough year and making it through that mentally showed me what I could do.

“I know that Ican make it through anything. Iknow I’m ahard worker andwhatever obstacles that come up this year, Ican achievethemor

situational hitting as ateam can as well.

“It’sthatbarrel awareness andbat control that she’sbeen working on,” Habetz said.“With her speed, speed kills —itnever slumps.

“In the outfield, we’ve been working ontiming on her dives, and shehad some incrediblecatches this weekend. She can continue to getbetter because she’ssuch an athlete.”

That’sthe good news. The bad news is that Habetz said Vasquez’sreturn this season isn’tlikely

“It’snot looking allthat great, unfortunately,” Habetz said.

The neweveryday lineup nowhas MiaLiscano at shortstop and Gabbie Stutes at second base

“I’m so proud of Liscano andGabbie,”Habetzsaid.

break through them.”

Instead of beingdiscouraged, Elkinton said visiting with White andhis staff has rejuvenatedhis conﬁdence.

“What drewmetothe Cajuns was more or less knowinghow coach Q

“I mean, Gabbie made a game-savingplay …ifGabbie missesthat ball (Friday), it’sa different game —it’s2-0 andwe’re behind.

“Ciss on thebench has been fantastic, too. For her to just handle it and be a leader in thedugout and helping (Mia)Liscano and Gabbie (Stutes) —talking to them —justshows the kind of character she has.”

Before returning to Sun Belt play at second-place Texas State (30-15, 12-6) on Friday, the Cajuns face the huge challenge of No. 1 TexasA&M.

“Workingonlittle things and being able to make adjustments quickly instead of waitinguntilyournext at-bat to makeanadjustment, makeanadjustment in that at-bat,” Habetz said is akey against the Aggies. TheAggies, whoare 39-5

is abig character guy,” Elkinton said. “He surrounds himself with astaff that is considered his close family.They’rereally here to help us as players and they’re very genuine. They’llbehere by our side. They’ll be hard on us, but at the same time, they’ll always be our biggest supporters.

“I feel like that will allowmeto reach anew levelofconﬁdence. I haven’tyet fully showcased what Iamfully capable of as aplayer.”

While White made it clear to Elkintonduring the recruiting phase that he’ll be shooting many more thanjustthe 51 3-pointers he took this past season, he’salso conﬁdent he can score in the paint.

“First and foremost, we’re going to defend like crazy,” Elkinton said. “In terms of role, he wants to give me the freedom to shoot the laces off theball and shoot the ball like I knowIcan.

“But Ifeel like Ihave excellent footwork in the post. To exploit mismatches playingthe four Ican beat you inside or outside, depending on the matchup. I’ve been apretty good post scorer for awhile now.”

Elkinton also admitted there weresome cool personalaspects of being recruited by the Cajuns. For one, he’salongtime fanofthe HoustonCougars, so getting to know Whitewas atreat.Thenhe learned thatWhite’swife, Leah, is also from Crosby

overalland 13-3inSEC play,are hitting .345 as a team witha.447 on-base percentage. Theyare led by AmariHarper (.456, 5 HRs, 30 RBIs) andMya Perez (.443, 12 HRs, 57 RBIs).

Former Cajuns player Kramer Eschete has started all 44 games, hitting .270 with threedoubles, 14 RBIs and four stolen bases.

In the circle, the Texas A&M staff has a2.43ERA and opponentsare batting .216. The Aggiespitchers have 272 strikeouts in 2852/3 innings.

EmailKevin Footeat kfoote@theadvocate.com.

“Pretty small world moment,” Elkinton said. “I also have some coaches back home that I’ve known since high school who are very close to coach Q. I’ve been talking to the staff since the portal opened.

“It’sfeltgenuine.They’ve been completelyhonest. They’ve checked all the boxes. We’ve been in constant communication even though Iknow they’re busy right now trying to build ateam for next year.They’re making me feel wanted and people always say go where you’re wanted.”

Elkintonisjoinedbysix other transfer portal additions, including 6-9 New Orleans native Todd Jones from Portland, 6-3guard Jamyron Keller from Oklahoma State, 6-3 shooter De’Vion Lavergne from Purdue-Fort Wayne, 6-5 wing Dorian Finister fromSam Houston, 6-8forward Dariyus Woodsonfrom North Dakota and 6-5 guard Jaxon Olvera of Pepperdine. Woodson, Finister and Elkinton already have signed with UL. The newULstaff also has corralled four high school additions, toppedby6-7 wing Joshua Lewis of Tampa,Florida as well as 6-1 guard Michael Collins from Pearland, Texas, 6-6 guard Caleb Sanders from Tampa,Florida, and 6-8 forward Daijon Leathermanfrom Spring, Texas.

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

Lathan Ransom,OhioSt. Oneofthe Saints’ better late-round selections in recent years has been safety Jordan Howden. Could Ransom be this year’sHowden? They have asimilar size as Ransom is 6feet and 203 pounds, whereas Howden is 6feet and 209 pounds. At Ohio State, Ransom emerged as astarter over the last two years and spent five total with the Buckeyes. Ransom, with 76 tackles in 2024, can make plays in the run game and is ahard-hitting safety.If anything, he has one of the cooler names among this year’sprospects.

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stop before suffering ahand injury.“It’sfunny,though.It took usputting him in center field to get us to settle on putting him on second base. I thinkhe’sa difference-maker for us in center field, (but) Ithink he’sagame-changer for us at second base.” It helps give UL more pop offensively in the infield. It also helps that Luke Yuhasz is back at first base, allowing Lee Amedee to play third, where he ended last season Another positive change

Georgia defensiveback Malaki Starks sets up for aplay against Alabamaduring agameinTuscaloosa, Ala., on Sept 28.

CraigWoodson, California

The Saints hired former California defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon to coach linebackers this offseason, so he’d undoubtedly be familiar with Woodson. Sidelinedfor allof2021witha knee injury, Woodson came backstrong to emerge as a

Deggs sawinVirginia was the 52/3 shutout innings posted by sophomore righthander Tate Hess

“(UL pitching coach) Gunner (Leger) madean adjustment with him, and he’s takeninand runwith it,” Deggs said of Hess. “They made an arm stroke adjustment,and that’sjust the powerofmakingadjustments in this game. He looks like anew guy. Deggs said he expects to start Hess against Grambling on Tuesday and likely Riley Marcotte againstNicholls StateonWednesday After experimentingfor most of the midweekgames thisseason, Deggs hinted

three-year starter forthe GoldenBears. He can play in the nickeland on theback end, as wellascontribute on special teams. According to TheAthletic, Woodson “got better eachyear, which didn’tgounnoticed by NFL scouts.” He is 24, making him an older prospect

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate. com

Monday thatheplans “a little moreselective in what you see on the ﬁeld” in this week’s two midweek games in an attempt to bothrally fora winning seasonand alsoput theCajuns in the rightmindsetheading into thisweekend’sSun Belt home series against Georgia Southern (23-17, 9-9). “We’ve had someopportunities,but you have to take advantage of it,”hesaid Deggs hintedthatinﬁelder

Sam Ardoin has been doing work as apitcherand could see action on themound in the future.

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL right ﬁelder Dayzja Williams slides safely into second with astolen base ahead of the tag by UL-Monroe shortstop Elle Carter during theirSun Belt Conferencegame at Lamson Park on March23.

AP FILEPHOTO By VASHA HUNT

LSU

By RANDyLABAUVE

Nowisagood time to fertilize

Tackle those weedsand fertilize turfgrasses

By now,you’ve probably had to crank up the lawnmower and give your lawn its

cut in awhile

Turfgrasses are emerging from their winter dormancy, turning green and growing once again and so are warm-season weeds. As you get back into the habit of lawnmaintenancethis spring, think about helping your grass along with adose of fertilizer sometime soon. Now is also the perfectopportunity to get a handle on weeds whilethey are small and easier to control. Youcan buy combination weed-and-feed products at gardencenters and hardware stores. But Eric DeBoer,anassistant professor of turfgrass management with the LSU AgCenter,recommends handling the tasks of weed control and fertilization with separate products. Before you start, you need to do afew things. First, get your hands on abroadcast spreader for applying granular fertilizers and herbicides.Ifyou want to use aherbicide that’smeant to be sprayed, you may need to locate asprayer; some of these products come in containers with built-in sprayersorcan be connected to agarden hose. Next, you should determine how big your yard is —you need to know how much product to buy.And you need to know what kind of grass— or grasses —and weeds are growing in your yard. This information will not only allow you to select the most effective fertilizer andherbicideproducts for your situation, but it will also help you avoid damaging your lawn, as some products are not safefor useoncertain grasses. Visit www.LSUAgCenter com/turfgrass for guidesthat can help you identify common lawn weeds and differentiate between popular turfgrass species such as St. Augustinegrass,centipedegrass,bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. These pages also provide suggested fertilization ratesfor different grasses and cultural and chemical weed control strategies. When it comestocontrolling weeds, your focus right now should be treating newly germinated warm-season weeds with apost-emergence herbicide. Mature cool-season weeds like chickweed and annual bluegrass should be removed by hand pulling or mowing at this point. They will die back soon as temperatures continue to climb.

To prevent an infestation of warm-seasonweeds later on, it’simportant to apply herbicide now whilethey are young and tender

“A more mature weed is alwaysgoingtobemore difﬁcult

ä See LUSH, page 6C

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

Atreehouse,a chef’s dream, arooftop loft areamong themostpopular Airbnbsfor ashort stay in BatonRouge

BY JOYHOLDEN | Staff writer

Whether it’sacozy homewith historic charm or aluxurious, sprawlingmanor,Baton Rouge has awiderange of options for short-term rentals.

Tommy Talley,who manages 24 short-term rental properties in Baton Rouge, joined Airbnb as ahost in 2016. He has witnessed Baton Rouge grow from around 250 rentals almost 10 yearsago to, at the height of footballseason, over 900 properties available for short-termrental. Talley sayshis guests range from out-of-town grandmothers coming in to support new parents to aSeattlegroup of horror fans visitingthe 13th Gate.

Kasey Eglin,who has owned ashort-term rental home on Hundred Oaks for two years, is surprised by thesheer number of guests she has hosted.

“A lot morepeople come to Baton Rouge than I realized,” shesaid.

ä See TEMPORARY, page 6C

weekend homeshorttermrental’soutdoor kitchen

BY SERENA PUANG

AGCENTERPHOTO

lawns and treat weeds.

Hundred Oaks short-term rental’sfront porch

Most expensive Airbnb rental in Baton Rouge

Beauregard Town Airbnb

Chef’s

Rooftop deckof downtown loft Airbnb

Eglin and her husband bought the home as an Airbnb; the previous owners were managing it as a short-term rental for three years. The couple thought the home would be a good investment and an eventual place for their three children to live, if they chose to go to LSU, Eglin said. She has noticed families coming to town for weddings, sporting events, tournaments and holidays. Thanksgiving week is already reserved for this year Her place is pet-friendly and includes a crib and stroller, so Eglin says it’s an ideal rental for young parents and pet owners.

All about location

Just like real estate, the short-term rental market is all about location.

“They want to be by the coolest bar, best coffee shop, be able to walk to things,” Talley said. “Walkability is the way we build ours.”

Mid City, Garden District and Hundred Oaks neighborhood locations do well due to the size of homes for a short stay and the proximity to restaurants and events. Eglin’s Hundred Oaks rental is across from Zeeland Street Market and near Garden District Coffee.

“It really has a feel of a bed-and-breakfast because people will wake up in the morning, walk across the street and go to Garden District and get their coffee and then get their biscuits at Zeeland,” Eglin said.

“It’s just such a sweet little walkable community Once people come, I’ll have repeat guests because they fall in love with the area.”

Talley says that his downtown loft properties on Third Street are also consistent producers, especially during wedding season for brides and grooms to get ready and have photo shoots. Here are nine short-term rentals that are highly rated as guest favorites according to Airbnb.com.

Historic charm

Hundred Oaks Top 1%

This lovely home boasts a quintessential Southern front porch and clean, fresh aesthetic in the quaint walkable neighborhood of Hundred Oaks near Perkins

DANCERS

Continued from page 5C

invites those interested in participating to text her at (225) 317-4365. She hopes the event will get people involved with water in Baton Rouge, and she’s still actively recruiting dancers

The story of Baton Rouge’s water is complicated, said Standifer, but she is determined to tell it.

”Water doesn’t care what parish you’re in or what state you’re in. It’s just gonna ﬂow,” she said. “It’s important for people to realize this is our right — to have access to clean water

We need it, and it’s here.”

The city of Baton Rouge draws its water from the Southern Hills Aquifer, a natural underground reservoir of groundwater that has been highly rated over the years in terms of cleanliness. The water source has been in long-term danger due to increased pumping over the years. The increased pumping has drawn more and more salt water over the Baton Rouge fault, a geological crack that roughly tracks Interstates 10 and 12, and into the water source.

In an attempt to tell the story of water through dance, Standifer has divided dancers into different groups: industry, water and the community The groups have distinct choreography but also intermingle to show how the Baton Rouge is dependent on water and how members of the community also depend on industry for jobs

The group is still actively looking for dancers, but for now, they meet on weekends

Overpass restaurants. With two bedrooms and three baths, this getaway lists for $225 per night. The home is in the top 1% on Airbnb based on ratings, reviews and reliability

Close to LSU

Most Expensive

This large home by the University Lakes sleeps six to eight guests and includes a covered patio, pool, high ceilings and lots of room to spread out. It has a pool, hot tub, putting green and outside seating with a TV With four bedrooms, five beds and four baths, this house rents for $1,500 per night.

Nicholson Manor with pool

Step back into time for a midcentury-style pool party at this large home located on Nicholson Drive Built in 1948, it’s a great space to host large groups of family and friends with a large backyard, a huge lap pool and outdoor patio With six bedrooms, seven beds and three bathrooms, the rent is $500-$700 per night depending on season and dates.

Downtown

Loft with Rooftop

For a downtown loft experience, this two-story loft on Third Street features an amazing rooftop deck, a balcony and is within walking distance of restaurants, cafes, bars and downtown events. The upstairs bedroom is on the second ﬂoor and opens up directly to the rooftop deck for a skyline view The loft is atop a bar on the ground ﬂoor, so this stay comes with a party. For

to learn choreography and reflect on what the movements in the global dance mean

For some dancers, the cause and movements reflect their real world concerns. The Rev Lura Lisa Wall, who pastors Unity Church in Baton Rouge, grew up in the New Orleans suburbs and now splits her time between Baton Rouge and River Ridge. New Orleans doesn’t draw from the aquifer; they get their water from the Mississippi River Wall worries that if things don’t change, Baton Rouge might one day be in the same boat.

Sourcing water from an underground aquifer is preferred because of it purity due to water having ﬁltered through sediments.

“We’re at the bottom of the Mississippi,” Wall said. “There’s a lot of stuff that goes into the river before it gets to Baton Rouge.”

Though there are no current public plans that Baton Rouge will switch water sources, activists and dancers are concerned because water is a finite resource.

This, they said, combined with the salt intrusions and the fact that many industries in Baton Rouge use drinking water instead of Mississippi River water for their operations, are causes for worry and reasons to act now to protect the aquifer

According to The Water Institute, fresh water drawn from the Southern Hills Aquifer System provides 100% of the public water supply and 83% of the industrial and power generation water supply in East Baton Rouge Parish.

“They (the public) need to

$375 per night, it comes with two bedrooms, two beds and two baths.

Beauregard Town Retreat

This renovated 1920s home in the heart of Baton Rouge’s historic Beauregard Town is within walking distance to the Raising Cane’s River Center, the Mississippi River levee and downtown events. This downtown cottage is in the top 5% of eligible listings based on ratings, reviews and reliability. It has one bedroom, two beds and one bathroom for $169 a night.

Notable luxury

Kenmore House

Designed and owned by celebrity designer and HGTV alum Kenneth Brown, this luxury Hundred Oaks home is outﬁtted with top-of-theline furnishings and stocked with high-end amenities. It’s in the top 1% of properties based on ratings, reviews and reliability This home’s special features include a glassed-in patio looking out over beautiful oak trees and a landscaped outdoor entertaining area. It comes with three bedrooms, three beds and two bathrooms for $325 per night.

Living large in luxury

This century-old Garden District Tudor home looks like it’s straight out of a fairy tale. In the top 5% of properties based on ratings, reviews and reliability, this renovated, chic house is a rare ﬁnd Perfect for a large group of up to 12 people, the home delivers on space and amenities, including a heated pool. It comes with three bed-

care about it,” said Mary Lee Orr, executive director of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network. “They need to let the governor know Baton Rouge Water Company know, their representatives, their senators know that they really want to preserve this aquifer because if there isn’t positive input from people, then the people in leadership think it’s okay if it goes away.”

At the event set for June 14, people will hear from speakers, including Gary Beard, director of the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District. There will be resources there which will provide more information, encourage participants to call their local representatives and test their own water

“The bottom line is we need to care for each other, and that means taking care of the water,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with having industry and making things as long as we are in line with taking care of what is needed to live. There’s not gonna be industry if people are not around.”

The Global Water Dance will take place on June 14, 2025 at LSU’s Hilltop Arboretum at 10:30 a.m., located at 11855 Highland Road. Participants are encouraged to carpool as parking will be limited. Text Standifer at (225) 317-4365 for more information. She is looking for both dancers and volunteers to staff information tables. No dance experience is required.

Email Serena Puang at serena.puang@ theadvocate.com.

rooms, seven beds and four baths for $429 per night

Something different

Treehouse cabin vibes

This home is giving treehouse vibes in the city. Located in the Capital Heights neighborhood, the owners call it the “Treehouse” because it is an elevated home surrounded by mature trees. Exposed wood throughout brings a cabin feel. It comes with one bedroom, two beds and one bathroom for $140 per night.

Chef’s dream kitchen

For a weekend of gourmet feasting for a festive group, this house features a chef’s kitchen equipped with highend appliances, ample countertop space and a large galley, cookware, pots, utensils and knives. For outdoor gatherings, this house also includes a massive covered outdoor kitchen. Families love this spot, which is in the top 10% based on ratings, reviews and reliability For $450 a night, it comes with four bedrooms, five beds and two bathrooms.

Prices listed represent current listing prices and ﬂuctuate. They do not include additional fees.

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday, April 22, the 112th day of 2025. There are 253 days left in the year

Today in history:

On April 22, 1889, the Oklahoma Land Rush began at noon as thousands of homesteaders staked claims to nearly 1.9 million acres of land that was formerly part of Indian Territory By the end of the day, the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie were established with as many as 10,000 settlers each.

On this date: In 1954, the publicly televised sessions of the Senate Army-McCarthy hearings began.

In 2000, in a dramatic predawn raid, armed immigration agents seized 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban boy at the center of a custody dispute, from his relatives’ home in Miami. Elian was reunited

LUSH

Continued from page 5C

to control than a weed that’s freshly germinated,” DeBoer said.

Carefully read the label directions of the product you intend to apply Labels will tell you which weeds the product is labeled for, which grasses it can safely be used on and other critical details.

“A lot of herbicides will have directions saying not to spray if the ambient temperature is 85 F or warmer, so you have to pay attention to the outdoor temperature,” DeBoer said Also, be mindful of application instructions. Herbicides come in liquid and granular forms. If you’re using a granular product, the label likely will direct you to apply it after you’ve irrigated the yard or following rain or heavy dew

with his father at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington. In 2005, Zacarias Moussaoui pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom outside Washington, D.C., to conspiring with the Sept. 11 hijackers to kill Americans. (Moussaoui was sentenced to life in prison in May 2006.)

In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, operated by BP sank into the Gulf of Mexico two days after a massive explosion that killed 11 workers. Today’s birthdays: Actor Jack Nicholson is 88. Singer Mel Carter is 86. Author Janet Evanovich is 82. Filmmaker John Waters is 79. Basketball Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood is 76. Singer Peter Frampton is 75. Actor-comedian Ryan Stiles is 66. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan is 59. Actor Sheryl Lee is 58. Actor-talk show host Sherri Shepherd is 58.

“The idea is that the granules stick to the leaves to deliver the herbicide,” DeBoer said. On the fertilization front, carefully following directions is important, too. Read the product label to see how much should be applied to your yard and adjust the dial on your spreader accordingly to set the correct application rate. There are lots of formulations of fertilizer out there. DeBoer suggests looking for something that is higher in nitrogen and lower in other nutrients such as phosphorous.

“Nitrogen is the most important nutrient to get out in the spring,” he said. Keep up with regular mowing and irrigate as needed as spring and summer wear on. Along with fertilization, these steps promote a healthy vigorously growing lawn that can outcompete unattractive weeds.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Charming exterior of Tudor Airbnb

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Keep moving. Idle time is your enemy today. Too much time to think, complain or get into trouble will prevent you from taking care of business. A physical change will boost your confidence.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Broaden your horizons, participate in thought-provoking events and get in touch with people who can offer experience and hands-on help. However, find out what's expected of you before you embark on a project.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Zero in on what's important to you instead of lurking around the outer perimeters of situations. Speak openly from the heart and directly to those most likely to tell the truth.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Finish what you start, do things by the book and take responsibility for yourself, your words and your actions. Arguing will waste time and deter you from reaching your objective or destination.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) You are overdue for a change. Look at yourself, what you do and the goals you want to achieve A positive attitude will outweigh negativity and anger.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Take a break. Get out and mingle, network or participate in something that motivates or stimulates you to give your all. Now is the time to express yourself with confidence, not to hesitate.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Accept change and keep moving forward. How you

deal with what's happening around you will determine how others perceive you and your influence on your goals.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Social events will result in heartfelt discussions that give you something to think about. Be careful about what you agree to do. A project will require time and effort.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take care of financial matters, apply for a position that interests you and manage your health care with finesse. Don't leave anything to chance or up to someone else.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Look at the long-term effects and pace yourself accordingly. Refuse to let someone drag you into their drama when you are best off working on benefits you most.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Make changes that improve your lifestyle and health. Discipline and saying no to temptation is essential Micromanagement, along with common sense, will help stabilize your life.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Take advantage of an opportunity to discuss your interests and how to use your skills to market yourself effectively. Think outside the box, and you'll discover how to diversify and update your skills.

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

toDAy's cLuE: y EQuALs A

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject 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. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

Jim Rohn, an entrepreneur and motivational speaker who died in 2009, said, “Ifyou don’t design your ownlifeplan, chancesareyou’llfallintosomeoneelse’s plan. And guess what they have planned foryou? Notmuch.”

If you don’t design your owndeclarerplay plan, chances are you’ll fallinto the defenders’ plan. And guesswhat they have in store foryou? Down one.

In this deal, how shouldSouth play in four spades afterWest leads the diamond jack?

South was sorelytempted to rebid three no-trump, wondering if his side could take ninetricks in either no-trump or spades. But here that wouldnot have worked well. East would have led the club queen, and the defenderswould have taken four clubs and one heart for down one.

Southstartswith four potential losers: one heart, one diamondand twoclubs He has nine winners: six spades,one heart and two diamonds. Where might the 10thtrick comefrom?

He can get an extra trick if West has the heart ace or East has the club ace.

Declarermusttakethefirsttrickinhis hand with theace, retaining dummy’s kingasalaterentry.Hedrawsoneround oftrumps,thenplaysahearttodummy’s queen. If East couldtake the trickwith theace, South wouldneed East also to hold the club ace; otherwise, declarer wouldbecondemned to downone. Here, though, the queen holds.South then drawstrumps and leads hissecond heart, establishinghis 10th trick. Plan the play at trick one. ©2025 by NEA,Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel

Syndication

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

Previous answers: wuzzles

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters 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, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed

toDAy’s WoRD cHEcKERED: CHEK-erd: Marked by alternating squaresof different colors, shades or materials

Average mark20words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 26 or morewords in CHECKERED?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —MyRIADs

maid myriad yard raid airy amid amir arid arms army dairy dais daisy diary disarm dismay dram dray said sari

send

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

Walgreens settles opioid allegations

Walgreens Boots Alliance has agreed to pay $300 million to settleallegations that itfilled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioidsand other controlled substances and illegally billed federal programs such as Medicare forthose medications, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday

The federal government had alleged that Deerfield,Illinoisbased Walgreens filled prescriptions with “egregious red flags,” accordingtoan amended complaint filed last week in U.S District Courtfor theNorthern District of Illinois. The governmentalleged that Walgreens filled prescriptions with high dosages of opioids, filled prescriptionsfor the drugs too early,and filled prescriptions for adangerous combination of three drugs, from late 2013 to early 2023,according to the complaint.

Walgreens has deniedthe allegations.The settlement agreement does not include any admission of wrongdoing orliabilitybyWalgreens.

FTC sues Uber over subscriber enrollment

The U.S. Federal Trade Commissionﬁled alawsuit against Uber on Monday,alleging that it enrolled consumers in its Uber One subscription programwithout their consentand made it too difﬁcult for them to cancel the service.

Uber One members pay $9.99 per month or $96 per year for a range of services, includingfeefree Uber Eats food deliveries and cash back when they take Uberrides.

In its lawsuit, the FTC said multiple customers complained thatUber signed them up for Uber One without theirpermission or charged them forthe service before afree trial period wasover.Inatleast one case, apersonwas charged$9.99 per month even though they didn’t have an Uber account,the lawsuit said. The FTCsaid Uber also made it extremely difficult for subscribers to cancel Uber One. TheagencysaidUberrequires customers to take at least 12 differentactions on at least seven screens to cancel theservice. Cancellation gets evenharder for consumers within 48 hours of their billingdate, the FTC said, requiring them to navigate as many as 23 screensand still contact customer service

In astatement, Uber saidit was disappointedthatthe FTC chose to move forwardwith thelawsuit.Uber said its signup and cancellation processis clear,simple and lawful.

Google faces offwith government in court

Google is confronting an existential threat as the U.S. government tries to break up the company as punishment for turning its revolutionary searchengineintoanillegal monopoly

The drama began to unfold Monday in aWashington courtroom as three weeks of hearingskicked off to determine how thecompany should be penalized for operating amonopoly in search. In its opening arguments,federal antitrust enforcers also urged thecourt to impose forward-looking remediestoprevent Googlefrom usingartiﬁcialintelligence to further its dominance.

The U.S. Department of Justiceisasking afederal judge to order aradical shake-up that wouldban Googlefrom striking themultibillion dollar deals withApple and other techcompanies that shield its search engine from competition, share its repository of valuable user data with rivalsand forceasale of its popular Chrome browser Google’sattorney,John Schmidtlein, said in his opening statement that the court should take amuch lighter touch. He said the government’s heavyhanded proposedremedies wouldn’tboost competition but insteadunfairly reward lesser rivals with inferior technology

Wall Street fallsasinvestors retreatfurther

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK Wall Street weakened

Monday as investorsworldwide get more skeptical about U.S. investmentsbecause of President Donald Trump’strade war and his criticism of theFederal Reserve, which areshaking the traditional order

The S&P 500 sank again. That yanked the index that’satthe center of many 401(k) accounts 16% below therecord it set two months ago.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped, while losses for Teslaand Nvidiahelpeddragthe Nasdaq composite down. Perhapsmore worryingly,U.S.

governmentbonds andthe value of theU.S.dollaralso sank as prices retreated across U.S. markets. It’s an unusual movebecause Treasurys and the dollar have historically strengthened during episodes of nervousness. This time around, though, it’spolicies directly from Washington that are causingthe fear andpotentiallyweakening their reputations as some of theworld’ssafest investments.

Trump continued his tough talk on globaltrade as economists and investorscontinuetosay hisstiff proposedtariffs could cause arecessionifthey’re not rolled back. U.S. talkslastweek with Japan failed to reach aquickdeal that could lower tariffs and protect theeconomy,and they’re seen as

a“testcase,” according to Thierry Wizman, astrategist at Macquarie.

“The goldenrule of negotiating and success: He who has thegold makes the rules,” Trump said in allcapitalized letters on his Truth Social Network.Healso said that “the businessmen who criticize tariffs are bad at business, but really bad at politics,” likewise in all caps.

Alsohanging over the market areworriesabout Trump’sanger at Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Trump last week criticized Powell again for notcutting interest rates sooner to give the economy morejuice. The Fed has been resistant to lowering rates too quickly because it does notwanttoallowinﬂationto

reaccelerate after slowing nearly all the way downtoits 2% goal from morethan9%three years ago. Trump talked Monday about a slowdown for the U.S. economy that could be coming unless “Mr TooLate, amajor loser, lowers interest rates, NOW.” Amove by Trump to fire Powell would likely send aboltoffear throughfinancialmarkets. While Wall Street loveslower rates, largely because they boost stock prices, the bigger worry would be that aless independent Fed would be less effective at keeping inflation undercontrol.Sucha move could further weaken, if not kill, the United States’ reputation as the world’ssafest place to keep cash.

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP retail writer

NEWYORK— Stores selling secondhand clothes, shoes and accessories are poised to beneﬁt from President Donald Trump’strade war even as businesses theworld over race to avert potential damage, according to industry experts.

American styles carry international inﬂuence, but nearly all of the clothing sold domestically ismadeelsewhere.The Yale University Budget Lab last week estimated short-term consumer price increases of 65% forclothes and 87% for leather goods, notingU.S. tariffs “disproportionately affect” those goods.

Such pricehikes may drive cost-conscious shoppers to online resale sites, consignment boutiques and thrift stores in search of bargains or away to turn their wardrobes into cash. Used items costlessthan their new equivalents andwould be subject to tariffs only if they comefrom outside the country

“I think resale is going to grow in amarket

BY ANNIE MA AP education writer

WASHINGTON— The Education Departmentwill begincollection next monthonstudent loans that are in default, including thegarnishing of wages for potentially millionsof borrowers, ofﬁcials said Monday Currently,roughly 5.3 million borrowers are indefault on their federal student loans. The Trump administration’sannouncement marks an endtoaperiod of leniency thatbegan during

thatisdeclining,”said Kristen Classi-Zummo, an apparel industry analyst at market researchﬁrm Circana. “What Ithink is going to continue to win in this chaotic environmentare channels that bring value.”

Theoutlook for pre-owned fashion neverthelesscomes with unknowns,including whetherthe president’stariffs will stay long enough to pinch consumers andchange their behavior.It’salso unclear whether secondhand purveyorswill increasetheir own prices,either to mirror theoverall market or in response to shopper demand

The secondhand clothing market already was ﬂourishing before thespecter of tariffs bedeviled theU.S. fashion industry.Managementconsulting ﬁrm McKinsey and Co. predicted after the COVID-19pandemic that global revenue from pre-owned fashion would grow11times faster than retail apparel sales by this year as shoppers looked to save money or spend it in amore environmentally conscious way

Whilemillennialsand membersofGeneration Zwere known as the primary buyers of

used clothing, data from market research ﬁrm Sensor Towershows the audience may be expanding.

The number of mobile app downloads for nine resale marketplaces the ﬁrm tracks— eBay,OfferUp, Poshmark, Mercari, Craigslist, Depop, ThredUp, TheRealReal and Vinted —increased by 3% between January andthe endofMarch,the ﬁrst quarterlygain in three years, Sensor Tower said.

The ﬁrm estimates downloads of the apps foreBay,Depop,ThredUp andThe RealReal also surged compared with ayear earlier forthe week of March 31, which was when Trump unveiledsince-pausedpunitive tariffs on dozens of countries.

Circana’sClassi-Zummo said that while customersusedtoseek outcollectible or unusual vintage pieces to supplement their wardrobes, she has noticed moreshoppers turning to secondhand sites to replace regular fashion items.

“It’sstill acheaper option” than buying new,even though retailers offerdiscounts, she said.

the COVID-19 pandemic.Nofederal student loans have been referred for collection sinceMarch 2020, including those in default.

Under President Joe Biden, the Education Department tried multiple times to forgive millions of people’s student loans, only to be stopped by courts.

“American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” Education SecretaryLinda McMahon said.

Beginning May 5, the department willbegin involuntary collection through the Treasury Department’soffset program, which withholds payments from the government —including tax refunds federal salaries and other beneﬁts

—from people withpast-due debts to thegovernment. After a30-day notice, the department will also begin garnishing wages for borrowers in default. The decision to send debt to collections drew criticism from advocates.

“This is cruel, unnecessary and will further fanthe ﬂames of economicchaos for working families acrossthiscountry,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center

Already,many borrowers have been bracing forobligations coming due.

In 2020, President Donald Trump paused federalstudentloanpaymentsand interest accrual as a

temporary reliefmeasure for student borrowers. The pause in payments was extendedmultiple times by the Biden administration through 2023, and aﬁnal grace period forloan repayments ended in October.That meant tens of millionsofAmericanshad to start making payments again. Borrowers who don’tmakepayments for nine months go into default, whichisreportedontheir credit scores and can go to collections.

In addition to theborrowers already in default, around another 4 million are between 91 to 180 days late on their loan payments. Less than 40% of all borrowers are current on theirstudent loans, departmentofﬁcials said.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByDAVID ZALUBOWSKI