Teachers and faculty check
A renovated and upgraded lounge greeted teachers at Myrtle Place Elementary on Monday, the first day of Teacher Appreciation Week. Parents raised $4,000 and worked in the lounge painting, upgrading appliances, doing plumbing work, hanging artwork and installing new furniture.
Boulet administration credited with cleaning up prior issues
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
An independent audit of Lafayette Consolidated Government for the fiscal year that ended Oct. 31 suggests the administration of Mayor-President Monique Boulet continues to clean up problems created under her predecessor The audit reveals 11 problems, down from 29 two years ago under then-Mayor-President Josh Guillory, who Boulet defeated in November 2023. She took office in January 2024. The Guillory administration disagreed with most of the 29 findings in 2022. Only two new minor problems are noted by the auditors with Kolder, Slaven & Company, both pertaining to federal program compliance under the Boulet administration One is related to travel documentation; the other to failing to verify vendor qualifications.
LCG is called out for a problem first noted in the 2023 audit under Guillory, a possible violation of the Home Rule Charter and legislation that prohibits spending city money for projects outside the city limits. Specifically, LCG has a grant-related fund in a consolidated cash account. In 2023, the account had a $26.9 million overdraft, most of it related to construction of detention ponds outside the city of Lafayette. The pooled cash account contains funds that have had “significant cash overdrafts”
Louisiana’s governor could soon have more latitude on who to appoint to 32 of the state’s occupational licensing boards and commissions, including those that oversee accountants, plumbers, nursing home administrators, contractors, psychologists and engineers, among a slew of other professions.
Current law requires the governor to appoint some members of these boards from lists of candidates put forward by industry trade associations.
BY REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press
WASHINGTON Pushing forward with its mass deportation agenda, President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it would pay $1,000 to immigrants who are in the United States illegally and return to their home country voluntarily
The Department of Homeland Security said in a news release
that it would also pay for travel assistance, and that people who use an app called CBP Home to tell the government they plan to return home will be “deprioritized” for detention and removal by immigration enforcement.
“If you are here illegally, selfdeportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,”
Secretary Kristi Noem said. “DHS is now offering illegal aliens finan-
cial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App.”
The department said it had already paid for a plane ticket for one migrant to return home to Honduras from Chicago and said more tickets have been booked for this week and next.
Trump made immigration enforcement and the mass deportation of immigrants in the United States illegally a centerpiece of
his campaign, and he is following through during the first months of his administration. But it is a costly resource-intensive endeavor
While the Republican administration is asking Congress for a massive increase in resources for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement department responsible for removing people from the country, it’s also pushing people in the country illegally to “self-deport.” It has coupled this self-deporta-
tion push with television ads threatening action against people in the U.S. illegally and social media images showing immigration enforcement arrests and migrants being sent to a prison in El Salvador
The Trump administration has often portrayed self-deportation as a way for migrants to preserve their ability to return to the United States someday, and the president
ä See TRUMP, page 4A
BY MEGAN WYATT and COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writers
Lake Charles is the latest city in Louisiana to follow a trend of ousting an incumbent mayor, with voters electing Marshall Simien Jr over the weekend as the city’s first elected Black mayor Simien, an Independent, won the city’s mayoral runoff with 52% of the vote against two-term incumbent Republican Nicholas “Nic” Hunter, who received 48% The margin between them was about 650 votes, according to complete but unofficial results from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.
Voter turnout was 32% — a single percentage point higher than the March 29 primary
Despite the uphill odds he faced in defeating a two-term incumbent, Simien said Saturday’s runoff ended as he expected.
“It’s important that the Black community felt that their vote counted,” Simien said in his first interview with The Advocate since winning the election. “Throughout the years, since I was a little boy a lot of people thought that even if they went out and voted that their voices weren’t being heard.
“It’s also significant to me personally that we had a significant
crossover vote, too,” he added.
“It wasn’t just a Black mayor or a White mayor This is a mayor for all of Lake Charles, which is consistent with the theme that we have had for this election that we had to become one Lake Charles in order to thrive and survive.”
John Couvillon, a Baton Rougebased pollster and political analyst who closely watches elections across the state, said it’s tough to run as a Republican in Lake Charles. Although Calcasieu Parish leans Republican, most of the parish’s Black residents live in the city and lean Democrat, he said.
“Understanding the atmospherics of that is important when talking about Mayor Hunter’s loss,” Couvillon said. “I also have the opinion that Marshall Simien running as an Independent as opposed to a Democrat helped him.”
Lake Charles has had one Black mayor before, though he never appeared at the ballot box for the race. Rodney Geyen, former president of the City Council, served as the city’s first Black mayor in 1999 and 2000 after former Mayor Willie Mount left office to serve in the state Senate.
Simien, 63, will take office July 1.
For his part, Hunter said he was surprised by the results, though he accepted them
about in the latest offer from Homeland Security.
“But it’s politics,” said Hunter 41. “And in this situation, they just had a better hand and better cards I lost fair and square.”
There may be incumbent fatigue among Louisiana voters, Couvillon said.
In December, newcomer Republican Sid Edwards unseated twotime incumbent Democrat Sharon Weston Broome for mayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish. The same thing has happened with mayoral races in Alexandria, Shreveport and Monroe.
“If you’re an incumbent mayor, you better have a good record to run on,” Couvillon said. “Because voters are not automatically going to vote to reelect you.”
Some say Simien’s election is especially meaningful.
When Dianna Guilbeaux Ross, of Lake Charles, learned that Simien would be the next mayor, she said felt like she did when former President Barack Obama won his first presidential election.
Ross said she never thought in her lifetime that she would see a Black president.
“But in the city of Lake Charles to have 30 mayors in a 250-year history, and not one of them be African American was just insane,” she said. “So, I feel blessed and fortunate to be here to see it.”
so that there are no repercussions for people in immigration court if they leave, he said.
Some southwest Louisiana community members have concerns that Simien may not carry on some of Hunter’s initiatives.
While Calcasieu Parish residents Jack and Rina Joshlin don’t live in Lake Charles, they spent a lot of time working with Hunter while he was mayor as he assisted in building and promoting the IT community in Lake Charles.
“One of my biggest fears of the new mayor is we may not get the support in the technology-based STEM outreach tech sector in our communities,” said Jack Joshlin. “One of the things I feel (Hunter) had done a real good job of was making sure the community as a whole was moving forward, instead of just staying the same.”
Ross has known both candidates separately for most of her 24 years in Lake Charles. She was a Simien supporter for the mayoral election, but said Hunter is a good man who did all that he could for the city
“I thank him for his sacrifice, because most people just don’t know and understand the sacrifice that a person who’s in public service makes,” Ross said. “You have to
put up with those that like you and those that don’t, those that criticize you and have nothing good to say about you at all, but you still have to show up everywhere, and you still have to be that person.”
Some quibbled with Hunter over a recent post and text from his team about “out of state liberals” trying to influence the race. Hunter said after the election that his campaign’s push about The New Southern Majority Political Action Committee’s involvement in the race was honest, and he doesn’t know if it contributed to the outcome.
“You could dissect it 100 different ways,” Hunter said. “At the end of the day we lost the race. I don’t know of anything that could have been done different.”
What’s next for Hunter, a partner in the restaurant Villa Harlequin, remains to be seen. He said his immediate plans are to spend time with his wife and their three children.
Hunter said he was proud of many accomplishments. They included his hurricane and storm recovery efforts, infrastructure projects, partnerships with the university and community college, a public-private park initiative, the Port Wonder and Crying Eagle projects on the lakefront and the fiscal soundness of the city
himself suggested it on Monday while speaking to reporters at the White House. He said immigrants who “self-deport” and leave the U.S. might have a chance to return legally eventually “if they’re good people” and “love our country.”
But Aaron Reichlen-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, which advocates for immigrants, said there’s a lot for migrants to be cautious
Continued from page 1A
For example, the governor must select three members of the Board of Examiners of Nursing Facility Administrators from a list provided by the Louisiana Nursing Home Association. And the governor’s five appointments to the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists must come from the Louisiana Psychological Association. In another example, the governor must choose members of the State Licensing Board for Contractors from candidate lists put forward by several contractor trade associations, such as Associated Builders and Contractors of Louisiana and the Louisiana Council of the National Electrical Contractors Association House Bill 603 would change the law so that the governor’s appointments to occupational licensing board could come from trade associations on an optional rather than mandatory basis. It passed the state House on Monday and next moves to the Senate for consideration.
“Occupational licensing
Continued from page 1A
covered by other funds containing revenue from dedicated city of Lafayette sales and property taxes and grants, which may violate the intended purposes of the tax measures.
The city-parish attorney is reviewing the tax dedications to determine if the projects are allowed under the city’s tax dedications approved by voters, LCG responded.
The auditors repeated a finding from 2022 and 2023 questioning whether more than $5.8 million from two city sales taxes dedicated for capital projects in the city of Lafayette were improperly used to pay for projects outside the city during the Guillory administration.
Specifically, city sales tax revenue was spent on a controversial St. Martin Parish spoil bank removal project,
He said it’s often worse for people to leave the country and not fight their case in immigration court, especially if they’re already in removal proceedings. He said if migrants are in removal proceedings and don’t show up in court they can automatically get a deportation order and leaving the country usually counts as abandoning many applications for relief including asylum applications. And Homeland Security is not indicating that it is closely coordinating with the immigration courts
boards exist to protect the consumer Associations exist to represent the industry,” said bill sponsor Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge. “Allowing associations to decide who can be on their regulatory board is a direct conflict with the licensing boards obligation to protect the consumer.”
The 32 licensing boards included in the bill are those where the governor’s appointees are required to come from related trade associations, McMakin said.
He noted the bill would allow trade associations to offer recommendations to the governor but it would also create guardrails to ensure there is not an active market takeover of a regulatory authority.”
The governor’s board appointments would still be subject to any professional qualifications required by law
The Louisiana Association of Substance Abuse Counselors and Trainers opposes the change over concerns that appointments could become political and that candidates wouldn’t undergo thorough vetting by the association, said LASACT CEO Marolon Mangham.
LASACT nominates six of eight members of Addictive
the Homewood/Coulee Ile des Cannes detention pond projects, a comprehensive stormwater plan for the parish and a $402,723 legal settlement to people who leased property acquired for the Homewood/Coulee Ile des Cannes detention ponds.
LCG officials during the Guillory administration said they were allowed to spend city revenue on projects outside the city if the projects benefit the city, citing an Attorney General’s Office opinion that said a municipality may allocate grant funds to a business outside the corporate limits so long as the grant money is used to ultimately benefit the city
The possible misuse of parish drainage funds is another finding that initially occurred in 2022. LCG used an as-needed excavation contract to respond to a tire fire at a landfill in Scott and to build the L-17 detention pond. The $1.15 million invoice submitted by the con-
“People’s immigration status is not as simple as this makes it out to be,” Reichlen-Melnick said.
He questioned where Homeland Security would get the money and the authorization to make the payments and he suggested they are necessary because the administration can’t arrest and remove as many people as it has promised so it has to encourage people to do it on their own.
“They’re not getting their numbers,” he said.
Disorder Regulatory Authority, which oversees addiction counselors.
“Usually a board like ours is so nonpolitical that it would be a real shame to just put political appointments,” Mangham said, adding that the association ensures members have proper credentials and demonstrated competency in the field.
Gov Jeff Landry’s office went on record in support of the legislation during a public hearing on the bill last month, but on Monday declined to comment further on that support.
“Too often, licensure boards are made up solely of representatives from the industries they oversee,” said Daniel Erspamer, CEO of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, a conservative Louisiana think tank that is backing the change.
“Efforts to democratize these boards and add more consumer members in the regulatory process are good for everyone involved especially Louisiana’s emerging entrepreneurs,” he said.
Lawmakers have recently given the governor more authority over many state boards and commissions. Last year, a new law gave the state’s chief execu-
tractor did not differentiate the cost for each project.
LCG used $1 million from the environmental services fund and $159,600 from the parishwide drainage maintenance fund. Supporting documentation and information provided to the auditors by LCG were not sufficient to determine whether the detention pond was a valid drainage project, the auditors wrote.
Officials agreed to look into the matter
Another finding that was initially reported in 2023 involves missing fixed assets from the Lafayette Utilities System communications (fiber) division. A police report for 62 unaccounted-for assets was submitted in December Also in 2023, under Guillory, 25 Amazon Fire TV sticks used to stream movies and TV — could not be found. A new warehouse supervisor was hired in November, LCG responded, and a police report is being filed.
As part of its self-deportation effort, the Trump administration has transformed an app that had been used by the Biden administration to allow nearly 1 million migrants to schedule appointments to enter the country into a tool to help migrants return home. Under the Biden administration, it was called CBP One; now it’s dubbed CBP Home.
Homeland Security said “thousands” of migrants have used the app to self-deport. But Mark Krikorian, who heads the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for less im-
tive authority to name the chairs of nearly 150 state boards.
“This continues the trend of the governor consolidating power of boards and
migration, said he doesn’t see the offer of paying people to go home as an admission that something in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda isn’t working. Considering the millions of people who are in the country illegally, he said, it’s impossible to deport all of them, so the administration has to combine its own enforcement efforts with encouraging people to go home voluntarily Krikorian said he supports the idea of paying migrants to leave, although he questioned how it would work in reality
commissions,” said Steven Procopio, president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, of House Bill 603. But, Procopio added, there
has to be a balance between the expertise trade associations provide and the real or perceived conflict of these organizations regulating themselves.
BY FERNANDAFIGUEROA
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas Cinco de Mayo festivities werecelebrated place across the U.S. withmusic, tacos, tequila and colorful displays of Mexican culture —even if they’re not always the most authentic The day falls on aMonday this year,meaning the bulk of the celebrations took place over the weekend. In California, astate with alarge Mexican American population, there was amix of art displays, classic car shows, parades and foodtruck offerings.
In Austin, Texas,events included an opportunityfor children to get theirphoto taken with characters from the Disney animated musical “Encanto,” which wasinspired by Colombian culture but celebrates broader Latino cultures. Aluncheon with speakers talking about the significance of theMexican holiday andMexicanAmericans in Austin was planned for Monday Here’s alook at the celebration and its roots: Cinco de Mayo marks the anniversary of the 1862 victory by Mexican troops over invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla. The triumph over the betterequipped and much larger French troops wasanenormous emotional boost for Mexican soldiers led by Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza.
In Mexico, historical re-
3,
de Mayo celebrationatthe yorktown Spanish SchoolinDallas.
enactmentsare heldannually in the centralcity of Puebla to commemorate the victory.Participantsdress as Mexican andFrenchtroops, and as Zacapoaxtlas —the Indigenous and farmer contingent that helped Mexican troops win.
In the United States the date is seen as acelebrationof Mexican American culture, stretching back to the 1800s in California. Festivities typically include parades, street food, block parties, mariachi competitions and baile folklórico, or folkloric ballet, withwhirlingdancers wearing bright, ruffled dresses and their hair tied with shiny ribbons.
Latinoactivists and scholars say that disconnect in the U.S. is bolstered by the hazy history of Cinco de Mayo, andmarketing that plays on stereotypes that include
fake,droopymustachesand gigantic,colorful sombreros. Theday often is mistakenfor Mexican Independence Day which is in September
Formany Americans with or withoutMexican ancestry, the dayisanexcuse to toss back tequila shotsand gorge on tortilla chips,nachos and tacos
The celebrations in theU.S. startedasaway for Mexican Americanstopreserve their cultural identity,said Sehila MotaCasper,director of Latinos in Heritage Conservation.
“Sincethen we’ve seen a shift to more commercialization andcommodification andmockery over the years,” MotaCasper said. “I think that hasalot to do withthe commercialization of products and especially Latino heritage.”
MotaCasper encourages
people to learn about that dayinhistory andits importance in Mexico.
Jacob Troncoza, 49, said he celebrates Cinco de Mayo in his household because he’s proud of his Mexican ancestry
“I trytomakesurethat the kids understand what it’s about,which was the revolution, the war,and the battles thatour grandfathers fought on,” said Troncoza, whowas born in east Los Angeles.
Others, like AndreaRuiz don’tbecause her Mexican dad never did. But she noted what she deemed the ironyin widespread celebrations “I think it’sfunny Trump… and all of his supporters want to getMexicansout, call them criminals,but then on Cinco de Mayo, theywant to go and eat tacos and drink tequila,” the 23-year-old Ruizsaid.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has continued to label Mexican immigrantsascriminals and gang members.He’salso sought to end birthright citizenship, renamed the Gulf of Mexico to theGulf of America andendedthe federal government’sdiversity,equity and inclusion programs.
Trump acknowledged Cinco de Mayo during his first term, posting on X, “Happy #CincoDeMayo!” and “I love Hispanics!”ashesat with a “taco bowl.” In thelastpresidential election, data showed moreyoung Hispanic men moved to the right and voted for Trump.
By The AssociatedPress
ISLAMABAD— Iran’sforeign minister held talks with top Pakistani officials on Monday to try and mediate in the escalation between Islamabad and New Delhi after last month’s deadly attack on tourists in theIndian-controlled partof Kashmir,asthe United Nations urged both sides to exercise restraint. Abbas Araghchi’svisit to Islamabad was the first by a
foreign dignitary since tensions flared inthe wake of the April 22 massacreof26 people, mostofthemIndian Hindu tourists, in the town of Pahalgam, which India blames on Pakistan.Islamabad denies the accusation. Tehran has offered to help ease tensions betweenthe nuclear-armed neighbors. Araghchi heldseparate meetings with President Asif AliZardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who
thanked him for his peace efforts,according to government statements. Araghchi will visit India this week, according to Pakistani staterun media.
Antonio Guterres, the U.N. SecretaryGeneral, also urgedbothsides laterMondaytoexercise restraint: “Make no mistake: Amilitary solution is no solution,” he told reporters. “Now is thetime for maximum restraint andstep-
ping back from thebrink,” Guterres said. “The United Nations stands readytosupport any initiative thatpromotes deescalation, diplomacy,and arenewed commitment to peace.” Islamabad hasoffered to cooperate with an international investigation. India hasn’taccepted the offer so far,and severalworldleaders have urgedboth sides to showrestraint and avoid furtherescalation.
New York Times won four Pulitzer Prizes and the New Yorker three on Monday for journalism in 2024 that touched on topics like the fentanyl crisis, the U.S. military and last summer’sassassinationattempt on President Donald Trump.
ThePulitzers’prestigious public service medal went to ProPublica for the secondstraight year.Kavitha Surana, Lizzie Presser,Cassandra Jaramillo and Stacy Kranitz werehonored for reportingonpregnant womenwho died after doctors delayed urgent care in states withstrict abortion laws.
The Washington Post won for“urgent andilluminating” breaking news coverage of the Trump assassination attempt. ThePulitzers honored Ann Telnaes, who quit the Post in January after the newsoutlet refused to run her editorial cartoon lampooning tech chiefs —including Post owner JeffBezos —cozying up to Trump. The Pulitzers praised her “fearlessness.”
The Pulitzers honored the best in journalism from 2024in15categories, along with eight arts categories including books, music and theater. The public service winnerreceives agold medal. All otherwinners receive $15,000. TheNew York Times showed itsbreadth with awards honoring reportingfromAfghanistan, Sudan, Baltimore and Butler, Pennsylvania. Doug Mills won in breaking news photographyfor hispictures of the Trumpassassination attempt, including one that captureda bulletinthe air near the Republican candidate.
The Times’Azam Ahmed and Christina Goldbaum andcontributingwriter Matthieu Aikins won an
explanatory reporting prize for examining U.S. policyfailures in Afghanistan. Declan Walsh and the Times’ staff won for an investigation intothe Sudan conflict.
The Times was also part of acollaboration with The BaltimoreBanner, whose reporters Alissa Zhu, Nick Thiemeand Jessica Gallagher woninlocal reporting for stories on that city’sfentanyl crisis and its disproportionate affect on Black men. The Banner wascreated threeyears ago, with several staffers whohad leftthe Baltimore Sun.
The Banner created astatistical modelthat it shared with journalists in cities like Boston, Chicago and SanFrancisco forstories there, she said.
Reuterswon forits own investigative series on fentanyl, showing how lax regulation both inside and outside theUnited States makes the drug inexpensive and widely available. inewsource.org in San Diego was afinalistinthe illustrated reporting and commentary category for its stories on fentanyl.
The NewYorker’sMosab Abu Toha wonfor his commentaries on Gaza.The magazine also won for its “In the Dark” podcast about the killing of Iraqi civilians by the U.S. military and in feature photography for Moises Saman’spictures of the Sednaya prison in Syria. The Wall Street Journal won aPulitzer for its reportingonElonMusk, “including his turn to conservativepolitics, his useof legal and illegal drugs and his private conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin,”the Pulitzer board said. The Journal wasalso afinalist forits “coolheaded” reporting on the plight of EvanGershkovich, who wasimprisoned in Russia.
LOUISIANA AT LARGE
On Thursday,LSU basketball
coach Kim Mulkey did something unexpected: Sheasked for help.
In aback room at Mansurs on theBoulevard,she met with eight Baton Rougewomen —not to talk about X’sand O’sbut about money.Some of the women were die-hard fans. At least one admitted she didn’tknow “what afree throw does.” That didn’tmatter Mulkey was there to explain how women’ssports survive in today’s world. Thanks to the transfer portal and the rise of name, image and likeness —which allows athletes to earn money while still in school —recruiting has become a high-stakes game.
Once the ladies took their seats, Champagne in hand, Mulkey who has “never had adrop of alcohol or coffee” —told them she’snot afundraiser and doesn’t enjoy playing that role.
To stay in the game, in every sense, Mulkey has got to figure outaway to supplement the money the women’sbasketball program gets from the LSU athletic department.
“I want to educate you in away where you understand what’s going on. LSU takes care of me, OK? Our coaches are well paid; I’m well paid,” Mulkey said. “But this NIL, here’sthe deal.” Mulkey gave acrash course on college sports economics —the tectonic shifts of NIL and the power and reach of “television money.”
“For all of us in athletics, we’ve got to pull for football, and we’ve got to pull for men’sbasketball because the NCAA Tournament is where the men in basketball get the money and we reap it. When we get to the College Football Playoffs, we reap it.”
Mulkey explained that none of the big women’sbasketball programs make money —not LSU, not UConn,not Tennessee, not even South Carolina, aprogram that generated nearly $5.9 million in revenue in fiscal year 2024. The program’sexpenses were at $11.5 million, resulting ina$5.6 million loss.
“Even thoughyou win national championshipsand you get to the tournament, there’snodollar value from TV that they’re payingthe same way they do for the men, right?” Mulkey said.
Most of the women gathered previously had understood NIL to mean that an individual player can get acontract with asponsor —like Olivia Dunne and Flau’jae Johnson havedone—and not that university athleticprograms had to guarantee top dollar to athletes to persuade them to sign on the dotted line.
For star players, Mulkey explained, the program itself has to offer what amounts to an annual salary —$400,000 or more for top women’splayers, and even higher for the men.
Recruiting wins like LSU getting former South Carolina player MiLaysia Fulwiley don’tcome cheap.When asked whataplayer like Fulwiley costs, Mulkey said “some kids can be $400,000. Some kids can be $500 grand.”
Jennifer Roberts, an LSU assistant coach who has been with Mulkey since her days at Louisiana Tech, said she organized the lunch to help get the word out.
“Kim is the only boss that I’ve ever had,”Roberts said. “I went straight to work for her (after college) and she is tired.”
These were seasoned lunchgoers, but this gathering wasn’t atypical midday meet-up. The conversation zigzagged. At times, it was hard to follow the many tangents. There were questions about how to ensure thatthe
BY JULIA GUILBEAU Staff writer
U.S. residents flyingdomestically willberequired to have aREAL ID-compliant license or identification card starting Wednesday ButasofThursday,nearly 1.25 millionLouisiana residents —or 30% of those with IDs— had obtained astate-issued REAL ID, according to the OfficeofMotor Vehicles. Louisiana hasabout 3.9 millionregistered driver’slicensesand identification cards, accordingtoOMV data. REAL IDs arelicenses or identificationcards that meet aset of federal security standards passed into lawin 2005 upon therecommendationofthe 9/11 Commission. Starting Wednesday, they will be required in ordertoaccess federal facilities, enter nuclear power plants and boardfederally regulated commercial aircrafts.
Though they differ slightly from state to state, mostREAL ID-compliant licenses, including those in Louisiana, have astaror another symbol in the top corner Louisiana’sIDhas ayellow star
surrounded by acircle. In thefirst four months of 2025, Louisiana issued over 180,000 REAL IDs amid aslew of computer system outages that caused longand frustrating waits for
residents. Thedelays, caused by the OMV’soutdated software system, finally improved in April thanks
In partnershipwith The Acadiana Advocate, the705 hasannounced the 16th annualTop 20 Under 40 Acadiana LeadershipAward honorees, presented by AdvancialFederalCreditUnion.The winnerswere recognizedFriday at an eventatthe University of Louisiana at Lafayette student union ballroom.
ABOVE: Top20Under 40 Awardwinners arehonored on Friday.
LEFT: Kevin Hall, presidentand publisher of Georges MediaGroup, speaksatthe event.
BYSTEPHEN
Thecity of St. Martinville will
Insteadof fluoride, lawmakersshould focusonpriorities
The current legislative sessionisracingtoward the finish, and lawmakers are considering ahost of bills, many tacklingthe state’sinsurancecrisis as well as important fiscal reforms. However, we’d like to see them pullthe plug ontwo fastmoving bills, which supporterssay aim at improving the health of Louisianans, but in reality do nothing of the sort and drain focusfrom the other,biggerissuesfacingthe state Senate Bill 2would ban the fluoridation of water in public water systemswith 5,000ormore people.While municipalitiescould petition for fluoride to be reinstated after avote, adding fluoride would be banned starting Jan. 1.The bill, authored by Sen. Mike Fesi, R-Houma,recently passed the Senate and is nowheaded to the House for avote.
Another Fesi bill, Senate Bill 19, would make ivermectin availableover the counter. The drug has been touted in some quarters as atreatment forCOVID andother ailments, but thereisno conclusive evidence of itsbenefitsother than to treat some parasitic worms and some skin conditions, as approved by the Food and Drug Administration. That bill has also passedthe Senate. Indeed, in afiscalsession, onemight wonder why we’re even messing with these bills atall. The issues they purport to addresswould certainly rank low amongthe serious health challenges, such as high ratesofmaternal mortality, that remain unaddressed in Louisiana,whichlast year was ranked as the second leasthealthy state in the union.
The Louisiana Department of Health is already backing away from aonce-successful regimeof childhood vaccinations.These two bills would continue that deleterioustrend againstsound medicine.
The undeniable fact is that fluoride helps prevent tooth decay.Inthe 80 yearssince widespread fluoridation of drinking waterbegan, dentalhealth has risen precipitously,and places with fluoridated waterconsistently boast considerably better oral health.
Nobody here is just saying trust the experts Instead, the imperative is to trust the actual empirical data. There is no goodevidencethat fluoride at the low levelsaddedtodrinking water poses any threat.
It’sone thing to allow doctors to prescribe ivermectin for off-label use. But why would anyone want to let individuals self-administera potentially dangerous drug without aphysician’s prescription?
The bills are in line withHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. KennedyJr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement. Increased focusonthe drivers of illness in theUnitedStates is welcome, but not health proposals based on conspiracy theories and bad science
There is amessage that bills like thesesendto therestofthe country and the world. Louisiana is at acrossroads, withour state making news for major new investments and economic activity.Weencourage lawmakerstobuild onthis momentum by focusing their energy on solving ourinsurance crisis, whichisthe biggest threat we face. We hatetosee debatesoverfluoridation and ivermectin take center stage when theydon’t help advance the prioritiesthat will help our state move forward.
Letters are
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.
YOUR VIEWS
Under the latest peace deal announced by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Ukraine would have to give up the territory thatRussia illegally took during the war,aswell as any chance for Ukraine to joinNATO. The Trump administration stated it would walk away if both sidesdidn’taccept its terms. This is absurd. Why should theaggressor,Russia, give up little or nothing and the victim, Ukraine, lose part of its country? Here’sa better idea: Call athree-monthtruce and have theUnited Nations, European Union and another independent entity monitor truly fair elections in Crimea. Let those residents vote peacefully and without threat or intimidation from either side. We can even send them our
voting machines to use. If two-thirdsvote (for acritical decision like this,asupermajority is required) to go to Russia, then Ukraine should give up Crimea. And vice versa. It would be apeaceful process to let those who actually live in the disputed territory have asay.IfRussia says “no vote,” then Ithink we know what we’re dealing withand should go full force in support of Ukraine. And if Ukraine says “no vote,” then we can tell them they’re on their own. Finally,under no circumstances should Ukraine be prevented from joining NATO.Russiahas shownits intent, and we need astrong NATO to keep it in check.
KYLE WATERS II Baton Rouge
Anew anthem forour troubled times
”God Help theUSA,” arewrite of Lee Greenwood’s“God Blessthe USA”
By tomorrow,the things will be lost we’ve fought for all along, Andwewill have to start again to correct what has gone wrong.
Inever thought our government would treat us all this way
‘Causethe flag once stood for freedom,and now they’re taken that away Iwas proud to be an American where at once Ithought I’sfree
We’ve forgotten thefolks who died to give that right to you and me.
So I’d gladly stand up, next to you, to defeat tyranny today
‘Causethere ain’tnodoubt Iloved this land
God help theUSA From thelakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee Across theplains of Texas, from sea to shining sea, From Detroit down to Baton Rouge
and New York to L.A. Well, there’sfear in every American heart
Andit’stime we stand, and say, That I’m proud to be an American where Iwill fight to keep us free
Iwon’tforget thefolks whodied to give that right to me
AndI’d gladly stand up, next to you, to defeat tyranny today
‘Causethere ain’tnodoubt Ilove this land (I love this land) God help theUSA
AndI’ll again be proud to be an American,when Iknow that we are free
AndIwill bless the folks whofought, to return that right to me
AndI’d gladly stand up, next to you, and save her still today
‘Causethere ain’tnodoubt Ilove this land (I love this land)
God help theUSA
Graves’workon Social Security showshe’sthe kind of leader we need
Thank you to former U.S. Rep. Garret Graves on behalf of all who are benefiting from his dedication to sign into law the Social Security Fairness Act. Ithank him.For more than 41 years, the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset unjustly denied Americans our full retirement benefits. For years, promises weremade by manypoliticians to have these lawsrepealed. However,Graves was the only representative whowas able to complete the task. As aresult, Ifirmly believe he could successfully move our state forward, including having anew I-10 bridge built. If he has given up on the thought of running forgovernor,I strongly encourage him to reconsider.Wedesperately need someone whoishard-working, action-oriented, listens to the needs of the people and fights forjustice. Graves has proven he is up to the task and would certainly have the support of those he has served. Again, thank you to Graves forhis service, his dedication and his courage to do the right thing.
CATHERINE ALTAZAN Port Allen
Fellow travelers’ kindness made a difference
We wanttoexpress our thanks and gratitude to twomen whohelped us change aflat tire recently.Myself and two other couples wereonour way homefrom New Orleans to Baton Rouge when apunctured tire caused aflat.
STEVENBARKER Baton Rouge
Keytolower auto insurancerates is in enforcinglaws
Iamwriting to suggest apartial solution to our high auto insurance rates. It stands toreason that if thereare fewer accidents, then there will be fewer lawsuits and rates then should come down. While ideas such as banning texting while driving makesense, they will not reduce accidentsand or make our highways safer.Why not?Because the traffic laws we have are not enforced. Many people ignore thetraffic laws because they know that they are not going to get aticket/fine forrunning red lights/stop signs, tailgating, speeding, etc. Before passing new laws, how about enforcing the existing laws? Who knows, thegovernment might make somemoney,reduce auto rates and makeour streetssafer.Win-win situation
We managed to pull off the interstate to an exit with agas station and started the process of putting on the spare. While this wasinprogress, twoSpanish-speaking men offered to change the tire forus. They had a hydraulic jack and had the spare on in no time. Several of us attempted to offer them cash fortheir help, but they flatly refused to accept any of our offers. We felt much gratitude forthis cheerful, ready and unsolicited act of kindness from these two men
SHIRLEYPEAK Baton Rouge
BILL HINES Baton Rouge
Holiday reactstogetting pokedinthe eyeduring agameagainst the
Some former Pelicans playingkey rolesinNBA playoffs
The New Orleans Pelicans, as you know,didn’tcome close to sniffing the NBA playoffs this season. So if you’re afan of the Pelicans, you’ll have to settle for the nextbest thing: rooting for guys whoonce wore Pelicans uniforms. Of the eight teams remaining, the Denver Nuggets are the only team remaining that doesn’thaveatleast one former Pelican on their roster In all, there are eightformer Pelicans who advanced to the secondround. How many of those players will reach theconference finals? Well, some exPelicans mayhave alot of say-so in whetherthey do or not
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
ä Grambling at LSU, 6:30 P.M.TUESDAy,SECN+
LSU baseball struggled at the plate last weekend against Texas A&M, resulting in aseries loss at Blue Bell Park that dropped the Tigers to 38-11 and15-9inthe SoutheasternConference. LSU played a doubleheader Saturday,losing the first game3-1 beforewinning Game 2byafinalof2-1. TheTigersthen dropped the series finale Sunday 6-4. Here arefive takeaways from the series loss.
What went wrongatplate?
The LSU hitters struggledmightily over the weekend.
The Tigers scored just sevenruns across thethree games.Theyhad only 14 at-bats with runners in scoring position all weekend and went just 7for 33 with runners on base.
Some of LSU’sstruggles may have resulted from an undisciplined approach, or it could be because the unit waspressingasa whole. Therough weekend also could be attributed to the Tigers’ recentproblems against lefthanded pitching.
Facing threeleft-handed starters, LSU posted a.214 batting average in 84 at-batsagainst TexasA&M lefties. The subpar showing was actually an improvementfrom last weekwhenthe Tigers were 3for 36 against Tennessee left-handers.
This problemextends to the series againstAlabama and Auburn. The Tigers were 7for 33 against the Crimson Tide lefties after they went7 for39 against Auburn southpaws.
Cowan’srough weekend
Junior right-hander Zac Cowan has been one of the best relievers in college baseballthisseason,enteringthe weekendwitha1.07ERA in Southeastern Conference play
So here’sour ranking, from most important to leastimportant, of which former Pels need to play thebest in the playoffstogive their teams achance to move on.
1. Julius Randle (Timberwolves) Randle spent the2018-19 season in
New Orleansbefore signing with the New York Knicks the next season. He was traded from the Knicks to the Timberwolves before thestartofthis season and has been akey piece in getting Minnesotaastep closer to the Western Conference finals for asecond straight season. Randle will have to play well for them to getpast theWarriors in the next round. Randle averaged 18.7 points pergame in the regular season, but he uppedhis scoring to 22.6 ppg in agentleman’ssweep over the Los Angeles Lakersinthe first round. While Anthony Edwards is thestar in Minnesotaand Rudy Gobert dominated in the
See WALKER, page 3C
But in two appearances against the Aggies, he surrendered as many earned runs to TexasA&M (four) as he hadall season against the SEC before the start of the series. He recorded only two outs and failed to get astrikeout. Cowan threw strikes, but his changeup-fastballcombination wasn’tenough to fool A&M hitters. They had five hits, including twofor extra bases, against the Wofford transfer
Eyanson flourishing
Junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson had the best performance of his college career in Game 2onSaturday The UC San Diego transfer struck out 14 batters and allowed just one run in a complete game. He threw nearly twice as many strikes as balls and surrendered just three hits.
Notonly did he display superb command, his fastball velocity satat94mph in the ninth inning.
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
The first phase of UL basketball’s reconstruction process under new head coach Quannas White is over On Monday,White metwith the media for the first time since he was announced as the new coach to address his first signingclass.
While Whiteacknowledged a few tweaks are possible between now and the start of the season, the Ragin’ Cajuns currently have a15manroster to work with.
“I’mreallypleased withour signing class,” he said. “There are some programs across the country who are still trying to puttheir rosters together.We’vebeen strategic, but also blessed to be able to finish our roster pretty quickly.”
There are three holdovers from
last year’sroster in the frontcourt trio of Zeke Cook,Jeremiah Evans andKyran Ratliff.
“Zeke Cook is one of the hardestplaying frontcourt players across thecountry,” White said. “He reminds me of aguy who could have played at Houston, just with his intensity and how hard he plays.I thinkZeke could be afuturecaptain, Ireally do.
“Kyran Ratliff and Jeremiah Evans, those guyshave experience. I alwaystalk aboutexperiencebeingthe best teacher.”
TheCajunsadded eight players from the transfer portal. That list includes 6-foot-9 New Orleans native Todd JonesfromPortland; 6-8forwardDariyus Woodson from North Dakota; 6-2 guard Karris Bilal from Vanderbilt; 6-3 guard Jamyron Keller from Okla-
homa State; 6-3shooter De’Vion Lavergne from Purdue-Fort Wayne; 6-5 wing Dorian Finister fromSam Houston; 6-8 forward Sean Elkinton from Louisiana Tech; and 6-5 guardJaxon Olvera of Pepperdine. Bilal was themost recent addition. He was rankedasthe No. 20 pointguard outofhighschoolafter he averaged 22.8 pointsand 5.1rebounds in Georgia.
“He’ssupertalented,” White said of Bilal. “Vanderbilt had agreat year.Karris got to learn from,play behind and practice withthose guys every single day.We’re excited about him.”
There’samixture of 3-point shooters andguards with some size on bothlevels.
NewUL men’s basketball coach Quannas White details the things he likes about his first Cajuns’ roster
Kruz Martin,Westlake38-37—75 HarryShaheen, DeQuincy 38-37—75 Cullen Ledet, CountryDay 38-37—75 Cooper Adams, Houma Christian 40-36—76 Joseph Wilson, AscensionEpiscopal 40-37—77
Elliot Aucoin, Parkview Baptist 38-39—77
Brad Buras, University Lab 39-38—77 Austin Ray, Episcopal 36-41—77 Charlie Jackson, Parkview Baptist41-36—77 Ky Breaux, Catholic-New Iberia 36-41—77 Division IV boys (MondayatCane Row, New Iberia)
TEAM STANDINGS Vermilion Catholic 344 Cedar Creek 347 Westminster Christian 348 Castor355 Quitman360 Harrisonburg372 St. John 381 Ascension Catholic 394
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS Alex Roebuck, Cedar Creek 36-34—70 LukeWainwright,Grand Lake34-37—71
Logan Heltz, Christ Episcopal 36-38—74
Wyatt Shiflett, Christ Episcopal 36-41—77 Hayden Thompson,Castor 40-39—79 LukeDavis, Westminster 41-40—81
Hayden Patin,Vermilion Catholic 41-40—81
Jackson Davis, Westminster42-40—82
CarlynLedet, Vermilion Catholic 39-44—83
Ivan Popp, Berchmans Academy46-37—83 John ClayCancienne,Ascension Cath. 44-40—84 Carson Carrico, Choudrant 43-41—84 Brady LeGrange, St. John43-42—85
Sawyer Stover, Vermilion Catholic 44-42—86 Ryan Fuqua, Harrisonburg46-40—86 Peter Kautz, St. Mary’s43-44—87
William Harris, Ascension Cath.41-46—87
Payton Nomey,Quitman42-47—89
Kyler Austin,Castor 47-42—89 Logan Navarre, St. John 42-47—89
Major LeagueBaseball
American League
x-Tuesday, May13: DenveratOKC,TBA x-Thursday, May15: OKCatDenver, TBA x-Sunday, May18: DenveratOKC,TBA Minnesota vs.GoldenState
May6: Golden St.atMinn., 8:30p.m Thursday, May8: Golden St.atMinn., 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May10: Minn. at Golden St 7:30 p.m.
Monday, May12: Minn. at GoldenSt., 9p.m.
x-Wednesday, May14: Golden St.atMinn TBA x-Sunday, May18: Minn. at GoldenSt., TBA
x-Tuesday, May20: Golden St. at Minn., TBA
College baseball
Area schedule
Sunday’s games UL 10, Georgia State 4 Tulane 6, Florida Atlantic4
Southern 5, TexasSouthern 3 Northwestern State 15, Pepperdine12
Southeastern 7, Lamar 4 UNO 9, Nicholls 4 Stephen F. Austin 10, McNeese State 3 Western Kentucky 22, Louisiana Tech 12 Grambling 7, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 5
Grambling at LSU,6:30 p.m.
McNeese State at NW State,6:30 p.m. UNO at Tulane, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday’s games
UL-Monroe at Coastal Carolina, 5p.m. UNO at TexasA&M-Corpus Christi, 6p.m.
Southeastern at Nicholls, 6p.m.
Friday’s games Southern at Alabama A&M, 2p.m. UL-Monroe at Coastal Carolina, 5p.m.
UL at
May19: New York at Boston, TBA Western Conference Oklahoma City vs.Denver Monday, May5: DenveratOKC,n Wednesday, May7: DenveratOKC,8:30 p.m. Friday, May9: OKCatDenver, 9p.m. Sunday, May11:
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Change begins with you, but first tidy up unfinished business. It will make your journey and your choices easier. You'll face opposition if you allow others to weigh in on a subject that's meaningful to you.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Consider your options and align yourself with people who are as diverse and innovative as you. Don't pressure someone uncomfortable with your plans to join in, or a setback will occur.
cANcER (June 21-July 22) Distance yourself from situations you cannot resolve, and you'll gain insight into unique options. Altering your lifestyle to suit your demands will speed things up.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Live and learn. Your actions and words matter, so act and speak with caution and courage. Put your energy where it counts and be true to yourself. Don't hesitate to take on something that matters to you
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Press forward with passion, experience and knowledge, and you will leave a lasting impression. Taking short trips and reconnecting with associates or partners will be uplifting.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Be silent while you observe what others do and say, and you'll spare yourself ridicule and criticism. Expand your interests, and you'll connect with someone who intrigues you.
scoRPIo (oct. 24-Nov. 22) You'll crave change, excitement and being in the
middle of the action. Before you rush in and share your thoughts, consider who you are dealing with.
sAGIttARIus (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Opportunity is within reach. Keep the momentum going and share your vision with the people you care about most. You'll get the input you need, but at a cost you may not like.
cAPRIcoRN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take a backseat and consider your options. Attend events that allow you to network, connect and position yourself strategically. An energetic approach to partnerships will encourage closer ties.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Pay attention to money matters and save for a rainy day Expand your interest in something that you can use to boost your qualifications. Rethink your lifestyle and make healthy choices.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Stick to your plans; any deviation will cost you. Trust your instincts, follow your heart and distance yourself from those offering chaos and divisiveness.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Consider your options, ask an expert and adjust your plans to meet demands. Participate in events and build direct links to what interests you. Personal gain is apparent.
The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By
Andrews McMeel Syndication
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
toDAy's cLuE: X EQuALs G
Berkshire Hathaway’s Greg Abel to take over Billionaire Warren Buffett willremain chairman of the board at Berkshire Hathaway when vice chairman Greg Abel takes over for Buffett as CEO at the start of 2026.
The board of directors at the cash-rich conglomerate voted Sundaytokeep the legendary 94-year-old investor as head of the board, adecision likely to relieve investors worried about maintaining Berkshire’s remarkable winning streak as U.S.and global economies are beset by tariff shocks, financial turmoil and agrowing risk of recession
The board in the same meeting also approved Buffett’schosen successor as CEO, veteran Berkshireexecutive GregAbel, 62. In asurprise announcement Saturday,Buffett said he would step down from that top spotat the end of the year
MacraeSykes, portfoliomanager at Gabelli Funds, praised thecompany’stransparency after Buffettannounced the succession and does not believe Buffett is going anywhere.
“I thinkitgives Warrenalittle more bandwidth insteadofrunningthis conglomerate,” Sykes said.
In six decades at the helm, Buffett turned aMassachusetts textile company intoasprawlingbut nimbleconglomerate that owns everything from Daily Queen and See’sCandies to BNSF Railway and massive insurance companies.
OpenAI says nonprofit will control business
After months spent pursuing aplan to convert itself into afor-profit business, OpenAIis reversing course and saidMondayits nonprofit willcontinue to control the company that makes ChatGPT and other artificialintelligence products.
“Wemade the decision for the nonprofit to stay in controlafter hearing from civic leaders and having discussionswiththe offices of theAttorneys General of California and Delaware,” said CEO Sam Altman. Altman and the chair of OpenAI’snonprofit board, BretTaylor,said the board madethe decision for the nonprofit to retain controlofOpenAI. Thenonprofit already has afor-profit arm, but that arm will be converted into apublic benefit corporation “that has to consider the interests of both shareholders and the mission,” Taylor said. OpenAI’sco-founders, includingAltmanand Tesla CEO Elon Musk, originally started it as anonprofit researchlaboratory on amission to safely build what’sknown as artificial generalintelligence, or AGI, for humanity’sbenefit. Nearly adecadelater,OpenAIhas reported itsmarket value as $300 billion and counts 400 million weekly users of ChatGPT,its flagship product.
OpenAI firstoutlined plans last year to convert itscore governance structure butfaced anumber of challenges. One is alawsuit from Musk, who accusesthe company and Altman of betrayingthe founding principles that led Musk to invest in the charity. Afederal judge dismissed some of Musk’sclaims and allowed others to proceed to atrial set for next year.
Mattel plans to raise prices on some toys
Mattel Inc., the maker of Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels cars and otherpopular toys, said Monday that it would have to raise prices for some products sold in the U.S. “where necessary” to offset higher costsrelated to President Donald Trump’stariffs.
The El Segundo, Californiabased company said the increases are necessary even though it is speeding up itsplans to diversify its manufacturing base away from China. Trump imposed a145% tariff on most Chinese-made products.
Mattel also withdrew itsannualearnings forecast, citing the ongoinguncertaintysurrounding thepresident’strade policies.
BY DAMIAN J. TROISE AP business writer
NEW YORK Stocks closed lower on Wall Street Monday,breaking anine-day winning streak, as oil prices hit afour-year low after the OPEC+ group announced plans to increase output.
Thelosses came amid arelatively calm dayofmostly mixed trading. Theyfollow several weeks of gains thathelped the market wipe away its losses sincethe ongoing trade warbegan.
The S&P 500 fell. The decline brokethe benchmarkindex’slongest winning streak since 2004.
The Dow Jones Industrial Averageand the Nasdaqcomposite also
dropped. Technology companies and other big stockswere among the heaviest weightsonthe market. Apple slumped 3.1%,while Amazonfell 1.9% and Tesla slipped2.4%.
The OPEC+ group of eight oilproducing nations announced over the weekend that it will raise its output by 411,000 barrels perday as of June 1.
U.S.crude oil prices fell2%to $57.13 per barrel. Many producers cannolongerturn aprofitonce oil falls below$60. Prices are down sharply for the year over worries aboutaneconomicslowdown.The energy sector led the losseswithin the S&P 500. Exxon Mobil shed 2.8%.
Markets have been absorbing the shock of tariffs andthe growing trade war.President Donald Trump hasimposed import taxes on awide range of imports, prompting retaliation from globaltrading partners. Many of the more severe tariffs that were supposed to go into effect in April were delayed by three months, with the notable exception of tariffs against China.
Thedelays have providedsome relieftoWall Street, though uncertaintyabout the impact from current andfuturetariffs continuestohang over markets and the economy
“Uncertainty remains elevated and economic data will likely weaken in the coming months,
meaning further bouts of volatility are likely,” said Ulrike HoffmannBurchardi, chief investment officer of globalequitiesatUBS Global Wealth Management. That uncertainty will overshadow the Federal Reserve’smeeting this week.
TheFed is expected to hold its benchmark interest rate steady on Wednesday.Itcut therate three times in 2024 before taking amore cautious stance. The centralbank was concerned that inflation, while easing, wasstill stubbornly hovering just above its target rate of 2%. Concerns about inflation reigniting have only grownamidthe global trade war sparked by Trump’stariff policy
BY JILL COLVIN and JAKE COYLE Associated Press
NEWYORK President Donald Trump is opening anew salvo in his tariff war,targeting films made outside the U.S.
In apostSunday night on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he has authorized theDepartment ofCommerce andthe Officeofthe U.S. TradeRepresentativetoslap a100% tariff “onany and all Moviescoming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.”
“The Movie Industry in America is DYING averyfastdeath,” he wrote, complaining that other countries “are offeringall sorts of incentives todraw” filmmakers and studios away from the
U.S. “This is aconcerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, aNational Security threat. It is, in addition to everythingelse, messaging and propaganda! But further specifics or dates weren’tprovided.And the White House confirmed that no final decisions had been madeasof Monday
Trumplater saidthathewould meet withindustry executives about theproposal but alot remainsunclear about how an importtax on complex, international productions could even be implemented.
It’scommon for both large and small films to include production in the U.S. and in other countries. Big-budgetmovies likethe upcoming“Mission: Impossible —The Final Reckoning,” for instance,are shot around the world.
Incentive programs for years have influenced where movies areshot, increasingly driving filmproduction out of California
andtoother states and countries with favorable tax incentives, like Canada and the United Kingdom.
YetTrump’stariffs are designed to lead consumers toward American products.
And in movie theaters, American-produced movies overwhelmingly dominate the domestic marketplace.
China has rampedupits domestic movieproduction,culminating in the animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” grossing more than $2 billion this year But even then, itssales came almost entirely from mainland China.
In North America, it earned just $20.9 million.
TheMotionPicture Association, which represents major U.S. film studiosand streaming services,didn’timmediately respond to messages Sunday evening.
The MPA’sdata shows how muchHollywood exports have
dominated cinemas. According to the MPA, the American moviesproduced $22.6billion in exportsand $15.3 billion in trade surplus in 2023.
U.S. film andtelevisionproduction has been hampered in recent years, with setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hollywood guild strikes of 2023 andthe recentwildfiresin the LosAngelesarea. Overall production in the U.S. was down 26% last year comparedwith 2021, according to data from ProdPro, which tracksproduction.
The group’sannual survey of executives, which asked about preferred filming locations, found no location in the U.S. made thetop five, accordingto the Hollywood Reporter.Toronto,the U.K., Vancouver,Central Europe and Australia cameout on top, with California placing sixth, Georgia seventh, New Jersey eighth and New York ninth.
BY MATT OTT AP business writer
The shoe company Skechers is being acquired for more than $9 billion to be taken private by theinvestment firm 3G Capital.
The deal comes amid growing uncertainty over how U.S.President Donald Trump’stariffs on foreign goods will affect companies that make theirproducts overseas,particularly in China.Athletic shoe makers have invested heavily in production in Asia.
In anews release announcing the deal, the companies did not mention thepotential impacts of Trump’stariffs on its business going forward. However,Skecherssaysthat about two-thirds of itsrevenue comes from sales outside of the U.S. China accounts for 15% of the company’s revenue,according to thedata firm FactSet
Thedeal comes at aprecarious time with Trump’songoing, onagain-off-again tariff announcements. Like many other companies increasingly have done since Trump’swidespread tariff announcements,Skechers did not is-
The offer of $63 pershare representsapremium of 30% to Skechers’ 15-day volume-weighted average stock price. The deal was unanimously approved by Skechers’ board. Skechers shares jumped more than 24% Monday,to$61.39.
sue guidance when it released its first quarter earnings in April. Chief Financial Officer John Vandemore told investorsthatthe “current environment is simply toodynamic from whichtoplanresults with a reasonable assurance of success.”
Executives also said they would be looking to minimize products goingtothe U.S. from“high-cost locations,” including the impact of tariffs. The company didnot immediately provide abreakdown of foreign production, but many of their shoes come witha“Made in China stamp.
Trump raised the tariff on Chinese imports to 125% in earlyApril, hours after China boosted theduty on American goods to 84% in an es-
calating battlethatthreatenstodisrupt trade between the world’stwo largest economies.
Skechers executives said last monththatthe company hadseveral “levers” it couldpulltodeal with tariffs,including cost sharingwith vendors, sourcing optimization,and priceadjustments.
“We’re looking at how we optimize the global cost of tariffs in all markets whenwelook to move production around,” Vandemore saidlast month. “Obviously, withan effective tariff rate at about 159%, products from Chinatothe U.S. are prohibitively expensive.” Skechers hasabout 5,300 retail stores worldwide,about 1,800 company-owned.