The Acadiana Advocate 05-10-2025

FORMER U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE DAVID SOUTER DIES 2A THE

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Details emerge about conclave vote

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A calling, a privilege, a responsibility

Pope says election a cross to bear and a blessing

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV said Friday that his election was both a cross to bear and a blessing as he celebrated his first Mass and details began to emerge of how votes swiftly coalesced to make him history’s first American pope.

Freed from their conclave, cardinals began de- Pope Leo XIV scribing the hours leading up to the ä Acadiana final ballot Thursfaithful day afternoon that brought Leo past react to t h e t w o - t h i r d s Pope Leo majority needed. XIV. PAGE 1B Many marveled that the Chicagoborn Augustinian missionary Robert Prevost reached the threshold so quickly, given the vast diversity of voters and the traditional taboo against a U.S. pope because of the secular power the country wields.

“It is a miracle of the Holy Spirit,” said Cardinal Fernando Natalio Chomalí Garib, archbishop

ä See POPE, page 5A

La. House members consider habitual offender bill Widow of slain Lafayette police officer urges support

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

The widow of a slain Lafayette officer urged Louisiana House members on Thursday to implement a law that would force habitual offenders to serve out more of their sentence.

Almost a year after her husband, Lafayette Police officer Senior Cpl. Segus Jolivette, was killed during an alleged hostage situation involving a felon with a history of early releases, Alexis Jolivette teared up as a she asked lawmakers to support House Bill 11 — the Segus Jolivette Act.

ä See BILL, page 6A

WEATHER HIGH 75 LOW 60 PAGE 6A

PHOTOS By ROBIN MAy

Emergency medical technician Alison Cagle walks up to receive her award for EMT of the year from Dr. Charles Burnell on Friday at the Acadian Ambulance EMTs of the year banquet at the Cajundome in Lafayette.

Acadian honors top medics during annual celebration

BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor

Acadian Ambulance honored its top medics of the year during its annual celebration Friday at the Cajundome.

Now in its 54th year, Acadian honored Alison Cagle, an emergency medical technician from its Hub City District, and Joannie Sanchez, a flight registered nurse from its Air Med division, as the best among its 14 regions in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Sanchez, a native of LaPlace, recalled that her journey began back when she was 13 years old and her father asked her what she wanted to do with her life. She wrote down three career choices, and he told her to pick one and “chase it with everything you’ve got,” she recalled.

He then took her to a ca-

State Sen. Fred Mills Jr. speaks at the ceremony. reer fair where she met a flight nurse, and she now says something clicked that day. She became a certified nurse’s assistant, an emergency room technician and later a nurse. She also worked at a women’s shelter.

“This job changes you,” Sanchez said. “It asks you to

walk into the worst moment of someone’s life and leave a piece of yourself behind every time you do. EMS isn’t just a job. It’s a calling, it’s a privilege, and it’s a responsibility.”

Cagle, who began her EMS career while still in high school, earned her EMT cer-

tification in 2021 and worked in California for two years before joining Acadian. She is currently in paramedic school.

“I kind of accidentally stumbled upon an EMR class, and I took it and instantly fell in love,” she said. “For me to be named EMT of the year, it means I’ve found my place. I can stop looking for a home because I’ve found it here at Acadian.”

The celebration was the first for Acadian since the death of founder and longtime CEO and chairman Richard Zuschlag, who died in August following a bout with cancer. The Pennsylvania native moved to Lafayette in 1970 and a year later started a company with two ambulances that became the largest privately held medical transportation company in

ä See MEDICS, page 6A

La. lawmakers want to cut taxes for oil Raised taxes on natural gas would pay for it

headwinds in the Senate, amid questions over their long-term impact on state coffers.

House Bill 600, sponsored by state Rep. Brett Geymann, a Republican from Lake Charles, would cut the severance tax rate

BY BLAKE PATERSON on crude oil extracted from new Staff writer wells nearly in half, reducing A package of bills aimed at revenues by around $87 million boosting oil production and mak- over a five-year period, according Louisiana’s tax code more ing to a legislative fiscal note.

To offset those losses, Geycompetitive with those of neighboring states sailed through the mann’s House Bill 495 would Louisiana House on Thursday. limit a severance tax exemption But the measures could face for natural gas produced from

horizontally drilled wells, resulting in $99 million in additional revenue during the same period, according to its fiscal note.

Taken together, the bills would mean slightly more tax money for Louisiana over the next five years. But long term, the changes would likely result in a net reduction of tax revenues, according to an economist who worked on the proposal and said the higher taxes on gas activity would not make up for the losses from oil drilling.

Reducing Louisiana’s sever-

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ance tax on oil has long been a priority of the business lobby, energy industry and Republican elected officials, including Gov. Jeff Landry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice. At 12.5%, it’s the highest severance tax in the continental U.S. and hasn’t changed since 1973.

Landry’s transition committee argued that reducing the tax would “incentivize and amplify drilling in south Louisiana,” and DeVillier sponsored bills each

ä See OIL, page 5A

100TH yEAR, NO. 314

2A ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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FROM WIRE REPORTS

Mexico sues Google for ‘Gulf of America’ label

MEXICO CITY — Mexico has sued tech giant Google over its labelling of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, a change made

by U.S. President Donald Trump via executive order, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday.

Mexico’s Foreign Relations ministry had previously sent letters to Google asking it to not label Mexican territorial waters as the Gulf of America.

The body of water has shared borders between the United States and Mexico. Trump’s order only carries authority within the U.S. Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change.

Mexico argues that Gulf of America should only apply to the part of the Gulf over the United States continental shelf.

In February, Sheinbaum shared a letter from Cris Turner, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, stating that Google will not change the policy it outlined after Trump declared the body of water the Gulf of America.

The Gulf appears in Google Maps as Gulf of America within the United States, as Gulf of Mexico within Mexico and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) elsewhere. Turner in his letter said the company was using Gulf of America to follow “longstanding maps policies impartially and consistently across all regions.”

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Former court justice Souter dies

was called a moderate conHe was nominated by G.H.W. Bush, but became liberal voice Souter servative. But he soon joined in a

BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a favorite of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench, has died. He was 85.

Souter died Thursday at his home in New Hampshire, the court said in a statement Friday.

He retired from the court in Souter June 2009, giving President Barack Obama his first Supreme Court vacancy to fill.

Obama, a Democrat, chose Sonia Sotomayor, the court’s first Latina justice.

Souter was appointed by Republican President George H.W. Bush

in 1990. He was a reliably liberal vote on abortion, church-state relations, freedom of expression and the accessibility of federal courts.

Souter also dissented from the decision in Bush v. Gore in 2000, which effectively handed the presidency to George W. Bush, the son of the man who put him on the high court.

In retirement, Souter warned that ignorance of how government works could undermine American democracy.

“What I worry about is that when problems are not addressed, people will not know who is responsible. And when the problems get bad enough … some one person will come forward and say, ‘Give me total power and I will solve this problem.’ That is how the Roman republic fell,” Souter said in a 2012 interview.

His lifestyle was spare — yogurt and an apple, consumed at his desk, was a typical lunch — and

he shunned Washington’s social scene. He couldn’t wait to leave town in early summer.

Yet for all his reserve, Souter was beloved by colleagues, court employees and friends. He was a noted storyteller and generous with his time.

“Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service,” Chief Justice John Roberts said.

Souter continued hearing cases on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for more than a decade after he left the high court, Roberts said.

When Bush plucked Souter from obscurity in 1990, liberal interest groups feared he would be the vote that would undo the court’s Roe v.

Wade ruling in favor of abortion rights. He was called a stealth nominee by some.

Early in his time in Washington,

Treasury secretary says U.S. debt ceiling will be hit in August

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

U.S. has 1,001 measles cases, mostly in Texas The U.S. surpassed 1,000 measles cases Friday, even as Texas posted one of its lowest counts of newly confirmed cases since its large outbreak began three months ago.

Texas still accounts for the vast majority of cases in the U.S., with 709 confirmed as of Friday in an outbreak that also spread measles to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses in the epicenter in West Texas, and an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.

North America has two other ongoing outbreaks, all of which are the same measles strain.

One outbreak in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 1,440 cases from mid-October through May 6, up 197 cases in a week. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 1,041 measles cases and one death as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry. Fifty-seven percent of Texas’ cases are in Gaines County, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community.

The county has had 403 cases since late January — just over 1.7% of the county’s residents.

The April 3 death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6.

Woman shoots Tesla dealership, police say ATLANTA — A woman has been arrested after police said she damaged a Tesla dealership with an automatic BB gun in Gwinnett County, one of several acts of violence targeting the electric vehicle company across the United States in recent months.

Alexa Beckstead, 23, was charged with felony second-degree criminal damage to property after police said she fired several shots into the dealership on Satellite Boulevard near Duluth early on April 28, blowing out the windows.

According to her warrant, the two custom glass windows were valued at about $20,000.

The warrant stated she shot the compressed gas gun “indiscriminately into the building from a moving vehicle.”

“Investigators did not identify a specific motive,” police spokesperson Juan Madiedo told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

ruling reaffirming woman’s right to an abortion, a decision from 1992 that is his most noted work on the court. Thirty years later, a more conservative court overturned that decision and the constitutional right to abortion.

Souter asked precise questions during argument sessions, sometimes with a fierceness that belied his low-key manner. “He had an unerring knack of finding the weakest link in your argument,” veteran Supreme Court advocate Carter Phillips said.

Souter was history’s 105th Supreme Court justice and only its sixth bachelor.

Though liberals were initially wary of his appointment, it was political conservatives who felt betrayed when in two 1992 rulings Souter helped forge a moderateliberal coalition that reaffirmed the right of abortion and the court’s longtime ban on officially sponsored prayers in public schools.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

Travelers make their way through security Monday at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. Early Friday, for the second time in two weeks, the airport lost radar.

Air traffic controllers lose radar at Newark — again

BY JOSH FUNK Associated Press

The air traffic controllers directing planes into the Newark, New Jersey, airport lost their radar Friday morning for the second time in two weeks.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the radar at the facility in Philadelphia that directs planes in and out of Newark airport went black for 90 seconds at 3:55 a.m. Friday. That’s similar to what happened on April 28.

That first radar outage led to hundreds of flights being canceled or delayed at the Newark airport in the past two weeks after the FAA slowed down traffic at the airport to ensure safety. Five controllers also went on trauma leave after that outage, worsening the existing shortage. It’s not clear if any additional controllers will go on leave now.

The number of cancellations of Newark departures jumped from the low 40s to 68 Friday after this latest outage to lead the nation, according to FlightAware.com. Newark ranks second in the number of canceled arrivals with 73, but that number also increased Friday morning. Nearly 400 delays were reported at the airport. Officials said there have been more than 1,700 cancellations and delays at the airport this week.

These radar outages in such a crowded airspace are alarming because seconds

matter, but Allied Pilots Association spokesman Capt. Dennis Tajer said “it’s not an impending disaster that some are suggesting.”

“The system is wired to run really well when everything’s functioning. But the most important part is that it’s prepared to function when things go wrong,” Tajer said. “Even when it sounds frightening, know that the air traffic controllers and the pilots have training and we go to that.”

When pilots lose contact with controllers their first action is to continue on their last-directed path, but if the outage continues, pilots will start broadcasting their position to every other plane in the area — much like pilots do at small airports that don’t have a control tower.

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer blamed the problems that have plagued Newark on the lack of proper air traffic controller staffing and modern technology. He said Friday that there are currently about 20 controllers working, and that number should be in the 60s. And many of the lines connecting controllers to the radar are outdated copper wires. He said the April 28 outage was caused by one of those copper wires getting fried.

“Enough is enough. The connection between New York air space and the Philadelphia air traffic control center must be fixed now. The backup system that is not working must be fixed. Now,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said.

‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ director dies

BY LINDSEY BAHR

AP film writer

James Foley, a journeyman director best known for “Glengarry Glen Ross,” has died. He was 71.

He died earlier this week after a yearlong battle with brain cancer, his representative, Taylor Lomax, said Friday.

In his long and varied career, Foley directed Madonna music videos, 12 episodes of “House of Cards” and the two “Fifty Shades of Grey” sequels, but it was his 1992 adaptation of David Mamet’s foul-mouthed Pulitzer Prize-winning play that stood above the rest. Although it wasn’t a hit at the time, “Glengarry Glen Ross” wormed its way into the culture and grew into an oft-quoted cult favorite, especially Alec Baldwin’s made-forthe-film “always be closing” monologue.

Critic Tim Grierson wrote 20 years after its release that it remains “one of

the quintessential modern movies about masculinity.” He added, “while there are many fine Mamet movies, it’s interesting that the best of them was this one — the one he didn’t direct.”

Born Dec. 28, 1953, in Brooklyn, Foley studied film in graduate school at the University of Southern California. Legend has it that Hal Ashby once wandered into a film school party where his short happened to be playing at the time and he took a liking to him. Foley would later attribute his ability to make his first feature, “Reckless,” a 1984 romantic drama about mismatched teenagers in love starring Daryl Hannah, Aidan Quinn and Adam Baldwin, to the Ashby stamp of approval.

He followed it with the Sean Penn crime drama “At Close Range,” the Madonna and Griffin Dunne screwball comedy “Who’s That Girl” and the neo-noir thriller “After Dark, My Sweet,” with Jason Patric.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. is on track to run out of money to pay its bills as early as August without congressional action, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Friday. He is calling on Congress to either raise or suspend the debt ceiling by mid-July.

“A failure to suspend or increase the Bessent debt limit would wreak havoc on our financial system and diminish America’s security and global leadership position,” Bessent wrote in the letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton. “Prior episodes have shown that waiting until the last minute to suspend or increase the debt limit can have serious adverse consequences for financial markets,

businesses and the federal government.”

Earlier this week, Bessent twice testified in front of congressional committees that the Treasury’s debt ceiling is “on the warning track.”

The Treasury Department has stopped paying into certain accounts, including a slew of federal worker pension and disability funds, to make up for the shortfall in money.

Bessent has continued to notify Congress about the use of extraordinary measures in an effort to prevent a breach of the debt ceiling. In his latest letter, Bessent attributed the August deadline, known as the “X-date,” in part to receipts from the latest tax filing season.

The letter to Johnson comes as Republicans consider a massive tax cut and border security package that includes an increase in the debt limit. Bessent’s request could give GOP lawmakers greater incentive to reach an agreement.

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Judge releases Turkish Tufts University student

A doctor who spoke with Ozturk companies with ties to Israel. consultation with her lawyers. continue separately.

She was detained in willOzturk Ozturk said Friday that if she He said he didn’t think electronic said her condition could worsen if detailed her growing is released, Tufts would offer she is left in detention and could monitoring would be in order, and asthma attacks in detention and La. immigration center her desire to finish her doctorate that she would also have at least require emergency care. her housing and her lawyers and The U.S. Justice Department said friends would drive her to future focusing on children and monthly contact with a staffer of more than six weeks degree social media while appearing re- the Burlington Community Justice an immigration court in Louisiana, court hearings. “I will follow all

BY KATHY McCORMACK

Associated Press

A federal judge in Vermont on Friday released a Turkish Tufts University student detained in a Louisiana immigration center more than six weeks after she was arrested while walking along a street in a Boston suburb, allowing her to return to her studies.

U.S. District Judge William Sessions in Burlington released Rumeysa Ozturk pending a final decision on her claim that she’s been illegally detained following an op-ed she co-wrote last year that criticized the school’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza. Her immigration proceedings in Louisiana also

motely at her bail hearing from the Louisiana center. She and her lawyer hugged after hearing the judge’s decision on Friday.

“Completing my Ph.D. is very important to me,” she testified.

She had been on track to finish her work in December when she was arrested.

Lawyers for Ozturk, 30, said her detention violates her constitutional rights, including free speech and due process.

Ozturk was to be released on her own recognizance with no travel restrictions, Sessions said. He said she is not a danger to the community or a flight risk, but that he might amend his release order to consider any specific conditions by ICE in

Center to report on how she’s doing, and her current and future plans.

The idea is for her to try to reintegrate into her community “after what has been a very traumatic event and incident,” Sessions said.

Sessions told Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher he wants to know immediately when she is released.

Sessions said Ozturk raised serious concerns about her First Amendment and due process rights, as well as her health.

Ozturk on Friday said the first of 12 asthma attacks came on at the Atlanta airport while she was waiting to be taken to Louisiana. The attack was severe, and she did not have all her medications.

which is conducting separate removal proceedings regarding Ozturk, has jurisdiction over her case.

Sessions ordered Ozturk’s transfer to Vermont, where she was last confined before she was taken to Louisiana. The government requested a delay, but a federal appeals court upheld his decision Wednesday, ordering Ozturk to be transferred to ICE custody in Vermont no later than May 14.

Ozturk was one of four students who wrote an op-ed in the campus newspaper, The Tufts Daily, last year criticizing the university’s response to student activists demanding that Tufts “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,” disclose its investments and divest from

the rules,” she said.

A State Department memo said Ozturk’s visa was revoked following an assessment that her actions “‘may undermine U.S. foreign policy by creating a hostile environment for Jewish students and indicating support for a designated terrorist organization’ including co-authoring an op-ed that found common cause with an organization that was later temporarily banned from campus.”

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in March, without providing evidence, that investigations found that Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group.

Newark mayor arrested at ICE detention center

By The Associated Press NEWARK, N.J. — Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday at a federal immigration detention center where he was protesting its opening, a federal prosecutor said.

Alina Habba, interim U.S. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG attorney for New Jersey, said on the social platform X Newark Mayor Ras Baraka speaks to protesters outside of that Baraka committed tresDelaney Hall, a recently reopened immigration detention pass and ignored warnings center, in Newark, N.J., Wednesday. from Homeland Security

personnel to leave Delaney Hall, an detention facility run by private prison operator GEO Group.

The mayor has been protesting the opening of the facility throughout this week, saying its operators did not get proper permits.

In her social media post, Habba said Baraka had “chosen to disregard the law.” She added that he was taken into custody.

Witnesses said the arrest

came after Baraka attempted to join a scheduled tour of the facility with three members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation.

When federal officials blocked his entry, a heated argument broke out, according to Viri Martinez, an activist with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. It continued even after Baraka returned to the public side of the gates.

“The agents started in-

timidating and putting their hands on the congresswomen. There was yelling and pushing,” Martinez said.

“Then the officers swarmed Baraka. They threw one of the organizers to the ground. They put Baraka in handcuffs and put him in an unmarked car.”

An email and phone message left with the mayor’s communications office were not immediately answered Friday afternoon.

As U.S. and China begin trade talks, Trump’s tariff hammer looks less mighty

BY PAUL WISEMAN and DIDI TANG Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The way President Donald Trump sees it, beating China in a trade war should be easy.

After all, his logic goes, the Chinese sell Americans three times as much stuff as Americans sell them. Therefore, they have more to lose.

Inflict enough pain — like the combined 145% taxes he slapped on Chinese imports last month — and they’ll beg for mercy.

Trump’s treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has confidently compared Beijing to a card player stuck with a losing hand. “They’re playing with a pair of twos,” he said.

Somebody forgot to tell China. So far, the Chinese have refused to fold under the pressure of Trump’s massive tariffs. Instead, they have retaliated with tripledigit tariffs of their own.

“All bullies are just paper tigers,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry declared in a video last week. “Kneeling only invites more bullying.”

The stakes are high between the world’s two biggest economies whose trade topped $660 billion last year.

Bessent and Trump’s top trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, are heading to Geneva this weekend for initial trade talks with top Chinese officials. Trump suggested Friday that the U.S. could lower its tariffs on China, saying in a Truth Social post that “80% Tariff seems right! Up to Scott.”

While businesses and investors welcome any easing of tensions, the prospects for a quick and significant breakthrough appear dim.

But if the two countries eventually agree to scale back the massive taxes — tariffs — they’ve slapped on each other’s goods, it would relieve world financial markets and companies on both sides of the Pacific Ocean that depend on U.S.-China trade.

“The companies involved in this trade on both sides just cannot afford waiting anymore,” said economist John Gong of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. In a worst-case scenario, China could walk away from the negotiations if it feels the U.S. side isn’t treating China as an equal or isn’t willing to take the first step to deescalate, Gong said.

For now, the two countries can’t even agree on who requested the talks.

“The meeting is being held at the request of the U.S. side,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Wednesday. Trump dis-

agreed. “They ought to go back and study their files,” he said.

What seems clear is that Trump’s favorite economic weapon — import taxes, or tariffs — has not proved as mighty as he’d hoped.

“For Trump, what’s happened here is that the rhetoric of his campaign has finally had to face economic reality,” said Jeff Moon, a trade official in the Obama administration who now runs the China Moon Strategies consultancy. “The idea that he was going to bring China to its knees in terms of tariffs was never going to work.”

Trump views tariffs an allpurpose economic tool that can raise money for the U.S. Treasury, protect American industries, lure factories to the United States and pressure other countries to bend to his will, even on issues such as immigration and drug trafficking.

He used tariffs in his first term and has been even more aggressive and unpredictable about imposing them in his second. He’s slapped a 10% tariff on al-

most every country in the world, blowing up the rules that had governed global trade for decades.

But it’s his trade war with China that has really put markets and businesses on edge. It started in February when he announced a 10% levy on Chinese imports. By April, Trump ratcheted up the taxes on China to a staggering 145%. Beijing upped its tariff on American products to 125%.

Trump’s escalation sent financial markets tumbling and left U.S. retailers warning that they might run out of goods as U.S.-China trade implodes. U.S. consumers, worried about the prospect of empty shelves and higher prices, are losing confidence in the economy.

“This was not very well planned,” said Zongyuan Zoe Liu, senior fellow in China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. “I don’t think he intended to have the tariffs escalate into this chaos.”

When Trump hit Chinese imports with tariffs during his first term, he charged that Beijing used unfair tactics,

including cybertheft, to give its technology firms an edge.

The two countries reached a truce — the so-called Phase One agreement — in January 2020; China agreed to buy more U.S. products, and Trump held off on even higher tariffs. But they didn’t resolve the big issues dividing them, including China’s subsidies of homegrown tech firms.

Beijing is confident that the Chinese people are more

willing than Americans to endure the fallout from a trade war, including falling exports and shuttered factories. “For China, it’s painful, but it’s also imperative to withstand it, and it’s prepared to cope with it,” said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center.

In addition to miscalculating Chinese resolve, the Trump administration may have underestimated how much America relies on

China.

For decades, Americans have come to depend on Chinese factories. They produce 97% of America’s imported baby carriages, 96% of its artificial flowers and umbrellas, 95% of its fireworks, 93% of its children’s coloring books and 90% of its combs.

“Without us, what do they have to sell?” Chinese toymaker Cheng Zhengren told Beijing News.

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Foreign money in La. ballot measures may be restricted

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry is backing a change that would further restrict political contributions by noncitizens and foreign entities.

As part of this year’s legislative session, two companion measures have been introduced to accomplish that goal: One is a proposed constitutional amendment in Senate Bill 109, and the other is a corresponding change to state statute in House Bill 590.

“No funds, goods, or services donated by a foreign government, foreign entity, or noncitizen shall be used to advocate for or against any ballot proposition or question, candidate, issue, or political party, either directly or indirectly,” reads the proposed constitutional amendment, which has already passed the Senate and is awaiting consideration by the House.

Sen. Alan Seabaugh, a Shreveport Republican who is sponsoring SB109, said the change would prevent foreign money from flowing into Louisiana to influence ballot questions or political candidates.

“The sanctity of our elections is important,” he said.

Louisiana law already prohibits foreign entities and noncitizens from contributing to the election of a candidate to political office.

However, legal permanent residents are currently allowed to make contributions under

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Lafayette resident Kenny Duhon looks over sample ballots before casting his votes at the Lafayette Parish registrar of voters office in Lafayette. A proposed amendment to Louisiana’s constitution would ban political contributions by noncitizens or foreign entities to advocate for or against ballot questions or political candidates.

Louisiana law, but the proposed legislation would bar them from doing so.

Federal law also prohibits foreign entities and noncitizens from contributing to federal, state and local elections, with an exception for legal permanent residents, according to the Federal Election

Commission.

This year’s proposed change would shore up a loophole in federal law that allows noncitizens and foreign entities to make political contributions for ballot measures, said Rep. Annie Spell, R-Lafayette, who is sponsoring HB590, which passed the Louisiana House this

week with an 86-8 vote and only Democrats opposed.

In Louisiana, ballot measures include items like constitutional amendments and local tax propositions, for example.

“HB590 puts Louisiana at the front line of election integrity,” she said.

Noncitizens or foreign entities could face felony charges for violating the proposed law. And anyone who knowingly accepts foreign political contributions would be required to return those funds.

Spell said she isn’t aware of data or evidence that points to the influence of foreign funding in Louisiana elections, but said the issue has come up in other states.

The legislation can be seen as “preventative” in that “it puts us on the front end of a possible problem rather than responding to a problem,” she said.

Secretary of State spokesperson Joel Watson said Landry’s office isn’t aware of any problems in recent years with noncitizens making political contributions in Louisiana.

But Watson said Landry supports the change in light of a Federal Election Commission decision “to allow foreign funding of ballot measures, and the exploitation of this loophole in several other states.”

He also pointed to a 2024 report from the right-leaning group Americans for Public Trust, which has supported efforts in other

states to limit political funding by foreigners.

That report raises concerns about the funding of campaigns for ballot measures in 25 states by a left-leaning group called the Sixteen Thirty Fund that has received $243 million in contributions from Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, according to the report.

Wyss’ contributions to the Sixteen Thirty Fund also came up at public hearings on the two pieces of legislation during testimony presented by Honest Elections Project Executive Director Jason Snead, who said the Sixteen Thirty Fund has spent “an extraordinary amount of money” to influence ballot measures in more than 25 states.

“The Sixteen Thirty Fund and Mr. Wyss have proved that it is alarmingly easy to exploit gaps in our laws and launder foreign money into ballot measure contests through intermediary groups,” said Snead, who spoke about the legislation at Landry’s invitation.

“Decisions as significant as amending a state’s constitution belong exclusively in the hands of the citizens of our country and the voters of this state,” he said.

“Foreign nationals have no business influencing those campaigns, and they should never be allowed to serve as a Trojan horse for foreign interference.”

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

Pentagon orders libraries to remove books on DEI, racism, gender Purge must be done by May 21

BY LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has ordered all military leaders and commands to pull and review all of their library books that address diversity, anti-racism or gender issues by May 21, according to a memo issued to the force on Friday.

It is the broadest and most detailed directive so far on Defense Secretary Pete

Hegseth’s campaign to rid the military of diversity and equity programs, policies and instructional materials. And it follows similar efforts to remove hundreds of books from the libraries Hegseth at the military academies.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo, which was signed Friday

by Timothy Dill, who is performing the duties of the defense undersecretary for

personnel.

Educational materials at the libraries “promoting divisive concepts and gender ideology are incompatible with the Department’s core mission,” the memo states, adding that department leaders must “promptly identify” books that are not compatible with that mission and sequester them by May 21.

By then, the memo says, additional guidance will be provided on how to cull that initial list and determine what should be removed and “determine an appropriate ultimate disposition” for those materials. It does not

Trump fires Librarian of Congress

BY SEUNG MIN KIM, LISA MASCARO and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden as the White House continues to purge the federal government of those perceived to oppose the president and his agenda.

Hayden was notified in an email late Thursday from the White House’s Presidential Personnel Office, according to Hayden an email obtained by The Associated Press. Confirmed by the Senate to the job in 2016, Hayden was the first woman and the first African American to be librarian of Congress.

“Carla,” the email began.

“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.” A spokesperson for the Library of Congress confirmed that the White House told Hayden she was dismissed.

Hayden, whose 10-year term was set to expire next year, had come under backlash from a conservative advocacy group that had vowed to root out those standing in the way of Trump’s agenda. The group, American Accountability Foundation, accused her and other library leaders of promoting children’s books with “radical” content and literary material authored

by Trump opponents.

“The current #LibrarianOfCongress Carla Hayden is woke, anti-Trump, and pro-

motes trans-ing kids,” AAF said on its X account earlier Thursday, just hours before the firing was made public.

“It’s time to get her OUT and hire a new guy for the job!”

The unexpected move Thursday against Hayden infuriated congressional Democrats, who initially disclosed the firing.

“Hayden, has spent her entire career serving people — from helping kids learn to read to protecting some of our nation’s most precious treasures,” said Rep. Joseph Morelle of New York, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee that oversees the Library.

The Library of Congress holds a vast collection of the nation’s books and history, which it makes available to the public and lawmakers. It houses the papers of nearly two dozen presidents and more than three dozen Supreme Court justices.

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say what will happen to the books or whether they will be stored away or destroyed.

According to the memo, a temporary Academic Libraries Committee set up by the department will provide information on the review and decisions about the books.

That panel provided a list of search terms to use in the initial identification of the books to be pulled and reviewed.

The search terms include: affirmative action, antiracism, critical race theory, discrimination, diversity, gender dysphoria, gender identity and transition,

transgender, transsexual and white privilege.

Early last month the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, removed nearly 400 books from its library after being told by Hegseth’s office to get rid of those that promote DEI. About two weeks later, the Army and Air Force libraries were told to go through their stacks to find books related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Naval Academy’s purge led to the removal of books on the Holocaust, histories of feminism, civil

rights and racism, and Maya Angelou’s famous autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” based on the list of 381 books that have been taken out of its library.

The list also includes “Memorializing the Holocaust,” which deals with Holocaust memorials; “Half American,” about African Americans in World War II; “A Respectable Woman,” about the public roles of African American women in 19th century New York; and “Pursuing Trayvon Martin,” about the 2012 shooting of the Black 17-year-old in Florida.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● 5A

lll

POPE

some traditionalist popes.

In another signal he might break with tradition, Leo spent his first night as pontiff in his residence in the Sant’Uffizio Palace, and not the Apostolic Palace where popes traditionally reside, Vatican News reported. Francis chose to live in an apartment in the Santa Maria guesthouse.

Continued from page 1A of Santiago, Chile. He noted that 133 men who barely knew one another from 70 countries came to an agreement in just over 24 hours. A miracle, he said, “and also an example for all our countries where nobody comes to an agreement.”

Leo presided over his first Mass before those same cardinal electors Friday morning, speaking off-the-cuff in English in the Sistine Chapel. He acknowledged the great responsibility they had placed on him before delivering a brief but dense homily in Italian on the need to joyfully spread Christianity in a world that often mocks it.

“You have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission, and I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me as we continue as a church, as a community, as friends of Jesus, as believers, to announce the good news, to announce the Gospel,” he said.

Leo on Saturday meets with cardinals formally. On Sunday, he is set to deliver his first noon blessing from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica while his formal installation Mass is set for May 18.

Americans share details There seemed to be mixed messages coming from a briefing with American cardinals who saw one of their own become the 267th pope.

Before they arrived, the auditorium at the U.S. seminary up the hill from the Vatican blasted “Born in the U.S.A.” and “American Pie.” But more conservative cardinals seemed to distance Leo from both his citizenship and the political polemics of the Trump administration back home. They pointed to the decades Prevost spent as a missionary in Peru and said, regardless, he has a new identity now.

“Where he comes from is sort of now a thing of the past,” said New

OIL

Continued from page 1A year from 2020-2023 that would’ve reduced the rate, though none became law.

During Landry’s special tax session last fall, Republican state Rep. Neil Riser of Columbia again tried to reduce the tax with a 40-page bill that would have revised the tax rate for both crude oil and natural gas and the method for calculating their value and quantities. But the bill was eventually whittled down to two pages and, though enacted, made few changes to existing law.

After that fizzled, Landry, DeVillier and Geymann brought in Greg Upton, executive director of LSU’s Center for Energy Studies, to help craft a simpler proposal that would be revenueneutral over a five-year period, Upton said.

Finding the sweet spot Supporters of the proposals argue that cutting the severance tax on oil to 6.5% will result in more oil production, particularly in south Louisiana.

“Getting the severance tax lowered on oil will bring some much needed prosperity back to the coast,” state Rep. Jacob Landry, R-Erath, told lawmakers at a commit-

English helped

PHOTO PROVIDED By VATICAN MEDIA

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, center, leaves after celebrating Mass with the College of Cardinals on Friday in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.

York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who had been President Donald Trump’s pick for pope. “Robert Francis Prevost is no longer around. It’s now Pope Leo.” But Cardinal Joseph Tobin, an old friend of Prevost’s who repeatedly called him “Bob,” said he expected the pope would be true to himself.

He said that was the advice conveyed to all the electors by the retired preacher of the papal household, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, who delivered a meditation in the Sistine Chapel before they took their first vote.

Tobin revealed that he had warned Prevost of his real chances of winning in the days before the voting began. But Tobin recounted the moment when saw it had sunk in for Prevost himself: Tobin had just cast his ballot before Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment’ ” and was returning to his seat when he saw Prevost.

“And he had his head in his

tee hearing Monday. Landry is the president of Industrial and Oilfield Services, an oil and gas construction firm.

“We’re looking at projects that are feasible now with the lower severance tax,” he added.

Geymann said he hopes that the tax cut will spur enough new oil production to make up for the loss in revenue.

“In my thinking, if you incentivize an industry, and they have more production than they normally would, you would see an increase in revenue,” he said.

But Upton said that’s unlikely. While more wells would be drilled, Upton said he doesn’t think it would be significant enough to offset the revenues lost from reducing the tax in the first place.

In long run, Upton said, the changes are likely to result in less revenue for Louisiana.

That’s because the severance tax reduction in HB600 is only for new oil wells, so as time progresses, more and more wells will be at the lower rate, resulting in fewer revenues over time, Upton said.

Meanwhile, the boost in revenue from limiting the tax exemption for natural gas will be felt more immediately. Louisiana currently exempts severance taxes on natural gas produced from

hands,” Tobin said. “And I was praying for him because I couldn’t imagine what happens to a human being when you’re facing something like that.”

“And then when he accepted it, it was like he was made for it,” Tobin said.

A papal Mass The cardinals urged the public and faithful to give Leo time to get used to his new role before trying to understand what kind of pope he will be.

But some clues were already apparent. Two women delivered the readings of Scripture at the start of Leo’s Mass, perhaps an indication of an intention to continue Francis’ focus on expanding women’s role in the church. As a cardinal, Leo put into practice one of Francis’ most revolutionary reforms by having three women serve on the Vatican board that vets bishop nominations.

new horizontal wells for the first 24 months of operation or until the cost of constructing the well is recuperated.

HB495 reduces that to 18 months or until well payout is achieved.

The measure is also aimed at making Louisiana more competitive with its neighbors. The severance tax on oil is 4.6% in Texas and 5% in both Arkansas and Mississippi, though Texas and four other states also charge property taxes on oil and gas reserves in the ground, while Louisiana doesn’t.

Meanwhile, natural gas production in Louisiana is taxed at a relatively low rate.

“It’s just true that oil has a way higher tax burden than natural gas in Louisiana,” Upton said.

Geymann said he’s working with both oil and natural gas interests to make sure everybody is happy. “You don’t want to hurt one to help the other,” he said. “We’re trying to find that sweet spot where everybody can win.”

On the decline The severance tax used to be a big generator of state revenues. In the 1970s, mineral revenues — which include severance, royalties, bonuses and rental payments — accounted for upward of 40% of state revenues.

But oil production on state lands and water bottoms

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Speaking in near-perfect Italian, Leo lamented that the Christian faith in many parts of the world is “considered absurd,” mocked or opposed in the face of temptations such as money, success and power.

He complained that in many places Jesus is misunderstood, “reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman.”

“This is true not only among nonbelievers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism,” he said. “A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.”

The cardinals applauded as the Mass concluded. Leo was seen wearing simple black shoes — eschewing, as Francis did, the red loafers of the papacy preferred by

has been on the steady decline since the oil bust in the 1980s. In fiscal year 2024, mineral revenues accounted for roughly 7% of state revenues.

The state severance tax doesn’t apply to oil produced offshore in federal wate rs,

Cardinals revealed that they got to know Prevost during the preconclave discussions, not because he made some showstopping speech like Pope Francis did in 2013. Then, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio spoke about the need for the church to go to the “existential peripheries” to find wounded souls and was elected a short time later.

“It wasn’t that he got up and made some overwhelmingly convincing speech that just wowed the body,” said Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the retired archbishop of Washington, D.C. This time, Prevost made an impression with his manner, in small groups. Although Italian had always been the primary language of past conclaves, this time English seemed to prevail, participants said.

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, a close adviser of Francis, said he took note of the man who would become pope — an American with deep experience in Latin America, strong linguistic and cultural fluency, and a history of leadership as superior of the Augustinians.

“That convinced me to say this could be a possibility,” Marx told reporters Friday. “I can tell you, I’m very happy.”

Marx also recalled meeting the future pope last year and being struck by his temperament.

“We had a very good conversation,” he said. “I realized he’s a man who listens, takes arguments seriously, weighs them. You can’t just place him into one camp — he really tries to build bridges. I liked that very much.”

which has increased in recent years.

Local governments will be watching the tax changes closely. Twenty percent of severance tax collections, by law, go to parish governments, though the amount that’s remitted to each local

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6A ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

ALMANAC

AIR QUALITY

LAFAyETTE THROUGH 5 P.M. FRIDAy

YESTERDAY

TEMPERATURE

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

MODERATE

74°/66° 84°/66° 92° in 1955 46° in 1917

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

READING 56

TODAY

PRECIPITATION

GOOD

24 hours through 5 p.m. Fri. 4.00” Month to date (normal) 10.20” (1.54”) year to date (normal) 31.33” (20.16”)

SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone SOURCE: AIRNOW.GOV

FULL

6:17 a.m.

7:52 p.m.

6:22 p.m.

4:55 a.m.

LAST

NEW

FIRST

MAY 12 MAY 20 MAY 26

JUN 2

THE NATION AND WORLD Today City

LOUISIANA FORECAST

RIVER STAGES MISSISSIPPI

Monroe 69/58

Shreveport 76/58

Jackson 67/59

Longview 75/56

Many 75/56

Hattiesburg 71/59

Alexandria 72/57

Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge Donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO

Cairo COMITE

Near Olive

Baton Rouge 74/59 Beaumont 78/58

Port Arthur 77/60

Lafayette

AMITE

Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent

New Orleans 74/63

Lake Charles 77/57

TICKFAW

Montpelier Holden

Houma 75/58

ATCHAFALAYA

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

TIDES HIGH

Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 7:19p Shell Beach 1:27p South Point, Marsh Island 4:56a Cypremort Point 7:13a Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 8:43a Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) 8:18a Wine Island 9:51a

First FT. LOW

0.6 1.5 2.0 1.4 1.1 1.4 1.4

FT.

5:53a 0.1 11:13p 0.0 9:12a 1.5 12:36p 1.0 7:27p 0.1 5:53p 0.1 8:29p 0.1

HIGH

Second FT. LOW

--------2:00p 1.7 3:16p 1.1 -------------

FT.

--------7:59p 0.1 11:40p 0.1 -------------

Forecasts and graphics, except KATC forecasts, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2025

Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

20.70 52.70 57.10 40.00 29.00 22.42 15.58

+0.94 -0.32 -0.50 -0.60 -0.50 -0.44 -0.11

40

37.65

+0.55

19

5.48

-0.11

18 29 8

11.18 25.49 3.78

+0.84 +3.78 +0.16

13 15

11.34 8.94

+0.14 +2.99

47 34 29 20 12 6

36.53 29.19 26.00 19.07 11.00 6.80

-0.42 -0.28 -0.29 -0.16 -0.20 +0.01

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

The World Amsterdam Bangkok Barcelona Berlin Brussels Cairo Dublin Frankfurt Havana Hong Kong Jerusalem

Sunday

Hi

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

City

79 62 76 60 88 98 74 87 71

60 52 57 33 75 76 55 79 58

s r s pc pc s s t pc

82 69 75 60 87 97 80 87 75

55 48 57 36 73 74 60 78 61

s s pc pc sh s s pc c

New Orleans Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Raleigh St. Louis San Diego Tampa

71 94 69 65 71 98 63 72 91 87 88

51 80 59 41 46 79 42 50 72 65 66

s t sh pc pc pc s pc pc r c

76 90 70 62 77 105 64 76 91 77 89

53 78 56 40 51 71 50 50 73 72 69

s r t s pc s sh s c sh s

Kuwait City London Madrid Mexico City Montreal Moscow New Delhi Paris Rome Stockholm Tokyo

Hi

Today

Sunday

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

74 89 73 104 72 75 76 80 87

63 72 55 80 47 59 53 62 76

t t s s s pc s s t

76 86 76 106 74 67 78 72 86

63 70 53 78 53 60 61 60 73

t t s s s sh s pc t

110 72 65 73 64 49 94 75 72 51 72

80 51 44 54 39 35 79 55 52 33 63

pc s sh r r c t s s pc r

109 76 68 71 63 47 98 77 70 54 76

80 55 43 53 47 34 81 54 53 35 63

s pc pc sh s r s pc pc c c

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

-10

-0s

0s

10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s

SOLUNAR TABLE The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter.

Today Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri.

Major

10:11a 10:50a 11:34a 12:22p 12:49a 1:45a 2:42a

Minor

Major

4:01a 10:32p 4:39a 11:12p 5:22a 11:57p 6:10a ---7:02a 1:15p 7:58a 2:11p 8:55a 3:09p

Minor

4:21p 5:01p 5:45p 6:34p 7:28p 8:24p 9:22p

Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation.

Temperature bands are highs for the day.

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New acting FEMA head warns staff ‘don’t get in my way’

BY GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA and REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The new head of the federal agency tasked with responding to disasters across the country warned staff in a meeting Friday not to try to impede upcoming changes, saying that “I will run right over you” while also suggesting policy changes that would push more responsibilities to the states.

David Richardson, a for-

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Continued from page 1A The bill would require people to serve up to 50% of their sentence on their third felony offense, and 75% after the fourth and subsequent offenses. The law would also allow prior convictions to be known to a jury, the bill states.

“It was that day one person’s fate being released early from prison stole the life from someone who was worth more than good behavior or time served,” Alexis Jolivette told the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee.

Segus Jolivette was killed on July 25 in Iberia Parish in the town of Jeanerette.

Jeanerette City Marshals were attempting to serve

MEDICS

Continued from page 1A the United States.

Acadian was about 80% employee-owned at the time of his death and Zuschlag owned the remaining 20%.

The company is now 100% employee-owned, current CEO Eddy Dupuis said.

Zuschlag was “the man who made Acadian what it is today, the man whose impact on our communities

he estimated to be about 20% of any organization.

“Don’t get in my way if you’re those 20% of the people,” he said. “I know all the tricks.”

“Obfuscation. Delay. Undermining. If you’re one of those 20% of the people and you think those tactics and techniques are going to help you, they will not because I will run right over you,” he said. “I will achieve the president’s intent. I am as bent on achieving the president’s intent as I was on making sure that I did

my duty when I took my Marines to Iraq.”

In a preview of what might be coming in terms of changes in policy, Richardson also said there would be more “cost-sharing with the states.”

“We’re going to find out how to do things better, and we’re going find out how to push things down to the states that should be done at the state level. Also going to find out how we can do more cost sharing with the states,” he said.

This issue — how much

states, as opposed to the federal government, should pay for disaster recovery — has been a growing concern, especially at a time of an increasing number of natural disasters that often require Congress to repeatedly replenish the federal fund that pays for recovery.

But states often argue that they are already paying for most disaster recoveries on their own and are only going to the federal government for those events truly outside of their ability to respond.

The standoff escalated into a shooting that resulted in the death of Segus Jolivette and wounded three other officers. The officer’s death was the first line-ofduty death the department has suffered since the fatal shooting in October 2017 of Cpl. Michael Middlebrook.

Though not substantiated by official sources, a media report and people involved in the shooting suggested that Jolivette died from a fellow PHOTO PROVIDED By LOUISIANA HOUSE SWAT officer’s bullet. Alexis OF REPRESENTATIVES WEBSITE Jolivette acknowledged that Hurst did not directly kill JoAlexis Jolivette, center, wife of Lafayette officer Senior Cpl. livette but argued his actions Segus Jolivette, sits before the state House Administration led up to his death. of Criminal Justice Committee on Thursday to speak about “The bullet that killed my support for the Segus Jolivette Act. husband did not come from Nyjal Hurst’s weapon — that a warrant for Nyjal Hurst levard. is my reality. I was torn bewhen Hurst allegedly took Multiple agencies, includ- tween the badge my husband two people hostage in a mo- ing the Lafayette SWAT stood for and the person who bile home in the 2500 block team, responded to the in- initiated it all. But today I stand with the badge he dediof Martin Luther King Bou- cident.

cated his life to,” she said.

Hurst had a lengthy criminal history filled with early releases and failed parole obligations, according to Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections records.

Duson Police Chief Kip Judice began floating the idea of the Segus Jolivette Act less than a week after Jolivette was killed, arguing that state sentencing laws didn’t go far enough.

Judice, who was in attendance with the Jolivette family this week, told lawmakers that if something like the Segus Jolivette Act were in place on July 25, Jolivette would likely be alive today.

“If we do the math, on July 2024, the date he had a standoff, (Hurst) would still be incarcerated,” Judice said. “I heard the word common sense, so we brought to

you guys what we thought was a common-sense law.”

Lafayette police detective Charles Broussard Jr. shared Judice’s sentiments arguing that the proposed law would save lives.

“This isn’t about vengeance, it’s about public safety. It’s about restoring credibility to our justice system and ensuring that dangerous repeat offenders do not get another chance to harm our community and our police officers,” he added.

Rep. Chad Boyer, who authored the bill, deferred the bill at the committee hearing but motioned to name HB260 after the fallen officer. The bill would add enhanced sentencing for second-degree murder if one violently resists arrests and would allow for those selling drugs to be charged with manslaughter if a death occurs.

and our state will last for decades, and the man whose faith, love and friendship has touched us all,” he said.

Retired Air Force pilot Nicole Malachowski was the event’s guest speaker. A combat veteran who was the first female pilot on the Air Force’s Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, Malachowski stressed the importance of teamwork in her profession and how it relates to those at Acadian or any other company.

“As an outsider, I can as-

Brandi Leonard n Mississippi: Paramedic Charles Wise and EMT Noah Esparza n North Louisiana: Paramedic Elaine Carter and EMT Kurstie Doles n North Texas: Paramedic Marcela Vazquez and EMT Mela Trimble n Northshore: Paramedic Meg McLeod and EMT Christian Kinsley n Orleans: Paramedic Whitney Houston and EMT Shannon Majcina n South Central Texas:

Paramedic Sandy Castorena and EMT Nicholas Wiatrek n Southeast Texas: Paramedic Andrew Heuler and EMT Joseph Bessard n Southwest Louisiana: Paramedic Nathan Emmons and EMT Sydney Horne n Tennessee: Paramedic Erica Shipp and EMT Tykelia Bowen n Safety Management Systems: Remote paramedic Trish Krampe.

mer Marine Corps officer who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa, was named acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Thursday just after Cameron Hamilton, who’d been leading the agency, also in an acting role, was fired.

Richardson has been the Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for countering weapons of mass destruction.

He does not appear to have any experience in managing natural disasters, but in an

early morning call with the entire agency staff he said that the agency would stick to its mission and said he’d be the one interpreting any guidance from President Donald Trump.

Prefacing his comments with the words “Now this is the tough part,” Richardson said during the call with staffers across the thousands-strong agency that he understands people can be nervous during times of change. But he had a warning for those who might not like the changes — a group

sure you, this is a very beautiful thing to behold,” said Malachowski, who overcame a tick-borne illness that left her struggling to walk and speak for almost nine months.

“You have each other to lean on each other, especially during turbulent times. I think it’s the people that can lean on each other, that have a community like this, that can better navigate turbulence and headwinds when they indeed come along.”

Acadian also honored its

regional winners: n Bayou: Paramedic Bryce Poincon and EMT Tanya McPherson n Capital: Paramedic Kate Pringle and EMT Kaydee Kider n Central Louisiana: Paramedic Lee Thompson and EMT Thando Pahla n Central Texas: Paramedic Kim Cole and EMT MacKenzie Dowse n Houston: Paramedic Chad Johnston and EMT Brandon Jones n Hub City: Paramedic

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.

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La. Legislature considers retrial bill Prisoners convicted in nonunanimous juries could go back to court

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN

Staff writer

The U.S. Supreme Court declared split-jury verdicts unconstitutional in 2020, yet there are still hundreds of people behind bars in Louisiana whose convictions rest on 10 or 11 out of 12 jurors’ votes.

Senate Bill 218, which is being considered by the state legislature, would give those prisoners the chance to have their cases retried.

“The fact that people are still incarcerated under a Jim Crow-era law that allowed non-unanimous jury verdicts is a stain on our justice system,” said Sen. Royce

Duplessis, D-New Orleans, who authored SB218, said in a statement.

“This bill gives those individuals a chance to finally have their cases heard by a fair and constitutional jury, and gives our state an opportunity to restore trust.”

The effects of Louisiana’s splitjury law, crafted during the state’s

Jim Crow-era 1898 constitutional convention, extend into the 21st century: A 2018 Pulitzer Prizewinning investigation by The Advocate found nonunanimous jury verdicts disproportionately harmed Black defendants.

SB218 has garnered some support from Republicans. It cleared

its first vote during an April 29 Senate Judiciary B Committee hearing, where two Republicans joined three Democrats to send the bill to Duplessis the full Senate for consideration. One Republican

ä See BILL, page 2B

BADGE OF HONOR ABOVE: Photos of fallen officers are on display at the Police Memorial Day 2025 service at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church on Thursday. LEFT: The Presentation of the Colors starts the Police Memorial Day service on Thursday.

RIGHT: The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard and the Lafayette City Marshal Honor Guard honor important attendees at the start of the Police Memorial Day service.

PHOTOS By ROBIN MAy

‘Something to be proud of’

3 plead guilty in Medicaid prescription fraud scheme said in a news release Friday anThe trio stole medical nouncing the convictions. Hills, 31, and Stampley, 33, copped to professional additional charges of aggravated identities identity theft and conspiracy to

BY MATT BRUCE | Staff writer Three accused scammers who forged nearly 100 prescriptions to get promethazine, codeine, hydrocodone and other pharmaceuticals confessed to Medicaid fraud in federal court Thursday.

Kevan Andre Hills, Devin Tyrone Stampley Jr. and Asia Deshan Guess stood before U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson during a hearing inside the U.S. Middle District Courthouse in Baton Rouge.

All three pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, U.S. Attorney April Leon

commit wire fraud. Guess, 28, confessed to theft of government funds. Hills, identified by prosecutors in court documents as “Dr. Codeine,” also pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary of a pharmacy.

According to court records, the three obtained the DEA registration numbers for several physicians and used the stolen identities to write fraudulent prescriptions for themselves at Baton Rouge-area pharmacies. The trio assumed the identities of 12 different licensed medical practitioners to forge 97 scripts during a

ä See FRAUD, page 2B

Acadiana faithful react to Pope Leo XIV

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR | Staff writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Thursday.

Roman Catholic religious and civic leaders on Thursday praised the choice of Robert Prevost, Pope Leo XIV, to lead the church.

“Thanks be to God. The Cardinals have elected the 267th successor of St. Peter to whom Jesus Christ said, ‘You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church,’ ” Bishop Douglas Deshotel, of the Diocese of Lafayette, said in a statement.

Pope Leo XIV, Deshotel said, understands the global challenges ahead, and it was significant that he spoke in Italian, Spanish and Latin in his first address.

“He is an American but knows that he

ä See POPE, page 2B

2B ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Family of deported 2-year-old girl drops case BR family was flown to Honduras in April

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

The father of a Louisiana-born 2-year-old deported to Honduras has dismissed a legal challenge against the Trump administration, citing “the traumatizing experiences the families have been through” since the young girl was deported with her mother and older sister last month.

Family members “are taking a step back to have full discussions about all their options, the safety and well-being of their children, and the best ways to proceed so the harms they have suffered can be fully addressed,” said Sirine Shebaya, executive director of the National Immigration Project,

whose attorneys represented the father in a complaint filed April 24 in federal court in the state’s Western District.

The case had become a flashpoint over Trump’s sweeping secondterm immigration agenda, highlighting how the administration is ensnaring people who may not be subject to deportation without a formal legal process.

The administration has flown hundreds of Venezuelan men to a notorious prison in El Salvador under an agreement with that country’s president, alleging that they were members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang.

That operation spurred questions from federal judges about what they have described as a lack of due process the men received prior to their removal, as well as findings that a majority of the men had no documented gang affilia-

tions and lacked criminal records.

The 2-year-old girl, identified in court documents as V.M.L., was deported days after attorneys for her father filed their complaint asserting to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials that V.M.L. had been born in Louisiana and was a U.S. citizen.

Deporting a citizen is “illegal and unconstitutional,” Judge Terry A. Doughty, a Trump appointee, wrote in a blistering order on April 25, hours after ICE deported the mother and her two daughters.

Doughty ordered a hearing for May 16 at the federal courthouse in Monroe “in the interest of dispelling our strong suspicion that the government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process.”

ICE agents had detained V.M.L. April 22 in New Orleans along with her mother, Jenny Carolina Lopez

Villela, and her 11-year-old sister as they attended a routine checkin at the ICE field office in New Orleans that morning, according to court records. Lopez Villela and V.M.L.’s sister, who were not U.S. citizens, had active deportation orders, according to court records.

The family lives in the Baton Rouge area.

The father’s attorneys described speaking with ICE agents on multiple occasions before the girl was deported. Still, federal officials refused to release V.M.L. to a legal custodian, Trish Mack, even after immigration lawyers made the argument to ICE officials that the girl is a U.S. citizen, the attorneys said.

Government attorneys said the little girl’s mother “made known to ICE officials that she wanted to retain custody of V.M.L.” and that she wished to bring the girl with her to Honduras.

Filings indicate that after being taken to an ICE detention center in Alexandria, the girl, her sister and her mother were put on a plane and flown to Honduras on April 25.

A copy of V.M.L.’s birth certificate included in court filings shows she was born in Baton Rouge in 2023. Her mother and father were born in Santa Bárbara, Honduras, according to court records.

The court filing dismissing the case remained under seal Thursday evening. Shebaya described the dismissal as “voluntary.”

“They are voluntarily dismissing this case to give themselves space and time to consider all the options that are available to them,” Shebaya said.

Email James Finn at jfinn@ theadvocate.com.

Lawyer: Detained doctoral student opted for deportation

inside the ICE detention that Gonzalez, the judge, refused Among them is Mahmoud Khalil, The Associated Press reported.

University of Alabama Gonzalez facility in Jena and made the “dif- a fresh request for a bond for Dor- the former Columbia University Rumeysa Ozturk, who helped pen decision to ask for oudi, who then chose to graduate student and Palestin- an op-ed last year criticizing the man will return to Iran ficult and was granted voluntary leave voluntarily rather ian activist. The Trump admin- school’s response to Israel’s war

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

After more than a month in a central Louisiana detention center, a University of Alabama doctoral student opted Thursday to return to his native Iran “to avoid prolonged and unnecessary detention,” his lawyer said.

Alireza Doroudi, 32, who was arrested March 25 near his home in Tuscaloosa on an allegedly revoked visa, appeared before Judge Maithe

FRAUD

Continued from page 1B period between April 2021 and February 2023.

The defendants used their federal health insurance benefits to pay for the fraudulent prescriptions so local pharmacies submitted claims to Medicaid to be reimbursed.

Many of the scripts were for promethazine, codeine and hydrocodone, but feds say other controlled substances were included in the scheme. The trio often resold the pharmaceuticals after the prescriptions were filled.

Stampley’s burglary plea stems from stealing 54 different drugs valued at over $10,000 from a Louisiana pharmacy, federal court records indicate.

In addition to their Medicaid scheme, the defendants bilked the government out of thousands in pandemic relief money and unemployment ben-

POPE

Continued from page 1B

departure,” attorney David than remain locked up any Rozas said in a statement. longer.

Doroudi wasn’t detained “He turned and looked for a crime, but for a reat me and said, ‘I love this country, but they don’t voked visa and an allegawant me here, so I will go tion that he was not “in stahome,’” Rozas said. tus.” Rozas said Thursday Doroudi Doroudi was swept up that records submitted in court show that the revocation was in President Donald Trump’s imonly supposed to take effect if Dor- migration crackdown, which has resulted in several high-profile oudi left the United States.

“This acknowledges that the ini- student detainees landing in ICE tial reason for arrest 45 days ago detention centers operated priwas in error,” Rozas said. He added vately in Louisiana.

efits, prosecutors say.

Hills and Stampley were accused of working in concert to file for nearly $300,000 in fraudulent PPP loans through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES Act, posing as small-business owners seeking federal relief funds. They falsified bank statements, tax forms and other documents in their applications submitted to the U.S. Small Business Administration and received at least $87,663 in aid, then used the funds to make personal purchases, Leon said.

Guess also sought CARES Act funds, making about $126,000 in fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance in multiple states during a 26week span between April and October 2020. She managed to score $15,859 in unemployment payouts from the Louisiana Workforce Commission and Maine Department of Labor, prosecutors alleged.

to pick the Holy Spirit’s choice,” McKoin said Thursday.

Now she prays that Pope Leo XIV “can help Catholics reunite in their faith and go back to the church.”

“The Holy Spirit,” McKoin said, “guided the cardinals as to who to vote for.

Now we need to pray for the new Pope to follow the Holy Spirit, too.”

The selection of the first American pope is a big deal, Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet said Thursday, “not just for our country but for communities like Lafayette, where faith runs deep and shapes so much of who we are.

“It’s something to be proud of,” she said, “and it reminds us of the strength and heart found in our shared beliefs across the world.”

is a universal pastor with the mission given to the first pope, St. Peter, by the resurrected Jesus Christ, ‘Feed my sheep’ and ‘I have prayer for you Peter that your faith may not fail and that you may strengthen the faith of the others.’”

Deshotel continued, “May the Lord Jesus Christ, whose vicar he is, be with Pope Leo XIV and guide him with the light of the Holy Spirit as he shepherd’s the flock of Christ.”

That 133 cardinals took less than two days to come to a two-thirds conclusion sends a strong message, state Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, of Lafayette, a Catholic, said Thursday.

“We need peace. We need to help those most in need,” Email Claire Taylor at Boudreaux said. “A pope ctaylor@theadvocate.com. from the United States to lead that movement is going to be very, very impactful.”

LOTTERY Cathy McKoin, a parishioner at Sacred Heart Church THURSDAY, MAY 8, in Baldwin, a community 2025 in St. Mary Parish, said PICK 3: 7-2-5 she was praying Thursday PICK 4: 3-9-8-1 morning that the right man would be selected to replace PICK 5: 5-9-8-1-2 Pope Francis.

Unofficial notification, “I had just finished my keep your tickets. novena for the cardinals

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Continued from page 1B voted against doing so.

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette — a hardcore conservative and former St. Landry Parish sheriff’s captain — also has come out in support of the bill, urging the Legislature to pass it in a May 3 letter.

“Every elected representative has an obligation to ensure faithful service to our citizenry by preserving due process, including the right to a fair trial, as a core principle of our constitutional system,” Higgins wrote. “SB 218 advances that mission and offers an opportunity to extend relief to those who may have been wrongfully convicted under the former non-unanimous jury system in Louisiana, struck down by the US Supreme Court.”

Not everyone is in favor of the bill.

The Louisiana District Attorneys Association is opposed to SB218. Zach Daniels, the organization’s executive director, said it would create the “biggest logjam our criminal justice system has ever seen.”

He predicted that it would not be possible to retry most of the cases, noting that witnesses may have died and evidence been destroyed.

“At this point we would not be able to try most of these cases again for reasons that have nothing to do with guilt or innocence,” Daniels said.

istration claims Khalil’s beliefs present a threat to foreign policy interests, according to a memo from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. On Wednesday, a federal judge in New Jersey told the government to spell out the legal precedent for its plan to deport Khalil, according to Reuters.

Also Wednesday, a federal appeals court ordered the return of a Tufts University student from Turkey to New England to decide if her rights were violated,

anans voted to ban the practice, defendants in Louisiana could be convicted by juries with 1 or 2 dissenting votes.

That custom made Louisiana an outlier among the states — only Oregon also permitted nonunanimous jury verdicts.

Then, in 2020, the United States Supreme Court ruled that nonunanimous jury verdicts were unconstitutional.

But it declined to apply the decision retroactively.

States were left to decide whether to do so, and in 2022, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that the nonunanimous jury ban did not void old convictions. The decision, however, specifically allowed the Legislature to determine whether to do so.

State lawmakers now find themselves grappling with just that.

Duplessis’ bill would allow prisoners convicted by nonunanimous juries to set their cases back to pretrial status through a process known as post-conviction relief.

Hardell Ward, Director of Community Impact for The Promise of Justice Initiative, an organization that represents people convicted by nonunanimous juries and a major proponent of SB218, disagreed that the bill would create the backlog Daniels described. His organization estimates that on average, assistant district attorneys in each parish would take on an additional three cases with the bill’s passage.

The LDAA and the PJI also disagree on how many

in Gaza, was held at an ICE facility in Basile for more than six weeks.

The complex in Jena where Doroudi and Khalil both were held, called the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center, is one of several privately run facilities under government contracts that have made Louisiana the secondleading state for U.S. immigrant detainees, behind only Texas. Several thousand detainees are now being held in the Pelican State.

people the bill would impact.

Daniels puts the number at 1,600 prisoners, while the PJI puts it at about 800.

Some proponents of SB218 decry the roots of nonunanimous jury verdicts, which were legalized in Louisiana’s 1898 constitutional convention. Delegates there sought to “perpetuate the supremacy of the Anglo-Saxon race in Louisiana,” largely by purging roughly 130,000 Black voters from the rolls.

They also drew up a law to allow convictions with only nine of 12 jurors agreeing.

That made it easier to discount Black voices if one, two or three Black people made it onto the jury.

“It’s a Jim Crow legacy that remains until this is resolved because these individuals, mostly Black men, are dying in custody in pris-

on for crimes that are not legitimate convictions, and until we resolve that, that is a stain that Louisiana simply cannot get away from,” said Ward.

During the 1973 constitutional convention, the law was changed so that at least 10 jurors would have to agree to reach a conviction. But into the 21st century, that policy disparately impacted Black defendants, an analysis of 6 years of trial data published by The Advocate in 2018 found.

According to that research, Black defendants were 30% more likely than White defendants to be convicted by a split jury in Louisiana.

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

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BUSINESS

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● 3B

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/news/business

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FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

FedEx board member picked to lead USPS

David Steiner, a former CEO of the nation’s largest waste management company who currently serves on the FedEx board of directors, is poised to take over control of the U.S. Postal Service, becoming the nation’s 76th postmaster general.

The announcement of Steiner’s appointment, which heightened concerns from postal unions over possible efforts to privatize the USPS, was made Friday by Amber McReynolds, chairperson of the USPS Board of Governors, during a meeting of the independent group that oversees the service.

“We anticipate that Mr. Steiner will join the organization in July, assuming his successful completion of the ethics and security clearance processes that are currently underway,” McReynolds said.

Friday’s announcement by the Board of Governors comes as President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have raised the idea of privatizing the nearly 250-yearold Postal Service, which has faced financial challenges amid a changing mail mix and other issues.

The choice of Steiner has been seen by the postal unions as a harbinger for possible privatization of some or all of the venerable quasi-public institution.

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30-YR T-BONDS 4.84 -0.01 -0.29%

Fed official not ready to cut rates Leader says he sees signs of slowing economy

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON — A top Federal Reserve official said Friday that massive uncertainty created by President Donald Trump’s tariffs has caused some businesses to cut back on hiring and spending, threatening to slow the economy, but he added that it’s not yet clear whether the central bank should cut its key interest rate.

Tom Barkin, president of the Federal Reserve’s Richmond branch, said businesses have turned cau-

tious, though are not yet engaging in steep job cuts or other behavior typical of a recession.

“The way I’ve been describing it is, it’s really hard to drive when it’s foggy,” Barkin said in remarks to the Loudoun County, Virginia Chamber of Commerce. “That’s what I’m seeing on the business side. Hiring freezes, discretionary spending being cut back, but not major layoffs.”

Barkin and other Fed speakers Friday underscored the difficult challenge the central bank faces right now. If the tariffs push up inflation, the Fed would keep rates elevated — or raise them further. But if the duties worsen the economy, the Fed would typically cut rates.

On Wednesday, Chair Jerome Powell said the risks of higher infla-

tion and higher unemployment are rising and that the Fed would wait for greater clarity about where the economy is headed before making its next move. Powell spoke after the Fed kept its key rate unchanged for the third straight meeting.

Trump, however, has continued to assail Powell for not cutting rates, which over time could lower borrowing costs for consumers and businesses.

Trump is pushing for rate cuts because he argues that the economy no longer suffers from the high inflation that spurred the Fed to sharply raise borrowing costs in 2022 and 2023.

But the most likely reason for the Fed to reduce its key rate in the coming months, economists say,

would be to offset a sharp slowdown in the economy stemming from the tariffs. As companies see their costs rise because of higher duties — about half of imports are parts used by American companies — they could institute widespread layoffs, pushing up unemployment and risking recession.

Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY, a consulting firm, said he thinks the Fed should cut rates soon because “the economy is slowing and will continue to slow and flirt with the recession.”

A key challenge for the Fed right now, however, is determining which risk is bigger for the economy, inflation or unemployment.

Barkin said it was too early to say that lower borrowing costs are needed to boost growth.

Home test kit approved for cervical cancer U.S. regulators have approved the first cervical cancer testing kit that allows women to collect their own sample at home before shipping it to a laboratory, according to a medical device company.

Teal Health said Friday the Food and Drug Administration approved its Teal Wand for home use, offering a new way to collect vaginal samples that can detect the HPV virus that causes cervical cancer. Currently, HPV tests and Pap smears are performed at a health clinic or doctor’s office.

An influential federal panel recommended last year the use of self-collection of HPV samples to boost screening. The FDA also recently expanded the use of two older HPV tests for self-collection, but those must be done at a medical office or mobile clinic.

Teal Health’s kit requires a prescription, which customers can obtain through one of the company’s online health providers. The San Francisco-based company said it will initially begin selling the kits in California next month before expanding to other states.

Texas looking at rising insurance costs Texas lawmakers hope to rein in homeowners’ rising insurance bills even as they acknowledge there’s only so much they can do to tackle costs.

Legislators have advanced bills to limit how much insurance companies can hike rates and help homeowners make their homes more insurable. They’ve also sought to compel insurers to be more upfront with homeowners when they decide to yank coverage, or deny it in the first place.

Texans pay some of the highest insurance premiums in the country. On average, Texas homeowners saw their insurance rates spike by double digits in recent years — a far cry from the previous decade when such increases were unheard of. Homeowners’ insurance rates climbed by nearly 19% in 2024, according to the Texas Department of Insurance, slightly down from more than 21% the previous year.

Even as lawmakers look for ways to tackle the insurance crisis, they acknowledge many of the drivers of insurance costs are beyond lawmakers’ control, they say.

“We can’t control the weather, we can’t control inflation,” state Rep. Tom Oliverson, a Cypress Republican behind one such proposal, told a House committee last month.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

People line up to go through security screening at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner on Jan. 24.

Expedia reports weaker revenue Company cites reduced travel demand

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press

Expedia Group said Friday that reduced travel demand in the United States led to its weaker-than-expected revenue in the first quarter.

Expedia, which owns the lodging reservation platforms Hotels.com and VRBO as well as an eponymous online travel agency, was the latest American company to report slowing business with both international visitors and domestic travelers.

Airbnb and Hilton noted the same trends last week in their quarterly earnings reports. Most major U.S. airlines pulled their full-year financial guidance in April and said they planned to reduce scheduled flights, citing an ebb in economy passengers booking leisure trips.

The U.S. Travel Association has said that

economic uncertainty and anxiety over President Donald Trump’s tariffs may explain the pullback. In April, Americans’ confidence in the economy slumped for a fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abroad, anger about the tariffs as well as concern about tourist detentions at the U.S. border have made citizens of some other countries less interested in traveling to the U.S., tourism industry experts say.

The U.S. government said last month that 7.1 million visitors entered the U.S. from overseas this year as of the end of March, 3.3% fewer than during the first three months of 2024.

The numbers did not include land crossings from Mexico or travel from Canada, where citizens have expressed indignation over Trump’s remarks about making their country the 51st state. Both U.S. and Canadian government data have shown steep declines in border crossings from Canada.

Expedia Chief Financial Officer Scott Schenkel said the net value of the travel technology

company’s bookings into the U.S. fell 7% in the January-March period, but bookings to the U.S. from Canada were down nearly 30%.

In a conference call with investors Friday, Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin said U.S. demand was even softer in April than March.

“We’re still continuing to see pressure on travel into the U.S., but we’ve also seen some rebalancing,” Gorin said. “Europeans are traveling less to the U.S., but more to Latin America.”

Airbnb said last week that foreign travel to the U.S. makes up only 2% to 3% of its business. But within that category, it’s seeing declining interest in the U.S. as a destination.

“I think Canada is the most obvious example, where we see Canadians are traveling at a much lower rate to the U.S. but they’re traveling more domestically, they are traveling to Mexico, they are going to Brazil, they’re going to France, they’re going to Japan,” Airbnb Chief Financial Officer Ellie Mertz said in a conference call with investors.

Wall Street, other markets hold steady into weekend U.S., China to meet on tariffs

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks drifted through a quiet Friday as Wall Street closed an unusually calm week.

The S&P 500 slipped to finish the week with a modest dip. It’s the first week in seven where the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts moved by less than 1.5%, after careening on fears about President Donald Trump’s trade war and hopes that he’ll relent on some of his tariffs.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped, while the Nasdaq composite edged up slightly. They

finished the week with even more modest losses than the S&P 500.

The week’s main event for financial markets is likely coming on Saturday. That’s when high-level U.S. and Chinese officials will meet in Switzerland for their first talks since Trump launched an escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies. The fear among investors and economists is that a recession could hit if the United States doesn’t reach trade deals that lower its tariffs by enough and quickly enough.

Trump on Friday floated the idea of bringing tariffs on Chinese imports down to 80% from their current 145% rate, but he said it’ll be up to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who will be in Switzerland.

While 80% would indeed be a re-

duction, it would still be high, and Trump’s posting on social media caused a brief jolt in financial markets. Futures for U.S. stocks sank immediately.

But markets quickly calmed as the wait continued for what U.S. and Chinese officials will say after their meeting.

In the meantime, the flow of earnings reports for the start of the year from companies is slowing but still moving the market.

Sweetgreen wilted by 16.2% after the salad seller reported a slightly larger loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The fastcasual restaurant chain also gave a forecast for revenue over the full year that fell just short of analysts’ estimates.

They helped work against a 28.1%

rally for Lyft, which delivered a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company said it reached the highest weekly ridership levels in its history during the last week of March.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, the chip giant known as TSMC, offered an encouraging report, saying its revenue in April leapt 48.1% from a year earlier.

That sent its stock that trades in the United States up 0.7%.

Insulet jumped 20.9% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the medical device company reported stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company, which sells tubeless insulin pump technology, also raised its forecast for an underlying revenue trend for the full year.

4B ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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OPINION T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/opinions

ANOTHER VIEW

Republicans favored to keep Senate, despite changes For a while there, senators were dropping like flies.

Well, flies with big pensions, that is.

Five U.S. Senate incumbents have recently announced they won’t be running in 2026. That number could increase. Of the 13 Democratic incumbents who’d be up for reelection, four are calling it quits. Of the 22 Republican incumbents whose terms will be up, one is retiring.

Currently, Republicans have a 53-47 Senate majority, which means Democrats need a net gain of four seats to win control of the chamber next year. That’s a tough nut to crack.

Democrats bowing out are Richard Durbin of Illinois, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Tina Smith of Minnesota and Gary Peters of Michigan. The one Republican incumbent not running is Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Retirements are opportunities not just Ron Faucheux for partisan, but generational, change.

McConnell, 83, has already stepped down from his post as Senate Republican leader and was replaced by John Thune, R-S.D., who is nearly two decades younger.

The four Democrats not running are also Medicareeligible: Durbin is 80, Shaheen is 78, Smith is 67 and Peters is 66. Likely replacements are mostly in their 40s.

Durbin is now number two in the Senate’s Democratic leadership.

Looking at the five open seats, Illinois is most likely to remain Democratic and Kentucky is most likely to remain Republican. Democrats are only slightly favored to hold New Hampshire and Minnesota. Michigan is up for grabs.

Another big break for Republicans: 21 of their 22 seats on the ballot will be in red states carried by Donald Trump three times in a row. That makes it difficult for Democrats to make a dent.

Both parties have to focus on keeping what they already have, while trying to score gains. For Republicans, an expanded majority runs through Georgia and Michigan. For Democrats, flipping Maine, North Carolina and Ohio is their path to Senate gains.

Georgia is a state to watch. Democrat Jon Ossoff won a tight race in 2020, benefiting from lucky breaks — from Joe Biden’s victory in his state to Donald Trump’s discouraging Republicans to vote by mail. Ossoff lucked out again last week when GOP Gov. Brian Kemp decided not to run against him next year.

Defeating Ossoff depends upon the quality of his Republican challenger. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll showed Kemp, before he took himself out of contention, leading Ossoff by three points. It also showed Ossoff beating U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who may run, by 17 points.

Another key battle will be in Maine, where moderate Republican Susan Collins is seeking a sixth term.

If she’s defeated, the Senate’s ideological center would diminish to almost nothing.

Three Republican incumbents from Trump states have tough primary challenges. Louisiana’s Sen. Bill Cassidy faces Republican State Treasurer John Fleming, and maybe others. MAGA loyalists are out to bring down Cassidy because of his vote to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial. The state’s new party primary law doesn’t help Cassidy, either. National Democrats are trying to convince former Gov. John Bel Edwards to carry their banner.

In Texas, Jon Cornyn is battling hard-right Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the primary. In North Carolina, Republican Thom Tillis, who sometimes strays from conservative and pro-Trump orthodoxy, also faces primary opposition from the right.

Ultimately, Republicans are favored to keep Louisiana and Texas, regardless of primary outcomes. Democrats think they have a better shot at picking up North Carolina, especially if Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper runs and Tillis is damaged in the GOP primary.

Senate contests are just warming up. Michigan and Georgia, both of which Trump won in 2024, are tests of the president’s continued strength. Louisiana, Texas and North Carolina will test the muscle of MAGA’s base within the Republican Party. Minnesota and New Hampshire will tell us whether Democrats can still count on competitive blue-leaning states.

In addition to terrain and retirements, Republicans have another ace in the hole: Democrats as a whole are polling even worse than they are. It would take a fullfledged Trump meltdown for Democrats to capture Senate control next year.

As Damon Runyan said, “The race isn’t always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that’s the way to bet.” The safest wager: Republicans keep the Senate.

YOUR VIEWS

PSC scuttled program to save ratepayers money In January 2024, the Louisiana Public Service Commission voted to put our state’s energy efficiency program under the control of a third-party administrator instead of allowing the utilities to continue running it.

The culmination of 14 years of work, this was hard-won progress for the people of Louisiana. We consume more energy per capita than anyone else in the country, showing that when the companies that make money from selling us energy run the efficiency program, there’s obviously no incentive to help us save energy.

With this glaring conflict of interest resolved, that was finally going to change.

But recently, the Public Service Commission, in a hastily called vote held at a remote golf club hours from where they normally meet, voted along party lines to kill that program just weeks before its details were to have been unveiled.

By holding this vote on short notice at a remote location, the Republican majority on the PSC showed us they knew they were doing something they needed to keep out of public view.

They showed us they don’t work for the public, but for the utilities they’re supposed to regulate. They showed contempt and disrespect for their constituents and their lack of con-

cern for our needs. If Commissioners Eric Skrmetta, Jean-Paul Coussan or Mike Francis represent you on the PSC, keep that in mind the next time one of them is on your ballot.

I also call on Commissioners Foster Campbell and Davante Lewis to obtain and make public the details of the canceled program.

We paid for its development, so as taxpayers, we are entitled to know what was in it. And as voters, we are entitled to know what was in the program the Republican majority on the PSC voted to kill before it could see the light of day.

BEATRICE WINKLER Baton Rouge

Stand up for PBS, which has important role in today’s world It is always a fight for our people, mostly by and on behalf of the poorer (even by Louisiana’s low benchmarks), to express the vital need for PBS. Time and again, using one excuse or another, political efforts have been made to remove the freedom of information. For adults, the news provided across PBS networks is less biased on the “premium” networks. For children, the educational programming is so well studied, no one can say it isn’t vital to the formation of better citizens.

And yet some feel that the news offered via the tax funds is biased, expressing their own bias and misunderstanding.

This doesn’t amuse me half as

Why it matters that Trump is subverting the Constitution

much as it saddens me. The assumption is the prevalence of alternatives means we can cease a public option.

This is a bad argument for anything.

Our public transportation hasn’t been phased out because people have cars. We haven’t ended the mail service, public education or road repairs. We haven’t closed up our police and military so we could promote private militias. So why target the news, other than that it offers an opinion other than what a politician wants? PBS serves a hidden, true purpose. It lets us socially audit our state and our elected officials.

Our forefathers set up our government to have three independent branches to avoid exactly what President Donald Trump is doing right now.

You may agree with many of the things that he is doing now, but he is doing them in a way that our Constitution did not intend. He is ruling by decree. He does not need Congress to make the laws. He will make the laws. He has hand-picked the Department of Justice’s leaders to ensure his decrees are carried out. Right now, he is actively defying the Supreme Court. He is showing that he is independent of the Supreme Court and that it does not and cannot control him.

We elected a president, not a king.

Congress has already given away much of its power and authority to Trump. There is still time to act, but time is running out.

Nothing that he is doing right now may directly affect you, but eventually it will. What he does to the least among us, he does to all of us. The Supreme Court is trying to exert its authority. Congress must exert its. Trump has already given orders that could be considered impeachable, but defying the Supreme Court is impeachable. Congress must exert its authority while there is still time.

NATHAN MEAUX Crowley

Whitewashing history doesn’t make it right I very much agree with Marc Morial’s views in a recent guest column regarding the current efforts to whitewash history. Growing up in the 1960s in an all-White small Pennsylvania city, my education probably provided a much more accurate picture of history. However, I have never thought support of the inaccurate causes of the Civil War, the subsequent Jim Crow laws, segregation, etc., was dead and gone.

What we are seeing today in the

Ron Faucheux is a nonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana. He publishes LunchtimePolitics.com, a nationwide newsletter on polls and public opinion.

elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion practices invites the justification of racism, misogyny and discrimination.

President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House and recent presidential campaign covertly and sometimes overtly exhibited these themes. Sad as it is to say, that was the choice the American voters made.

MARK WEBER New Orleans

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S at u r d ay, M ay 10, 2025

1CN

A R K A N S A S A T L S U • 5 : 3 0 P. M . S A T U R D A y • S E C N

DYNAMIC CHANGES

LSU pitcher Chase Shores delivers a pitch against Mississippi State in the first inning of their game on March 29 at Alex Box Stadium. Shores has taken on a new role as a reliever. STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

A look at how Shores has evolved since moving into new role

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

W

hen Chase Shores entered the game, it was his first relief appearance in over two years.

Tommy John surgery sidelined Shores for a season and a half, but his first nine outings in his return to the mound this spring

came as a starter. Being in the rotation was the expectation for the 6-foot-8 right-hander, a pitcher seemingly so valuable that LSU coach Jay Johnson compared his injury to if the football team had lost quarterback Garrett Nussmeier last season.

But at the halfway point of Southeastern Conference play, Shores found himself in a new role. Junior left-hander Conner Ware unexpectedly started LSU’s series finale with Alabama before Shores entered the game in relief.

“I just felt like to hold them down as best we could,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said, “we were going to need more guys.” ä See LSU, page 3C

I feel like he’s getting his legs underneath him, and just at the right time.”

Reese ready to start winning in WNBA

BY ANDREW SELIGMAN AP sportswriter

CHICAGO — Angel Reese’s rookie year surpassed nearly all expectations.

The Chicago Sky All-Star set records before her season got cut short by an injury and helped the league soar to new heights in popularity after she and the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark took their rivalry from the college ranks to the pros.

One thing the former LSU standout didn’t do was win. Not the way she is accustomed to winning. That’s something she wants to change, starting with a marquee opener at Indiana on May 17.

“I wasn’t used to that,” Reese said. “It just takes an adjustment. It’s something that you don’t want to get used to because you don’t want to get in a mindset, like, ‘Oh, we’re just going to be losing every night.’ We were right there every night.”

The Sky finished 10th in the WNBA with a 13-27 record last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018. The disappointing results were despite getting significant contributions from Reese and fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso. The two young stars are back, and the team made major roster changes to give them some help.

Chicago fired former coach Teresa Weatherspoon after one year and hired Las Vegas assistant Tyler Marsh to replace the Naismith Hall of Famer.

The Sky also brought in veteran leadership, including franchise career assist leader Courtney Vandersloot and acquiring two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins from Washington. Chicago hopes the additions will help Reese and Cardoso take their games to another level.

“She wants to compete, she wants to win, she’s somebody that puts that above everything else,” general manager Jeff Pagliocca said of Reese. “With all the time that she puts into building her brand and flying all over the world, she still has proven to us time and time again she puts basketball first.

“Only a competitive player is going to have all these things in her life that are so special but still want to be the greatest player she can be.”

Reese and Clark helped change the landscape of the WNBA, drawing sellout crowds

ä See REESE, page 3C

JAy JOHNSON, LSU baseball coach

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY

Arkansas at LSU began after this edition went to press. For complete coverage, visit theadvocate.com

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese dribbles up court against the Brazil National Team on May 2 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Coastal’s big bats end UL softball’s season Cajuns will miss regionals for first time since 1998

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

PROVIDED PHOTO By SUN BELT CONFERENCE

UL catcher Savannah White claps after reaching second base in the third inning of an SBC tournament game against Coastal Carolina on Friday in Troy, Ala.

In the end, UL’s offense just wasn’t enough.

Through pure determination, somehow the Ragin’ Cajuns won 10 of their last 11 Sun Belt games to reach the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals again as the No. 3 seed.

But most of that was achieved with few runs being scored and that trend caught up with the Cajuns on Friday when No. 7-seeded Coastal Carolina claimed a 6-1 win over UL to advance to the championship game.

The loss ended the Cajuns’ season at 29-25 overall. Coastal Carolina improved to 40-17 with the win.

“I’m obviously heartbroken because I

Sun Belt Conference Towurnament schedule at Troy softball complex, Troy, Ala. All games on ESPN+

Wednesday’s games

Game 1: No. 7 Coastal Carolina 7, No. 10 Southern Miss 2 Game 2: No. 9 James Madison 5, No. 8 Troy 2

Thursday’s games

Game 3: No. 3 UL 2, No. 6 Appalachian State 1 Game 4: No. 7 Coastal Carolina 5, No. 2 Marshall 2 Game 5: No. 9 James Madison 2, No. 1 Texas State 0 Game 6: No. 4 UL-Monroe 9, No. 5 Georgia Southern 2

Friday’s games

Game 7: No. 7 Coastal Carolina 6, No. 3 UL 1 Game 8: No. 9 James Madison 4, No. 4 UL-Monroe 2

Saturday’s game

Championship game, 1:30 p.m.

really wanted it for the seniors, because they deserved it, but for whatever reason it didn’t happen the way that we planned it to happen,” UL coach Alyson Habetz said.

“It’s just a tremendous group of young ladies that I’m extremely proud of and honored to coach.”

It’ll be the first time since 1998 UL doesn’t

compete in an NCAA regional.

“I’m responsible and I take full responsibility,” Habetz said. “We fell short this year, but definitely motivated for what’s to come.

Sad for those seven young ladies who I won’t have a chance to coach again but excited for the future of this program.”

The Chanticleers showed why their lineup is one of the best in the Sun Belt, peppering UL starter Mallory Wheeler early on.

Coastal took a 1-0 lead in the third, but blew it open with five runs in the fourth to essentially put the game on ice.

Reese Collier got the barrage going with an RBI double and then it was followed by a triple to Clara Hudgens, run-scoring single for Libby Pippen and then a sacrifice fly from Georgia Hood.

Maddy Jennings finished it off with RBI single to help Coastal pound out 11 hits in

ä See UL, page 3C

2C ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV AUTO RACING 10:30 a.m. NTT IndyCar: Warmup FS1 Noon NXT: Indianapolis Grand Prix FS1 1:05 p.m. CRAFTSMAN Truck: Practice FS2 2:10 p.m. CRAFTSMAN Truck: Qualifying FS2 3:30 p.m. NTT IndyCar: Grand Prix FOX 3:30 p.m. NASCAR Cup: Practice PRIME 4:40 p.m. NASCAR Cup: Qualifying PRIME 6 p.m.

AMA Supercross: Round 17 USA 6:30 p.m. CRAFTSMAN Truck: 200 FS1 BOWLING 1 p.m.

PBA: Quarterfinals FS1 BOXING 9 p.m.

Navarrete vs. Suarez ESPN COLLEGE BASEBALL 11:30 a.m.Oklahoma at Kentucky SECN 1:30 p.m. Louisville at Georgia Tech ACCN 2:30 p.m. South Carolina at Auburn SECN 4 p.m.

Vanderbilt at Tennessee ESPN2

5:30 p.m. Arkansas at LSU SECN 6 p.m.

UCLA at Illinois BTN MEN’S COLLEGE LACROSSE 11 a.m. Richmond at North Carolina ESPNU 1:30 p.m. Towson at Princeton ESPNU 4 p.m.

Colgate at Penn St. ESPNU 6:30 p.m. Georgetown at Duke ESPNU COLLEGE SOFTBALL 11 a.m. Big 12 Tournament ESPN 11 a.m. American Athletic ESPN2 noon Conference USA CBSSN 1:30 p.m. Atlantic Coast ESPN 1:30 p.m. Sun Belt Tournament ESPN2 3 p.m.

Big Ten Tournament BTN 3 p.m.

Big East Tournament FS1 4 p.m.

Southeastern Tournament ESPN 5:30 p.m. Big East Tournament FS2 GOLF Noon PGA Truist: Third Round Golf 2 p.m.

PGA Truist: Third Round CBS 2 p.m.

PGA: Myrtle Beach Classic CBS

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

4 p.m.

LPGA: Mizuho Americas Open CBS MIXED MARTIAL ARTS 6:30 p.m. UFC 315 Early Prelims ESPN 7 p.m.

UFC 315 Prelims ESPN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 3 p.m.

N.y.yankees at Athletics MLBN 6 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at N.y. Mets FOX 8:30 p.m. Toronto at Seattle MLBN NBA 2:30 p.m. Boston at New york ABC 7:30 p.m. Minnesota at Golden State ABC NHL 5 p.m.

Washington at Carolina TNT 8 p.m.

Vegas at Edmonton TNT MEN’S RUGBY 9 p.m.

MLR: Houston at San Diego ESPN2 MEN’S SOCCER 11:30 a.m. Aston Villa at AFC Bourne.

NBC WOMEN’S SOCCER 6:30 p.m. NWSL: Orlando at N. Carolina ION 9 p.m.

NWSL: Portland at San Diego ION

Mitchell shows power at soggy Truist

BY BOB LENTZ

AP sportswriter

FLOURTOWN, Pa. — Rory McIlroy might have been scouting his Masters Club dinner menu when he told autograph seekers he was headed for a bite at Angelo’s Pizzeria, the current Philly hot spot for cheesesteaks.

One fan disagreed, suggesting McIlroy should instead hit nearby Verona’s Pizza for a late lunch.

Everyone, especially at the rain-slogged Truist Invitational, had an opinion for McIlroy weeks after he fulfilled his lifelong dream of winning the Masters and won the career Grand Slam.

Maybe the best advice came from close friend and frequent playing partner, Shane Lowry.

“I keep saying to him, no matter what he does now, it doesn’t matter,” Lowry said.

The problem with that line of thinking, McIlroy isn’t really built that way, to let past achievements — even one as recent, as thrilling, as winning the Masters — stand in the way of trying to win the next one.

McIlroy used six birdies to shoot a 3-under-67 at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on Friday and stayed within striking distance of the top of the leaderboard headed into weekend play.

Tiger Woods’ son misses out on U.S. Open again

Alcaraz beats Lajovic in return from injury ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT ROURKE

Keith Mitchell waits on the 17th hole during the Truist Championship on Friday at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Flourtown, Pa. Mitchell was steady throughout, never wavering from his preplanned strategy on the A.W. Tillinghast design that opened in 1922. He followed bogeys at Nos. 2 and 11 with birdies and described the bounce-backs as “huge.”

“If you get going in the wrong direction with momentum on a day like today, it can really catch you,” he said.

Lowry, who opened with a 64, birdied four of his first eight holes. After a bogey at the 10th, he bounced back by making a 53-foot birdie putt at No. 11 and closed out the round with another birdie at the 15th.

He discounted the notion that he has an advantage over most players in chilly, damp conditions just because he hails from Ireland.

“Everyone says that to me every day when it rains,” he said. “I live in South Florida, and I plan to be there now. ... I think I’m able to

handle them probably better than a few people, but I don’t particularly like or enjoy going out and playing in these conditions.”

McIlroy had an uneven round of six birdies and three bogeys while playing in his first individual tournament since completing the career Grand Slam at the Masters last month.

McIlroy hasn’t wavered in his aggressive approach to playing the Wissahickon Course, but on Friday the Northern Irishman’s long-distance success came on the greens.

He drained putts from just under 10 feet at 12, close to 29 feet at 14, 17 feet, 4 inches at 15 and nearly 28 feet at 18 — all on his first nine holes. He finished with 1261/ 2 feet of putts made.

McIlroy has won three times this season — at Pebble Beach, the Players Championship and Augusta National — and is a four-

time champion of this event.

He acknowledged that his game needs some fine tuning after taking most of the last two weeks off. He is also preparing for next week’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, where he has won four times.

“I felt like today was another sort of scrappy one,“ McIlroy said. “I made what I feel are some uncharacteristic mistakes compared to how I’ve played the majority of the year.

“So, just got to try to iron that out over the next couple of days, try to shoot a couple of scores without as many bogeys on the card. If I can do that and just tidy it up a little bit, I feel like I’ll be in a good spot heading into next week.”

Denny McCarthy, who was one stroke off the lead after the opening round, fell off the pace and is at 5 under after a second-round 73.

Everyone has advice for McIlroy, Grand Slam

BY DAN GELSTON

The Women’s World Cup will increase to 48 teams in 2031 when the United States is expected to host the tournament, FIFA confirmed Friday.

FIFA has wanted to expand the women’s tournament from 32 teams to match the men’s World Cup which has 48 teams for the first time next year, when the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico. The decision is set to add about four stadiums and cities to the 2031 hosting plan, which FIFA has said could expand to Mexico and perhaps beyond in the CONCACAF soccer region.

It follows one month after FIFA president Gianni Infantino said it had just one candidate bidding for each of the 2031 and 2035 women’s tournaments — the U.S. followed by the United Kingdom.

Charlie Woods failed to get out of local qualifying for the U.S. Open, the second straight year the son of Tiger Woods missed out.

The 16-year-old Woods was among a record 10,202 entries for the U.S. Open. He improved from last year’s score in 18-hole local qualifying, posting a 3-over 75 at Wellington Golf Club on Thursday. That left him seven shots short of being among those who advanced to the 36-hole final stage.

A year ago, he shot 81 in the local U.S. Open qualifier. Tiger Woods, who has three U.S. Opens among his 15 professional majors, never had to go through the first stage of local qualifying. According to the USGA, Woods was exempt from the local qualifying in 1992 through 1994, presumably from his U.S. Junior titles.

AP sportswriter

FLOURTOWN, Pa. — Keith Mitchell held the first-round lead at three tournaments earlier this season before falling out of the top spot.

He’s showing staying power at the Truist Championship.

Mitchell followed a career-best round with a 3-under 67 on Friday and maintained a one-shot lead after two rounds at Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course.

Mitchell, who led the way with a 61 on Thursday, offset two bogeys with five birdies, including a three-hole run on Nos. 3-5, for a 12 under total.

Shane Lowry was second at 11 under after a 5-under 65, and Sepp Straka (67) was another stroke back. Defending champion Rory McIlroy shot a 3-under 67 and was tied in a large group for fourth.

Mitchell said he’s feeling more comfortable in the top spot. And it showed.

“I guess just being a little more comfortable in that position,” Mitchell said. “Playing well the last couple Thursdays, it’s just I feel like I’ve been there now three or four times. So trying to just build off of that and build into Friday, then Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s a four-round tournament.

They don’t give any points or money out on Thursday. So I’ve got to keep it going.”

One day after 64 of the 72 golfers in the no-cut field broke par in near-perfect weather and scoring conditions, the course was softened by overnight rain and the field dealt with on-and-off showers and temperatures in the 50s Friday. The result: longer irons into Philly Cricket’s modest par 4s and a more difficult 7,100-yard, par-70 test for the sixth signature event of the PGA Tour season.

Lowry was undeterred by the weather and posted the lowest round of the day, while McIlroy was joined at 7 under by Justin Thomas (67), Colin Morikawa (70) and Patrick Cantlay (68), among others.

FIFA confirms WWC will increase to 48 teams

McIlroy played his first individual tournament since he took his place in golf history as the sixth player with the career Grand Slam.

Lowry, the 2019 British Open winner, even conceded McIlroy wouldn’t exactly coast at the Truist, a signature tournament, yet one most players are using as a tune-up for next weekend’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“I found it hard in 2019 when I won The Open to kind of come back out and, you almost want it too much sometimes to almost forget about that and move on,” Lowry said. “I think there’s a part of you that should enjoy what you’ve just done.”

McIlroy was reminded by Philly fans throughout the first two rounds of all the spoils that come with his slice of golf history.

The ones who braved the rain — and $27 cheesesteaks and $22 fairway margaritas — tailed him all over the Wissahickon Course yelling “Masters champ!” or “The champ is here!” ahead of each tee shot. There were, as always, the ubiquitous “Rory!” chants that McIlroy has gamely tried to ignore.

But it’s harder to keep those Masters thoughts from lingering when there are roaring remind-

ers of his success on every hole.

“We all have our own challenges, and if my challenge is to try to focus on the present and not think about a dream come true a few weeks ago, then that’s a pretty good challenge to have,” McIlroy said.

By name, McIlroy won Truist in 2010, 2015, 2021 and 2024. By venue, Wissahickon was a new one for him, the tiny suburban course serving as a one-year stopgap with Quail Hollow getting ready for the PGA. Wissahickon came with some frustration, notably on No. 17 when his drive missed the fairway and landed on a steep slope.

He barely got his next shot off the hill and swiped the rough in frustration with his club. The hole was one of his three bogeys.

“If the golf ball just went a little shorter, this course would be awesome,” McIlroy said. “Not that it isn’t awesome anyway, but right now for the distances we hit it, it’s probably 500 or 600 yards too short.”

He had better luck on No. 14, sinking a 28-foot birdie putt on the par-3 hole.

The 36-year-old McIlroy has been on a tear of late, going back to last November, when he won the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. He won at Pebble Beach in February and The Players Championship in March.

All of those feats have been swallowed by the enormity of Augusta.

He laughed when asked the most surprising thing to happen since winning the Masters, saying, “I think that everyone forgot I won the Players.”

“Look, obviously (the Masters) is at the forefront of everyone’s mind because of what it meant and how I did it and all that stuff, but I think for me it’s great that I was able to do it but, not that I’m leaving it in the rearview mirror, but I’ve got a lot of golf still left to play this year. I want to really try to focus on that,” he said.

Already with three wins this year, his Masters victory already has sparked conversation of a calendar Grand Slam. McIlroy has four victories in May at Quail Hollow.

“It’s been a very consistent period for sure,” McIlroy said.

“Even when I feel like I haven’t played my best, I find a way. I think that’s when I talk about being a more complete golfer, if one part of my game isn’t on, then I can maybe lean into another part. Like today, holing quite a few putts and making my score that way rather than hitting the ball unbelievably well. I think that’s been a big key to this consistent run is not having to rely too much on any one aspect of the game.”

ROME — Carlos Alcaraz returned from a brief injury layoff and didn’t appear to have any issues during a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic at the Italian Open on Friday.

The third-ranked Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open last month due to an upper right leg ailment that bothered him during the Barcelona Open final. He also had a left leg injury.

Alcaraz won the opening four games but dropped his serve when he served for the first set at 5-2.

The Spaniard broke back in the next game to close it out, showing off his speed on the clay court at the Foro Italico when he ran down a drop shot and produced a backhand winner on one key point.

India suspends cricket amidst military tensions

India’s biggest domestic cricket tournament was suspended for one week on Friday following the escalating military tensions with Pakistan. The Indian Premier League, which features top players from around the world and attracts hundreds of millions of TV viewers, was halted with immediate effect, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said.

The decision came after a night of artillery exchanges between Indian and Pakistani soldiers across their frontier in Kashmir, amid a growing military standoff that erupted following an attack on tourists in the India-controlled portion of the disputed region.

The IPL is the most popular cricket tournament in the world and runs between March and May.

Astros place right-hander Wesneski on 15-day IL

The Houston Astros placed righthander Hayden Wesneski on the 15day injured list on Thursday with right elbow discomfort.

Wesneski pitched four innings of four-run ball in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss at Milwaukee. It was his first start since April 25. The Astros skipped Wesneski’s previous turn in the rotation after he showed diminished velocity, but manager Joe Espada said he did not report any elbow soreness until Thursday. Wesneski, 27, was acquired by Houston in the Kyle Tucker trade with the Chicago Cubs in December. He is 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA in six starts with the Astros. Wesneski missed two months of last season due to elbow soreness.

The Astros recalled right-hander Logan VanWey from Triple-A Sugar Land to take Wesneski’s place on the 26-man roster.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● 3C

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Saints come to terms with six 2025 draft picks

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

contracts on Friday.

The only players from the draft class who have not yet signed are quarterback Tyler Shough, defensive lineman Vernon Broughton and safety Jonas Sanker — all of the Saints’ Day 2 selections.

New Orleans began its rookie minicamp Friday, and it will go through the weekend. While three players remain unsigned, they are still able to participate in the Saints’ rookie minicamp.

With rookie minicamp in full swing, the New Orleans Saints announced they have reached contract agreements with most of their nine-member NFL draft class.

Offensive lineman Kelvin Banks, linebacker Danny Stutsman, cornerback Quincy Riley, running back Devin Neal, tight end Moliki Matavao and edge rusher Fadil Diggs all Email Luke Johnson at signed their first professional ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

REESE

Continued from page 1C and record ratings while spurring debates about the sport and society. The rivals from LSU and Iowa showcased a style and swagger that captivated the nation when they were going at it in college.

Reese, who finished second to Clark in the Rookie of the Year voting, averaged 13.6 points and a league-record 13.1 rebounds. She set a WNBA record with doubledoubles in 15 straight games and finished with 26 on the season — the most ever by a rookie.

Reese briefly held the mark for total rebounds with 446, only to miss the final six games with a wrist injury. While she was out, league MVP A’ja Wilson finished with 451.

But while the records piled up, so did the losses.

In two seasons at Maryland and two more at LSU, Reese’s teams lost a total of 20 games and never dropped more than two in a row.

She won an NCAA championship with the Tigers in 2023, beating Clark and Iowa in the final.

The Sky, meanwhile, lost 12 of their final 14 games last season.

They dropped seven in a row before beating the Los Angeles Sparks on Sept. 6, only to have Reese suffer a hairline fracture in her left wrist that required surgery. With their star sidelined, they won their next game and lost the final five.

“Obviously, that left a bad taste in my mouth,” she said.

Reese had a busy offseason, playing in the Unrivaled 3-on-3 league and trying to increase her range and develop into the sort of stretch power forward the Sky envision her becoming. She shot 39% last season and made just 3 of 16 3-pointers.

“We want her to be dynamic,” Marsh said. “We want her to be able to score inside. We want to be able to create space for her

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Chicago White Sox players walk on the field as the scoreboard honors Pope Leo XIV before a game against the Miami Marlins on Friday in Chicago.

AP PHOTO By DAVID BANKS

Chicago White Sox organization embracing Pope Leo XIV’s fandom The Associated Press CHICAGO — It’s the biggest victory for the struggling Chicago White Sox in a long time.

Pope Leo XIV is a White Sox fan — and the organization is embracing the news.

Elected on Thursday, Robert Prevost is the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church. And Prevost’s brother, John, said the Chicagoborn missionary cheered for the White Sox. “Proud moment for Chicago,” White Sox manager Will Venable said before Friday night’s game against Miami. “It’s awesome.”

It was initially reported that

the new pope was a Cubs fan. The team congratulated Pope Leo XIV in a post on X that had a picture of Wrigley Field’s iconic marquee with the message: HEY, CHICAGO. HE’S A CUBS FAN! But John Prevost set the record straight in an interview with WGN-TV. “He was always a Sox fan,” John said.

The White Sox posted a clip from the brother’s interview on X, along with a picture of the Rate Field videoboard with the message: HEY CHICAGO, HE’S A SOX FAN! That message was still on the videoboard in center when the White Sox began batting practice Friday.

Venable said he couldn’t blame the Cubs.

“I get it,” he said. “I think we all want the pope on our side, so I certainly understand. But I’m glad he chose the right team.”

The White Sox said they sent a jersey and a hat to the Vatican after the announcement. The organization also congratulated the new pope in a scoreboard graphic that was shown before Friday night’s first pitch.

The White Sox are last in the AL Central this season, a year after they went 41-121 to break the post1900 major league record for losses in a season. So they welcomed a reason to celebrate.

“We’ll take it,” Venable said with a smile. “It’s great to have him on our side, for sure.”

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Instead of worrying about how he has to save energy as his outing goes along as a starter, he can leave everything out on the line not knowing how long he’ll stay in the game as a reliever.

“If you’re a starter, no matter how much myself or a pitching guy drives that into your head, like, ‘Hey, I want you to treat this inning like you’re closing the game,’ “ Johnson said. “It’s hard to get that through when you may pitch four or five or six innings.”

For the last two weeks, freshman right-hander Casan Evans has ascended to Shores’ old spot in the rotation and has pitched well. He’s allowed just three earned runs in 91/ 3 innings in his new role.

Shores hasn’t been as prolific as Evans was when he was in relief, but their roles have essentially flipped since LSU’s series victory over Tennessee. It’s a switch that undeniably helped the Tigers hold the Volunteers to two runs last Sunday and Texas A&M to 10 runs last weekend.

“When you look at how you can shape up a weekend (in relief),” Johnson said, “when you look at Jaden throwing the ball as well as he is, Mavrick (Rizy) throwing the ball as well as he is, Chase throwing the ball as well as he is... that changes the dynamic of what this (bullpen) is.”

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese takes a shot during warmups before a game against the Brazil National Team on May 2 at the PMAC.

LSU

to have more one-on-one finishes inside and to not have to have to feel like she’s got to play in a crowd. We want to put the ball in her hands on the perimeter and allow her to facilitate and create off the dribble as well.”

Reese said the issue was more her hesitancy to take the shots than her ability to hit shots from the perimeter.

“I always just tell myself if I work out and make the shots I might as well take them in the game,” she said.

Reese got a taste of the championship atmosphere when she sat courtside during the WNBA finals between New York and Minnesota. She showed up for Game 5 wearing what looked like a custom outfit split down the middle with a Liberty jersey on her left side and Lynx jersey on the right.

Reese also excelled in Unrivaled.

Her team Rose BC won the championship, though she missed the playoffs after hurting her surgically repaired wrist. She likes the makeup of the Sky and believes Chicago will be difficult to beat.

“I think we have the right pieces this year,” Reese said. “We have the great veteran leadership. We have coaches that just built a culture from the beginning and built the standards, so I’m excited.”

His first appearance as a reliever since March 31, 2023, didn’t go smoothly. Shores allowed three earned runs and four hits in 22/ 3 innings and LSU lost 7-4, but that wouldn’t be the end of his time out of the bullpen.

Shores has allowed just two hits in three innings in a pair of relief appearances the last two weeks. The Texas native has surrendered two earned runs, but the former top recruit has looked better on the bump since transitioning to the bullpen.

“I feel like he’s getting his legs underneath him,” Johnson said, “and just at the right time.”

Since his outing against Alabama, Shores has thrown the ball harder and for more strikes over the last two weeks against the Aggies and Volunteers.

His fastball velocity has sat at around 99-100 mph, a noticeable uptick from where he was at as a starter, sitting at 95-97 mph.

He also tossed 14 of 24 pitches for strikes against Tennessee and threw 24 of 35 pitches over the plate at College Station.

He’s hit three batters and walked two across his last two appearances. But, particularly in his outing against the Aggies, Shores pitched with a level of ag-

gression that wasn’t as present when he was starting.

“I see a little more aggressiveness out of him, which is really good,” sophomore right-hander Jaden Noot said. “And I wouldn’t say he was missing that coming back from surgery at all, because he wasn’t, but there’s just a little more giddy up to what he’s doing now out of the pen.”

Noot, who also had Tommy John surgery as a freshman, said that Shores’ transition to the bullpen has given him more permission Email Koki Riley at to be aggressive on the mound. Koki.Riley@theadvocate.com.

came in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Sam Roe. “We’re not used to striking out a whole lot, especially a Maddie Hayden, she never strikes out — but she was making it move,” Habetz said. “Maddie told me in her last at-bat she hadn’t seen that pitch before. She had a little extra juice on it and obviously she’s a competitor.

“She was better than us today for sure, making the ball move.”

In addition to the 11 hits, the Chanticleers left nine others on base.

Wheeler gave up four runs on six hits, two walks and no strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Sam Ryan finished out her career in style, tossing 3.1 innings shutout winning with one walk and one strikeout.

UL

outs. One day after throwing 117 pitches, Picone got the complete Continued from page 1C game in 90 pitches in this contest.

“It was somewhat surprised because when we played them at Coastal, our lefties did great the win.

Meanwhile, Coastal ace pitcher against her and our righties strugNicolette Picone dominated in the gled,” Habetz said. “Today, she circle to improve to 27-9 on the owned our lefties. Our lefties just season, allowing one run on four weren’t seeing it.”

The only run Picone allowed hits, two walks and four strike-

Continued from page 1C

LSU pitcher Chase Shores delivers a pitch against Tennessee in the seventh inning of their game on April 26 at Alex Box Stadium.

“Sam Ryan don’t talk enough about her,” Habetz said. “It’s one thing for a senior to buy in with a new coach and very rarely does a senior get that much better. Sam Ryan got that much better.

“Everytime we gave her the ball, she was ready.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

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4C ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Buescher is back at Kansas Speedway

BY DAVE SKRETTA

AP sportswriter

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — One year ago, Chris Buescher was beaten by Kyle Larson at Kansas Speedway by the blink of the eye.

Less than a blink of an eye.

The official margin of victory for the spring race at the track was 0.001 seconds, the closest in NASCAR Cup Series history, and nobody has forgotten it. Not the way that Larson came slinging around the outside of Turns 3 and 4, nor how they were nose-to-nose at the wire, nor how broadcasters thought that Buescher had held him off for the win.

“Certainly at that moment, thought we got it just by my eye,” Buescher recalled this week. “I was probably a little biased.”

It wasn’t until they had nearly finished their cool-down lap that Larson learned he had won.

And that Buescher learned he had not.

“At the end of the day, it was, you know — it was ‘that’ close, right?”

Buescher said. “Like I said, played a lot of things in our head that week on what we would have done different, and maybe it would have ended in a different result. But ul-

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX

Chris Buescher waves to the crowd during driver introductions before two NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13 in Daytona Beach, Fla. timately, it doesn’t matter until we have a chance to replay it.”

They get that chance on Sunday when the Cup Series returns to Kansas Speedway.

Larson is off to another sensational start to the season, with wins at Homestead and Bristol, and three consecutive top-5 runs after his fourth-place finish last week at Texas. He’s the betting favorite to

repeat at Kansas and start a busy three-week stretch that includes another shot at the “the Double” — the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day later this month.

Buescher hasn’t had nearly the same success. His best finish has been a fifth at Phoenix, and in the last three races, he has not finished better than 18th, which is where he put his Ford for RFK Racing last

week at Texas.

But perhaps a return to the Heartland will turn around some fortunes. Forget for a moment that he was oh-so-close to winning at Kansas last year, and remember that he not only finished second in the spring but ran a strong 11th in the fall race.

He also had a strong run at Kansas in 2015, when he won the Xfinity Series championship.

Buescher recalled that season this week when he was thinking back to last year’s run at Kansas.

Sure, his crew may have been celebrating in his pit stall, thinking he had beaten Larson to the line. But the fella behind the wheel refused to begin celebrating until everything became official — which, of course, turned out to be a good idea.

“I’m not one to celebrate too early, because I just have bad feelings all the time,” Buescher said. “I go back to our championship in Xfinity in 2015. We went into the race, we had to finish 13th, I believe was the number, no matter what (Chase) Elliott did, and we finish that race — no matter what, it was a lock. And I was being yelled at for racing, you know? For trying to pass for sixth or seventh. I was being yelled at by everybody.

“Anyway, we come across the line and we finished the top 10, I think. And you know, it was better than 13th, I know that. And I knew it at the time. So I knew we were done. And I still couldn’t bring myself to celebrate until somebody said something.”

Buescher knows he will always be part of Cup Series history after that photo-finish a year ago. It edged the 2003 spring race at Darlington, where Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch banged doors for the lead, as the closest in Cup Series history. The margin in that case was 0.002 seconds, or double the time between Larson and Buescher at Kansas.

The spring race at Talladega in 2011 also had a 0.002-second margin when Jimmie Johnson beat Clint Bowyer to the finish line.

“We’re chasing a thousandth of a second every week. ... You’re chasing fractions all the time. Ultimately, it’s what we signed up to do,” Buescher said. “If it was 1,000th of a second for fifth and sixth, it wouldn’t have stung. But you know, for a win, it makes you relive it for a little bit. But again, it’s just, it’s our world, right? We are always chasing these minute details.”

SCOREBOARD Odds Sports Betting Line NBA Saturday

FAVORITE Boston Minnesota

MLB

LINE 5½ 5

O/U (205) (201)

UNDERDOG at NEW YORK at GSW

Saturday

American League FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG N.Y Yankees -146 at ATHLETICS Texas -112 at DETROIT Boston -120 at KANSAS CITY Baltimore -142 at LA ANGELS at SEATTLE -120 Toronto National League FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG Atlanta -138 at PITTSBURGH St. Louis -122at WASHINGTON at N.Y METS -152 Chicago Cubs LA Dodgers OFF at ARIZONA San Diego -205 at COLORADO Interleague FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at TAMPA BAY -134 Milwaukee Philadelphia -116 at CLEVELAND Miami -112 at WHITE SOX at HOUSTON -134 Cincinnati San Francisco -110 at MINNESOTA

NHL

Saturday

FAVORITE LINE at CAROLINA -192 at EDMONTON -125

LINE +124 -104 +102 +120 +102 LINE +118 +104 +128 OFF +172 LINE +114 -102 -104 +114 -106

GIRLS TEAM STANDINGS

Jonesboro-Hodge 58, 2. Southern Lab 45, 3.

Highland Baptist 42, 4. St. Fredrick 41, 5. Ascension Episcopal 36, 6. Vermilion Catholic 30, 7. Hamilton Christian 26, 8. Cedar Creek 25, 9. Block 21, 10. East Iberville 20, (tie) Central Catholic 20, 12. McGehee 19, 13. Jeanerette 16, (tie) Plain Dealing 16, (tie) Central Private 16, 17. St. Mary’s 12, (tie) Merryville 12, (tie) North Central 12, 20. Kentwood 11, 21. Catholic-PC 10, 22. Riverside 9, 23. JS Clark 8, 24. Westminster 7, (tie) NorthwoodLena 7, 26. Delhi 6, (tie) St. Edmund 6, 28.

Haynesville 4, (tie) Thrive Academy 4, 20.

LaSalle 2, (tie) Elton 2, 32. Glenbrook 1.

GIRLS RUNNING EVENTS

UNDERDOG Washington Vegas

LINE +158 +104

High school baseball Baseball playoff pairings Division III nonselect

Semifinals schedule No. 3 South Beauregard at No. 2 Erath (G1: 6 p.m. Friday; G2-3: 2 p.m. DH Saturday) Division I select Semifinals schedule No. 4 St. Thomas More at No. 1 Catholic-BR (G1: 5 p.m. Friday; G2-3: Noon DH Saturday)

Division II select

Semifinal schedule No. 1 Teurlings 2, No. 5 Vandebilt 0 (Teurlings leads 1-0; G2: 4 p.m. Friday; G3: 1 p.m. Saturday)

Division III select

Semifinal schedule No. 9 Dunham at No. 4 Catholic-NI (G1: 6 p.m. Friday; G2-3: Noon DH Saturday)

Division IV select

Quarterfinal schedule No. 7 Ascension Episcopal at No. 2 Vermilion Catholic, 6 p.m. Friday No. 11 Riverside at No. 3 Opelousas Catholic, 4 p.m., Friday

Teurlings 2, Vandebilt 0

Vandebilt 000 000 0 — 0 2 3 Teurlings 000 101 x — 2 6 1 W — Evan Vincent (6 IP, 2 H, 5 BB, 6 K), L — James Guidry (6 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 0 BB, 1 K).

Save — Lincoln Guillory (1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K). Top hitters — TEUR: Porter Stuart 2-3, 2B, RBI; Jack Ortego 1-2; Brant Badeaux 1-2; VAND: E. Robert 1-2, J. Bergman 1-1.

High school track Class 1A BOYS TEAM STANDINGS

Southern Lab 55, 2. Highland Baptist 48, 3.

Haynesville 45, 4. Delhi 43, 5. Hamilton Christian 42, 6. Westminster Christian 39, 7. North Iberville 32, 8. Kentwood 30, 9. Ascension Episcopal 25, 10. Jeanerette 22, 11. CatholicPC 21, 12. Montgomery 20, 13. Ringgold 16, 14. St. Frederick 12, (tie) Sacred Heart-VP 12, 16. JS Clark 10.5, (tie) Jonesboro-Hodge 10.5, 18. St. Mary’s 10, (tie) Grand Lake 10, 20. Cedar Creek 10, (tie) Northwood-Lena 9, 22. St. Edmund 9, 23. Basile 6, 25. St. Martin’s 5, 26.

White Castle 4, 27. Hanson 2, (tie) Glenbrook 2, 29. Central Private 1, (tie) Ascension Catholic 1, (tie) Ascension Christian 1, (tie) North Central 1.

BOYS RUNNING EVENTS

100 – 1. Brooks Capps, Catholic-PC, 10.87; 2.

Jermaine Brown, Kentwood, 10.87; 3. Kaleb Bigwood, Hamilton Christian, 11.00.

200 – 1. Jermaine Brown, Kentwood, 21.13; 2.

Kaleb Bigwood, Hamilton Christian, 21.19; 3.

Brooks Capps, Catholic-PC, 21.90.

400 – 1. Kaleb Bigwood, Hamilton Christian, 48.82; 2. Mason Boyd, Southern Lab, 51.02; 3.

Zykerius Fielding, Haynesville, 51.08.

800 – 1. Tyler Blissett, Highland Baptist, 1:59.70; 2. Hayes Trotter, Ascension Episcopal, 2:00.48; 3. Jayden Domineck, Southern Lab, 2:06.71.

1,600 – 1. Tyler Blissett, Highland Baptist, 4:27.92; 2. Owen Melancon, Westminster, 4:31.10; 3. Jackson Soileau, Sacred HeartVille Platte, 4:37.13.

3,200 – 1. Tyler Blissett, Highland Baptist, 9:48.40; 2. Owen Melancon, Westminster, 9:52.65; 3. Jackson Soileau, Sacred HeartVille Platte 10:20.42.

110H – 1. Isaiah Washington, Haynesville, 14.77; 2. Mason Boyd, Southern Lab, 14.97; 3.

Devin Miles, Delhi, 15.20; 4. Andre Abshire, Ascension Episcopal, 15.25.

300H – 1. Terrance Williams, Delhi, 38.44; 2.

Dekai Butler, North Iberville, 39.42; 3. Isaiah Washington, Haynesville, 39.55; 4. Andre Abshire, Ascension Episcopal, 40.15.

BOYS RELAYS

4x100 – 1. Westminster (J. Harris, K. Horde, E. Lemon, J. White) 43.13; 2. Jeanerette 43.39, 3. Delhi 43.39.

4x200 – 1. Delhi 1:29.10; 2. Southern Lab 1:29.92; 3. JS Clark 1:30.32.

4x400 – 1. Hamilton Christian 3:27.79; 2. Kentwood 3:32.44; 3. Southern Lab 3:32.70.

BOYS FIELD EVENTS

22-6.25; 2. William Patrick, St. Frederick, 22-3; 3. Antravion Kinsey, Ringgold, 21-11.5.

High jump – 1. Warren Gougisha, Southern Lab, 6-8; 2. Bra’jon Melancon, North Iberville, 6-6; 3. Josiah Semien, Basile, 6-2.

Triple jump – 1. Isiah Washington, Haynesville, 45-9.75; 2. Bra’jon Melancon, North Iberville, 45-3.5; 3. J’Marzyun Tell, Haynesville, 43-11.75.

Javelin – 1. Justin Labove, Grand Lake, 184-7; 2. Branon Mitchell, Ascension Episcopal, 179-6; 3. Noah Menard, Hamilton Christian, 152-8.

Shot put – 1. Javonte Williams, Jeanerette, 47-7.75; 2. Justin Suire, Highland Baptist, 470.25; 3. Zion Hogan, Delhi, 45-7.25.

Discus – 1. Justin Suire, Highland Baptist, 153-7; 2. Michael Cunningham, Westminster, 148-6; 3. Edward Baines, Montgomery, 146-11.

Long jump – 1. Ladaunte McCoy, Ringgold,

100 – 1. Marley Moore, Vermilion Catholic, 12.55; 2. Kori Wesley, Southern Lab, 12.68; 3.

Zu’Wy’Neshya, Jonesboro-Hodge, 12.97.

200 – 1. Malajia Hubbard, East Iberville, 24.56; 2. Marley Moore, Vermilion Catholic, 25.45; 3. Jayla Davis, Hamilton Christian, 25.69.

400 – 1. Malajia Hubbard, East Iberville, 55.62; 2. Jayla Davis, Hamilton Christian, 57.90; 3. Bre’Aile Clark, Southern Lab 1:00.65.

800 – 1. Bradie Eppinette, St. Frederick, 2:27.30; 2. Taylor Martinez, Cedar Creek, 2;27.73; 3. Madalynn Salsman, Highland Baptist, 2:28.85.

1600 – 1. Bradie Eppinette, St. Frederick, 5:18.03; 2. Bella Biggerstaff, Ascension Episcopal, 5:18.84; 3. Madalynn Salsman, Highland Baptist, 5:19.87.

3200 – 1. Bella Biggerstaff, Ascension Episcopal, 11:43.52; 2. Rachel Hill, St. Frederick, 11:57.17; 3. Mary Claire Leckert, McGehee, 11:59.99; 3. Ella Blake,, Highland Baptist, 12:03.41.

100H – 1. Ciara Gray, Jonesboro-Hodge, 14.92; 2. Kelsey Bomersbach, Vermilion Catholic, 15.32; 3. Alaya Cornett, NorthwoodLena, 15.97.

300H – 1. Ciara Gray, Jonesboro-Hodge, 44.32; 2. Maddison Carey, Covenant Christian, 48.37; 3. Whitney Hughes, Riverside, 49.27.

GIRLS RELAYS

4x100 – 1. Southern Lab 49.65; 2. St. Frederick 51.22; 3. Jonesboro-Hodge 51.48.

4x200 – 1. Southern Lab 1:47.52; 2. North Central 1:49.73; 3. Jonesboro-Hodge, 1:50.13.

4x400 – 1. Southern Lab 4:06.53; 2. Hamilton Christian 4:10.44; 3. Cedar Creek 4:14.83.

GIRLS FIELD EVENTS

High jump – 1. Miya Battley Catholic-PC, 5-1.75; 2. Macie Cameron, St. Mary’s 4-11.75; 3. Ella Grace Hebert, Ascension Episcopal, 4-9.75.

Triple jump – 1. Ciara Gray, JonesboroHodge, 39-6; 2. Janiyah Alexander, Block, 357.75; 3. Kenzi George, Westminster, 34-10.25.

Long jump – 1. Ciara Gray, Jonesboro-Hodge, 18-1.75; 2. Janiyah Alexander, Block, 18-0.25; 3. Maddison Carey, Covenant Christian, 16-2.25.

Discus – 1. Addison Grizzaffi, Central Catholic, 125-6; 2. Molly Cormier, Ascension Episcopal, 109-8; 3. Brianna Newton, Plain Dealing, 106-9.

Pole vault – 1. Sophie Morris, Highland Baptist, 10-1.25; 2. Makenzi Davis, Highland Baptist, 9-5.25; 3. Leah James, Cedar Creek, 8-11.50.

Javelin – 1. Trea’lyn Frederick, Jeanerette, 37.44; 2. Addyson Sides, Central Private, 35.67; 3. Aubree LeJeune, St. Edmund, 34.23; 4. Molly Cormier, Ascension Episcopal, 32.59.

Shot put – 1. Brianna Newton, Plain Dealing, 39-8; 2. Nevaeh Redditt, JS Clark 37-3.25; 3.

Trea’lyn Frederick, Jeanerette, 36-6.75; 4.

Kyla Charles, Highland Baptist, 34-6.25.

Class B

BOYS TEAM STANDINGS

Quitman 72, 2. Castor 67, 3. Episcopal School of Acadiana 43, 4. Anacoco 41, 5. Hathaway 38, 6. Simsboro 34, 7. Choudrant 30, (tie) Oak Hill 30, 9. Bell City 28, 10. Lacassine 26, 11.

Grace Christian 25, 12. Holden 24, 13. Chris Episcopal 21, 14. Weston 17, 15. Zwolle 15, 16. Doyline 12, 17. Florien 10, 18. Pitkin 9, 19.

Glenmora 6, (tie) Converse 6; 21. Monterey 4, 22. Mount Hermon 1.

BOYS RUNNING EVENTS

100 – 1. William Goodwin, Oak Hill, 11.29; 2. Jalen Outley, Simsboro, 11.41; 3. Antwon Bolyer, Castor, 11.51.

200 – 1. Jalen Outley, Simsboro, 23.00; 2. Greg Jackson, Christ Episcopal, 23.39; 3. Mason Barber, Bell City, 23.65.

400 – 1. Hagen Davis, Choudrant, 52.82; 2.

Gage Horton, Quitman, 53.14; 3. Nathain Wages, Weston, 53.53.

800 – 1. Cain Meche, ESA, 2;07.25; 2. Layton Kay, Anacoco, 2:08.77; 3. Clayton Rivers, Converse, 2:08.95.

1600 – 1. Anderson Frank, ESA, 4:25.91; 2. Layton Kay, Anacoco, 4:43.06; 3. Gage Horton, Quitman, 4:43.69.

3200 – 1. Anderson Frank, ESA, 10:09.13; 2.

Connor Gilbert, Anacoco, 10:37.52; 3. Brandt Rachel, Grace Christian, 10:41.60.

110H – 1. Nathan Harvey, Quitman, 16.11; 2.

Chase Armentor, Lacassine, 16.14; 3. Cameron Plauche, Hathaway, 17.96.

300H – 1. Nathan Harvey, Quitman, 40.76; 2.

Cameron Plauche, Hathaway, 42.20; 3. Greg Jackson, Christ Episcopal, 42.31.

BOYS RELAYS

4x100 – 1. Simsboro 44.67, 2. Oak Hill 45.34, 3.

Zwolle 45.65.

4x200 – 1. Quitman 1:34.01; 2. Castor 1:34.55; 3. Oak Hill 1:34.90.

4x400 – 1. Quitman 3:35.02; 2. Castor 3:39.80; 3. Hathaway 3;40.54; 4. ESA 3:43.09.

BOYS FIELD EVENTS

High jump – 1. Nathin Wages, Weston, 5-11.5; 2. Preston Sanders, Zwolle, 5-9.75; 3. Noah Austin, Anacoco, 5-7.75.

Triple jump – 1. Gavin Dupuis, Lacassine, 42-9.5; 2. DeAndre Clark, Castor, 41-10.5; 3.

Gerardo Cervantes, Holden, 41-5.75.

Long jump – 1. Gerardo Cervantes, Holden, 21-0.75; 2. Brennan Monceaux, Hathaway, 19.011.75; 3. Jayden Harris, Quitman, 1-11.25.

Javelin – 1. Asher Shultz, Quitman, 170-7; 2. Dakota Royer, Castor, 143-10; 3. Michael Cruz, Oak Hill, 141-11.

Discus – 1. Jonas Florence, Doyline, 124-3; 2.

Ben Stokes, Grace Christian, 123-2; 3. Sawyer Cunningham,, Choudrant, 109-11.

Pole Vault – 1. Seth Pickett, Castor, 11-11.25; 2. Jake LeBert, Lacassine, 1-5.25; 3. Benjamin Warren, Castor, 10-11.5.

Shot put – 1. Talon Pilcher, Florien, 41-2.5; 2.

Avery Ramirez, Choudrant, 37-10.75; 3. Matthew Cole Gilcrease, Castor, 37-8; 4. Paxton Leger, ESA, 37.3.25.

GIRLS TEAM STANDINGS

Anacoco 73, 2. Bell City 65, 3. Holden 58, 4.

Quitman 55, 5. Zwolle 39, 6. Grace Christian 35, 7. Castor 34, 8. Hathaway 31, 9. Christ Episcopal 26, 10. Episcopal School of Acadiana 24, 11. Converse 19, 13. Lacassine 14, (tie) Choudrant 14, 15. Glenmora 13, 16.

Weston 12, 17. Simsboro 11, 18. Florien 8, (tie) Pitkin 8, 20. Oak Hill 3.

GIRLS RUNNING EVENTS

100 – 1. Azhia Stewart, Bell City, 13.13; 2.

Emma Darbonne, Lacassine, 13.31; 3. Jakayla Menyweather, Choudrant, 13.38; 4. Kelsey Broussard, ESA, 13.45.

200 – 1. Azhia Stewart, Bell City, 26.72; 2.

Madi Stanley, Anacoco, 26.92; 3. Klancie Hebert, Bell City, 27.25.

400 – 1. Madi Stanley, Anacoco, 59.54, 2.

Hailey Galyean, Holden, 1:02.55, 3. Ahmari Harris, Glenmora, 1:03.22.

800 – 1. Kaitlyn Sawyer, Hathaway, 2:21.60; 2. Sara Grace Hoggatt, ESA, 2:22.03; 3. Noah Watson, Christ Episcopal, 2:25.80.

1600 – 1. Kaitlyn Sawyer, Hathaway, 5:14.46; 2. Noah Watson, Christ Episcopal, 5:37.03; 3.

Caroline Guillory, Bell City, 5:47.45.

3200 – 1. Kaitlyn Sawyer, Hathaway, 12:00.75; 2. Noah Watson, Christ Episcopal, 12:17.94; 3.

Sophie Wilson, ESA, 12:26.96.

100H – 1. Audrey Tarver, Grace Christian, 16.83; 2. Sophia Swinney, 17.33; 3. Hailey Galyean, Holden, 17.58.

300H – 1. Sophia Swinney, Anacoco, 48.06; 2. Kaleigh King, Quitman, 50.91; 3. Raievah Craddock, Holden, 52.78.

GIRLS RELAYS

4x100 – 1. Bell City 51.60; 2. Simsboro 52.42; 3. Holden 52.62.

4x200 – 1. Bell City, 15:2.36; 2. Quitman 1:54.81; 3. Converse 1:55.74.

4x400 – 1. Quitman 4:29.25; 2. Grace Christian 4:29.80; 3. Converse 4:32.22; 4. ESA 4:34.02.

GIRLS FIELD EVENTS

Long jump – 1. Raievah Craddock, Holden, 16-5; 2. Pazile’ra Sanders, Zwolle, 16-2.5; 3.

Anniue Thweatt, Zwolle, 15-9.5.

Pole vault – 1. Anna Kate Myers, Castor,10-8; 2. Jenna Braggs, Castor, 8-11.5; 3. Kaliegh King, Quitman 8-5.5.

Javelin – 1. Kaylie Ann Shirley, Castor, 119-1; 2. Natalee Nolen, Pitkin, 116-9; 3. Kayli Morgan, Converse, 114-6.

High jump – 1. Annie Thweatt, Zwolle, 4-11.75; 2. Payton Herpin, Bell City, 4-11.75; 3.

Pazile’ra Sanders, Zwolle, 4-9.75.

Triple jump – 1. Pazile’ra Sanders, Zwolle, 33-9.5; 2. Raievah Craddock, Holden, 33-7.5; 3. Lily Kate Odom, Quitman, 33-5.75.

Long jump – 1. Raievhah Craddock, Holden, 16-5; 2. Pazile’ra Sanders, Zwolle, 16-2; 3.

Annie Thweatt, Zwolle, 15-9.

Discus – 1. Jayce Brumley, Anacoco, 96-11; 2. Erin Tiffee, Montery, 96-2; 3. Rory Decker, Grace Christian, 93-2.

Pro basketball NBA Playoffs SECOND ROUND (Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

Eastern Conference Indiana 2, Cleveland 0

Sunday’s game: Indiana 121, Cleveland 112 Tuesday’s game: Indiana 120, Cleveland 119 Friday’s game: Cleveland at Indiana, n Sunday’s game: Cleveland at Indiana, 7 p.m. x-Tuesday, May 13: Indiana at Cleveland, TBA x-Thursday, May 15: Cleveland at Indiana, TBA x-Sunday, May 18: Indiana at Cleveland, TBA

New York 2, Boston 0

Monday’s game: New York 108, Boston 105, OT Wednesday’s game: New York 91, Boston 90 Saturday’s game: Boston at New York, 2:30 p.m.

Monday’s game: Boston at New York, 6:30 p.m. x-Wednesday, May 14: New York at Boston, TBA x-Friday, May 16: Boston at New York, TBA x-Monday, May 19: New York at Boston, TBA

Western Conference

Oklahoma City 1, Denver 1

Monday’s game: Denver 121, Oklahoma City 119 Wednesday’s game: Oklahoma City 149, Denver 106 Friday’s game: Oklahoma City at Denver, n Sunday’s game: Oklahoma City at Denver, 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday’s game: Denver at Oklahoma City, TBA x-Thursday, May 15: Oklahoma City at Denver, TBA

x-Sunday, May 18: Denver at Oklahoma City, TBA

Minnesota 1, Golden State 1

Tuesday’s game: Golden State 99, Minnesota 88 Thursday’s game: Minnesota 117, Golden State 93 Saturday’s game: Minnesota at Golden State, 7:30 p.m.

Monday’s game: Minnesota at Golden State, 9 p.m.

Wednesday’s game: Golden State at Minnesota, TBA x-Sunday, May 18: Minnesota at Golden State, TBA x-Tuesday, May 20: Golden State at Minnesota, TBA

College baseball Area schedule Wednesday’s games None scheduled.

Los Angeles San Diego San Francisco Arizona Colorado

W 25 23 24 20 6

Thursday’s Games

L 13 13 14 18 31

Pct .658 .639 .632 .526 .162

GB — 1 1 5 18½

Detroit 10, Colorado 2, 1st game Detroit 11, Colorado 1, 2nd game Philadelphia 7, Tampa Bay 6, 10 innings Atlanta 5, Cincinnati 4, 11 innings Arizona 5, L.A. Dodgers 3

Friday’s Games

Atlanta at Pittsburgh, 5:40 p.m.

St. Louis at Washington, 5:45 p.m.

Milwaukee at Tampa Bay, 6:05 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at N.Y. Mets, 6:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m.

Miami at Chicago White Sox, 6:40 p.m.

Cincinnati at Houston, 7:10 p.m.

San Francisco at Minnesota, 7:10 p.m.

San Diego at Colorado, 7:40 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Thursday’s games

College softball

Atlanta (Smith-Shawver 2-2) at Pittsburgh (Heaney 2-3), 3:05 p.m.

St. Louis (Pallante 2-2) at Washington (Williams 2-3), 3:05 p.m.

Milwaukee (Myers 1-0) at Tampa Bay (Bradley 3-2), 3:10 p.m.

Philadelphia (Suárez 0-0) at Cleveland (Bibee 3-2), 5:10 p.m.

Cincinnati (Singer 4-2) at Houston (McCullers 0-0), 6:10 p.m.

Miami (Cabrera 0-1) at Chicago White Sox (Smith 1-2), 6:10 p.m.

Chicago Cubs (TBD) at N.Y. Mets (Megill 3-2), 6:15 p.m.

San Francisco (Webb 4-2) at Minnesota (Ryan 2-2), 6:15 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers (May 1-2) at Arizona (Burnes 1-1), 7:10 p.m.

San Diego (Kolek 1-0) at Colorado (Blalock 0-1), 7:10 p.m.

Southland Conference tournament

Hockey

Coastal Carolina 8, UL-Monroe 6 UNO at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, n Nicholls 13, Southeastern 0

Friday’s games

Southern at Alabama A&M, n UL-Monroe at Coastal Carolina, n UL at Southern Miss, n Nicholls-Southeastern, ppd.

UNO at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, n Louisiana Tech at Jacksonville State, n Bethune-Cookman at Grambling, n Tulane at Memphis, n Arkansas at LSU, n McNeese St. at NW State, n

Saturday’s games

Nicholls-Southeastern 1 p.m.

Thursday Championship series Game 1: McNeese 3, Southeastern 2 Friday Game 2: Southeastern at McNeese, n Saturday Game 3: Southeastern at McNeese, 6 p.m Saturday (if necessary)

NHL Playoff SECOND ROUND (Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

EASTERN CONFERENCE Washington 1, Carolina 1

Major League Baseball American League East Division New York Boston Toronto Tampa Bay Baltimore

W 21 20 17 16 13

L 16 19 20 21 23

Pct .568 .513 .459 .432 .361

GB — 2 4 5 7½

Detroit Cleveland Kansas City Minnesota Chicago

W 25 22 23 18 10

L 13 15 16 20 28

Pct .658 .595 .590 .474 .263

GB — 2½ 2½ 7 15

Seattle Athletics Houston Texas Los Angeles

W 22 20 18 18 15

L 14 18 18 20 21

Pct .611 .526 .500 .474 .417

GB — 3 4 5 7

Central Division

West Division

Thursday’s Games

Minnesota 5, Baltimore 2 Boston 5, Texas 0 Kansas City 10, Chicago White Sox 0 Detroit 10, Colorado 2, 1st game Detroit 11, Colorado 1, 2nd game Philadelphia 7, Tampa Bay 6, 10 innings Toronto 8, L.A. Angels 5

WESTERN CONFERENCE Dallas 1, Winnipeg 0

Wednesday’s game: Dallas 3, Winnipeg 2 Friday’s game: Dallas at Winnipeg, n Sunday’s game: Winnipeg at Dallas, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 13: Winnipeg at Dallas, 7 p.m. x-Thursday, May 15: Dallas at Winnipeg, TBA x-Saturday, May 17: Winnipeg at Dallas, TBA x-Monday, May 19: Dallas at Winnipeg, TBA

Transactions Major League Baseball

Saturday’s Games

N.Y. Yankees (Rodón 4-3) at Athletics (Sears 4-2), 3:05 p.m.

Milwaukee (Myers 1-0) at Tampa Bay (Bradley 3-2), 3:10 p.m.

Philadelphia (Suárez 0-0) at Cleveland (Bibee 3-2), 5:10 p.m.

Texas (deGrom 2-1) at Detroit (Flaherty 1-4), 5:10 p.m.

Boston (Crochet 3-2) at Kansas City (Ragans 2-1), 6:10 p.m.

Cincinnati (Singer 4-2) at Houston (McCullers 0-0), 6:10 p.m.

Miami (Cabrera 0-1) at Chicago White Sox (Smith 1-2), 6:10 p.m.

San Francisco (Webb 4-2) at Minnesota (Ryan 2-2), 6:15 p.m.

Baltimore (Gibson 0-1) at L.A. Angels (Kochanowicz 1-5), 8:38 p.m.

Toronto (Francis 2-5) at Seattle (Evans 1-1), 8:40 p.m.

National League New York Philadelphia Atlanta Washington Miami

W 24 22 18 17 14

L 14 15 19 21 22

Pct .632 .595 .486 .447 .389

GB — 1½ 5½ 7 9

Chicago Milwaukee St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh

W 22 19 19 19 12

L 16 19 19 20 26

Pct .579 .500 .500 .487 .316

GB — 3 3 3½ 10

West Division

Monday’s game: Toronto 5, Florida 4 Wednesday’s game: Toronto 4, Florida 3 Friday’s game: Toronto at Florida, n Sunday’s game: Toronto at Florida, 6:30 p.m. x-Wednesday, May 14: Florida at Toronto, TBA x-Friday, May 16: Toronto at Florida, TBA x-Sunday, May 18: Florida at Toronto, TBA

Tuesday’s game: Edmonton 4, Vegas 2 Thursday’s game: Edmonton 5, Vegas 4, OT Saturday’s game: Vegas at Edmonton, 8 p.m.

Monday’s game: Vegas at Edmonton, 8:30 p.m. x-Wednesday, May 14: Edmonton at Vegas, TBA x-Friday, May 16: Vegas at Edmonton, TBA x-Sunday, May 18: Edmonton at Vegas, TBA

Texas at Detroit, n Milwaukee at Tampa Bay, n Philadelphia at Cleveland, n Boston at Kansas City, n Miami at Chicago White Sox, n Cincinnati at Houston, n San Francisco at Minnesota, n Baltimore at L.A. Angels, n Toronto at Seattle, n N.Y. Yankees at Athletics, n

Central Division

Toronto 2, Florida 0

Edmonton 2, Vegas 0

Friday’s Games

East Division

Tuesday’s game: Carolina 2, Washington 1, OT Thursday’s game: Washington 3, Carolina 1 Saturday’s game: Washington at Carolina, 5 p.m.

Monday’s game: Washington at Carolina, 6 p.m.

Thursday’s game: Carolina at Washington, TBA x-Saturday, May 17: Washington at Carolina, TBA x-Monday, May 19: Carolina at Washington, TBA

American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Reinstated RF Tyler O’Neill from the 10-day IL. Optioned 3B Coby Mayo to N orfolk (IL). Sent LHP Walter Pennington outright to Norfolk.

DETROIT TIGERS — Optioned RHP Keider Montero to Toledo (IL).

HOUSTON ASTROS — Placed RHP Hayden Wesneski on the 15-day IL, retroactive to May 7. Recalled RHP Logan VanWey from Sugar Land (PCL).

SEATTLE MARINERS — Recalled RHP Troy Taylor from Tacoma (PCL). Placed RHP Trent Thornton on the 15 day IL. TAMPA BAY RAYS — Activated RHP Connor Seabold. Transferred SS Ha-Seong Kim from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. Selected the contract of RHP Connor Seabold from Durham (IL). Optioned RHP Mason Englert to Durham.

TEXAS RANGERS — Selected the contract of OF Sam Haggerty from Round Rock (PCL).

Optioned OF Dustin Harris to Round Rock.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Sent RHP Erik Swanson on a rehab assignment to FCL Blue Jays.

National League ATLANTA BRAVES — Designated OF Eddie Rosario for assignment. Selected the contract of LF Luke Williams from Gwinnett (IL).

CINCINNATI REDS — Reinstated LF Austin Hays from the 10-day IL. Optioned LF Jacob Hurtubise to Louisville (IL). Recalled LF Will Benson from Louisville. Optioned LF Blake Dunn to Louisville. Recalled RHP Chase Petty from Louisville.

COLORADO ROCKIES — Optioned RHP Tanner Gordon to Albuquerque (PCL).

NEW YORK METS — Sent SS Ronny Mauricio on a rehab assignment to Binghamton (EL).

LIVING

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

S at u r d ay, M ay 10, 2025

5CN

Terry Robinson FAITH MATTERS

Closed doors prepared this Lafayette pastor for ministry The doors that closed on Cory Young helped open the door to ministry.

“The Lord knew what he was doing. He was just preparing me,” said Cory Young, the pastor of St. James Baptist Church in Lafayette.

Young, 48, charted his own plans 25 years ago that didn’t involve ministry. After graduating from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2000 with a degree in criminal justice, Young had aspirations of working at the Lafayette Police Department, the Louisiana State Police and finally the U.S. Marshal’s Service.

The Marksville native got on for a time with the Police Department.

Young Later, Young reached the second-to-last round of the State Police application process, which involved a psychological evaluation.

“I failed it,” he said. “I was distraught because I knew I had it. I said, ‘I know I’m not crazy, and that did something to me.

That was one door that closed.”

Another door closed when his private investigator business started losing clients, leading to “financial distress.”

For more than two years, Young went from doors closing to virtually any doors at all. He found himself staying with fraternity brothers and homeless for about 18 months.

“It was rough,” he said. “I didn’t want to do anything. All I wanted to do was go to church and come back home.”

Even going back “home” to his parents in Marksville strained Young’s finances. He had a job in law enforcement but couldn’t afford car insurance or gas money.

“Granted, my mom would have given me money, but I was prideful,” he said. “I was suffering in silence. I couldn’t tell even my parents. They were Christians, but they wouldn’t understand. It was something between God and I.” A defining moment in his life came in December 2002.

“I couldn’t buy anybody Christmas gifts. I didn’t have any money,” he said. “I couldn’t ask my frat brothers for money. Finally, I said, ‘Lord, I surrender. I’ll do what you have called me to do.”

In January 2003, Young shared with his pastor, Ricky Carter, at Good Hope Baptist Church that God was calling him to preach the Gospel. “(Carter) said, ‘I saw it in you every since you joined the church. I’m glad you were finally obedient to God. He said, ‘You’ve been running, and the Lord shut doors for you to go his way.’”

Young served at Good Hope before being named the senior pastor at St. James about 101/ 2 years ago.

“Overall, it has been a wonderful experience,” Young said of the church at 1001 Plum St. “Leading people, you have your ups and your downs at it relates to dealing with people with different personalities and getting people on board.”

Young is excited about his journey at St. James, a blue-collar congregation that embraces the motto, “We’re a church that’s connected,

ä See MATTERS, page 6C

PROVIDED PHOTO By WEST BATON ROUGE MUSEUM

The West Baton Rouge Museum’s exhibit, ‘West Baton Rouge’s Educator: Edward Searcy,’ begins with the same lab coat he wears in this photo, when he was a biology teacher at Port Allen High School. The museum will host a ‘school reunion’ reception in celebration of Searcy’s life on May 16.

A school reunion for a legend West Baton Rouge Museum celebrates life of Edward Searcy

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Shelton Berry first encountered Edward Searcy while exiting Port Allen High School’s band room.

Berry doesn’t remember the exact date, only that he was a student dressed to the nines for a school function. Was he in the ninth grade or 10th? He doesn’t remember.

STAFF PHOTO By ROBIN MILLER But he does recall thinking he looked pretty good in his suit until Shelton Berry, curator for the West Baton Rouge Museum’s exhibit, ‘West Searcy set him straight.

Baton Rouge’s Educator: Edward Searcy,’ stands in front of photos and “I had on some dress shoes, and artifacts, including the white lab coat that Searcy wore while teaching (Searcy) said, ‘Young, man, come here,’ ” Berry said. “So I walked biology. Berry was a student at Port Allen High when he first met Searcy, over, and he stuck out his hand for who was wearing that same lab coat. me to shake it. He said, ‘Edward Searcy. Next time I see you, I want rights activism in the community, Attention to detail is a part of that those shoes clean. You understand, lifelong military service and the presentation, and Searcy knew it. sir?’ And I said, ‘Yes, sir.’”

Boston marathons completed along “He was always wearing a lab the way. coat and polished shoes,” Berry A local legend Berry eventually would take said.

Even then, Berry knew he had Searcy’s biology class, but on this come face to face with a local leg- particular day, the teacher taught A planned ‘school reunion’ end. Searcy had taught biology to the band kid a valuable life lesson: That same lab coat now stands in a their grandparents, parents and Presentation isn’t about making a corner in the West Baton Rouge Muwith any luck would also one day fashion statement. It’s about pre- seum’s Perkins Gallery as part of the teach the next generation. senting your best self to the world ä See EXHIBIT, page 6C Searcy was known for his civil at all times.

Heavy duty

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

Where did gold, uranium and other heavy elements come from — and what does that have to do with life on Earth?

Scientists at LSU are helping to answer one of the biggest questions in modern astrophysics, using clues hidden in the remains of long-exploded stars.

In 2001, physicists and re-

LSU scientists are helping solve one of physics’ biggest questions surrounding rare elements

made?” as one of 11 questions to be answered in the new century.

In a major contribution to one of science’s deepest mysteries, LSU researchers helped pinpoint how some of the heaviest elements in the universe are formed — and they did it by studying the remBurns Trigg nants of exploded stars called searchers at the National Re- magnetars, a neutron star with an search Council identified the extremely strong magnetic field.

Since the universe began, it’s question, “How were the heavy elements from iron to uranium had hydrogen, helium and a little

lithium — the first three elements on the periodic table. The rest of the elements are forged through various processes. For the elements up to iron, the forging can happen inside of stars.

But forging heavier elements like gold requires so much energy that ordinary stars collapse before they can create them, leaving their origin a mystery until recently.

ä See MAGNETARS, page 6C

6C ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

You’re not obligated to hug anyone lll

Gentle reader: Run. Dear Miss Manners: What is a polite No friendly gesture should way to refuse a hug with friends come at the cost of personal or strangers? What to do when safety. If your proffered my proffered handshake hand is batted away, step is batted away and a hug back quickly and do a little pursued instead? bow (to get some distance Some men, especially, between you), and then seem to want to hug me mutter by way of explanabecause of my large chest, and it seems more tion, “Something is going Judith like sexual assault than around and I don’t want Martin you to catch it.” a friendly gesture. And MISS there are certain women Miss Manners will leave MANNERS (whom I do not consider it to your discretion to friends) who have behaved tell these people that that badly to me in the past, and I do “something” is their salacious not want them to touch me. behavior.

Is the advice the same in either Dear Miss Manners: As a preteen, I case? And what about when they was told by someone that it was chase me? rude to eat one food on my plate

RELIGION BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS

Church holds pastor Christian Academy appreciation service performs production Freeman Baptist Church, 4628 La. 955, Ethel, will conduct a pastor’s appreciation service at 2 p.m.

Sunday, May 25.

Guests will be the Rev. Henry Brown and the Star Bethlehem & First Emmanuel Missionary Baptist churches.

The public is invited to join in honoring Robert L. Scott Jr., pastor.

Hosanna Christian Academy will present “Upinde,” a vibrant, all-ages production that celebrates identity and faith, at 7 p.m.

Thursday at Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10.

Visit eventbrite.com for more information.

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press Today is Saturday, May 10, the 130th day of 2025. There are 235 days left in the year.

Today in history: On May 10, 1869, a golden spike was driven in a ceremony in Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.

On this date: In 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union forces near Irwinville, Georgia.

In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was named acting director of the Bureau of Investigation (later known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI) by President Calvin Coolidge; Hoover would serve as FBI director until 1972.

In 1933, book burnings were held in 34 cities across Germany, targeting authors whose ideologies were in

MATTERS

Continued from page 5C committed, courageous and continuing in Christ.”

“It’s being committed to one another as the members of the local church,” he said. “Courageous is for Christ and being courageous for one another, standing up for each other and being courageous for the community, especially for things that are in the community — whether it being spiritual, whether it be economically ... continuing in Christ is to do all of that. Don’t stop.”

Raised by a Catholic mother and a Baptist father, Young discovered his calling to preach at 11 years old. That’s when he heard a sermon by an Atlanta preacher titled “I Fell in Love With a Prostitute.”

The message focused on the Old Testament story of Hosea, the prophet told

by God to marry Gomer, a prostitute. Despite Gomer’s unfaithfulness and affairs with other lovers, God instructed Hosea to pursue Gomer and bring her back.

“The Lord said, ‘Hosea, I want you to go tell Israel, my people, that even though they have sinned against me I still loved them,’” Young said.

Hosea’s call became Young’s call.

“I’m listening to this sermon and the Lord told me, ‘That’s what I want you to

conflict with Nazism.

In 1940, during World War II, German forces began invading the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and France. On the same day, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned, and Winston Churchill formed a new government.

In 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated, becoming the first Black president of South Africa.

In 1994, the state of Illinois executed serial killer John Wayne Gacy, 52, for the murders of 33 young men and boys.

Today’s birthdays: Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun is 83. Musiciansongwriter Donovan is 79.

Fashion designer Miuccia Prada is 76. Olympic skiing medalists Phil and Steve Mahre are 68. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., is 66. Singer-activist Bono (U2) is 65. Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, is 65. Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks is 62.

do. I want you to tell this world that even though they messed up, that even though they’ve sinned, I want this world to know I still love them.”

What does an 11-year-old do with that revelation, Young wondered.

“I sat on it from 1988 to 2003. I was running from the Lord,” he said.

Now, with years of experience, Young passionately shares the Gospel, with a sensitivity and focus on those who have endured difficult seasons in their lives as he has.

“Just going through the storms, I’m able to preach not just what I’ve heard but what I know with conviction,” said Young, who retired after 23 years as a private investigator and runs a janitorial service.

Young said he also desires to be an example of Christ to all people, inspired by Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”

“That just reminds me that every day that no matter if I sin, no matter what happens, I know that I’m heaven bound,” he said.

“The only reason I am what I am is by the grace of God. If God is able to turn my life around, then he’s able to do it for them.

The best way that I can help them is not telling them Jesus but showing them Jesus.”

Contact Terry Robinson at terryrobinson622@ gmail.com.

at a time — that I was supposed to move around my plate, eating bites of each item in succession.

I like enjoying all of one food before moving on. The only thing I can liken it to is watching a TV show, and someone changes the channel in the middle of it. I want to finish the show I’m watching before moving on to the next.

The day I was told this, I made a silent vow to myself that I would always eat one food at a time, the way I prefer. But I’m wondering if you have ever heard of the rule this person was trying to impose on me.

I would think it’s rude to surveil other people’s eating, but then, this person was still trying to do

this when I was in my 60s. I am no longer in this person’s life, but the question has nagged at me for decades. Who was right?

Gentle reader: You. Even Miss Manners does not have opinions on the order in which you eat your dinner — and certainly would never monitor it.

As long as you are not trying to consume the bread bowl before the soup or making similarly chaotic choices, she supports your decisions — both on how you choose to eat and for distancing yourself from this nagging person.

Dear Miss Manners: We were out to dinner with another couple, and my wife became horrified when I took the final sip of my cocktail,

along with an ice cube, and then proceeded to return the ice cube to the glass.

The final sip is the best sip! Is this so horrible?

Gentle reader: Yes. By all means, take that final sip.

But Miss Manners will have to insist that you find a way to do so without the ice coming back up naked.

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www. missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

EXHIBIT

Continued from page 5C exhibit, “West Baton Rouge’s Educator: Edward Searcy.”

The show runs through May 25, but the museum, 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen, is hosting a “school reunion” reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 16, where former students from Cohn and Port Allen high schools, fellow teachers and everyone else who knew him can reunite to share memories about their favorite teacher.

For those who didn’t know Searcy, the show is a chance to learn about the man who influenced so many people in West Baton Rouge Parish.

Berry is the curator of this show, which occupies three corners of the museum’s Perkins Gallery. And though it seems small, its photos and artifacts pack a powerful punch.

PROVIDED PHOTO By WEST BATON ROUGE MUSEUM

A photo of Edward Searcy leading a protest in front of the National Food Store in Port Allen after the store refused The lab coat to hire Black employees. The photo is featured in the The show begins with the lab coat. It’s been starched West Baton Rouge Museum’s exhibit, ‘West Baton Rouge’s and ironed, which isn’t un- Educator: Edward Searcy.’ usual to Searcy’s daughters, Ava Searcy Royal and Angela Searcy Royal, two of Searcy’s five children.

“We both married brothers,” Ava Searcy Royal said.

They grew up in Searcy’s Winterville home, where they remember their mother, Bernice, as the “most beautiful woman in the world,” and their even-tempered father whose life lessons included getting up early each morning to work in the garden before school — which resulted in food for the supper table.

The sisters were only kids at the time and remember that the work back then was a chore to them. But as adults, they see the benefits, as their dad knew they would.

“We always ate well,” Angela Searcy Royal said.

A long walk Searcy was born Sept. 19, 1928, in south Baton Rouge, but spent the majority of his life in Winterville, from where, after finishing elementary school, he often made the long walk from his house to Southern Laboratory High School, a distance

MAGNETARS

of at least eight miles.

Cohn High had yet to be built, so there was no high school for Black students in West Baton Rouge at the time. Searcy wanted to continue his education at the best possible institution available to him.

“So, he walked, and that meant walking across the bridge,” Angela Searcy Royal said. “And it was hot on a lot of those days, but he liked it hot.”

Later in life, Searcy would get up before sunrise on the hottest of Louisiana mornings to train for the Boston Marathon. The heat also didn’t bother him in his military training, which was continuous.

Military service “He was in the U.S. Army at Fort Leonard for two years during the Korean conflict,” Angela Searcy Royal said.

“He was in the U.S. Army Reserve in Baton Rouge for 11 years, and he served as a Green Beret in the Special Forces for four years in Mississippi. He served in the

more magnetar giant flares to study in archival data. The Continued from page 5C study, led by Anirudh Patel, a doctoral student at Columbia University in New York, was Scientists have puzzled published in The Astrophysiover the origin of elements cal Journal Letters. heavier than iron since the 1950s. Recently, LSU astro- Why should we care? physicist Eric Burns — an According to Trigg, the expert in gamma-ray bursts magnetic field generated by — made a breakthrough us- the planet’s molten core proing data from decades-old tects the planet from gamma space observations. rays and cosmic rays that For context, gamma rays could end life on Earth, and are energetic photons, most the heavier radioactive elefamous for turning Bruce ments are necessary to keep Banner into the Incredible that core molten.

Hulk. Burns had the idea to “We live on this rocky use gamma rays to under- planet, and we are protected stand if magnetar giant flares from all the crazy stuff goforge the heaviest elements ing on outside the planet,” and unexpectedly found the Trigg said. “(The radioactive answer in decades-old data. elements) had to have come Magnetars, the dense from somewhere.” remnants of exploded stars, Besides knowing where create an environment so we come from, studying the extreme that a single giant origins of heavier elements flare — a powerful burst of in the universe can help radiation — can generate bring us one step closer to the energy needed to form figuring out if life beyond elements heavier than iron, Earth might exist. including gold.

“It’s (this discovery) a key Aaron Trigg, a NASA FI- step in answering what’s NESST (Future Investigators maybe the most fundamenin NASA Earth and Space Sci- tal question,” said Burns. ence and Technology) fellow “Are we alone in the uniand LSU graduate student, verse? …We don’t know who works with Burns, found what alien life could look

Air Force Reserve in Belle Chasse for 11 years and the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Corps for 15 years, where he subsequently became the commanding officer. And at the time of his death, I have a recorded tape where he requested his burial at the National Military Cemetery with the Naval Sea Cadets.”

He was still qualifying to do airplane jumps even later in his life and took his daughters to watch him jump.

The sisters share so many other memories, stories of family and valuable lessons learned. They lost him to cancer in 2010. He was 81.

Civil rights leader Still, topping all of the lessons were Searcy’s actions in life, especially when it came to social activism. The educator stepped into the role of civil rights leader and helped to expand voter registration among Blacks, boycott businesses that wouldn’t hire Black employees and integrate West Baton Rouge Parish’s schools.

Tempers ran high and

like, but if it’s aliens like us, you need heavy elements.”

On its own, new information about where elements like gold come from doesn’t confirm if or why we’re alone in the universe or not, but it does confirm that the necessary components for life, as currently understood, have existed for a long time in other places in the universe.

Next steps What’s next? Burns said that scientists identified the questions as a priority to answer within the century, and they were able to answer this one in 25 years.

The reason scientists could even make this discovery, Burns said, was because they were able to combine information from several fields, including nuclear science, atomic science, astrophysics, etc.

“We’re taking knowledge gathered by the Department of Energy in nuclear and atomic science to interpret observations gathered by NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) facilities using models that were supported by the National Science Foundation,” he said. ”The reason we can do this

threats were made. But Searcy was not deterred, even when segregationists constructed a barbed wire fence around Devall Middle School and shot at him to keep Black students from entering.

“Mr. Searcy and the civil rights activists cut it down,” Berry said.

He stands next to the exhibit case displaying newspaper clippings and letters documenting those days’ events.

“He was very organized in everything he did,” Berry said. “He didn’t back down.

He and the other protesters returned to tear the fence down again. He made lists of everything.”

Berry points to a small sheet of paper in the exhibit case. It contains a list in Searcy’s meticulous handwriting, dated Nov. 23, 1966, when he and others picketed in front of the National Food Store that day.

From there comes Searcy’s list: n Started 8:20 a.m. n Ended 6:30 p.m. n Effectiveness: Excellent n Approximately 20 Negroes went in across the picket line, but the majority of people respected it. n Difficulties: None.

Change wasn’t immediate, but it did come to West Baton Rouge Parish partly due to Searcy’s efforts.

“He often talked about being out there in the cold, not having anywhere to use the bathroom, not being able to go in and grab a bite to eat,” Berry said. “And he often even talked about being harassed, bullied and shot at.”

All of which opened Berry’s eyes as one of Searcy’s students.

Searcy’s directive about shining shoes really wasn’t about shoes at all. It was an early lesson in professionalism and opportunity, something Searcy taught to all of his students no matter their color or ethnicity.

“He was already this legendary figure when I got into high school, and when you met him, you just knew you were meeting somebody extremely important,” Berry said. “But I had no idea that he accomplished all of this, because he was so humble.”

is the long, sustained and broad investment by the federal government in fundamental research.”

NASA’s forthcoming Compton Spectrometer and Imager mission can follow up on these results. The wide-field gamma ray telescope is expected to launch in 2027.

Going forward, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of how much of the heavy elements came from the magnetar giant flares and how much of the elements were available in the early universe. Burns said he also wants to transition to working out the origin of isotopes (atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons).

“It’s not like you just one day have the final answer,” said Burns. “It’s a long-continued improvement in your understanding of the answer.”

The work doesn’t stop.

Answers in science are not straightforward and definitive.

The more we learn about how the universe forges its heaviest elements, the closer we get to answering the biggest question of all: Are we alone?

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● 7C

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FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

zodIAC tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Stay put wherever you feel comfortable. Put your energy where it will bring the highest returns. Happiness is the prerequisite to doing what's right and best for you.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) The more you engage with others, the more you will discover about yourself and what's possible. Set out today in search of long-term happiness. Mix business with pleasure, and someone will show interest in you. cAncER (June 21-July 22) A display of emotions will work against you. Your strength comes from knowing the facts and using intelligence and alternative solutions to negotiate the outcome.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Sparks will fly.

Direct your energy into something positive and energetic, which can help you reach your target. Pay attention to detail and how you present yourself to others.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Discuss and resolve sensitive topics with empathy and a willingness to compromise.

Suggest a change of scenery, a walk in nature or visiting an establishment that reminds you of fond memories.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Put life into your ideas and plans. Stop talking and start doing. Doors will open, and interacting with others or making your dreams a reality will reinforce confidence. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) You can share your thoughts and feelings, but do so with discretion and without malice. A

disciplined approach to accomplishing whatever you want will give you the means to reach your goal. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Making room for activities you want to engage in or preparing to receive company will ease stress. Spending time with someone you love will enhance your relationship and encourage lifestyle changes. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) A change will do you good. Distance yourself from those who bring you down, plan to do something to nurture your soul and revive your faith in yourself and your beliefs.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Home improvements and investing in yourself and your lifestyle will help you put a plan in place. It's OK to be different and to do what's best for you.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Sit tight, review and establish what you want, and refuse to let anyone interfere in your life. Put together a budget you can afford and build your plans around your means and needs.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) You'll miss out if you don't pull everything together and take care of unfinished business.

Return to nature, follow your passion or immerse yourself in something else that brings you joy.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

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

toDAy's cLuE: Z EQuALs V

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

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Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER Victoria Beckham, Posh Spice of the Spice Girls and wife of soccer star David Beckham, said, “I like a man who can be a real friend, has a good sense of humor, a good pair of shoes and a healthy gold card.”

Experts are born with card sense, which is an understanding that because a player did something, it means that he has or has not got a particular holding in that suit.

How would a South with card sense handle this deal? He is in three no-trump.

West leads the spade four, dummy plays the three, and East puts in his jack. What should declarer do?

When North tables his dummy, he expects the contract to make easily.

However, many a declarer would go down. He would understandably take the first trick, play a club to the king, return to his hand with a diamond, and lead a club to dummy’s jack.

Here, East would win with his queen and shift to a heart (best). Suppose South takes the second heart. If he then runs diamonds, he squeezes East. But declarer probably tries the clubs, after which he cannot recover.

Instead, South should try for these nine winners: two spades, one heart, four diamonds and two clubs. But how should he play the spades?

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

Go back to trick one. East’s card was the jack. When third hand is playing the highest card so far in the trick, he plays the bottom of equal cards. So West must have the spade 10. After taking the first trick, South immediately leads a spade to dummy’s eight. When it pulls out the king, declarer has his nine tricks. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3.

Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD — InVEIGLEs: in-VAY-guls: Acquires by ingenuity or flattery;

Bizarro

marmaduKe

wangles.

Average mark 33 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 50 or more words in INVEIGLES? yEstERDAy’s WoRD — oRBIcuLAR ocular oral orca rail roar roil rubric rural bail bailor bloc

blur boar boil bola bora brail briar brio broil burial burl

burr burro carb caribou carob carol ciao club coal cobra coil

coir cola coral corral crab crib curb curio uric labor laic

lair liar aboil arbor auric

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 6:16-17 Judgment day is coming and it won’t be pretty. Commit your life to Jesus before it is too late.

He is the only way of salvation. G.E. Dean

10C ● Saturday, May 10, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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