ALEXANDRIA The day care center’s door opened before Ananda Flanagan and her son, Noah, reached it. “Good morning, Noah!” the center’s director sang to the 1-yearold, her arms stretched out to him. “How are you today?” Noah beamed. When Flanagan was pregnant, she had planned for family to help with child care. But after her aunt’s schedule shifted, the Colfax resident found herself shuffling Noah to work with her, setting him in a pack-and-play. Desperate for an alternative, she came across an online ad for an early childhood education grant. “It was God,” she said. It was also MacKenzie Scott. In late 2023, flush with a surprise, $14 million grant from Scott’s charity, now known as Yield Giving, the Alexandria-based Rapides Foundation decided to help
school districts in Rapides, Grant and Natchitoches parishes match dollars from the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Fund. That $2.13 million helped 380 infants, toddlers and preschoolers attend an early childhood center — in Noah’s case, for free. In the five years since Scott, a billionaire philanthropist, novelist and former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos,
cuts also in budget up for School Board approval
Boucher Elementary To fund those expenses, the district had to make cuts elsewhere, primarily through consolidations and cuts at the district office and among other staff.
BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
William Tate IV’s final months as president of
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Heavenly Care Child Development Center 3 employee Kenyia Boyd reads to Noah Hall at the center in Alexandria on May 30. Hall is able to attend the center for free thanks to a grant from MacKenzie Scott.
STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Café Reconcile CEO Kheri Billy, center, chats with customers Deidre and Anthony Webb at the restaurant on May 22. The Central City nonprofit received a $4 million grant from MacKenzie Scott.
Trump’s new travel ban set to take effect
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s new ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries is set to take effect Monday.
The new proclamation, which Trump signed on Wednesday, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also imposes heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the U.S. and don’t hold a valid visa.
The new ban does not revoke visas previously issued to people from countries on the list, according to guidance issued Friday to all U.S. diplomatic missions. However, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting Monday Travelers with previously issued visas should still be able to enter the U.S. even after the ban takes effect.
Chad suspends visas to U.S. citizens in response
N’DJAMENA, Chad Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby has announced that his country will suspend the issuing of visas to U.S. citizens in response to the Trump administration’s decision to ban Chadians from visiting the United States.
In a Facebook post, Chad’s president on Thursday said he is directing his government to suspend visas to U.S. citizens “in accordance with the principles of reciprocity.”
In the Republic of Congo, government spokesperson Thierry Moungalla said he believes the country was among those affected because of a “misunderstanding” over an armed attack in the U.S. with the perpetrators “mistaken” to be from the Republic of Congo.
“Obviously, Congo is not a terrorist country is not home to any terrorist, is not known to have a terrorist vocation. So we think that this is a misunderstanding and I believe that in the coming hours, the competent diplomatic services of the government will contact the American authorities here,” he said in the capital of Brazzaville.
In Sierra Leone, among countries with heightened travel restrictions, Information Minister Chernor Bah said the country is committed to addressing the concerns that prompted the ban.
“We will work with U.S. authorities to ensure progress,” he added.
IMAGE PROVIDED By RUTHERFORD COUNTy SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Ed the Zebra had evaded capture for several days after it ran away from its owner
Runaway pet zebra captured in Tennessee
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. A runaway pet zebra that was on the loose for more than a week in Tennessee and became an internet sensation in the process was captured Sunday, authorities said.
Ed the Zebra was captured safely after being located in a pasture near a subdivision in the Christiana community in central Tennessee, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The sheriff’s office said aviation crews captured the zebra “Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Ed arrived in Christiana on May 30, the sheriff’s office said. His owner reported him missing the next day
World Pride ends with defiant politics
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON After the raucous rainbow-hued festivities of Saturday’s parade, the final day of World Pride 2025 in the nation’s capital kicked off on a more downbeat note.
Thousands gathered under grey skies
Sunday morning at the Lincoln Memorial for a rally and protest march, as the community gathers its strength for a looming fight under President Donald Trump’s second administration
“This is not just a party,” Ashley Smith, board president of Capital Pride Alliance. “This is a rally for our lives.”
Smith acknowledged that international attendance numbers for the biannual World Pride were measurably down, with many potential attendees avoiding travel to the U.S. due to either fear of harassment or in protest of Trump’s policies. “That should disturb us and mobilize us,” Smith said.
Protesters cheered on LGBTQ+ activists taking the stage while waving both traditional Pride flags and flags representing transgender, bisexual, intersex and other communities. Many had rainbow glitter and rhinestones adorning their faces. They held signs declaring “Fight
back,” “Gay is good,” “Ban bombs not bathrooms” and “We will not be erased.”
Trump’s campaign against transgender protections and oft-stated antipathy for drag shows have set the community on edge, with some hoping to see a renewed wave of street politics in response.
“Trans people just want to be loved. Everybody wants to live their own lives and I don’t understand the problem with it all,” said Tyler Cargill, who came wearing an elaborate costume with a hat topped by a replica of the U.S. Capitol building.
Wes Kincaid drove roughly 6 hours from Charlotte, North Carolina, to attend this year Sitting on a park bench near the reflecting pond, Kincaid said he made a point of attending this year, “because it’s more important than ever to show up for our community.”
The speeches didn’t just target the Trump administration or the Republican party. Some turned their ire on Democratic politicians.
“We have to call out people who have abandoned our movement,” said Tyler Hack of the Christopher Street Project
“Being a Democrat is more than carrying the party affiliation,” Hack added. “It’s about unapologetic support for the trans community.”
Colombian senator in serious condition after shooting
By The Associated Press
BOGOTA — Colombian Sen. Miguel Uribe Turbay, a conservative presidential hopeful, was in serious condition Sunday following surgery for a gunshot wound at a political rally a day earlier Bogota’s mayor said.
Mayor Carlos Galán visited the Fundación Santa Fe clinic to express solidarity with the family of the 39-year-old senator “He survived the procedure; these are critical moments and hours for his survival,” said Galán early Sunday after receiving information from the medical staff at the clinic.
The hospital said Sunday that Uribe Turbay was recovering in intensive care after undergoing neurosurgery and a procedure on his left thigh. His condition was described as “extremely serious,” and his prognosis was reserved.
The attack took place in a park in the Fontibon neighborhood in Bogota when armed assailants shot him from behind, said the right-wing Democratic Center, which was the party of former president Uribe. The men are not related.
The Attorney General’s Office said a 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene with a firearm. He was injured in the leg and was recovering at another clinic, au-
thorities said. Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez added that over 100 officers are investigating who was behind the attack Uribe Turbay is the political heir of his grandfather, former President Julio César Turbay who was in office from 1978-82. His mother, Diana Turbay, was a journalist who was kidnapped and killed in 1991 during a failed rescue attempt. Her death came during one of the most violent periods in the history of the South American country, then plagued by drug cartel violence.
Colombia will hold a presidential election on May 31.
Israel vows to prevent boat carrying Thunberg, activists from reaching Gaza
By The Associated Press
TEL AVIV, Israel Israel’s government on Sunday vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel wouldn’t allow anyone to break its naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, which he said was aimed at preventing Hamas from importing arms.
“To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists — I will say this clearly: You should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza,” he said in a statement. Thunberg, a climate campaigner is among 12 activists aboard the Madleen,
which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday on a mission that aims to break the sea blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis 20 months into the Israel-Hamas war Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian activist on board the boat, posted a video on social media Sunday afternoon saying someone appeared to be jamming their tracking and communication devices.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, is among the others on board. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.
Russia awaits confirmation on body exchange
By The Associated Press
Russian officials said Sunday that Moscow is still awaiting official confirmation from Ukraine that a planned exchange of 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action will take place, reiterating allegations that Kyiv had postponed the swap.
On the front line in the war, Russia said that it had pushed into Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russian state media quoted Lt. Gen. Alexander Zorin, a representative of the Russian negotiating group, as saying that Russia delivered the first batch of 1,212 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers to the exchange site at the border and is waiting for confirmation from Ukraine, but that there were “signals” that the process of transferring the bodies would be postponed until next week.
Citing Zorin on her Telegram channel, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova asked whether it was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “personal decision not to take the bodies of the Ukrainians” or whether “someone from NATO prohibited it.”
Ukrainian authorities said plans agreed upon during direct talks in Istanbul on Monday were proceeding accordingly, despite what Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, called Russian attempts to “unilaterally dictate the parameters of the exchange process.”
“We are carefully adhering to the agreements reached in Istanbul. Who, when and how to exchange should not be someone’s sole decision. Careful preparation is ongoing. Pressure and manipulation are unacceptable here,” he said in a statement on Telegram on Sunday
“The start of repatriation activities based on the results of the negotiations in Istanbul is scheduled for next week, as authorized
persons were informed about on Tuesday,” the statement said. “Everything is moving according to plan, despite the enemy’s dirty information game.” Russia and Ukraine each accused the other on Saturday of endangering plans to swap 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action, which was agreed upon during the talks in Istanbul, which otherwise made no progress toward ending the war Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, led the Russian delegation. Medinsky said that Kyiv called a last-minute halt to an imminent swap. In a Telegram post on Saturday, he said that refrigerated trucks carrying more than 1,200 bodies of Ukrainian troops from Russia had already reached the agreed exchange site at the border when the news came. According to the main Ukrainian authority dealing with such swaps, no date had been set for repatriating the bodies. In a statement on Saturday, the agency also accused Russia of submitting lists of prisoners of war for repatriation that didn’t correspond to agreements reached on Monday It wasn’t immediately possible to reconcile the conflicting claims.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that its forces had reached the western edge of the Donetsk region, one of the four provinces Russia illegally annexed in 2022, and that troops were “developing the offensive” in the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region. This would be the first time Russian troops had pushed into the region in the more than three-year-old war Ukraine didn’t immediately respond to the claim, and The Associated Press couldn’t immediately verify it. One person was killed and another seriously wounded in Russian aerial strikes on the eastern Ukrainian Kharkiv region.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON
People attend the World Pride Rally and March on Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington.
AP PHOTO By SANTIAGO SALDARRIAGA People gather Sunday in Cali, Colombia, to pray for Colombian Sen. Miguel Uribe Turbay after he was shot at a political rally
across Louisiana. It is giving organizations — some upstart, some well-established — the rare chance to hire, to launch, to expand. To help more people.
Xavier University received $20 million, the largest private donation in its history, and put much of it toward scholarships. The Baton Rouge Youth Coalition used its $2 million to serve more students and launch a new career institute. The First 72+, a New Orleansbased nonprofit that works to stop the cycle of incarceration, used its $1 million to expand job training, among other things.
Since 2020, Scott has given 50 grants totaling $181.7 million to Louisiana charities. Over the first three years of giving, Scott focused on the south, and Louisiana received more funds per capita than average, according to a 2023 Harvard Business School study
The scale of Scott’s giving in recent years rivals the capacity of Louisiana’s local foundations. According to reporting from the nonprofit Candid, the state’s five largest foundations gave between $53.1 million and $13.4 million in 2023. A gift from Scott is often the largest a nonprofit has ever received, in many cases equaling the previous year’s total budget.
Many of the nonprofits, including the United Way of Southeast Louisiana, which received $10 million from Scott in 2020, have used the money to help people struggling to make ends meet. Those beneficiaries are often families that might land above the federal poverty level but that can’t afford basic expenses, such as health care and groceries.
Half of Louisiana households fall below that threshold, according to a report from the United Way, the highest rate of any state. Several nonprofit leaders described the grants as “a lightning bolt” and view Scott, who eschews the spotlight, with a touch of mysticism. Essentially, the multimillion-dollar gifts just appear no strings attached, and it’s not clear why Louisiana has gotten so much.
she is trying to free organizations from administrative tasks.
“Because we believe that teams with experience on the front lines of challenges will know best how to put the money to good use, we encouraged them to spend it however they choose,” Scott wrote in a 2021 essay “Many reported that this trust significantly increased the impact of the gift.”
Her philosophy is remaking philanthropy more broadly
“(MacKenzie Scott) triggered a new way of thinking ... recognizing that certain smaller, grassroots, Black-led organizations are doing fantastic work, but they haven’t built up to be a 100-yearold organization like United Way.”
MICHAEL WILLIAMSON, president and CEO of United Way of Southeast Louisiana
“She triggered a new way of thinking,” said Michael Williamson, president and CEO of United Way of Southeast Lo ui si a na. That organization, which makes grants to smaller groups, is now examining its own requirements fo r th os e grants, “recognizing that certain smaller, grassroots, Black-led organizations are doing fantastic work, but they haven’t built up to be a 100-year-old organization like United Way.”
ficer she’d offer continuity of leadership And second, she told them, “I’m going to get the MacKenzie Scott grant.”
Billy got the job in 2023 and the following year got the call: Scott was awarding the Central City nonprofit $4 million. Billy cried.
Like most rounds of funding, the grant to Reconcile was mysterious, awarded after discreet research, including an interview on behalf of an anonymous philanthropist. But in 2023, Yield Giving did a rare open call, offering insight into the foundation’s process and priorities More than 6,000 organizations applied, and the foundation awarded $1 million and $2 million grants to just 361 groups, or less than 6% Reconcile applied but didn’t win; the larger grant arrived anyway a year later Colin Felsman served as one of Yield Giving’s two New Orleans-based grant evaluators for that open call. He said the open call was important because otherwise, Scott’s award process is “kind of a black box.”
and contributions totaled
$4.2 million, according to its tax filing, so the Scott gift nearly doubled its income. It will sock away half the Scott grant, building a reserve.
“Before this, we didn’t have a savings account,” said Billy who grew up in New Orleans. “This has helped to stabilize us.”
The nonprofit is “aiming to serve the same 100-plus people a year but serve them more deeply,” Zollinger said. For example, it will follow the participants in its 14week program for 12 months beyond its end, connecting them with resources they might need, including transportation, housing or child care.
“We want to serve more people, don’t get me wrong,” Zollinger said. But the nonprofit doesn’t want to stretch beyond its means. “I’m very aware that I don’t want us to end up like a lottery winner
who, three years from now has no money.”
‘Works all the way around’
Thousands of kids across central Louisiana have felt the effects of Yield Giving grants in ways large and small.
In addition to its funds for early childhood education, the Rapides Foundation had New England Patriots wide receiver and Super Bowl champ Malcolm Mitchell speak to more than 20,000 kids at elementary schools across the region about the joys of reading. It provided local funding to expand access to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library More than 5,300 children now get free books in the mail.
With the Scott millions, the Rapides Foundation could have “built a tower built a something,” said Joe Rosier, president and CEO. But the organization, the only staffed
foundation for 100 miles in any direction, serves nine parishes, most of them small and rural, he said. “If we built something in one place, it really isn’t going to expand our mission.”
So instead, the healthfocused foundation boosted its investments in the areas it had already been funding, including early learning. Area parishes with small tax bases had been struggling to match state money for early childhood education, Rosier said, so Rapides stepped in. Even after spending the Scott money, the foundation is keeping up that focus.
In late 2024, its board approved $8 million for the program over the next three years.
Enrolling a kid in a highquality day care is good for the kid, Rosier said. It’s also good for the parent, allowing him or her to get or keep a job. “So it works all the way around.”
Flanagan makes $44,000 as the community engagement coordinator for the United Way of Central Louisiana. She loves the job, which she got after outgrowing a position at Lowe’s. But with two kids, she was straining to keep up with her mortgage Child care would have added another $180 a week, at least. She applied for an early childhood assistance grant and heard back within days. Still, she hesitated, struggling to fathom “strangers taking care of my baby.” She called the director of Heavenly Care Child Development Center, asking questions and voicing concerns. In those first weeks, they showed her — through photos taken at school and crafts brought home — that Noah, then 10 months old, was in good hands. The teachers may not be family, Flanagan said, but she considers them cousins. For teacher appreciation week, Flanagan made them gift boxes with tumblers, candles, bracelets and pencils.
“Not only did they reach my baby in his most vulnerable moment,” she said, “they held me in mine as well.”
Those signature gifts cannot be applied for or counted on, but they can shift an organization’s trajectory
Scott doesn’t participate in media interviews “in order to cede focus to the organizations we’re supporting,” according to Yield Giving’s website, which offers no contact information. A spokesperson for Lever for Change, which works with Yield Giving, declined to comment. But Scott has discussed her philosophy in some limited writings and appearances. By nixing grant applications and follow-up reports,
For its next granting cycle, United Way is considering lightening or even ditching some reporting requirements, he said, allowing groups to “go out and do the work.”
‘A black box’
Kheri Billy sets many goals — so many that a vision board she crafted from magazine clippings, perched on a bookcase in her thirdfloor office at Reconcile New Orleans, is double-sided.
When Billy applied to become the chief executive officer of the nonprofit that runs Café Reconcile, she presented the board with just two aims. First, as the current chief financial of-
But the secrecy offers an advantage, said Felsman, director of housing development for People’s Housing in New Orleans, which has not won a Yield Giving award Some foundations, with their arduous application processes can distort nonprofits’ work, he said But the way Scott gives allows them to focus on their missions.
Since 2000, Reconcile New Orleans has used its lunch cafe on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard to train, prepare and support young adults who have experienced trauma, poverty and other hardships. A decade ago, the organization “had two wheels in the ditch,” said John Zollinger, board chair A “transformational” gift from another organization — Hancock Whitney Corp., for $1.7 million is the reason the nonprofit exists today, he said. In 2023, Reconcile’s grants
BUDGET
Continued from page 1A
What cuts were made?
Superintendent Francis Touchet made cuts earlier this year that Lafayette Parish school system Chief Financial Officer Matthew Dugas said helped the district start balancing the additional adjustments, requests and initiatives.
In February, the board voted to approve a list of job consolidations and eliminations that largely impacted district-level and nonclassroom staff. In addition, some other positions were reclassified at lower pay rates or given new titles at lower pay rates.
Those changes resulted in about $1.2 million in savings for the general fund and about $300,000 in savings for other funds.
The district also was able to save about $3.5 million in district optimization staffing that was the result of moving S.J. Montgomery Elementary to Lafayette Middle Students attending Lafayette Middle were rezoned to other middle schools. S.J. Montgomery will be demolished and turned into Lafayette High athletic fields.
Almost $2.7 million was saved in school-level strategic staffing. Part of that was from a board vote that allows high school classroom
ratios to be increased to 31:1. Other savings came from eliminating positions at schools that have seen a change in enrollment.
A district spokesperson could not confirm how many full-time positions were eliminated as part of that reorganization.
The district also started with a small rollover budget of almost $198,000. The district also assumed there would be a 2.5% increase in sales tax revenues, a 4% increase in property tax revenues and an increase of about $1.2 million in per-pupil funding. That all resulted in $7.6 million in savings needed to fund the items that were creating budget challenges, Dugas told the board during a budget presentation in May.
This isn’t the first year the system has faced what Dugas called a budget challenge. Last year, the board used one-time funds and about $2.3 million in staffing reductions to cover about $38 million in unplanned expenses.
In the fall, the district hired a strategic planner tasked with assessing facilities and programs.
The planner proposed closures and consolidations that it said would have saved the district about $4 million the first year and about $8 million annually after four years.
The board rejected virtually all
portunity is tremendous.”
testified in the high-profile case of a law school professor who was suspended from the university after making crude classroom remarks about Gov Jeff Landry and President Donald Trump. In March, Tate enacted a systemwide hiring freeze due to “unpredictable” federal funding.
Meanwhile, in April, Tate celebrated the university’s “jaw-dropping” growth in research the school spent a record $543 million on research last year, a jump of nearly 70% from the $324 million secured during Tate’s first year Yet even that win came with a caveat due to Trump’s threatened funding cuts.
“Quite frankly,” Tate told LSU’s board of supervisors, “all of it is at risk right now.”
Now, as the board prepares to launch a national search for a new president, and with some possible front-runners emerging, the next leader of LSU will be tasked with taking on those challenges while seizing the opportunities created during Tate’s tenure.
By most accounts, he left LSU on strong footing. Partly due to a surge in out-of-state applicants, enrollment is at an all-time high, with more than 40,000 students across the system’s eight campuses and online. The main campus in Baton Rouge is ranked 97th nationally among public colleges and universities, its athletic programs are world-class, and thousands of its graduates are succeeding upon entering the workforce each year “The institution touches every part of our state,” said state Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed. “The tentacles are vast and wide and the op-
Precisely because LSU’s fate and Louisiana’s are intertwined and with national political debates keeping higher education in the spotlight there is sure to be intense interest in the presidential search. Scott Ballard, the LSU board chair who will oversee the search, said he expects talented candidates from across the country to apply “In my biased opinion,” he said, “it’s the best job out there.”
A high-profile search
Tate was selected to lead LSU in 2021, becoming the first Black president in the university’s history When he arrived, LSU was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, racial justice protests and accusations that school officials had mishandled sexual assault allegations.
LSU board member Lee Mallett warned Tate and other finalists for the job that they would need sharp elbows.
“It’s serious politics,” he said at the time. “They’ll knife you here.” Tate avoided major missteps during his four-year tenure, earning accolades for his “scholarship first” agenda and embrace of LSU athletics. Yet when Tate accepted the job at Rutgers in New Jersey last month, Landry said he had “evidently” been eyeing the exit “for some time.”
of those proposals, and its annual cost savings were instead about $500,000. The next day, Touchet implemented a hiring freeze and in February the board voted to allow the superintendent to implement a reduction in force “if necessary.”
Funding
Each cost center, which is typically divided by department, submitted their budget increase and decrease requests. About $3 million was requested in increased expenditures, with the largest requests coming from transfers to charter schools for per pupil funding and tax dedications, property insurance and health insurances, Dugas told board members in May
Cost centers were evaluated line-by-line, Dugas said Increase requests were then reduced to about $1.6 million. The largest reductions were in workers’ compensation, transportation and transfers to debt service, he said.
The district needed to find funding for an incentive project proposed by Touchet. It would bring starting teacher salary to $50,000 and cost the district about $1.3 million. The proposal also includes incentives for core course teachers who meet certain benchmarks.
The plan also included rewarding school-based administrators
settle in. Lee said he’s been meeting with the school’s many stakeholders and quickly getting up to speed on dozens of ongoing projects.
“We’ve been up to our eyeballs in briefings,” he said.
Ballard, whom Landry elevated to board chair in January, said he expects to form a search committee next month that will include LSU board members, faculty members, alumni and industry leaders. With the help of a consulting firm, the committee will start identifying candidates in August with the goal of selecting someone this fall, he said.
Already some potential candidates are being discussed One is Wade Rousse, president of McNeese State University in Lake Charles. While Rousse has led the regional school for only one year, Mallett, the board of supervisor’s vice chair and a major donor to Landry, told the Louisiana Illuminator that Rousse has “the ability to rise to the top” if he applies for the top LSU job. Mallett didn’t respond to a request for comment.
This week Rousse met with Louisiana House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, REunice, who said in a Facebook post that Rousse is “exactly the kind of leader our state needs.”
“I think he would be a great candidate and a great fit for LSU,” DeVillier said in a brief interview Rousse did not respond to a request for comment.
that meet academic goals and offering stipends for staff who oversee extracurricular activities.
In total, that incentive plan costs more than $6 million.
The district also needed to fund nearly $92,000 annually to bring the Accelerating Campus Excellence, or ACE, model to Alice Boucher Elementary A bulk of the funding for the program came from a donation from the Pugh Family Foundation, which also donated funding to the district to bring the model to J.W Faulk and Dr. Raphael Baranco elementary schools.
The program focuses on social-emotional learning, a longer school day and employing highly effective teachers and staff. It has shown early success at Faulk and Baranco, staff said earlier this year On top of those incentives, the district estimates it will need to allot about $4.6 million more funding for area charter schools.
Charter schools are publicly funded, tuition-free schools that are independently operated. Perpupil funding follows students to charter schools, even if they later reenroll in a public school after the official count date. Charter schools also receive a portion of collected sales and property taxes designated for schools. It is originally distributed
have rarely faced a landscape as perilous as the current one.
Amid rising tuition and student debt, just 22% of U.S. adults say the cost of a four-year degree is worth it if someone must take out loans, according to a Pew Research Center survey Meanwhile, conservatives have targeted some elite universities, calling them hotbeds of liberal indoctrination and antisemitism. The Trump administration has moved to slash research funding, ban diversity programs and eject some international students, including those who have expressed pro-Palestinian views.
“We are seeing an assault on universities,” said LSU political science professor Robert Hogan. “There’s no other way to put it.”
to the district and gets diverted by the state to the appropriate charter school. Charter schools aren’t restricted to the conditions voters imposed on those funds, but local districts are still accountable for those dedications.
District challenges
Creating and voting on a balanced budget will likely continue to present difficulties for the system.
Several factors will not likely change in the coming years, including a declining enrollment — a problem being faced by school districts nationwide and an increase in funds sent to charter schools as they grow in popularity Declining enrollment means less per-pupil funding.
The district also needs to address an increase in the cost of its portion of its self-funded insurance plan. In fiscal years 2025 and 2026, the district transferred more than $6.6 million from the general fund to the self-funded insurance fund to prevent an operational deficit.
Even with that $6.6 million transfer in fiscal year 2026, an additional $5 million will likely be needed later to keep the budget balanced, Dugas told board members in May Email Ashley White at ashley white@theadvocate.com.
LSU has faced criticism locally At a hearing this year, Rep. Josh Carlson, RLafayette, questioned Tate on why some LSU departments still espouse diversity equity and inclusion, or DEI principles, pointing to a medical school statement that condemned racial bias and health care inequities.
In an interview Carlson said he isn’t looking to limit academic freedom, but that lawmakers must hold public universities accountable.
“In my district, people do not want to send money to any university to promote DEI issues,” he said.
When Landry started his term as governor in 2024, LSU removed some diversity messages from its website and renamed its “inclusion” office.
Some LSU faculty say the
scrutiny has had a chilling effect.
Psychology professor Paul Frick said untenured colleagues have showed him lesson plans and asked, “Will I get in trouble?” Frick said he hopes the next president will make the case that principles like diversity “are not ‘woke’ political ideologies, but are critical for our mission.”
Open questions
Some big questions about the search await answers.
One is whether the board will search for a president in the current mold one leader who oversees the entire LSU system across the state as well as the flagship Baton Rouge campus — or go back to the model last
ä See LSU, page 5A
funeral, medical bills or other
LSU hasn’t started formally searching for his successor, and in an interview Friday, Ballard said the board wants to give interim President Matt Lee, a longtime LSU administrator who most recently oversaw the school’s agriculture college, time to
Lee, who also has been suggested as a candidate for the permanent position, declined to say whether he plans to apply, adding that he’s focused on leading LSU through the transition.
“This is a very, very significant responsibility,” Lee said. “Nobody in their right mind would take it lightly.”
Campus controversy
Higher education leaders
chemical irritants or which law enforcement agency fired them.
Minutes later, loud popping sounds erupted again, as some protesters chanted “go home” and “shame.”
One person was taken to the ground by uniformed officers. Another appeared to be bleeding from their head.
Around 300 National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles early Sunday on orders from Trump, who accused Gov Gavin Newsom and other Democrats of failing to stanch recent protests targeting immigration agents.
The move appeared to be the first time in decades that a state’s national guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration’s mass deportation efforts.
Days of protest
The deployment followed two days of protests that began Friday in downtown Los Angeles before spreading on Saturday to Paramount, a heavily Latino city south of the city, and neighboring Compton.
As federal agents set up a staging area Saturday near a Home Depot in Paramount, demonstrators attempted to block Border Patrol vehicles, with some hurling rocks and chunks of cement. In response, agents in riot gear unleashed tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls.
Tensions were high after a series of sweeps by immigration authorities the previous day, as the weeklong tally of immigrant arrests in the city climbed above 100.
A prominent union leader was arrested while protesting and accused of impeding law enforcement.
The deployment of the National Guard came over the objections of Gov Gavin Newsom, who accused Trump of a “complete overreaction” designed to create a spectacle of force.
The recent protests remain far smaller than past events that have brought the National Guard to Los Ange-
LSU
Continued from page 4A
used in 2012 of a system president and a Baton Rouge chancellor
Mallett is reportedly pushing for a return to two separate roles, while Ballard said he is undecided. Critics of the current system say the dual role divides the president’s attention and creates a conflict of interest when resources are allocated.
Claude Bouchard, a former executive director of LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, said he hopes for a return to two roles “so that the true coordinator and manager and leader of the system is independent of a given campus.”
Another question is wheth-
les, including the Watts and Rodney King riots, and the 2020 protests against police violence, in which Newsom requested the assistance of federal troops.
The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor’s permission was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
‘Very strong law and order’
In a directive Saturday, Trump invoked a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is ”a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.”
He said he had authorized the deployment of 2,000 members of the National Guard
Trump told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, Sunday that there were “violent people” in Los Angeles “and they’re not gonna get away with it.”
Asked if he planned to send U.S. troops to Los Angeles, Trump replied: “We’re gonna have troops everywhere. We’re not going to let this happen to our country We’re not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden.” He didn’t elaborate.
Trump also said that California officials who stand in the way of the deportations could face charges. A Wis-
er the selection process will play out publicly or behind closed doors.
The search that led to Tate’s hiring in 2021 was conducted mostly in the open, including public interviews with the finalists. But the previous search, before the board hired F. King Alexander in 2013, was kept secret, sparking a “no confidence” vote by the faculty Senate and a lawsuit by news organizations that said state law requires the public disclosure of candidates for public positions. Ballard said the consulting firm will help ensure compliance with the law
While he would like the search to be as open and transparent as possible, he added, he also wants to protect applicants who wouldn’t want their current employ-
consin judge was arrested last month on accusations she helped a man evade immigration authorities.
“If officials stay in the way of law and order, yeah, they will face charges,” Trump said.
Newsom called Trump on Friday night and they spoke for about 40 minutes, according to the Governor’s Office. It was not clear if they spoke Saturday or Sunday
There was some confusion surrounding the exact timing of the guard’s arrival. Shortly before midnight, Trump congratulated the National Guard on a “job well done.” But less than an hour later, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said troops had yet to arrive in the city Active-duty Marines
In a statement Sunday, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused California’s politicians and protesters of “defending heinous illegal alien criminals at the expense of Americans’ safety.”
“Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer,” McLaughlin added.
The troops included members of the California Army National Guard’s 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, according to a social media post from the Department of Defense.
In a signal of the admin-
ers to see their names in the news.
“The truth is, the best candidates are not going to take the chance of losing what they have if they have to be totally public about their interest,” he said.
Physics professor A. Ravi P. Rau, who has been at LSU for more than 50 years, said he hopes the board involves the faculty in a “real, national search” rather than “foisting” its favored candidate on the university
“You have to have faculty and student buy-in,” he said. “Otherwise, it’s not going to work.”
Staff writer Christopher Cartwright contributed reporting.
Email Patrick Wall at patrick.wall@theadvocate. com.
istration’s aggressive approach, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also threatened to deploy active-duty Marines “if violence continues” in the region.
Vermont
Bernie Sanders said the order by Trump reflected “a president moving this country rapidly into authoritarianism” and “usurping the powers of the United States Congress.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a staunch Trump ally, endorsed the president’s move, doubling down on Republicans’ criticisms of California Democrats. “Gavin Newsom has shown an inability or an unwillingness to do what is necessary, so the president stepped in,” Johnson said.
Sen.
Associated Press writer Michelle Price contributed to this report from Bridgewater, New Jersey
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC THAyERP
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JAE HONG
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., speaks to National Guard troops Sunday in downtown Los Angeles.
La. could ban weather modification
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer
Louisiana could soon ban any attempt to modify the weather through techniques like solar geoengineering or cloud seeding after a bill passed the Louisiana Legislature. Those techniques are still either experimental or not widely used.
But Sen. Mike Fesi, R-Houma, said his Senate Bill 46 aims to protect
Federal Mississippi River study paused
Corps says work delayed by lack of funding
BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer
A major federal study on the future of the lower Mississippi River examining effects in Louisiana and six other states has been paused due to a lack of funding from the Trump administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Friday Separately, the Corps’ New Orleans district confirmed it was losing around 80 of its 1,160 employees to early retirement or deferred resignations — allowing them to go on leave until the end of the fiscal year before departing — as the Trump administration seeks to cut federal spending It said construction projects underway were not affected
The so-called mega-study, whose launch was announced in 2023, was intended to last five years, cost $25 million and address a wide range of issues key to shipping, flooding concerns and drinking water quality, among others. In Louisiana, issues being analyzed by the study include saltwater intrusion, operations of the vital Old River Control Structure near Angola and shipping concerns along one of the world’s most important transportation lanes.
The plan was to begin defining how to manage the lower river from Cape Girardeau, Missouri,
Restaurant owner looks to donate building
Hot
BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer
Owner
2025 LEGISLATURE
“the people of Louisiana and the integrity of our environment.”
“With so many unknowns around geoengineering and atmospheric interventions, we’re taking a stand for transparency, public health, and natural balance,” he said in a statement. “Senate Bill 46 ensures
that decisions about our air and climate are made responsibly.”
The bill says that no person shall “intentionally inject, release, apply, or disperse, by any means, a chemical, chemical compound, substance, or apparatus into the atmosphere within the borders of this state for the express purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of sunlight.”
It also requires the Department
of Environmental Quality to collect reports from anyone who believes they observe a weather modification activity
When SB46 first passed the Senate, support for the bill fell along party lines, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed. In the House, some Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the bill, though it still passed by a margin of 58 to 33. The bill still needs Gov Jeff Landry’s signature to become
law There are several types of weather modification, both theoretical and real Few if any such activities are taking place in Louisiana.
The activity that is primarily associated with solar geoengineering — using aircraft to disperse aerosols like sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere in an effort to reflect
SPEAKING OUT
ABOVE: A car drives by as people participate in a protest against President Donald Trump’s policies and in favor of supporting veterans on Friday at the corner of Johnston Street and University Avenue in Lafayette on the anniversary of the D-Day storming of the beaches at Normandy, France, by the United States and its allies during World War II. RIGHT: Protesters hold up signs on the street corner BELOW: People carry signs and an American flag.
PHOTOS By ROBIN MAy
ä See WEATHER, page 4B
SB2 Legislators listened to evidence on fluoride
Iwant to express my gratitude to all the well-informed and astute legislators who recognized thegrave mistake of removing fluoride from Louisiana public water systems.
This contentious issue has been apersistent debate since the 1950swhenwater fluoridation was first introduced. As adental professional, Ialways adhere to evidence-basedinformation to make informed decisions and conclusions. This fight has been ongoing for decades and Iamproud to see that the legislators have finally understood the connection between oraland overallhealth.
Iwant to extend my gratitude for all the undeserved children who lack the means to visit adental hygienistand dentist every six months or once ayear,ifatall.
This also includes the severely handicapped children who, due to their health challenges, cannot undergo general anesthesia if severe dental problems arise duetodental decay.Itistruly commendable thatthe legislators have finally grasped this crucial connection.
Iamthrilled to see that thelegislators have rejected Senate Bill 2, potentially saving many lives.
SUZANNEK.FARRAR
retired associate professor,LSU Health School of Dentistry
Cost of unconstitutional laws should notbe bornebytaxpayers
Since our legislators are unable to resist the temptation to introduce inappropriate and unconstitutional bills, Isuggest ajeopardy system in which any bill found to be unconstitutionalwould require areprimand and restitution from the party putting the bill forward. Legislators have no problem putting the health and well-being of Louisianans into hock with capricious laws. They should have no problem reimbursing the state for wasting the time of every representative and senator subjected to careless legislation on thefloor The time spent recalling unconstitutional legislation should also be reimbursed. Right now,the constituentspay right and left and absorbthe costs of poor governance.
AMELIA BALLEW MIMS Slidell
LEGISLATIVE ROUNDUP
The clock is ticking on the 2025 legislativesession. Here are some of the bills that our readers are talking about:
Let’snot raid La.’strust fund reserves fortax cuts
Rep. Julie Emerson’sHouseBill 678 and HouseBill 683 not only revisit the heartof recently defeated Amendment 2but attempt to reinstate the brutal failure of former Gov Bobby Jindal’sfiscal debacle.
Raiding existing reserve funds to payfor taxcuts for the extremely wealthy has projected shortfalls of $500 million in 2029 and $350 million in 2030.
And that is before taking thecoming Medicaid cuts in the current federal budget proposed and supported by Rep. Steve Scalise and Speaker Mike Johnson into account.Add to that the financial devastation anatural disastersuchasa hurricane, tornado or flood, due to what anow-regular rainstormwould impose onLouisiana withFEMA out of thedi-
Draining our financial reserves to payfor taxcuts for theextremely wealthy andinternational corporations, when we can’tfinance fortifying homes in thepaths of natural disasters is foolish, irresponsible and immoral. We will need thesereserves to rebuild from the next hurricane, that, due to cuts at NOAA, we will have lesstime and information to prepare for.Fool us once —likethey did with Jindal in 2008, shame on you. Fool us twice,as Emerson’sbills hope to do —shame on us. Let your state senator know to say no to HB678 and HB683.
MARYANNE MUSHATT NewOrleans
HB575
Billonabortion-inducing drugsshows howlittleLouisiana values women
In response to the article, “Louisiana bill would let families sue providers of ‘abortioninducing’ drugs. Here’show” by Alyse Pfeil: Irespect those who believe thatlife begins at conception. But Idon’trespect those who believe their religious or personal beliefsshould supersede mine, or moreimportantly,any woman who believes differently and decides to make the difficult choice to end apregnancy Thereissomuch wrong with this latest effort by some of our legislatorstoattempt to prevent Louisiana women from making their own personalchoice in consultation withtheir doctors. But one aspect of this proposedlaw points out the complete lack of morality of those behind it —though arapistcannot sue
his victim or her doctors, therapist’sparents can. Our legislators are actually saying that the preferences of the parents of arapist should outweigh those of the pregnant rape victim. More specifically,they are saying that arapist’sparentshave aright to that grandchild, while thatchild’smother,raped by theirson, has no say in this matter. This is despicable, and furtherproof that while theselegislators claim to value “unborn life,” they clearly do not value the women of our state, including those who are the victimsofthe mostheinous crimeofrape.
MARK D. ZIMMERMAN NewOrleans
SB8 Lawmakers need to keep politics outofcivil service
Senate Bill 8will be voted on the House floor very soon.
If successful, it would go to the voters. It has already passed the full Senate and aHouse committee.
This legislation would allow the entire classified civil service workforce in our state to be politicized. The author of this self-serving bill states that it “tackles the inefficiency of our government in Louisiana with civil service reform.”
Actually,the opposite is true. This bill would allow the Legislature to unclassify any and all positions in our merit-based workforce and replace them with total political appointments without regard to minimum qualifications, past performance or ability
Also, the current 39,000 employees with civil service protection could easily lose their jobs on the whim of politicians, even though they have been exemplary and valued workers. It would also allow this political workforce to take part in political activity.Any political activity an employee is allowed to perform, he or she can be coerced into doing.
State civil service is not perfect, but it is one of the mostsuccessful reforms in the history of our state. It has received numerous national awards forthe effectiveness of its human resource program.The author of this bill says he wants a meritocracy,when in fact his bill totally removes merit from the hiring and firing process and returns us to the outmoded spoils system that our current merit system replaced. Our present system must be retained to ensure the mostqualified applicants are hired and promoted, protected from political influence, and the incompetent or nonperforming are removed. Stop this political ploy before it returns us to the days of Huey Long and the deduct box.
DANIEL SULLIVAN retired CEO,Louisiana Civil Service League
HB554
Don’tdiscourage newcitizenswith voting laws
The House Bill 554 terms should be readily available to newly naturalized citizens and those on the path to citizenship.
Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE
Even with fix, closed primariesabad idea
Iappreciate your May 8editorial addressingthe newclosed political partyprimary system for federal elections, which was adopted recently by theLouisiana Legislature to replace the traditional open primary system. Particularly,you wrote in support of allowing voters who are registered as Independentstovote in either the Republican or Democratic primary.Asone who is registered as an Independent, Iamglad thatthe Legislature will fix thecurrent law prohibitingIndependentsfrom voting in other party primaries. However,Iwish that it wouldn’t matterinwhich partyavoter is registered. Theold open primary system madeitpossible that all citizens had achoice to vote for their preferred candidate in the primary,and
themost popular two (if no one received a majority vote) met in arunoff. That system was alot simpler and less expensive than theclosed primary system. In manycases, theelection was over after the primary,and there was no need for arunoff. Now, there may be arunoff in one or bothparties after theprimaries, followed by ageneral election between the political partynominees. Why theswitched to closed primaries? Because political parties do not like the people to have thechance to choose acandidate who is not devoted to their party. Acandidate who will vote for the best interest of the people, not necessarily thebest interest of apolitical party. Toobad.
CHARLES LAMAR Baton Rouge
Awebsite link to the new rules and how to adjust one’sIDordriver’slicense status can be created easily but needs to workconsistently.Unfortunately,most Louisiana state departments are inefficient. Lawsand their resultant regulations can becomeproblematic for tworeasons: The legal terminology is dense, and/or the law is published only in English. Nonetheless, a savvy new citizen will be able to find assistance here in French, Vietnamese, MiddleEastern languages andSpanish
If youare anaturalized citizen, like my father,nostate letterhead missive will deter you from voting. Youknow your rights.
VALERIEWALKER NewOrleans
HB420
STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
The legislativesession must end by June 12
GATOR RIDE
Cool! We received 707 entries in this week’sCartoon Caption Contest.Thesewerereally funny!Itwas atreat to readthrough the entries from startto finish.This week’swinner was aJefferson Parish residentuntil he evacuated due to Katrina 20 years ago. He now lives in North Carolina with hisfamily and has been acontest finalistbefore.Terrificjob, everyone! As always, when we have duplicateentries,and we always do, we pickthe earliest sent in. Here are this week’swinner and finalists.Well played, folks! Best— Walt
JIM FLOCK,HARAHAN: “Wait!youmean ‘BonVoyage’,not‘BonAppetit’,right?”
RICHARD ROBBINS,NEW ORLEANS: “On second thought,IWILL takethe premium rental upgrade!”
JIM CRIGLER,BATONROUGE:“See you later,what?!?!”
PAMELA RIDER,BATONROUGE: “HeyTroy, areyou sure this idea will catch on for anew show?”
GRANT LANDRY,NEW ORLEANS: “This is not as relaxing as my wife said it would be!”
MARYANN RIDDLE,BATONROUGE: “I’ll paythe rentalfee when Ireturn.
LOUELLENADEN BERGER,NEW ORLEANS: “I didn’t read the fine print!!”
RALPH STEPHENS,BATON ROUGE:“What do youmean?!?‘Thepaddleboards haven’t been delivered yet’!?!”
MICHELE STARNES,KENNER: “Suddenly, therentalwaiver feels very inadequate!!”
GISELE PRADOS,METAIRIE: “This is not what Iwas expecting when the travelguide
saidAlligator Tours.”
PETER KOVACS,BATONROUGE: “your insurance bill must be brutal.”
ASHLEY LABAT,METAIRIE: “Whydoes this feel more likeasmorgasbord?”
DAVID DELGADO,NEW ORLEANS: “I think I’ll stick to the City Park Swan Boats!”
MARKDISPENZA,BATONROUGE: “This is your‘nofall’guarantee?!”
EDWARD LASCELLE,PINEVILLE: “The deposit returnisthe least of my concerns now!”
DUKE RIVET,BATON ROUGE:“NowI knowwhy yousaidthiswas your snappiest paddleboard!!”
BOBUSSERY,NEWORLEANS: “Wait! What didyou mean by‘lunch is included’?”
RAYAUTREY,MORGAN CITY: “I’ll definitelybeback before his feeding time!”
JOHNWEGER,BATONROUGE: “This new self-propelled paddleboard seems great so far!”
Ukraine may not have “the cards,” as President Donald Trumpput it, but it does have drones. They were used to great effect in an audacious attack within Russia that has focused the world’sattention on arevolution in warfare. Abadly outmanned and outgunned country just reached farinside its adversary’sterritory to destroy or damage hugely expensive, nuclear-capable strategic aircraft with low-cost drones basically indistinguishable from ones available on Amazon.
It’s not quite David versus Goliath, because the Russian giant is not going to be felled by the blow,but the diplomatic and psychological impact of the raid could be profound, as Ukraine seeks to demonstrate to the West its staying power For creativity and outsized effect with widely available devices, the Ukrainian attack is in the sameleague as Israel’s beeper attack on Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon last year.Both operations also carry amessage about new vulnerabilities —toacompromised supply chain and to surprise drone attack —that should make us take notice.
We’ve just watched the equivalent of aviation legend Billy Mitchell’sdemonstration in 1921 when he had U.S. planes sink a former German battleship, in adisplay of the emerging potency of air power Ukraine’sOperation Spider Webcombined Mission Impossible-style intrigue —the drones were secreted within Russia and someofthem launched from containers attached to trucks, unbeknownst to the drivers —with clever innovation.
The attacks spanned several timezones and hit 41 Russian aircraft, according to the Ukrainians.
The operation wasthe latest iteration of acat-and-mouse drone warbetween Ukraine and Russia. The Ukraine conflict is essentially awar of attrition, yet it is anything but static, as the meansof waging it change almost by the week. Offensive innovation is met with defensive countermove, triggering another change on offense.
Drones are vulnerable to electronic jamming? Then, they’ll be controlled by massive spools of fiber optic cable. Drones threaten supply routes? Then, the roads will be covered with netting. And drones will be attacked by other drones. What the siren of the Stuka dive-bomber wastothe Blitzkrieg —anunmistakable herald of anew wayofwaging war —the high-pitched whirr of the drone is to the Ukraine war. Estimates are that drones now inflict about 70% of casualties on both sides, and there are literally millions of them. Russia deployed roughly 4million drones last year,and Ukraine about 1.5 million.
While contemplating thehorror of two young and soon to be engaged Israeli Embassy employees who were gunned down by aman shouting “free Palestine” and “I did it for Gaza,” outsidethe Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., recently,Irecalled theopeninglinetoasongfromthe old offBroadway musical “The Fantasticks” —“Youwonder how these things begin.” That song speaks to the love between aboy anda girl. Applied to the Washington shootingsitmakes youwonder how hate begins. Theologically,itgoes back to theGarden of Eden, but in modern times, it begins at certain universities andbigoted social media sites
tents, printedsigns and any travel, accommodations and food for those who come from out of town? Howmany of the demonstratorsare not students?
Chants of “from theriver to the sea,” especially when the few who are interviewed can’tidentify theriver or the seaiscode for destroying Israel and justifying the killing of Jews. Consider the reluctance of somewho refused —orslowly waited to comment on the shootings, including some Democrats in Congress.
why this small group of people have been singled out over the centuries as thecause of everything bad, especially when they have contributed so much to theworld that is objectively good.
The Jewish lyricist Oscar Hammerstein may have gotten to theheart of it when he wrote “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught”for the musical “South Pacific.” Here is part of the lyric, which readers should Google and read in its entirety:
The hatred of Jewsisnot new.It extends back several millennia. That so many universities tolerate andsome professors promote Jewish hatred is not free speech. It is incitement which, taken at the extremeasitwas recently, leads to murder.The people responsible for this cannot washtheir hands of the blood of those innocents, any morethan Pontius Pilate could exoneratehimself from Christ’scrucifixion by Roman soldiers by symbolically washing his hands and claiming, “I am innocentof this man’sblood.”
Ihave raised this question before, but it is worth repeating. Whydothe media never ask who is underwriting these demonstrations, including paying for
Until President TrumpbegandeprivingHarvard and other elite schools of federal grants, these institutionswere getting away with effectively beingaccessories to murder.Would these university presidents, who have done little or nothing to curtail the hatefuldemonstrations,have tolerated KKK rallies on their campuses? Not likely
Some alumni have stopped giving to their alma maters. More should. Parents should pull their kids out of thesepricey schools or not send them there. It is amazing that some parents are shockedtosee their children adopt ideas that contradict their fundamental values. What did they expect?
Some historiansdatethe start of persecution, violence, attempts at genocide anddeportations of Jews to the NeoBabylonian Empire (605 BC). There are ongoingdebates and discussions
“You’ve got to be taught to hateand fear, You’ve got to be taught from year to year, It’sgot to be drummed in your dear little ear
You’ve got to be carefully taught!”
The alleged killer of those two embassy employees (if convicted, he should get thefederal deathpenalty), theterrorist murders of Jews in Israel by Hamas and Iran’sHouthi proxies, thevilification of Jews by professors at certain universities, are instructing a new generation to hate. The universities that tolerate hate should be punished morethan just depriving their schools of grants. The professors who poison young minds should be fired, hate groups banished from campuses and thecountry,and the demonstrators held accountable.
Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@tribpub.com
We have much to learn from all this. Every commander of aU.S. base should be thinking anew about potential vulnerability to drone attack, and it’snot hard to imagine the Chinese utilizing drones to execute awide-ranging strike in the Western Pacific if Beijing goes after Taiwan.
Once aleader in drone technology when its Predators were taking out targets in the WaronTerror,the U.S. hasn’tkept up with the adaptations happening in the Ukraine war. Inevitably,our own bureaucratic processes are our worst enemy
As head of the U.S. National Drone Association, Nathan Ecelbarger,writes, the system foracquiring drones “remains deeply flawed, overly bureaucratic and resistant to innovation.”
We’ll have to focus moreondefenses, too, from early detection to counter-drone capabilities. The problem with using missiles to defeat drones is the asymmetry in expense —anSM-2 missile costs millions, whereas aHouthi drone costs thousands. And drone swarms could overcome abattery of missiles.
This is the reason whythe work of nextgeneration defensefirmslikeEpirus, which has developed ascalable, high-power microwave technology platform that can knock aswarmofdrones from the sky is so important. What’shappening in the Ukraine war is the norm in human conflict. It’s adapt or watch your castle get reduced to rubble, your fleet get sent to the bottom of the ocean or aleg of your nuclear triad get assaulted by,essentially,aplaything of hobbyists.
Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry.
TO SEND US A
WINNER: Jeff Hartzheim, Fuguay-Varina, North Carolina
Rich Lowry
Cal Thomas
down to the Gulf nearly acentury after the Mississippi’smodern shape took form with the construction of the vast levee and flood control systemfollowing themassive 1927 flood. Corps officials and other experts have stressed that a reassessment is needed duetothe major changes in recent decades to the river itself and communities alongside it. The study has not been granted funding in the Corps’fiscal year 2025 work plan, and President Donald Trump’srecently released fiscal year 2026 budget does not recommend it for funding,Corps spokesperson Ricky Boyett said.
“As aresult, we are placing the study into apaused status until additional funding becomes available,” Boyett said of whatisofficially known as the Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Management Study,which has been authorized by Congress.
Anotice to stakeholderson the study’spause also noted that “previous president budget funds received during FY25 must be returned to the United States Treasury.” It was not immediately clear how much must be returned. The study has been granted $9.5 million since it started.
‘Mostimportant waterway’ Congresscould eventually decide to fund the study as it setsout spending plans for the next fiscal year and beyond,though there are no guarantees.Boyett said the Corps could pick up where it left off if the study is again funded.
WEATHER
Continued from page1B
sunlight and cool the planet —isnot taking place anywhere in the world, according to Josh Horton, asenior program fellow in solar geoengineering at the Harvard Kennedy School.
That concept is known as stratosphericaerosol injection, he said, and it is the leading solar geoengineering proposal. So far,there have not been any real-world experiments of the theory, and it is not clear how safe it would be, he said.
“There have been acouple of attemptstodovery smallscale experiments that have been canceledfor anumber of reasons.It’sverycontroversial,” Horton said. “Right now all the research based on stratospheric aerosols is desk-based —it’seither usingcomputermodels or small-scale laboratorytests to see which kinds of particleswould be most effective and most benign.”
There is another typeof solar geoengineeringknown as marine cloud brightening that hasbeenexperimented with in Australia over the Great Barrier Reef.Itinvolves spraying seawater into low-lying cloudsin hopes thatthey will whiten and reflect sunlight back into space, Horton said. That’s“not really what
Amajor federal studyonthe future of the lowerMississippi River examining effects in Louisiana and sixother states has been paused due to alack of funding,the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Friday.
When thestudy was launched, Col. Cullen Jones, commanderof theCorps’ New Orleans district, said it would provide “the opportunity to consider this critical floodrisk management system and identify what, if any,opportunities, and modifications are needed to account for the change in river dynamics as well as the needs of the nation over thelast century.”
“The Mississippi River is thenation’smost important waterway and oneofthe world’smost important natural resources,”hesaid.
“Weare committed to ensuring it
most folks who are pushing these (weather modification) bansindifferent stateshave in mind when they’re concerned about geoengineering and claiming it’shappening,” he said.“They’re thinking about these aircraft releasing megatons of sulfurorsomethingelse in the stratosphere that envelopes the planet,whichof course is not happening but perhapsone daywould, although we’renowhere close to that.”
Cloud seeding
Onetypeofweather modification that does occur in the UnitedStatesiscloud seeding. It typically involves using aircraft torelease silver iodide into clouds in an attempt to increase rainfall or snowfall.
Thesciencebehindcloud seeding, anactivity that is 70 years old and mostly takes place out West, is uncertain, said Horton.
“There continues to be debates among scientists about whether or not it’s the least bit effective, but Ithink what there is agreement on is that it’s not really harmful,” he said
Accordingtothe U.S. GovernmentAccountabilityOffice, nine statescurrently use cloudseeding.
“Federal cloud seeding involvement andsupport is minimal,” theagency’swebsite says. The NationalOceanicand
Baloch plans to open a second location of hispopular restaurant at 405Church St. and he said he doesn’t need the building
BUILDING
Continued from page1B
“feel much better giving it to someone.” The building needs to be moved and relocated by second week of July in order to break ground for thenew Hot Food Express. The new restaurant will be carryout and delivery only Baloch moved from New York to Lafayette in the late
1990s. He opened Hot Food Express, an Asian-Cajun fusion hot plate restaurant at 3013 Cameron St. more than 20 years ago. Overthe years, thefusion fried rice has become alocal favorite.
“Mostpeoplecameback for the same thing and it’s been since 2002 and Istill have some of the same returningcustomers,”hesaid. EmailJa’koriMadison at jakori.madison @theadvocate.com
remainssointhe future.”
Thestudy was proceeding alongside another major initiative looking at thelower river, particularly the Bird Foot Delta near its mouth, sponsored by theNational Academies of Sciences,Engineeringand Medicine. That initiative, co-led by Tulane and LSUprofessors, is being paidfor with$22 millionfrom fundslinked to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster and is not in danger of being paused.
The two studies wereinsome ways designedtobecomplemen-
taryasthe team of academics and Corps experts delve into the myriad issues at stake. Sam Bentley an LSU geologistco-leading the National Academy study,saidthe Corps’ pause represents amajor lost opportunity
“This funding represented a legal authorization for the Corps to think abouthow to manage the river for the next 100 years,” Bentley said. “I can’tspeak forthe folks who are doing the work, but we all know that the river of the 21st century is not the river of the early 20th century.And this was
afabulous opportunity to begin working on the next generation of Mississippi River and tributaries management projects.”
‘Challengestoworkthrough’
Mead Allison, aTulane geologist andthe other co-leader of theNationalAcademy study,said“we are saddened”tohearthe Corpshad to pause its effort. He said issues being looked at included those of high importance to Louisiana, such as investigating ways to bring more sedimenttothe delta’sdisappearing wetlands, minimizing the use of the Bonnet Carre Spillway and examining howtoaddress saltwater intrusion threatening the New Orleans area’sdrinking water “Wecan only hope Washington eventually lifts this pause and this worthwhile effort is allowedto reach its full potential,” he said.
The Port of NewOrleans declined immediate comment,saying it hadjust learned of thepause Sean Duffy,executive director of theBig RiverCoalition, which advocates forcommercial navigation interests, said his organization viewed the pause as part of a storm the industry had to weather, including cuts to the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration, which shipping companies rely upon.
“We’re seeing impacts across government agencies basedon changes to funding, and each one presents different challenges to work through,” he said.
Email Mike Smith at msmith@ theadvocate.com. Hiswork is supported withagrant from theWalton Family Foundation, administered by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation
Aline
Legislature.
Atmospheric Administration does not conduct weather modification activities but requires companiesthatdoto reportsuch activity. Of over 1,000 project reports dating back to 2000 in theNOAA’s database, none specified Louisiana as alocation. One did mentionthe Gulf, but the vast majority were in states like California, Utah, Texas, Colorado, Idaho and North Dakota.
Veeringinto‘chemtrails’
Though SB46 does not
FISH
Continuedfrom page1B
conditions andaid in the decomposition process if physical removal is not possible, LDWF says.
Decomposers and scavengers, including microbes, insects, crawfish, crabs, fish, alligators, turtles, raccoons and birds, will help clean up fish carcasses. When fall arrives, theshorter days and cooling temperatures lower the risk of low-oxygen fish kills. Fish kills can result in temporary suspension of
mention the conspiracy theory known as “chemtrails,” debate on theHouse floor veered into thetopic when Rep. Kimberly Landry Coates, R-Ponchatoula, presentedthe bill and said it was meant to protect Louisiana from them.
“Chemtrails” refers to a wide-ranging conspiracy theory based on the belief that thelines left behind by aircraft are in fact chemicalsormetalsspread by the government or other organizations for purposessuch
recreational andcommercial fishing activities, but systemsnormally recover on their own.
as mindcontrol or weather modification.
Coates, who spoke about chemtrails in relation to weather modification, said she was concerned about those lines and that multiple “groups” were spreading heavy metals to deflect sunlight.
The lines are actually contrails, line-shaped clouds that arecreated whenthe hotair from aplane’sexhaust mixes with cooler air in the environment, causing condensation, according to theNational
Documenting fish kills in Louisiana is important, whether caused by natural or nonnatural events. Fish
Weather Service.
Contrails arecompletely harmless, said Horton, adding that chemtrails are not real.
Now,“the idea of chemtrails predates geoengineeringbut has sort of naturally swallowed up geoengineering and has sort of even morphed into conspiracy theoriesabout geoengineering happening,” he said.
In astatement Friday, Coates explained she supported SB46 because it was “a vitalsteptowardprotecting Louisiana from the unknown and potentially dangerousconsequences of geoengineering.”
“As these experimental climate interventions become more commonaround the world, Louisiana must take astand to ensure that our skies, air,and environment are not subject to untested technologies without public oversight,” she said. Coates sponsored abill that would more broadly limit activitiesinthe atmosphere, House Bill 608. But, even after thebill’sscopewas narrowed throughamendments, it failed to pass the House by avote of 21-72.
Last year, Tennessee passed itsown bill banning weather modification, NBC News reported. Florida passed one this year
Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann @theadvocate.com.
kills should be reported to thedepartmentbyfollowing the instructions on LDWF’s fish kill webpage.
STAFFFILE PHOTOByDAVID GRUNFELD
of showers passes throughthe French Quarter in NewOrleans on March31. Louisiana could soon banany attempt to modify the weather after abill passed the
PHOTO PROVIDED By ZEE BALOCH Hot Food Express owner Zee Baloch is giving away this building located in youngsville.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
WEATHER DELAY
Game 2 of the LSU-West Virginia super regional series ended after this edition went to press For complete coverage, visit theadvocate.com
Q&A
Dumars’ vision for Pelicans franchise
VP discusses where team is headed under his leadership
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
Joe Dumars has been quite busy since he was hired as executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans in mid-April.
There’s plenty of work to do when you take over a franchise coming off a 21-61 season, the second-worst record in franchise history
It’s probably why Dumars’ office in the Pelicans’ facility still looks barren. A desk. A chair A shelf with a couple of framed photos of his family That’s it
There are no reminders of Dumars’ glory days as a player in Detroit when he helped the Pistons win back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. There isn’t anything to let you know that the Pistons won another title 14 years later when he was in charge as director of basketball operations There’s nothing in the office that would let you know that Dumars is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame or the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Dumars, a Natchitoches native who went on to star at McNeese State, doesn’t really have time these days to reflect on his past. His focus right now is solely on the future of the NBA franchise in his home state It’s up to him to try to get things pointed in the right direction.
Dumars took time out of his busy schedule to talk to sports columnist Rod Walker A wide range of topics were discussed, including the future plans for star forward Zion Williamson and head coach Willie Green.
ä See DUMARS, page 3C
as the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations on April 22 at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center
SUMMER SESSION
UL forward Zeke Cook is one of three returning Cajuns under
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
It’s still all happening behind the scenes, but the excitement behind UL’s hiring of Quannas White as its new men’s basketball coach hits the court for the first time Monday sort of.
The eight-week summer session begins Monday with conditioning and individual drills, before team workouts begin Thursday
“These weeks are going to be a lot of teaching, but also player development,” White said. “These individuals (workouts) starting on Monday are extremely important, as well as the practices we’ll have later on in the week.”
Since filling out his first roster for
the Ragin’ Cajuns, the next stage is the coaching staff teaching the new system and developing the unyielding culture White has professed since his hiring.
“Implementing the foundation of your system — a lot of teaching will go on,” White said. “Everyone is new, even the returners because I’m a new coach.
“These guys need to have a clear understanding of what it is I expect and then implementing the system from a defensive standpoint and what we’re doing offensively.”
On no issue is the staff’s philosophy more clear than on its requirement to be a leader While many issues won’t really be settled until the fall, leadership starts
LSU sprinter Watkins making his mark as freshman
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
While Jelani Watkins was in his starting blocks at the NCAA East regional for the 100-meter race in Jacksonville, Florida, the LSU sprinter had one thought dominating his mind.
“It’s either me or them,” the 20-year-old said. “So either you eat or you get ate, and I wasn’t trying to be the one that got ate.”
The starter pistol’s gunshot signaled Watkins it was time feast.
The 5-foot-9, 163-pound sprinter ran a personal best of 10.01 for the third-fastest time in the regional quarterfinals on May 31, advancing him to the NCAA Championships. Watkins’ mentality remained unchanged an hour later in the 200, setting another personal best of 20.24 for the 10th-fastest mark in the quarterfinals, adding another event to
his trip to Eugene, Oregon.
He will be among the 21 entries, nine men and 12 women, LSU sends to Hayward Field at the NCAA Championships from June 1114.
Watkins embodied a pair of tattoos on his left arm: “golden child” and “one of one.”
While the first piece could be mistaken as a nod to the blonde in his dreadlocks, the tandem of ink refers to his uniqueness.
“I just think there is nobody else like me,” he said “I just think I’m like a rare breed.” Watkins proved that by becoming the only freshman in the country to qualify in the men’s 100 and 200 meters for the NCAA Championships. He’ll also compete on LSU’s 4x100-meter relay team that finished fourth in the regional. The standout expected success, but he didn’t think he would be the only freshman to do what he did.
Bennie Brazell, a 14-year LSU assistant coach who trains the sprinters and is a former LSU track star, is the least surprised. He has considered Watkins a “generational talent” since he saw him as a sophomore at Klein High School in Texas.
One of Watkins’ defining qualities is his speed in the final 50 meters. When Watkins was a senior at Atascocita High School, he anchored a 4x100 relay team that earned a time of 38.92, breaking a national high school record that had stood since 1998.
The first-year standout’s athleticism isn’t exclusive to the track as he plays for the LSU football team after being touted as the No. 28 wide receiver in the nation in 2024, according to 247Sports.
As seamless as his track success was, it was the opposite on the gridiron He
ä See LSU, page 3C
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Joe Dumars speaks during his introductory news conference
PROVIDED PHOTO By K.yOUNG/LSU ATHLETICS LSU sprinter Jelani Watkins is the only freshman to compete in the men’s 100- and 200-meter races at the NCAA Championships.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
first-year head coach Quannas White and is among the
ä See UL, page 3C
THE FRENCH OPEN
Alcaraz wins French Open in thriller
BY JEROME PUGMIRE AP sportswriter
PARIS Bad starts in Grand Slam
finals are nothing new for Carlos Alcaraz, and each time it’s happened he has won the tournament anyway
But not in such dramatic style as Sunday’s French Open final, however, when the Spaniard rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) for his fifth major title in as many finals.
It was his second straight French Open title with a comeback, after trailing 2-1 in sets to Alexander Zverev in last year’s final, and a third major title from behind, following his five-set win against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final.
In producing one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the clay-court tournament on Sunday, he emulated Djokovic’s feat from the 2021 final at Roland-Garros when the now 24-time major winner fought back from two sets down to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas. “I’m just proud. I’m just really, really happy,” Alcaraz said before praising Sinner “I know how hard you are chasing this tournament. You’re going to be champion, not once, but many, many times. It’s a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament making this story with you.”
It was the first time that Sinner had lost a Grand Slam final, but the fifth time in succession he has now lost to Alcaraz, who clinched the 20th title of his career at the age of 22.
Unending drama
It was also the longest-ever French Open final — 5 hours, 29 minutes in the Open Era It was so tight that Sinner won 193 points, Alcaraz 192.
It might not have been close to those numbers.
For after 3 hours 43 minutes
Sinner had his first match point. But with just over five hours since the match began, Alcaraz served for the title at 5-4 up.
The drama was still not over Sinner made a remarkable retrieve from yet another superb Alcaraz drop shot. At the very limit he could stretch to, Sinner glided the ball over the net, with the ball landing with the softness of an autumn leaf and out of Alcaraz’s reach to make it 15-40.
When Sinner won the game to make it 5-5, it was his turn to milk the applause and he was two points away from victory in the 12th game, with Alcaraz on serve and at 15-30 and at deuce.
But Alcaraz made a staggering cross-court backhand to make it 6-6 and force a tiebreaker, with the crowd going wild when Alcaraz’s cross-court winner made it 4-0.
“Just amazing the support you have given me today,” Alcaraz said. “During the whole tournament.”
Little sleep for Sinner
Sinner could not find a way back and Alcaraz won the tiebreaker and the match with a superb forehand pass down the line and then fell onto his back to celebrate. Then he rushed over to dance and hug the team members in his box.
“I’m very happy for you, and you deserve it, so congrats,” the 23-year-old Sinner told Alcaraz. ”It’s an amazing trophy so I won’t sleep tonight very well, but it’s okay.”
Nightmare ninth
Sinner may not sleep at all if he thinks about the ninth game of the fourth set, which turned into a nightmare. Serving to stay in the match at 5-3 down, Alcaraz trailed 0-40 to give Sinner three match points.
Sinner may particularly regret the second match point when, with Alcaraz on second serve, he hit a hurried backhand which landed just out. He then hit a forehand into the net for another unforced error making it deuce.
The crowd chanted “Carlos, Carlos,” in delight and roared when Alcaraz hit an ace, then gave him a standing ovation when his audacious forehand down the line went in — to win that game — and again when he broke Sinner’s serve to level at 5-5.
Sinner’s sportsmanship
Despite having just lost a chance to win another major, Sinner showed great sportsmanship to give Alcaraz the point for a 30-0 lead in the 11th game.
Alcaraz’s forehand landed at the back of the court and, as the chair umpire prepared to come down and inspect the mark, Sinner told her to go back because he saw the ball was in.
The crowd applauded him for that, but was rooting clearly for Alcaraz and the noise level erupted when Alcaraz won the fourth-
SUPER REGIONAL BASEBALL ROUNDUP
set tiebreaker to level the match. By now, the fans had what they wanted — an Alcaraz comeback — and fans showed their unbridled delight when he won points with astounding drop shots from deep or leapt to bang cross-court forehands with astonishing power and accuracy Alcaraz hit 70 winners, compared to 53 for Sinner, who might have been feeling like it was a case of déjà vu.
Alcaraz beat Sinner in the French Open semifinals last year, coming back from 2-1 down in sets. He beat Sinner last month in the Italian Open final — the tournament where Sinner returned from his doping ban.
Perhaps Alcaraz was even the favorite considering he owns the best record on clay this year — which is now 22-1 — and that Sinner had never played in the final at Roland-Garros before.
Celebrities watch a classic final
On a warm day with a light breeze caressing Court PhilippeChatrier, big names turned out.
Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman, movie director Spike Lee, singer Pharrell Williams, Formula 1 driver George Russell and world rugby star Antoine Dupont watched what promised to be a tight contest, perhaps a classic between the world’s two best-ranked players.
No. 1-ranked Sinner seemed on the way to victory, but No. 2-ranked Alcaraz fought back. After clinching the third set with a volley at the net, he stood in the middle of the court, shaking his fist in celebration.
Arkansas sweeps Vols to advance to CWS
By The Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE,Ark. — Logan Maxwell had three hits, including a gamebreaking grand slam, and Arkansas defeated reigning national champion Tennessee to sweep the best-of-three Fayetteville super regional and advance to the College World Series for the 12th time. The Razorbacks had a 3-1 lead with two outs in the fourth inning when Maxwell hit a 1-2 pitch over the left-field wall. Third-seeded Arkansas will face the winner of the Baton Rouge super regional between LSU and West Virginia. With two hits in the eighth and two in the ninth, including a tworun home run by pinch hitter Jay Abernathy, Tennessee finished with eight hits.
MURRAY STATE 19, DUKE 9: In Durham, North Carolina, Dustin Mercer had four hits, Dom Decker and
Will Verling drove in four runs and Mercer pounded Duke on Sunday to force a decisive Game 3 in the Durham super regional.
Four players scored three times and two had three as the Racers scored 10-plus runs for the seventh time in 11 games. Jonathan Hogart, Carson Garner, Dan Tauken and Connor Cunningham had home runs. The deciding game is Monday at Duke’s Jack Coombs Field. AJ Gracia, Ben Miller, Ben Rounds and Macon Winslow hit home runs for Duke.
ARIZONA 4, NORTH CAROLINA 3: In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Mason White’s two-run single capped a three-run eighth inning, lifting Arizona to a win over North Carolina on Sunday to earn the Wildcats their 19th trip to the College World Series. Arizona dropped the opener of the Chapel Hill super regional 18-2 to the fifth-seeded Tar Heels before winning 10-8 on Saturday
and rallying on Sunday The final game belonged to the pitchers as both teams mustered just five hits.
Arizona starter Smith Bailey gave up three runs and all five hits in his six innings. Two of the hits were singles ahead of Jackson Van De Brake’s home run in the third. Julian Tonghini (5-2) pitched a perfect seventh, Casey Hintz gave up a pair of walks in a scoreless eighth and Tony Pluta faced three batters in the ninth for his 14th save. UCLA 7, UTSA 0: In Los Angeles, Payton Brennan had three hits, two RBIs and scored two runs and UCLA beat UTSA to win the Los Angeles super regional and advance to the College World Series. The No. 15 seed Bruins (46-16) advance to the College World Series and play the winner between Duke and Murray State UCLA won its first super regional series since 2013 when the Bruins
Sykes, Mystics dominate inside to roll past Sun
WASHINGTON Brittney Sykes scored 28 points, making 14 of 15 free throws, and the Washington Mystics cruised to a 104-67 win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday
Rookie starters Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, and Sug Sutton had 10 for the Mystics (4-6), who never trailed. Shakira Austin scored 14 and Aaliyah Edwards added 13 off the bench.
Washington shot 57% (36 of 63) with 24 assists and made 26 of 37 from the line for its first 100-point game since 2023. Connecticut was 39% (26 of 66) from the field and 8 of 9 on free throws.
The Mystics dominated the boards with a 42-22 rebounding advantage and outscored the Sun 56-24 in the paint.
Astros’ throwing error costly in loss to Guardians
Nolan Jones scored the goahead run on a throwing error by pitcher Steven Okert in the seventh inning, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Houston Astros 4-2 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Steven Kwan followed with a sacrifice fly, plating Bo Naylor, as Okert (1-2) allowed two runs in his lone inning. Houston had tied the game at 2-all in the top of the seventh on Cam Smith’s tworun double against Tanner Bibee. Cade Smith (2-2) retired all five batters he faced, striking out three. Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his 14th save.
Jake Meyers matched a career high with four hits for the Astros, who have won 10 of their last 14.
Hemi power: Ram plans return to NASCAR in ’26
Ram will return to NASCAR next year in the Truck Series, a comeback the Stellantis-owned brand believes is the first step toward launching a stock car program in the top Cup Series. Ram, which left NASCAR after the 2012 season, will race in the third-tier Truck Series alongside rivals Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota. Ram becomes the first new manufacturer to enter NASCAR at the national level since 2007.
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis made the NASCAR announcement Sunday before the Cup race at Michigan International Speedway Kuniskis has bold goals and ideas — he’s vowed to make 25 product announcements over 18 months — and he said Ram will enter its trucks aggressively with the intention to be disruptive.
Caglianone posts first multihit game with Royals
CHICAGO Kansas City Royals rookie Jac Caglianone showed off his sweet swing on Sunday, posting his first multihit game since his promotion to the major leagues.
Caglianone lined a single to center in the first inning at the Chicago White Sox. He doubled in the fourth, recording a 113.6 mph exit velocity on his drive into the gap in right-center He singled again in the sixth and in the eighth.
Caglianone 22, was selected by Kansas City with the No. 6 pick in the 2024 amateur draft out of the University of Florida. The outfielder/first baseman batted .322 with 15 homers and 56 RBIs over two minor league stops before he was promoted by the Royals last week.
claimed the program’s only national championship. Brennan hit a two-out double and Toussaint Bythewood followed with an RBI single off starter Conor Myles (5-2) to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the fourth.
LOUISVILLE 3, MIAMI 2: In Louisville, Kentucky, Eddie King doubled in the winning run in the seventh inning to lift Louisville to a win over Miami, advancing the Cardinals to their sixth College World Series appearance. King’s clutch hit came after Jake Munroe’s two-single and a wild pitch. Louisville will face the Oregon State-Florida State winner in Omaha, Nebraska, later this week. Miami was hoping for its 26th CWS appearance. Miami took the lead on Max Galvin’s tworun homer in the third. The Cardinals got those back in the fourth on an RBI double by Zion Rose and a fielder’s choice.
Niemann wins in Virginia for 4th LIV title this year
Joaquin Niemann won LIV Golf Virginia on Sunday for his fourth victory in the Saudi-funded tour’s first eight events of the season closing with an 8-under 63 to beat Graeme McDowell and Anirban Lahiri by a stroke.
Niemann broke out of a jam at the top with birdies on Nos. 14-17 and parred the par-4 18th to finish at 15-under 198 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. The 26-year-old Niemann also won this year in Australia, Singapore and Mexico. He has six career LIV victories after winning twice on the PGA Tour McDowell shot 66, and secondround leader Lahiri had a 68. Bryson DeChambeau had a 65 to tie for fourth with Phil Mickelson (65) and Bubba Watson (67) at 13 under
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOT By LINDSEy WASSON
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy after winning the singles final at the French Open against Jannik Sinner at Roland-Garros stadium on Sunday in Paris
Monday in White’s mind.
“One thousand percent that starts from day one,” White exclaimed. “Leadershipisconsistency.You’llsee that in these first four weeks, but it needs to continue once get to the break and guys come back. Evenafter these eight weeks, I’ll still need to see more “Leadership is something that’s consistent. It’snot, ‘When Ifeel like, Iwant to do that.’ No, that’s notleadership. That guythere needs to follow aleader.”
Apoint guard by trade, White will likely start with thatposition for the team’sleaders.
“All of these guys are different,”White said. “We’ve got a first-year head coach and abunch of newguys andthey haven’t played for me yet. So time will tell on alot of those things.
“But I’ve got agood feel of what aleader looks like and who needs to be an extension of me. Normally,that’sthe point guard, right? We’ve got acouple guys that Ibelieve could potentially be that, but again, time will tell.”
The top two candidatestoearn thepointguardspotare Oklahoma State transfer Jamyron Keller and high school signee Michael Collins.
Keller,a6-foot-3, 210-pounder from Ellison, Texas, played 25 games as afreshmanand 35 games with 26 starts as asophomore with the Cowboys.
Keller averaged 6.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.4 assistsin19.6 minutes in his first season. Last year, Keller averaged5.2 points, 2.4rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.3 minutes per game.
He shot 27.8% from 3-point land and 78.9% from the free-throw line as afreshman and 32.4% behindthe arcand 70%atthe freethrow line this pastseason. Collinsisa6-1 guard from Pearland, Texas.
“Being afreshman, he’s young, but he’shad great experience playing under coach David (President) out there at Shadow Creek, who played the position as well,” White said of Collins. “So he’s been under his tutelage. Andhe’s huge reason we think the future is bright for him.”
Karris Bilal, a6-2 transfer from Vanderbilt, has some point guard skills as well but was recruited
more as ascoring,combo guard. While teaching the new players is high on White’slist, he’sconfident his staff has made accurate assessments of thenew roster Initially,itappeared White would have 15 scholarship players on that first roster, but high school pledges Daijon Leatherman and CalebSanders backed out of their commitments.
As it stands, 13 scholarship players and potentially as many as four walk-onswillbegin summercamp Monday “I think you have to makesure you do agood job in recruiting,” White said. “It doesn’tmatter the …wedoa really good job of evaluating. I’vedoneagreat job of evaluating my entire college coaching career and even when Idid AAU. When yourecruit these guys and sign them, you think these guys arecapable of accomplishingwhatyou think.
Ibelieveit.”
The scholarship groupbegins withthreereturnees in Zeke Cook, Jeremiah Evans and Kyran Ratliff, and then two incoming freshman in Collins andhighly touted 6-7 wingJoshua Lewis of Tampa, Florida.
The bulkofthe roster,though, is transfer portalnewcomers: Keller,Bilal, 6-foot-9 Todd Jones from Portland,6-8 Dariyus Woodson from NorthDakota, 6-3 shooter De’Vion Lavergne from Purdue-Fort Wayne, 6-5 wingDorian Finister from Sam Houston, 6-8 forwardSean ElkintonfromLouisiana Tech and 6-5 guard Jaxon Olvera of Pepperdine.
“Wemade sure that we gotthe right type of guys in there who are talented and that are about theteam,” Whitesaid. “Now,it’s justabout us getting these guys to playfor each other.”
White said he believes his staff has assembled agood combination of ball handling, shooting, rebounding and athleticism.
“We’ve got some experienced guys who have kind of been throughthe trenches,”White said. “Wejust have to makesure thatwe’re teaching these guys and putting them in theright positions and then development, I’m bigonthat.
“A bulk of the summer will be taking adeep dive into developing these guys and honing in on their skills.”
Email KevinFoote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com
at theCajundome.
DUMARS
Continued from page1C
But alarge portion of the interview focused on Dumars’ first few weeks on the job and his vision for the franchise. Here’sanexcerpt from that part of the interview
What have these firstseven weeksbeen likefor you?
Dumars: It’sbeen great being back. I’ve been here amonthand ahalf and Ijust like waking up being here. Driving in here every morning has been reallygood. Really,I’m playing catch-up alittle bit. One of the things you have to do when you step into these roles is you have to get an understandingofyour building.Who’s in the building? What’sthe environment in the building? Youhave to have agrasp of your building and who’s there and what do you have? The way Idothat is Ispend alot of time talking to people. Just everybody in the building and getting their assessment of what is happening and seeing what matches up. What are some of the common themes? So this first month has been just me trying to getmy arms around the building.
What did you learninhaving thoseconversations?
Ilearned that what we have here are some really good people in the building. I’m really impressed with that.Whenyou have groups like this, what you have to
Ex-KaplanHighstarinfielder announcestransfertoUL
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
Former Kaplan High School
standout Kennedy Marceaux was interested in moving closer to home when sheentered the transferportalafter herfreshmanseason at Alabama.
On Saturday,the 2024 Gatorade Louisiana Softball Player of the Year made her intentions to transfer to the UL Ragin’ Cajuns official.
“Back in Cajun Country,and my love for this program runs deep,” MarceauxsaidonInstagram.
“When Isay there’snoplace like home, Imeanit—There’snoplace like home! Let’sGeaux, Cajun Nation!”
Marceaux signed withAlabama after hitting .629 with 20 doubles, 20 homers and 65 RBIs while leadingthe Pirates to astate championship during her senior season.
In her first season with the Crimson Tide, Marceauxbatted .310 in 27 games (10 starts)with two homers and nine RBIs
Marceaux played primarily third base in herone year at Alabama,
PROVIDED PHOTO KennedyMarceaux announced she’stransferring from Alabama to UL via an Instagram post.
but saidthe position isn’tapriority for her “I just love thegame,” Marceaux said. “I’m just looking to find the best place formeand love it.”
Theoretically, Marceauxwould play any infield position other than pitcher.She evenhas experience as acatcher TheCajuns lost seniorSam Roe at third baseand seniorcatcher Savannah White, so there are two holes to fillinthose twokey defensive spots.
Marceaux doesn’thave as much experience in the outfield, but is athletic enough to play on the grass as well.
It certainlydidn’thurt UL’s chances of adding Marceaux that UL coach Alyson Habetz waspart of Marceaux’srecruitment to Alabamaout of high school.
“She recruited me very hard my junior year,”Marceauxsaid of Habetz. “She wasabig part of my journey to Alabama. She had abig play in that.”
After acquiring Kennedy’sbat and athleticism,Habetz will also be lookingtoadd onefrontline pitcherand perhaps even another position player capable of earning astarting position.
Habetz is also currently trying to replace both hittingcoach Shellie Landry and pitching coach Shelbi Sunseri, who were released aweek ago. The Cajuns are coming off a2925 season in Habetz’sfirst year as head coach.
Email KevinFoote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.
do is define who youare and what your mission is and thethings you’retryingtoaccomplish so peoplecan understand where it’s going. So that’sbeen alot of the conversation. The environment The culture. Thegoals for us. That’spart of theconversations I’m having with everybody.So everybodycan understand and so there’snoconfusion about what thegoal is.
I’m sure Iknowthe answer to this, but what are those goals? We wanttowin. We want to be ateam that’sviewed around the NBA not only as awinning team, but we want to also be viewed as afirst-class organization. Yes, you want to win.But you want to be viewed as afirst-class organization as well. That’sabout how you come in every day anddothings and how you goabout your work every day.How you treat people. How we do things here in this building. All of that is important. Of course we wanttowin. But Ialso want people to say the Pelicans do things theright way That’swork.You come in and you start living that everyday so peoplecan see it and understand this is where we’re going. Culture is abouthow you feel when you walk in thebuilding.
When you look at the current roster,what do you like and whatare someareas the roster needs to improve?
We have somegood talent on the roster.Whenthis team has been healthy,it’sbeen aformida-
Continuedfrom page1C
appeared in two gamesand redshirted.
Watkinswould be lying if he said hiszero-stat football season wasn’t aletdown.However,not many knowthatfeeling better than his coach, who also redshirted his first football season beforeeventually being drafted in the seventhround of the 2006 NFL Draft.
“Sometimes football starts off slow forsomeguys,”Brazellsaid
“It took me acouple of years, but at thesame time, Iwas able to click quickwith track and field. So it’s just aprocess. Yougot to be patient, but yougot to have that mindset to continue working no matter what.”
Thatmindset hashardenedan already dogged Watkins.
“Coming into thistrack season, Iwas kind of fueled up by how football went for me, because I wasn’treally productive,”hesaid. “Sothatjust kind of fueledme, to makemegoharder.”
Watkinsmoved away from Louisiana after the fifth grade, and part of hisdecision to come to LSU was to be a“hometown hero”likeOdell Beckham —his favorite NFL player
Beckham is oneofthe biggest names on along listofLSU star receivers, which includes Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, currently in theNFL.
Before he potentially adds his nametothat list,hewants to leave his markonthe track program despitehis newness.
“I just don’tgointoany race with fear,because you can’t,” Watkins said. “You can’tfear no man. They’rerunning just like how you’re running. It’seitheryou or them.”
Brazellsaid he hasconfidence that Watkins’tools and mindset
ble team. Unfortunately,last year it was just decimated withinjuries and Iacknowledge that. But that doesn’tstop you from settingthe bar higher and pushing harder to be better.Idon’tthink we can be satisfied with what happened two years ago when the team had success.I don’tthink you can look at that and say “Ok, we can see what we can be.”You have to push past that. Youcan’t just aspire to be that.You have to set thegoal higher than that and that’swhat we intend todo. We intend to push for this team to try to max out because there is some good talentonthis roster
At your introductorynews conference, you said you wouldtry to assess allthe injuries and figure out whythere were so many What have you found out? Someofthose were just flukes and there is nothing you can do about those. That happens in sports. Butjust like theconversations I’ve had withWillie and Zion,I’ve alsohad conversations with the medical staff. We’ve went back over every one of the injuries that happened to every player here and tried todecipher and findout which ones were flukes and which one of these could have been internal that we could have done better? We’ve assessed every single injury to every single player.What could we have done better? Is there somethingwecould have done better?Weare continuing tohave those conversations because these guys are in rehab now.So
The golden child wants to win.
“You come to LSU to win championships, period,” Brazell said.
“He’ll be an NCAA champion one day in track and field. Believe that. And he’ll be an NCAA champion in football. Keep the tradition going.” Email Toyloy BrownIII at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com
will etch his name amongthe greatsinLSU’srich history of track and football standouts: Eddie Kennison, KaryVincent, Donte Jackson, Eric Reid and many others. WhenWatkins walks offthe plane in Eugene,gratitude will fill him. It’snot lost on him that freshman seasons like this aremany athletes’ fantasies. However,his goal goes beyond being happy to share the track with the best of the best in college.
we’re meeting every weekonthe rehab that’sgoing on. Are we on top of this? When are we sending somebodytosee this guy? It’s real comprehensive what we’re doing as farasmedicals because what’sbeen shownisifthis team is healthy,it’sateam that can compete. So that becomes critical to makesure we are doing everythingwecan to put the healthiest team out there on the floor
AnyupdatesonDejounte Murray, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy?
There’snothing to report. Guys are in the middle of their rehab and all of them are on schedule. That’sthe good news. Our medical staff is all over it to makesure we don’tmiss anything.
What would be your messagetofans who doubt that this year is going to be anydifferent from last year?
I’m really here to bring acertain style of play.We’re not really looking at it as trying to compare it to what has gone on here prior to us. We’recoming in expecting to win.Weare here to raise the bar.We’re not here to be happy with mediocrity.I think people will see that in our style of play We want to be aggressive on bothends of thecourt. If you go back and look at any of the teams that Ihave had or that (senior vice-president of basketball operations) Troy (Weaver) has had, we’ve been the aggressors. And I also think this and Itruly believe this.The absolute best teams reflect their city.I think the Bulls
reflected Chicago. The Showtime Lakers reflected L.A. The Bad Boys reflected Detroit. The Indiana Pacers reflect Indianapolis and OKC reflect Oklahoma City With your best teams, there is a connection between the city and the style of play.The fans look at it and say “Yeah, that represents us.” That is whatI hope people see whenweplay.Iwant them to see that we represent NewOrleans. I’m from Louisiana, so Ihave a feel for the resilience and Iknow people aren’tquitting here. That’s just not the personality of the city
So Ithink it’simportant that your team reflects that. Fans should be able to look at the team and say they absolutely are playing and representing what we stand for
Do youthink fans will notice adifference right away?
It’s amistake to ever come in and just say we’re going to change things overnight. It’s just not how sports works. The two teams(OKCand Indiana) that you see in the Finals now —none of that was overnight. That was aprocess. It’s aprocess to get teamstowhere they wanttobe. But it shouldn’tbeaprocess for the fans to see us play in astyle that they like. The success part of it might be moreofa process. But the style of play —resilience, toughness, playing hard, never quit —that’s’ what we want people to see right away Email RodWalkerat rwalker@theadvocate.com.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRADBOWIE
UL’s Jeremiah Evans drives to thebasket duringa game against Louisiana Christian on Oct. 30
Ways to adjust forcognitive declineto improve qualityoflife
What is adaptive functioning?
Adaptive functioning essentially describes how well someone can perform daily activities and manage social interactions relative to their age and cultural expectations. These skills are crucial for independence and meeting everyday demands. In the context of Alzheimer’s, adaptive functioning refers to how well aperson with Alzheimer’scan navigate the demands of their environment and manage their daily life, including communication, basic tasks and social skills.
Deficits in adaptive functioning in individuals with Alzheimer’sdisease include declines in intellectual functioning such as reasoning, problem-solving, planning, abstract thinking, judgment, learning and practical understanding. These adaptive skills are typically measured by intelligence tests.
Nine thousandyears ago, humans began domesticating cats. Nine hundred years ago, beforethe advent of intentional cat breeding, agenetic mutation gave rise to the first orange cat. Days ago, StanfordMedicine researchers revealed exactly which gene created the fuzzy foddersfor Garfield, Puss In Boots and Toulouse from“The Aristocats,” to name just afew
Unlikeany other “ginger”mammals, orange cats’ coloration owes to asex-linked gene, which is why80% of orange felines are male.
The unique sex-linked orange geneticmutation remained enigmatic for years while scientists tried tofigureout what induced cats’ pigment cells to produce yellow,orangeorred coloration instead of the usual brown and black.
ä See CATS, page 6C
‘Succession’ creatorcleverlyskewers tech titans
BY MARK MESZOROS
The News-Herald (Willoughby, Ohio) (TNS)
Jessie Armstrong isn’tdone
skewering therichand powerful
The creator of the acclaimed HBO series “Succession,” asatire inspired by the Murdoch family and its media empirethatran for four seasons, is back on the premium cable network (and its streaming offshoot, Max) this
weekend with theTVfilm “Mountainhead,”which he penned and directed. For all thepraiselavished on it, we most often found “Succession” frustrating. Much of the point was toenjoy the schemings —and subsequent failings —of the various vapid andever-bickering members of the fictional Roy family
ä See REVIEW, page 6C
Ramy youseff, from left, Cory Michael
and Jason Schwartzman in ‘Mountainhead.
As the disease progresses, affected individuals may experience difficulties with these skills, which lead to aneed forsupport and adaptations in their daily routines. However despite obstacles, affected individuals may cope with the cognitive decline in many ways.
Caregivers can establish structure and routine that would allow their loved one to maintain asense of security and predictability.They can also provide support systems to offer assistance with activities of daily living and other tasks.
Assistive living devices and/ or adaptive equipment can help affected individuals maintain acertain amount of independence and manage tasks. For instance, special utensils foreating could be offered at mealtimes to encourage eating and overcoming nutritional decline.
Somestudies suggest that cognitive training can improve specific cognitive functions, such as working memory. Keeping active with activities the individual enjoys stimulates the brain. Puzzles, music, brain games and exercising are all examples that would help in improving specific cognitive functions.
Making changes and modifying the homeenvironment, such as rearranging furniture forclear pathways and installing safety features, can help reduce safety risks. Masking doors so they don’tlook like exits, hanging drapes to avoid glares in the room,removing rugs, and putting locks higher on the door panel are some waystomake the environment safeand nonthreatening.
Focus on what theindividual CANdoinstead of what the disease is doingtohim, such as special interests, hobbies or music.Givethe affected individualmindful andpurposeful activitiestoperform. Painting seasonal unpainted wood projects, holding sing-a-longs (music
Smith, Steve Carell
HBO/TNS PHOTOBy MACALL POLAy
Researchers from Brown University,the Frederick NationalLaboratoryfor Cancer Research and Auburn Universityalso contributed to the study.Ateam at Kyushu University in Japan published similar findings by studying the DNA of cats in Asia, furthering the understanding that the reason for orange cats is consistent worldwide.
The only exception is the Norwegian forest cat, which manifests as orange because of the same genetic trait that causes red hair in humans.
Research at catshows Stanford Medicine’sChristopher Kaelin, asenior scientist in genetics,GregBarsh, an emeritus professor of geneticsand pediatrics, and genetics researcher Kelly McGowan shared catDNA samples with these groups to get astrong global sample.
The team also attended dozens of cat shows from California to Brazil, approaching hundreds of orange cat owners for help collecting cat DNA.
Kaelin found breeders and owners to be deeply supportiveofcat research even if thecollection process was challenging.Atone large, three-day show in Cleveland, Ohio, Kaelin and crew swabbed 100cats on-siteby sticking acotton swab into their mouths to collect a small bitofDNA from the inside of their cheeks.
Spay-and-neuter clinics also contributed tissue after surgically sterilizing feral cats. The scientistssequenced the genomes from 200 out of 3,000 collected samples of orange cat DNA with nonorangeDNA to extrapolate the differences. They found 51 possible variants on the Xchromosomes of male orange cats and eliminated 48 of them after finding the genomes in some non-orange cats as well
REVIEW
Continued from page5C
However,the hourlong format brought with it too much time for the viewer to wallow in all the Roys’ miseryand theinsults they flung at each other
Contrast that with the 30-minute comedy series “Veep,” which also ran on HBO and gave the viewer afast-paced and smartly written slice of insult-based humor each week.(There’s plenty of connective tissue between the series, as Armstrong worked with the creator of “Veep,” Armando Iannucci, on the British series “The Thick of It” and its excellent 2009 big-screen offshoot, “In the Loop.”)
“Mountainhead” succeeds where “Succession” struggled.
Tech titans’poker game
Funny and thought-provoking, the clever film sees four friends —aquartet of tech titans —getting together for apoker weekend in the new mountain retreat oneofthem had constructed in asnowy and entirely picturesque chunk of Utah.
Hugo (Jason Schwartzman) is hosting Randall (SteveCarell), Venis (Cory Michael Smith) and Jeff (Ramy Youssef), who call him“Souper” —short for “Soup Kitchen” —because while they are worth billions, he’sgood for only about $500 million and some change
Theweekendistoinvolve “no meals” —the men will really rough it with cold cuts and the like —and “no deals” —this is not atime for business to be done.
Here’sthe thing, though: Ven’ssocial platform, Traam, has just releaseda massive update with new content-creation and messaging upgrades, and the deepfakevideos and rapid spreading of misinformation that those upgrades make easy for users is leading to unrest and violence around the globe. It would really smooth thingsoverwithhis company’sboard if he could acquire the strong AI-driven
Of thethreeremaining variants, agene called Arhgap36 came into focus. Researchers in cancer and developmental biology were already studying thisgene because its over-expression in neuroendocrine tissues led to tumors in various mammals. No one previously hadmade any connection to pigment cells.
Notonagene, butclose The mechanism they found, Kaelinsaid,“is not located on agene —it’slocated near agene.”
In cats only,a small deletion of information on the Xchromosome activates Arhgap36 in pigment cells where it is normallynot active, triggeringorange fur Males haveXYsex chromosomes and females have XX. Malecats with an orange Xchromosome will be orange, whereasfemales need toinheritthistrait on bothoftheir chromosomes to be completely orange Femaleswith just oneorange Xchromosome can present as tortoiseshell or calico. These mottled and patchy coats are avisual manifestation of thegenetic phenomenon of “random X inactivation” in all female mammals. In each cell of a female organism, oneofthe Xchromosomes is “turned off.” In female cats, coat color shows whether the sex-linked orange is the chromosomethat’s“on” or “off” in the underlying pigment cells.
“Our abilitytodothishas beenenabledbythe development of genomic resources for the cat that havebecome available in just thelast five or 10 years,” Kaelin said Orange we lucky?
He has receiveda flurry of congratulatory textsfrom orange cat owners, breeders andfanswhose catsparticipated in thestudy
“It’saninterestingmutation and unlikely to happen twice,” said Kaelin, explaining why cat lovers and researchers want to know more. McGowan said that
‘MOUNTAINHEAD’
HHH
RATING: TV-MA
RUNNING TIME: 1hour,48 minutes
HOWTOWATCH: Streaming on Max
content-moderation tech developed by Jeff’s company Ooooh, it’stoo bad Vensaid something rotten about Jeff on apodcast, isn’t it?
No heroes in startupworld
As with “Succession,” Armstrongisn’t interested in giving us any heroes. Here, Jeff comes the closest, seeming to have genuineconcern forthe digital plague brought on by Traam —even as Jeff’s company suddenly is doing very well, nowthatthe value ofrootingout thefake from the authenticisbeing greatly appreciated Venisn’t sure howtofeel about what’shappening —heck,heisn’teven sure other people are real —but he largely sticks to the idea that this development will be good for his company in the longrun,thataftera learning curve, the majority of Traam’s 4billion-plususers will realize that nothing means anything and everything’sfunny and cool.”
While Jeff brainstorms ideas about howbestto mitigate the crisis, Randall seeks avenues to capitalize on it.Hesees ways for the four ofthemtoleverageit forevenmore wealth and power,the littlefolkbe damned. More importantly, he believes Ven’scontinued success could facilitate the latter’sgoal of developing tech that would allow for the digital uploading ofa human consciousness. (Randall has hisreasons.)
Andthenthere’s Souper, who, at least initially,isjust happy to have the boysover to his fancy new digs, voicing excitement over the spaceturning into the“intellectual salon”he’d envisioned as the possibilityofa newworld order is chewed on bythe others.
Musingsfor thelackluster
Armstrongexcels in writ-
about 10% of cats in Northern California today are orange.
The research publication cites the appearance of orange cats in 12th-century Chinese paintings andRenaissance paintings. Kaelin said scientists whoexamine ancientcat DNAcontinue seeking the origin of thefirst orange cats.
The biobank of cat genes remaining from his team’s orange cat research could aid in this pursuit, as well as further research about adaptation and evolution on the molecular scale in other mammals, including humans.
Laura Birdsall, director of behavior and medical services at PetsinNeed in Redwood City,said the shelter is having an unusualwave of orange catsduring this spring’sdelayed “kitten season,”whenanew generation of feral cats blooms.
Orange cats theirown
Birdsall said that prospectivecat adopters go by color andsize preference when choosing kittens, and consider personality more when evaluating full-grown cats She said orange cats found homesquickly for reasons of both standout appearance and personality
“I’mpartial to orange cats,”she shared. “I grew up withanorange cat —that was my baby.This is just my opinion, but they seem to be more outgoing and friendly.”
Kaelin, Barsh and McGowan haven’tfound any other physical or behavioral quirks linked to Arghap36 other thancoat color so far For now, Kaelin hypothesizes that orange cats’ reputation as “friendlyagentsof chaos” might have something to do withtheir being mostly male.
But whoknows —Kaelin pointed out that there haven’tbeen too many scientific studies about orange cats’personalities, but that citizenstudies oftensurveyed thepublic for commentaryontheir perceived quirks.
ingabsurd musings for lackluster humans, and they hit at an impressive clip in “Mountainhead.”
“Not real,” Vensays when another shows him footage of violenceona smartphone. “Heads don’texplode like that.”
Armstrong and the endeavor’scasting folks have assembledanappealing foursome, each actor bringing something to the increasingly high-stakes affair
The standoutsare theveteran Carell (“The Office,” “Foxcatcher”),who somehow makes Randall at least alittle likable even as the character is giving in to his most despicable instincts, andSmith, who impressed as Chevy Chase in lastyear’s “SaturdayNight.”Here, again, Smith commands attention as the spiraling Ven holds court
That said, Schwartzman (“Asteroid City”)deliversas thesubtlyridiculousSouper, and Youssef (“Ramy”) hits themarkwithhis insults aimed at the former’sexpensive, personality-lacking expensivenew digs andreferring to Randall, whom he sees as amentor,as“Dark Money Gandalf.”
Asatirethathitshome
Given what transpires in thesecond half of “Mountainhead,” this greed-is-good tale easily could have gone offthe rails butArmstrong leads it to asatisfying destination.
“Mountainhead” is only so ambitious, but, ultimately, this satire hitshome; what is happeningtothe world around these men and their reactions to it feel only so far-fetched.
Armstrong seems to be sayingweshould be worried about powerful people like these four tech bros— but, perhaps, only so worried. Venseemstothink Traam may be able to make adifference in the conflict between Israel and Palestine withthe right funny video, andJeff pokesatRandall as the latter mishandles his phone while plotting the takeover of the world.
“Hey, Grandpa,” he says, “you’re light’s on.”
Everyone should learntoswim
Dear Heloise: Ihave been reading letters in your columnabout theimportance of children learning how to swim.Iam82 now,but back in the 1950s, my parents signed up my sister and me for swimminglessons, even though we had to drive to thenext little town in central Nebraska. —Marvin T., York, Nebraska Marvin, this was avery kind thingyour parents did for you and your sister Younever know when one day you’ll need to know how to swim or how to
By The Associated Press
save another person from drowning. Swimming is also agood way to get someexercise on anice, sunny day —Heloise Giving thetoast
Hints from Heloise
Today is Monday, June 9, the 160th day of 2025. There are 205 days left in the year
Todayinhistory: On June 9, 1973, Secretariat won theBelmont Stakes by 31 lengths, winning horse racing’s Triple Crown and setting astill-standing record by running the1½-mile dirt course in 2minutes,24 seconds.
Also on this date: In 1732, James Oglethorpe received acharter from Britain’s King
QUALITY
Continuedfrom page5C
theyknow) or resurrecting old hobbies of the individual are just afew examples of focusing on what the individual can do to bring joy and aquality of life.
Social interaction is part of adaptive functioning and should be promoted and encouraged. This helps reduce anxietyand
Dear Heloise: My future brother-in-law has asked to make atoast at our wedding, and Iwant to turn him downgently.He’snot aterrible person, but his idea of humor isn’tusually funny In fact, it’soften insulting, especially after he’shad a couple of drinks. My fiancé and Idon’t want to hurt his feelings, but we would rather do just that than have him tell some of his off-color stories or jokes. Gotany hints to help us avoid abad situation at an important event?
TODAYINHISTORY
George II to establish the colony of Georgia.
In 1954, during the Senate Army-McCarthy hearings, Armyspecial counsel Joseph N. Welch berated Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, aRepublican from Wisconsin, asking: “Have you no sense of decency,sir? At long last, have you leftno sense of decency?”
In 2022, at its first public hearing on the matter,the House panel investigating the Jan. 6insurrection at the U.S. Capitol placed blamesquarely on Donald Trump, saying the assault wasnot spontaneous but an
loneliness and builds the individual’sself-esteem and confidence. Getting together often with family and friends is agood antidote forisolation and improves quality of life.
While thedisease may impact various aspects of daily life,individualscan still adaptand compensate for cognitivedeclinethrough various strategies and supports. By understanding thechallenges andopportunitiesrelated to adaptive
—Ellen H., Glenview,Illinois Ellen, ask him to either write out his toast first and let your fiancé review it, or better yet, let him do a presentation in front of the both of you as adry run before the wedding. If he refuses, tell him he may not makeatoast and, as kindly as possible, tell him why. —Heloise Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
functioning, caregivers and support systemscan help individuals maintaintheir independenceand qualityof life as much as possible
Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’sadvocate and authorof“What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’sDisease.” She hosts “TheMemory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.
“attempted coup” and adirect result of the defeated president’seffort to overturn the 2020 election. Today’sbirthdays: Sportscaster Dick Vitale is 86. Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Parker is 74. Film composer James Newton Howard is 74. Author Patricia Cornwell is 69. Actor Michael J. Fox is 64. Writer-filmmaker Aaron Sorkin is 64. Actor Johnny Depp is 62. Actor Gloria Reuben is 61. Actor Michaela Conlin is 47. Actor Natalie Portman is 44. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Laurie Hernandez is 25.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Situations are not as they appear. Anger isn't the answer. Thinking and acting for yourself will help your counter emotional fallout. Jump into action. Forward thinking and motivation are key. Trust yourself.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Consider what you say and how you react to others. What's important is that you do justice to yourself and those you encounter by being kind and honest. Help people and express gratitude for the help your receive
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Play to win. Keep an open mind, but don't be too credulous. Life is too short to follow someone else. Do your own thing.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Making a move prematurely will leave you in limbo. Putting a plan and budget in place will eliminate doubt when the time comes to make a move.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Don't distort the truth, no matter how admirable your motives. Speak honestly and from the heart, and the right people will help you reach your goal.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Address unresolved issues and finish what you start before moving forward. Don't run from your mistakes; fix them and carry on. Let your actions speak for you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Pay attention to what's happening in your backyard. Focus on home and family. Put your energy where it counts, and you will prosper.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your aspirations will exceed your budget. Take a step back. Talking to experts will give you a sense of what's essential and what you can eliminate. You are ready for a change, but it must be built on solid ground.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Distance yourself from people trying to talk you into something you cannot afford. Put a budget in place when it comes to entertainment. Indulgent behavior may tempt you, so tread carefully.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Choose common sense over desire. Put your energy into self-improvement. Refuse to let temptation lead the way. Look out for your interests and know when to say no. Focus on what's best for you.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Simplify matters rather than stir things up. Stability is your ticket forward; staying on track will get you where you want to go. Refuse to let outside influences lead you astray. Your life, your decisions.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Take matters into your own hands. Allowing anyone to intervene or trusting them to do what's best for you will backfire. Do what you want to do; don't try to please someone else.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
TODAy'S CLUE: R EQUALS B
CeLebrItY CIpher
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM SherMAn’S LAGoon
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Saturday’s PuzzleAnswer
nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
BY PHILLIP ALDER
Oscar Wilde said, “It is only an auctioneer who can equally and impartially admire all schools of art.”
It is only a successful bridge player who listens carefully to the auction and uses the information to guide his defense.
Inthisexample,howshouldWesthope to defeat four spades after he leads the club ace?
North’s sequence, Stayman followed by the jump to three no-trump over two hearts,guaranteedfourspades.SoSouth corrected to four spades. Note that the defenderscouldhavetakenfiveimmediate club tricks against three no-trump.
Manyinexperienceddefenderscannot wait to cash winners. They would take theclubkingaboutonenanosecondafter winningthefirsttrickwiththeace.Then they would look around to decide what to do next — too late. Their best move would be to feign a sudden illness and to flee the premises! When dummy comes down with three hearts, West should realize that his partner has a singleton. So, there are two ways to win by shifting to a heart at trick two: Partner might have either the singleton heart ace or the spade ace. As you can see, this defense defeats the
contract. East wins the first (or second) round of trumps, puts West on lead with his carefully preserved club king, and receives the contract-killing heart ruff. As the bidding progresses, mentally log what information it imparts. And slow down your play: there are no prizes except booby for
