The Times-Picayune 06-12-2025 by The Advocate

BEACHBOYSFOUNDERBRIAN WILSONDIESAT82 3A

Trumpwants to phaseout FEMA

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON PresidentDonald Trump wants to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the end of this year’s hurricane season and leave states

more ontheir ownwhenrespondingtonatural disasters. Talkingwith reportersinthe Oval Ofﬁce, Trump said he planned to phase out FEMA as it existsnow and “wean” states off federal aid. Theagency handles reliefand recoveryafter hurricanes,floods,

tornadoes,earthquakes, wildﬁres and other catastrophic disasters.

“Wewant to wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it down to the state level,” Trump said Tuesday night

“If acertain state gets hit by a hurricane or tornado,the governorshould be able tohandle it, andfrankly,ifthey can’t handle

it, theaftermath, then maybe they shouldn’tbegovernor,” he added. “We’re going to give out less money.We’re going to give it outdirectly.It’ll be from the president’s ofﬁce.”

Gov.Jeff Landry,anardent supporter of Trump’s, did not respond to requests Wednesdayfor acomment.

Trump said he wantstochange FEMA after hurricane season, which began June 1and ends Nov. 30. Over the past four years, FEMA has provided morethan $12 billion to individuals and $133 billion to state andlocal governments, tribal

See FEMA, page 7A

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Months of plummeting crime rates in New Orleans have eased voters’ worries about public safety —but credit still isn’tgoing to Mayor LaToya Cantrell,whose jobapprovalsankbelow 30% in anew poll.

Themayor’s approval ratings have dwindled over her eight-year tenure, but hit anew lowof just 27% in the new survey,commissioned by the New Orleans Crime Coalition and conductedby pollster Ron Faucheux. Last year, the same poll found 31% of respondents approved of Cantrell’s performance, while aseparate poll by the University of NewOrleans’ Survey Research Center placed herapprovalmark last fall at 33%.

The city’spolicechief and districtattorney, meanwhile, are more popular than before. That’slikely because participants associated law enforcement ofﬁcials with vast improvements in violent crimerates, Faucheux said in an interview

Throughout the College World Series, Mardi Gras Mike’stenders also plan forthe giant tiger to showup aroundOmaha wherever LSU fans gather

Imagined six months ago by Barry Kern, CEO andpresident of Kern

A13.5-foot-high,31-foot-long fiberglass Mike the Tiger float is on its way to Omaha, Nebraska. TheKern Studios float debutedWednesday morning as more than 100 fansgathered at Alex Box Stadium to send the LSU baseball team on its way to Omaha for the CollegeWorld Series. The floatwill travel the15hours from Baton Rouge to Omahaonhighways and interstates, along with the LSU baseball faithful who will have achancetotailgatewithMardi Gras MikeatCharles Schwab Field

Studios and Mardi Gras World, and his sons, the ﬂoat took three months to design and plan and threemore monthstobuild.

“This is really somethingcool that kind of integrates what we do from Mardi Gras withthe spirit of LSU and LSU Tiger fans,” Kern said. “Why don’twedosomething that will just bringall thistogetherin

See MIKE, page 5A

Pharmacy bill stirsheateddebate;

BY ALYSE PFEIL, MATTHEW ALBRIGHT

and

MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writers

Abill that could reshape the landscapeofLouisiana pharmacies emerged on thesecond-to-

last day of the legislative session, provoking afurious debate on the House ﬂoorand amassive public lobbying campaign from drugstore chain CVS House Bill 358 surfaced Wednesday afternoon from aconference committee with amajor new ad-

dition: It would banpharmacy benefit managersfrom owning pharmacies. The goal, supporters

“The mayor is dealingwithissues otherthan crimes,” he said. “The survey shows that street (repairs) are viewed as very important, so she’s dealing withpeople’sfeelings aboutthose, as well.”

Cantrell’sofﬁce did not respond to arequest for comment on the poll’s ﬁndings.

The results —the second of two sets of ﬁndings Faucheuxreleased this week —add to abodyof interviews, focus groupsand earlier polls that

said, is to stop those big companies from using their buying power to squeezeout localindependent pharmacies and give consumers fewer choices. But CVS,which ownsboth a pharmacy beneﬁts manager and achain of drugstores, said the bill

would force them to close 119 Louisiana pharmacies, affecting 1millionpatientsacrossthe state and 22,000 patients whoreceive highcost specialty drugs that smaller pharmaciescould ﬁnd difﬁcult to

ä See PHARMACY, page 5A

Cantrell

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Agiant Mikethe TigerMardi Gras-style float by Kern StudiosvisitsAlex BoxStadium on Wednesdayduring asendoff for the LSU baseball team beforetheyleave forthe CollegeWorld Series in Omaha, Neb

U.S. urged to shut down drug-fueled Vegas event

LAUSANNE, Switzerland The global watchdog of doping in sports said Wednesday it will urge public authorities to shut down the drug-fueled Enhanced Games planned in Las Vegas next year.

“We will urge the U.S. authorities to ﬁnd legal ways to block this initiative,” World Anti-Doping Agency President Witold Banka said on the sidelines of a meeting of Olympic sports bodies.

Organizers of the games scheduled for next May promise $1 million bonuses to beat world-record times by athletes who will be encouraged to use performance-enhancing drugs under medical supervision.

“This initiative seeks to normalize the use of potentially dangerous drugs,” Banka told leaders of Summer Olympics sports at the annual meeting of their umbrella group, known as ASOIF

“For the sake of athlete health and the purity of sport of course it must be stopped,” the WADA leader said.

Banka, a former sports minister in Poland, suggested the Enhanced Games could be legally exposed in the state of Nevada or federally

“This is something that has to be explored from the legal perspective,” he told The Associated Press. “I cannot imagine, for instance, doctors giving the drugs to the athletes. It is completely against the values of their work.” Earthquake strikes Taiwan near east coast

TAIPEI, Taiwan Taiwan was struck by an earthquake about 44.1 miles south of Hualien City, monitoring agencies said.

The quake hit seconds after cellphone alarms went off at 7:01 p.m. Wednesday

The United States Geological Survey reported the quake had a magnitude of 5.9 and was detected at a depth of 19.3 miles. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration gave the magnitude as 6.4. Such variations are common given differences in sensitivity and detector locations.

Buildings in Taipei shook for about a minute. There were no immediate reports of major damage.

Hualien, located 95.6 miles south of the capital Taipei, is relatively thinly populated compared to the highly congested western side of the island of 23 million people, which is frequently struck by quakes.

Taiwan lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean from Chile to New Zealand where most of the world’s earthquakes occur Taiwan’s worst modern quake, a magnitude 7.7 temblor that killed 2,415 people and damaged buildings in 1999 led to tightened building codes, better response times and coordination and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety Denmark approves U.S. bases on Danish soil

COPENHAGEN, Denmark Denmark’s Parliament on Wednesday approved a bill to allow U.S. military bases on Danish soil, a move that comes as President Donald Trump seeks to take control of the kingdom’s semi-autonomous territory of Greenland.

Critics say the vote ceded Danish sovereignty to the U.S. The legislation widens a previous military agreement, made in 2023 with the Biden administration, where U.S. troops had broad access to Danish airbases in the Scandinavian country

The new parameters follow Trump’s coveting of the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island even as the U.S. and Denmark are NATO allies. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, in a response to lawmakers’ questions, wrote that Denmark would be able to terminate the agreement if the U.S. tries to annex all or part of Greenland.

Ninety-four lawmakers voted for the bill, with 11 against. The legislation now goes to Danish King Frederik X for his signature Greenland’s prime minister previously said U.S. statements about the island have been disrespectful and it “will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone.”

Drone attacks kill 3, wound 64 in Ukraine

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

KYIV Ukraine Russian forces launched a new drone assault across Ukraine overnight on Wednesday, killing three people and wounding 64 others Ukrainian ofﬁcials said.

One of the hardest-hit areas was the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, where 17 attack drones struck two residential districts Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Emergency crews, municipal workers and volunteers worked through the night to extinguish ﬁres, rescue residents from burning homes, and restore gas, electricity and water services.

“Those are ordinary sites of peaceful life — those that should never be targeted,” Terekhov wrote on Telegram.

Three people were confirmed killed, according to Kharkiv regional head Oleh Syniehubov. In a statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 64 people had been wounded and reiterated his calls for greater international pressure on Moscow.

“Every new day now brings new vile Russian attacks, and almost every strike is telling,” he said. “We must not be afraid or postpone new decisions that could make things more difﬁcult for Russia Without this, they will not engage in genuine diplomacy And this depends primarily on the United States and other world leaders. Everyone who has called for an end to the killings and for diplomacy must act.”

Moscow’s forces have launched waves of drones and missiles in recent days, with a record bombardment of almost 500 drones on Monday and a wave of 315 drones and seven missiles overnight on Tuesday.

The attacks come despite discussions of a potential ceaseﬁre in the war The two sides traded memorandums at direct peace talks in Istanbul on June 2 that set

out conditions. However, the inclusion of clauses that both sides see as nonstarters make any quick deal unlikely Zelenskyy urges more sanctions

Speaking at a meeting of leaders of countries of southeast Europe in Odesa, Zelenskyy urged the European Union to toughen its latest package of sanctions now being prepared.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Tuesday that the bloc is proposing to lower a cap on the price of Russian oil from $60 to $45, which is lower than the market price, to deprive the Kremlin of extra proﬁts to fund its war in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy prodded the EU to lower the cap further, arguing that “real peace comes with a $30 cap — that’s the level that will truly change thinking in Moscow.”

“You can all see — Putin does not want to end this war,” he told his audience. “He believes that as long as he can ﬁght and dominate his neighbors, he stays politically alive.

“But no matter what he believes, our job is to force Russia into a position where they must seek peace and political survival by non-military means. This is absolutely possible.”

Widespread destruction

Kharkiv has been frequently targeted in recent months as Russia launched repeated large-scale drone and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure.

Wednesday’s strikes also caused widespread destruction in Kharkiv’s Slobidskyi and Osnovianskyi districts, hitting apartment buildings, private homes, playgrounds, industrial sites and public transportation Images from the scene published by Ukraine’s Emergency Service on Telegram showed burning apartments, shattered windows and ﬁreﬁghters battling the blaze.

At least 49 dead in South Africa flooding; toll expected to rise

BY MICHELLE GUMEDE and GERALD IMRAY Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG At least

49 people were conﬁrmed dead Wednesday as ﬂoods devastated one of South Africa’s poorest provinces, and officials said the toll was expected to rise as more bodies are recovered in the search for missing people

The ﬂoods hit the largely rural Eastern Cape province in the southeast of the country early Tuesday after an especially strong weather front brought heavy rains, gale force winds and also snow in some parts

“As we speak here, other bodies are being discovered,” Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane told reporters at a briefing, adding that it was one of the worst weather-related disasters his province had experienced. “I have never seen something like this,” he said.

The death toll included six high school students who were washed away when their school bus was caught in floodwaters on Tuesday near a river close to the town of Mthatha, which was especially hard hit and at the center of the worst ﬂooding. Four other students were among the

missing, Mabuyane said.

Authorities found the school bus earlier Wednesday, but it was empty

Three of the students were rescued on Tuesday when they were found clinging to trees and crying out for help, the provincial government said.

A driver and another adult who were on the bus with the schoolchildren were among the dead. Search and rescue operations would continue for a third day on Thursday, authorities said, though they didn’t give details on how many people might still be missing. They said they were working with families to ﬁnd out who was still unaccounted for Disaster response teams have been activated in

U.S. representative indicted from N.J. immigration skirmish

BY MIKE CATALINI Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J U.S. Rep.

LaMonica McIver was indicted Tuesday on federal charges alleging she assaulted and interfered with immigration ofﬁcers outside a New Jersey detention center while Newark’s mayor was being arrested after he tried to join a congressional oversight visit at the facility

Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced the grand jury indictment in a post on X.

“While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those ofﬁcers serve,” Habba said.

In a statement, McIver said the charges amounted to the Trump administration trying to scare her.

“The facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation,” she said.

McIver, a Democrat, was charged in a complaint by Habba last month with two assault charges stemming from the May 9 visit to Newark’s Delaney Hall — a 1,000-bed, privately owned facility that Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses as a detention center

The indictment includes three counts of assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering with federal ofﬁcials.

Habba said two of the counts carry a maximum sentence of up to eight years in prison. A third has a maximum sentence of one year

McIver’s lawyer, former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman, said in a statement that they would challenge the allegations

“head-on” in court.

Eastern Cape province and the neighboring KwaZuluNatal province after the torrential rain and snow hit parts of southern and eastern South Africa over the weekend. Mabuyane said there had also been reports of mudslides.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the National Disaster Management Center was also working with local authorities in the Eastern Cape, the province that took the brunt of the extreme cold front that weather forecasters had warned was on its way last week. There were unusually large snowfalls in parts of Eastern Cape, KwaZuluNatal and the Free State province in South Africa’s interior

The indictment is the latest development in a legal-political drama that has seen President Donald Trump’s administration take Democratic ofﬁcials from New Jersey’s largest city to court, tapping into the president’s immigration crackdown and Democrats’ efforts to respond.

The prosecution of McIver is a rare federal criminal case against a sitting member of Congress for allegations other than fraud or corruption.

At the same visit that resulted in McIver’s charges, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on a trespassing charge which was later dropped. Baraka is suing Habba over what he said was a malicious prosecution. A nearly two-minute clip released by the Department of Homeland Security shows McIver on the facility side of a chain-link fence just before the arrest of the mayor on the street side of the fence, where other people had been protesting. She and uniformed officials go through the gate, and she joins others shouting that they should circle the mayor

The video shows McIver in a tightly packed group of people and ofﬁcers. At one point, her left elbow and then her right elbow push into an ofﬁcer wearing a dark face covering and an olive green uniform emblazoned with the word “Police” on it. It isn’t clear from police bodycam video whether that contact was intentional, incidental or a result of jostling in the chaotic scene. The complaint says she “slammed” her forearm into an agent then tried to restrain the agent by grabbing him. The indictment says she placed her arms around the mayor to block his arrest and repeats the charges that she slammed her forearm into an agent and grabbed the agent.

“The legal process will expose this prosecution for what it truly is political retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from her oversight responsibilities,” Fishman said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDRII MARIENKO

Firefighters tackle a blaze after a Russian attack that hit a residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By HOSEyA JUBASE Homes are submerged in floodwaters Tuesday in Mthatha, South Africa.

BrianWilson, BeachBoysleader,diesat82

BY HILLEL ITALIE AP national writer

Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ visionary and fragile leaderwhose genius for melody,arrangements and wide-eyed self-expression inspired “GoodVibrations,” “California Girls” and other summertime anthems and made him one of the world’s most influentialrecording artists, has died at 82.

Wilson’sfamily posted news of his death to his website and social media accounts Wednesday.Further details weren’timmediately available. Since May 2024, Wilson had been under a court conservatorship to oversee his personal and medical affairs, with Wilson’slongtime representatives, publicist Jean Sievers and manager LeeAnn Hard, in charge.

The eldest and last surviving of three musical brothers —Brian played bass, Carl lead guitar andDennis drums —heand his fellow Beach Boys rose in the 1960s from local Californiaband to national hitmakers to international ambassadors of surf and sun. Wilson himself was celebrated for his gifts and pitied for his demons. He was one of rock’sgreat Romantics, atormented man who in his peak years embarked on an ever-steeper pathtoaural perfection, the one true sound.

The Beach Boys rank among the most popular groups of the rock era, with more than 30 singles in theTop 40 andworldwide

salesofmore than 100 million. The1966 album “Pet Sounds” was voted No.2ina 2003 RollingStone list of the best 500albums, losing out, as Wilson haddonebefore, to the Beatles’“Sgt.Pepper’s Lonely HeartsClub Band.”

TheBeach Boys, who also featuredWilson cousin Mike Love and childhood friend Al Jardine, were voted intothe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 Wilson feuded with Love over songwritingcredits, butpeers otherwise adored himbeyond envy,from Elton John and Bruce Springsteen to Katy Perry and Carole King. The Who’s drummer,Keith Moon, fantasized aboutjoining the BeachBoys. Paul McCart-

Musk backs offfrom feud with Trump

BY BERNARD CONDON Associated Press

NEW YORK The world’s most powerful politician and its richest businessman stepped back from their war of words that stunned Washington and Wall Street alike last week, but it’sunclearif the peace will hold. Early Wednesday,Musk wrote on X, “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.” For his part, Trump said in aNew York Post podcast interviewpublished Wednesday,“Things like that happen. Idon’tblame him for anything.” Musk’sbreak with a president whom he spent hundreds of millions of dollars to elect had appearedtoput an end to his influence in the White House and dashed investors’ hopes for favored treatment for his businesses. For Trump,the spat was adistraction as he attempts to pass amassive tax bill, negotiate peace in two international conflicts and deal with protests in the second biggest city in the U.S. On Thursday,investors in Musk’selectric vehicle company Tesla sent the stockplunging more than 14%, knocking $150 billion off the company’smarket value. Tesla shares recovered those lossesoverafew days’ trading, although therally stalled Wednesday,perhaps asign that investors remainonedge and want amore solid confirmation that the feud has ended. Tesla shares closed up 0.1% at $326.43. The Trump side was uneasy as well.OnFriday, Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles felt compelled to intervene. Thepair called Musk and urged him to end his feud with Trump, accordingto two people familiar with the call who requested anonymity because they were not authorizedto speak publicly

The call was ﬁrst reported Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal.

Tesla investors had been hoping Trump would pull

back fromregulatory scrutiny of Musk’spartially self-driving cars andhammer outnew federal rules to helpusher in afuture of fully selfdriving cars that they are convinced Tesla will dominate.

The dispute seemed especially ill-timed with an upcomingtrial runof Tesla’s self-driving“robotaxis” promised for this month.

Muskinaseparate post late Tuesday on Xsaidthat Tesla’srollout of thecab service in Austin,Texas, is “tentatively” scheduled for June 22.

Wall Street analysts have expressedconcern that Trump couldretaliate against Musk by having federal safetyregulators impede abroad rollout of the service.

What’s more, Trump at one point threatened to cutgovernmentsubsidies andcontracts fromMusk companies, which include the rocket company and bigNASA contractor SpaceX.

Before expressing regretsfor his comments, Muskdeleted apost in which he claimed without evidence that the government was concealing information about the president’sassociation with infamouspedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Meanwhile, other posts that irritated Trump, including ones in which Musk called the spending bill an abomination” and claimed credit for Trump’selection victory remained live.

Askedin thePost podcast taped on Monday whether hemight reconcile with Musk, Trump responded, “I guess Icould but, you know,wehave to straighten out the country andmysole function now is getting this country back to alevel higher than it’s ever beenand Ithink we can do that.”

That was amarked changed from Trump’s commentsonSunday whenhe told NBC’sKristen Welkerthat he has no desire to repair their relationship and warned that Musk could face “serious consequences ”ifhetried to help Democratsinupcoming elections

neycited “Pet Sounds”as adirect inspiration on the Beatles and theballad “God Only Knows” as among his favorite songs, often bringing him to tears.

Wilson moved and fascinated fans and musicians long afterhestopped having hits. In his later years, Wilson and adevoted entourage of younger musicians performed “Pet Sounds” andhis restored opus, “Smile,” before worshipful crowds in concert halls Meanwhile, TheGo-Go’s, Lindsey Buckingham, Animal Collective andJanelle Monáe were among awide range of artistswho emulated him, whether as amaster of craftingpop music or as apioneer of pulling it apart.

An endlesssummer

TheBeach Boys’music was like an ongoing party withWilson as host and wallflower.Hewas atall, shy man, partiallydeaf(allegedly because of beatings by his father,Murry Wilson), with asweet, crookedgrin, and he rarely touched asurfboard unless aphotographer was around. But outofthe lifestyle that he observed and suchmusical inﬂuences as Chuck Berry and the Four Freshmen, he conjureda golden soundscape —sweet melodies, shining harmonies, vignettes of beaches,cars andgirls —thatresonated acrosstime and climates.

Decadesafter its ﬁrstrelease, aBeach Boys song can

still conjure instant summer —the wake-up guitar riff that opens “Surfin’ USA”; themelting vocals of “Don’t Worry Baby”; the chants of “fun, fun, fun” or “good, good, GOOD, goodvibrations”; thebehind-the-wheel chorus“’Round, ’round, get around, Iget around.” Beach Boys songs have endured from turntables and transistor radios to boom boxes and iPhones, or anydevicethat could lie on abeach towelor be placed upright in thesand.

The band’sinnocent appeal survivedthe group’s increasingly troubled backstory,whether Brian’smany personal trials, the feuds and lawsuits among band members or the alcoholism of DennisWilson,who drowned in 1983. Brian Wilson’sambitionraisedthe Beach Boys beyond thepleasuresoftheir earlyhitsand into aworld transcendent, eccentric and destructive.Theyseemed to live outevery fantasy and many nightmares, of the California myththeyhelped create.

From suburbstostage

Brian Wilson was born June 20, 1942, two days after McCartney.His musical gifts were soon obvious, and as a boy he was playing piano and teaching his brothers to sing harmony.The Beach Boys started as aneighborhood act, rehearsing in Brian’s bedroomand in thegarage of their house in suburban Hawthorne, California.Surf music,mostlyinstrumental in its early years, was catching on locally: Dennis Wilson,

the group’sonly real surfer, suggestedthey cash in. Brian and Love hastily wrote up their first single, “Surfin,’” a minorhit released in 1961. They wantedtocallthemselvesthe Pendletones, in honorofa popularflannel shirt they wore in early publicity photos. But when they firstsaw the pressings for “Surfin,’” they discovered the record label hadtagged them“The Beach Boys.” Other decisions were handled by their father,amusician of some frustrationwho hiredhimself as manager andholyterror. By middecade, Murry Wilson had been displaced and Brian, who had been running the band’srecording sessions almost from the start, was in charge,makingthe Beach Boys the rare group of the timetowork without an outside producer Their breakthrough came in early 1963 with “Surfin’ USA,”soclosely modeled on Berry’s“SweetLittle Sixteen” that Berry successfully sued to get asongwritingcredit.Itwas their first Top10hit anda boast to the nation: “If everybody had an ocean /across the USA /then everybody’d be surfin,’ /like Cali-for-nye-ay.” From 196366, they were rarely off the charts, hittingNo. 1with “I Get Around” and “Help Me, Rhonda” and narrowly missing with “California Girls” and“Fun, Fun, Fun.”For television appearances, they wore candy-striped shirts andgrinned as they mimed their latest hit, with ahot rod or surfboard nearby

Lawyers: Photos show accuserinNYC crypto kidnapping leavinghouse freely

BY PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press

NEWYORK— Aman whosays he was kidnapped by two crypto investors for hisBitcoinwas seen in photos and videos “laughing andsmiling” and moving about Manhattan freely during the days he claimed he was tortured in captivity,lawyersfor the twosuspects said in court Wednesday William Duplessie, 32, and John Woeltz,37, pleaded not guilty and were ordered held in custody until their next courtdate on July 15. Prosecutors argue the man was clearly in distress because he ranbarefoot andbloodied to thenearestpolice ofﬁcer after escaping 17 days in captivity.However,Duplessie’s lawyer saidWednesday that videos show theaccuser participating in group sex and smoking crack cocaine while “laughing andsmiling the whole time.” In other photos, Sam Talkin said, the accuser is seen visiting an eyeglass store with one of the defendantsand could have ﬂed or sought help at any time.

“The story that he is selling doesn’tmake sense,” Talkin said in Manhattancriminal court as the defendants were formally arraigned.

Woeltz’slawyer, Wayne Gosnell, addedthat witnesses told him the accuser came andwentashepleased from theupscale town house where he says he washeld—going to church, clubs and dinners.

The accuser,a 28-year-old Italiannational, hasnot been named by ofﬁcials.Prosecutors say the defendants have known him personally for years. In court Wednesday, AssistantDistrict Attorney Sarah Khan argued thatsomeone who supportsthe defendants was selectively leaking videos to present acounternarrative of the events.

In reality,she said, the accuser was constantly watched, was not permitted to leavethe house without beingguardedand was subjected to violence, including being pistol-whippedand cut withasmall chain saw The defendants also took photos of the man in various posesand acts to create the impressionthathewas not being held against his will, Khan said.

Police searching thetown house found evidencecorrob-

orating his story,including a loaded pistol, chainsaw and otherinstrumentspurportedly used to torture him

They also located photographs, including onewhere the defendants point agun to the accuser’shead,another

where theaccuser is tied to a wheelchair,and still another showing the accuser being set on ﬁre.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By RONFREHM

The BeachBoys, from left,Al Jardine, CarlWilson, Brian Wilson and Mike Love,hold their trophies after being inducted into the Rock ’n’Roll Hall of Fame in NewyorkonJan. 21, 1988.

Social safety net changes sail through Legislature

‘One door’ combines administration of food stamps, unemployment benefits

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

The Legislature on Tuesday and Wednesday gave final passage to two bills that overhaul Louisiana’s social safety net programs, which officials say will help the state transition to a “one door” policy, where residents can access benefits like food stamps and unemployment in one place rather having to visit multiple agencies.

That’s the vision state Rep. Stephanie Berault, R-Slidell, described when presenting her House Bill 624 this legislative session.

HB624 gives the Louisiana Department of Health the authority to administer SNAP beneﬁts, or fed-

eral food stamps. It also rebrands the Louisiana Workforce Commission to Louisiana Works, and gives it authority over Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds.

A companion bill, House Bill 617 by state Rep. Kim Carver R-Mandeville, moves those programs out from under the Department of Children and Family Services, which administers them Under the plan, Louisiana Works will act as a onestop shop for Louisianans accessing benefits, even though the Health Department will administer some programs on the back end, Berault said.

Officials have said the bills do not make any changes to eligibility require-

ments for beneﬁts, and that no state workers will lose their jobs as a result of the legislation, which entails moving workers from the Department of Children and Family Services to the Louisiana Department of Health and Louisiana Works.

Both HB617 and HB624 passed the Senate and House unanimously Because they were amended in the Senate, they went back to the House for their ﬁnal votes Tuesday and Wednesday, which also were unanimous.

Gov Jeff Landry must sign the bills before they become law Representatives from his administration came to the table this session to help pitch the “one door” plan.

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

and

ongoing

Tuesday in Washington.

Protests over immigration raids pop up across U.S. with more planned

BY JIM VERTUNO Associated Press

AUSTIN,Texas Protests over federal immigration enforcement raids and President Donald Trump’s move to mobilize the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles are spreading nationwide and are expected to continue into the weekend.

While many demonstrations against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency have been peaceful, with marchers chanting slogans and carrying signs, others have led to clashes with police, hundreds of arrests and the use of chemical irritants to disperse crowds. In Texas, Republican Gov Greg Abbott posted on social media that an unspeciﬁed number of National Guard troops “will be deployed to locations across the state to ensure peace & order.”

Activists say they will hold even larger demonstrations in the coming days, with “No Kings” events across the country on Saturday to coincide with Trump’s planned military parade in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration said immigration raids and deportations will continue regardless.

New York City

Police detained more than 80 people during protests in lower Manhattan’s Foley Square on Tuesday evening and early Wednesday Protesters shouted and waved signs that included “ICE out of NYC” as they rallied near an ICE facility and federal courthouses. Police estimated some 2,500 people participated.

Some protesters jumped over metal barricades and clashed with officers who wrestled them to the ground. Video shows demonstrators throwing items at law enforcement vehicles.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said most of the demonstrators were peaceful and that just a few

caused the disorder that required police intervention.

“We want to maintain everyone’s right to protest peacefully in this city and in this country but we will not tolerate chaos and disorder or violence,” Tisch said Wednesday morning during an appearance on Fox 5 New York.

Police said they took 86 people into custody, including 52 who were released with criminal court summonses for minor crimes and 34 who were charged with assault, resisting arrest and other crimes.

Philadelphia

About 150 protesters gathered outside the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon and marched to ICE headquarters then back to the detention center

Police ordered a group marching along a major road to disperse and when they ignored the orders ofﬁcers arrested 15 of them

Several ofﬁcers used force during the arrests and their conduct will be reviewed, police said, without detailing what kind of force was used Two ofﬁcers suffered minor injuries.

San Antonio

A protest is planned Wednesday night in downtown San Antonio outside the historic Alamo. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said he encourages peaceful demonstration but that his ofﬁcers will respond if “it turns violent.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg said he did not ask the governor to deploy the Texas National Guard to San Antonio and ofﬁcials said they did not know how many troops were being sent where they would be stationed or what they would do.

Another protest is planned in San Antonio on Saturday “I want to acknowledge the anger and frustration that’s out there with the federal government’s crude interpretations of immigration law and cruel approach

L.A.-area mayors demand immigration raids stop

BY CHRISTOPHER WEBER, AMY TAXIN, JAKE OFFENHARTZ and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

LOS ANGELES Dozens of mayors from across the Los Angeles region banded together Wednesday to demand that the Trump administration stop the stepped-up immigration raids that have spread fear across their cities and sparked protests across the U.S.

They also called on President Donald Trump to pull back from using troops alongside immigration agents during the raids.

“I’m asking you, please listen to me, stop terrorizing our residents,” said Brenda Olmos, vice mayor of Paramount, who said she was hit by rubber bullets over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the commander in charge of the troops said about 500 National Guard soldiers deployed to the Los Angeles protests have been trained to accompany agents on immigration operations And while some troops have already gone on such missions, he said it’s too early to say if that will continue, even after the protests die down.

Speaking alongside the other mayors at a news conference, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the raids spread fear at the behest of the White House.

“We started off by hearing the administration wanted to go after violent felons, gang members, drug dealers. But when you raid Home Depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you run

armored caravans through our streets, you’re not trying to keep anyone safe,” she said. “You’re trying to cause fear and panic.”

Those who have been caught up in the nationwide raids include asylum seekers, people who overstayed their visas and migrants awaiting their day in immigration court.

The administration has cited the protests in its decision to deploy the military

Referring to the demonstrations, which have been mostly concentrated in the L.A. business district, the Democratic mayor added:

“If you drive a few blocks outside of downtown, you don’t know that anything is happening in the city at all.”

California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has asked a federal court to put an emergency stop to the military helping immigration agents in the nation’s second-largest city

This week, guardsmen began standing protectively around agents as they carry out arrests. A judge set a hearing for Thursday

The military is now closer to engaging in law enforcement actions such as deportations, as Trump has promised in his crackdown. The Guard has the authority to temporarily detain people who attack ofﬁcers, but any arrests must be made by law enforcement.

The president posted on the Truth Social platform that the city “would be burning to the ground” if he had not sent in the military

Some 2,000 National Guard soldiers are in Los Angeles, and are soon to be joined by 2,000 more along

with about 700 Marines, said Army Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, head of Task Force 51, which is overseeing the deployment of National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles. Speaking in an interview with The Associated Press and ABC, Sherman initially said that National Guard troops had already temporarily detained civilians in the Los Angeles protests over immigration raids. He later said he based his comments on photos and footage he had seen that turned out not to be a representation of Guard members in Los Angeles.

L.A. curfew will continue Police detained more than 20 people, mostly on curfew violations, on the ﬁrst night of restrictions in downtown Los Angeles and used crowdcontrol projectiles to break up hundreds of protesters. But there were fewer clashes than on previous nights, and by daybreak, the downtown streets were bustling with residents walking dogs and commuters clutching coffee cups.

L.A.’s nightly curfew, which the mayor said would remain in effect as long as necessary, covers a 1-square-mile section that includes an area where protests have occurred since Friday in the sprawling city of 4 million. The city of Los Angeles encompasses roughly 500 square miles. Los Angeles police have made nearly 400 arrests and detentions since Saturday, the vast majority of which were for failing to leave the area at the request of law enforcement, according to the police department.

Israeli government could collapse as parliament possibly dissolved

BY MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press

to human rights,” Nirenberg said. “Exercise your right to free speech, but I urge you to keep it lawful and peaceful.”

Abbott declined to say how many soldiers would be sent or how, but only that they will be deployed in “strategic locations where they can provide the most robust response” necessary “There are others outside of this room who would like to know that. And I’m not going to tell them,” Abbott said. “We want to make sure that what has happened in California does not happen in Texas.”

San Francisco

About 200 protesters gathered outside the San Francisco Immigration Court on Tuesday after activists said several people were arrested there.

Protests in the city on Sunday and Monday swelled to several thousand demonstrators, and more than 150 people were arrested after some vandalized buildings and damaged cars, police vehicles and buses. Police said two officers suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Seattle

About 50 people gathered outside the immigration court in downtown Seattle on Tuesday, chanting with drums and holding up signs that said, “Free Them All; Abolish ICE” and “No to Deportations.” Protesters blocked building entrances until police arrived.

Mathieu Chabaud, with Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Washington, said they were there in solidarity with the Los Angeles protesters, “and to show that we’re opposed to ICE in our community.” Legal advocates who normally attend the immigration court hearings as observers and to provide support to immigrants were not allowed inside. Security guards also turned journalists away from the usually public hearings.

JERUSALEM Israeli Prime

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government faced a major test Wednesday after the opposition submitted a bill to dissolve parliament, with his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners threatening to support the measure and force early elections.

The ultra-Orthodox parties are furious that the government has failed to pass a law exempting their community from mandatory military service, an issue that has long divided the Jewish Israeli public, especially during the 20-monthlong war in the Gaza Strip.

While many expect a lastminute compromise, the vote is the most serious challenge to Netanyahu’s government since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, the biggest security failure in Israel’s history

The opposition submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. In

response, coalition members submitted numerous bills, packing Wednesday’s schedule and buying time for last-minute negotiations.

The dissolution vote, if it is not pulled, is expected to take place late at night.

Separately, Argentina’s President Javier Milei will address the Knesset on Wednesday

The bill must pass another three readings before parliament is dissolved, a process that could take days or weeks.

Even if the bill passes, it could take weeks or months for new elections to be called. If the bill fails, another vote for dissolution cannot be brought again by the opposition for at least six months. The opposition could still pull the bill if there isn’t enough support and submit it again in the coming weeks.

Netanyahu’s coalition includes two ultra-Orthodox parties, and both would need to support the dissolution bill for it to pass. On Tues-

day, top ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, rabbis issued a religious decree emphasizing their stand against military service, which complicates the Haredi politicians’ ability to negotiate.

Military service is mandatory for most Jews in Israel, but the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox, who make up roughly 13% of Israeli society have traditionally received exemptions if they are studying full-time in religious seminaries. The ultra-Orthodox, also known as Haredim, or “Godfearing” in Hebrew, say that integrating into the army threatens their traditional way of life. Israel is engaged in the longest active war in the country’s history, which has stretched its military to the breaking point. The Haredim’s widespread refusal to serve, and threats to topple the government during wartime, have enraged many Israelis, especially those who have served multiple rounds of reserve duty

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON Demonstrators protest

raids by Immigration

Customs Enforcement officers

present aformidable landscape for candidates hoping to winofﬁces in New Orleans’ pivotal municipal elections this fall. They will have to win over residents who are increasingly disillusionedwith local leaders and their abilitytoconfront the city’smajor challenges.

Like last year,just 28% of respondents said they feltNew Orleans was moving in the right direction.

Faucheux Strategies interviewed 800 residents by phonebetween May 27 and June 4for this year’ssurvey.Ofthose, 638 were registered voters.

The survey gathered respondents’ views of sitting elected ofﬁcials as well as prospective candidatesfor citywide ofﬁce.Only registered voters werequestioned about future elections.The poll had a3.46% margin of error. For questions asked of registered voters, the margin of errorwas slightly higher at 3.87%.

The New Orleans Crime Coali-

MIKE

Continued from page1A

one fell swoop? And that’show we came up with Mardi Gras Mike.”

Mardi Gras Mike meets the height requirements —13.5 feet high and 8.5 feet wide —to be street legal on highways.The goal is to take the tiger ﬂoat wherever LSU goes —big games, parades and other LSU events.

Kern, thethird generation of Kern Studios, had the idea after attending the Tiger Walk before the LSU vs. Ole Miss football game last year

“There was something like 70,000 people there,” Kern said, “but we could evenhelp it be more exciting. So my dream wasthat oneday,Mardi Gras Mike would come down and go wherever LSU fans are.”

MardiGrasMike roarsand plays the fight song with giant speakers, and in true Mardi Gras World fashion, lights up with LED lights

PHARMACY

Continued from page1A

handle.

It would alsoput 2,700 CVS employees out of work, the drug retailer said. The company launched a massive lobbyingcampaign, including text messagesto CVS customers urging them to reach out to their lawmakers.

“Last minute legislation in Louisiana threatens to close your CVS Pharmacy —your medication cost may go up and your pharmacistmay lose their job,” one such text said. The ad blitz infuriated some lawmakers, who said they were standing up to massive companies that havechokedindependent,local pharmacies and squeezed consumers over drug prices. They blasted CVS for using “fear tactics” to scare their constituents.

“It is about time something in this buildingwehave done tells anational industry we’re not going to stand for it anymore,” said Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge.

He referenced some of the messaging CVS had sent out that said lawmakerswere threatening to close pharmacies.

“No, we’re not, you liars. Quit being liars. Quit using scare tactics,” McMakin said. CVS ofﬁcials said the impacts of the bill would be far-reaching.

“Wefeel it will cripple your health care access and affordability in Louisiana,” said Lucille Accetta, chief pharmacy officerofCVS. “It is shutting us completely down as atrustedhealth care pharmacy.” She added that, should the legislation take effect, it would precipitate a“health care crisis” and said neither legislators nor the governor understand the impact of the proposed policy change on constituents.

TheHouse passed the bill on an 88-4 vote.

The Senate had already gaveled out on Wednesday before the bill emerged from conference committee.

tion is acivic groupdedicated to reforms that “focus theresources of thepolice, prosecution and judicialsystems on convictingand incarcerating the worst offenders,” the group’swebsitesays. The groupdoesn’tadvertise itsmembers butsays it received fundingfor the poll from business groups including the Business Council of NewOrleans, the Greater New Orleans Foundation andGNO, Inc.

Report cardsfor currentofficials

The poll’s findings reflect asense that crime, which hasplummeted in New Orleansinrecentyears, is becoming less dire. Last year, 62% of respondents ranked crime as their first or second mostimportant civicissue. That figure fellto 46% in 2025, according to the results released Wednesday

Thepollsuggests that residents are growing more frustrated with New Orleans’ crumbling infrastructure and what they perceive as leaders’ inability to address it.

Thirty-seven percent of residentsranked the lack of street repairs andmaintenance as their

at night. People can stand in the tigerand throw beads, so it is ready for future championship parades

PatrickKern,the fourth generationofKern Studios and director of operations, saiditwas agreat feeling to see Mardi Gras Mike outside of thewarehouse and ready to go to Omaha.

“Getting to see our work come to fruition and bring joy to so many peopleissurreal,”Patrick Kern said.

The ﬂoat will follow awhite truck with Mardi Gras Mike signagethat reads, “Geauxing Back to Omaha,” as well as Kern Studios and Mardi Gras World decals.

“(LSU) certainly will be theonly team in Omaha that has itsown Mardi Gras ﬂoat andits own Mardi Gras Mike,” Barry Kern said.

LSU’s ﬁrst game at the2025 CollegeWorld Series will be against No.3Arkansasat6 p.m. on SaturdayatCharles Schwab Fieldin Omaha.

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com

first or second most important issue,up five points from last year And more residents identified a lack of affordable housing and climate change as major issues. Officialswhose jobsfocus entirely on thecriminal justice system earned higher marks than those, like Cantrell, who have broader responsibilities.While 27% of residents approved of Cantrell’sjob performance overall, just 21% approved of her handling of streets and drainage issues.

New OrleansPolice Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick enjoyed thehighest rating of the officials included in the poll at 53%, afour-point increase from last year.Fifty-one percent of residents approve of District Attorney Jason Williams’ performance —a six-point increase.

The outlier was Sheriff Susan Hutson,who oversees the New Orleansjail where 10 prisoners escaped last month. Tworemainon the lam. She hadbyfar the worst approval rating of any ofﬁcial included in thepollat18%, which marksa14-point dropfrom last year.Her ofﬁce did not respond to arequest for comment.

“Most of that18% drop-off was due to the jailbreak,” Faucheux said.“Ican’tprove that, because we didn’tspeciﬁcally ask that, but it’shighly likely that it was.”

The City Council’sapproval rating droppedto47%,just one percentage point lower than last year

The Sewerage &Water Board had thelowest rating of any agency or ofﬁcial at 14%, down two points from last year.Aspokesperson for the board did not respond to a request for comment.

Citywide elections

The poll also surveyed votersabout themounting races for mayor and sheriff. The primary is scheduled forOct. 11. Michelle Woodfork, aformer interimNOPD chief, is the most popular in the sheriff’s race with 32%ofrespondents saying they would vote for her.Just 13% said they would support Hutson —an even smaller percentage than those who support her current job performance overall.

City Council Vice President Helena Moreno boasts awide lead in themayoral race: 47% of voters who responded to the poll said they

were mostlikely to vote forMoreno,while 22% said theywould vote for council memberOliver Thomas.

Moreno’s campaigndeclined to comment.

Moreno, who is White and Hispanic,leadsThomas, who is Black, among Whitevoters by a“lopsided” marginof72% to 3%, Faucheux noted. Thomas leadsMorenoamong Black voters by a10-point margin. “Towin,Thomas needstosubstantially increase his margin among Black voters,” Faucheux said.

Nine percent of the poll respondents said they would vote for Arthur Hunter,aformer judge, while 22% remain undecided. Hunterand Thomas’ campaigns didnot immediately respondto requests forcomment. All three major candidates are Democrats. Hunter’scandidacy could be a factor in deciding whetherthe election goes to arunoff, Faucheux said, but the former judge “has yet to show competitive citywide strength.”

“His best hope is to run as the ‘change’candidate, givenwide and deep discontent withcitygovernment,” Faucheux said.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK

Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, defended House Bill 358 on Wednesday after CVS launched apublic lobbying campaign.

Theupperchamber willalso need to agreetothe change on Thursday— thelastday of thesession —before it can gotoGov.Jeff Landry’s desk for asignature.

Landry backs the bill.

“Drugprices soaring?

Thank PBMs, the Proﬁteering Big Money,for gaming the system,”Landry wrote on X. “They hurtpatients andsmall businesses.No more, not here —let’s rein in PBMs now!”

AdebateoverPBMs

The battle over pharmacy beneﬁts managers emerged late in the session and swiftly became one ofthe most hotly debated topicsinthe waninglegislative session. PBMs are companies that negotiate lowerdrug prices by acting asmiddlemenbetweendrugmanufacturers, insurance companies and pharmacies

Supporters say they can help keep drug costsdown, but critics argue they pocket too much ofthe savings.

Previously, public legislative debate centered around House Bill 264, which would bar pharmacy beneﬁtmanagersfrom steeringcustomers to their ownpharmacies. It wouldalso requirethat discountstheynegotiate go to employers and consumers.

HB264 also requires pharmacy benefit managers to

report moredetails of their activities to government regulators to ensure that they are following the law

On Wednesday,though, a differentbill became the centerofattention: House Bill 358. That billwas originally designed to setnew rules for when pharmacy technicians can work remotely, and hadpassed both the House and the Senate.

Butthe bill emerged from aconference committee— aprocess in which agroup of lawmakersfromboth the House and the Senate works behind closed doors to negotiate between the two chambers— withthe new language addressing PBMs. “Nopermit to operate a pharmacy shallbegranted or renewed to apharmacy that is wholly or partially owned or controlledbya pharmacy beneﬁtmanager or itssubsidiary,”thatlanguage said.

CVSand ahandful of legislators criticized that process, arguing amajor change to policythatcould affect thousands of people was being added at thelast minute with littlepublicdebate.

“A backroom deal isn’tthe best way to proceed,” said Accetta.

If thechange is something that lawmakers are seriously considering,

theyshould do appropriateresearch, hold public hearings and understand the economicimpact to the state, she said.

ButRep. Dustin Miller,an OpelousasDemocrat who is sponsoring HB358, said the issue has been debated for years in various parts of theLegislature. He also said the bill wouldn’ttake effect for afull year,giving CVS time to makethe changesit needs to keep the pharmacies open.

“Wehave set theeffectivedateofthis bill January 2027,” he said. “Wewillbe here and have awhole other session if there is anything that we have to address.”

Arkansas previously passed asimilar bill, and CVShas ﬁled alawsuittrying to stop it.

Asked if legal action could be on the table should the measure become law, CVS spokesperson Amy Thibault said, “Wewill do anything and everything that we can to keep our pharmacy operations up and running in Louisiana.”

Specialtydrugconcerns

Accetta said thelegislation would force CVS to stop sending specialty drugs to patients in Louisiana for chronic or complex conditionslike cancer,hemophilia and multiple sclerosis.

“We’re specially trained in thesetherapiestypically not seen in independent pharmacies,” shesaid. “In some cases,weare the only distributorofthose drugs across this country.”

Miller said there are plenty of pharmacies in the state that can handle specialty drugs, but PBMs often decline to ﬁll prescriptions at those pharmacies because they’re trying to steer patients to the pharmacies they own.

“There arepharmacies available to do allofthe specialty items that they’re talking about. They’ve just never been given the opportunity,” he said.

Rep. Mandie Landry,DNewOrleans, one of the few votesagainst HB358, said she wanted to vote for the

bill but could not due to desperate texts fromher constituents.

“I’ve gotten messages like:‘Is thereany waythis can be stopped? I’m literally sobbing because my husband will die without this specialty medicine,’ ” said Landry But Beryl Amedée, RGray,who supportedthe bill, complained that PBMs made it unnecessarily difﬁcult for her sister,who battled brain cancer and died after 10 months,toget her chemotherapy drugs.

“I can’t tell youthe hours and days that she should have beensitting with her grandchildren, but she was instead having to comeand fight with pharmaceutical companies, with PBMs,” Amedée said. Amedée said thePBMs made her sister follow seemingly arbitrary rules and it often felt that herhealth was nottheir main consideration.

“I think Iknowwhattheir consideration was. It’scalled the bottom line,” she added.

Mardi Gras Mike,the Mardi Gras Worldtiger float headed to Omaha, Neb and Barry Kern, the CEO and president of KernStudios and Mardi Gras World, prepare to send off the LSUbaseball team on Wednesday at Alex Box Stadiumin Baton Rouge. STAFFPHOTO By JOyHOLDEN

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Disney, Universal sue

AI firm over copyright

NEW YORK Disney and Universal filed a copyright lawsuit against popular artificial intelligence image-generator

Midjourney on Wednesday, marking the first time major Hollywood companies have entered the legal battle over AI.

Filed in federal district court in Los Angeles, the complaint claims Midjourney pirated the libraries of the two studios to generate and distribute “endless unauthorized copies” of famed characters, such as Darth Vader from “Star Wars” and the Minions from “Despicable Me.”

“Midjourney is the quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism. Piracy is piracy and whether an infringing image or video is made with AI or another technology does not make it any less infringing,” the companies state in the complaint.

The studios also claimed the San Francisco-based company ignored requests to stop infringing on copyrighted works and to take technological measures to halt such image generation.

Midjourney didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Musk: Tesla’s robotaxi ‘tentatively’ to launch

AUSTIN, Texas Elon Musk said Tesla is “tentatively” set to begin providing robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on June 22

In a post on his X social media platform, Musk said the date could change because Tesla is “being super paranoid about safety.”

Investors, Wall Street analysts and Tesla enthusiasts have been anticipating the rollout of the driverless cabs since Musk said earlier this year that the service would launch sometime in June.

Last month, Musk told CNBC that the taxis will be remotely monitored at first and “geofenced” to certain areas of the city deemed the safest to navigate He said he expected to initially run 10 or so taxis, increase that number rapidly and start offering the service in Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Francisco and other cities

Musk has been promising fully autonomous, self-driving vehicles “next year” for a decade, but the pressure is on now as Tesla begins to operate a self-driving taxi service. Sales of Tesla’s electric vehicles have sagged due to increased competition, the retooling of its most popular car, the Model Y, and the fallout from Musk’s turn to politics.

Google offers buyouts to more workers

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Google has offered buyouts to another swath of its workforce across several key divisions in a fresh round of cost-cutting coming ahead of a court decision that could order a breakup of its internet empire. The Mountain View, California, company confirmed the streamlining that was reported by several news outlets.

It’s not clear how many employees are affected, but the offers were made to staff in Google’s search, advertising, research and engineering units, according to The Wall Street Journal. Google employs most of the nearly 186,000 workers on the worldwide payroll of its parent company, Alphabet Inc. Google is offering the buyouts while waiting for a federal judge to determine its fate after its ubiquitous search engine was declared an illegal monopoly as part of nearly 5-year-old case by the U.S. Justice Department The company is also awaiting remedy action in another antitrust case involving its digital ad network.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta is weighing a government proposal seeking to ban Google paying more than $26 billon annually to Apple and other technology companies to lock in its search engine as the go-to place for online information, require it to share data with rivals and force a sale of its popular Chrome browser

U.S. stocks see 1st loss in 4 days

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK — Wall Street’s rally stalled on Wednesday after U.S. stocks climbed back within 2% of their all-time high

The S&P 500 fell 0.3% for its ﬁrst loss in four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was virtually unchanged after edging down by 1 point, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.5%.

Several Big Tech stocks led the way lower, and a 1.9% drop for Apple was the heaviest weight on the market. It’s been listless this week

after unveiling several modest upcoming changes to the software that runs its devices.

The action was stronger in the bond market, where Treasury yields eased after a report suggested President Donald Trump’s tariffs are not pushing inflation much higher, at least not yet.

U.S. consumers had to pay prices for food, gasoline and other costs of living that were 2.4% higher overall in May than a year earlier That was up from April’s 2.3% inﬂation rate, but it wasn’t as bad as the 2.5% that Wall Street was expecting.

A fear has been that Trump’s wide-ranging tariffs could ignite an acceleration in inﬂation, just when it had seemed to get nearly all the way back to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target from more than 9% three summers ago. It hasn’t happened, though economists warn it may take months more to feel the full effect of Trump’s tariffs.

“Another month goes by with little evidence of tariffs, but the longer-term inﬂation challenge they pose remains,” according to Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Financial markets also had only modest reactions to the conclusion of two days of trade talks between the United States and China in London.

Trump said Wednesday that China will supply rare-earth minerals and magnets to the United States, while his government will allow Chinese students into U.S. universities in a deal that still needs an agreement by him and by China’s leader Trump also said that “President XI and I are going to work closely together to open up China to American Trade. This would be a great WIN for both countries!!!”

Inflation increases slightly in May

Cheaper gas, cars offset some costlier imports

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO Associated Press writers

WASHINGTON U.S. inﬂation picked up a bit last month as higher prices for groceries and some imported goods were largely offset by cheaper gas, travel services, and rents.

Consumer prices increased 2.4% in May compared with a year ago, according to a Labor Department report released Wednesday That is up from a 2.3% yearly increase in April. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 2.8% for the third straight month. Economists pay close attention to core prices because they generally provide a better sense of where inﬂation is headed.

The cost of groceries, toys and games, and large appliances rose, which could reﬂect the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Yet the price of new and used cars, clothes, airfares and hotel rooms all dropped from April to May

On a monthly basis, overall prices ticked up just 0.1% from April to May, down from

0.2% the previous month, with inﬂationary pressures appearing muted. Core prices also dropped to 0.1% from 0.2%.

The data showed that Trump’s tariffs haven’t yet pushed overall prices higher, suggesting many companies may be absorbing the cost of the higher duties for now Yet many economists expect the import taxes to modestly increase inﬂation in the second half of the year Companies ranging from Walmart to Lululemon to J.M. Smucker have said they will raise prices in the coming months to offset the impact of tariffs

You can point to seeing tariffs in this report, but the more important message is that you’re seeing inﬂation soften enough elsewhere that overall, price pressures continue to subside for the U.S. consumer,” Sarah House, an economist at Wells Fargo, said.

But offsetting price drops for things like cars and airfares may not continue at the same pace for the rest of this year, she said.

“I don’t think this report signals an all clear — that tariffs are not going to be a concern for the inﬂation picture,” House said.

The ﬁgures also show that core inﬂation remains stubbornly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, which makes it less likely that the central bank will cut its key shortterm interest rate. Trump has repeatedly

urged the central bank to reduce borrowing costs.

Grocery prices rose 0.3% from April to May, and are up 2.2% in the past year Fruits and vegetables, breakfast cereals, and frozen foods all rose last month. Egg costs fell 2.7%, though they are still more than 40% more expensive than a year ago. Gas prices dropped 2.6% last month

Marilyn Kirschner, editor of an online fashion magazine, was shopping for toothpaste Tuesday at Gristedes in lower Manhattan She’s surprised every day by high prices for items like Swiffer reﬁlls, which she said recently cost her $30.

“You go into the store and it’s like, wait a minute, how can this be?” Kirschner said. “Every single thing. It’s sticker shock at this point. It’s scary, with rent and everything.”

Peter Manning, a software engineer, bought a loaf of French bread and milk at Gristedes in his lower Manhattan neighborhood He’s been noticing high yogurt prices, at $8 or $9, and butter for $11.

“When we go out to the suburbs, we shop there, because it’s a little cheaper,” Manning said. “I’m sure everything’s going to probably go up. It takes a long time. I tell my friends, this economy, we’re watching a slow-motion train wreck.”

Framework set for trade deal with China

Trump says U.S. to get rare earth minerals

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE, JOSH BOAK, PAUL

WISEMAN and DIDI TANG Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that China will make it easier for American industry to obtain much-needed magnets and rare earth minerals, clearing the way for talks to continue between the world’s two biggest economies. In return Trump said, the U.S. will stop efforts to revoke the visas of

Chinese nationals on U.S. college campuses. Trump’s comment on social media came after two days of high-level U.S.-China trade talks in London. Details remain scarce. Trump didn’t fully spell out what concessions the U.S. made. Beijing has not confirmed what the negotiators agreed to, and Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump himself have yet to sign off on it.

What Trump described as a “deal” is actually a “framework” meant to set the stage for more substantive talks. And Trump’s own comments created confusion about what was happening to his tariffs on Chinese im-

ports, generating uncertainty about more than $660 billion in annual trade between the two countries. On social media, Trump said: “WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10% RELATIONSHIP IS EXCELLENT!” But a White House ofﬁcial, who was not authorized to discuss the terms publicly and insisted on anonymity to describe them, said the 55% was not an increase on the previous 30% tariff on China because Trump was including preexisting tariffs, including some left over from his ﬁrst term.

“We have no idea what the rules are,” said Rick Woldenberg, CEO

of the educational toy company Learning Resources, who is part of a lawsuit challenging Trump’s authority to impose the tariffs. The framework emerged late Tuesday in London after intense talks involving U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer Leading the Chinese delegation was Vice Premier He Lifeng. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has deployed tariffs aggressively, seeing them as a way to raise money for the federal government, protect American industries and lure factories back to the United States.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

PHOTO By HAU DINH

Sales staff members work recently at an Apple store in Hanoi, Vietnam.

nations, territories and some nonproﬁts to help in recovery efforts.

FEMA has delivered nearly $47 billion for 28 disasters in Louisiana since 2003. Members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation have long echoed their constituents’ frustrations with FEMA’s bureaucracy, but they remain protective of the agency that provides relief after a storm hits and funds to help recover from the disaster.

“For years, I’ve heard from Louisiana families, small businesses and local ofﬁcials who are frustrated with how FEMA delivers disaster relief and especially how poorly they’ve run the National Flood Insurance Program,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson. “Louisiana knows all too well how badly FEMA needs serious reform, and we are all looking at ways to further empower local and state leaders who are in a better position to react faster when disasters strike and people need help.”

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, referred to May 21 comments he made on Facebook when asked about his thoughts on Trump’s comments. “If FEMA is replaced, it must be with something which can help with a $20 billion disaster such as Hurricanes Katrina or Helene. Families rely on FEMA when their home is destroyed. We should use this as an opportunity to make the agency stronger but not abandon the mission of Americans helping Americans.” Cassidy told reporters Tuesday, several hours before the president’s comments, “We absolutely have to preserve that American helping American through the federal government when a big storm comes, and I will push that that ability be preserved.”

Matt Smith, spokesman for U.S.

Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Start, said, “Congresswoman Letlow has been clear that she believes FEMA is broken and in need of reform. She looks forward to reviewing the results of the FEMA Review Council’s study and working with President Trump and her colleagues to improve disaster recovery efforts. In the meantime, she will continue to ﬁght to ensure Louisiana’s needs are met.”

“I’ll be the first to say that FEMA needs reforms, but dismantling this critical agency is dumb, shortsighted and cruel,”

said Democratic Rep. Troy Carter, whose New Orleans district is one of the nation’s most vulnerable to hurricanes.

Fellow Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields, of Baton Rouge, agreed. “President Trump needs to realize that states cannot take on the full responsibility of recovering from these disasters alone. Louisiana would not be able to recover from a hurricane without assistance. FEMA is an absolute necessity for disaster response and recovery,” he said. Since last year’s campaign,

Trump has repeatedly called for dramatic changes to FEMA, which he says is too expensive and provides haphazard relief Tuesday’s comments, however, are Trump’s most direct so far about the future of the agency FEMA was established by Congress, which means Congress would have to vote to abolish it.

But Trump has dramatically reshaped other agencies without seeking congressional approval, slashing staff and ending billions of dollars worth of programs. Trump established a FEMA Re-

view Council to work during the summer on how FEMA will look and operate in the future.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who co-chairs the council and attended Tuesday’s news brieﬁng, said a revamped FEMA would “empower governors to go out and respond to emergency situations and make sure that the taxpayers are only fulﬁlling the need to which is appropriate.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday joined by, from left, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Officials act to preserve horse racing

lawmakers are

BY BEN MYERS and ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writers

With the future of horse racing at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in doubt, New Orleans City Council members and state

Weather or not

ABOVE: Dark and low-hanging storm clouds drift across Lake Pontchartrain as a ﬁsherman, bottom left, casts a net from the end of Breakwater Drive in New Orleans on Wednesday

The metro area will be falling into the summer pattern of late afternoon rainstorms for the next few days. RIGHT: A person walks in the drizzling rain with an umbrella along the Mississippi River as the weather clears in New Orleans on Wednesday

Director of PRC leaving for Florida job

Danielle Del Sol says she has opportunity with new challenges

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Danielle Del Sol, who expanded the footprint of the Preservation Resource Center and more than quadrupled its endowment during her seven-year tenure as executive director, is leaving the local nonproﬁt to become president and CEO of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, Florida. Her last day at the PRC is July 11. Del Sol said the decision to leave New Orleans, a 300-year-old city with more historic architecture and neighborhoods than almost any other place in

N.O. city leader accuses sheriff of losing jail keys

Council president, Hutson spar in Instagram post

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

The president of the New Orleans City Council accused the sheriff this week of losing a set of keys to the city jail she oversees, escalating criticism of Sheriff Susan Hutson after 10 inmates escaped last month from her beleaguered pretrial facility Council President JP Morrell leveled those accusations in an Instagram video, showing his 7,000 followers a set of keys he described as “keys to the jail.” Morrell said the keys were submitted by an uniden-

tified “whistleblower” who’d been fired from the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. In an interview late Tuesday he declined to provide additional details about the person’s identity Hutson swiftly clapped back in the post’s comments, accusing Morrell of spreading “misinformation” and defending her leadership of the 600-deputy Sheriff’s Office in the wake of the escape. The keys Morrell described in the video “don’t open the jail or any cell,” Hutson said. Her office did not respond to detailed questions about the allegations.

The fiery backand-forth — one of relatively few public discussions Hutson has entertained regarding her ofﬁce’s handling of the escape in its aftermath — highlights the ongoing political fallout since the early morning hours of May 16, when 10 men ripped a toilet from a wall, scaled a fence and ran free across Interstate 10. Two remain on the lam. The breakout has spawned weeks of furious questions about leadership of the troubled jail. The facility was

Tulane environmental researcher resigns

Advocate says school placed her under ‘gag order’

BY ALEX LUBBEN and MARIE FAZIO Staff writers

A Tulane University researcher and environmental advocate who studied racial disparities in health impacts from Louisiana’s petrochemical industry resigned Wednesday, citing censorship from university leaders who believed her work had made elected ofﬁcials “embarrassed and uncomfortable.” Kimberly Terrell, who served as director of community engagement for

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Hutson

Morrell

N.Y. real estate group behind hotel purchase

Certares has spent $300M acquiring 15 properties in 2 years

BY ANTHONY MCAULEY Staff writer

The new owner of the Hilton New Orleans on St. Charles Avenue is a $10 billion New York City real estate investment group, which moved into hotels just over two years ago and has since spent nearly $300 million acquiring 15 hotels nationwide. Certares Management paid $47 million for its latest purchase, the Hilton New Orleans, a 252-room ho-

tel that was originally built in 1926 as a Masonic Temple in the city’s Central Business District, according to the sales contract, a copy of which was seen by the Times-Picayune.

The company now lists the Hilton New Orleans on its website along with the other 14 hotels it has purchased since it started in early 2023, when it paid just under $54 million for the 263-room Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Certares didn’t respond to requests for comment about its plans for the Hilton New Orleans. But industry experts say the ﬁrm’s purchase of the hotel suggests that investors with deep pockets are bull-

ish on the future of the local hospitality industry In announcing the sale of the Hilton New Orleans on Tuesday, the former owner Sunstone Hotel Investors of California, said they chose to sell the hotel at a loss rather than make the investment needed to keep the hotel competitive. Sunstone bought the property in 2013 for $59.35 million.

Certares has partnered in several of its purchases with hotel management groups HEI Hotels & Resorts or Hersha Hospitality Management. Deals with the latter have included the Sea Crest as well as both the Courtyard and Carté hotels in downtown San Diego.

When they purchased the Carté last July, Nolan Hecht, Certares’ head of real estate and lead of the ﬁrm’s hotel group, said it was consistent with the ﬁrm’s strategy “to acquire high-quality experiential real estate in growing major markets.” Hecht also said the company plans to buy “clusters” of hotel assets in markets where it is present.

The ﬁrm’s other hotel buys have been in Atlanta, Miami, San Antonio, Tampa, Sonoma and Washington, D.C. They have all been under the Hilton, Marriott (Courtyard/Le Méridien), Embassy Suites and Curio by Hilton brands.

The Hilton New Orleans has an

indoor pool and an “executive club lounge,” but is best known for its restaurant, Luke, a Creole-style brasserie that is part of BRG Hospitality chef John Besh’s group. Certares was founded by Greg O’Hara, a former JP Morgan investment banker and a leading voice in the hospitality industry He is currently chair of industry groups World Travel & Tourism Council and American Express Global Business Travel, a Certares joint venture with the credit card company

The ﬁrm’s other investments have included airlines like Azul and LATAM, cruise ship operators such as AmaWaterways and car rentals ﬁrms.

Cantrell loses appeal in Pontalba photos case

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

Mayor LaToya Cantrell must pay another $8,000 in legal fees to French Quarter resident Anne Breaud after losing an appeal over photos of the mayor and her former bodyguard drinking and dining last year on a balcony near Jackson Square, a state appeals court panel ruled Monday

In a 2-1 decision, a panel of Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeal said Cantrell’s petition for protection from stalking against Breaud was an attempt to silence protected speech. The court upheld a June 2024 decision by Orleans Civil District Court Judge Bernadette D’Souza to toss Cantrell’s stalking claim against Breaud and award the latter about $15,400 for legal fees. Monday’s ruling, if it stands, would add to that sum.

of wire fraud and a single count of lying to the FBI about his relationship with Cantrell. Vappie has pleaded not guilty A trial is scheduled for January

From her Pontalba apartment balcony on April 7, 2024, Breaud photographed the mayor and then-New Orleans police officer Jeffrey Vappie dining al fresco across the street at Tableau. The mayor called it stalking and sought a restraining order. Investigations by the New Orleans Police Department’s Public Integrity Bureau later revealed Vappie was armed and on the clock when Breaud’s lens captured him day-drinking with Cantrell. He was later indicted on seven counts

JAIL KEYS

Continued from page 1B

built a decade ago in what ofﬁcials promised would spell change to the old Orleans Parish Prison’s sordid history, but it has recently deteriorated amid stafﬁng woes and a crush of deferred maintenance.

Days after the escape, Hutson paused her reelection campaign. Mounting criticism

Morrell, who has emerged since the escape as one of Hutson’s most vocal critics, described in his video how officials have interviewed several “whistleblowers” in the course of multiple investigations into the breakout. One of them, Morrell said produced the set of keys and said Hutson had failed to collect them when the person was fired by the Sheriff’s Office. Morrell also showed his audience a set of “call logs” he said contained notes on when sets of jail keys were “checked out.”

Asked to explain how he veriﬁed the keys’ authenticity, Morrell declined to comment. He cited the ongoing investigations into the escape. The council member implied that the misstep, or others like it, may have contributed to the ease with which prisoners were able to break free. But he did not provide details to back up that claim.

“Maybe you don’t need to have the ‘Shawshank Redemption’ (style) digging of a hole to escape,” Morrell said in the Instagram video.

Referring to a jail employee who was arrested days after the breakout for allegedly helping the escapees, Morrell said: “Maybe he didn’t need to hire, or scare, a maintenance worker into doing it when any employee could walk out with the keys.”

“This hopefully will set a precedent and alert both politicians and the general public that ﬁling spurious claims in court — especially to quell the voice of those interested in public participation in public issues is going to be met with some opposition and consequences,” said Breaud’s attorney, Justin Schmidt. Appeals court judges Karen Herman and Daniel Dysart agreed with D’Souza, saying that Cantrell’s stalking claim was an effort to “curtail” Breaud’s free speech They disagreed with Cantrell’s rationale that she did not infringe on Breaud’s free speech because photographs are nonverbal. Dysart wrote the majority’s opinion. Judge Joy Cossich Lobrano dissented, arguing that “stalking is not free speech and that the factual dispute necessitated a full hearing. Cantrell alleged that Breaud ﬁlmed more than 800 hours of video. Breaud said she’d only snapped two pictures.

“The majority was mistaken, and the dissent got it right,” said Edward J. Castaing Jr., Cantrell’s attorney “Speech does not mean taking photographs We are considering a writ to the Louisiana Supreme Court.”

Hutson responds

Hutson’s statement on Morrell’s Instagram post said that her ofﬁce is “in possession of all the keys to the jail.”

“I would be careful about putting out misinformation to the public,” she said, “especially regarding public safety and security.”

The statement defended Hutson’s leadership. “Has my office done everything perfectly?” she asked. “No, but let’s be clear: My deputies work hard every single day and night so I won’t let you make a mockery of their work.”

Morrell said the keys had been turned over to Attorney General Liz Murrill’s ofﬁce, which is investigating conditions and management at the jail.

Morrell said the person who handed them over explained which doors they unlocked, but that verifying that information would fall now to the Attorney General’s Ofﬁce.

Murrill declined to respond to a list of questions about the keys, but said her ofﬁce will be “incorporating this very issue into our ongoing investigation” into the jail and how the inmates escaped.

Asked why the “whistleblower” had been ﬁred from the Sheriff’s Office Morrell declined to comment. But he argued that “if a person has been terminated for a bad reason, you would especially want to retrieve the keys to the jail.”

Eight of the 10 jail escapees have been arrested.

On Wednesday, Derrick Groves, 27, a convicted murderer and Antoine Massey, 32, remained on the run. Authorities on Monday arrested Darriana Burton, 28, on a felony count of conspiracy to commit simple escape, according to online court records. She was described by law enforcement as Groves’ girlfriend.

Email James Finn at jﬁnn@ theadvocate.com.

FAIR GROUNDS

Continued from page 1B

on permits for any uses other than the racetrack and casino that already exists. Meanwhile an amendment to Senate Bill 195 on Wednesday afternoon would require legislative approval for any demolition or cessation of operations.

“Given the uncertainty surrounding CDI’s plans, council members recognize the urgent need to begin taking proactive steps to ensure that its future remains a fairgrounds and horse racing facility,” said Council Vice President Helena Moreno, who is co-sponsoring the council’s ban with council member Joe Giarrusso.

SB195, by state Sen. Jimmy Harris, D-New Orleans, would designate the fairgrounds as a “Louisiana Historic Site” under a conference amendment added by House and Senate members.

“The Fair Grounds has operated through war, ﬂood, and economic upheaval, and remains a living institution of both regional pride and national distinction,” the amendment reads.

A Churchill Downs spokesperson said it is not in discussions with anyone to sell the Fair Grounds, though Gayle Benson has been a rumored potential buyer

RESEARCHER

Continued from page 1B

the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, accused the university of putting her under a “gag order” and sacrificing academic freedom to appease state officials. She also alleged that Tulane was prioritizing securing funding from the state for a high-priced redevelopment of New Orleans’ Charity Hospital over her own academic freedom.

“Scholarly publications, not gag orders, are the currency of academia,” Terrell wrote in her resignation letter “Tulane leaders have chosen to abandon the principles of knowledge, education, and the greater good in pursuit of their own narrow agenda.”

“Our attention is currently directed toward operational challenges and the pressing business decisions that accompany them,” said the spokesperson, Tonya Abeln.

Benson’s spokesperson, Greg Bensel, said she has ﬁelded numerous calls about purchasing the Fair Grounds “and certainly has been monitoring the situation.”

“(Benson) has always maintained a great relationship with the leadership at Churchill Downs and certainly has been monitoring this situation,” Bensel said in a statement. “Her hope is that horse racing continues in New Orleans at the Fair Grounds and is prosperous and sustainable. It is an important and iconic industry that we cannot lose.”

Temporary measure

The City Council’s expected action Thursday will deal with permitted uses on the Fair Grounds property

The existing zoning designation, HU-RD1, is generally meant for one- and two-family homes with limited commercial uses that require conditional use permits. Churchill Downs already has conditional use permits for 700 slot machines and sports betting, which generate revenue to support the horse racing operation.

The council’s ban, known as an “interim zoning district,” would

is, directly related to representation — must be pre-approved by me.” Terrell linked to the emails in her statement.

In an audio recording obtained by The Times-Picayune said to be of Tulane Provost Robin Forman, Terrell was told the timing of her study was “bad.”

Terrell’s resignation was ﬁrst reported by The Associated Press.

Tulane disputed Terrell’s description of the circumstances surrounding her resignation. A spokesperson for Gov Jeff Landry said he never threatened to withhold funding, though the Governor’s Office appreciated Tulane “standing up for our Louisiana businesses and jobs.”

Emails and an audio recording indicate chatter around Terrell’s work emerged at Tulane Day at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge on April 16 — a celebration of the university’s contributions to the state’s economy and an opportunity to pitch its Charity Hospital project. The formerly state-run hospital in downtown New Orleans has been vacant since Hurricane Katrina, an eyesore on the city’s skyline.

While Tulane’s leaders were at the State Capitol, news outlets, including The Times-Picayune, published stories about Terrell’s most recent peer-reviewed study, which found that, while poor and Black communities bear the brunt of the health risks associated with petrochemical pollution, people of color were underrepresented in the industry’s workforce.

About 10 days later, Tulane law school dean Marcilynn A. Burke said in an email to Terrell that “all external communications that are not client-based — that

“This ripple went through the crowd, that Tulane has taken a stand that the chemical industry is harming communities, which left people feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable,” the person identified as Forman said in the recording. The person identiﬁed as Forman suggested that “gag order” was too strong a term for the restrictions placed on Terrell’s speech, and stressed instead that they had placed a “pause” on her communications until questions around her role and job description could be resolved.

Terrell alleged in her resignation letter that Landry threatened to veto funding for the Charity Hospital redevelopment unless Tulane curtailed the environmental law clinic’s work.

“Gov Landry did not threaten to withhold state funding,” said Landry spokesperson Kate Kelly “However, I applaud Tulane for their actions — standing up for our Louisiana businesses and jobs.”

Still, university leadership appeared to believe that the law clinic’s work was proving detrimental to the approval of the $650 million redevelopment project. In a May 4 email, Burke wrote that “elected ofﬁcials and major donors have cited the clinic as an impediment to them lending their support to the university generally and for this project speciﬁcally.”

The university stressed that it is committed to academic freedom and the value of law clinics.

“Debates about how best to operate law clinics’ teaching mission have occurred nationally and at Tulane for years this is nothing new,” said Tulane spokesperson Mike Strecker. “We do not comment on personnel matters, including the resignation of staff employees.”

Tim Cain, a fellow at the American Association of University Professors’ Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom, said

freeze any new land uses on the property for at least one year

The conditional use permits for casinos and sports betting would remain in effect as long as the horse track remains in operation.

Churchill Downs says it cannot continue horse racing without revenue from Historical Horse Racing machines, a new type of game that allows players to wager on anonymized races that have happened in the past. The Louisiana Supreme Court this year ruled the machines are illegal unless authorized by a local referendum, effectively striking down a 2021 state law allowing the machines.

Churchill Downs executives have said losing the machines will wipe out nearly half its offtrack betting revenue and threequarters of its local proﬁts Their appeals for a state subsidy have been greeted skeptically by state lawmakers and officials who question whether Churchill Downs really needs a boost from public coffers. They point to public ﬁlings showing Churchill Downs’s net revenue in Louisiana was $150 million last year Churchill Downs also says it will be hurt by two new state laws allowing more poker machines at bars and truck stops.

Staff writer Tyler Bridges contributed reporting.

Email Ben Myers at bmyers@ theadvocate.com.

in an interview that Tulane’s actions appear to “ﬂy in the face of principles of academic freedom.” The University of Georgia professor of higher education said that “without the ability to communicate results of academic research, the research may as well have been shut down.”

He added that higher education institutions have also been pressured on the federal level with threats to research funding and various executive orders, including some that target diversity initiatives. That has prompted some academics to self-censor their work for fear of retribution, he noted.

Terrell published work that community activists have described as crucial in exposing health and jobs disparities in the petrochemical corridor often referred to as “Cancer Alley,” and The TimesPicayune has regularly covered her research.

One of her studies found that Black communities near industrial plants were exposed to 21 times more toxic air emissions than other areas. She also found that pregnant women in areas with high levels of air pollution were more likely to have underweight and premature babies.

“I never imagined that, after seven years of high-proﬁle success, my program would be gutted to appease elected officials and major donors who view the clinic’s work as an ‘impediment’ to their interests,” she wrote in the letter “I cannot remain silent as this university sacriﬁces academic integrity for political appeasement and pet projects. Our work is too important, and the stakes are too high, to sit back and watch special interests replace scholarship with censorship.”

Email Alex Lubben at alex. lubben@theadvocate.com.

Terrell

Cantrell Breaud Vappie

DEL SOL

the U.S., was difﬁcult. But returning to her native south Florida, where close family members still live, was attractive for several reasons.

“It is small, with beautiful Mediterranean revivalstyle buildings from the early 1900s,” she said. “But it is very wealthy and there is tremendous pressure from all the money coming in to tear down some of these historicplaces and replace them with highrises and new buildings.”

The opportunity to advocate for preservation in such adifferent environment will help Del Sol grow professionally,she said.

“I never wanted to leave,” she said.

“But Palm Beach is so wholly different.

The opportunity to face new challenges and meet new people will help me learn.”

The Preservat ion Resource Center was founded in 1974 by neighborhood advocates and members of theJunior LeagueofNew Orleans Their mission was to preserve and revitalize New Orleans’ historic buildings and neighborhoods. Over thedecades, the PRC’s programs, education and advocacy efforts have been instrumental in the revitalization of Coliseum Square and the Lower Garden District, the Warehouse District and Algiers Point, among other neighborhoods.

Del Sol joined the PRC in 2011, working her way up the ladder from associate editor of theawardwinning Preservation in Print magazinetoeditor In 2018,she was tapped by the board to succeed longtime Executive Director Patty Gay,who was also among the PRC’sfounders.

Though she had big shoesto fill, Del Sol made her mark on the organization,broadening itsfocus to include historic neighborhoods beyond Uptown and the Garden District, to also include Mid-City, historic Old Algiersand the Bywater “Toanextent,the PRC was always doing work outside of the Garden District and Uptown, but we were not doing agood enoughjob helping everybody see that,” she said. “I think Ihelped broadcast the message.” Del Sol also grew the organization’sendowment to about $6 million and expanded the organization’s programming. Aprime example of that expansion came earlier this spring, when the PRC took over Save Our Cemeteries, a smaller nonprofitthat was struggling financially.The PRC kept the organization’sbrand and continues to operate its cemetery tours and provide educational resources on the city’shistoric cemeteries

“We’ve seen alot of growth under her leadership —most recently with Save Our Cemeteries becoming adepartment within the PRC —and we’ll work hard to keep that momentum going,” PRC board Chair Hartley Crunk said in astatement.

Del Sol also led the restoration of Perseverance Hall, acity-ownedbuilding in Armstrong Park that had been vacant for three decades Additionally,Del Sol co-authored two books “Building on the Past: Saving Historic New Orleans” and “Painting the Town: The Importance of Color in Historic New Orleans Architecture.”

“It’sanamazingly good organization,” Del Solsaid “I know Iamleaving it in good hands.”

The PRC board has not announced plans forDel Sol’s replacement.

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

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Dr. AlvinEmanuel Amos was born December 8, 1944 in NewOrleans, LA.Hewas theyoungest of threechildren born to thelate Thelma Madisonand Rev. Herbert Amos, Sr. He transitionedfrom earthly labour to heavenly reward on June 4, 2025 in Newark, DE.

Dr. Amoswas preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Herbert Amos Jr.; hissister, Rosemary A. Cotton;his brothers-inlaw, Herb Cotton and RonaldD.Boyd; his sisterin-law,Del Rita Amos; his mother-in-law, Elizabeth T. Boyd;and grandmother, LillyMadison.

Dr. Amosleavestocherish many precious and loving memories his devoted wife for 26 years, Carol BoydAmos; threenieces, Laura G. Amos, April Griffin (James), and Moriah G. Boyd; twonephews, Blake A. Amos(Amy)and Tim J. Cotton;brother-in-law, Michael G. Boyd (Judith); and ahost of cousins, other relatives and friends.

Afuneralservicewillbe held at 11:00 AM EST on June 13, 2025 at Canaan Baptist Church, 3011 New Castle Ave.

Lovedones are invited to join theservicevirtually by using thefollowing link: https://www.canaanbcde. org/alvin-amos

Williams,Richard at United Bulk Terminal and InternationalMarine Terminalbeforehis final employmentatthe Plaque‐mines Parish Sheriff’sOf‐fice.Billy waswellknown for hisathleticskills. His competitive spirit allowed him to excelinwhatever sport he participated in, and he wasregardedas one of thegreatestath‐letes of histime. He wasa prominent member of the After Dark Softball Team where he served as Team Captain.One particular title couldnot define him, asBilly also fulfilledmany other roleswithinthe orga‐nization. Billyspent count‐lesshours travelingtodif‐ferentsportingeventsto support andmentorthe youth from thePlaquem‐inesParishcommunity Later in life,hedeveloped a passionfor golf. This openeda newchapter in his life andhis love forthe gamewas rivaledonlyby his love forhis familyand friends.Hewas aproud memberofthe RiverParish GolfAssociationwhere he madelifelongfriends and was awardedthe RPGA 2023 Flight Champion dur‐ing his firstyearofmem‐bership.Hewillbedeeply missedbyall who knew him andloved him, andhis legacywillliveoninthe heartsofhis family, friends,and allwhose lives hetouched.Thoughwesay goodbyefor now, this is not theend.His spirit lives oninthe love he gave,the lessons he shared,and the lives he shaped.Until we meet again, in God'spres‐ence, mayherestineter‐nal peace. MembersofSt. JohnBaptist Church in Bertrandville,LA, neighbor‐ing churches,employees of Plaquemines Parish Sher‐iff’s Office,International MarineTerminal/Kinder Morgan, United Bulk Termi‐nal,Plaquemines Parish Government, relativesand friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend thecelebra‐tionoflifeservice which willbeheldonSaturday, June 14, 2025, at St.John Baptist Church locatedat 7074 Highway39, Bertrandville,LA70040 Visitationwillbegin at 9:00 a.m., andthe servicewill begin at 11:00 a.m. with Rev.JohnD.Riley, Jr.offici‐ating.Interment will follow atCook Cemetery in Phoenix,LA. Funeralplan‐ningentrusted to Robinson FamilyFuneralHome, 9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse,LA 70037, (504) 208-2119. For onlinecondolences,please visit www.robinsonfamilyf uneralhome.com.

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Augustus,Billy Dean

BillyDeanAugustus, age 65, transitioned into eter‐nal rest on Friday,June 6, 2025, at OchsnerMedical Center, NewOrleans,LA. Billy wasbornonJune 1, 1960, in NewOrleans,LA. A nativeofPhoenix,LA, Billy was thebeloved sonofthe lateAudreyMae Augustus and thelateWillisMiller. Hewas cherishedbyhis stepfather, thelateArchie Augustus, Sr.His maternal grandparentswerethe late Viola Williams andthe late Freddie Williams.Paternal grandparentswerethe late Eliza Miller andthe late Au‐gustMiller, Sr.Billy was the Godson of Joyce Yvonne Benand thelate Herbert Williams,Jr.,and the GodfatherofTrenille Albert”Bentley andAn‐gelique Mosely.Heleaves tocherish hismemories his devotedwifeoftwentynineyears,Trenese Randall Augustusand hischildren Candice Augustus,Jennifer (Jared) Barthelemy,Trenee’ Jiles,Kerry Fernandez, and Tevin (Norkesia) Augustus Grandchildren Journie, Jor‐dyn,Kayne,Rome, Sum‐mer,Maci, andMichael.He isalsosurvivedbyhis sib‐lings Archie (Stacy)Augus‐tus,Jr.,Carolyn Augustus Alfreda (Gary) LeBlanc, Willard(thelateTammy) Augustusand Gretchen Miller. Son-in-law of the lateCalvinRandall,Sr. and the late Rosa MaeRandall Brother-in-lawofDavetta Randall,the late Calvin Randall,Jr. (Elenora), the lateLinda Joseph (the late Henry Joseph,Jr.). Also survivedbya host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Billywas bap‐tized at St.JosephBaptist Church in Phoenix, LA However,in2017 he joined St. John BaptistChurch in Bertrandville,LAand fel‐lowshippedunder thelead‐ershipofRev.JohnD.Riley, Jr. until Godcalledhim home. Aftergraduating fromPhoenix High School in 1979, Billywas employed

an 11 a.m. service. Rev. SamuelCrumJr. is thepas‐tor andBishopSamuel CrumSr. will ofﬁciate. En‐tombmentimmediatelyfol‐lowingthe funeralservice atOur Lady of Good Harbor CemeteryBuras,LA. Fu‐neral planning entrustedto RobinsonFamilyFuneral Home, 9611 Hwy. 23, Belle Chasse,LA70037, (504) 208-2119. Foronlinecondo‐lences, please visitwww robinsonfamilyfuneral. com.

Bell, Roberta Keller

Brisbon, Isaac 'Ike'

Avist, Bernadette AngelineJones 'Bernie'

Bernadette “Bernie” An‐gelineJones Avistde‐partedthislifepeacefully onFriday, June 6, 2025, at Riverbend NursingFacility inBelle Chasse LA.She was 86 yearsold anda na‐tiveand lifelong resident of Boothville,LA. Shewas bornonJanuary 1, 1939 to the late Clifford Jonesand the late EllenProut Jones. In her ﬁnaldays, shewas surrounded by herfamily. Berniewillbelovinglyre‐memberedbyher husband, Ewald Avist; herdaughter, Kathleen AvistAntoine, and an adoringGod-given additional child, Heather Jones Davis; hergrandchil‐dren, Racquel, Rickey, Jerome, andDanielle; her great-grandchildren,Har‐monie,Jacoby, Caleb, and Paisley;along with hersib‐lings:JoycelynToulouse, MaryE.(Robert)Johnson, LavernMaynor, Valarie (Orlando) Ragas, Gwen Clifford W. (Mercedes), HaroldR.(Laverne),Bishop Tommy R.,and Gregory (Lisa)Jones.She is prede‐ceasedbyher daughters, Viola AvistBarthelemyand Dr. Dana Avist; hergreatgranddaughters, Shyrion and Shawnee; andher sib‐lings,Mercedes, Sheila, and Ruthie.She is also sur‐vived by heraunt,Lois Tate, adevoted nephew MarvinToulouse; godchil‐dren, IdaMae,Wallace Timothy,Tonya,Travis, and Jordell, alongwithnumer‐ous nieces,nephews, cousins,and friends. Berniewas adedicated memberofZionHillChrist‐ian Church in Boothville LA, formanyyears.Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the funeralservice at Zion HillChristian Church,137 ZionHillLane, Boothville LAonSaturday, June 14, 2025. Thevisitationwill beginat9 a.m. followed by

Roberta"Bobbie"Keller Bell, aloving wife,mother, grandmother, great-grandmother,and friend, passed away peacefullyonJune 3rd,2025 at 88 years of age, after along hospitalization. To herfamily, she was"Memaw"- atitle that carried with it warmthand unconditional love Memaw was theheart of herfamily. Shewas the person everyoneturned to for thelatestfamilyupdates.Her accepting, forgiving and accommodating spirit wasunmatched. Born in Bucyrus, Ohio in 1937 and raisedin Cleveland, she marriedin 1955 and moved with her familyin1973 to New Orleans, when herfour childrenwereages 2, 4, 6, and 8. Thereshe spent the next 52 years. Familywas Memaw's greatest joyand she absolutely delighted in theholidays, when every square inch of herhome wouldbecome filledwith dozens of familymembers. Heranticipationfor holiday gatheringswould begin weeks in advance when she wouldstartbakingcookies all day long to make sure therewould always be enough Predeceased by herparents, Robert WarrenKeller andMildred EwingKeller, andbysister Ruthie Keller Aiello (Bruce). She is survivedbyher belovedhusbandof70years, James "Jim"Bell, andtheir children:Rob (Bonnie),Gary (Monica), Ron(Tessie), andLora. Herlegacycontinues through hergrandchildrenRyan (Brigid), Mandy (Devin),Keller (Maribel), Justin, Gary Jr., Richard,James, Blake, Brenna, Brooks, and Parker, andher greatgrandchildrenCollin, Lucy, Adalynn,and Alexander. Therewasn't an animal Memaw didn't love,from thefamilypetsoverthe years, to strays and even wild animalswho seemed to know instinctively that herheart wasopento them.Before herretirement, she wasa devoted Registered Nurse.She began working at West JeffersonGeneral Hospital, whereshe rose to become Director of Nursing Pediatrics. Shelater workedfor yearsin Pediatrics at Meadowcrest Hospital andJoEllen Smith Memorial Hospital. Shelater became theschool nurse at Alice M. Harte ElementarySchool, where she touched manyyoung lives.A celebrationoflife will be held Saturday, June 14th, at 10:00 am at Lake LawnMetairieFuneral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Boulevard, NewOrleans, La. 70124, witha short service to follow at noon. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you showkindness to someone,share a sweet treat, or give an animal alittle extra love —all things Memaw wouldhave doneherself.Her legacy lives on in the hearts she touched, and thefamily shebuilt.She will be missed more than words cansay andshe will never be forgotten.

Isaac IkeBrisbon a beloved son, brother, cousin, andfriend, peace‐fully departed this life at the ageof52onJune 4th, 2025, surrounded by his Motherand Sister.Born and raised in NewOrleans, Louisiana,Isaac liveda life markedbyquiet strength, and adeep love forthe thingsthatbrought him joy.A skilledmechanicby trade,Isaac wasknown for his hands-on wisdom and talentfor breathinglife backintocars. Butbeyond the shop,his true passion shinedthrough in his uniquelovefor restoring bicycles—especially those outﬁttedwithlightsand music that turned every rideintoa celebration. His creations broughtsmiles toneighbors andchildren alike,adding rhythm and brightnesstothe streetsof New Orleans. Ikeleavesto cherish hismemoryhis de‐voted mother,RoseBris‐bon;his loving sister, KeishaBrisbon,(4) Uncles Levy(Cynthia) Brisbon, Emile (Yolanda)Brisbon, Michael (Kendrell) Brisbon, and DemetriusBrisbon.(3) AuntsJuanita (Eddie) Bris‐bon,Trina Brisbon, and Joycelyn(Jacob) Brisbon, his grandfatherWarren Brisbon,and onedear friend, FrederickAugus‐tine. Hislifewas touched bymany, buthis circle re‐mainedgrounded in those who trulyknewhis heart. Henow restsineternal peace,reunitedwithhis fa‐ther, Ervin“Bj”Smith;his beloved grandmother, Bet‐tyJoyce Brisbon; hisgrand‐father, Adam “Cho-Cho Burrell; hisuncle,Jerome "Cut" Brisbon; andhis cousins Lashondrieka and WeltonBrisbon,who pre‐ceded himineternal life ThoughIsaac hadnochil‐drenofhis own, hiskind‐ness, humor, andgenerous spiritleftanunforgettable markonall who knew him. His presence will be missed, butthe memories ofhis laughter,and crafts‐manship,willliveonfor‐ever. Relativesand Friends ofthe Family areinvited to attend hisCelebration of LifeService on Saturday June 14th, 2025 at 11:00am atMajesticMortuarySer‐viceInc.1833 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd NewOrleans Louisiana 70113. Visitation willbegin at 10:00am.In‐terment will be private. Due to COVID-19, everyone attendingisencouragedto wearmasks andadhereto socialdistancing. Profes‐sionalArrangementsen‐trusted to Majestic Mortu‐ary Service, Inc. (504) 5235872.

ChristmasSr.,Charles Manny

CharlesManny Christ‐mas Sr.age 94 passed awayonMay 27, 2025 sur‐rounded by family. Charles was preceded in deathby his wife of 63 yearsDelores Smith Christmas, twosons Charles June ChristmasJr. and Carl LeeChristmas and onedaughterCharles‐tineBridges.Alsopreceded indeath by threesisters and twobrothers. Charles leavestocherish hismem‐ory,two daughters, Mary Elmoreand Maple (Theodore)Robinson, two sonsTyrone(Paula) Christ‐mas andJimmieChrist‐mas.Healsoleaves ﬁfteen grandchildren,twenty-four great-grandchildren,six great-great grandchildren and ahostofnieces, nephews andother rela‐tives.Relatives andfriends ofthe familyare invitedto attend theCelebration of LifeService forCharles Manny ChristmasSr. on SaturdayJune 14, 2025 for 10:00 a.m. at OaklandBap‐

4B ✦ Thursday, June 12, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune tist Church,825 Reverend Richard Wilson Dr.Kenner, La. 70062. Viewingat 9:00 a.m.until 10:00 a.m. service time. Rev. CharlesHurst (Pastor)ofﬁciating. Inter‐ment: Providence Memor‐ial Park Cemetery,8200 Air‐lineDr. Metairie,LA70003. ArrangementsEntrusted

ToEstelle J. Wilson Funeral Home, Inc. 2715 Danneel St NOLA70113.Information: (504)895-4903. To sign on‐lineguest book please visit www.estellejwilsonfh.com

Gonzalez,Stella

Mrs. Stella Gonzalez was alifelongresidentof New Orleans, LA,bornon October 1, 1941 andde‐partedonMay 25, 2025 She enjoyedlifetothe fullest andenjoyed beinga homemaker.She will be loved,adoredand remem‐bered foreverfor herout‐spokenand outgoing per‐sonality. Stella is survived bytwo daughters, Jau‐vanda Cutnoand RoiRem‐ble;six grandchildren, JovoughnCutno,Jamaal Cutno,JapenaDuval, JanikquaCutno,Steven Remble, andGlendale Thomas; andsix greatgrandchildren,Ah’Nijah Axam, KameronLeoard, WariOgounII, KeiraGonza‐lez,Kylie Gonzalez,Jahaire Cutno;her sister Bernadine Stewart;and ahostof niecesand nephews. She was preceded in deathby her husbandRoy Gonzalez her only sonGlenThomas, and eldest grandson Ward Gonzalez; andsisters Laura,Betty,Hilda Tyler; and nephew AntoineLa‐Garde.Wewillall continue toloveand miss her dearly. Relativesand friend ofthe familyare invitedto attendthe celebrationof lifeservice which will be heldonSaturday, June 14, 2025 at GentillyBaptist Churchlocated at 5141 FranklinAvenue,New Or‐leans,LA70122. Thevisita‐tionwillbegin at 1:30 p.m., and theservice will begin at2:30p.m.Interment will beprivate.Funeral plan‐ningentrusted to Robinson FamilyFuneralHome, 9611 LA-23, BelleChasse, LA 70037, (504) 208-2119. For onlinecondolences,please visit www.robinsonfamilyf unerahome.com

Madeline OlivierGuidrybornonApril 28,1940 in New Orleans, LA passed ontoher heavenly home onJune 7, 2025, at theage of85. Shelived most of her lifeinher home in Metairie withher family, to whom she wasverydevoted.She was also devotedto her other familyatStEdward the ConfessorCatholic Church, where shegaveof herself generously as a volunteer.Madelinewas precededindeath by her husband of 57 years, Noel Guidry; parents, Emma and SidneyOlivier,Sr.;brother, Russell Olivier; father and mother-in-law,Leonand Jeanne Guidry;brothers-inlaw,Leonand RoyGuidry and HenrySchiro, Sr.; sis‐ter-in-law, Elaine Guidry; and son-in-law,Armand Matherne, Jr.She is sur‐vived by herchildren, Michael Guidry,MaryEar‐les (David), DebbieAnder‐son (John),SharonMath‐erne, andKevin Guidry;her grandchildren,Jason Guidry, Matthew Guidry, LisaEarles, Margaret Ear‐les,RobertAnderson (Samantha), Thomas An‐derson, Alex Matherne,An‐dreaMatherne, andNatalie Matherne; hersiblings, SidneyOlivier,Jr. (Carol), Janet McCormick(James) Kenneth Olivier, Sr.(Gin‐ger), andsisters-in-law, MaryLenaOlivier,Carol Guidry, andSylviaSchiro. She is also survived by the manymuch-lovedcousins nieces, nephews, andchil‐drenofthese.Familyand friends areinvited to at‐tend thefuneral services

on Friday,June13, 2025, at St. Edward theConfessor Catholic Church,4921 W. MetairieAve Metairie,LA 70001. Visitation will begin at9am followed by aMass at11am. Intermentwillfol‐low aftermassinGarden ofMemoriesCemetery, 4900 AirlineDrive,Metairie, LA70001. To offeronline condolences,send ﬂowers tothe familyorplant atree inmemoryofMadeline Guidry, please visit, www gardenofmemoriesmetairi e.com

ship offers from presti‐

On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, BarbaraAnn Jones Harrell enteredintoeternal restather home.She was bornApril 24, 1944 in New Orleans,LAtothe late Harry Jonesand Florence Coleman Jones. Barbara Jones Harrellwas the beloved wife of thelate GeraldAugustHarrell,Sr. Theywereunitedinholy matrimony on April25, 1964 in Sunrise, Louisiana. Tothisunion were born six children, Lori AnnHarrell, GeraldAugustHarrell,Jr. (Patricia “Trudie”), Nicole Ann Harrell, Bridgette Har‐rellHuntley(Quinn),Corey Andre’Harrell, andthe late JerrieA.Harrell Godfrey (theLate Kenneth).Bar‐baraJones Harrellwas baptizedin1956, at theage of12, in theMississippi River by Reverend Alcide Merrick at FirstMount Zion MissionaryBaptist Church, inSunrise,Louisiana Throughouther life,she was spirituallyguidedby the Word of God. Herlife, aswellasher family’s life, was centered in the church.She raised herchil‐drenatBethelA.M.E Church,New Orleans Louisiana,where shewas a SundaySchool andVaca‐tionBible School teacher, aswellasa leader of the Young People Department Barbara wasalsoa mem‐ber of theAdult Choirand a GirlScout Leader.Before Hurricane Katrina, shebe‐camea member of Gaza MissionaryBaptist Church, and then Franklin Avenue Baptist Church.While away fromhomeduringthe hur‐ricane, sheattendedMt. OlivetMissionaryBaptist Church in Monroe Louisiana andFranklinAv‐enue BaptistChurch in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When shereturnedtoNew Orleans,she continuedher membershipatFranklin AvenueBaptist Church Barbara received herhigh school diplomafromSun‐riseHighSchool in 1962 and herBachelor’sDegree inEarly Childhood Educa‐tionfromSouthernUniver‐sityofNew Orleansin1979 Beforebecominganeduca‐tor,Barbara wasemployed atCharity Hospital of New Orleans.Upon receiving her degree, shewas em‐ployedbythe Archdiocese ofNew Orleans: St.David Elementaryand St.Maryof the Angels;Orleans Parish School Board: RayAbrams and George WashingtonEl‐ementary Schools; and Plaquemines School Board: Boothville-Venice and Buras Elementary Schools. Barbara retiredfrom the Orleans Parish School Board on March25, 2006 She loved beinganeduca‐tor.Itwas herlife’smis‐siontoimpartknowledge and wisdom to those around her. Shewas beloved by allofher stu‐dents,parents,faculty staff, family,and friends. Her pass time enjoyment was sewing,cooking, read‐ing,traveling,fellowship with familyand friends, and more importantly, sharing thegospelto everyoneshe encountered. Her love forher church,her family, friends, neighbors and community wasevi‐dentinthe life shelived Barbara’s legacy will live oninher children,aswell asher grandchildren, Jen‐trele,Jarred, Courtney, Gerald, III “Tre” (Tuwaikene),Jeremy, and Syndi Harrell; Jordan God‐frey(Ash’Leigh);Raven Parker(Patrick, Sr.);Torin Sr. (Kayla)and Noah Hawkins;Michael,Marcus, and Brianna Huntley; and great-grandchildren,Caleb Adams;Javian, Yo’el, Ya’ir, Jru,and Jordyn Harrell; Syrai Manimoi; PatrickJr. and Raya Parker;Torin “Levi”Jr. andAnnalia Hawkins;and Isabella Huntley. Barbaraalsohad three godchildren:Kerbert Vaugn Jr,Keshun Carpen‐ter,and theLateLoretta Jones Henry. Barbarawas precededindeath by her husband,GeraldAugust

Harrell, Sr.; herdaughter, JerrieH.Godfrey;her sonin-law, KennethGodfrey; her parents, Harry andFlo‐rence Jones; andher sis‐ters, Rosemary J. Vaughn and Gloria J. Foster.Bar‐baraleavestocherish her memory, her ﬁve children thirteen grandchildren, twelvegreat-grandchil‐dren, twosisters,Carolyn J. Parker(KennethSr.)and Henrietta J. Turner (Theodore Jr.),one aunt (DeloresP.Coleman), her three sisters-in-law,Leola Hamilton, Lorraine Sample and Janice Banks, anda hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,and friends. Through Barbara’sprayers and supplication,her fam‐ily is blessedbyGod’s grace andfavor.Special thankstoher son, Corey Andre’, who took excellent careofhis mother during these past years. Relatives and friendsofthe family are also invitedtoattend the FuneralService at FranklinAve Baptist Church,8282 I-10 Service RoadNew Orleans, Louisiana on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 10:00am Visitationwillbegin at 9:00amuntil 10:00am.In addition,you canviewthe servicesonlineatwww franklinabc.com,Face‐book.com/fabcnola, and YouTube.com/fabcnola. In‐terment:Providence MemorialParkCemetery. ArrangementsbyD.W RhodesFuneralHome, 3933 WashingtonAve,New Or‐leans,LA70125. Please visit www.rhodesfuneral. com to sign theonline guestbook

LandaS.Henry wasborn onNovember13, 1946 in New Orleans, Louisiana and departed this life on June 2, 2025 at theage of 78, at herhomeinWest‐wego, Louisiana. In her early school years, sheat‐tendedSt. Joan of Arc Catholic School andcom‐pletedher educationat WalterL.Cohen Sr.High School.Inthe mid70‘s Landa startedher career in the healthcare fieldwhere she wasemployedbyBap‐tistHospital, East Jefferson Hospitaland West Jeffer‐son Hospital forover30 years.Landa wasa beloved anddevoted mem‐ber of theBroadwayMis‐sionary BaptistChurch for over50years.Her strong Christian beliefswerea guiding lightthroughout her life.She wasa resident ofWestwego, Louisianafor 54years where shebuilt a warmand welcoming home filledwithloveand laughter. Landaleavesbe‐hindcherished memories and is survived by herde‐voted husband of 58 years, RonaldD.Henry,Sr. who has stood by herside through everychapter of their shared journey. Born inthatunion wasRonald, Jr.,(wife Simone); Betty M. Henry;AngelaC.Henry;11 grandchildren;and 12 great grandchildren. Sheis precededindeath by her parents Gilbertand Murdis T.Smith,three brothers, Gilbert,Jr, Earl andLenord Smith andthree sisters RitaJ.Kelly,Charlotte M. Jones andBrendaSmith Landa's presence will be sorelymissedbyall who knewher,but herlegacy lives on throughthe cher‐ished memories shecre‐atedwithher familyand friends.Her gentle spirit and unwavering faith touched thelives of many, leaving an indeliblemark onthe hearts of thosefor‐tunate enough to have known her. Funeralser‐vices will be Friday,June 13, 2025 at Broadway Mis‐sionary BaptistChurch,121 Alvin Calendar Street,New Orleans,Louisiana.Visita‐tionisfrom8-10am. Ser‐vicewillstart at 10 am.Dr. Cornelius Tilton will offici‐ate andinterment will fol‐low in Woodlawn Cemetery inWestwego. Funeralplan‐ningentrusted to Robinson FamilyFuneralHome, 9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse LA 70037, (504) 208-2119. For onlinecondolences,please visit www.robinsonfamilyf uneralhome.com.

RaymondGeorgeHoff‐mannofNew Orleans, Louisiana passedawayon May 17, 2025, at theage of 89. He wasa native of New Orleans born on Septem‐ber 12,1935 to hisloving parents ChristianCharles Hoffmannand Marguerite Ehren Hoffmann. Raymond was alovinghusband to MargaretHarringtonHoff‐mannfor 40 years, who precededhim in death. He was adevoted father to Raymond George Hoff‐mann, Jr andRobin “Buffy” Lafont (Jody).Hewas pre‐ceded in deathbyhis daughterKelly Jackman (Danny).Raymond wasa lovingbrother to Joseph AdolphHoffmannand Mar‐garet Hoffmann Giovengo and thelateChristian Charles Hoffmann, Jr,Ger‐ard Joseph Hoffmann MaryAnn Hoffmann Mis‐tretta andmanynieces and nephews. He is sur‐vived by 7grandchildren: DanielJackman (Katelyn), JenniferJackman Stone (Clay), ChristopherJack‐man (Jenny), TiffanyHoff‐mannPledger (Joe), Jeffrey Hoffmann, AlyseLafont Weber (Tommy)and Ross Lafont (Katie). He is also survivedby13great grand‐children. Raymondgradu‐atedfromRedemptorist HighSchool.Heretired fromIllinoisCentral Rail‐roadand wasco-ownerof HoffmannPestControl.He enjoyed boating, golf, woodworkingand allthe littleprojectsheliked to workon, which if youknew him youprobablybene‐ﬁtedfrom. He especially enjoyed hisfamily, andwe havemanygreat memories ofhim.Sixty-ﬁve years ago, Raymondmoved to PattonStwhere he found his home.The street’s per‐sonaisexactly who he was generous, caring andsup‐portive.Wewillalwaysbe gratefulfor everyone who supported Raymondinthe lastyears of hislife. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend thefuneral massJune 13, 2025 at 11:00am at St.Francis of Assisi Church.631 StateSt NOLA. Visitation will begin at9:00am. Arrangements byJacob Schoen &Son Fu‐neral Home.Condolences may be left at www schoenfh.com

HorridgeJr.,Edward Charles

Edward CharlesHor‐ridge,Jr. born on May23, 1935, in NewOrleans,LA, passedawaypeacefully surrounded by hisfamily onJune 5, 2025, at theage of90years.Hewas pre‐ceded in deathbyhis wife, Camille Doskey Horridgeof 63years andissurvivedby his five children:Stephanie A.Rutter(Jimmy),Edward C.Horridge, III(Lauren), StevenM.Horridge(Julie) Bryan P. Horridge(Julie) and HeathH.Horridge (Jennifer). He is also sur‐vived by 16 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchil‐dren. Eddiewas theson of the late DaisyRomeHor‐ridge andEdwardCharles Horridge, Sr.Hewas pre‐ceded in deathbyhis sis‐ters, ShirleyKornrumpf Alice Selle, Yvonne Dilib‐erto, Lois Goodrich,Daisy Brennan,and brothers Arthur “Buddy,” James, Lawrence, Reginald,and TheodoreHorridge. He is survivedbyhis brother, GerardHorridge. Anative ofNew Orleansand proud graduateofWarrenEaston HighSchool,Eddielived a lifemarkedbyexcellence, humility, anddevotionto family, faith,and commu‐nity. Eddie’sathleticac‐complishments were stuff oflegend, so extraordinary theyalmostseem fictional. In trackand field, he was the undefeated,back-tobackState Champion in the broadjump, hopstep and jump andjavelin,set‐tingrecords in allthree Thoughwidelyrecognized asthe best high jumper in the state, competition rules limitedhim to only three events.His perfor‐manceearnedhim scholar‐Guidry,MadelineOlivier

gious universities includ‐ing Southern California and LongBeach State. Hisath‐letic excellence extended tothe basketball court, where Eddiewas named First-TeamAll-Stateand rankedamong Louisiana’s top scorersand rebound‐ers.Yet,beyondthe tro‐phies andrecords,Eddie’s heart wasalwaysbigger thanthe game.Hechose to followhis heartoverhis athleticcareer,marrying the love of hislifeand em‐barking on abusinessjour‐ney that definedhim as muchashis sportsman‐ship. Eddiespent hisentire professionalcareer with the USDA as asystems an‐alyst,demonstrating the sameloyalty anddiscipline thatmadehim achampion inathletics.After 35 years ofdedicated service, he re‐tired at theage of 55, leav‐ing behind notonlya stronglegacybut count‐lessfriendships.Outside of work, Eddieenjoyed noth‐ing more than spending timewithfamilyand friends;especially cheer‐ing on hischildrenattheir sportingeventsorenjoying cardand boardgames filled with laughter anda competitive spirit.But it was on thewater, fishing rod in hand,thatEddie found histruepeace.He was more than askilled angler, he wasa student and master of thecraft, connectingwithsomething hedeeply loved. In theend, Eddiewas more than a championathlete or pas‐sionate angler,hewas a man of God, afriend, and one who ledbyexample inspiring thosearound him withhis perseverance kindness, andunwavering loyalty.His love forhis familywas profound and willlastfor generations. Relatives andfriends of EddieHorridgeare invited toLeitz-Eagan Funeral Home, 4747 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, LA on Monday June 16, 2025. Visitation willbegin at 9:00 am fol‐lowed by aMemorialMass at10:30 am.Interment will beinSt. PatrickCemetery No. 1tobeheldata later date. In lieu of flowers, do‐nations to fund research and educationofmerkel cellcarcinoma maybe madeatwww.merkelcell. org.The online guestbook may be viewed andsigned byvisitingwww.leitzea ganfuneralhome.com.

Rochelle Deonne Hurst entered eternalrestonthe morning of Thursday,June 5,2025 surrounded by her son andfamily. Rochelle was aproud graduate of Booker T. Washington Class of 1972 andTalladega College,Class of 1976. She was aretired employee of the United States Postal Service anda Teacherfor the NewOrleans School system. Sheloved children and they lovedher.There was always someonevisit‐ing or stayingather home She wasalsofondof flow‐ers andplantswitha kitchen garden in therear ofher home untilshe be‐cameill.Daughterofthe lateEmily Yvonne and Jaret Hurst, Sr.Survivors include herson,Leighlan Hurst;granddaughter, LeiandraHurst andgreatgranddaughter,Brielle Amore Conley;siblings, EarlR.Hurst,Sr. (Harriet), Jaret W. Hurst, Jr.(Estelle) and Charlotte S. Hurst; sis‐ter-in-law, Collinetha Hurst,aswellasa host of nieces, nephewsand cousins,who love her dearly. In addition to her parents,Rochelle is also precededindeath by sib‐lings,Larry,Sr.,Harry,Sr., Albernae, Sr.and An‐toinette Hurst. Family, friends andmembers of Edgewater andNew Hope Baptist Churches;alumni ofBookerT.Washington (Classof’72),Dillard Uni‐versity,Orleans Parish PublicSchool System;Staff ofthe United States Postal service areinvited to at‐tendthe funeral. ACele‐bration Servicehonoring the life andlegacyofthe lateRochelle Deonne Hurst willbeheldinthe Chapel ofCharbonnetLabat Glapion FuneralHome, 1615 St.PhilipStreet,New Orleans,LA70116 on Friday June 13, 2025 at 10 am,Rev JonathanF.Smith,Officiat‐ing.Interment private. Visi‐tation9 am in thechapel. Repastimmediatelyfol‐lowsatthe National Asso‐ciation of LetterCarriers Hall, 4200 ElysianFieldsAv‐enue,NOLA70122. In lieu of flowers, memorial dona‐

tionsmay be sent to the AmericanCancerSociety inhonor of Rochelle Hurst, www.ACS.org.Phone num‐ber 800-992-2623. Please signonlineguest book at www.charbonnetfuneralho me.com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion,Directors (504)581 4411.

Kruger, Fern

Fern Kruger,bornMarch 15, 1945, in NewYork, passedawayinNew OrleansonJune10, 2025 surroundedbylove. Alifelong educator, Fern earned abachelor'sdegree from QueensCollegeand amaster's in educational psychology from Hofstra University. She wasloved by generationsofstudents whose lives she touched Herjourney stretched from the NewYorkisland to the Redwood forest, to theGulfStream waters. Shehad many meaningful chaptersand communities in NewYork, Vermont,and California whereshe raisedher daughter, was an engagedcommunity member in Alameda, Temple Emanu-El, DKG, andothers, and built lifelongfriendships. Fern was an artist, natural conversationalist, and spiritual person with strongprinciples. In NewOrleans,she embracedlifefully —through TouroSynagogue,the Jewish CommunityCenter, andthe Willow School, as well as theTulane Women'sAssociation, her Mardi Gras family, work with TogetherNew Orleans, andthe Grannies. Shemarchedtothe beat of herown drum with joie de vivre,her spirit areflection of thecityshe came to love Sheissurvivedbyher daughter, Amanda Kruger Hill; grandsons, Benjamin andLouis Hill; son-in-law, Graham Hill; andbeloved familynearand far Fern will be rememberedasaloving mother andMimi, avibrantpresence,whose warmth and generosity left alasting mark. The memorial service will be held at Touro Synagogue,4238 St Charles Avenue,at2:30pm on Friday, June 13, 2025, and burialwas held at Hebrew Rest Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Touro Synagogue in herhonor

DianeHodges LeBeouf passedaway peacefully surrounded by her lovedonesather home inAbita Springs, Louisiana, onJune 8, 2025, at theage of65. Born in Panama City Florida,onDecember2, 1959, Dianelived alife filled with love,intention, and grace. Aproud gradu‐ate of theUniversityof New Orleans, Dianeearned her Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts with honors She went on to manage the office of herbeloved hus‐band’slaw firm,where her sharp mind andimpecca‐ble organization were in‐valuable. Awoman of manytalents,she also held a blackbeltinTae Kwon Do and wasa gifted,selftaughtinteriordecorator whose creativity brought warmthand beauty into every spaceshe touched. Diane is preceded in death byher parents, JamesA Hodges, Jr.and Gladys Aileen Hodges.She is sur‐vived by herdevoted hus‐band, Albert J. LeBeouf, Sr.; her sister,SharonHodges (Bob);her niece, Sara Mc‐Cann(Cary); hergreatnephew, Beau;her nephew James Harvey (Malayne); her great-niece, Charlotte; her lifelong friend andsis‐ter,TinaLong, herhusband Gary, andtheir children: Shani Lannert, Dena (Kelly Donnell) andGeoffrey Long

Hoffmann, Raymond George

Harrell, Barbara AnnJones

Henry, LandaS.

Hurst, Rochelle Deonne

LeBeouf, Cheryl DianeHodges

Cheryl

(Tara), herclose friend, Janet Hensley, herhusband Skipand sonNathan. She isalsolovinglyremem‐bered by herstepsons, Al‐bert“Butch” J. LeBeouf, Jr (Nevena)and Paul LeBeouf (Emily);daughter-in-law, Theresa LeBeouf; andthree grandchildren,Julien LeBeouf (Hannah),Shane LeBeouf,and ÉlèneMichele LeBeouf,her brother-in-law Larry LeBeouf, sisters-inlaw,EllaHarleauxand Donna Leah Carstarphen. Diane leaves behind many cherished aunts, uncles cousins,sisters,and broth‐ers-in-law, as well as nu‐merousnieces and nephews.Diane wasa radi‐ant soul,known by allasa shining lightwhose pres‐encebrought joy, comfort, and laughter.She livedlife onher ownterms,meticu‐louslyplanningand exe‐cutingitwithintention and love. Herfavoriteplace was herbackporch,per‐fectlypositionedtotakein the view of the ﬂowersand yardher Albert so lovingly tendedfor her. Shealso found greatpeace in the white sandsofDestin, toes inthe surf,a Corona in hand, anda heartfullof joy.ToknowDiane wasto feel welcomed,hugged tightly,and kissedwith squeaky affection. Shewas the perfectwife, mother sister, aunt,niece,cousin, friend, andmatriarch—she truly took care of every‐one.Her unwavering faith inGod,deep love forher family, andunmatched warmthleave behind a legacythatwillliveonin the hearts of allwho were blessedtoknowher Guestsare encouraged to wearcolorfulattirein honor of Diane’sluminous lifeand spirit.Relatives and friendsare invitedto visit Greenwood Funeral Home, locatedat5200 Canal Blvd., NewOrleans, LA70124,onSaturday, June 14, 2025, at 11:00 AM Methodist Services will fol‐low thevisitationat1:00 PMinthe chapel.The bur‐ial will take placeinGreen‐wood Cemetery.A recep‐tionwillfollowthe burial atGreenwood Funeral Home’sBoulevard Room.In lieuof ﬂowers, please con‐sider donating to theNew Orleans MissionorSt. Tam‐manyHospice.Wealsoin‐viteyou to shareyour thoughts, fond memories, and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com Your shared memories will helpuscelebrate Diane’s lifeand keep hermemory alive.She will be deeply missedand foreverre‐membered.

Armand Lewispassed awayonTuesday,June 3, 2025, at theage of 56. He is survivedbyhis wife Sarah Conerly Lewis, daughter IndiaC.Perrault-Diggs (Lorenzo),granddaughters; Londonand ParisAlexan‐der,grandson; Rome Diggs sisters;Geraldine Rumley, Tanya Neason (Kevin), Bar‐baraSaloy,and Dr.Mona LisaSaloy,brothers; Louis J.Saloy Jr., AnthonySaloy, NelsonYoungblood, Jr.and TorreySaloy (Chimene), three step daughters; Ser‐ena McNeal (Kenyatta), Sonia Conerly, and AmandaMcNeal, seven stepgrand grandchildren, three step greatgrand‐daughters,ninestep grandsons ﬁve step great grandsons anda host of aunts, uncles,nieces, great nieces, nephews, great nephews,cousins,family and friends. Preceded in death by hisparents Do‐lores L. Y. Saloyand LouisJ Saloy,Sr.,his sister and brothers, CarolAnn Young‐blood,Wardell Youngblood, and KennethLewis.Family and friendsare invitedto attend theCelebration of LifeService on Friday,June 13, 2025, for10:00 a.m. at The Boyd Family Funeral Home, 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy NewOrleans,LA 70126. Visitation will begin at9:00a.m.SeniorPastor FredLuter,Jr.,ofﬁciating. Intermentwillfollowat HoltCemetery, 635 City ParkAvenue,New Orleans, LA70119. GuestbookOn‐line: www.anewtraditionbe gins.com(504)282-0600 LinearBrooksBoydand Donavin D. Boyd Own‐ers/Funeral Directors

Musso Sr., Robert James 'Bobby'

RobertJamesMusso, Sr., "Bobby",passed away on Sunday,June 12, 2022, at the age of 74 as aresult of heart and kidneyfailure He was the belovedhusband of Cynthia Rita Mahl Mussofor 50 years and was the loving fatherof RobertJamesMusso, Jr., "Robby"; Stacey Marie Musso; and Timothy James Musso, "Tim". Bobby was bornonFebruary 29, 1948, in NewOrleans, Louisiana. He is preceded in death by his father, Joseph Anthony Musso. He was survived by his mother,Alice Margaret HuffmanMusso, who is now deceased. He is survived by his siblings: Thomas Musso (Carol); KathleenMusso High (Jeffrey); JosephMusso (Lisa); and Theresa Musso LaBauve(Randall). He was alsoa special uncleto many niecesand nephews. Bobby attendedSt. Leo the Great Elementary in NewOrleans, Louisiana, Classof1962;earned a four year scholarship to Jesuit High School in New Orleans,Louisiana,Class of 1966;and graduated from Louisiana State University in New Orleans with aBachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Class of 1970. Bobby was employed by the Louisiana Department of Labor/Louisiana Workforce Commission as an Unemployment Tax Auditor forover40years. Hewas veryconscientious, hard-working, and well likedinthe field.

Bobby met the love of his life, Cindy, through a mutualfriend on ablind date in January of 1967. Five years later, theymarried on March18, 1972. First and foremost Bobby lovedhis family. As apresent husband and dad, he was alwaysthere forthem no matter what time of the day or night, without any complaints.

Caringfor hisparents, Bobby wouldhelp with theirhome, rental properties, and vehicles. He was also ahelpful brotherto his siblings and in-laws.

Also,Bobby displayed true neighborly concernto the extent of helping individuals strandedalong the road, until it becametoo dangerous to do so. As a Good Samaritan, Bobby willinglyhelpedfriends of thefamilyand withinthe community.

Bobby's interests were music, mechanics, fixing anything,food,and shopping.His love formusicbeganasa young child. He even took couples' dance lessons as apreteen.He loved working on cars, and he even rebuiltthe engine of his truck. He wasknown as an "ace mechanic". Family and friends referred to him as the fix-it-man. As aresultofhis wellrounded abilities, Bobby was the contractor when building their family home. Helovedtogrocery shop by storehopping forthe sales of the week. Bobby continued to battle and overcome many illnesses as longashecould. So much so, Cindy nicknamed him "Iron Man".

Ecclesiastes 3:11states that God has puteternity in mankind'sheart.So, Bobby desired to continue on living with hisfamily and friends. He trulyloved his family and hislife

Bobby's family eagerly awaits seeing him again through the promise of a resurrection as stated in Acts 24:15 Since Bobby wassuch a fanofmusic, hisfamily feelsthat the band The Turtlessaiditbest: "We'll Meet Again".

Bobby's family would like to thankthe extended family, doctors, and nurses fortheir care through the years with Bobby's health

ucated in theOrleans ParishSchool system and was drafted to theUnited StatesArmyin1977. Isaac workedasa Welder,Radi‐ology transporter, Stock clerk anda Postmanfor the United StatePostalser‐vice, Isaac also specialized asanUnlicensedCoun‐selor forAll thosethat would call or come over for a “RealTalk.”Isaac found joy from thesimplethings inlife. He lovedlistening to Anita Baker, Sade,Luther Vandross, andBarry White; watchinga rangeof movies, comedy specials, and re-runs of theMartin Show; playingchess and going ﬁshing. Butmostly, heloved hisFamily. He leavestocherish hismem‐ories,son Isaac Parker Jr., godsonTevin Bell,Daugh‐tersSharonand Sharmain Mathew. GrandsonsCarl Hurst III, Cam’ronHurst Rasha’d Gonzalez,Lyric Jenkins,Granddaughters Rosha’Matthew andBon‐nie Thompson.Isaac is alsosurvivedbyhis broth‐ers John Parker Jr Peter ParkerSr. Dexter Parker Sr and George (Tracy)Parker Sr. SistersDebbie(Willie) Carey.Schewanda (George)Hill, Jerrydean Henry,Pamela(Dr.Welling‐ton)Coleman Jr andCas‐saundra (Dwight) Andrews. One UncleLeroy Brown, Aunt Thelma Bishop, nieces, nephews, family, and friends. Isaac is pre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐entsBetty andJohnParker Sr.,TwinsisterIvy Fulton, sisters BarbaraHoward, Joyce Riley, Brenda and Marzetta Parker.Brothers, Charles Parker Sr.and WilbertParkerSr. Nieces JoanRiley. NephewsAn‐thony Hamilton Jr Keith Graham, Joseph andTroy Parker. Grandparents Aunts, andUncles. Funeral ServiceswillbeheldonFri‐day,June 13, 2025 at Gen‐tilly BaptistChurch 5141 FranklinAve.New Orleans, LA70122 for10:00am Viewing will beginat 9:00amuntil 10:00am.Bur‐ial will be held at alater date. Professional Arrange‐ments EntrustedtoMajes‐tic Mortuary Service, Inc. (504)523-5872.

andDonavin D. Boyd Own‐

ers/FuneralDirectors

PellegrinConstantino, Angelina Mary

Isaac LeeParkerSr.,lov‐ingly knownas, “Ike,Big Ike, UncleIke”transitioned tohis heavenly home on May 27,2025. Isaacwas bornonAugust3rd,1956, tothe Late BettyJean Parkerand John James ParkerSr. in NewOrleans Louisiana.Isaac accepted Christ, theLordand Savior at ayoung age. He wased‐

JoyceErnestine Patter‐son passedawayonJune 1,2025, at theage of 93 Joyce is survived by her children: MontrelA.Sur‐gentSr.,and Donna Patter‐son Gage,grandchildren: KeishaLavallais,Nikita Pierre, MontrelA.Surgent Jr.,Stephen P. Gage and Christopher N. Gage,great grandchildren:Angel Nel‐son,Allison Harris,Montrel A.Surgent III, LyricL.Gage, Christopher N. Gage II, and MelodyM.Gage. Also sur‐vived by ahostofother rel‐ativesand friends. Pre‐ceded in deathbyparents: Napoleonand IvaLee Pat‐terson, sisters: Rena Mitchell, DaisyArmourand MargaretTaylor, brothers: Gerald, Nathaniel, Marcel, and JamesPatterson,and daughter-in-law Joan Sur‐gent. Family andfriends are invitedtoshare the Celebration of Life Service onFriday, June 13, 2025, for 10:00 a.m. at Corpus Christi-EpiphanyCatholic Church,2022 St.Bernard Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70116. Visitation will begin at8:00a.m.and continue until 9:15 a.m. Father KingsleyOgbuji, SSJ, ofﬁci‐ating.Interment will follow atSt. LouisCemetery#3, 3421 EsplanadeAve New Orleans,LA70119. Repass willbeheldatResurrection MissionaryBaptist Church Hall, 6960 Martin Dr New Orleans,LA70126. Guest‐book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com(504)2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd

Angelina "Gigi"Pellegrin Constantino was called home to theLordonJune 7, 2025. She was bornon December 10, 1957 in New Orleans, LA.She worked for Maison Blanche Dept. Store,A&P grocery retailer, ownedher own daycare, and was ahomemaker She was amember of the Terrytown Booster Club for many years. She enjoyed playing bingoatAzalea Hall,cooking herfavorite Italianmeals, and watching her children playsoftball andbaseballthrough theyears. To knowher was to knowshe lovedshopping, buther favoritetimes were spent with her four youngestgrandchildren: Miranda, Madilyn, Arabella, and Milania. She shared greattimeswith her friend AnthonyZaffuto. She rescued achihuahua namedhim "Buddy", and he became her best pet companion.She lovedthe canine breed, ShihTzu, and ownedfour of them throughout the years. She is preceded in deathbyher father Percy J. Pellegrin, mother AnnieLaScala Pellegrin, husband Harold J. Constantino Sr.,brotherin-law Larry Constantino and sister-in-law Mona Constantino Benson. She is survivedbyher sonHarold J. Constantino Jr. and wife Bridgette, daughterKristen M. Constantino,stepson Michael Constantino, and stepdaughter Stacey Wilkinson. She is thesister of LarryPellegrinand wife Sandra, and Mary Pellegrin Guerrera. She is survived by her grandchildren Brianna Wilkinson Preiss, KaitlynBuonagura, Dylan Wilkinson, Miranda Mareno, Madilyn Constantino, Arabella Constantino, and Milania Mareno. Also survived by her godchildrenJessica Guerrera Palazzo and husband Anthony, Eric Pellegrinand wife Amanda, several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Her daughter Kristen stayed at her side throughitall providing unconditional love and support.The family requested aprivate viewing with immediate family members. Family and friendsare invited to attend agraveside service on June 16, 2025 at 11:30am at St.Mary's Cemetery in Raceland,LA. Thefamily wouldliketogivea special thank youtoWest JeffersonMedical Center Dr. Jonathan Boraski,and Katie with Bridgepoint Continuing Care forhelpingwithher recovery last year. In lieu of flowers,donatetoSt. JudeCancer Research forchildren and theSPCA.She willbe greatly missed by her family, friends, and her belovedpet companion "Buddy"

Brethren,today we gathernot in sorrow,but in celebration of thelifeof Joyce E. Powell, abeacon offaith,loveand generos‐ity who walked amongst us.Bornonthe ﬁfthday of Parker Sr., Isaac Lee

June in theyearofour lord, 1932, in thecityofSt. Louis, Missouri, Joycewas ates‐tamenttothe enduring spiritofkindnessand faithfulnessthatshe car‐riedwithinher heart throughouther earthly journey.Joyce wascalled homebythe Lord in Metairie, Louisiana, her souldeparting from the confinesofmortallifedue tocongestiveheart failure Her legacy enduresinthe lives shetouched with her warmthand thefamilyshe cherished deeply.Joyce was adevoted mother to GlendaVermillion, who precededher in glory, and toBetty LouStrother, who remains alivingtestament toher mother’s love.She was alovingmother-in-law toJohnVermillionand the lateRussell Strother.Her light shines throughher granddaughters, Shanna and AmberVermillion, and her nephewsand niece, Matthew Boatmon, Welsey Vick, andBrendaGarcia, whose livesare richer for her presence.Joyce,a homemaker,pouredher soulintonurturing her familywiththe same devo‐tionshe gave to hercom‐munity. Herhands,which tenderlycrafted beautiful artificial flower arrange‐ments,alsoservedher neighbors throughher vol‐unteer work with the AmericanRed Crossin Meridian, Mississippi,and Inverness, Florida. Shecon‐tinuedher missionofser‐viceatB &W Rexall in In‐verness, where sheas‐sistedthose in need of medical equipment, ensur‐ing comfortand care were withinreach.Joyce’s life was alivingsermonoof the virtuesshe held dear: faith-filled,loving, and generousbeyondmeasure Her passionfor creating and gifting flower arrange‐ments wasbut oneexpres‐sionofher abundant gen‐erosity,eachbloom em‐blemofthe joyshe found ingiving. Shelived by the words of ourLordJesus Christ, “Itismoreblessed togivethantoreceive,” (Acts 20:35), andindeed her life wasa testamentto thisholytruth.Let us re‐memberJoyce E. Powell not with heavyhearts, but witha spirit of gratitude for thegiftofher presence She walked with faith loved withoutreserve,and gavewithout expectation. Her legacy is etched in our heartsand herspiritlives oninthe acts of kindness she inspired.Aswebid her farewell, letuscarry for‐wardthe lightofher love, illuminating thepathfor othersasshe didfor us Wecommend oursister Joyce to theAlmighty, trustingthatshe hasfound eternal rest in thecomfort‐ing arms of ourSavior. And wepartwayswiththispre‐cious soul,let us hold fast tothe memories that bind ustoher andtoeach other,forevermore.Amen. Relatives andfriends are invited to attend Joyce’s memorialservicesonSat‐urday,June 14, 2025, at ParkviewBaptist Church, 6301 CamphorSt, Metairie LA70003. Visitation will begin at 10:30am,witha service followingat 11:00am

Gloria Dean Brown Shephardentered into eternal rest at Ochsner Medical Center Jefferson Highway on Sunday,June 1,2025, at theage of 76 She wasa native of Baton Rouge,LAand alongtime residentofNew Orleans, LA. Gloria wasemployedas a domestic worker,and she wasknown forher ex‐traordinary cookingand baking. Shewas an avid New OrleansSaintsfan andenjoyed music, danc‐

ing, andspendingtime withher family. Devoted wifeofthe late Hardy Shephard. Belovedmother ofMonaLisaHickman Debra Shephard Dyson, Hollis(Rebecca)Shephard, Jr.,Roy Russell(Shawanda) Shephard, Chad Irving (Shantell) Shephard,and Susan AnnShephard. Grandmother of thelate MarkShephard. Daughter ofthe late Jessieand Zeola Brown, Greatgranddaugh‐ter of thelateAdieProﬁt and BessieDrummonds SisterofBenjaminBrown BessieMae Wilson,Leola Green allofBaton Rouge, LA, andthe late James Williams,Leo Thomas LoreathaAnderson, Jessie Mae Harris Holiday, Linda Brown, AnnieBellJohnson, and Rose Brown. Mother in law of thelateStandish Dyson,Jr. also survived by 16grandchildren,4 great grandchildren,and ahost ofnieces, nephews, cousins,and otherrela‐tives andfriends.Relatives and friendsofthe family are invitedtoattend the Viewing of Remainsat Davis Mortuary Service230 MonroeSt. Gretna,LAon Thursday,June 12, 2025, from5:00p.m.until 7:00p.m. FuneralServiceswillbe heldatThe Church of Christ1414 N. 32ndSt. Baton Rouge, LA on Friday June 13, 2025, at 11:00a.m. Visitationwillbegin at 10:00a.m. at theabove named church.Interment: WinnﬁeldCemeteryBaton Rouge, LA.Arrange‐ments by DavisMortuary Service,230 Monroe St Gretna, LA.Toviewand signthe guestbook, please gotowww.davismortua ryservice.com.FaceMasks Are Recommended

MarieTaylor, age66was bornonAugust19, 1958, in New Orleans, LA,passed awayonTuesday,June 3, 2025, in herbeloved home‐town. Shewas agraduate ofBookerT.Washington HighSchool andworkedas a nurse’saideatBaptist Hospital. Mariewas known for hercompassion, humor,and honesty. Shelit upevery room with her sharp witand fun-loving spirit, living life boldly and onher ownterms.Even duringnearlytwo yearsin a vegetative state, shein‐spiredloved ones with her strengthand spirit.Marie leavesbehinda legacy of laughter, love,and unfor‐gettablememories. Marie was thedaughterofthe lateBessieTaylorand RobertM.Taylor. Devoted motherofRobertD.Taylor and thelateCodey L. Tay‐lor.Cherished grand‐motherofDiamonte Beasley Sr.Great-grand‐motherofDiamonte Beasley Jr., andthe loving sisterofEloiseTaylor. Rel‐ativesand friendsofthe familyare invitedtoattend the CelebrationofLifeSer‐viceonFriday, June 13, 2025, at Gertrude Geddes Willis FuneralHome, 2120 Jackson Avenue,New Or‐leans,LA70113 at 11:00 a.m.Visitationfrom10:00 a.m.until 11:00 a.m. Inter‐mentProvidenceMemorial Park, 8200 AirlineDrive Metairie, LA 70003. You may sign theguest book onwww.gertrudegeddesw illis.com.GertrudeGeddes Willis FuneralHome, Inc.,in charge(504) 522-2525.

Taylor,Marie

Patterson,Joyce Ernestine

Lewis, Armand

Shephard,Gloria Dean Brown

Powell, JoyceE

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Building abettersystem to improve La.roads

Gov.Jeff Landry and statelawmakers have not shied away from pursuinghigh-proﬁle issues this legislative session —from tort reform and the insurance crisis to education scholarship accounts and revisitingtax reformafter voters overwhelmingly rejected aproposed constitutional amendmentthat would have freedupfunds.

But one big effort that’sbeen quietly chugging along in the background has reached the ﬁnish line. That, of course, is the complete overhaul of the state Department of Transportationand Development, which could haveimpacts fordecades to come. We come away impressed with theway lawmakers have tackled this monumentaltaskwith little fanfare or drama. They’ve been meeting since January in committee to reach abipartisan consensus. They’ve looked at what is workinginother states. And they’ve keptaneye on the cost of any new proposals.

The dismal state of our roads has longbeena source of frustration, to put it mildly,for Louisiana drivers. There never seems to be enough money to repave aroad or build abridge.And even when projects get thegreen light,they seem to take foreverto complete.

Aseries of bills, sponsored byRep.Ryan Bourriaque, R-Abbeville,aimed to tackle these problems by restructuringthe system and streamlining processes. HouseBill 640 creates the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, independentofDOTD, that would be responsible for theroughly 4,800 miles of state roadways that don’tqualify forfederal funding.The governor would appoint itsexecutivedirector House Bill 528 restructures DOTD, creating adivision called the Office of Transformation to look at ways the department canbemoreinnovative. Thegovernor would appointadeputy secretary for the office. It’s envisionedasthe transportation equivalent of Louisiana Economic Development,whichLandry revamped at the start of his term to bemore nimble,with tremendous results, as we’venoted Also included is anew Office of ProjectDelivery,which the Legislature has given the responsibilityoflooking forwaysthe state can partner with private entities to better serve the public In putting together this sweepinglegislation, it’sclear that lawmakers listened to experts.To answer concerns that safetywould take aback seat togetting projects completed morequickly, they stipulated that the assistantsecretaryof theOffice of Project Deliverywould have to consult with the chief engineer on plans. Legislators initially wanted torestrict theTransportation Trust Fund to paying forprojects and not employee salaries,asithas for thepast30 years, butthey nixed thatideawhen newfunds forsalaries were not forthcoming. While there’smore to theplan anddetails still need to be filled in —there’snobudget or staff for the Office of Louisiana HighwayConstruction, for instance —wecan’t help but feelthat these bills have us heading in the rightdirection. It’sabout time.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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OPINION

Prideparadealienated many with divisive flag

As aLouisiana native, agay man and alifelong advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, Iwas appalled by the direction Queer Northshore took withthis year’s June 7Pride Parade in Mandeville.

What was initially presented as a celebration of our queer community —aspace to affirm identity,honor progress and rally around our shared fight for equality —was hijacked by asmall cadre of organizers pushing a political agenda thathas nothing to do withLGBTQIA+rights, and one that many in our community have spoken out against.Let’s be clear:Pride has always involved protest, but protest rooted in the lived struggles of our community,not aproxy for distant geopolitical battles. The decision to flythe Palestinian flag as acentral symbol of this event was not just divisive, it’sa betrayal. While Ishare in the horror at the suffering in Gaza and condemn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s

actions, including credible allegations of war crimes, the Palestinian flag is not aneutral emblemofpeace. It is used by Hamas, aU.S designated terrorist organization that calls forthe extermination of Jews and embraces deeply anti-LGBTQIA+ ideology. That flag has been flown alongsidechants for aglobal intifada —wordsmany rightfully understand as incitement to genocide. The willful ignorance of Queer Northshore surrounding this flag’smeaning was, frankly, laughable. Displaying this flag under the banner of Pride was disgraceful.Thisunnecessary action disregarded thepainof Jewish LGBTQIA+ people in ourown community and alienated those who cametoPride seeking solidarity,not political polarization. With this move, Queer Northshore showed it no longer represents or respects thebroader LGBTQIA+ community JAMES “MICHAEL” NORRIS Mandeville

Failures that ledtojailbreak were plentiful

Processing the crime scene of the jailbreak aweek later is almost as lame as jailstaff notnoticing10inmates were gone untilseven hours later Can’twedobetter than this? All this noise aboutjammed locks is pitiful. The inmates are criminals.

Daily,atthe close of each House Legislativesession, there is aprocess by which legislators can approach themicrophone and announce their votechange on each of the bills previously voted on that day.This practice seemstohave gotten out of hand. On May 14, House Bill 425 initially had avote of 84 yes, 1noand 19 absent. There were nine votes changed on this bill at theclose of the day.Four representatives changed from yes to no, and ﬁve changed from absent to no. Final count 80 yes, 10 no and 14 absent. This meansthe nine changes represent about 9% of the total votes.

Iamappalled that the House would let this practice become so distasteful. This is like akid taking aretest after he sees theanswers to the ﬁrst

Of course, they’re jamming locks. The biggerquestioniswhy routine maintenancewasn’tperformed. This wholething speaksvery poorly about the competence of our local justice system.

JEAN VALLIERE NewOrleans

test. Further analysis indicated that all nine votechanges were by Democrats, with six of them being from the New Orleansarea. This type of partisan politics is one of themajor issues holding Louisianaback. Where is theintegrity andindependence of these representatives when you can change avote to stay with your coalition? Maybe theHouse could do away with this policy of allowing vote changes. If that is not viable, then set alimit of, say,three vote changes per instrument.Perhaps that would encourage more representatives to stay near their desks and cut downon thenoise and repeated questions that delay business.

WAYNE COLVIN Lafayette

I’ve spent mostofmylifeinthe restaurant management business. When I retired about three years ago, Iwanted to see whatitwas likeonthe other side as adelivery driver.That’show Ifound DoorDash.Since then, dashing has helped me earn extra incomeinretirementand stay connected to my community in ameaningful way.

Recently,I traveled to Washington, D.C., through DashRoots, agrassroots advocacy network hosted by DoorDash. Imet with U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy to talk about the importance of keeping work like mine ﬂexible —and how policies like “NoTax on Tips” would help drivers take homemore of what we’ve earned.

My only other source of incomeis Social Security,soevery dollar Iearn through DoorDash helps. Whether I’m putting money into savings or paying outstanding bills, being able to keep 100% of my tips without them being taxed would makeareal difference.

Along with the other 40,000 Dashers whohave voiced their support, I’m calling on lawmakers to include independent workers in the No TaxonTips legislation —because we deserve to keep every dollar we earn through our hard work.

JAYSABLUDOWSKY Metairie

Since our available state budgetary resources are limited, providing asubsidy to families with kids in private and parochial schools via the LA GATOR program makes no sense to me, given the options parents have.

However,asahomeowner,along with my fellow state residents whoown homes, we have no options relative to the budget-busting annual premium that must be paid forhomeowners insurance. The $50 million that the state Senate offered as acompromise to foot the annual bill forthe GATOR program would have better served residents if it had been applied to the reinforced roofing program.Ifthe state wasserious about keeping residents from moving, it seemstobecommon sense to fund this morecritical need.

GARYSILBERT NewOrleans

Letlow should pursue LSUjob

If U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow truly is in the running to be the new president or chancellorofLSU or the LSU system, as is rumored, then she really ought to pursue the job.

The third-term Republicancongresswoman, originally from Monroe, could do more good at LSU than she can do in the House,and her pursuit of the university job would be abetter use of her energythan a risky race for the Senate against incumbent Republican Bill Cassidy As acaveat— and while Iaminnoway privytoher individual family situation —the odds are high that the position at LSU,with one and only one job locus, wouldcreate an easierhome front for awidowed mother of two young children than would the inherently split-focus existencethat members of Congress endure Even when Congress was arelatively friendlier place, back in the 20th century,the frequent travel betweenhome districts and Washington, D.C., was stressful even for two-parent families, even if the families were largely based in D.C. rather than back home. Nowthe U.S. Capitol is aden of politicalviciousness in acity choked by ever-more horrendous trafﬁc, and one in which individual, junior representatives are hard-pressed to make muchofadifference Those political realities areworthyof more extended public comment. Unless ajunior member is eitherclearly on a track for formal leadership posts oris amedia-obsessed demagogue —oris on ahigh-risk mission to fundamentally change her party’strajectory on major issues or in general —the chancesto do meaningful work among 435 prima donnas are limited. This is especially true when, more than everbefore(or so it seems to this long-term observerand former staffer),members are hugely fearful of political crackdowns from presidents or party leaders.

These days, there is almostnocomity in Congress between members of different parties —very few bipartisan coalitions, much lessfriendships! —and even apaucity of genuine comity among party colleagues. Without casting blame at one side or the other,itissafetosay

that in the age of Donald Trump, what always has been the rough-and-tumble of politicsisnow far worse than ordinary roughness.The U.S. Capitol complex is atoxicplace now Granted, large swathsofacademia alsohave become toxic. Still, it’sfar easiertodolasting good when one is the person at the very top of amajor academic institution than when oneisa junior member of a435-personbody of peoplewho each are answerable in conﬂicting ways to angrypresidents, angry party leaders andangryvoters. The comparative abilitytomake a constructivedifference was analyzed afew years ago by Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska), who resigned midterm from the Senate to becomepresident of the University of Florida. Asenator by designholds amuch more powerful post than aHouse member of similarseniority, and Sasse had even larger inﬂuence becausehehad anational(if slightly underground) following as adarling of conservativeintellectuals; yet Sasse sawaSoutheasternConference university presidency as being amuch better opportunity to do good. If acollegepresidency made sense even for Sasse (who sinceleft theuniversity to help his wife with an illness), surely itmakeseven more sense for the more junior Letlow.And that’seven before acknowledging that her political perch is at leastsomewhat more precarious becauseLouisiana’scongressional

map still faces aserious courtchallenge thatcould change her district lines yet again, this timeinaway lessfavorable for her reelection. It is well known, of course, thatLetlow alsoisconsidering aSenate race, but she would ﬁrst need to defeat boththe incumbent Cassidy and stateTreasurer John Fleming in aRepublican primary and thenoutlast whomever Democrats nominate for ageneral election. That’s atall order —and an exhausting campaign slog —even without trying simultaneously to do arepresentative’sjob both in D.C. and in Louisiana, all while raising twochildren under 10 years old. Noneofthis is to saywhether LSU should or should nothire Letlow.That’s acompletely different question, although it is worth noting thatshe does have asolid background in academia at the UniversityofLouisiana at Monroe and at Tulane. It’s alsoinstructive to see thatanother former House member Republican Jo BonnerofAlabama, is doing an excellent job as president of the UniversityofSouth Alabama.In other words,the skill setsactually can translate well. Either way, if LSU wants Letlow,she should snatch the opportunity.Compared to the halls of Congress, the halls of academe could offer her greater personaland professional rewards. Quin Hillyer can be reached at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com

Senate ﬁnds itsvoice versus Russia

The Senate, recently passiveregardingits prerogatives and deferential regarding presidential assertiveness, might insert itself into policymaking concerning Ukraine. And theSenate— hopefully with the House concurring —might do so where presidents are most protective of their ability to act unilaterally: foreign affairs. TheSenate’scontemplated action has been “coordinated”withthe current president, who is anotably aggressiveassertor of executive prerogatives.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has introduced legislation that, having attracted 82 supporters (counting Graham), proves two things: the possibility of bipartisanship about large questionsand Congress’srelevance in making foreign policy

In alettertoThe Wall Street Journal, Graham writes that he has “coordinated” with the White House concerning his legislation, which he jointly introduced with Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. The legislation would impose a 500% tariff on goods sent to theUnited States from “any countrythat buys Moscow’senergy products” (e.g.,oil, gas, uranium). The countries thatmatter mostare China and India. Whatever coordination has occurred with the current president, he and many of hisadvisers and admirers are advocates of a“unitary executive” with untrammeled control of that branch of government.Asamatteroftemperament if not of logic, they mightgofurther and deem Graham’smeasure for congressional involvement inforeign policy constitutionally dubious.Itis not.

alegislativenature” to the president (e.g., the veto, the power to recommend legislation, the power to convene Congress), it also involves Congress in foreignpolicy.The mostimportantinvolvement is through Congress’spower “to regulate commerce with foreign nations,” which James Madison called the “most essential” of all the powers “in relations with other nations.” (Courts maydecidewhether Congress has constitutionally,orclearly,delegated this power to presidents.)

Congress hasadditional powers pertinenttoforeign policy,such as declaringwar and maintaining and exercising plenary power over the armed forces. Thepresident cannot raise a military or fund it.The Senate has special foreign-policy standing: Itconﬁrmsambassadors and consents to presidential ratiﬁcations of treaties

In “The President Who WouldNot Be King: Executive Power Under the Constitution” (2020), Michael W. McConnell of Stanford Law School and the HooverInstitution notes: Just as the Constitution assigns “some powers of

In “Imperial From theBeginning:The Constitution of the Original Executive” (2015), Saikrishna Bangalore Prakashof the University of Virginia’slaw school notes that Chief Justice John Marshall said at the endofthe 18thcentury that theexecutive is entrusted “with the whole foreignintercourse of the nation.” But although thepresident is (in Secretary of StateThomas Jefferson’s formulation) “the only channel of communication between this country and foreign nations,” Congress can shape, andrestrict presidential shaping of, thepolicies communicated. For example,Prakashsays that in Macon’sBill No. 2(1810), “Congress authorized the president to impose an embargo for ﬁfteen days,but only when Congress was notinsession,” thereby proving that “neither the president nor Congress believed that the president enjoyed anyconstitutional power to lay an embargo.” Because the president is (in Prakash’swords) “the only constitutional ofﬁcerondutytwenty-four

hours aday,seven days aweek,” he or she must be able unilaterally “totake temporary steps” to prevent or mitigatecrises. Butthe policy stipulated by Graham’s legislation is well within Congress’spurview In recent days, Graham’slegislation had 82 sponsors —41Republicans (including Graham), 40 Democrats and one independent who caucuses with theDemocrats. The non-co-sponsoring senatorsinclude 12 Republicans, ﬁve Democrats and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats. Those Republicans are: Indiana’s Jim Banks, Tennessee’sMarsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty,Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson, Missouri’sJosh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, Utah’s Mike Lee, Kansas’sRoger Marshall, Florida’s Ashley Moody,Ohio’sBernie Moreno, Kentucky’sRand Paul, and South Carolina’sTim Scott. The Democrats are: Nevada’sCatherine Cortez Masto, Illinois’ Tammy Duckworth,Connecticut’s Chris Murphy,Georgia’sJon Ossoff and Oregon’sRon Wyden, along with Vermont independent Bernie Sanders. For these18, two questions. What are you thinking? Andwhy do you want to be senators? If enacted, Graham’slegislation would notify Vladimir Putin that there can be steep costs to continuing the war.Congress’satrophied policymaking muscles, and diminished institutional pride, would be strengthened. Graham has unfurled thebanner of his boon companion John McCain, a steady advocateofU.S. —and Republican —internationalism.Hewas his party’spresidential nominee 17 years ago. Support for Graham’slegislation, especially from recently inert Senate Republicans, gives fresh reason to hope that William Faulkner was right: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

Pennsylvania has sued the Department of Agriculture for breach of contract. The state claimsthat the agency has illegally terminated funding for two critical programs providing more than $1 billion annually to nonprofitservices aimed at combating hunger “I don’tget what the hell their priorities are if not feeding people and taking care of our farmers,” the state’sgovernor,Josh Shapiro, told anews conference. That’savery good question, and the answer is clear: In Donald Trump’sworld, “feeding people” is avery low priority.More Americans are already going hungry sincehetook office, and if the massive tax and spending bill he favors passes Congress in its current form, the problem will get muchdeeper That bill contains severe new work requirements for recipients of the SupplementalNutrition Assistance Program. Federal help to states would also be slashed. The likely result, calculates the Congressional Budget Office, is that 3 millionAmericans would lose their benefits.

The CBO’s findings, reports The NewYork Times, “underscore the significant trade-offs in the party’ssignature legislative package, which seeks to save money by cutting federal anti-poverty programs in amove that mayleavesome of the poorest Americans in worse financial shape.” Trump wonlast fall in part because the cost of groceries wasdecimating family budgets, and that crunch continues. In 2023, 18 millionAmerican households, containing 47 millionpeople, suffered from food insecurity.That’sanincrease of 1million households from the previous year,and for households with children, almost1 in 5faced hunger issues.

As Feeding America, the nation’slargest hunger relief organization, put it: “Hungercan affect people from all walks of life. Millions of people in America are just one job loss, missed paycheck or medical emergency awayfrom hunger.” And that includes alot of folks who voted for Trump.

“We’ve never before faced asituationlike we are in now,where need is well beyond any disaster or ﬁnancial crisis that we’ve seen,and the government’sresponse is to take food away,” Michael McKee, CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, told The Washington Post. “This isn’t about ideology.It’sabout math.”

Cancellation of the feeding programs Pennsylvania is suing to reverse is already having a major impact around the country

“The reality is that the food banking system is stressed to the breaking point right nowbecause we’re seeing record-high demand and diminished resources,” Vince Hall, spokesman for Feeding America, told USA Today. “Folks who cametousduring the pandemic have found it impossible to ease out of dependencyonfood banks because inﬂation has made so many of their monthly budget essentials more expensive than ever.”

For example, the Post reports that in Lynchburg, Virginia, the Park View Community Mission, anonproﬁtoffering aid to families facing economic strain, has “seen an explosion in demand.” The nonproﬁtserved an average of 316 families each month in 2024, but is now helping 349 families amonth.

“We’re all seeing that current prices aregoing up, but that’s[not just] food,” said R. Todd Blake, the organization’sexecutive director.“Housing costs have gone up, and the people we talk to are often making the call of paying rent or autility bill versus buying food.”

In Charleston, West Virginia, reports Reuters, “Sara Busse, volunteer coordinator for Trinity’s Table, afood aid group, stood in aparking lot and surveyed ameager delivery of USDA-supplied food: two boxes each of dried potato ﬂakes and shelf-stable milk and two cases of vegetarian baked beans.”

Before the Trump administration began, the deliveries ﬁlled an 18-wheeler.Now,the program mayneed to halt its meal service to senior groups altogether.“It’sdreary,it’svery frightening. We’re all losing sleep,” Busse said. This crisis would getfar more serious if Trump’s“big beautiful bill” containing SNAP reforms becomes law

“This plan walks away from the 50-year,bipartisan commitment to ensure thatlow-income children, adults and seniors get the help they need, regardless of where they live,” wrote the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, aprogressive think tank. “The consequences of ending SNAP would be severe. Hunger,including childhood hunger,would soar,despite the welldocumented detrimental impacts of even short periods of food insecurity on children’shealth and cognitive development.”

Trump’sMAGA movement likes to promote a new slogan —MAHA: Make America Healthy Again. But those initials now have anotherdarker meaning. The Trump Administrationnow embraces Make America Hungry Again.

Email Steven V. Roberts at stevecokie@gmail. com.

Quin Hillyer

Steve Roberts

George Will

PROVIDED PHOTO

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow’sdaughter Jacqueline, 4, gives athumbs at an election night party.

TerrellJr.,JosephPhillip

Joseph (JoJo) PhillipTer‐rellJr. enteredintoeternal restonMonday, June 2, 2025, at theage of 56.He was anativeofNew Or‐leans,LAand aresidentof Marrero,LA. Husband of JudyTerrell. Father of Joel and Jade Valasquez. Sonof JosephPhillip Terrell, Sr ElenorHarrisand thelate Charles Harris,Jr. Grand‐son of thelateLawrence and CeolaPierce, JP Terrell, and FrancisChess. Brother ofLisaPiercePhipps(Clif‐ford),Christopher Terrell, Mavis Harris,AvisHarris, Polly Harris andthe late Larry Harris.Nephewof Janice(Leroy) Hughes,Car‐olynTerrell,ErmaTerrell, Sharron Neal,Debra Chess, AlfredGeorgeTerrell,Dave Terrell, Rev. Carl Terrell, Pa‐triciaTerrell, PatrickTerrell and thelateJacquelyn Foley,Larry Terrell, Bracey Chess andAnita Terrell. Uncle of MariyahHarold, JoshuaHaroldJr.,and Jere‐miahHarold, also survived bya host of cousins, other relatives,and friends. Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyalsopastors,ofﬁ‐cers, andmembers of Life CenterCathedral,and all neighboring churches are invited to attend theFu‐neral ServiceatDavis Mor‐tuary Service230 Monroe St, Gretna,LAonFriday, June13, 2025, at 10:00a.m MinisterLarry Henryofﬁci‐ating.Visitationwillbegin at8:30a.m.until service timeatthe abovenamed parlor. Interment: Rest‐lawnParkCemetery-Avon‐dale, LA.Toviewand sign the guestbook,pleasego towww.davismortuaryse rvice.com.FaceMasks Are Recommended

MontyJ.Toddpassed awayonMay 26, 2025 at the ageof71. He wasborn July8,1953 in Dallas,Texas tothe late T.J. andTreva Todd. He wasprecededin death by hisbeloved wife of42years,Elizabeth R. Todd. He is survived by his children, Christine Stallings (Arthur)and Dou‐glasTodd(Jennifer); his grandchildren Cedar, Gwyneth,EvelynToddand his siblings,Terry Todd (Vickie)and GaylaGame (Keith).Monty developed a lovefor musicinhis youth thatwas carriedwithhim throughouthis life.Hewas a talented musician,and the NewOrleans music community wastruly a secondfamilytohim.He servedasconductor for the Shriner’sBandfor mul‐tiple years, Apositionhe heldwiththe utmost pride. Monty wasanemployeeof the TimesPicayune news‐paper formanydecades until hisretirementin2016 There he developednot onlya career,but many lifelongconnections.Upon retirement, Montymoved toCecilia (Breaux Bridge), Louisiana.Herehefound joy in having his“fewacres ofland”,a greenhouse, and gardens.His true purpose camewithhis four horses heacquiredand lovingly cared for. He wasem‐bracedbymanyinthis small community andlived his last yearssurrounded bycaring, loving friends. His familywould like to ex‐tendextreme gratitudeto Heart of Hospicein Lafayette,Louisiana forthe careand supportprovided. Familyand friendsare in‐vited to attend Monty’s MemorialService on Satur‐day,June 14, 2025 from 11 a.m.- 3p.m.atGardenof MemoriesFuneralHome, 4900 AirlineDr.,Metairie, LA70001. Intermentwillbe private

DarbyJ.Usey, age71, of Katy, Texas, passedaway onJune5,2025, followinga courageousbattlewith Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.Heislovinglyre‐memberedbyhis devoted wifeof51years,Karen Usey, alongwithhis cher‐ished children,Darby J. Usey, Jr.and hiswifeTara, and KelliHotzand herhus‐bandDarryl. He took great joy in beinga grandfather toDarby J. Usey III “Tripp, TorrieUsey, LexieUsey, Dylan Hotz,and Kaden Hotz. Darbyisalsosur‐vived by hissiblings, Lisa UseyMajorie andRachel Simmons,along with his extendedfamily, including his sister-in-lawMelinda Usey, hisnephews Chad Usey, Cory Boudreaux, Michael Simmons, Jr Mor‐gan Simmons, andhis niece Meagan Simmons. Hewas preceded in death byhis parents, Bentley Usey, Sr.and Carolyn“Con‐nie”Usey, andhis brother Bentley Usey,Jr. Born on June 16,1953, Darbygrew upinMarrero,Louisiana, asthe second of four sib‐lings.Heattended Marrero Junior High andgraduated in1971 from West Jefferson HighSchool,where he dis‐tinguishedhimself as atal‐ented baseball player and all-state runningbackon the 1970 Buccaneers’ state championship football team. Thefriendships he forgedwithcoaches and teammates during this timeremained important tohim throughout hislife. His athletic achievements earnedhim ascholarship toNichollsState University inThibodaux,Louisiana Darby beganhis career withseveral entry-levelpo‐sitions before securing a longtenurewithIMCOSer‐vices,which laterbecame M-I Swaco. Afterthe eventsofHurricane Kat‐rina, in 2007 he relocated toHouston,Texas,where hecontinued to thrive in his professional life until his retirement in 2015 after a successful 41-year ca‐reer.Anavid ﬁsherman and outdoor enthusiast, Darby treasuredweekends spent on thewater or play‐ing golfwithfriends.He was adedicated sports parent, supporting hischil‐drenintheir variousactivi‐ties, andinfused hishome withloveand laughter.Fu‐neral services will be held onSaturdayJune 14th at Mothe FuneralHomelo‐cated at 2100 Westbank ExpyHarvey, LA.The fam‐ily will beginreceiving friends at 9:00am,followed bya funeralmassat 11:00am.Interment will fol‐low at Westlawn Memorial Park. Additionally,a memorialmasswillbe held on Saturday June 21st atSt. Faustina Catholic Church locatedat28102 FM 1093, Fulshear TX,followed bya celebrationoflifere‐ception at ayet to be de‐termined location.The familywillbegin receiving friends at 12:00 pm with the mass beginningat 1pm.Darby's vibrantspirit and enduring legacy will berememberedbyall who knewhim.Special thanks tothe caregivers,nurses, and staff of CincoRanch Alzheimer's SpecialCare Centerand the nursing staff of BayouCityHos‐pice. In lieu of ﬂowers, pleaseconsiderdonating toCurePSP viatheir web‐siteatwww.psp.org or The Alzheimer’s Association. Familyand friendsmay viewand sign theonline guest book at www.sch midtfunerals.comorwww mothefunerals.com

Villarrubia, Jeannette Marie

JeannetteMarie Villar‐rubia passedawaypeace‐fully,Saturday, May31, 2025, surrounded by her lovingFamily. Jeannette was born on April4,1942, inNew Orleans, Louisiana, where sheresided until Hurricane Katrina, 2005, re‐located hertoBaton Rouge,LA. Sheloved her new home andquickly adaptedtonew friends andher neighborhood.She

enjoyedgardening, deco‐rating, anddiscovering whatBaton Rougehad to offer. Jeannette waspre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐ents, FredaFabre andWil‐fridJ.Villarrubia,whom she loveddearly, her brother,Wilfrid A. Villarru‐bia,and brotherinlaw, JosephJ.Lafranca,Jr. She issurvivedbyher loving sister, Ninette Villarrubia Lafranca,sisterinlaw, EleonoreD.Villarrubia,9 devoted nieces and nephews,21great nieces and nephews, and11great great nieces andnephews, and anotheronthe way, all tocherish hermemory. Jeannette graduatedfrom StJames Majorelemen‐tary, St Mary's Dominican HighSchool (summa cum laude), andLoyolaUniver‐sity(summa cumlaude), receiving aB.B.A.Degree fromLoyolaUniversity. Jeannette taught secretar‐ial coursesatLoyolafor 7 years.She then movedto the business sector work‐ing at Bell Southand retir‐ing in 1988 after 22 yearsof service.Following retire‐ment, Jeannette served as coordinatorfor 10 yearsfor the "MakingStrides Against Breast Cancer Walk" sponsoredbythe AmericanCancerSociety The Family is grateful for Jeannette's twonieces, Dr Ann Lafranca Handyand Kathryn Lafranca Rao, who livingclose by,offered muchimmediateloving careand assistance,and for hernephew, Steven Vil‐larrubia, who visitedand transported herfrequently. Familyand Friendsare in‐vited to attend theFuneral Servicestobeheldat Jacob Schoen &Son,on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 12noon with Visitation at 1030 A.M. until theMassof Christian Burial.Interment atSt. LouisNo. 3Cemetery. In lieu of ﬂowers, Prayers and Masseswelcome

Deacon John C. Weberpassed away on June 3, 2025, at theage of 86, dueto Leukemia.Bornon July3,1938, in Port Arthur, Texas,tothe late Clovis and Ella Weber, John wasa residentofPerkinston, Mississippi,for thepast ﬁve yearsand aformer residentofSlidell, Louisiana,for almost 50 years.John, affectionately called“PawPaw,” wasthe lovinghusband of thelate Jaynell Weberfor 59 years until herpassing.Together theyraiseda familythat becamehis prideand joy, which includehis children, Jason Weber(Tina)and Jayne Harrison (Chuck), and hischerished grand‐children, Justin Weber (Nicole), Victoria Grady (Andrew), Bailey Weber (Bailey), BrookeHardaway (Tyler),ChandlerWeber TaylorWeber,Logan Weber,ChadHarrison (Haley),RachelLizana (Kyle), Danielle Palmisano (Chris),HannahOlvera (Martin), Mary ClareWar‐ren (Kenneth), Teresa Har‐rison,Gianna Harrison,and Mirjana Harrison,aswell as16great-grandchildren Healsoleavesbehinda hostofextendedfamily members andfriends,all ofwhomheloved greatly. Johnwas thelastsurviving sibling,precededindeath byhis sisters, Georgia Hoitsma,Ellen Spears,and MarianParr. John'slife was atestament to hisun‐waveringcommitmentto his faith andhis family. After earninghis bache‐lor's degree from Lamar Universityin1966 andhis master'sdegreefromLSU in1968, John wasa chemist withthe TexasParks and Wildlife until 1972 before movingtoLouisiana to begin hiscareer with the UnitedStatesArmyCorps ofEngineers, retiring as a BranchChief in 1998. His workethic andleadership wereaninspiration to all who knew him. In 1987 Johnansweredthe calling tobecomea deacon,a role heembracedwiththe samepassion anddili‐gence he appliedtoevery endeavor. Hiscommitment tohis faith community was evident throughhis in‐volvement in Marriage En‐counter andthe Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults(RCIA), where he guidedmanyontheir spiri‐tualjourneys. Aman of manyinterests,Johnwas anavidhunter who found solaceinthe beauty of na‐ture. Thosewho knew John would describe himaslov‐ing andfaith-ﬁlled.His warm presence andthe

wisdom he shared will be profoundly missedbyall His children,grandchil‐dren, andgreat-grandchil‐drenwillcherish thetime theyspent with PawPaw and Granny at theirprop‐ertyinMississippi (“The Land”). Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tenda visitation on Friday June 13, 2025, from 10:00 a.m.to11:00 a.m. at Saint MargaretMaryCatholic Church in Slidell. AFuneral Masswillbegin at 11:00 a.m.Johnwillbelaidto restinSaint Matthew's Catholic Church Cemetery located at 27074 Saint Matthew Church Road in Kiln, Mississippi,at2:00 p.m.Memoriesand condo‐lencesmay be expressed atwww.AudubonFuneralH ome.com

George H. White, ade‐voted husband,father, and grandfather,passedaway onJune 7, 2025, at theage of90. He wasbornonFeb‐ruary 18, 1935 andenjoyed a fulfillinglifemarkedby his unwavering dedication tofamily, community,and service.Georgespent a significant portionofhis career at Gulf Alliance Re‐finery,where he con‐tributedhis skills and knowledge beginningin 1971 until hisretirement. His commitment to excel‐lence wasmatched only by his dedication to hiscom‐munity as alongtimemem‐ber of Gretna United Methodist Church,where heactivelyparticipated and fostered connections withfellowcongregants Georgeproudly served in the United States Coast Guard,anexperiencethat instilled in hima profound sense of duty andcama‐raderie.Hecherished the valuesofservice andcom‐munity throughout hislife, often sharingstories of his militaryexperiences with those around him. He is survivedbyhis loving daughterMaryPlaisance and herhusband Keith, as wellashis sonStephen Whiteand hiswifeAngela. Georgewas grandfatherto Julia andKatie Whiteand Cortney Plaisance Donewar andgreat-grand‐fathertoBrody Donewar. Additionally,heisremem‐bered fondly by many rela‐tives andfriends whomhe loved.Georgewas prede‐ceasedbyhis belovedwife, Ann ZellerWhite,with whomheshared49years ofmarriage. He wasalso precededindeath by his parents,Hermanand GussieLee White, andhis sisterBea.His legacy of love, strength,and commu‐nityservice will endure in the hearts of allwho knew him.The familywillhold visitationonJune 13, 2025 from9:00a.m.to11:00 a.m. atGretnaUnitedMethodist Church,located at 1309 WhitneyAve Terrytown, LA. Afuneral servicewill followat11:00 a.m.,with burialtakingplace at WestlawnMemorialPark at1:00p.m.Asweremem‐ber George White, we honor alifewell-lived and a spirit that will forever resonateinthe memories ofhis familyand friends. In lieuof flowers, please con‐sider donationstoGretna UnitedMethodist Church orStJude'sChildrenRe‐search. Please view and signthe online guestbook atwww.mothefunerals com

However, hisdesire to serve in theUnited States Military wassogreat that he left school his senior year to become aMarine. Eddiewas so proudtobea Marineand serve his country, andheoften reminded everyonethathewas and will always be aMarine Untilhis death, Eddie proudlyservedas SergeantatArmsfor the American Legion post 125 underthe leadership of his dear friendCommander Bell. He leaves to cherish hismemory hissister Gwendolyn Morton (Orville L.), wife Peggy Ann Williams, daughters LaShawn Wells-Baron (George), Nakita Gray (Marcell), andMarquita Lee-Wells. Grandchildren Trestian Wells-Grant, Adrianna Grant, ChristopherGrant, Aleah Grant, KeylinLee-Wells, and Ethan Wells, Mother-in -law FrancesHaynes. Niece andGod Daughter,Nicole Bachemin,Niece Colleen Saunders(Bret). Nephews Farrell Williams andDarrell Williams. Four great nieces Victoria andGabrielle Bachemin and Amanda andChelsea Williams, an uncleSterlin Simonand an aunt, Barbara MaeFelton anda host of cousins, lovedonesand extended familymembers. He is proceeded in death by hisparents, Gladys Elizabeth Shiefand EddieAnthony Williams Sr., stepfather Stanley Depass, andbrother Farrell Williams Sr "Welldone goodand faithfulservant; thou hast been faithfulovera few things, I will make thee rulerover many things: enterthou into thejoy of theLord.. Matthew 25:23

Williams,Richard Calvin

RichardCalvinWilliams, age 88, enteredintoeternal restwithhis Heavenly Fa‐theronJune 8, 2025. He was born andraisedinOr‐leans Parish,but wasmar‐riedand livedfor 60 won‐derfulyears in Marrero, LA Heissurvivedbyhis beloved wife Tina Talamo Williams andhis children David Williams,Lori Williams andSusan Williams.Heloved hisdog Hailey, who wasalwaysby his side.Heisprecededin death by hisparents, Henry L. Williams Sr.and Elenora LuscyWilliams; brothersGeorgeJ.Williams Sr. (SurvivedbyJohanna), Henry L. Williams Jr (Lynn),Charles H. Williams (Marion), andsisters Norma Williams,Doris Erato (Warren) andLily Winn. He is theson-in-law ofthe late Salvatoreand CusimaTalamo, brother-inlaw to AngelinaTalamo Berger(William),Felicie Ta‐lamoOncale(Ray),Frank Talamo(Barbara),Joseph Talamo(Carol),Louis Ta‐lamo(Vickie)and thelate Rosalie Talamo Ditta (An‐thony), Mary Talamo On‐cale(John) andAnthony Talamo(survived by Mimi). Heisalsosurvivedby manynieces, nephewsand lifelongfriends.Hegradu‐atedfromFrancis T. Nichols High School in New Orleans andthenenlisted inthe United States Navy proudly servingaboardthe U.S.S.Woodson-359. One enduringmemoryfromhis Navyyears is thetimehe shook thehandofPresi‐dentJohnF.Kennedy on a wharf in NewOrleans,LA. Overthe yearsheworked atCocaCola, Barbe’sDairy Jefferson Door andJeffer‐son Fiberglass. He loved carpentry work andspend‐ing valuable time with his wifeand children.Hewas a huge fan of theNew Or‐leans Saints andLSU Tigers. He attended ser‐vices at Good Shepard LutheranChurch in Mar‐rero, LA.Familyand friends are invitedtoattend the VisitationatMothe Funeral Home,7040 LapalcoBlvd.,

Marrero, LouisianaonFri‐day,June13, 2025 from 8:30 a.m.until

Mae

DorothyMae Wyre en‐tered eternalrestonSatur‐day,June 7, 2025, at the age of 91. Shewas anative ofNew Orleans, LA anda residence of Avondale,LA. She wasa graduate of JosephS.Clark High School and aformeremployee withMaisonBlanche as a retailclerk.Devoted motherofDaryl Wyre and Kevin Wyre.Daughterof the late Henryand Alberta Glapion.SisterofErnevia Davis,Hilda Sparks,and the late Marion White, and Juanita Shae-Shae. Niece ofthe late EmilyPetty,Lil‐lianMarshall, andSidonia Weber,alsosurvivedby3 grandchildren,2 great grandchildren,and ahost ofnieces, nephews, cousins,other relatives, and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamilyalso pastors,ofﬁcers,and members of GreaterOld ZionMissionaryBaptist Church,and neighboring churches areinvited to at‐tendthe CelebrationofLife atGreater OldZionMis‐sionary BaptistChurch 655 N.RocheblaveSt. NewOr‐leans,LAonFriday, June 13, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Visi‐tationwillbegin at 8:30a.m.until serviceatthe above namedchurch.In‐terment:Buena Vista Cemetery- Lemonville,LA. ArrangementsbyDavis MortuaryService,230 Mon‐roe St.Gretna, LA.Toview and sign theguestbook pleasegotowww.davismo rtuaryservice.com.Face Masks AreRecommended

Wyre,Dorothy

White, George H.

Weber, John C.

Todd,Monty

JUGGLING JAY

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

ollegesports formally, ﬁnally crossed aRubicon just hours beforeLSU baseball began its Baton Rougesuper regional againstWestVirginia.

Afederal judge greenlit the House settlement Friday evening.Bylate Sunday night, theTigershad swept the Mountaineers, making Jay Johnson oneofthe coaches now in adelicatebalancing act. He is in contention fora CollegeWorld Series title while also recruiting transfers who can help theTigers return to Omaha next season.Healso is untangling theuncertainties that linger past the settlement’sapproval and implementation.

“I haven’treally thought about it aton, to be perfectly honestwith you,” Johnson

ä See JOHNSON, page 4C

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf

Skip Bertman’sLSU Tigers wonthe College World Series in 1996 and 1997, but the pain of having just seen his team eliminated from the 1998 CWS still wasdeep. After the mainnews conference, Bertman stopped to talk to afew reporters before heading out to face autograph-seeking fans on the waytothe team bus. He pressed a ﬁnger on each side of his mouth and forced himself to hoist his face into asmile as he headed out the door

There would be morefor Bertman to smile about twoyears later,when he led LSU to the ﬁfthofwhat is now seven national championships for what has become the gold standard of college baseball over that time. Since the Tigers wontheir ﬁrst College World Series back in 1991, only six other schools have wonmultiple titles, none morethan Oregon State with three. For all of LSU’s dominance in Omaha, there are some painful near misses. Here are four years the Tigers fell just short of winning it all:

1987

One year after its ﬁrst CWS appearance, LSU fought its wayout of the NCAA South II regional at UNO

See RABALAIS, page 4C

Cam Akers stood out from the rest of the New Orleans Saints running backs at Tuesday’smandatory minicamp. Unlike everybody else, Akers’ namewasn’ton theback of his jersey.All his jersey had on the back was the No. 38. ButAkers doesn’tcare about that.

He’sjust glad for theopportunitytostandout withhis play and earn aspot on the team located less than three hours from his hometown of Clinton, Mississippi.

“I’m still hungry and I’m young,”Akers said. “I’ve got a lot of tread on my tires, and I want to rewrite my story personally.”

Akers, who turns 26 in two weeks, is entering his sixth NFL season looking tomake what would be his fourthdifferent team. He was elated when he got thephone call last week from his agent saying theSaints wanted him to come to minicamp.

“I’mblessed to be able tohave this opportunity,” Akers said. “I’ve been through alot in my career.Ican’tlet it affect these type of opportunities. So I’m coming out and having my head on right and attacking these opportunities.” Akers has seen the highs and lows on his football journey Eight

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU head coach JayJohnson pumps his fist as fans cheer before the game against Tennessee on April 26 atAlex Box Stadium.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach JayJohnson celebrateswithcenter

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Saints

Akers during

Walker

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

Scottie Scheffler chips ontothe

Small schools attempt to thrive

Changed landscape of college athletics carries more obstacles

BY MAURA CAREY AP sportswriter

ORLANDO,Fla.— As schools prepare to begin sharing millions with their athletes, there is no avoiding the reality that if you’re not a Power Four school, you’re at a disadvantage. With major conferences running the show St. Bonaventure and Florida International don’t even have a seat at the table.

FIU and St. Bonaventure aren’t necessarily worried about a headto-head fight over top players with deeper-pocketed schools. The priority has become survival and finding a balance between athletics ambition and financial sustainability Adrian Wojnarowski spoke candidly about the challenges he faced during his inaugural season as the general manager of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team. Solidifying a recruiting class that would improve the team and embrace the school culture was not easy After July 1, when lucrative paychecks will pretty much become mandatory for bluechip prospects, it’s not going to get any easier With some 2,000 undergraduate students, the Bonnies are outnumbered in resources and revenue when competing even against other Atlantic 10 teams like VCU, Dayton and Saint Louis.

Wojnarowski, ESPN’s former lead NBA reporter thinks he has identiﬁed a formula for locating the ideal prospect.

To him, St. Bonaventure is a landing spot for international players adjusting to a new culture and college life, transfers who may have fallen short at a high major and need development, or those looking to move up to a midmajor He admits the school in upstate New York could be a pit stop on a player’s journey

“I want them to see that our environment, our coaching staff, our small school, especially for international players coming over, what I really try to sell is your

adjustment to American college life,” he said at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and Afﬁliates Convention this week.

“I think for a lot of kids, it’s easier in a school with 1,900 students than a school with 19,000. And you’ll come to have two great years with us, and then you’ll probably end up at schools with 19,000 or 29,000,” he said. “And so you’re selling, for us, we’re your first step on the way to somewhere else, or the other one to me is we’re the place to come when you’ve got to get the basketball right.”

If the plan goes awry and a recruit slips away, one thing the former NBA insider refuses to do is blame the money

“Fundraising is hard, creating new revenue streams is hard, but the one thing that I try to stay away from with us is not saying, ‘Oh, we didn’t get him because they offered more money,’ and using that as a crutch all the time. I really examine when we lost a player,” Wojnarowski said. “Are we being honest with ourselves in saying that we did everything outside the economics to make our

case to this person?”

FIU has more than 40,000 undergraduates, but the athletic department is using a similar philosophy pinpointing advantages and opportunities to come from the settlement instead of the negatives.

Similar to St. Bonaventure, FIU doesn’t expect to come close to the $20.5 million revenue-sharing cap available over the next year For a competitive edge, unlocking new revenue streams is fundamental.

“To compete, from a revenue standpoint, you have to think outside the box of your conventional fundraising and targeting donors,” senior associate athletic director Joseph Corey said. “That’s why you’re looking at concerts being held at different venues, different festivals to generate extra revenue to bring in, different revenue streams, and not just fundraising going after the same donors. You’ve got to go beyond that in order to be able to compete.”

Being based in Miami has its perks. Proximity to celebrities is one of them. In August, FIU secured a 10-year partnership with Pitbull, the singer and rapper who coins himself “Mr 305.”

“We did the partnership with

Pitbull – Pitbull Stadium. He’s on tour, but part of the deal was that he would be collaborating with us and doing events for us from a fundraising standpoint,” Corey said. “You’ve got to think outside the box. Especially in a city like Miami, it’s about the experience too.”

Schools unlocking creative revenue streams is something that can be expected. FIU competes in Conference USA alongside teams like Liberty, Louisiana Tech, UTEP, Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State. The football team went 3-5 in 2024, ﬁnishing sixth in the conference. The men’s basketball team ﬁnished last with a 3-15 conference record. It’s hard to sell donors on losing teams.

“Let’s call it what it is, FIU’s not going to be able to keep up with the Alabama’s of the world, the Georgia’s, Michigan, or Texas, but what can we do? We can be the best in our conference. That is our goal,” Corey said. “Let’s be the best in our conference and really compete there because once you’re at the top of your conference, that means more revenue in other areas. Everyone wants to donate to a winner.”

Chicago Sky struggling in Reese’s 2nd year

BY ANDREW SELIGMAN AP sportswriter

CHICAGO Angel Reese captured a national championship and never lost more than two games in a row during a four-year college career She and Caitlin Clark helped lead women’s basketball to new heights with a rivalry that gripped the nation. After all that winning, first at Maryland and then LSU, her rookie season with the Chicago Sky was an eye-opener Year 2 is off to a bumpy start, too.

“I’m not really a patient person,” Reese said. “I like to perfect things right away. That’s why I’m so hard on myself. We have great coaches, we have great players.” For now, they have room to improve. The Sky is struggling with a new coach and revamped roster with a 2-6 record after a lopsided road loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday A season-ending knee injury to franchise career assist leader Courtney Vandersloot last weekend only added to their difficulties. The slow start comes on the heels of a 13-27 season and 10thplace finish in the WNBA The Sky dropped 12 of its final 14 games last year, then got busy reshaping the roster Chicago fired coach Teresa Weatherspoon after one season and hired Las Vegas Aces assistant Tyler Marsh to take over for the Hall of Famer

The Sky brought in veteran leadership to help Reese and Kamilla Cardoso take their games to a different level, reuniting with Vandersloot and acquiring twotime All-Star Ariel Atkins from Washington.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By AJ MAST Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese shoots during a game against the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis on May 17.

But in the early going, the team is having a rough time. Chicago ranks among the worst in the WNBA on offense and defense and leads the league in turnovers.

The Sky has been blown out twice by Indiana, starting with a heated season opener on the road. Clark had a triple-double and sent tempers ﬂaring by knocking Reese to the ﬂoor with a hard foul. Chicago dropped its first four games before back-to-back wins over struggling Dallas, with No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers missing the second meeting while in the concussion protocol. Just when the Sky seemed to be pointing itself in the right direction, things took another painful turn on Saturday night.

They got wiped out again by Indiana in the ﬁrst WNBA game at the United Center with a national, prime-time audience watching

and Clark sidelined with a quad injury Worse, Vandersloot tore the ACL in her right knee during the first quarter The five-time All-Star known as “The General” returned to Chicago after two years in New York, where she helped the Liberty capture the championship last season and earned her second ring to go with the one she got with the Sky in 2021. A little more than a week before the injury Vandersloot broke wife Allie Quigley’s franchise career records for scoring and field goals made.

“She’s our engine,” Marsh said “She’s our captain, she’s our leader out there. Obviously, it’s a huge blow.”

One of the best distributors the WNBA has seen, Vandersloot is second to Hall of Famer Sue Bird in total assists and holds the high-

LSU men’s hoops opens Nov. tourney vs. Drake

The LSU men’s basketball team will face Drake in the ﬁrst round of the 2025 Emerald Coast Classic basketball tournament in Niceville, Florida, on Nov 28, LSU announced Wednesday

The Thanksgiving weekend tournament will run from Nov 2829 at Raider Arena at Northwest Florida State College.

Last season, Drake compiled a school-record 31 wins and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The program’s coach, Ben McCollum, and top player Bennett Stirtz, have both moved on to Iowa since. The team is now under the tutelage of Eric Henderson. The other participating teams are Georgia Tech and DePaul, who went 17-17 and 14-20, respectively They also will face each other Nov 28.

Jaguars WR Thomas leaves practice injured Jacksonville Jaguars Pro Bowl receiver Brian Thomas bruised his right shoulder during mandatory minicamp Wednesday, but coach Liam Coen said he could have returned to practice.

The former LSU player landed hard on his shoulder while trying to catch a pass from Trevor Lawrence in 11-on-11 drills. The second-year pro walked off the ﬁeld without assistance while holding his shoulder Team trainers evaluated him in the indoor practice facility, and he later rejoined teammates on the sideline. Thomas caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie last season. He’s expected to be the focal point of Coen’s offense, especially after the Jaguars traded Christian Kirk and released Gabe Davis.

Brown carted off field at Commanders minicamp Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown was carted off the ﬁeld after getting injured during minicamp in Ashburn, Virginia, on Wednesday It was not immediately clear what happened to cause the injury or its extent. Reporters said Brown walked off slowly after making a catch, threw his helmet in frustration when he was carted up the hill to the practice facility Brown, who caught Jayden Daniels’ desperation pass against Chicago for one of the Commanders’ signature moments last season, missed the ﬁnal four games of last season and their playoff run to the NFC championship game with a kidney injury He re-signed on a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million.

Knicks denied an interview with 3 current NBA coaches

est season and career averages in league history The Sky ﬁgures to lean more on rookie Hailey Van Lith, the No. 11 overall pick in the draft.

“She’s done as good a job as she can in terms of handling pressure,” Marsh said. “I think she’ll continue to see that. But just understanding how to command a team, how to run a team I think she’s kind of now on a fast track to that.”

Van Lith said watching Vandersloot go down was “heartbreaking” and added: “Whatever is in store in the future for this team, I trust that we will ﬁnd a way to make this moment mean something.”

Reese and Cardoso hold the keys.

Though Reese leads the league in rebounding at 12.1 per game, she’s shooting just 35.8% while averaging 10.1 points.

Last year she set a WNBA record with double-doubles in 15 straight games and ﬁnished with 26 on the season — the most ever by a rookie.

She has four this year giving her 30 in 42 games — the fewest needed to reach the mark in league history

Cardoso, the third overall pick last year, continues to show promise, including a career-high 23-point game in the first win over Dallas. But the former South Carolina star hasn’t become a consistent dominant force inside.

“I think it’s just continuing to instill the trust level that we have in her,” Marsh said.

“Her teammates look for her inside. They know what a force she can be down low, and our staff certainly is aware of who she can be down there as well. We want to give her looks and opportunities.”

The New York Knicks were denied permission to speak with coaches Jason Kidd of Dallas, Ime Udoka of Houston and Chris Finch of Minnesota in a slow start to find Tom Thibodeau’s replacement. All three coaches are under contract and their organizations declined to make them available for interviews with the Knicks, two people with knowledge of the details said Wednesday The Knicks fired Thibodeau on June 3, despite reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. They reached the playoffs four times in Thibodeau’s five seasons and had won at least 50 games in each of the final two. They appear to be trying to find coaches they like be added to their list along with those currently available.

Royals place All-Star pitcher Ragans back on IL

The Royals put left-hander Cole Ragans back on the injured list after one dismal start against the Cardinals, this time with a left rotator cuff strain, and activated reliever Lucas Erceg from the IL before Wednesday night’s game against the Yankees.

Right-hander Jonathan Bowlan also was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to provide some extended depth in the bullpen, and right-hander Trevor Richards was designated for assignment.

The 27-year-old

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By RyAN SUN

St Bonaventure men’s basketball general manager Adrian Wojnarowski, center left, watches as Southern California guard JuJu Watkins walks past during a game on Nov. 12 in Los Angeles.

Moore explains lack of 11-on-11 drills

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Kellen Moore is trying to strike a balance.

The New Orleans Saints coach, like every other head coach in the NFL, has been tasked with preparing his team for the regular season — all while keeping his players healthy enough for when the games actually start. Moore has had no problem sending the Saints out for practice around noon in the grueling sun during this week’s mandatory minicamp. What’s wrong with a bit of heat helping build character?

On the other hand, Moore has been careful to limit the team’s workload. Notably, the Saints have yet to participate in live 11-on11 action, instead sticking to 7-on-7 drills. When the team does do 11-on-11 work, it has been in a walkthrough, slow-paced setting with no helmets.

That’s by design.

“Obviously, we’re trying to limit the physicality and put these guys in a really great position to be ready to rock and roll come training camp,” Moore said. “This is really a building block, and we just keep growing as we get into training camp.”

Even though league rules forbid contact this time of year, teams are allowed to conduct 11-on-11 drills starting in Phase 3 of the offseason, which began May 20 for New Orleans. By focusing on 7-on-7, Moore said he feels the sessions can still be competitive. He said players are still getting a “ton of reps” because the Saints incorporate two periods of 7-on-7. Slowing

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow participates in drills during practice on June 3 in Cincinnati.

AP PHOTO By KAREEM ELGAZZAR

down to a walkthrough pace later in practice allows for more teaching to occur, Moore said. Are the Saints an outlier in this regard? Without having access to all 32 teams this time of year, it’s hard to tell. But based on a quick polling of other beat writers from various outlets, the Chicago Bears, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles — Moore’s last stop — incorporate full 11-on-11 work.

Some, such as the Washington Commanders and the Los Angeles Rams, don’t put as much of an emphasis on it before training camp.

“I think it just keeps guys healthy,” quarterback Spencer Rattler said. “Last year we were doing 11-on-11 every day and guys were dropping left and right, so everybody’s been healthy, knock on wood. (We’re) protecting our bodies but still being able to compete on some level. We still get to see a ton of coverages from coach (Brandon) Staley and what they’re doing over there.

“So it’s making us better every day They’re not making it easy Yeah, no 11-on-11 yet, but we’ll get there during camp.”

Here’s what else stood out during the second day of mandatory minicamp:

Rattler responds

Because there has yet to be live 11-on-11 action, it’s hard to read too much into the quarterback competition But in any setting, it’s encouraging to see quarterbacks respond to a down day and that’s exactly what Rattler did Wednesday

After struggling Tuesday, Rattler was crisp and effective against the starting defense. While he went 11 of 16, his accuracy stood out in key

moments — particularly on a corner route to Dante Pettis.

Compared to rookie Tyler Shough, Rattler was sharper in the red zone. The ball seemed to ﬂy out faster, and though Rattler had back-to-back incompletions on his second set of reps, those breakups were largely because of a strong performance from Kool-Aid McKinstry

The second-year cornerback had a standout day nearly picking off Rattler thanks to incredible recognition of a pass that was intended for wide receiver Cedrick Wilson. Kicker fun

Charlie Smyth reminded every-

Bengals offensive coordinator sees Burrow reaching new level

BY CHARLIE GOLDSMITH

The Associated Press

CINCINNATI While Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns last season, offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said that he sees a quarterback that’s looking even better than he did last year

“I just see a guy that’s seen a lot of football, played a lot of football and has no fear whatsoever,” Pitcher said on Wednesday after the Bengals’ second day of minicamp. “Total comfort and conﬁdence in himself and in his skill set. And if there’s a window, he’s gonna throw the ball.”

The highlight of Wednesday’s practice was a deep shot down the ﬁeld over the middle to wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, who snared the catch among three defenders. Throughout this spring’s workouts, organized team activities and minicamp Burrow has been making aggressive throws into tight coverage. At this point last year, he was still rehabbing a major wrist injury that required surgery Burrow said that last year, he “wasn’t quite back” throwing the ball at the level he expected. He still had 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns.

“I went out and played as good as I have,” Burrow said. “I’m

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After three seasons at Florida State, he was selected in the second round by the Los Angeles Rams. His rookie season included an NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor and a trip to the playoffs.

Those were the highs.

Then came his ﬁrst low.

He tore his Achilles tendon

right before training camp of his second season in 2021. Akers

looking to take that next step.

I’m happy with the progress that I’ve been making the last couple of weeks and getting better… I understand how to play the game more efficiently and more productively

“Understanding what defenses are going to do to us and have all of the answers in your back pocket to try to combat that. I feel like I’m as prepared as ever Anything anybody throws at me, I’ll have an answer for it. I’m excited to show that again.”

In previous years during OTAs and minicamps, Burrow was focused on helping new players in the offense ﬁgure out their roles.

Last year, he spent a lot of time with Iosivas as he stepped into the starting lineup and with new tight end Mike Gesicki.

This year, the Bengals bring back all of the core pieces from 2024.

“We’re in a spot we haven’t been before,” Burrow said. “Guys coming off of the season healthy Getting all of our guys back. It’s been weird this offseason not having to take care of a new guy we’re counting on and try to teach him what I’m looking at and want out of each play.”

Burrow was also happy not to be worrying about the future of his top two playmakers after Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins signed lucrative extensions in the

returned to action in ﬁve months and made it back in time to play in the Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Two seasons later, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings. He tore his other Achilles in Week 9 of the 2023 season. He signed with the Houston Texans last summer but was traded back to the Vikings in October

Now he’s looking to land yet another home, not too far from where he was born and raised.

“My family is right down the road, good food, Southern hospitality,” Akers said. “So it’s a home

offseason.

Both receivers weren’t at the offseason workouts last year, but have been there throughout this year’s practices.

“Last year, they’re out there working on their own, not being here. But when you have those two guys, guys that bring energy, guys that make incredible plays day in and day out, and they’re going to grind just as hard as everybody else. That permeates throughout the team,” Burrow said.

Running back Chase Brown, Chase, Higgins, Iosivas and Gesicki all return to the same roles that they were in last year Pitcher said that Burrow can really beneﬁt from having so much continuity around him.

“One of the ﬁrst things we talked about as a unit when we got together this spring is there are very few offenses in the league that have the experience and the time and the reps together that we have,” Pitcher said.

“Don’t apologize for that. Take advantage of that. Build on the foundation that currently exists. I think we’ve done that this spring. It makes you feel good, but you have to use it. If someone’s giving you a head start in the race, don’t go back and start with everybody else. Take the damn head start and use it That’s what we’re trying to do.”

away from home.”

Akers counted on three things through the tough times.

“Family, prayer and work,” he said. “You’re going to have ups and downs, good days and bad days. But that’s a part of it. I have a strong support system. I believe in God. I pray, and I have people praying for me.”

Getting the phone call from the Saints felt like an answered

prayer

“Cam is an experienced player,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “He’s done a lot throughout this league. As you go through

one why he is such a tantalizing kicking prospect, crushing a 61yard ﬁeld goal with plenty of room to spare. Former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert, who was taking in practice, remarked that the kick could have been good from 70. The rub with Smyth, however, is his consistency Though he wowed with his big leg, Smyth missed a 49-yarder as he ﬁnished his day 5 of 6. If he wants to unseat incumbent Blake Grupe, he’ll have to improve in that area. Grupe went 6 of 6 on Tuesday, and he hit his own 61-yarder in the process. If neither kicker is available, the Saints have a legitimate fallback

option — safety Justin Reid. In a fun sequence, the safety — who has served as an emergency kicker in Kansas City and Houston — hit an extra point and barely missed a 44-yard attempt after Smyth’s session.

Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux also tried his leg as a kicker, but in his case, the attempt didn’t even get off the ground.

Attendance

Rookie safety Jonas Sanker missed practice with a minor injury, Moore said.

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

Pipeline between Tulane, Shaw reopens with pledge

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

Shaw defensive back Jackson Williams took an ofﬁcial visit to Florida State in January and received a scholarship offer from the Seminoles.

Still, the draw of a former national championship program in a Power Four conference did not keep him from committing to hometown Tulane after visiting this past weekend as coach Jon Sumrall and his assistants up the ante on recruiting.

Williams, a 6-foot-2, 180-pounder three-star prospect, is one of six commitments for 2026, joining Fort Lauderdale (Florida) Cardinal Gibbons wide receiver Gary Hadley, Concord (Massachusetts) Middlesex safety Orion Saunders, Nashville (Tennessee) Pearl-Cohn cornerback Joshua Sims, Cartersville (Georgia) offensive lineman Langston Hogg and West Monroe offensive lineman Tylan George.

“The coaching staff just showed me lots of love, welcoming me into the school,” Williams said. “This isn’t just about football. They are trying to mold me as a young man to better me in all aspects of life. At the end of the day I had to go with my heart, and it was Tulane.”

Williams cited Tulane defensive backs coach J.J. McCleskey as a huge factor in his decision.

The Green Wave had two defensive backs taken in the 2025 NFL Draft (Caleb Ransaw and Micah Robinson), and he believes McCleskey can get him to the same level. Sumrall’s presence is just as signiﬁcant. Tulane played in the American Athletic Conference championship game for the third consecutive year in Sumrall’s ﬁrst season, and Williams expects the streak to continue.

“They call it the coach Sumrall era now, and everything about the culture is real,” he said. “The intensity at the practices is high. The intensity in the meeting room is high. The kids have bought into the program, and he is going to lead the team to great things.” Williams played free safety as a

this, you’re always trying to evaluate as many players as you possibly can. So we felt like it was a great opportunity, and we are ﬁred up that he was wanting to come out here.” Akers has rushed for 2,025 yards in 53 career games, but he said he’s not limited to just running the ball.

“Special teams, whatever they want me to do,” Akers said. “Even defense, if I have to.” Heck, he even would be willing to throw a pass or two like he did in high school if it helps him squeeze into a crowded running

junior but will move to cornerback this fall. In his ﬁrst football action since the seventh grade, he helped Shaw win its ﬁrst state championship since 1987 with a 28-25 victory against E.D White in the Division II select title game.

“We kind of threw him to the wolves last year, and he became an integral part of that defense,” Shaw coach Hank Tierney said. “Now he’s at his natural position, and he’s really taken off.”

His long gap between playing football came because he was busy helping Newman win back-to-back state championships in basketball as a freshman and sophomore. He said he transferred to Shaw because he did not get the opportunity to play both sports with the Greenies, but he ended up skipping basketball after adding a football championship to his resumè The challenge this fall is picking up the nuances of cornerback He essentially played center ﬁeld for the Eagles last year as he adjusted to football.

“The key is just learning so the game can slow down for me,” he said. “If you know what the offense is ﬁxing to do before they even do it, then you’re already 10 steps ahead of them.”

Tierney agreed.

“Because of his length and because of his quickness, he’s really a good cover guy,” he said. “Just playing the position and doing everything that goes with it is the biggest thing.”

If Williams follows through on his commitment, he will be Tulane’s second freshman signee from Shaw since Tierney’s ﬁrst stint with the Eagles from 1982-2001, when it was a regular occurrence.

Offensive lineman Cameron Jackel, who appeared in 25 games for the Green Wave from 2018-21, is the lone exception as Shaw fell on hard times before Tierney returned in 2022 and produced a quick revival.

“Tulane is so, so welcome at our place,” Tierney said. “We have a bunch of young, talented kids, and Shaw kids are in the right place to go to Tulane.”

back room The Saints currently have six other running backs on the roster (Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, Clyde EdwardsHelaire, Velus Jones, Xazavian Valladay and Marcus Yarns).

“I like the atmosphere here,” Akers said. “The players and I can come in and compete. I can learn from AK. Everything is on me. The opportunity is there, but it’s on me to come in and attack.

“That’s pretty much all I can do. So that’s what I’m doing and hopefully we can get something rolling.”

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler throws the ball during minicamp practice at the Ochsner

Sports Performance Center on Tuesday.

Time windows for LSU football games are set

BY RASHAD MILLIGAN Staff writer

LSU football now knows what time of day it will play its games this fall. As previously announced, the Tigers’ ﬁrst four games of the season will be played at night. All con-

ﬁrmed night games, which kick off between 5-7 p.m., are at Clemson on Aug. 30, vs. Louisiana Tech on Sept. 6, vs Florida on Sept. 13, vs. Southeastern Louisiana on Sept 20, at Alabama on Nov 8 and vs. Western Kentucky on Nov 22.

The confirmed early games, which kick off between 11 a.m. and

noon, are at Vanderbilt on Oct 18 and vs. Arkansas on Nov 15. There are still four flex start times on the schedule. Flex kickoff times either kick off between 2:30-3:30 p.m or between 5-7 p.m

The ﬂex kickoff games are at Ole Miss on Sept. 27, vs. South Carolina on Oct. 11, vs. Texas A&M on

Seahawks receiver Kupp adjusts to new setting after time in LA

BY ANDREW DESTIN AP sports writer

RENTON, Wash. — When it comes to food recommendations in the Seattle area, new Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp is open to suggestions.

Just not from fellow newcomer and quarterback Sam Darnold

The veteran quarterback invited Kupp to get dinner with him earlier this offseason, and some of the suggestions caught the 31-year-old wide receiver off guard when recalling the night after the ﬁrst of two minicamp practices at Virginia Mason Athletic Center, which concluded Wednesday

“The way he came off was he wanted to go get some fries and chicken strips,” Kupp said on Tuesday “Look, I have a 6-yearold. I can bring you his food I can bring that, and I’ll go eat something good. It ended up being ﬁne. He ventured out and was, like, OK. He was at least willing to try some stuff. I may have misread him We’ll see. Time will tell.”

Time will also tell how well Kupp fits in with a new franchise after spending each of the past eight seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and signing a three-year, $45 million contract with the Seahawks in March. In some ways it’s a homecoming for Kupp, who grew up watching the Seahawks, is from Yakima, Washington and played at Eastern Washington. He still has plenty to acclimate to, though, after all that time with an NFC West rival Kupp referred to joining a new team as “exciting.”

“It’s been a long time since I learned a new offense, a long time since I sat in a meeting and had to put a face on the board and what’s this guy’s name?” Kupp said. “That’s a stressful situation. That’s a high-stress situation. It’s good, though. I’m excited about what we’re doing, and it is fun.”

He’s eager to work with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, whose system has some similarities to what is run by the Rams and their coach, Sean McVay, as well as San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and his scheme. Kubiak was the 49ers passing game coordinator in 2023 when Darnold was also with the team.

“There’s going to be the nuances

here and there, things like that, but a lot of similar stuff, a lot of similar ideas in how you’re attacking a defense,” Kupp said. “I believe in this offense and what it takes to make it successful and the detail that’s involved with it. There’s deﬁnitely some stuff that accentuates the things that I’ve done in the past.”

All Kupp has done in the past is produce — and more recently, struggle a bit to stay on the ﬁeld.

Each of the past three seasons, Kupp has failed to play in more than 12 games, which in part led the Rams to let the Super Bowl 56 MVP leave in free agency Kupp said that he felt good physically, and he looked the part each day of minicamp when running routes. He faces quite the task in adding to a receiver room that is paced by third-year wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is

fresh off his ﬁrst 1,000-yard season.

Veteran receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling is also on the team, and he spent half of last season playing under Kubiak when the latter was the New Orleans Saints’ offensive coordinator Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald has been impressed by both wideouts’ approaches to learning Seattle’s offense.

“They’re attacking every day man,” Macdonald said. “Just trying to master the playbook, all the formations, all the route steps, all the timing. If you have that spirit about you every day I mean it’s contagious, one, with the rest of the room, with the rest of the offense, the whole team. It makes it fun to go to work and enjoy the process But, of course, that’s going to expedite your growth when you have guys like that.”

Oct. 25 and at Oklahoma on Nov 29. All listed times are Central. The season opener at Clemson will broadcast on ABC at 6:30 p.m.

The home matchup against Florida on Sept 13 also will be on ABC with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff time. LSU’s home opener against Loui-

JOHNSON

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said Tuesday

The landmark agreement — a deal made to settle three federal antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA and the four power conferences allows schools to share up to $20.5 million of revenue with athletes.

It sets aside billions in back damages for former players who couldn’t profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL). It also creates a new agency designed to enforce athlete compensation rules and ushers in new scholarship measures.

Baseball programs won’t be served a particularly large slice of the revenue-sharing pie.

Most athletic departments, including LSU, are planning to use the way the settlement calls for the NCAA to distribute the back payments as a guide for divvying up the revenue among their programs. Football will receive 75%; men’s basketball will get 15%; women’s basketball will have 5%; and the rest of the sports, including baseball, will share the remaining 5%.

The new scholarship rules directly will affect baseball programs. Before, the NCAA limited the number of scholarships that programs could award Now it’s capping roster spots, a stipulation that will allow teams to give scholarships to as many or as few athletes as they wish.

“In the immediate, yes, I think there’s way less margin for error with mistakes,” Johnson said.

“Your staff’s ability to evaluate really becomes more critical, and I’ve always felt this way anyways, like, when you show up at a program, you ﬁnd out how good a coach you are. The longer you’re there, you ﬁnd out what kind of recruiter you are.

“Now this is kind of a unique dynamic to it because I really still don’t have a full answer on scholarship rules.”

Under the old rules, coaches could distribute 11.7 scholarships throughout their team. Now, coaches can give a full scholarship to each of the maximum 34 players on a roster Athletic director Scott Woodward said in an April interview that LSU will increase the number of scholarships it offers in baseball, but he didn’t specify how many it will add.

There’s also the question of how many players can be grandfa-

siana Tech will stream on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m The Sept 20 home game against Southeastern will broadcast on the SEC Network at 6:45 p.m.

Email Rashad Milligan at rashad.milligan@theadvocate. com.

thered into their roster spots. Before she approved the settlement, California judge Claudia Wilken required each side of the settlement to modify the roster-limit provision so athletes wouldn’t lose their spots while teams work to meet the new limits.

“There’s still some questions that haven’t really been answered,” Johnson said “so we’re thinking about it, but I haven’t gone like, ‘OK, I’m changing what I’m doing tomorrow recruiting because of that.’ ”

The answers affect how many transfers Johnson can sign this summer

The portal opened June 2 the day LSU clinched its NCAA regional title with a 10-6 win over Little Rock. Johnson and his staff already have landed commitments from two transfers, but because they’re now competing in the CWS, they have less time to recruit portal entrants than some of their peers. The timeline, based on the academic calendar, puts the more successful teams at a disadvantage.

In 2023, Johnson said, while LSU was playing in the championship series, one of its portal targets visited another program. He wound up committing to that team and canceled his scheduled visit with the Tigers.

“That’s how it goes,” Johnson said. “I think since I’ve been here, there’s been a direct correlation (of) if you’re not playing, you have a little bit of an advantage. We’re just going to stay on top of it.” LSU already picked up commitments from a pair of transfer inﬁelders who can hit for power: Kansas State’s Seth Dardar and High Point’s Brayden Simpson. Both are rising seniors. Dardar is a Mandeville native who hit a home run this season against the Tigers Simpson is a career .626 slugger with 37 homers. Johnson said Tuesday that other recruits visited LSU during the super regionals. The two wins and the Alex Box Stadium environment, he said, made favorable impressions on the players, who didn’t see as much of Johnson as they would have under normal circumstances.

That’s because the LSU coach has quite a lot to juggle He will for however long LSU gets to stay in Omaha.

“I would have been more present with them nonstop on their visit,” Johnson said, “if we weren’t trying to go to Omaha. But if you’re not trying to go to Omaha, like, what are we doing this for anyways?”

despite LSU suspending right ﬁelder Joey Belle (.349, 21 home runs, 66 RBIs in 57 games) before the

in Oma-

LSU still

began.

slugger. After

without its

with a 6-2, 10-inning victory over Florida State, the Tigers

into the loser’s bracket with

8-7 loss to Oklahoma State, then eliminated Arkansas 5-2 to set up another elimination game against Stanford. LSU looked on its way to a showdown with Texas for the right to play Oklahoma State in the final, breaking out of a 2-2 tie with three runs in the top of the ninth inning for a 5-2 lead But Stanford’s Paul Carey blasted a grand slam off LSU freshman Ben McDonald for a 6-5 victory Stanford went on to beat Texas and Oklahoma State for its first CWS title. 1989 LSU was back in Omaha two years later, fresh off of winning an epic NCAA Central regional at No. 1 Texas A&M thanks to an immortal 11th-inning double by light-hitting Pat Garrity in the 5-4 final. The Tigers fell into the loser’s bracket with an opening 5-2 loss to Miami, but rebounded back into

of out, and the Tigers went into the deep freeze. The Trojans battled back from that opening loss to LSU to eliminate the Tigers 5-4 and 7-3, with LSU getting only one home run in the ﬁnal game from Jeff Leaumont.

FILE PHOTO By MARK SALTZ

The dejected Tigers look on in the ﬁnal inning of a game against USC at the 1998 College World Series in Omaha, Neb

HILARy SCHEINUK

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RyAN SUN Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp warms up during practice at NFL minicamp on Wednesday at the team’s training facility in Renton, Wash.

Approaching milestone

Scottheadedfor centurymarkwith96thconsecutive major

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

OAKMONT, Pa Adam Scott is one year away from an impressive streak the Australian considers to be aclassic glass half-full moment in golf.

The U.S. Open is his 96th consecutive major championship appearance dating to the 2001 British Open at Royal Lytham &St. Annes.

“It sounds like alot to have won one,” Scott said with alaugh, referring to his lone major title in the 2013 Masters. “It would betwice as good if there was one more.”

Still, he realizes he is approaching abig milestone. The PGA Championship next year, assuming he qualiﬁes or gets an invitation, will be his 100th career major He could make it 100inarow if he makes it to Shinnecock Hills for next year’sU.S. Open. Astreak like that requires eligibility and good health. TigerWoods and Phil Mickelson onlyhad eligibility in their favor. Woods played 46 straight majors until knee surgery after he won the 2008 U.S. Open. Mickelson played 61 in arow before he sat out the 2009 British Open as his wife was being treated for breast cancer

The record is among themost untouchable in golf Jack Nicklaus played 146 in arow from the1962 U.S. Open through the 2008 U.S. Open.

“Probably whenever it ends, whether it’s100 or more or less, Ithink it will be hard for guys to get to that number goingforward,” Scott said. “I think it’sgetting harder.And IthinkIhave been aconsistent player over a25year career.Icould probably pick three troughs where my game was lookingpretty ordinaryand Ifell outside the top 50 and Iwas really struggling. But over 25 years, I’d expect that of almostany player.” Scott had afew close calls in the U.S. Open. He made it through 36-

GOLF

Continued from page1C

DeChambeau gets achance tosee if hisbrawn can handle this rough, there has been one name —Oakmont —that rises above all others going into the 125th U.S. Open.

“Oakmont is relentless,” said John Bodenhamer,the chief championships ofﬁcer at the USGA who sets up the course for the toughest test in golf. “There’snoletup.It’sa grind. That’sthe U.S. Open.” It gets started Thursday with Matt Vogt, the former Oakmont caddieand now an Indiana dentist, selected to hit the opening tee shot.

Jon Rahm, who won his U.S. Open four years ago atTorrey Pines, made his debut at Oakmontin2016whenhewas fresh out of Arizona State. He shot 76 on the ﬁrst day,went 1-overpar the rest of theway and ﬁnished as the low amateur Even with changestothe course from arestoration project, the Spanish star has abetter idea of what to expect.

“You’reawareofwhat agolf tournament here is going to be like. It’sgoing to be achallenge,” Rahm said. “A lot of unfortunate things are going to happen. It’s hard fairways to hit, bad lies, difficult bunkers, difficult greens. It’s going to be anice test, adifficult test, and Ithink one of thetruest representations of what aU.S.

hole qualifying withone shot to spare in 2018.

He failedtomake it through qualifying last year (he was ﬁrst alternate) but became exempt at No. 61 in the world. Grayson Murray,who took his life in May 2024, was still ahead of him in theworld ranking and the USGA went down onespot.

Scottsaid Mickelson and RoryMcIlroy are among the few who never went throughbad spells or serious injury“and we’re talking about twoofthe greatest of theirgeneration.”

McIlroy’sstreak was interrupted when he injuredhis left ankle and couldn’tplaythe 2015 British Open. Oakmont is his 39th consecutive major U.S. Open prizemoney

For the first time since 2021, the U.S. Open is not increasingits prize money.Itwill be $21.5 millionfor the second straight year, with $4.3 million goingtothe winner.

It remains the biggest purse of thefour majors. The Masters was $21millionthisyear, whilethe PGA Championship was at $19 million. The British Open hasn’t announced its total purse for next monthatRoyal Portrush. It was at $17 million last year

The U.S. Open purse was $12.5 million in 2020 and 2021 before making abig leap to $17.5million in 2022 at Brookline.

“I feel comfortable thatwe’ve been aleader in moving fast and bigger,” USGA CEO MikeWhan said Wednesday.

The PlayersChampionship has a$25 millionpurse.The USGA andR&A get thebulk of their revenuefromtheir Opens. They also use thatmoneytoinvest back in the game, including the Women’s Opensand amateur eventssuch as theWalkerCup andCurtisCup that severalofthe topstars once played.

Open is all about.”

Dustin Johnson set the Oakmont scoring recordfor aU.S.Openat 276 when hewon in 2016.

TheUSGAmentioned afew other numbers that also describe Oakmont, mainly the 5-inch rough so dense at thebottomthere are no guaranteesa golf ball will be found.

Anothernumber had historical context —only27ofthe 1,385 players whohave competed in amajor championshipatOakmonthave ﬁnished under par.Thatincludes when Oakmont, now apar 70, was played asapar 71 or par 72.

“Our mantra is tough but fair,” Bodenhamer said.“Andwhat does that mean? It’spretty simple. It’s not about the score. It’sabout getting everyclub in aplayer’sbag dirty,all 15 of them —the 14 in their bagand the one between the ears. Andwework hard on that.

“And that’show we’ve gone about our business here at Oakmont.”

The other number that stands out is 10 —the number of times theUSGA has brought itsmarquee championshiptothe course built to be tough in 1903. No other course has held theU.S. Open moreoften.

The USGA has been accused over theyears of trying to protect par,which it long has denied.

Johnny Millerremains the only player to winthe U.S. Openwith a63inthe ﬁnal round, in 1973 at Oakmont.The next year,HaleIrwin won at 7-over par in what became known as the “Massacre at

Vandebilt, Teurlings pitchers lead LSWA

BY JERIT ROSER Written for theLSWA

Apair of junior aces who led their teamstoDivision II select state championships headline the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’sClass 4A all-state baseball and softball teams.

Vandebilt Catholic’sLauren Baudoinand Teurlings Catholic’s Evan Vincent drew top honors in their respective sports. Baudoin earned an all-state softballselectionfor thethird straightyear after helping lead her Terriers to theirthird straight titlegameand second straightchampionship.

TheNicholls State commitment posted a24-1recordwitha1.10 ERA and 226 strikeouts in the circle,while also batting.380with three homeruns and 29 RBIs. Vincent’spitching was similarly critical in his Rebels’ run to their second straight baseball title.

The hometown Ragin’ Cajuns commitment ﬁnishedhis junior

season with a10-0 record, 1.26 ERA and one save. He struck out 86 batters in 61 innings and batted .270 with four doubles, two triples and 23 RBIs. Rounding outthe Class 4A superlatives, North DeSoto swept the Coach of the Year awards just as itsprograms sweptthe DivisionIInonselect championships. On the softball side, TimWhitman led his team through apair of opening-weekend losses to a 32-3overall mark andback to their title-winning form of 2021, 2022 and2023with some critical coaching moves along the way,including agame-winningsqueeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh in the championship game. Bo Odom,inhis finalseason at the helm,coached the Griffins to their first baseball championship since 2012. NorthDeSoto racked up a28-13 record and upset topseeded Brusly to complete itsrun and Odom’s 28-year career,ashe announcedhis retirement days later

“But at the same time,weunderstand. We want to be relevant,” Whan said. “Weknow that this probably isn’treally aboutthe money for theperson whoputs it there, but at thesame time, we want themoney to be commensurate with theachievement. It’s part of creating what we wantto be thegreatest championship in thegame.”

Driver testing

Xander Schauffele couldn’t contain his laughter when he said bothof his drivers were tested this week andboth passedthe USGA limits of trampoline effect.

It was no joking matter for McIlroy at thePGA Championship when word got out thathis driver didn’tpass the test from too much use. Turns out Scottie Scheffler’s driver didn’tpass for the same reason, and they had to get new drivers.

The results are supposed to be conﬁdential. The postonMcIlroy’s driver was published without any context —the random testing at everymajor,and theservice being done for players (and equipment makers)who otherwise would be unaware whenthe facesofthe drivers becometoo thin from constant strikes.

Whan said he felt stronger than ever to keep results private.

“Interms of what happened at thePGA Championship, it made us morecommitted to not wanting to have this bethe topic of the town,” Whan said “Because Ithink when youtalkedabout arules violation or somebody who’splaying with a hot driver,that getssomuch more sensational than the reality.

“I can tell you as arules body,if we hadconcern aboutthisincredible advantage,wewould change thedegree in which we test,” he said “But we think the testingthat we’re doing now is commensurate with the size of both the issueand thesize of the reality of the issue.”

Winged Foot.” It alsofed into the belief that par matters.

In some respects, it does. Bodenhamer was asked what score would indicatethe USGA didn’t get it right

“Interestingquestion,” he said. “Offthe top of my head, something in double digits. I’ve saidthis before, we don’twant 20 over to win, and we don’twant 20 under to win It might be tough. It might not be toughenough.There’sa number in there somewhere.”

If there is acommontrait among U.S. Open champions at Oakmont, strength would be on thelist. Johnson won in 2016, AngelCabrera in 2007, big Ernie Els in 1994. The ﬁrst of 18 professionalmajorsby Jack Nicklaus and those powerful legs came at Oakmont in 1962.

Schefﬂer’sstrength, much like Tiger Woods, is knowing where to miss and playing the angles. That works almost anywhere. Almost.

“There’s notreallymanyareas where you step on the tee box and you’re like,‘Hey, Ican miss it right here; hey,I can shade towards the left side of thefairway because right is really bad,’ ”hesaid. “Actually,ifyou hit it in theright rough, you’re probably notgoing to get it to thegreen. If you hit it in the left rough, you’re probably not going to get it to thegreen. So mightaswell try and split the difference there and hit it in the middle.” Sounds simple enough. It rarely is at Oakmont. And that’sjust the way the USGA likes it.

Carsyn

North DeSoto;Bella Daniels, Grant; Allie Darbonne, Iowa;AlexisDejean, Cecilia;AshleeDouglass, West Ouachi-

Mylie Elsensohn, Pearl River;SashaFalls, North DeSoto; Kallie Gibson, North Vermilion; Leigha Gilbert, Minden; Abigail Heidbrink, Brusly;Makayla Husser, Loranger; Mackenzie Jagers, Northwood; AbbyJones,Tioga;Peyton Kirtland Grant; AvaKulivan, Hannan; Ella Mabile, Assumption; MorganMalveaux,David Thibodaux; Lexi Matherne, Vandebilt; Payton Miller, North DeSoto; Anistyn Nichols, Tioga;BreePech,E.D.White;RileyPerilloux,St. Charles; Haliegh Perrilloux,E.D White; Khloe Renton, Hannan; KaitlynRoberts,Tioga;Carleigh Roe, Grant;Hayes Ruttledge, Vandebilt; EvaSattler,Eunice;Aubrey Savini, David Thibodaux;Mia Smith, Teurlings;Avery St.

Ayla Stollsteimer, Iowa;AlyaTaylor, Hannan;

Rayne; Cayden Dartez, St.Thomas

Detillier,

TylerDartez, Iowa;Luke

Terrebonne;Blaze Duhon, NorthVer-

Reed Dupre, Iowa;MylesFutrell, Grant; Spencer Guilbeau, Vandebilt; Xan Harwell, Pearl River;ChipJoiner, West Feliciana; Braden Jones,North DeSoto; Patrick Kennedy,Archbishop Hannan; Gabe Kugler, St.Charles;Hayden Lebleu, Iowa; Jack Ledet, South Lafourche; Thomas Mancuso, Morgan City;Cam Martin,West Ouachita;LandonMartin, Northwood; Kaden Miller, West Ouachita;RylandNation, Grant; BraydenNetterville,Kenner Discovery;Jacob Pierce, South Lafourche; Cole Pryor, Loyola;JackPurser,Teurlings ;RyanReeves,Tioga;Dylan Robichaux, E.D. White ;Mason Rogillio,West Feliciana; Riley Rowell, St.Thomas More; Reese Sanzone, Lakeshore; Aubrey St. Angelo, Brusly; Bryce Waguespack, St. Charles.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

Adam Scott, of Australia, prepares tohit out of abunker on the 13thhole during apractice round ahead of the U.S. Open on WednesdayatOakmont CountryClubinOakmont,

STAFF FILE PHOTOByMICHAEL JOHNSON Vandebilt Catholic pitcher Lauren Baudoin, aNicholls State commitment, posted a24-1 record with a1.10 ERA and 226 strikeouts in leadingthe Terriers to theirsecond straight state title.

Mushrooms aworthy stand-in formeat

BY BETH DOOLEY

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

Spring is aseason of surprises. Suddenly the asparagus appear,next it’sdelicate peas, tender lettuces and ﬁstfuls of fresh herbs.

Week after week, the farmers markets offer increasing bounty to tempt and delight I’ll bring these market staples home to round out ameal: farmstead beef, chicken,pork, lamb and an array of locally grown wildmushrooms —oyster,shiitake, maitake and my favorite, dark brown chestnut mushrooms, with tight, ﬁrm caps.

Mushrooms are one of the best plant proteins.With their rich, deep umami ﬂavor and dense texture, they make a wonderful alternative to meat Mushrooms grow miraculously in almost nothing —rotting logs, decaying leaves, sawdust Neither vegetable, fruit nor animal, they defy culinary categories, and are unappetizingly identiﬁed as “gilled fungi.”

Mushrooms contain about 2grams of protein per cup, with nine essentialaminoacids, making them a“complete protein.” They are packed with vitamins Dand B, as well as minerals. Low in calories and carbohydrates,wild mushrooms are now being cultivated and sold locally in our farmers markets, grocery stores and co-ops.

Amess of different mushrooms make adelicious larb, the dish of northernThailand (also sometimes spelled laab, laap, larp or lahb). It’straditionally made with minced or ground and cooked pork tossed in apunchy lime-soy vinaigrette. Here, avarietyof roasted local mushroomsreplace pork in avegan version of larb

Roast Mushroom Larb Serves 4to6.Recipe is from Beth Dooley.This dish, ready in minutes, relies on thewild mushroom varieties you’ll ﬁnd in farmersmarkets, co-ops and grocery stores. If they’re packaged in plastic whenyou buy them, be sure to remove and transfer mushrooms to a paper bag, then store in the refrigerator for no more than afew days.Wrapthe larbin lettuce leaves and servewitha side of herbed rice.

2pounds mixed mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, maitake, chestnut, cremini, button), trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces

¼cup vegetable oil Coarse salt

2to3tablespoons lime juice

1tablespoon honey

2tablespoons soysauce

1clove garlic, minced

Generous pinch red-pepper flakes, to taste

¼cup sliced scallions

¼cup sliced snap peas, plus more forgarnish

½cup coarsely chopped mint leaves

½cup coarsely chopped basil

¼cup finely chopped unsalted toasted peanuts

Lettuce leaves, for wrapping

Steamed rice, optional for serving Chopped fresh parsley,for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line abaking sheet with parchment paper

2. Spread the mushrooms out on the baking sheet. Drizzle themwith alittle of the oil and sprinkle lightly with salt; using your ﬁngers, toss to coat.Roast, turning the pan occasionally, until the mushrooms arebrown and crisp, about 25 minutes.

3. In amedium bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, lime juice,honey,soy sauce,garlic and red pepper ﬂakes. Transfer themushrooms to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing. Toss in the scallions, snap peas, mint, basil and peanuts.

Simmering summer

Old-timeyTomatoPie andGrandma’s PeachCobbler arethe ﬂavorsofthe

June in New Orleans is not for the faint of heart —orappetite. The heat settles in early,asthick as awool blanket.But thepeople of this city don’tretreat from summer; they lean into it.

June is when the city slows its pace just enough tosavor what makes this time of year so special: long, golden evenings, neighborhood gatherings and abounty of summertime food that’sasbold and unforgettable as New Orleansitself.

The mornings begin with warm,moist air rising from theMississippi River and the scentofmagnolias riding on thebreeze. Streetcars clatter downoak-lined avenues and by midmorning, thesidewalks are shimmering with heat.

But just as the sun starts its slow descent, New Orleans comes alive withthe rituals of summer

Philly-style Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Subs, RECIPE 2D

4. Serve the larb in lettuce leaves and steamed rice, if using. Garnish the larb with sliced pea pods and sprinkle chopped parsley over all.

Kevin Belton

June brings aharvest of fresh fruit and vegetables. Farmers marketsburst withCreole tomatoes,cucumbers, bell peppers, watermelon and peaches. These ingredients lend themselves to bright,simple meals —salads with fresh herbs, pickled vegetables or grilled produce drizzled with olive oil and sea salt. Tomato pies and fresh peach cobbler are just two of the treasures that deﬁne aNew Orleans summer table.

In New Orleans, June isn’t just amonth, it’sa mood.It’s

Old-timey Tomato Pie

Makes 6servings.

5Roma tomatoes, peeled and sliced 10 fresh basil leaves chopped ½cup green onion, chopped 19-inch pre-baked pie crust

1cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1cup shredded cheddar cheese

¾cup mayonnaise (or half mayo,half Greek yogurt)

2tablespoonsfreshly gratedParmesan cheese

Seasalt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Place the tomatoes in acolander in the sink in asingle layer.Sprinkle with salt and allowthem to rest for 10 minutes.

3. Use apaper towel to pat-dry the tomatoes andmakesure most of theexcess juice is out. Wettomatoes will makeyour pie soggy

4. Layer the tomato slices, basil, and onioninprebakedpie shell. Season with salt and pepper

5. Combinethe grated cheeses and mayonnaise or Greek yogurt together

6. Spread mixtureontop of thetomatoes andsprinkle Parmesan cheeseon top.

7. Bake for30minutes or untillightly browned. Allow to rest foratleast 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

PHOTO By MONICA BELTON

BYGRETCHEN

ä See GRANDMA, page 2D

Minister must learntojuggleconversations

Dear Miss Manners: Iamaministry leader at my church and am wellknown within the congregation. After the churchservice, many people like to stay in the lobby for afew minutestochat.

ﬁnd myself often in an embarrassing situation that Idon’tknow how to handle: Suppose I’ve been chatting with someone, let’scall them Person A, for just aminute. Then I feel someone, Person B, touch my shoulderorarm to get my attention. Iturn to see that it’sanother friendly person who wishes to chat. Now,mybody is still facing

Person A, with whom Iwish to continue talking, but my head is turned to chat withPerson B, who hasinterrupted ourconversation.

tention.Can you please advise me on how to handle this situation?

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

I ﬁnd this situation terribly awkward and disrespectful to Person A. Sometimes,when I ﬁnally manage to end theinteraction with Person B, Person Ahas already left. Ifeel awful when this happens, and it occurs far too often.

Idon’tunderstand how Person Bcan feel it’sacceptable to interruptanongoing conversation, but atthe same time, Idon’t know howtoignore someone who is physically tryingtoget my at-

Gentlereader: Ah yes, theministry two-step.Listen raptly until Person Areaches the end of asentence. Say,“Excuse me just one second.” Turn to Person B. Say, “I was just talking to Person A, won’tyou join us?” Turn back to Person A, opening up thecircle to include Person B. Say (toPerson A),“Youwere saying …” And do this all so quickly that neither PersonAnor PersonBhas achance to takeover.Fortunately, as aministry leader,you areused to commanding attention.

Dear Miss Manners: Iwas “the other one” in my relationship with the person Iloved. Even aside from

PHOTO By MONICA BELTON

Grandma’sPeach Cobbler

Serves 6-8 regular people or 4Louisianans.(Isuggestmaking 2pans.)

5peaches, cored and sliced

¾cup granulated sugar

¼teaspoon seasalt

BATTER:

6tablespoons butter

1cup all-purpose flour

1cup granulated sugar

2teaspoons baking powder

¼teaspoons sea salt

¾cup milk

Ground cinnamon

NOTE: If using canned peaches, skip steps 1and 2and follow the directions starting at step 3

1. Add the sliced peaches,

GRANDMA

Continued from page1D

thefeeling of cold sno-ball syrup on your ﬁngers,the sound of crabs crackin’ between friends, and the taste

sugar andsalt to asaucepan andstir to combine.

2. Cook on mediumheat forjust afew minutes, until thesugar is dissolved and helpstobring out juices from the peaches. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Slicebutter into pieces and addtoa9x13inch baking dish. Place the pan in the oven while it preheats, to allow the buttertomelt.Once melted, remove the pan from theoven.

of sun-ripened tomatoes on your tongue. It’s summer served with soul anditlingers longafter thelast bite.

Kevin Belton is resident chef of WWL-TV and has taught classes in Louisiana cooking for30

4. In alarge bowl mix together the ﬂour,sugar,baking powder,and salt. Stir in the milk, just until combined. Pour the mixture into the pan, overthe melted butter and smooth it into an even layer

5. Spoon the peaches and juice(or canned peaches, if using) over the batter Sprinkle cinnamon generously over the top.

6. Bakeat350 Ffor about 38-40 minutes. Serve warm, with ascoop of ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

years. The most recent of his four cookbooks, “KevinBelton’sCookin’ Louisiana: Flavors from the Parishes of the Pelican State,” was published in 2021. EmailChef at chefkevinbelton@gmail. com.

Philly-style Sausageand Broccoli Rabe Subs

Serves 4. Recipe adapted from “Mostly Meatless” by America’sTest Kitchen. 4(8-inch) Italian sub rolls

3tablespoons extra virgin oil, divided 3garlic cloves,

1teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1teaspoon soysauce

4ounces shredded sharp provolone cheese

2tablespoons chopped or slice jarred hot cherry peppers, optional

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 450 F.

2. If needed,slice rolls to make them easier to open (withoutslicing all the way through). Use spoon or your fingers to scraped inside

CLASSIC

Continued from page1D

sesame-seeded roll.Spicy Italian sausage stands in for the thinly sliced roasted pork that is athree-day process at DiNic’s. It also includes savory,tender slices of portobello mushrooms cookedwith fennel, fresh rosemary and atouch of soy sauce. Shredded provolone goes right into the pan with the meat and veggies for amelty,

of rolls andremoveall but ¼inch of interior crumb; discard removed crumb or usetomake bread crumbs or croutons. Set aside while youprepare ﬁlling. 3. Heat 1tablespoon oil andsliced garlicin a12-inch nonstickskilletovermedium heat until garlic is light golden brown, 3-5 minutes. 4. Add broccoli rabe and¼ teaspoon saltand cook, stirringoccasionally, until tender, 4-6 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cover tokeep warm.

5. Heat 1teaspoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat into smallpieces with wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 5minutes.Transfer to abowl.

6. Add 1tablespoon oilto fat left in skilletand heat over medium-highheat un-

we’re-all-friends finish. Like DiNic’s, this recipe spotlights broccoli rabe. It’s acruciferous green that lookslike leafy broccoli, but as amember of the Brassicaceae family,isactually more closely related to the turnip. Its flavor is more bitter than broccoli, and the greens can also be fibrous, but the two veggies are interchangeable in this recipe.Iused long, tender stalks of Broccolini instead of broccoli rabe, which Icouldn’t find in my local grocery store. Don’tskimp on the pickled

tilshimmering. Add mushroomsand remaining ½teaspoonsalt. Cover andcook stirring occasionally,until mushrooms have released their liquid, 3-5 minutes.

7. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally,until mushroomsare well browned, 5-7 minutes Reduce heat to low

8. Clear center of skillet andadd remaining 2teaspoonsoil, fennel seedsand rosemary.Stir in soy sauce and cooked sausage, then stir in cheese until melted. Remove fromheat andcover to keep warm.

9. Arrange reserved rolls on baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted,about 3 minutes.

10. Divide mushroom and broccoli rabe mixture evenly amongrolls. Topwith cherry peppers, if using, and serve.

red cherry hot peppers as a final flourish. They’re only mildly spicy,and you can’t beat thatextra kick of flavor Iused 6-inch sausage rolls instead of 8-inch sub rolls, so Ihad enough filling for five sandwiches. Be sure to toastthe bread until it’s quitebrown and crispy,otherwise the filling could turn thesandwich into a(still delicious) soggy mess. Wrapped in aluminum foil and reheated in a350 F oven for afew minutes, any leftovers make agreat lunch the next day

themarital inﬁdelity,the relationship wouldhave been considered scandalousbymylover’sfamily because Iamthe wrong race, gender,social class, age, whatever (pick one). My loved one died, leaving me grieving in isolation. Iposted condolences, attended the funeral quietly and sometimes visit the grave alone. Ineed to do so as part of the grieving process; Iam near recovery now,and distancing myselffrom the death. Even so, the relatives have begun making pointed inquiries about me. Ihave ignored the questions so far,primarily because doing otherwise would be abetrayal of my lovedone’swishes and repu-

tation. My obvious sin aside, am I now doing the proper thing?

Gentle reader: That will depend on your guess as to the motivation behind the inquiries, as well as how muchtime has passed. Miss Manners would only expect you to welcome overtures from wellmeaning family members for whomany thoughts of scandal or sin were buriedwith the deceased.

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

Showingupafter thesilence

Dear Annie: Acouple I’ve been friends withfor over 20 years is about to celebratetheir daughter’shigh school graduation. Irecently received an invitation from thedaughter,and while Iwas touched to be included, I’m feeling alittle conﬂicted.

Over the past few years, theparents —who were once very close to me —have gradually stopped staying in touch. They no longer call or text when they’re in town,which they used to do regularly.Idon’tknow if life just got busy or if there’ssome unspoken distance that’sgrown between us. The graduation party would also require some travel, which makes me question whether it’sworth theeffort given how things have changed. Idowant to honor the daughter and the occasion, but I’m unsure if showing up after such along period of silence would feel awkward or unwelcome. Would it be better to attend and show support in person, or should Isend acard and gift and leave it at that?

Feeling Distant

Dear Feeling Distant: If you’re

interested in rekindling your friendship with the couple, then supporting their daughter forthis milestone would be alovely wayof doing so. Actions speak louder than words, and showing up to this party would likely go further than asimple

“I miss you.”

My guess? Life got busy forthem, and they would be touched to see you at the party But attending isn’twithout its risks; if you’d be particularly upset at the prospect of going to the party only to have nothing change in your friendship, then you could opt fora lower-investment wayto initiate —perhaps aphone call.

Dear Annie: About ﬁve years ago, my younger brother “Henry” and Ihad afalling out over afamily inheritance issue after our father passed away Words weresaid that we both probably regret, but neither of us has madea movetoreconnect since. We live in the samecity but haven’tspoken, even at holidays. Our mother has tried afew times to gently encourage us to make

amends, but we’ve both avoided the conversation. Now, my brother’swife just had their ﬁrst child. I found out through amutual cousin whosaw the baby announcement on social media. Part of me wants to send acard or asmallgift to acknowledge the birth and maybe open the door a little. But Ialso don’twant it to come across as shallow or too little, too late. Is it appropriate to reach out after years of silence just because there’sanew baby in the picture? Or should Iwait foramore direct opportunity to talk through what happened before trying to rebuild any kind of connection? —Onthe

Sidelines Dear On the Sidelines: Births and deaths have away of making us realize just how short lifeis. If asmallpart of you wants to reconnect with Henry,then he probably feels the same—especially with anew child in the picture. Reach out with acard or asmallgift. Down the line, you can discuss what happened ﬁve years ago. But now is atimetocelebrate.

Sendyour questions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

Storingextra paintinMason jars

Dear Heloise: My suggestionisabout paint storage. Pleasedonot store leftover paint (both oil-based and latex) in the original can unless you’ll be using it within afew days.I store all of my leftover paint in Mason jars. The jarsare much smaller than the cans,are uniform in size so that they’re easytostore,are airtight and will lastfor many years. Plus, youcan seethe

ByThe Associated Press

color through the glass.

Baconhint

Hints from Heloise

Just be sure to label each jar with exactly what it contains (brand, type of paint, color, and color number), the date it was used, where it was used, and how much you used to ﬁnish your project. Also, be sure to wipe off the rim of the jar so that the seal will be tight.

Ihope these suggestions are helpful! —Pamela Gibb, via email

sentenced to lifeinprison, where he died in 2001.)

Today is Thursday, June 12, the 163rd day of 2025. There are 202 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On June 12, 2016, agunman opened ﬁre at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, leaving 49 people dead and 53 wounded in what was then the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history; the gunman, Omar Mateen, pledged allegiance to theIslamic Stategroup during athree-hour standoff before being killed in a shootout withpolice.

Also on this date:

In 1939, theBaseball Hall of Fame was dedicated in Cooperstown, New York.

In 1942, Anne Frank, a German-born Jewish girl living in Amsterdam, received adiary for her 13th birthday,less than amonth before she and her family went into hiding from the Nazis.

In 1963, civil rights leader Medgar Evers, 37, was shot and killed outside his homeinJackson, Mississippi. (In 1994, Byron De La Beckwith was convicted of murdering Evers and

In 1964, eight South African anti-apartheid activists, including Nelson Mandela, were sentenced to life in prison forcommitting acts of sabotage against South Africa’sapartheid government.

In 1967, the U.S. SupremeCourt, in Loving v. Virginia, unanimously struck downstate laws prohibiting interracial marriages, ruling that such lawsviolated the Fourteenth Amendment.

In 1978, David Berkowitz wassentenced to 25 years to lifeinprison foreach of the six “Son of Sam” killings committed in New York City over the previous two years.

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan, during avisit to the divided German city of Berlin, exhorted Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear downthis wall.”

In 1991, Russians went to the polls fortheir ﬁrstever presidential election, which resulted in victory forBoris Yeltsin.

In 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were killed outside

Dear Heloise: If Idon’tuse awhole package of bacon and want to refrigerate the remaining slices, Iput the package that has been opened in arepurposed plastic bread wrapper.Itis just the right size and long enough to put atwist tie on the end. Ilove reading your column every day Jim and Joyce Kennedy,via email Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Simpson’sLos Angeles home. (O.J. Simpson, Nicole BrownSimpson’s ex-husband, waslater acquitted of the killings in acriminal trial but was eventually held liable in a civil action.)

Today’sbirthdays: Actor Sonia Manzano is 75. Actordirector Timothy Busﬁeld

Annie Lane DEAR ANNIE

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Puteverything in its place, andyou will alleviatestress caused by clutter. Arrange to host ayard sale andsell what you no longer need. Invest more timeinimproving your lifestyle.

cAncER(June 21-July 22) Question everything and everyone beforeyou make an agreement, volunteer or sign up for something.Updatingyourlookwillboost your confidence.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Choosestability. Put more thought andplanning intohow you want to proceed or what youwant to do next.Don't let angerlead to premature acts that create chaos and uncertainty.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Channel your energy into something thatmotivates you. Onceyou feel confident about your accomplishments,don'thesitatetosocialize, network and present your work. Mix business with pleasure.

LIBRA (sept. 23-Oct. 23) Take amoment to considerwhat'simportant to youand refusetoletemotionsinterferewithyour plans. Consider partnerships and your expectations before you agree to make alifestyle change

scORPIO (Oct.24-nov. 22) Youcandrumup interest if youpresent your ideas. Attend workshops, conferences, networking events and industry schmoozefests to captivate your audience. Don't be shy; if youtrust your ability, so will others.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec.21) Take the unknown outofthe equation with direct communication. Go straighttothe source, find outthe expectations others

have and work to smooth out any rough edges before you proceed.

cAPRIcORn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Letyour emotions and heart lead theway.Concentrate on what makes you happy and whoyou enjoy spending time with. Home improvements, lifestyle changes and updating your appearance will be uplifting.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Gather your thoughtsbefore making achange. Plans are essentialifyou want to avoidcostly mistakes. Look at your financial situationandputareasonablebudgetinplace. Takebetter care of your health.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) An open mind willencourageyoutovisualizeprospects and possibilities. Don't hesitatetolive in themoment,experience what lifehas to offer and connect withpeople who share your passions.

ARIEs (March 21-April19) Take alow-key approachtowhatever you do,and you can avoidsetbacks. Channelyourenergy intocompleting tasks. Keep your thoughtsandemotionsunderwrapsuntil you can consider your options.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Set your sights onwhatyouwantandimplementprecautionary measures to offset any negativity.Communicateopenlywithcharmand finesse; you'll gain support and momentum.

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

tODAy's cLuE:V EQuALs c

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

RalphMarston, whoplayedone season in theNational Football League with the BostonBulldogsin1929, said, “You’ve done it before and you can do it now. See thepositive possibilities.”

This deal has afew possibilities, which youhaveprobably seen before, but one of them still evades most players.

Southisinthree no-trump, and West leads the spade queen. What happens if Southducks the first trick andWest continues spades at tricktwo? What is West’s best defense if South ducks the first trick?Whathappens if South wins thefirst trick?

Southhas seven top tricks: twospades, three heartsand twodiamonds.Hemust obtaintwo more winners from clubs Butsince he willlose the lead twice, the defenders might establish and run their spade suit first.

If declarer ducks trick one and West continues spades,South plays on clubs and makes his contract. WhenEast gets in with the club king, he does nothave another spade to lead.

If South does not win thefirst trick West mustshifttoadiamond to defeat thecontract —aplay that wouldbevery toughtofind.IfSouthwinsthefirsttrick, he does best to play aheart to the queen and start clubs from the board. To beat thecontract, East must put up his king and return his remaining spade. When partner’s suit is onelead from being established, especially if you have only one card left in that suit, do your utmosttowin thenext defensive trick. ©2025 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

EachWuzzle is awordriddle whichcreates adisguisedword, phrase,name, place, saying, etc. Forexample: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIOns: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four lettersbythe addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,”are not allowed. 3. additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

tODAy’s WORD REVIVAL: rih-VYE-vul: Renewed attention to or interest in something.

Averagemark18words

Time limit 30 minutes

Canyou find24ormore words in REVIVAL?

yEstERDAy’s WORD —DEFIcIts

“O generation of vipers, howcan you, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

Our wordsreflect whatisinour hearts. G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

PuzzleAnswer

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 -The numberswithin theheavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (in any order)to produce the target numbers in thetop-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages withthe number in the top-left corner

WiShinG Well

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

roSe

Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of DonCarterpleasecontact David Fos, attorney,ateither504.343-3725 or dsfoslaw@outlook.com 144916-June 11-13,3t $85

D. Harkless, please contact Atty.Rachael Buckleyat504-2587237orrbuckley504@gmail.com. 145180-June 12-14, 3t $85

knowingthe whereabouts of Greg Lassitera/k/a Gregory Lassiter, please contactattorney Betty Mauryat504-207-0914. 145127-June 12-14, 3t $85

orderofFirst

Bank of Commerce, please contactKate Sotolongo, Attorney at Law, ph (504) 581-9444. 145167-June 12, 1t $93.86

METAIRIE 1XLBR, 1BA, waterpd, great location $950/mo+dep.504-782-3087

METAIRIE 3513 EDENBORN AVENUE Lrg2 Bed, 1Bath* $925 *Off St Prkg Blocks from Lakeside 504-982-4040 *504-885-8060 504-454-1333

NEWORLEANS EAST 4518 LafonDr.,4BR/2BA,W/D HU,Off St.Pkg Sec8 Only,504-577-5833

NEWORLEANS EAST FREE WIFI andUtilitiesand Earn FREE RENT!Staywhere youare appreciated. ExtendedStayLiving furnishedstudio1 &2 BR units w/FLEXIBLE paymentoptions,no leases.courtesypatrol, laundry on site.Call504-608-3079 WEST BANK 2BRBrk Dbl,

by theOwner in award‐ingthe Contract Bids received after the above-designated date andtimewillnot be opened andwillbere‐jected ANYPERSONREQUIRING SPECIALACCOMMODA‐TIONSSHALL NOTIFY THE ORLEANSPARISH SCHOOL BOARDOFTHE TYPE(S)OFACCOMMO‐DATION REQUIRED NOT LESS THAN SEVEN(7) DAYS BEFORE THEBID OPENING.

FOR:

Multi-SportVenue in EasternNew Orleansand LowerNinth Ward 4290 Almonaster Avenue NewOrleans,LA70126 PROJECTNUMBER: ITB No.ITB24-FAC-0069 Complete BiddingDocu‐mentsmay be obtained from: City Blueprint& Supply Co 1904 PoydrasStreet New Orleans, LA 70112 Attn:ReproductionDe‐partment planroom@cit yblueprint.com (504) 5220387 Biddocuments will be emailedbyArchitect or a downloadable link will be provided to obtain bid documentsinPDF format at no charge AllBidsmustbeaccom‐panied by bidsecurity equalto ﬁve percent (5%) of thesum of the Base Bidand allAlter‐nates, andmustbeinthe form of acertiﬁed check, cashier'scheck or the OrleansParishSchool BoardBid Bond Form writtenbya surety com‐panylicensedtodobusi‐

School Boardshall incur no obligationtothe Con‐tractoruntil theContract Between Ownerand Con‐tractorisfully executed INCORPORATIONOFIN‐STRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS INTO ADVERTISEMENT FORBIDS TheInstructionstoBid‐ders containedinthe Bid Documents(referenced above),and allrequire‐mentscontained therein, areincorporatedinto this Advertisementfor Bids as if completely set forthherein.

By:Mr. Paul Lucius

ExecutiveDirectorof Procurement

Insertiondates: (1)Thursday,May 29, 2025 (2)Thursday,June 5, 2025 (3)Thursday,June 12, 2025 142921-MAY29-JUN5-123T $326.35

p y p theprocurement of 40006-131 –CampusMov‐ingServices(REBID) TCFY 25-26. BidDocuments andAd‐dendamay be down‐loaded from:https:// wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana. gov/osp/lapac/dspBid cfm?search=departm ent&term=39 or by emailingWendy Boesch in thePurchasing Department at purchas‐ingdept@dcc.edu. Evi‐denceofauthority to submit thebid shallbe required in accordance with R.S.38:2212(A)(l)(c) and/or R.S. 39:1594(C)(2) (d). AA/EOE 144926-JUN12-1T $34.48 Mississippi Street,Don‐aldsonville, LA 703462535. Inquiriesorrequestsfor additional information regardingthispermitac‐tion should be directed to DinahCador,LDEQ, WastePermits Division P.O. Box4313, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313, phone(225) 219-3452. Personswishing to be in‐cluded on theLDEQper‐mitpublicnoticemailing list,wishing to receive thepermitpublicnotices viaemail by subscribing to theLDEQpermits pub‐licnoticeListServer, or forother public partici‐pation relatedquestions should contactthe Public ParticipationGroup in writingatLDEQ, P.O. Box 4313, BatonRouge,LA 70821-4313, by emailat DEQ.PUBLICNOTICES@LA GOVorbyphone at (225) 219-3035. Permit public noticesin‐cludingelectronicaccess to generalinformation from thedraft solid wastepermitapplication canbeviewedatthe LDEQ permitspublicno‐tice webpageathttp:// www.deq.louisiana.gov/ page/the-public-partici pation-group andgeneral informationrelated to thepublicparticipation in permitting activities canbeviewedathttp:// www.deq.louisiana.gov/ page/the-public-partici pation-group

Allcorrespondence should specifyAINum‐ber2416, Permit Number P-0073-R2-M6, andActiv‐ityNumberPER20230005 144538-JUN12-1T $462

PUBLIC NOTICE 11WGS2024LW173805 WWisstoredat31643 NorthCorbinRoad, Walker,LA, 70785. If all currentcharges arenot paid andvehicle claimed by theownerbyJuly1 2025 aPermittoSellmay be obtained 144952-jun11-12-2t $92.18

NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP#795 Sealed bids will be re‐ceived by theProcure‐ment Sectionofthe Divi‐sion of Administration 1201 N. 3rd. St 2nd. Floor,Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. forthe follow‐ing: RFxNo. 3000024913, WeldingGases andCylin‐derRentals -DOC 6/24/25 RFxNo. 3000024930, Men’sWorkBoots– DOC –PE, 6/24/25 RFxNo. 3000024933, ArmedGuard Services –DCFS,6/24/25 RFxNo. 3000024946, *Mand.Site* UnarmedGuard Services –ELMHS,6/24/25 RFxNo. 3000024947, *Rebid* -Liaison XL Ser‐vices– LDH, 6/24/25 Bidproposalforms,in‐formationand speciﬁca‐tionsmay be obtained by accessingthe bidnum‐berinLaPac at www.doa Louisiana.gov/ospor from theprocurement sectionlistedabove.No bids will be received after thedateand hour speciﬁed.The rightisre‐served to reject anyand allbidsand to waiveany informalities. TomKetterer Director of State Procurement FAX(225) 342-8688 144953-jun12-1t

PUBLIC NOTICE

In accordance with the OilPollution Actof1990 (33USC 2714(c)), Spec‐trum OpCo LLC(Spec‐trum)has been named as thesourceofa dis‐charge of an undeter‐minedamount of crude oilintoa tributaryofthe Gulf of America, that oc‐curred at theGardenIs‐land BayProductionFa‐cility,WellNo. 59 in PlaqueminesParish, near Venice,Louisiana on or about26April 2025. This spill impactedthe previ‐l i d ib

showninthe latest edi tion of A.M. Best's Key Rating Guide) themaxi‐mumContractamount forwhich that Surety mayprovide aBondis $500,000.00(Five Hundred Thousand Dollars),or fif‐teen percentof theSurety’spolicyhold‐ers' surplus(as shown by Surety's most recent financialstatements filedwiththe Louisiana Department of Insur‐ance), whicheverisless. If theSuretyisnot listed on theTreasuryList, and hasatleast an “A”- rat‐ingorbetter(as shown in thelatestedition of A.M. Best’s KeyRating Guide),the maximum Contract amount for whichthatSuretymay providea Bond is fifteen percentofthe Surety’s policyholders' surplus (asshown by Surety's most recent financial statements filedwiththe LouisianaDepartmentof Insurance. TheBond shallbesignedbythe surety's agentorattor‐ney-in-fact, andshall be in favorofthe Orleans Parish School Board. APRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD at 10:00 a.m. Friday,June 16, 2025 at George W Carver HS,3059 Higgins Blvd NewOrleans,LA 70126 Attendance at this con‐ferenceisNOT required buthighlyencouraged andBidders areadvised that they will be required to stateonthe BidForm that they arefamiliar with theProject site lo‐catedat4290 Almonaster Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70126 Bids shallbeaccepted from Contractorswho arelicensedunder LA R.S. 37:2150-2163 forthe classification of Building Construction.Bidderis required to comply with provisions andrequire‐mentsofLAR.S.38:2212 (A)(1)(a). No bidmay be withdrawnfor aperiodof forty five (45) days after receiptofbids, except under theprovisionsof LA.R.S.38:2214. TheOwner reserves the righttorejectany andall bids forjustcause.Inac‐cordance with La.R.S 38:2212 (B)(1), theprovi‐sionsand requirements of this Section, those statedinthe

don’t miss don’t miss don’t miss

From a high-end tasting to a bubbly brunch, the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience packs a whole lot of flavor into a weekend in the Crescent City. Vinola Thursday offers samples of “elite” wines and tasty treats at 5:30 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater, 129 Roosevelt Way. On Friday is the Tournament of Rosés, a robust roundup of rose-colored vintages from around the globe, at 6:30 p.m. at Generations Hall, 310 Andrew Higgins Blvd. The Grand Tasting, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, is the gastronomic goldmine, with wine, beverages and culinary creations to dazzle the tastebuds. Burlesque, Bubbly and Brunch is the final fling at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Omni Royal Orleans, 621 St. Louis St. Tickets vary by event. nowfe.com.

jefferson parish bicentennial ball

Billed as “a once in a lifetime event, 200 years in the making,” the gala beneﬁting the Jefferson Community Foundation starts at 7 p.m. Saturday at Lakeside Shopping Center. The state’s most populous parish celebrates two centuries with live music, dancing, immersive entertainment, food and crafted cocktails. The event is headlined by Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth (“Wicked” and “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown”), plus Sister Sledge, Irma Thomas, Rachel Fleetwood, Tom Hook and more. Tickets start at $160. jpball200.com.

juneteenth

freedom festival world premiere concerto

The third annual free festival at Whitney Plantation in Wallace, the only such historic site in Louisiana dedicated to telling the story of slavery, starts at 9:30 a.m. Friday. “Breaking Chains, Shattering Barriers” is the theme. Expect panel discussions, storytelling, an artisan marketplace and food trucks on-site. The plantation will be open for self-guided tours. The museum is at 5099 La. 18 on the west bank of the Mississippi River. whitneyplantation.org.

Tucker Fuller will premiere his latest piano concerto for New Resonance Orchestra’s “Too Many Notes” at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the New Marigny Theater, with Brian Hsu as soloist on the keyboard joining the orchestra, conducted by Francis Scully. The performance, in partnership with the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans, will also include “Jupiter” from Mozart’s “Symphony No. 41.” Tickets start at $25. newresonanceorchestra. com.

Kristin Chenoweth

Fuller

food food food

Settosteep

NewNyC teashopinMetairiealsooffers crepecakes,mocktails,scones, more

Prince TeaHouse celebrated its soft opening on June 3at3012

N. Arnoult Roadin

an afternoontea experience, said on Instagram

PRINCE TEA HOUSE NOLA

ABOUTLAGNIAPPE

The Lagniappe section is published each ThursdaybyThe Times-Picayune |The NewOrleans Advocate. All inquiriesabout Lagniappe should be directed to theeditor. LAGNIAPPE EDITOR: Annette Sisco, asisco@theadvocate.com

COVERDESIGN: Andrea Daniel

CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS: Victor Andrews, DougMacCash, Maddie Scott, Chelsea Shannon

GETLISTEDINLAGNIAPPE

Chelsea Shannon

Metairie, and announced onInstagram thatitwould be fullyopenon Wednesday.

“We’re still training and getting everything justright, so thank youfor being patient with our newteam as we gear up for the full launch,” thenew business, whichwill offer

The Metairie location joins a chainofteahouses known for its mille crepe cakes and French teas. The chain began in New York City in 2014 and has since expandedtoNew Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The tea shopdescribes its space as having a“cozy, reﬁned atmosphere,”and in addition to its wide selection of teas,coffee andmocktails,its menu includes scones,salads,sandwiches and

chicken wings.PrinceTea House said its menu includes Asian and Western inﬂuences.

Guests seeking amorecurated experience can opt for one of the shop’safternoon tea options, starting at $35, which includes ﬁnger sandwiches, scones, assorted desserts and unlimited tea.

Email Chelsea Shannon at cshannon@theadvocate.com

3012 N.Arnoult Road, Metairie 11 a.m. to 9p.m.Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 9p.m.

Sunday

SubmiteventstoLagniappe at least twoweeksinadvance by sending an email to events@ theadvocate.com.

ON THECOVER

An inﬂated Pikachu looms over theproceedings during the2024 Pokémon NorthAmerica International Championshipsatthe Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. PhotobyScott Threlkeld.This year’s eventisthis weekendand expected to draw 10,000 fans. Story by MaddieScott.

SPECIALEXHIBIT

NOWOPEN

DISCOVER THE ONLY WWII CAMPAIGN FOUGHT ON NORTH AMERICAN SOIL

This newexhibit examines the often-overlooked Japanese invasion of theAleutian Islands in Alaskaand the subsequent efforts to repulsethe only seizureofNorth American soil that occurred during World WarII.

STAFF PHOTO By CHELSEA SHANNON Anew tea shop is open in Metairie

events events events

Glittering Prideparadetomarch throughthe Quarter

Acostumer walks withthe 2024 New Orleans Pride parade

STAFF FILE PHOTO By

SCOTT THRELKELD

Expect glitter,outrageous costumes, rainbow ﬂags and an outpouring of support for theLGBTQ+ community as the 2025 Pride parade rolls through the French Quarter on Saturday

Featuring 17 ﬂoats, dance troupes and thousands of marchers, the procession commemorates the June 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City,the ﬂashpoint of the modern gay rightsmovement. According to amap on theNew Orleans Pride website, theparade will follow a different route than in pastyears.

The procession is expected to set out at 5p.m. from the corner of North Rampart and Toulouse streets. It follows North Rampart to Esplanade Avenue, where it turnsright,then right again on Decatur Street, right on St. Louis Street, right on Burgundy Street, right on St. AnnStreet andleft on Bourbon Street, disbandingby 8p.m. near thecorner of Dumaine Street.

The new route may make it more convenient to attend two other major events that take place Saturday

Near the start of the parade,the New Orleans Community Festival, presented by theNew Orleans Black Pride organization, takes place in ArmstrongPark. The free, family-friendly fest includes

live music,food andactivities from noon to 6p.m. Afew blocksfromthe end of the parade,inthe Marigny neighborhood,the Pridefest 2025 block party featureslive music, vendors, food anddrink. Forthe ﬁrst time,the gathering is scheduled for the evening, from 5p.m.to 10 p.m. Nowinits 10thyear,the PrideFest is headquartered at the Phoenix Bar, 941 Elysian Fields Ave.

Participants mayregister to march in the Pride parade fora donationof$15, and ﬂoatrentals areavailable for$3,700. For information, visit neworleanspride.org/ events/prideparade2025.

EmailDoug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

KerriColby,gospeldragbrunch, more skirtthe line

BY JUSTIN MITCHELL Staff writer

Kerri Colby,currently dazzling “RuPaul’sDrag Race” fans as a contestant on the newest All-Stars season, will be down in theBig Easy this weekend to headline New OrleansPridefest.

This is the10th year for Pridefest, theannual June event celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, and it will be at night for the ﬁrst time after organizers said guests suggested the time change due to summer heat

The festival, held outside the Phoenix Bar at the corner of North Rampart Street and Elysian Fields Avenue, is Saturday —the same day as the Pride parade —but the fun lasts several days. New Orleans Black Pride is also hosting several events the sameweekend. Pridefest spokesperson David Jack Browning said theevent has grown in size over the last decade even as New Orleanstourism slows over the summer

“We’re gettingpeople from Dal-

2025 Pridefest

n Pridefest opening night reception, 6p.m. to 9p.m. Thursday, NewOrleans Healing Center,2732 St. Claude Ave. Rooftop event includes an open bar and food from local LGBTQ+ vendors and music by DJ Sammy Jo. Early bird tickets cost $25.

n Pridefest, 5p.m. to 10 p.m.Saturday,North Rampart and Elysian Fields in the Marigny,5 p.m.to 10 p.m.Kerri Colby headlines with other local musicians, plus LGBTQ+ vendors. The event is free.

las, Houston, Atlanta, Pensacola,” Browning said. “It has grownfrom just avery small sidewalkblock party. to what it is now.Several blocks closed for vendors, entertainmentand international drag queens. It’s taken on alifeofits own but in thebest possible way.”

Here’severything you need to know about New Orleans’ largest Pride events.

n Pridefest Pool Party and Tea Dance, noon to 5p.m. Sunday at The Railyard Nola, 710 Poland Ave., in the Bywater.Early bird tickets cost $25. For information about sponsors, the host hotel and more, visit Pridefest’swebsite, nolapridefest.com.

NewOrleans BlackPride

n WelcomeMixxer,6p.m. to 9p.m. Thursday,Hilton Garden

STAFF PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD Pridefest and other weekend events complement the NewOrleans Pride parade.

Doug MacCash

events events events

Clothescall: NakedBikeRidepedalingfor safety

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

Imagine an event that blends bicycling with burlesque,where hundreds of uninhibited folk strip to theirskivvies or less, then pedal throughthe downtownstreets in broad daylight for all the world to see. This, my friends, is the annual World NakedBikeRide.

The ofﬁcial dress codeofSaturday’s unselfconscious peloton is “as bare as you dare,” and many riders are daring indeed. Hence, crowds line the curbs of the Bywater, Marigny and French Quarter to watch the ﬂeshyprocession pass through the jiggle-inducing streets. Viewers are asked not to obstruct and certainly nottotouch the riders.

This being New Orleans, manyof the cyclists costume for theoccasion, though costumes tendtoward minimalism. Crown Royal bags, Band-Aids, Speedos, masks, glitter and body paint abound.Inthe past, riders have painted theirbodies withthe slogan, “Can you see me now?”

This brings us to the underlying purpose of the —attimes —titillating

Continued frompage4

Inn, 821 Gravier St.

n Queer Legacy Summit,9 a.m. to 4p.m. Friday,Hilton Garden Inn.

n Pride Festival, 11 a.m. to 5p.m.Saturday,Armstrong Park.

n NightCap at The Hangar,10p.m.to

Riders streak through the French Quarter during the 2024 Annual WorldNaked Bike Ride.

procession. No one is more vulnerable in trafﬁcthan bicyclists. Some drivers of faster,heavier vehicles see cyclists as anuisance, andsome don’tseem to see them at all. The World Naked Bike Ride is meant as ademonstration of bicyclevisibility and aplea for more awareness.

According to online sources, the ﬁrst

2a.m.Saturday

n Gospel drag brunch, 10 a.m. to 2p.m.Sunday,Dew Drop Inn, 2836 Lasalle St.

n Pool party,3p.m. to 8p.m. Sunday Blue Crawﬁsh, 1620 Dumaine St.

Youcan get tickets for any of these events at blackpridenola.com.

Email Justin Mitchell at justin. mitchell@theadvocate.com

Naked BikeRide took place as apolitical protest in Vancouver,Canada, in

2003. In no time, scores of similar rides sprung up in cities around the globe, the Crescent City included.

This year’sevent will be the 17th local ride.

The event begins at 4p.m. at Mickey Markey Park at the corner of Royal and Piety streets in the Bywater.The cycle convoy followsRoyal toward the French Quarter,turns leftonFranklin Street, right on Decatur Street, right on St. Louis Street, right on Burgundy Street, right on St. Ann Street and left on Chartres Street, returning to the starting point.

For information, to contribute to the group’sGoFundMe campaign or to ﬁnd out how to participate, visit the World Naked Bike Ride-NOLA Facebook page.

Email Doug MacCashatdmaccash@ theadvocate.com.

ORIGINALCHOREOGRAPHY &MUSICALSTAGING ARTHURFARIA VOCAL&MUSICAL CONCEPTSBY JEFFREYGUTCHEON MUSICALARRANGEMENTSBY JEFFREYGUTCHEONAND WILLIAMELLIOT MUSICALADAPTATIONS, ORCHESTRATIONS&ARRANGEMENTSBY LUTHERHENDERSON

STAFF FILEPHOTO

SOPHIAGERMER

events events events

Pikachuprotoco

Thousandsare expected at NewOrleans Pokémon championships

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

To win aworld championship at 14 yearsold, how competitive would you have to be?

Very Meet Carson Confer,23, who won the 2016 Senior Division Pokémon World Championship. For his big visit to the 2025 Pokémon North American International Championships in New Orleans, starting Friday seeing the city is not a priority,not that he has anything against jazz and beignets

“The better you do in thetournament, thelonger it takes,” Confer said. “So, I’m hoping to have very little time to explore because that means winning.”

Confer began playing Pokémon when

he was 12 and won the world championship for his age group two years later when he was 14. He started coaching other players this year,agig that’smade him even better as acompetitor,hesaid.

The annual championship took place last year in New Orleans and is returning to the city this year with 10,000 fans expected to visit. Players will compete in the three-day event foraprize pool of over $500,000 and the champion title.

ABOVE: Dylan Rible,of Los Angeles,competes in the Pokémon Trading Card Game standard challenge in 2024. This year’sevent is Friday through Sunday at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

CENTER: Abilitymarkers

STAFF FILE PHOTOS By SCOTT THRELKELD

ä See POKÉMON, page 8

The event features competitions for thePokémon Trading Card Game,the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games, Pokémon GO and Pokémon UNITE. Pokémon trading cards

STOCK PHOTO

Visitors participate in Pokémon Unite during free-play at the 2024 Pokemon North America International Championships at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in NewOrleans.

Carson Confer, 23, wonthe 2016 Senior Division Pokémon World Championship at 14.

PROVIDED PHOTO

STAFF FILE PHOTOBySCOTT THRELKELD

events events events

POKÉMON

Continued from page 6

Battling for victory

The Pokémon franchise began in 1996 and includes a series of video games and card games centered around cartoon creatures battling each other for victory

“You don’t need to be an expert in Pokémon or the competitive side of it to be able to enjoy it and get involved with it, for sure,” said Nick Salazar, associate public relations manager at Pokémon Co. International.

Staff, or “Pokémon professors” as Salazar calls them, will teach newbies how to play Pokémon TGC in a program called First Steps. Attendees in the past have brought parents or grandparents to the program booth so their loved ones can enjoy the experience, too.

“It’s really about having something for everybody, and being that welcoming community, and having as many kinds of entry points into Pokémon as we can for everybody,” Salazar said.

The event features a pop-up shop opening a day before the event’s ofﬁcial start, and it will be ﬁlled with apparel, pins, plushies and accessories. Because cash isn’t accepted in-store, be sure to bring debit and credit cards. Reservations are necessary to shop, and they can be booked online.

Search for the rare Pokémon

For Pokémon Go fans, there’ll be special PokéStops and Raid Battles at the venue, a fun way to collect tickets for the prize wall as you search for the rare Pokémon.

The deadline to register as a competitor has passed, but you can still register as a spectator until tickets are sold out. Attendees must purchase a single day or multiday spectator badge starting at $10, which can be done online. Paid parking is also available at the venue, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd.

About 5,000 players will compete, including Henry Chao, 24, of Boston, who landed sixth place in last year’s championship in the TCG category He was ﬁrst introduced to Pokémon at 8 years old and competed in local tournaments from 2008 to 2013. Chao’s passion for the game was reignited in 2023 with the release of Pokémon TCG Live, and he’s been competing since.

Players compete in the junior finals of the Pokémon Trading Card Game during the 2024 Pokémon North America International Championships at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. This year’s three-day event is expected to draw 10,000 fans to the city as players compete for a prize pool of over $500,000 and the champion title.

Paul Golden, of Baltimore, shoulder buddy Gengar in tow, watches the action in 2024.

One of his favorite Pokémon is Grimer, a creature Chao describes as an underappreciated pile of goo with eyes. During championship headshots, Chao had the option to choose a prop from a line of 15 to 20 plushie Pokémon, and he chose the purple, gooey blob.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone hold up a Grimer before,” Chao said.

“I was like, ‘Let’s go ahead and show

Grimer some love.’” Beignets were a hit

For the record, Confer, the former Pokémon world champion, drove through the Crescent City one time, leaving the car solely to try some beignets. His review? They were good, he said.

“But I am looking forward to seeing

Players Jose Cruz Galindo Resendiz, left, and Edison Chein compete in the junior finals of the Pokémon Trading Card Game in 2024.

the French Quarter, and there’s an art museum I wanted to check out, as well as the World War II Museum, so hopefully I’ll get a chance to do some of that stuff after the tournament’s over, but I do want to stay in as long as possible.”

Those who score high enough will receive an invitation to the 2025 World Championships this summer in Anaheim, California.

STAFF FILE PHOTOS By SCOTT THRELKELD

stages stages stages

Sight toC

‘A Chorus Line’ kicksoff Summer Lyricseason

“A Chorus Line.”

and open up to paint abroad picture of what it takes to get into ashow.The production is crammed with stagestaples like “What IDid for Love,” “One,” “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three” and “The Music andthe Mirror.”

Director and choreographer Jauné Buisson, whoplays Cassie, and Michael Paternostro, whoplays directorZack, are in Summer LyricTheatre at Tulane University’s production of ‘A Chorus Line’ opening Julne19. Victor Andrews

ä Stage veteran takethe helm at Summer Lyric Theatre.

Most good musicals need one. And its agreat chance for young thespians to get achance to get some stage time. The stress, strain and emotional mix master that is an audition came to life in brilliantfashion with Marvin Hamlish’s music in themid-1970s, forever changing Broadway and makingeveryone wanttobethe “One” selected.

And Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University kicks off its58th season of shows with the musical June19-22.

The seasonal theatrical troupe segues into to “Company” in July and wraps the summer withRodgers & Hammerstein’s“Carousel” in July and August. And in a ﬁrst forthe operation, all three productions will feature women directors.

Astoried show

Culled from the actual stories of professional singers anddancers that had hopes of making itinto ashow, the show is crafted as an audition for ashow.Through questions from the director Zack, the performers spill personal stories, showtheir talents

When the show opened, it swept almost all the Tony Awards for which it was nominated, with atotal of 10 trophies including best musical, best original scoreand best choreography. And, justlike real life, not all the hopefulsmakeittothe coveted spots on theline, but their stories seep through the fabric of theshow and make ashowing at theend.

Thelocal cast

Helming theproduction as director and choreographer,plus playing the key role of Cassie, is Jauné Buisson, with Michael Paternostro as Zach. Also takingspots in the showare Austin Anderson, Leslie Claverie, Christian Collins, Patrick Cragin, Donavan Davis, Savannah Fouchi, Adam Gilbert, Melissa Goldberg, Tess Guidry,Garbiella Vazquez Harlamert,Leah Holewyne andKeita Kawahara.

Also aiming for aspot on the chorus line are Violet Keller,Nathan Long, Jorden Majeau, Garrin Mesa, Bryn Purvis,Eli Strain, Victoria Thomas, Khuyen Tran,Camille von Hoven, Aaron Wiggins and Daniel Rigamer as the dance captain.

Jose C. Simbulan is themusical director andconductor.

The show is at 7:30 p.m. June 19-21, with a2 p.m. matinee June 22, at Dixon Hall on Newcomb Circle on the Uptown campus. Tickets start at $31.50. Forinformation,visit liberlarts.tulane.edu/summer-lyric-theatre.

PROVIDED PHOTOByMICHAEL PALUMBO

stages stages stages

Raybon hoping for the ‘one’ at Summer Lyric

BY VICTOR ANDREWS Staff writer

The curtain going up on C. Leonard Raybon’s ﬁrst season as artistic director at Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University isn’t a debut, so to speak.

After working with the local musical menagerie for 30 years, he’s no ingenue, starting off on stage in the mid-1990s in lead roles and then working his way to the orchestra pit and as musical director, then in the past few years as acting artistic director

But Summer Lyric is just one of his many costumes he dons at the Uptown university, where he is the associate professor of music and director of choirs, the Virginia Beer Professor in Singing and the associate chair of the Newcomb Department of of Music.

His ﬁrst ofﬁcial season as acting director kicks off with “A Chorus Line,” then moves to “Company” and ends with “Carousel.”

A triple ‘C’

An intentional move to “C” these shows on stage?

“Well, that was kind it started out as a coincidence and then I kind of leaned into it,” he said, “but I wanted to do ‘Carousel’ because this is one of the Rodgers and Hammerstein shows that I have just never done before and I love the music so much.

“Of course, there’s some really dark things in there but in my other research with the Sacred Nine Project (a project aimed at curating and preserving American music from 1700 to 1900), I kind of just hit those kinds of things head on,” he said.

Diane Lala, who will direct “Carousel,” recently helmed the musical at another company, and Raybon noted, “it just seem like a great place to start and then last summer we tried to get the rights to ‘Company’ but were not successful and I just carried that over to this summer because ... it’s probably my favorite show and it’s basically one set, one set of costume so it’s relatively inexpensive to produce,” a consideration an artistic director must factor into show choices.

“So that was my two and I thought well

let’s just go for three” shows with Cs “and I thought of ‘A Chorus Line,’” Raybon said.

No simple show to stage, the cast must bring strong talent in acting, dance and vocals — the legendary “triple threat.”

“You absolutely do,” he said. “This is a difﬁcult part. You don’t have to have a lot (of cast). I mean it’s not like 20 but you have to know eight or 10 or 12. I mean that’s a lot of triple threats.

A triple threat

Jauné Buisson not only directs “A Chorus Line,” but she also choreographed and takes one of the starring roles. Local stage luminary and Summer Lyric vet Leslie Castay takes on “Company” as the second show. With Lala, Raybon brings a trio of women to the directing posts, a ﬁrst for the local ensemble.

“Diane has been directing shows for us for probably a couple of decades now — she does one literally every summer. She’s so talented and she’s extremely organized very even tempered and so it’s just a no-brainer,” he said.

“I knew that Leslie had been directing around the city and we had a conversation and so I thought, ‘Last time we did “Company,” she was Joanne (who sings “The Ladies Who Lunch”) and I’m gonna ask her to direct,’ and she said yes,” he recalled. “And then Jauné, who has been a longtime choreographer of ours, had expressed interest in doing some directing.

“I thought ‘A Chorus Line’ could not be a better ﬁt because she played Cassie last time and is going to play Cassie again this time of course and direct,” Raybon said.

“It just yeah it just kind of like materialized organically like that and I’m very happy it did.”

Practical decisions on show placement came into play for Raybon, “like building sets-wise, what progression seems the most efﬁcient and elegant in terms of work, workforce labor, and all that sort of things; usually it’s more of a practical decision than an artistic one the order of the shows.”

The next act

For the future, Raybon sees Summer Lyric ﬁlling a unique spot on the theatrical calendar of offerings in the city, a calendar that has seen losses and struggles for some companies.

“Summer Lyric Theater has a sweet

spot and in the traditional, some people call it ‘golden age musical’ and that happens to be where my sensibilities are most comfortable,” he said. “In the future, I do want us to dial into some of the newer shows, maybe one of the three shows to attract a wider audience in our city since a lot of theaters are really struggling. A lot of theaters have closed down. We have struggled a bit ﬁnancially since COVID and right now, my main goal is to get us on a really great ﬁnancial footing and then I want to do more take more risks, shows that maybe people haven’t heard or don’t know much about but they have a really wonderful message for today.

“I absolutely want us to to keep being known for honoring these old masterpieces, but I do want us to dare to go in another direction at the same time.”

For his ﬁrst ofﬁcial summer as artistic director, though, Raybon will go into the pit for to conduct for “Carousel,” a spot many might think would be a safe bet for the veteran maestro.

‘High alert’

“I would never call it a happy place because I’m kind of a nervous personality anyway,” he said. “I was telling someone the other day conducting a musical theater piece with orchestra in general is terrifying because there’s so many variables that they can go south really quick, and if you’re not ready to make split second adjustments or decisions, things can go really wrong.

“I’m always on high alert when I’m conducting.”

Joining him will be a mix of newbies and seasoned performers, “a lot of carryover, most of them are Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra players and I have a huge overlap every summer They come back again again I think they like working at Summer Lyric. And all the players are just so sharp.

“These players they want to be right. They want to make the show a success and they’re just all in and I really appreciate them and always have.”

Raybon will have to keep the nerves in check starting June 19 when “A Chorus Line” opens at Dixon Hall on Newcomb Circle on the Uptown campus. Visit liberalarts.tulane.edu/summer-lyric-theatre.

Email Victor Andrews at vandrews@ theadvocate.com.

ANDREWS

Continued from page 9

In production

“AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’”: Opening 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays with a 2 p.m. June 21 matinee through June 22; Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, 616 St. Peter St. The music of Fats Waller takes center stage in the Tony-winning musical revue which charts the course of the jazz great and the development of swing music, packed with plenty of toe-tapping tunes, the show includes such familiar numbers as “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Tain’t Nobody’s Biz-ness if I Do,” “The Joint is Jumpin’” and “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love.” Tickets start at $40, $20 for students. lepetittheatre.com

“BING & THE BELLES”: 11:45 a.m. most Wednesdays through June 30; BB’s Stage Door Canteen, National WWII Museum, 945 Magazine St. The show reprises some of the tunes Bing Crosby shared with service personnel around the globe and on Armed Forces Radio. Framed as the Victory Belles preparing for a surprise birthday party, the Ricky Graham-penned show features Richard Arnold as Crosby and a rotating slate including Keyara Milliner, Allison Newton, Chloé Marie, Courtney Andersen, BreAnna Collier and Kate Gulotta. Tickets start at $20. nationalww2museum.org

“CHICAGO”: 7:30 Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; Saenger Theatre, 1111 Canal St. The 1970s powerhouse musical, staged as a series of vaudeville acts, tells the story of two deadly women, Roxie

ä See ANDREWS, page 11

Raybon

Kevin Smith’s prayers for cult classic answered

BY NATE JACKSON Los Angeles Times (TNS)

LOSANGELES — For more than a quarter century, director Kevin Smith has tried to resurrect “Dogma,” his religious satire about two fallen angels looking to get back into heaven. Recently, his prayers for the 1999 comedy were ﬁnally answered.

On June 5, the movie got a theatrical rerelease across 1,500 AMC Theatres screens in honor of its 25th anniversary. Technically, the milestone was last year But the second coming of a movie that brought us one of Ben Afﬂeck and Matt Damon’s best on-screen collaborations and an A-list comedic ensemble — including George Carlin, Chris Rock, Janeane Garofalo and Alan Rickman — not to mention the meme-worthy, winking “Buddy Christ,” warrants a long-awaited hallelujah.

“It’s got a good legacy to it,” Smith said of the film. “It’s become the ‘umbrella film’ for me. The umbrella film is the movie that no matter what you do, even if you make s*** that people don’t like, they won’t crucify you — pun intended — because you made a movie that they like.”

Remember ‘Clerks’?

Though the sparkling period of Smith’s career is largely deﬁned by 1994’s “Clerks” and 1997’s “Chasing Amy,” his

ANDREWS

Continued from page 10

Hart and Velma Kelly, as they navigate the wild world of murder and mayhem in the Illinois metropolis, desperately hoping to capitalize on their fame of being killers. Tickets start at $25. saengernola.com.

“THE IMAGINARY INVALID”: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 1:30 p.m. Sundays through June 27; New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane, Lupin Theater, Dixon Hall, 69 Newcomb Circle. New translation of Moliere’s classic farce about a hypochondriac, his family, his wife and a cadre of doctors. Tickets

After years of trying to resurrect his 1999 comedy ‘Dogma,’ Kevin Smith’s religious satire film is being released at AMC Theatres in time for its 25th anniversary.

fourth ﬁlm, “Dogma,” steeped in irreverence and hilarity centered around his former Catholic faith, is still considered one of his classics.

The movie debuted at Cannes in 1999. He returned to the renowned ﬁlm festival last month, when the comedy played in the Cannes Classics section, just days before sitting down with The Times on camera to discuss “Dogma’s” whirlwind re-release.

In the interview, the director, writer and actor recounts how the movie was saved by filmmaker and actor Alessandra Williams, who raised money to buy the film from Miramax earlier this year, decades after it was acquired and shelved by disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein sold Smith’s film,

start at $25.

“LUCKY STIFF”: Opening 8 p.m. Saturday and running Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through June 29; 30 by Ninety Theatre, 880 Lafayette St., Mandeville. Musical about a quiet British shoe salesman who get instructions from a deceased American uncle to take his corpse on a ﬁnal spin in Monte Carlo and get the money that will otherwise go to a dog home. Mistaken identities, hotel ramblings, skydiving and a good bit of gambling go into the ﬁnal solutions that will leave audiences laughing and probably scratching their heads. Tickets start at $30. 30byninety.com.

Email Victor Andrews at vandrews@ theadvocate.com.

along with a trove of others, to Williams to help pay for his legal defense, Smith said.

In collaboration with Iconic Events, the ﬁlm has since been remastered in 4K for its screening tour and is being shown in select AMC theaters.

Smith is well-seasoned when it comes to touring his old ﬁlms, pairing the screenings with Q&As and stand-up performances throughout the live presentations.

It took little time for him to book a sold-out, 20-city tour aimed at getting fans ﬁred up to come see “Dogma” once again under much different (and safer) circumstances.

Earlier release garnered protest “Even with getting people aware of the movie this time around, it’s not as fraught with peril as it was back in the

day,” Smith said, referring to the death threats, protests and 400,000 pieces of hate mail he said the movie garnered from Christian extremists who denounced what they believed to be the ﬁlm’s mockery of their faith.

“You Jews better take that money you stole from us and start investing in ﬂak jackets,” Smith said while closing his eyes and reciting one of the letters from memory “We’re coming because we’re coming in there with shotguns. Signed, Your Brothers in Christ.”

Though the controversy of the film has definitely waned, the inspiration behind the film remains steadfast, Smith said. “To me, it plays like a kid really trying to celebrate his faith after having grown up in a church where every Sunday, everyone seemed to be mourning it So I think (people hopefully see it) for what it is. It’s a love letter to spirituality.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

The Times-Picayune 06-12-2025

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2025 Pridefest

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Clothescall: NakedBikeRidepedalingfor safety

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