The Acadiana Advocate 06-17-2025

Voters to decide on teacher pay raises

Legislature OKs bills that allow for permanent increase

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

Louisiana voters will return to the polls to decide whether to approve a constitutional amendment that would permanently raise teacher salaries by $2,250 and support staff salaries by $1,125 under a pair of bills that received final passage in the Legislature on Thursday House Bill 466 by Rep Josh Carlson, RLafayette, and HB473 by Rep Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, will ask voters to approve eliminating multiple constitutionally protected education trust funds in favor of giving raises to Louisiana teachers, who make roughly $5,000 less on average than educators in other southern states and about $15,000 less than the national average, according to data from the Southern Regional Education Board. If voters approve the amendment, teachers will receive the raises in the 2026-27 school year

The raises are slightly higher than the $2,000 and $1,000 pay bumps the bills originally proposed. The Louisiana House of Rep-

resentatives unanimously approved the additional increase Thursday Both pieces of legislation now head to the governor’s desk for his signature.

“I brought this bill on behalf of our teachers,” Carlson said in a statement. “We wanted to ensure that we did all we could to provide a permanent pay raise.”

The bills, which repackage part of a constitutional amendment championed by Gov Jeff Landry that voters shot down earlier this year, are the state’s latest effort to increase educators’ compensation. Lawmakers failed several times in recent years to increase their pay opting instead for one-time stipends three years in a row If signed into law, the bills will turn the stipend amount teachers currently receive into a slightly larger permanent pay increase.

Emerson’s bill eliminates three trust funds that funnel millions annually toward state K-12 education initiatives, including early childhood education, student testing help and

ä See TEACHER, page 4A

“I brought this bill on behalf of our teachers. We wanted to ensure that we did all we could to provide a permanent pay raise.”

REP JOSH CARLSON, R-Lafayette

Cassidy silent on RFK Jr.’s moves to reshape vaccination committee

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, is mostly keeping quiet on Health Secretary

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent appointments to a top vaccination advisory committee, including three new members who have made a splash in conservative circles for their opposition to the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and for spreading vaccine misinformation. Last week, Kennedy said he “retired” all 17 scientists on the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, which advises the federal government on vaccine policy Kennedy, a longtime skeptic of vaccinations, said the Trump administration wanted members more closely aligned with the president.

“A clean sweep is needed to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” he stated. All 17 members of the nonpolitical scientific committee had been appointed during the Biden administration

As chair of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, Cassidy more than any other senator, is responsible for confirming Kennedy as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Several Republican senators withheld their support of Kennedy until Cassidy, a physician, weighed in.

In a speech explaining his vote to confirm Kennedy, Cassidy said the nominee had promised not to encourage parents to stop vaccinating their children and work closely

ä See CASSIDY, page 6A

Northgate Mall sells for $2.8M

Breaux Bridge businessman plans significant upgrade

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

A Breaux Bridge businessman is planning a significant upgrade to the Northgate Mall after buying the property last week for $2.8 million.

Jacoby Landry bought Lafayette’s oldest shopping mall in a credit sale deal that closed Friday, according to land records. The 20.8-acre site had been on the market for months.

Landry said he wants to convert the mall to a dynamic mixed-use business center that will include small retailers and professional service providers and be anchored by a boutique medical spa, fitness center and indoor pickleball courts, the Lafayette Economic Development Authority announced late Monday

The building will not be demolished.

“This has been a vision of mine for a long time,” Landry said. “I grew up seeing what the Northgate Mall meant to this area. Now I see what it can be — an energizing hub where small businesses thrive, people gather and north Lafayette shines again.”

Landry took on the project after working with national redevelopment experts LEDA brought in through its Elevate North Lafayette Program. The initiative provides coaching, mentorship and networking opportunities to local developers and aspiring entrepreneurs focused on reinvestment in historically underdeveloped areas, infill

ä See NORTHGATE, page 4A

Public defender board clashes over pay, jobs

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Three members of the board that oversees Louisiana public defenders have quit amid continuing turmoil over five district chiefs losing their jobs and an ongoing dispute over pay

Freddie Pitcher Jr., Ted Hernandez and Peter Thomson have all resigned, Louisiana Public Defender Oversight Board Chair Gerard Caswell said during a board meeting Monday

The state has already found two replacements — Jeffrey Hufft joins as a gubernatorial appointee, while Senate President Cameron Henry,

ä See BOARD, page 4A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Third grade teacher Taylor Wallace works with students in her math class at Baranco Elementary in Lafayette. Voters will be asked to approve a constitutional amendment to permanently raises salaries for teachers and support staff.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JOHN McDONNELL Committee Chair Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, left, greets Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr before Kennedy testifies at a hearing on May 14.

Death toll in Nigeria

attack reaches 150 DAKAR, Senegal The death toll from an attack by gunmen over the weekend in north-central Nigeria has climbed to 150, survivors said Monday as the villagers were still digging through burned homes, counting their dead and looking for dozens of people still missing.

Assailants stormed Benue state’s Yelewata community late on Friday night, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killings, but such attacks are common in Nigeria’s northern region where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water The prolonged conflict has become deadlier in recent years, with authorities and analysts warning that more herdsmen are taking up arms.

U.S., U.K. announce signing of trade deal

KANANASKIS, Alberta President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday that they had signed a trade deal that will slash tariffs on U.K. auto and aerospace industry imports, but they are still discussing how to handle steel production. The pair spoke to reporters at the Group of Seven summit in the Canadian Rockies, with Trump brandishing the pages of what he said was a long-awaited agreement. The rollout was anything but smooth, however, as Trump dropped the papers and at first said his administration had reached an agreement with the European Union when he meant the United Kingdom.

The president nonetheless insisted the pact is “a fair deal for both” and would “produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income.”

“We just signed it,” Trump said, “and it’s done.” Starmer said it meant “a very good day for both our countries, a real sign of strength.”

Reaching an agreement is significant as Trump has threatened much of the world with steep import tariffs that have unsettled markets and raised the possibility of a global trade war

He has since backed off on many of his proposed levies but also continued to suggest that administration officials were furiously negotiating new trade pacts with dozens of countries even as few have materialized.

Trump said “the U.K. is very well protected” from tariffs “You know why? Because I like them.”

Judge rules some NIH grant cuts illegal

WASHINGTON A federal judge ruled Monday it was illegal for the Trump administration to cancel several hundred research grants, adding that the cuts raise serious questions about racial discrimination.

U.S. District Judge William Young in Massachusetts said the administration’s process was “arbitrary and capricious” and that it did not follow long-held government rules and standards when it abruptly canceled grants deemed to focus on gender identity or diversity, equity and inclusion.

In a hearing Monday on two cases calling for the grants to be restored, the judge pushed government lawyers to offer a formal definition of DEI, questioning how grants could be canceled for that reason when some were designed to study health disparities as Congress had directed. Young, an appointee of Republican President Ronald Reagan, went on to address what he called “a darker aspect” to the cases, calling it “palpably clear” that what was behind the government actions was “racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community.” After 40 years on the bench, “I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this,” Young added He ended Monday’s hearing saying, “Have we no shame.” During his remarks ending the hearing, the judge said he would issue his written order soon.

MINNESOTA

Officials: Suspect targeted 2 others

Man arrested, accused of shooting 2 lawmakers, killing 1

BY STEVE KARNOWSKI, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS

The man charged with killing one Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another meticulously planned the shootings and intended to inflict more carnage against those on his hit list, driving to the homes of two other legislators on the night of the attacks, a federal prosecutor said Monday

But one of those state lawmakers was on vacation and the suspect left the other house after police arrived early Saturday, acting U.S.

Attorney Joseph Thompson said.

Investigators say Vance Boelter appeared to spend months preparing for the shootings the latest in a string of political attacks across the U.S His list of potential targets contained dozens of names, including officials in at least three other states.

In Minnesota, Boelter carried out surveillance missions, took notes on the homes and people he targeted, and disguised himself as a police officer just before the shootings, Thompson said. “It is no exaggeration to say that

his crimes are the stuff of nightmares,” he said.

Boelter surrendered to police Sunday night after they found him in the woods near his home after a massive two-day search He is accused of fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs.

Authorities say he also shot and wounded Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, who lived a few miles away Federal prosecutors charged Boelter, 57, with murder and stalking, which could result in a death sentence if convicted. He already faces state charges, including murder and attempted murder At a federal court hearing Monday in St. Paul, Boelter said he could not afford an attorney A federal public defender was appointed to represent him, and he was being held without bail pending a court appearance next week.

Manny Atwal, his lead attorney declined to comment, saying the office just got the case.

Boelter had many notebooks full of plans, Thompson said. Underscoring what law enforcement officials said was the premeditated nature of the attacks, one notebook

contained a list of internet-based people search engines, according to court records.

But authorities have not found any writings that would “clearly identify what motivated him,” Thompson said. Though the targets were Democrats and elected officials, Thompson said it was too soon to speculate on any sort of political ideology

All of the politicians named in his writing were Democrats, including more than 45 state and federal officials in Minnesota, Thompson said. Elected leaders in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin said they, too, were mentioned in his writings.

Democratic Rep. Esther Agbaje, whose district includes parts of Minneapolis, said she stayed with friends and family over the weekend after learning that her name appeared on the list of targets. She returned home only after learning the suspect had been caught.

“It was only today that you can sort of begin to exhale,” she said.

Authorities declined to reveal the names of the other two lawmakers whose homes were targeted but escaped harm. Democratic Sen. Ann Rest said she was told the suspect parked near her home early Saturday She said in a statement that the “quick action” of law enforcement officers saved her life.

Boelter sent a text to a family group chat after the shootings that said : “Dad went to war last night I don’t wanna say more because

I don’t wanna implicate anybody,” according to an FBI affidavit. His wife got another text that said: “Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation there’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and triggerhappy and I don’t want you guys around,” the affidavit said.

Police later found his wife in a car with her children. Officers found two handguns, about $10,000 in cash and passports for the wife and her children, according to the affidavit.

Just hours after the shootings Saturday, Boelter bought an electronic bike and a Buick sedan from someone he met at a bus stop in Minneapolis, the federal affidavit said. Police found the sedan abandoned on a highway Sunday morning.

In the car, officers found a cowboy hat Boelter had been seen wearing in surveillance footage as well as a letter written to the FBI, authorities said. The letter said it was written by “Dr Vance Luther Boulter” and he was “the shooter at large.”

The car was found in rural Sibley County, where Boelter owned a home. A police officer later saw Boelter running into the woods. He was found within 20 minutes — about a mile from the home — and gave himself up, crawling out before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field, authorities said.

Israel strikes Iran’s state-run TV during broadcast

Attacks between countries enter fourth day

BY AMI BENTOV and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel Israel struck Iran’s state-run television station Monday during a live broadcast, forcing a reporter to run off camera following an explosion, after Iran fired a new wave of missiles at Israel that killed at least eight people.

In other developments,

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli strikes have set Iran’s nuclear program back a “very, very long time.” He added that Israel is not attempting to topple the Iranian government, but he said he would not be surprised if that happened as a result of the strikes.

“The regime is very weak,” Netanyahu told a news conference He also said he is in daily touch with President Donald Trump. As he spoke, large numbers of explosions were heard in Tehran.

Israel warned hundreds of thousands of people in the middle of the Iranian capital to evacuate ahead of the strike against the TV

Smoke billows Monday after an Iranian missile struck

station, which the military said provided a cover for Iranian military operations

The warning came on the fourth day of the conflict, when the Israeli military claimed it had achieved air superiority above the Iranian capital and could fly over the city without facing major threats.

The warning affected up to 330,000 people in a part of central Tehran that includes the country’s state TV and police headquarters. The military has issued similar evacuation warnings for civilians in parts of Gaza and Lebanon ahead of strikes.

State-run television abruptly stopped a live

broadcast after the station was hit, according to Iran’s state-run news agency

While on the air, an Iranian state television reporter said the studio was filling with dust after “the sound of aggression against the homeland.” Suddenly an explosion occurred, cutting the screen behind her as she hurried off camera.

The broadcast quickly switched to prerecorded programs. The station later said its building was hit by four bombs.

An anchor said on air that a few colleagues had been hurt, but their families should not be worried. The network said its live programs were transferred to

Doctor to plead guilty to supplying Matthew Perry with ketamine

BY ANDREW DALTON Associated Press

LOS ANGELES A doctor charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the “Friends” star’s overdose death has agreed to plead guilty, authorities said Monday

Dr Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, federal prosecutors said in a statement. They said the plea carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and Plasencia is expected to enter the plea in the coming weeks.

Plasencia and a woman accused of being a ketamine dealer had been the primary targets of the prosecution, after three

other defendants, including another doctor, agreed to plead guilty in exchange for their cooperation.

Plasencia had been scheduled to start trial in August. An email to his attorney seeking comment was not immediately answered.

Perry was found dead by his assistant on Oct. 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine was the primary cause of death. The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression that has become increasingly common. Perry, 54, began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him. About a month before the actor’s death, he found

Plasencia, a doctor who in turn allegedly asked the other doctor Mark Chavez, to obtain the drug for him, according to court filings in the Chavez case.

“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia texted Chavez, according to court filings from prosecutors. The two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, halfway between Santa Monica, California, where Plasencia practiced and San Diego, where Chavez practiced, and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine, the filings said.

After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500, Plasencia allegedly asked Chavez if he could keep supplying them so they could become Perry’s “goto,” prosecutors said.

another studio.

Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said his country’s forces had

“achieved full aerial superiority over Tehran’s skies.”

The military said it destroyed more than 120 surface-to-surface missile launchers in central Iran, a third of Iran’s total, as well as two F-14 planes that Iran used to target Israeli aircraft and multiple launchers just before they launched ballistic missiles toward Israel.

Israeli military officials also said fighter jets had struck 10 command centers in Tehran belonging to Iran’s Quds Force, an elite arm of its Revolutionary Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran.

The Israeli strikes “amount to a deep and comprehensive blow to the Iranian threat,” Defrin said.

Boelter

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ARIEL SCHALIT

an oil refinery in Haifa, Israel

G7 leaders want to contain Israel-Iran conflict

Trump calls for talks between the countries

BY JOSH BOAK, ROB GILLIES and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press

KANANASKIS Alberta World leaders at the Group of Seven summit in Canada scrambled Monday to find a way to contain the conflict between Israel and Iran, with President Donald Trump warning that Tehran needs to curb its nuclear program before it’s

“too late.”

The U.S. president said Iranian leaders would “like to talk” but they had already had 60 days to reach an agreement on their nuclear ambitions and failed to do so before an Israeli aerial assault began four days ago. “They have to make a deal,” he said.

By Monday afternoon, Trump warned ominously on social media: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

The summit’s host at the Rocky Mountain retreat, Canadian Prime Minister Mark

Carney said the world was looking to the G7 for leadership at a “hinge” moment in time.

“We’re gathering at one of those turning points in history,” Carney said. “The world’s more divided and dangerous.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held an hourlong informal meeting soon after arriving at the summit late Sunday to discuss the widening conflict in the Mid-

east, Starmer’s office said. And Merz told reporters that Germany is planning to draw up a final communique proposal on the Israel-Iran conflict that will stress that “Iran must under no circumstances be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons-capable material.”

Trump, for his part, said Iran “is not winning this war And they should talk and they should talk immediately before it’s too late.”

Asked what it would take for the U.S. to get involved in the conflict militarily, Trump said, “I don’t want to talk

Trump official touts bill in BR

Small-business

chief pushes ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

President Donald Trump’s top small-business official visited Baton Rouge on Monday to drum up support for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, saying that the legislation will unleash “a bluecollar boom.”

“This bill is pro-small business. It’s pro-worker It’s pro-family,” said Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed in February to helm the Small Business Administration, a federal agency that helps small businesses with loans, counseling and other resources.

To promote the Trumpbacked bill, Loeffler visited industrial construction company Performance Contractors and toured a pipe-fabrication warehouse as welders, pipe fitters and other workers prepared giant stainless-steel cylinders for shipment to refineries.

It was the first stop on a six-state tour that will visit Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Maine and North Carolina. She highlighted provisions in the bill that would make permanent a 23% deduction on qualified small-business income and would allow for 100% immediate expensing of certain capital investments like machinery and equipment purchases, which she said were critical for the manufacturing sector

Jimmy Swaggart in hospital, family says

Pastor in critical condition after cardiac arrest

Staff report

The Rev Jimmy Swaggart, an evangelical pastor, was in critical condition Monday after being rushed to a hospital Sunday from his Baton Rouge-area home, Jimmy Swaggart

Ministries said in a news release.

Swaggart went into cardiac arrest shortly after 8 a.m. on Father’s Day Emergency personnel were able to revive his heartbeat, the church said.

sciousness,” Donnie Swaggart said. “We both took turns giving him chest compressions until EMT could get there. I’ve never seen so many people arrive at one time, and I want to thank them. They were able to get a heartbeat back Right now, he is in ICU and without a miracle, his time will be short. But we believe in God we’re not giving up.”

“He remains in the ICU, where he is under close medical care,” Jimmy Swaggart Ministries said in a statement.

In a prayer service Sunday night, Swaggart’s son, the Rev Donnie Swaggart, described the events of the morning. Donnie Swaggart said that after he and his son, Gabe, learned what happened, they rushed to his mother’s house.

“He never regained con-

Jimmy Swaggart, 90, from Ferriday, is the founder of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.

At his peak in the mid-1980s, he was the country’s toprated TV preacher, broadcast to 2 million households. He also built a church complex on Bluebonnet Boulevard, which included dormitories, television studios and warehouses. But two widely publicized encounters between Jimmy Swaggart and prostitutes took a toll on the ministry

The ministry survived the scandal, though in a much smaller form, and still operates out of its Baton Rouge headquarters, running TV and radio networks, a school and a Bible college

Loeffler also noted that there would be no tax on tips or overtime pay, as well as a $500 increase to the child tax credit, raising it to $2,500.

The massive piece of legislation passed the U.S. House in May, and congressional leaders have said they hope it will be signed into law by July 4.

But it faces an uncertain road ahead in the Senate, as fears percolate over billions of dollars in proposed cuts to federal spending on Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, earlier this month on NBC’s “Meet the Press” said the legislation will reduce “fraud, waste and abuse that is rampant in Medicaid” and

“strengthen” the program.

“What we’re doing here is an important, and frankly, heroic thing to preserve the program so that it doesn’t become insolvent,” he added.

Loeffler on Monday called downsizing Medicaid and SNAP a matter of “rightsizing” those programs.

“We have to incentivize people to get back in the workforce,” she said.

“Those able-bodied workers need to come back and then leave those programs to be available for those who need them.”

But Democrats and some Senate Republicans have raised the alarm about cuts, warning of dire impacts to health care in their home states.

“If this budget gets passed

about that.“

It’s unclear how much Trump values the perspective of other members of the G7, a group he immediately criticized while meeting with Carney The U.S. president said it was a mistake to remove Russia from the summit’s membership in 2014 and that doing so had destabilized the world. He also suggested he was open to adding China to the G7. Trump also seemed to put a greater priority on addressing his grievances with other nations’ trade policies He announced with Starmer

that they had signed a trade framework on Monday that was previously announced in May, with Trump saying that British trade was “very well protected” because ”I like them, that’s why That’s their ultimate protection.”

This year’s G7 summit is full of combustible tensions. Trump already has hit several dozen nations with severe tariffs that risk a global economic slowdown. There is little progress on settling the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and now the new conflict between Israel and Iran.

into law as it is currently written, Louisiana stands to lose more health care funding than any other state,”

U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, said last month.

In its current form, the bill would increase spending on the military and border se-

lars.

An analysis prepared by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would add $2.4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade.

Landry visits Paris for economic development trip

Air show is largest aviation event in world

BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Staff writer

Gov Jeff Landry and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois are attending the Paris Air Show this week on a mission to “attract new investment and showcase Louisiana’ s growing role in global industries,” according to a news release.

The event in France is the largest aerospace and aviation event in the world, according to the release. Louisiana has had a presence there for nearly 20 years, though it’s Landry’s first trip there. Then-Gov John Bel Edwards visited the air show in 2023.

The news release does not say when Landry left the state or when he plans to return, and a spokesperson did not respond to questions about his schedule.

Visiting the air show matches the economic development department’s new strategic plan, which “prioritizes global impact, growth in aerospace and defense and high-wage job

creation,” the release says. Landry and Bourgeois are highlighting $62 billion in new investments in Louisiana announced recently, including a $10 billion Meta data center, $17.5 billion liq-

uefied natural gas production and export facility and a $5.8

Swaggart

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Kelly Loeffler, administrator of the U.S Small Business Administration, thanks a worker Monday while touring Performance Contractors in Baton Rouge.

Landry

development and creative adaptive reuse. Landry will finalize redevelopment plans in the coming months. Initial work will focus on stabilizing the structure and retaining existing tenants, with phased renovations and tenant buildouts to follow The multiyear redevelopment effort will be supported by LEDA — serving as the parish’s redevelopment authority through project coordination, navigation of public resources and strategic guidance

The Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority which serves as administrator of the Northway Economic Development District, will also contribute to the redevelopment.

“I’ve known and watched Jacoby’s work as a seasoned construction company leader, and it has been an honor to have him participate in our Elevate North Lafayette program,” said Mandi Mitchell, president and CEO of LEDA. “He is encouraging the next generation of local developers and leading by example.”

The sellers were Imad “Eddie” Hamdan and his brother-in law, Ziad “Z” Mousa, former owners of the New Orleans-based Brothers Food Mart convenience store chain. The 250,000-square-foot mall had been listed for $3.75 million. The mall dates back to 1963

BOARD

Continued from page 1A

R-Metairie, appointed Stephen Dwyer Both new board members are attorneys in the greater New Orleans area. The new recruits’ first meeting was an eventful one. Five top public defenders battled for their jobs, accusing Rémy Starns, the state public defender, of retaliation and even discrimination Starns denied their claims and argued he was well within his rights not to renew the contracts of the five district chiefs. Starns also clashed with board members over his attempts to include his compensation plan in the contracts of other district chiefs. Under state statute, the board has the right to set a compensation plan, and it has declined to adopt Starns’, sticking with a previous plan.

In February, Starns sent letters to five district chiefs saying their contracts, which expire July 1, would not be renewed. Those chiefs were: n Michelle AndrePont, of Caddo Parish n Trisha Ward, of Evangeline Parish n Brett Brunson, of Natchitoches Parish n Deirdre Fuller, of Rapides Parish

n John Hogue, of East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parishes.

State statute allows public defenders who feel they’ve been wrongfully terminated to appeal to the board. That’s what the five defenders have done.

They argue Starns’ actions against them did not have good cause and were retaliatory, because the defenders publicly opposed Starns on various policy issues For example, they testified last year against a bill that gave

TEACHER

Continued from page 1A

Starns and Gov Jeff Landry more power over the public defense system.

Some also opposed Starns’ proposed compensation structure, which would cut the salaries of some district defenders by tens of thousands of dollars.

Brunson believed his termination was retaliation not just for speaking against legislation, but for standing up to Starns over a “pattern of bullying and mistreating women.”

AndrePont also said she believed Starns discriminated against women “My termination is not just unwarranted. It’s retaliatory It’s my punishment for speaking out and is at least in part because I’m a woman,” AndrePont told the board. “Under Mr. Starns’ leadership, there has been a troubling and consistent pattern of disparate treatment of women.”

AndrePont said Starns has terminated six women since 2023 and two men, both of whom defended women. Those numbers include the contested firings.

Starns denied those allegations.

“I completely and unequivocally deny any of the allegations made against me regarding discrimination on any purpose, for any reason,” Starns told the board. “Those statements were false, and I believe they knew them to be false.”

Starns has maintained that he never fired the district chiefs to begin with — he simply opted not to renew their contracts.

“I nonrenewed contracts.

There’s been a lot of loose language thrown out here today about terminations No such terminations ever took place. They have a term; term is expired,” Starns said Monday “As of July 1, I plan to move forward with interim district defenders.”

A supporting opinion from Attorney General Liz Mur-

rill stated that, because the defenders’ contracts had lapsed, they did not have the right to a board hearing or investigation.

But a brief by Stephen Haedicke, an attorney for the five district chiefs, argues nonrenewal of the contracts should not have been an option for Starns. State statute requires him to renew them, according to the brief.

It cites a statute that reads, “In an effort to maintain continuity of public defender services in each judicial district, any person serving as the district public defender of a judicial district shall continue to contract with the office and serve as the district public defender of that district.”

Initially, it appeared the board would side with Starns It appointed a special committee to investigate the firings in March. After an April 7 hearing, Paul deMahy, the committee chair, issued a recommendation saying that “Mr Starns had no obligation to enter into new contracts with these defenders.”

But on Monday, the board voted to further investigate the matter, saying it had received new information since the April 7 hearing, both from Haedicke and in legislative hearings.

Specifically, board member Frank Thaxton cited statements from legislators indicating that, when they passed Act 22 of the second special session in 2024 — which gave Starns more power over contracts — they did not intend to allow him to get rid of district defenders without an appeals process.

“The committee made a decision right after we had our hearing, and it was based on what we had at that time,” deMahy told the board. “Personally I don’t like the decision but I thought that’s the decision that had to be made

based on what we had.”

The committee will hold a hearing Wednesday to reconsider its recommendation.

The Louisiana Illuminator first reported that Hernandez and Pitcher had resigned from the Louisiana Public Defender Oversight Board.

Starns also has clashed with the five chiefs over the state’s compensation plan. He presented an alternate plan to the board last June, but the board did not adopt it, standing by an older proposal.

State law specifically gives

the board the power to set the compensation plan.

Still, Starns has incorporated his own plan into 30 public defender contracts for the upcoming fiscal year, having those defenders waive the right to the boardset compensation plan, he said.

“I have a statutory obligation to establish and maintain in a cost-effective manner delivery of legal services, and I negotiate contracts,” Starns said. “I think the district defender compensation plan and all of its elements proposed by the oversight board would

violate those principles. I’m not going to have contracts that have those provisions in them.”

That pronouncement ruffled some feathers on the board.

Board member Adrejia Boutté said the contracts constituted a “statutory violation.”

“That’s a problem for me and I don’t have the answer unfortunately as to what is the move that can be done,” she said.

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

Other districts are expected to have nearly $36 million left over after providing the raises, which the legislation says can be put toward a limited number of uses, including giving teachers additional pay bumps. If the governor signs the bills into law, Louisiana voters will then need to approve changing the state constitution to eliminate the trust funds. Lawmakers say that

efforts to improve struggling schools. Instead, the trust funds would be used to pay off long-standing debts related to Louisiana’s teacher retirement system, which is expected to save school districts $2 billion in interest payments. Carlson’s bill mandates that school systems use the savings to give teachers raises. The bill also requires the state to step in to subsidize the full cost of the raises for districts that do not realize enough savings to do so on their own. It will also cover the estimated $16.7 million to give raises to teachers and staff at charter schools that don’t pay into the retirement system. The state will have to spend around $250,000 to fund the raises in the roughly seven districts that are expected to come up short in their savings, according to cost estimates for Carlson’s bill.

vote will likely not happen until April 2026. The state’s largest teachers union supports the raises but has expressed concerns about funding them through debt-payment savings Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Larry Carter told lawmakers last month that it would be better to include the pay increases in the state’s schoolfunding formula to prevent the money from being funneled toward different uses down the road. Educators “cannot rely on good intentions alone,” he said, adding that “we want to get some guarantees.”

Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@theadvocate. com.

investors Ison Fontenot, Dr Daniel Voorheis and Joseph Angelle first filed

Shown is today’sweather.Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’slows.

CASSIDY

Continued from page 1A

with the senator and his committee. He also said that Kennedy had assured him he would maintain the 17-memberadvisorypanel “without changes.” Critics argueKennedy’srecent actionsdirectly contradict that promise. But Kennedy told Fox News he made no such promise.

“That’snot true,” Kennedy said.

“What Itold Sen.Cassidyisthat I would allow him to put one of his candidates on, which we’re going to do.” Cassidy has declined to comment publicly on the first committee prospects. But aspokesperson said Monday the senator doesn’tsee a violation of Kennedy’spromise.

“As Sen. Cassidy has saidpublicly,the commitment wasabout theACIPprocess, notstaffing,” the spokesperson said. “Sen. Cassidy is still reviewing the full list of ACIP appointments andiscommunicating with Secretary Kennedy frequently.” Kennedy said the newly named boardwould not include “ideological anti-vaxxers.” They would be committed “toevidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense,” he said in a social media post.

Sen. Bernie Sanders,I-Vt., asked Cassidy to investigate the terminations and their impact on vaccine access.

“Secretary Kennedy’sreckless decision to fire these non-partisan scientific experts and replace them with ideologues withlimited expertise and ahistory of undermining vaccines will not only endanger the lives of Americans of all ages, it directly contradicts acommitment he madetoyou before he was confirmed that he would not make any significant changes to this important Committee,” Sanders wrote in aletter to Cassidy Friday Kennedy’sactions on the vaccine committeehavebeendenounced by many in the health care industry.For instance, Bruce A. Scott, president of the American Medical Association, condemned Kennedy’sactions, saying in astatement that removing the 17 sitting ACIP members undermines trust.

“With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccinepreventable illnesses,” Scottsaid. All 17 experts recently dismissed

Healthand Human Services SecretaryRobertF.KennedyJr. speaks April 16 on an autismreportbythe Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention.

from the panel published an essay Monday decrying “destabilizing decisions” made by Kennedy that could leadtomore preventable disease spread.

“Weare deeply concerned that these destabilizing decisions, made withoutclear rationale, may roll back the achievements of U.S. immunization policy,impact people’s access to lifesaving vaccines, and ultimately putU.S. families at risk of dangerous and preventable illnesses,” the17panelistswrote in the Journal of theAmerican Medical Association On June 9—afterKennedy had “retired”the previous board, but before he began appointing new members —Cassidyresponded on X: “Of course, now the fear is that theACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion. I’ve just spoken with Secretary Kennedy,and I’ll continue to talk with himtoensure this is not thecase.”

During aJune 10news callwith Louisiana reporters, Cassidy battedaway abarrage of questions asking Cassidytocomment further Cassidyreplied that he would hold his fire until he hadgathered more information andthenrespondonlyon social media. After Kennedy named the first ACIP re-

placements, Cassidy’sstaffsaidhe is doing adeep dive into thebackgrounds of those chosen.

AmongKennedy’s eightchoices for the committee is Robert W. Malone,a biochemist andfrequent guest on conservative media shows. He hasclaimed that COVID-19 vaccines madebyPfizer andModerna could be dangerous, which most established vaccine experts say is false. He helped popularize thebelief thathydroxychloroquine, an antimalarialdrug, and ivermectin, whichtreats parasiticinfectionsin animals, could be effective against thecoronavirus.Most public healthexpertssay that’snot true. He also chose Martin Kulldorff, an epidemiologist who pushed the “herd immunity” argument that was embraced by many whorefused to follow pandemic protocols aimed at stemming the spread of the highly infectiousCOVID-19 variants. He left Harvard Medical School after refusing to mask and be vaccinated, which the universitywanted all hospital staff to do.

Athird selection,Vicky Pebsworth, apublic health nurse and Pacific region director of the National Association of Catholic Nurses, also is on the board of the National Vaccine Information Center, an organizationthatquestions

thesafety of vaccines.

Theother five newly announced membersare: n Joseph R. Hibbeln, apsychiatrist and neuroscientist who worked on nutritional neurosciences at theNational Institutes of Health.

n Retsef Levi, aprofessor of operations managementatthe Massachusetts Institute of Technology’sSloan School of Management.

n Cody Meissner,aprofessor of pediatrics at the GeiselSchool of Medicine at Dartmouth College andpreviously served on ACIP

n James Pagano,anemergency medicine physician.

n Michael A. Ross, aclinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University andVirginia Commonwealth University

Theeight members,along with nine yet to be named, are expected to attend the next ACIP meeting on June 25.

Cassidy has been trying to walk atightrope in astate where many Republicans ardently support President Donald Trump. But he is alsotrying to stay true to his 30 years as adoctor working in Louisiana’s charity hospital system as an unabashed promoter of vaccinations to fight disease and mitigateits spread

In his last reelection campaign in 2020, Cassidy won morevotes than anyone other thanTrump in the history of Louisiana. But he enraged conservatives by voting in January 2021 to convict the president on impeachmentcharges stemming from MAGA supporters invading the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in hopes of stopping confirmation that Joe Biden had wonthat presidential election. The Louisiana Republican Party censured Cassidy forhis impeachment vote. The GOP-dominated Legislature then changed the state’s electionsystemtoensure Cassidy would have to run in an April 18, 2026, party primarybefore the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He already has attracted one Republican opponent, stateTreasurer John Fleming, aformer congressman whoworked in the White House during Trump’sfirst administration. Several other conservatives are said to be mulling the race.

Since calling Cassidy a“total flake” in April 2024, Trumphas kept quiet and not endorsed anyone in Louisiana’sSenate race. Back home, Louisiana conservatives pressured —oroccasionally threatened —Cassidy to back Trump’sselection of Kennedy or else.

“RFK is goingtorun HHSwhether you like it or not,” Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, wrote Jan. 30 on X. “So, vote your conscience Senator,ordon’t. Either way,We’re watching.” Cassidy initially voiced reticence on supporting for the nation’s health chiefsomeonewho for decades had crusaded against vaccinations. But Kennedy promised Cassidy that he would not undercut public confidence in vaccines.

During aFebruary speech after backing Kennedy’sconfirmation, Cassidy said he would “rebuffany attempts to remove thepublic’saccess to lifesaving vaccines.”

Since becoming health secretary,Kennedy ruled that pregnant women and children don’tneed the COVIDvaccines anymore. He cited scientific studies that were unpublished or under dispute, KFF Health News reported. Kennedy also canceled vaccine contracts, pressured the Federal Food andDrug Administration’s head of vaccines to resign, and announced 10,000 jobs would be cut from the health department.

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Louie’s legend

liveson JanRisher

For nearly 35 years, Frenchie was the circus ringleader at Louie’sCafe, the Baton Rouge institution just north of LSU. Early on aSaturday night two weeks ago, about 50 people gathered at Louie’sto remember Frenchie, the longtime chef who loved to sing and dance. Frenchie’sreal name was Marcus Cox.

“Frenchie was the frontman. He was the face. He wasthe guy who always greeted you,” saidJimmy Wetherford,owner of Louie’s. “He remembered people’s names. He remembered what they wanted to eat.People loved to go to the counterand listen to Frenchie tell jokes and cook at 100 miles an hour.”

Wetherford describes Frenchie as “a short-order standup comedian. He was quick on hisfeet with the wit —amaster of the comeback.”

Frenchie retired in November 2022. His last shiftwas the Sunday after LSU’sovertime defeat over Alabama. He passed away March 19. Wetherford wanted to honor his longtime and much-loved employee with agathering of friends.

From the time Frenchie started at Louie’sin1988, he was apresence. For many, he was part of the cultural fabric of the LSU experience.

“When he first started at Louie’s,heworked the day shift and the late-night shift. Louie’swas a24-hour diner in the ’80s and ’90swhennorth of campus had an active nightlife,” said Wetherford. “He was the guy at Louie’s. He was cracking the jokes and cracking the eggs.” Frenchie earned his nickname during his service in Vietnam He was born in AvoyellesParish and spoke enough French toget the moniker from fellow soldiers. Once out of themilitary,he used his GI Bill to study at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris to become achef.

“Frenchie was agunner on a helicopter in Vietnam,” Hampton Peele told those gatheredtoremember the legendary cook.

Peele, who has adish at Louie’s named after him, shareda memory of once watching Frenchie working three different cooking stations. He was singing three different songs as he went down the line —one song for each station. “He would pick up the same songhehad been singing at each station where he had left off,” Peele said, with achuckle. “Like his business card said, he was a warrior,statesman and fry cook. Frenchie was my friend.”

Anyone who worked with Frenchie knew that he approached his work with aCordon Bleu mindset. He was avocal chef who used his training torun Louie’s—where, at 2a.m., tipsy collegestudents used to find refuge in aMitchell omelet to help restore alittle order to the world. These days, Louie’sisopen from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. seven days aweek.

Frenchie was known for his pancake prowess. He could make pancakes in whatever animal shape achild of any age could conjure. Afew years ago, he made me giraffe pancakes.

Fred Simonson, general manager at Louie’s, spoke at the unconventionalmemorial service. Simonson worked in the trenches at Louie’swith Frenchie from 1991 through 2023 and describes the times they shared as “rawass real life.”

“Frenchie’sstar power was already in full bloom when Istarted at Louie’s,” Simonson said. “Back then, Frenchie didn’ttrust my abilities as adishwasher.”

On Simonson’ssecondnight on the job, Frenchie gave him

Made-to-order

Shane’sLoadedMac Baropens on Johnston

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Things just got alittle cheesier at LafayettenativeShaneVallot’snewest restaurant, Shane’sLoaded Mac Bar

Theeatery officially opened Thursday at 1043 Johnston St., offering customersa varietyofcheesyselectionsthrough afast counter-serve and build-your-own style experience.

Customers can dine in, take it to go or enjoy outside dining.

Dinersstart by choosingbetween a macaroni bowl, grilled cheese, baked potato, pasta or fresh greens, then select acheesy sauce option. They continue to build acheesy dream with achoiceofproteins, an array of toppings such as corn, mushrooms, jalapenos and more. Lastly,they choose a finisher sauce.

“There’snothing like thislocally.It’s cheesy,it’scomforting, and I’m excited for everyone to tryit,” Vallot said.

Shane’sLoaded Mac Bar opened afterthe demand of the macaroniatVallot’sfirst restaurant, Shane’sFamous Quesadilla Burgers, whichmoved to anew location five months ago at 803

W. Pinhook Road

Vallot is aformer walk-on offensive lineman at the University of Louisiana at Lafayetteand before that he played football at Comeaux High. He said the new location for Shane’sFamous Que-

sadilla Burgers was away to combine his passion for sports andcooking by creatinga sports baratmosphere on gamedays. The menu offers burgers, pasta, wings,macaroniand also includes the famous quesadilla burger

“My goal is to expand both restaurants, andweare working on that

right now.Inthe meantime, Iwant the community to come out and enjoy the mac bar,” Vallot said.

Shane’sLoaded MacBar is open from 11 a.m.to10p.m.Monday to Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 3a.m.FridaytoSaturday, andfrom11a.m. to 8p.m. Sunday

Public safety leadsnextCivicCon

Mayor-president, police chief to speak

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

Mayor-President Monique Boulet andLafayette Police Chief PaulTrouard will speak Wednesdayatthe next CivicConAcadianaevent hosted by OneAcadiana. Dialogue will center on Trouard’svisionfor public safety in Lafayette andhis strategic priorities for the department under his leadership. He and Boulet will share insights on collaborative crimeprevention strategies,current safety initiatives and the role of community involvement in building asafer Lafayette. Trouard was named to the permanent position in February after serving as interim

chief. The appointment follows anational search after years of leadership upheaval at the Lafayette Police Department.Heisthe seventh person to hold the position since 2020. Rachel Godeaux, Boulet’s chiefadministrative officer, ledthe search effort fora new police chief after former Police Chief Judith Estorge steppeddownfromthe position in May After the first round of applications were exclusively from south Louisiana residents, the City Council approved abudget amendment to increase the chief’s salary from $135,880to$170,000 in an effort to attract awider pool. The next round of applications included amore diverse group from acrossthe country Trouard has spent his entire law enforcement career at the Lafayette PoliceDepartment where he wasnamedassistant chief by Estorgejust before she stepped down from the appointed position last year Whenasked in 2024 how he would address the rise in

violent crime, Trouard said he’sa big fan of targeted enforcement, which he regularly implemented when he oversaw aprecinct in northwest Lafayette. He would look at the department’sreporting system, talk to first-line officers anduse data analytics to track what crimes are happening at what times and in what areas to determine what resources todeploy

“You just start hitting that area, trying to target the different areas, the different types of crimes to try to reduce the violent crime,” Trouard said in aMay 2024 interview.“Andthat’sbeen very effective, and Iwould like to ramp that up. I’dlike to do moreofit. Nowgranted, we’re subjecttoour budget. With thatsaid, what’smore important? Dropping crime? Or my budget rightnow?”

The event will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at theAcadiana Center for the Arts, 101 W. Vermilion St One Acadiana’sCivicCon

Womanfound in carwith gunshotwound,policesay

BY STEPHENMARCANTEL Staff writer

ACarencro police officer has been arrested in aYoungsville shooting. Zachary Segura, 25, works as an officer for the Carencro Police Department, Carencro Police Chief DavidAnderson confirmed. Segura hassincebeen placed on administrative leave with pay. The department also launched an internal affairs investigation Segura facesanegligentinjury charge after awoman was injured in aSaturday shooting. Theshooting occurred about 9p.m. at the intersectionofYoungsville Highway andCopper Meadows Boulevard

Thewoman was found in avehicle suffering from asingle gunshot wound. She was transported to ahospital andislisted in stable condition Anderson called the shooting accidental. Segura’sfather,Eric Segura, also works for theCarencro Police Department. Eric Segura is aformer Youngsville police officer,Youngsville Police Chief JP Broussard confirmed An investigation into the incident is ongoing Suspectin shooting a Carencro officer

OwnerShane Vallot holds abowlofmac and cheese duringthe grand opening of Shane’sLoaded Mac Bar on Johnston Street on Thursday in Lafayette.

Owner Shane Vallot, center,and employees getreadyfor the grand opening

Trouard

OUR VIEWS

Trump administration should mend FEMA, notend it

As much as Louisianans gripeabout the bureaucratic shortcomingsofthe Federal Emergency ManagementAgency,weknow perhapsbetter thananyoneabout the vital role the agency plays when major disaster strikes. Time and again, ourstate andits residents have relied upon theagency to mitigate damage, get help on the ground quickly and to partner in long-term recovery FEMAbringsnot just quick aidfor individuals but resources to help whole communities rebuild, particularly whena hurricane or other catastrophe is so severe that it hobbles local and state governments or simply overwhelms their capabilities.

Whenthathappens —and there’snodenyingit’shappening more frequently in more placesthan in years past —FEMA’s work represents the best our country hastooffer, the idea that we’re all in thistogether andwe help one anotherout in times of distress.

So we’re alarmed to hear that President Donald Trump intends to dismantlethe agency after the hurricane season thatbegan June 1and “wean” states off federal aid.

“If acertain state gets hit bya hurricaneor tornado, the governor should beable to handleit, and frankly,iftheycan’thandle it, the aftermath, then maybe they shouldn’tbegovernor,”hesaid. “We’re going to giveout less money.We’regoing to giveitout directly.It’ll be from the president’soffice.”

We believe this reflects afundamentalmisunderstanding of how disasters unfold and what capabilities most states, even the bestfunded and managed, havetodraw upon. Louisianans know FEMA’s activities often get tangled in red tape, andwesupport efforts to unravel it. But we also know that its good work saves lives, homes and livelihoods. This should not be apartisan issue, and we’re glad that the state’stwo Republican senators have spoken outabout theagency’s importance.

Earlier this spring, after Trumpstarted talking about decommissioning FEMA but before he put atimeline on it,U.S.Sen. John Kennedy said that “FEMA can’t go away …I think the first job of the federal government is to protect people and property.”

Lastweek, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy said that his goal is to retain some functional version of what FEMA provides “Weknow from astorm like Katrinaora storm like Helene that devastates thestate’s ability to respond by itself —and evena neighboring state to help,” that “weabsolutely have to preserve that‘American helping American’ (tradition)through the federal governmentwhena big storm comes,”he said. “And Iwill push (for) that ability be preserved.”

We urge them to stick to their guns, andwe also encourage House Speaker MikeJohnson andMajority Leader SteveScalise to share Louisiana’sexperiences withtheir peersin Congress —although, frankly, these days more andmoreofthem are seeing the need with theirown eyes

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The TimesPicayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor, The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SENDUS ALETTER, SCAN HERE

OPINION

If budget bill toobig, it should be rejected

“The Big,BeautifulBill —it’sover 1,000 pages, and Ihaven’tread it. So, howdoIknow that what Ihave heard is correct? Can’tbesure. Lots of spin out there,” you may be saying.

So here’smyplan: I’ll tell you what I have heard.

If you object to thebill’scontents as presented here, but don’ttrust my sources, you can call or write your senators and say: “If this is in thebill, Ithink it is bad for the American people.”

Butdoitsoon. They’re voting soon.

n The tax breaks will add over $3 trillion to the deficit over 10 years. If you had agreat deal of personal debt,would your strategy be to takeonagreat deal more?

Think of thenational and international economic risk.

n Cuts will be madetoservices like SNAP andMedicaid. The president had said no cuts. Speaker Mike Johnson had said only cuts to fraud. Now,it’s, “We can’tgive tax breaks unless we do this.”

Responsibilities for someservices will be passed to thestates. Will Louisiana be willing or able to provide them?

n Trumpaccounts will be invested in thestock market for babies. Vouchers will go towardprivate school tuition. Direct these funds to address greater needs.

n Gutting of environmental safeguards and regulations is planned to allow for more profit for businesses.

n The bill preempts state and local government from regulating AI for10years. What if it’s your backyard?

n Agencies previously put in place to protect consumers against fraud will be removed while theChrisleys, convicted of fraud, have been pardoned.

n Atrillion dollars will go to defense.

n Forty-fivebillion dollars will go to border control. Deportees have been sent to countries where they don’tspeak the language.

ANN GONZALES Baton Rouge

Don’tdiminish historical importance of Nottoway

Iamverydisappointed at therecent column by Edward Pratt,as, to me, itcomes across as small-minded, pettyand rather bigoted. The writer is clearly upset about something thatended morethan 160 years ago, and he has clearly lostany historical perspective. He thenrelates his disagreements with President Donald Trump to Nottoway Plantation. This is so sad.

Itoured Nottoway morethan 20 years ago.Myguide was amiddle-age Black woman who clearly knew her historyand took pride in describing theopulence of Nottoway and how John Randolph spared no expense in building it.Irememberher telling us that Nottoway sometimes had as

Congratulations to all of the 2025 high school graduates who have finished one phaseoftheir lives and now are on the threshold of starting another

many as “95house servants.” (She meant slaves, of course.)

The column also lauds the Whitney Plantation, aplace Itoured approximately 10 yearsago with my 8-year-old granddaughter.Myguide wasa knowledgeable young Black man who told us, “Slavery wasn’tlimited to America. Slavery was prevalent all over the world, including Black Africa.”

Isincerely hope that the owners of Nottaway rebuild it,asitishistorically important.And Ilook forward to future generations, Black and White,touring and appreciating both Nottaway and Whitney QUIN BATES Marrero

me, but Iwas looking towards what the future would hold for me.

Recently,Quin Hillyer made afull-throated defense of LEAP because our state’sLEAP scores have increased. While Hillyer’s logic is sound, Imust counter that not only should we get rid of LEAP,but we should get rid of our current testing regimealtogether For our state to tie educational funding to something as arbitrary as test scores is ridiculous. In theory,these tests would be a way to identifywhich schools are successful and which ones need extra scrutiny,but that presumes that every community and school has access to the samelevel of funding and social safety nets. So really,these tests are away for the state and governor to dodge their culpability in never dealing with the generations of poverty and illiteracy that Louisiana never wants to fix. Low LEAP scores allow the state to blamewhatever boogeyman they hate at that moment, then punish overworked teachers and administrators. Meanwhile, high LEAP schools let them pat themselves on the back and claim that “school choice was such agood idea.” This is all an expensive farce because in 2018, our state commissioned the creation of LEAP to the tune of around $60 million to $70 million. We could’ve just given that money equally across the state and updated the test we already had, or,crazy idea, just refuse to participate in the French Quarter burlesque of pretending that atest captures how astudent learns. Whatever the state does with the LEAP test, I’m sure it will cost us millions and help no one.

Baton Rouge

Istill remember when Icrossed the stage on my big day of gettingmydiploma. Idid not know where life would lead

Iwish all the graduates all the luck in theworld as Ireceived the samecompliments from everyone whoattended my big day 37 years ago.

VINCENT YOUNG Baton Rouge Hats offtograduates andbestofluckinthe future

The Democrats are rallying around the flag. Problem is, it is the Mexican flag. Last time, it was the Palestinian flag. HERBERT CANNON Baton Rouge

DANGALLO

Changing back Fort Polk’s name is acynical move

In 2023, when the U.S. Department of Defense changed of thename of Fort Polk to remove the stain of honoring aConfederate, slaveholding Episcopal bishop, many in Louisiana railed against the move.

with distinction,and was,importantly in this case, White.

cially because White American troops refused to fight alongside Black ones.

“Don’terase our history,” they said. “That’s our heritage.”

Never mind that history and heritage celebrate aman who foughtagainst United States soldiers. Never mind that tens of thousands of Black soldiers and othersoldiers of color have trained at Fort Polk, in Vernon Parish, to fight for acountrythat insisted on reminding them that Confederates were deserving of having bases named for them. Well, those who opposed that 2023 name change are getting their wish. Sort of.

Last week, President Donald Trump announced that several bases whose Confederate-honoringnames were changed in 2023 will go back totheir original names, but withatwist. To get around the2020 law that required Confederate names to be removed, the new names will honor different people with the same last name.

In Louisiana, that means that the former Fort Polk, which had been renamed to Fort Johnson to honor a World WarIhero,will go back to being Fort Polk.

But this Polk is not Leonidas Polk, the Confederate General whowas Louisiana’sfirst Episcopal bishop and for whom the base was originally named. Now,itwill be named forArmy Gen. James H. Polk, a20th-century West Point graduate and officer who served

Thechange is awink-and-nod move to those who don’tknow much about history and who were upset that the base was renamed during aDemocratic administration and for aBlack man.

Theadministration is making similar moves with other bases throughout the Souththat were formerly named forConfederates. It’sreturning them to their oldnames, but for different soldiers.

Thecynicism behind these moves is deep. Administration officials know perhaps intuitively,that mostoftheir supporters won’tknow —orcare that it’s adifferentPolk.

Thosefolks will say out loud that it wasjust the name, as if those four letters somehow outweigh any meaning behind them. “It’salways been Fort Polk to me, and that’sthe way it will always be,” they’ll say For many of them, of course, it’salso important the country undo anything thatmight derisively be considered “woke.” They associate this move with former President Joe Biden, despite massive bipartisan and military leadership support for the move away from Confederatenames.

Thosewho support this move don’t care that WilliamHenry Johnson was atrue war hero and apatriot whose bravery is beyond dispute. Standing at atowering 5feet, 4inches,Johnson enlisted in 1917 and joined aNational Guardunit in his native New York.He wassent toFrance and his unit was “loaned” to theFrench army,unoffi-

While stationed in the Argonne Forest in 1918, Johnson’spost came under attack from aGerman raiding party Johnson was wounded more than adozen times, but in intense andat-times hand-to-hand fighting, he killed at least four Germans and wounded several others.

He essentially repelled the attackon his own. For his actions, Johnson was nicknamed “Black Death.”

Johnson’sactions earned France’s Croix de Guerre avec Palme, the country’s highestaward for valor in World WarI.But it wasn’tuntil 1996 that his own country recognized his actions, awarding him aPurple Heartthatyear, theDistinguished Service Crossin 2002 and the Medal of Honor in 2015.

Johnson’sgranddaughter,who was present when the Vernon Parish base was renamed, saidJohnson loved the United States and that’swhy he fought. In other words, Johnson, whose own country wouldn’teven grant him the rightsitsaid the Creator had “endowed” to allmen, revered the country in which many people hated him for his skin color

Hisisexactly thesort of patriotism that we ought to be celebrating: selfless, courageous and enduring. Any American should be proud to honor William Henry Johnson.

Sadly,for many,Johnson’struelove for theU.S. and his real valor in battle are not enough to overcome skin color and political bitterness. The administration understands this. It is counting on it.

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

ICEraids mayencourage illegal immigrants to trytoself-deport

“How’m Idoin’?” the late New York MayorEdKoch used to ask constituents on his travels through the city. President Donald Trump, in theopinionof most Americans, is doin’ prettywell. His job approval, which jutted downward after he announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2, has recoveredand hovers just below 50%. That’sjust about the level of Barack Obama’sand George W. Bush’sapproval at this point in their second terms and above his own approval at any point in his first term.

Many continue to regard some top appointments as eccentric. His style of discourse, often inall caps, is eccentric by any past presidential standard. But in apolitical system that remainsdemocratic and is increasingly demotic, that which soundscoarse to you (and me) is apparently acceptable to most people.

China’sexports to the U.S. in May were thelowest since COVID-19-wracked February 2020. It lookslike thousands of American and Chinese market participants have made new decisions in response to Trump’srhetoric. Meanwhile, the May job numbers in theU.S. increased by amorethan-expected 139,000, despite a 60,000 reduction in federal jobs since January.And despitea drop of foreign-born workers in thelabor market estimated between 773,000 and 1million since March.

Three-quarters of amillion to a million—those numbers dwarf thenumberofannual deportations from theinterior of theU.S. as compiled by my Washington Examiner colleague ConnCarroll.

There’snoquestion whose side the public is on. Apre-riot CBSpoll showed 54% approving of Trump’sdeportation program,and two polls taken this week showed approval: Insider Advantage by 59% to39%, and the Napolitan News poll by 58% to36%.

After eight years of stark contrast between Trumpand Democrats’ policies, as CNN poll analyst Harry Enten points out, most voters give Trumphigh marks and “believe that Democrats don’thave aclue on the issue of immigration.”

Similarly,voters who remember Democrats’ insistence and journalists’ assurances that Joe Biden was fully functional are skeptical that the L.A. rioters were “overwhelmingly peaceful” (Kamala Harris) or “largely peaceful” (TheNew York Times).

As for his, um, unusual appointments, they may make sense for apresident who is less interested in fine-tuning organizations thaninaffecting thebehaviors of mass publics.

Candidate Trump in 2024 promised that he would eliminate shortfalls in military recruitment, which he attributed to the Biden Pentagon’s “woke” policies. He pointed out accurately that the Army and Navy fell short of recruitment goals by as much as 25% in fiscal years2022 and 2023.

He named Fox Newshost andmilitary veteran Pete Hegseth as defense secretary,saying he’d promote awarfighting ethos that would attract un-woke young men and women to join up.The Army raised its recruiting goal from 55 000 to 61,000 and reached it in May, four months early

Maybe that’sacoincidence or aresponse to other factors. But it lookslike Trump’srhetoric made abig difference Or look at trade. Trump has made no secret of his love for tariffs and his desire to reduce tradewithChina

The Wall Street Journal reported that

Those range from 65,000 in thelast yearofthe Obama administration and from 28,000 to 47,000 in the four Biden years. They were higher —81,000 to 95,000 —inthe first three years of TrumpI andthen fell to 62,000 in COVID-19 year 2020. These numbers put in perspective thedrama that has been playing out in LosAngeles.The Trumpadministration cannot expect that it can, logistically, remove all the untold millions of illegal immigrants that whoever was running the Biden administration allowed into theU.S. But splashy raids and deportations can get hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of illegal immigrants thinking aboutwhat MittRomney in 2012 called “self-deportation.”

Whichisprobably happening thanks to what has been happening in Los Angeles these past five days. Demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation activity resulted in the arrest of the head of theService Employees International Union. When “sanctuary city” Mayor Karen Bass and Gov.Gavin Newsom let therioting go on, Trumpnationalized theCalifornia National Guard and dispatched Marines.

There’sample historic precedent for Trump’saction as well. Dwight Eisenhower in 1957 and Lyndon Johnson in 1965 sent in federal troops to uphold federal law over the opposition of Democratic governors in Arkansas and Alabama. Those governors were defying federal law for acause —preservation of racial segregation —that thevast majority of voters, after adecade of reflection, were determined to reject. Today’sCalifornia Democrats are defying federal law for acause —permanent amnesty for illegal immigrants —which it appears that voters, after adecade of reflection, are bent on rejectingaswell.

As for theillegal immigrants themselves, I’mnot aware that anyone has conducted apoll of them, or could, since people in their situation are wary of being interviewed. But as theworkforce numbers suggest,for many,self-deportation,together perhaps with the DepartmentofHomeland Security’s$1,000 travel stipend, is looking like agood option.One that may be taken up by many morethan are legally deported.

So how’sTrumpdoin’? Better,perhaps, than his critics think.

Michael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarone.

Six months aftertheir disastrous performance in November’selection, The New York Times reports the Democratic Party is “still searching forthe path forward.” Democrats have hiredconsultants, one of whom askedvoters what animal they would assign each party (elephants and donkeys, the traditional symbols for the respective parties, didn’t make the cut). The newspaperreports the surveyshowedRepublicanswerelikened to “apex predators like lions, tigers andsharks.” Democrats were compared to “tortoises, slugs, sloths.”Democrats were also called“slow, plodding” and “passive.” That’snot the kind of momentum Democratsneed going into next year’scongressionalraces andthe 2028 presidential contest. Some Democrats, like recently ousted Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg, have suggested that older Members of Congress be forced outby much youngerpeople through primary challengers. It’snot thatdifficult to fix their problem. There arethreelittle words theyneed to say: “Wewerewrong.” It will pain them to sayit, but confessionisnot only good for the soul, it can help restore lost credibility Polls showtheir favorability is at amodern low(27% according to an NBC News poll). Democrats lack aroad mapand are clueless aboutwhattodotowin over voters, especially young male voters who votedheavily for Trump.

Some ideas for restoring the party are laughable.There have been suggestions thatDemocratsstart attending NASCAR races andUFC fights, even become familiar with video games to attract young men. I haven’thearda suggestion that they attend conservative churches. Maybe that’sasking toomuchfromaparty known as being more secularthanreligious, but it might do them andtheir party some good Unless theyare sincere in their contrition, theymight come off as condescending, and it could producethe opposite effect. Theyneed to say, andmean, they were wrong aboutcovering up President Joe Biden’sdecline andwrong about some of their ownpolicies, which might include an open border, transgender athletes in women’s sports, ever-higher taxes and unending spending.

Favoring some restrictions on abortion andschool choice are polling well, yettoo many Democrats arestuckintheir oldand absolutist positions. It also might help if instead of promoting youngerDemocratswho might share the same ideas as their older brethren, theytry to understand the appeal of these andotherissues. They might also considerhaving lengthy conversations with Republicanconservatives. People in Washingtonthese days seem to know each other only by labels.

Democrats were once seen as strong on nationaldefense.Theywereanti-communist andpro-American.Names like JohnF Kennedy andSen.Henry “Scoop” Jackson, D-Wash., come to mind. So does retiredSen SamNunn, D-Ga

Theyand others like them were reasonable menwho spent more time attacking America’senemiesand promoting the general welfare thancriticizing their own party members. Their kind have been expunged from the party like formerSovietdictators who stood atop Lenin’stomband watched amilitary parade pass by,but were later erased from photographs when theyfellout of favor

Today’sDemocrats probably would not embrace the policies of those Democrats of yesteryear,orwantthem in today’sDemocratic Party

I’m not expecting Democrats to follow my advice, but at least Itried. Astrong twoparty systemisgoodfor the country,but we can’t have thatequality when voters compare Republicans to lions while Democrats areviewedassloths.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub. com.

Cal Thomas

Michael Barone

Faimon Roberts

Johnson

BatonRouge officerhit by vehicle

agencies found Black’svehicle in the Monticello subdivision andapprehended him near the8400 block of Airline Highway about 12:30 p.m.

he added. Black hasalengthyhistory of arrests, including incidentsinvolving violence against police officers.

oldson in the front passenger seat.Morse described thechild in apolice report as “shaken, scared and suffering.”

FuneralsToday

Black III, William Martin &Castille Downtown at 11am

Obituaries

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

Authorities on Monday arrestedaman accusedof intentionally ramminga Baton Rouge policemotorcycle, badlyinjuring the officer

Sgt. Caleb Eisworth was in critical conditionMonday afternoon after undergoing surgery,authorities said.

Sheriff’s deputies booked Gad Black, 41, of Baton Rouge, with attempted firstdegree murder of apolice officer

Someone using the name Gad Black posted on social media minutes after the crash Monday: “Check Him OutOnJoorRd. Stretched One.” The crash occurred on Joor Road near Prescott Roadabout 11 a.m.Monday.

Police said Blackfollowed the officer for ashort distance before striking Eisworth with his pickup.

Sheriff’s deputiesand other law enforcement

RISHER

Continued from page1B

the nickname “Fredrico Suave.”

“He’sthe reason Idon’t trim celery.Ijust throw the whole thing in the stew,” Simonson said. “He walks with me in ways I don’teven know.”

Jim Engster,who goes to Louie’smost every day,told astory about Frenchie giving him a

Eisworth hasbeen with the Baton RougePolice Department for 23 years, joining the motorcycle division in 2008. He has received multiple awards for heroisminthe line ofduty including the Medal of Valor— thehighest honor bestowed by the PoliceDepartment.

Police Chief T.J. Morse saidthe department is rallying around Eisworth.

“Making it home after each shift is what Ipray over every one of my officers each day,” Morse said. “I’m asking everyone to join me in that prayer now Let’sfervently pray Officer Eisworthback home tohis loved ones.”

East Baton Rouge Parish

Mayor-President Sid Edwards said he’spraying for theofficer and the department

“Today’sincident is a sobering reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face everyday in the line of duty toprotect andserveour community,”

Black was arrested for trying to ramBatonRouge police vehicles during a Fourth of Julychase in 2014 involving Morse, who was an officer at the time.

Black led officers on a high-speed chaseafter Morse attempted to pull him over for careless driving on Florida Boulevard, according to records. Black droveonthe wrongsideof the road,struck avehicle and tried to hit two marked policecars—all while hanging outofhis window making obscene gestures at officers— before crashing intoanother truck, police alleged.

Afterpolicedeployed spikestrips to disable the truck, Black got out, assaulteda police dogand punched an officer in the face.

On Monday, Morse said he and his K-9 dog Tag chased and caught Black on foot. Thechief saidBlack punched Tagseveral times during thestruggle.

After thepursuit, police discovered Black’s9-year-

In 2016, Blackpleaded guilty to aggravated flight from an officer in adeal with prosecutors. After spending about twoyears in jail, he was placed on probation.

Blackwas also charged withattemptedburglary and flight from an officer in 2003, andin2006 with possession of afirearm as a convicted felon.

Monday’sincident is beinginvestigatedbythe East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office.

“This was adeliberate andcowardly attack on an officer —one of ourcommunity’sprotectors —and it strikes at theveryheart of public safety,”Sheriff Sid Gautreauxsaid in a statement. “Sgt. Eisworth is adedicated public servant who has spent over two decades protecting this city,and he wastargeted while simply doing his job.”

Staff writer Patrick Sloan-Turner contributed to this story

said.

Aspirit like Frenchie’s doesn’tcome alongoften —and when it does,it doesn’tjustvanish. Frenchie is still showing up. He’sthereinthe stories. He’sthereinthe laughter.He’stherewhen thekitchen is humming and the place is full. When atray crashes to the floor, it’s Frenchie’sspirit that says, “Wedon’thave to wash that one, boys,” as theline cook, without missing abeat, starts pre-

Murtagh, Carolyn CarolynMurtagh,90, passedawayonFriday, June 13, 2025, after avery brief illnesstorejoinher husband Jimmyontheir 66thwedding anniversary. She wassurrounded by her six children.Carolyn was borninKingsville, Texas, onApril 24, 1935, and raisedinPortAllen, Louisiana.She proudly supported herhusband through medicalschool and histimeinthe Air Force.After her firststint asa military wife,Carolyn settled with JimmyinMor‐gan City to raisetheir six children. Hergreatestvo‐cations were wife,mother, grandmother andgreatgrandmother.She was happiestwhenfamilyand friends gathered together filled with love andlaugh‐ter.Sundaydinnerofroast, riceand gravywas afamily standardritual. Shewillbe mostrememberedfor her devoutfaith anddevotion tofamily, hersmile and contagiouslaugh.Justone short monthbeforeher passing,Carolyn wasstill livinganactive, indepen‐dentlifeinBaton Rouge watchingthe LSUTigers maketheir waytothe Col‐legeWorld Series.She is survivedbylovingchildren Nannette (JohnnyMorgan), Yvette,Tobin (Michelle Ar‐cidiacono), Bobette (Joel Robideaux), Albin(Kristi) and Mynette (Jimmy Mann);grandchildren, Zachary Morgan,Christian Roubique,SydneyTorres,

Symone Goodman(Garret), ThomasTorres, Lauren Ar‐cidiacono,Anthony Arcidi‐acono,Dylan (Rachael)Ro‐bideaux,Brennan (Corinne)Robideaux,Luke (Katelyn) Robideaux, Mason Murtaghand Elouise Randall; five greatgrandchildren andone on the way. Carolynispre‐ceded in deathbyher lov‐ing husband, James Jimmy” Murtagh, MD,and her parents, Carroll Shorty”Carrowand Alma Sikes Carrow.The family gives specialthanksto Heart of HospiceLafayette and loving caregivers Lacey Meyers andCrystal Richard.Inlieuof flowers, donations canbemadeto HolyFamilyChurch in Port Allen,SacredHeart Church inBaton Rouge, St.Jude Children’sHospitalora charity of your choice.A celebration of herlifewill beonSaturday, June 21, 2025, at St.Johnthe Baptist Catholic Church in Brusly The familywillwelcome friends from 8to10a.m followedbyMassofChrist‐ian Burial celebrated by Rev.Jerry Martin anden‐tombmentinthe St.John the BaptistCatholicChurch Mausoleum.Pleaseshare memoriesatwww.wilbert services.com.

SPORTS

PROVIDED PHOTO

GOOD SIGNS

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

The new UL men’sbasketballroster andcoaching staff have beenworking together for abouta week in summer workouts, but apparently that’senough time for some to get even more excited about the effect new head coach Quannas White will have on theprogram

“It’ssuper exciting,man,”6-foot-7 freshman wing Joshua Lewis said of his first impression. “They always say that being the underdog is the best. Ifeel like we’ve got something great brewing here. These last two daysoftraining camp, this is the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life

“I’ve been talkingtoall theguys, and they’ve beensayingthe same thing.Ifeel like coach Qisjust going to squeeze the greatness out of us. We have no option but to get better.”

Aftergoing throughindividualdrills

BY ERIC OLSON AP sports writer

OMAHA, Neb Gage Wood of Arkansas pitched the third nohitter in College World Series history and first in 65 years Monday, striking outa record19and never letting Murray State come close to getting ahit in the Razorbacks’ 3-0 victory

Wood joined Jim Ehrlerof Texas in 1950 and Jim Wixson of Oklahoma State in 1960 as the onlypitchers to throw CWS nohitters, and his defensenever was challenged as he dominated aRacers team that was making its first Omaha appearance. The junior right-hander, who set the CWS record for strike-

anda few day of team workouts last week, White pickedupsome encouraging first impressions as well.

“What Ilike most about this team is the character of this team,” White said.“All of these guys are bought in.Theywantto be goodand they want to learn. Ican say that about every guy on this team

“I like what Dorian (Finister)has been doing withhis intensityand how hard he’s been competing, and Joshua Lewis Ican say the same.”

Despite the positive vibes, last week wasn’ta pleasure cruise,which was kind of the point.

“It’snew to them,” Whitesaid.“They’ve never been through what I’m putting them through, andthat’sgoingtohelpus in the end.”

White’s expectations for his backcourt are extremely high.

“I’m teaching these guys the difference betweenplaying hard and competing,”

outs in anine-inninggame, was subdued in the aftermath.

“The onlyspecialthing was I didn’twant to go home. That’sit,” he said. “We’re not going home. We gettoplaytomorrow night But it’spretty cool.”

Arkansas (49-14) plays another elimination game Tuesday night against the loser of Monday night’sgamebetween LSU and UCLA.

Murray State (44-17), only the fourth No.4 regionalseedsince 1999 to reach Omaha, went0-2 in its first appearance.

Wood’s bidfor aperfect game ended in the eighth when his 2-2 breaking ball hit DomDecker in

White said. “Some of them arenot playing as hard as Iwould like. My eye lens is different, but I’ve got to teach them how to compete. That’s what we did at Houston Those guys got agreat understanding of howhard you’ve gottoplay —the difference between playing hard and competing.”

While he appreciates thenew recruits being“good kids,” White also wantsto make them mean when necessary “All of these guys are good kids, butI need them to turn into gorillas,” White said. “That’swhatI’m looking for. They’ve been receptive to what I’ve been teaching them. Those guys (transfers De’Vion Lavergne and Karris Bilal) have areally good chance of scoring alot of baskets.

“Offensively,they’re both gifted and now it’sgetting them to understand, don’t just be good on theoffensive end. Be just

ä See UL HOOPS, page 3C

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

OMAHA, Neb SinceLSU waslast in Omaha forthe College World Series, a lot hasn’tchanged.

Charles Schwab Field is still the home for the games. Blatt Beer and Table across the street from the park is as busy as ever.The fan fest beyond center field is still host to awidevariety of activities, merchandise and food vendors.

For LSU fans, adesire to dominate the Jell-O shot challenge at Rocco’sPizza and Cantina is also no different than it was two years ago when they purchased arecord-breaking 68,888 shots.

“I think they knewtheywere coming forthe record,but it waskindofanew andinteresting thingtothem,”Rocco’s manager Pat McEvoysaid. “Ittook a couple days to catch on and because they weren’tused to the Jell-O shot challenge, and now they came into Omaha fully ready to go for that record.”

LSU fans’ desire to break their own mark persistsasthey’ve acquired13,789 Jell-O shots as of 12:14 p.m.onMonday, and had secured10,127 shots by thetime LSU haddefeated ArkansasonSaturday. JottShots

For the past two years, the gelatin shotmaking company JEVO had been the Jell-O shotvendorfor Rocco’sduring the College World Series. JEVO produced its shots through itspatented shot-making machines —similar in style and structure to Keurig Coffee machines —to help mass produce the shots.

Anew vendor has stepped up to the plate in its place this year —JottShots.

JottShots is aCalifornia-based company that specializes in providing Jell-O shots that are easy to consumethanks to its patented push-up cup.

“Weset about to makea Jell-O shot that had all of the benefits of aJell-O shot without all the pain parts,” Dorian Levy, thefounderand CEO of JottShots, said, “making them, sticking them in afridge digging it up (and) putting your fingerin the drink.”

Underneath every JottShot chalice is asmall plasticbubble bulging fromthe bottom. Before consuming ashot, customers must push the bubble inward before lightly pinching the cup and consuming the Jell-O.

“Wesay,pull, push, squeeze and suck,” Levy said. “Please suck responsibly.”

Unlikemost Jell-O shots, JottShots use aplant-based gum instead of gelatin for its goo. The gum helps the shots maintain their form in warmer temperatures, meaning they don’thavetoberefrigerated.

JottsShotswon’t lose theirformuntil placed in 90-95 degree temperatures.

JottShots delivered120,000 shots to Omaha on Monday,and the company is preparedtosendmoreifnecessary. Each shotcomes with aplastic cover, helping to minimize messes and allowing consumers to take shots on the go.

“You cancarry it out of abar just like you could agrocery store,” McEvoy said, “so long as it’ssealed.”

So far, McEvoy has been pleased with Rocco’spartnership with JottShots. Before JottShots offered its services, Rocco’swas prepared to nothaveavendor and make its own shots.

“It’sawesome because we had120,000 (shots) ready for us,” McEvoy said. “We don’thavetoworryabout making them overnight or something breaking, or something freezing, or something not setting or the mess.”

UL basketball coach Quannas White directshis players during the first team drills of the summersession last week

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHRIS MACHIAN Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood celebrates after striking out the final MurrayState batter in the

Series game in Omaha, Neb., on Monday.

Sprained foot lands Astros pitcher McCullers on IL

WEST SACRAMENTO,Calif.— The Houston Astros placed right-hander Lance McCullers on the 15-day injured list with a sprained right foot ahead of his scheduled start against the Athletics.

The move, which is retroactive to Friday, comes after McCullers made seven starts this year in his return after missing two full seasons with arm injuries. Rookie right-hander Ryan Gusto was to start in his place Monday as the AL West-leading Astros open a fourgame series against the Athletics. McCullers is 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA this season. He allowed four hits and four runs while striking out six in five innings of a 4-2 loss to the White Sox on Tuesday The Astros recalled right-hander Jason Alexander from Triple-A Sugar Land to take his spot on the roster

Shelton gives U.S. 3 men in ATP rankings’ top 10

LONDON Ben Shelton has jumped two spots to No. 10 in the ATP rankings and joins No. 4 Taylor Fritz and No. 8 Tommy Paul to give the United States three men in the top 10 for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Andy Roddick was No. 4, James Blake was No. 7 and Andre Agassi was No. 10 in April 2006. There are four American women in the WTA’s top 10 again this week: No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Madison Keys and No. 9 Emma Navarro. Aryna Sabalenka remains at No. 1. Tatjana Maria, a 37-year-old German, rose 43 spots to No. 43 on Monday by winning the Queen’s Club title as a qualifier

Edmonton at Florida, 7 P.M.TUESDAy TNT

gistics of families getting to town to thinking about the order of passing the big silver chalice around on the ice.

especially the last few, so we know this is the type of game we have to play.”

BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP hockey writer

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The banner commemorating the first Stanley Cup title in Florida Panthers history had not been raised to the rafters yet when a newcomer realized just what it was like to join the champions on a title defense

It was their final exhibition game in Quebec City in early October after a high-intensity training camp, and the focus was already there.

“Last preseason game, usually guys are taking it a little easier, getting ready for the season, play some soccer, have a coffee, get on the ice,” A.J. Greer recalled Monday “There were 22 guys working out — full workouts before the game. It’s like we didn’t even have

a game. Guys were doing power lifting, guys were doing lowerbody, upper-body, bike sprints before the game and I’m thinking to myself, ‘They’re dialed in here.’ ”

And that was before the real hockey started. Now, more than 250 days later the Panthers are one win away from repeating as champions, and the Stanley Cup will be in the building with their chance to extend its stay in Florida if they beat the Edmonton Oilers in Game

6 of the final on home ice Tuesday

“It’s business as usual,” top-line winger Sam Reinhart said. “We’re obviously excited about the position we’re in. You put all the work to be playing at this time of year, so we’re excited.”

They also know what to expect this time around. Florida lost its first opportunity to close out Edmonton after going up 3-0 in the final last year, then let the next two slip away before finally getting the job done in Game 7

Everything was new then, from handling the butterflies and the lo-

“There’s a whole bunch of stuff you have to go through the first time and then there’s all these superstitions — you don’t want to talk about it, you want to talk about it well, there are things you have to talk about,” coach Paul Maurice said. “All of that stuff got dealt with last year when we went through it for the first time. Now, just get ready for the hockey game. It’s a different set of emotions for us.”

This final has unfolded differently with the teams being tied after two games and then again through four The Panthers jumped all over the Oilers to win Game 5 in Edmonton on Saturday night to set the stage to clinch.

That was utter domination, and, unlike last year, their first chance to hoist the Cup comes in front of home fans in Sunrise.

“We’re just excited to be back home, and we’re excited to hopefully keep that going after last game,” winger Matthew Tkachuk said. “We think we’ve played pretty good hockey over this whole series, in the whole playoffs, but

Florida is looking to become just the third team to go back to back since the NHL’s salary cap era began in 2005, joining the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and ‘21 and the Pittsburgh Penguins in ’16 and ‘17.

Just 18 have done it altogether

‘Dialed in’ from October Panthers are one win away from repeating as champions

The Panthers are favored on BetMGM Sportsbook to take Game 6. After laying an egg and getting pushed to the brink of elimination, the Oilers are hoping to drag the series back to Edmonton for Game 7 on Friday night.

“For whatever reason, our group doesn’t like to make it easy on ourselves,” Oilers captain and coplayoff leading scorer Connor McDavid said.

“We’ve put ourselves in another difficult spot, and it’s our job to work our way out of it.”

The Panthers would love to make this the 31st consecutive season it is won by a team in the U.S. They have played a lot of games over the past three years and trips to the final, but the chance to lift the trophy is enough to push off that fatigue for at least one more game and two at most.

TV man Daniels showed love for games

BY LES EAST

writer

Contributing

This is an entry in a profile series of inductees for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025

The induction ceremony is set for June 28 in Natchitoches.

Ed Daniels wasn’t a Hall of Fame athlete, coach or administrator

He might as well have been all three. He had the discipline and competitive nature of Hall of Fame athletes, the game-planning and people skills of a Hall of Fame coach and the organizational and talent-evaluation skills of Hall of Fame administrators.

On top of that, he was a heck of a teammate.

Daniels applied all of those abilities in building a distinguished broadcasting career that earned him posthumous inclusion in this year’s Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame induction class as a recipient of the LSWA’s distinguished service award in sports journalism.

The native of New Orleans who graduated from Rummel High School and Loyola University began his 47-year broadcasting ca-

LOUISIANA

SPORTS

reer as a sports intern at WVUETV in New Orleans in 1977.

He once said, “My career goal was always to work in my hometown.” With the exception of a stint as sports director at KPLCTV in Lake Charles (1980-81), he did just that. He worked as a sports reporter and weekend anchor at WDSU and as sports director at WGNO from 1992 until his death on Aug. 16 at age 67.

The WGNO station manager broached the idea of producing a half-hour NFL program Daniels had a less obvious but more astute idea.

“Let’s do a high school football show,” Daniels told the station manager “Let’s do something that’s completely local, that no one else is doing that people will respond to.”

After “this big debate” took place within the station, the trend-setting “Friday Night Football” debuted in 1992, became an instant hit and coverage of prep football in Louisiana hasn’t been the same since.

Robert O’Shields was Daniels’ photographer and right-hand man for “Friday Night Football.”

“When one episode of the ‘Friday Night Football’ show was

HALL OF FAME

done, Ed was already looking at the next week right after the show,” O’Shields said. “He was already looking at what was going to be the big matchups for the next week.”

As O’Shields would drive the two to cover an LSU or Tulane game the next day, Daniels would be on the phone with high school coaches, preparing previews about their upcoming games, lining up feature stories for the week, and gathering the name of candidates to be player of the week and scholar-athlete of the week. The success of the show eventually led to it becoming a one-hour program.

Daniels was named Louisiana Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association for 1997, 2014 and 2018. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Press Club of New Orleans in 2014. The distance from New Orleans to Baton Rouge didn’t prevent Daniels from treating LSU’s nationally prominent athletic programs as though they were in his backyard. Similarly, the lack of national prominence of the programs in his backyard didn’t

prevent him from treating them as though they were nationally prominent.

If you were an athlete, coach or team whose story deserved to be told, Daniels was going to find you and tell your story whether it was at a playground or at a high school outside of the immediate New Orleans area.

Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame broadcaster Ro Brown met up with Daniels at Loyola and worked with him in a variety of places.

“He liked the purity of prep sports,” Brown said. “It was still a game where it wasn’t the elite athlete. He liked the idea of the 160-pound nose guard, the kid just playing hard, never gonna play in college, but he’s an allstate lineman. He liked the community of it, the connection that you had with people that you don’t necessarily feel as closely with professional or collegiate sports.

“He liked the high school coaches. They were normal, ordinary people who did extraordinary things. Most of them didn’t have this air about them, didn’t act like the professional coaches. You could talk to them. You saw them in the store You saw them at the Mardi Gras parade I think that’s why he liked prep sports. It was just fun to cover.”

The 22-year-old Shelton is only in his third full season on tour

Nationals call up rookie third baseman House WASHINGTON — Third baseman Brady House was promoted by the Washington Nationals from TripleA Rochester on Monday, the club’s latest rookie to get a look at the big league level this season. In other moves before opening a series against the worst-in-themajors Colorado Rockies, the Nationals recalled outfielder Daylen Lile from Rochester optioned outfielder Robert Hassell and infielder José Tena to the Triple-A club, and designated infielder Juan Yepez for assignment. Washington entered Monday on an eight-game losing streak and with a 30-41 record. The 22-year-old House was the 11th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft.

British wild card upsets Tiafoe at Queen’s Club

LONDON British wild card Dan Evans upset world No. 13 Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 6-2 on Monday for his first win at Queen’s Club since 2021.

Backhand slices and quick net reflexes underpinned No. 199 Evans’ second ever top-20 win on grass. The first was at 2019 Wimbledon. Other first-round winners included fourth-seeded Holger Rune and eighth-seeded Jakub Mensik on his Queen’s debut. The 19-yearold Czech hit 20 aces while beating former finalist Cameron Norrie 7-6 (6), 1-6, 6-1. Mensik next faces Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, a threeset comeback winner over Nuno Borges of Portugal, while Rune lined up Mackenzie McDonald of the U.S., who ousted Gael Monfils of France 6-4, 6-4.

Storm signs free agent forward to active roster

SEATTLE The Seattle Storm announced Monday morning they signed free agent forward Mackenzie Holmes to their active roster Holmes, 24, fills an open spot on the roster that was created on Saturday when center Li Yueru was traded to the Dallas Wings for two future draft picks. Last year the Storm selected Holmes with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, but she missed the entire season due to knee surgery In February, the Storm signed Holmes to a rookie contract, but she was waived during the preseason. Holmes scored nine points on 80% shooting and recorded eight rebounds and

Daniels

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NATHAN DENETTE

The Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk, center, celebrates after his goal against the Edmonton Oilers with Sam Reinhart, left, and Aleksander Barkov during the first period of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final series on Thursday in Sunrise, Fla.

UL softball adds infielder from LSU

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

The UL softball roster got alittle deeper over the weekendwiththe addition of former LSUinfielder Madyson Manning. Manning played two seasonsfor the Tigers as areserve infielder. As afreshman, shebatted.320 in 25 at-bats with one double, three RBIs, six walks and sixstrikeouts. This past season, Manning batted .231 with two RBIs, one strikeout and no walks in 13 at-bats

The West Monroe product joins former Alabama infielder Kennedy Marceaux as UL’s two transfer portal additions since the end of the spring season, but at least two

LSU

Continued from page1C

World-famous room

When LSU was last in Omaha, shotsatRocco’s couldbepurchased in the back-left corner of the restaurant. Nowthe shots can beacquired only in aback roomthatin 2023 was designated forprivate parties.

The newly branded “World Famous Jell-O Shot Room” has provided more space for customersand has kept therestaurant cleaner

“In the early days of this, we were behind the bar and we were trying to serve drinks and Jell-O at thesame place. It just was really,reallymessy,” McEvoy said. “And so it got to the point where we built a17-foot bar in 2023 the last time LSU was here —and we realized that split theroom in half because so many people are in line, you couldn’teven get to the bathroom and thingslike that.” The clutter associated with the

more newcomers areexpected. TheCajuns lost thirdbaseman SamRoe tograduation but are expecting Cecilia Vasquez,Mia Liscano,BrookeOttoand Marceaux to be in the mix for starting infield spots nextseason It appeared the Cajuns weren’t going to lose anytop contributors from ayear agotothe transfer portal until pitcher MalloryWheeler enteredthe transfer portallast week,creating aneed for another arm on the roster TheCajuns are coming offa 2925 season in coach AlysonHabetz’s first season.

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com

old setup inspired McEvoy and Culjat to construct a22-foot bar in the party room and open it up to the public

“Theplayers’ families wanted kind of aseparateplace. Andthen some of the donors wanted abig place. So we could get Brian Kelly and Joe Burrow and everybody in here that they wantedtobring in, McEvoysaid. “Anditwas really cool, butitgot to the point where we needthat space to serveeveryone that wantstocome in.”

Thelackofa party room hasn’t stopped LSU celebrities from visiting Rocco’s.FormerLSU gymnast andsocial mediastarOlivia Dunneand Raising Cane’sowner Todd Graves visitedthe restaurant before Saturday’sgamefor Jell-O shots.

“They’ll still be here. We’ll still seeour friends,” McEvoy said. “They’re going to make it up. And yeah,(ShaneMorrison) and Graves and Gordon (McKernan) andeverybody,we’vealready heard from them.”

Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.

finish the game.

his back foot.

“When Ihit the guy in the foot, IknewI screwed up,” said Wood, whogot afoulout andconsecutive strikeouts to end the inning, then lookedskyward and gaveaprimal scream and did acouple of high steps as he headed to the dugout. Wood (4-1) hit pinch-hitter Nico Bermeo in the back of his left elbow with afastball to start the ninth. Bermeo initially was awarded first base,but Arkansas challenged the call, arguing Bermeo moved his elbow into the pitch. The call wasoverturned and Bermeo was out.

Wood struck out Connor Cunningham andJonathan Hogart to

UL HOOPS

Continued from page1C

as goodonthe defensive end. They can turn into some of the best twoway guards in the country,both of them.” North Dakota transfer Dariyus

Spaunturns free fall into amajor accomplishment

BY EDDIE PELLS AP national writer

OAKMONT,Pa. Golfers don’tback their way into aU.S. Open title.

J.J. Spaun wasn’t abouttobethe first to say he did.

On aday built for umbrellas, ponchosand industrial-sized squeegees,Spaun reversed his own free fall, took advantage of severalothers’ woes and hit two shots that turned him intoa major champion whilecreating amoment to remember at the rain-soakedbrute calledOakmont.

“I just tried to dig deep,” said the34-year-old Californian who can now call himself amajor champion.“I’vebeen doing it my whole life.”

The shotsthat will go down in history arethe drive he hit on thereachable par-4 17th, and the 65-foot putt he sank with thesun going down and the rainfalling on 18.

The first setupabirdie that puthim in theleadbyhimself for good. The second wasfor emphasis —heneeded only a two-putt, after all—that ensuredthisU.S. Open would finish with only one playerunderpar

The65-footer —the longest of any putt made all tournament —closedout aback-nine32and left Spaun at 1-under 279 for the tournament. His 72 was the highest closing-round score for aU.S. Open winner in 15 years.

But that wasn’tSunday’stakeaway Rather,itwas the 401.5 feet worth of putts the champion madeover four days. And the fact thatSpaun joined BenHogan, Jack Nicklaus,Tom Watson and Jon Rahm as the fifth U.S. Open winner to finish birdiebirdie

“I justfeltlike youkeepputting yourself in these positions, like eventually you’re going to tick oneoff,” said Spaun, whose lossinaplayoff to Rory McIlroy three monthsago at The Players

Championship washis third topthree finish of 2025. But at theU.S.Open? In that kind of weather?

Noneofitseemed possible when the rain started coming down during the tail end of a front-nine 40 thattook Spaun from one shot back at the start of the day to four behind and fading fast.

Coaches toldhim, “Dude, just chill,” and Spaun did A1-hour,37-minuteraindelayensued. It wasa breakthat changed everything.

“They just said: ‘Just let it come to you, be calm. Stop trying so hard,’ “Spaun said. Staying calmresultedinmaking adownhill 40-footer on the par-5 12th forbirdie, then a22foot birdie on 14 to take the lead by himself forthe first time, at even par Everywhere else, there were meltdowns in the rain.

Third-round leader Sam Burns thinnedashot out of adivot and over the 11th green en route to thefirst of two back-ninedouble bogeys. He shot 40 on the back and finished tiedfor seventh.

Adam Scott, theonly major champion in the top 10 after Sat-

urday’splay,shot 41 in the rain on the back nine and dropped to 12th.

“I didn’tadapt to those conditions well enough,” Scott said Tyrrell Hatton, who shot 72, threatened andwas part of a brief five-waydeadlockfor the lead before making bogeyon thelasttwo holes to finish tied for fourth.

Robert MacIntyre turnedout to be Spaun’smost persistent challenger.The left-hander from Scotland whoplayed at McNeese State faded his drive just short of the green on the way to birdie on 17 to getto1 over andset thetargetfor Spaun, who wasplaying three groups behind.

MacIntyre waswaiting in the locker room when Spaun hit his approach on 18 to 65 feet. Everyone knew it was no sure two-putt. Hardly anyone expected Spaun to getdowninone “Towatch him hole the putt on 12 down the hill there was unreal,” said Viktor Hovland, who played in the twosome with Spaun. “And then he makes another one on 14 that was straight down the hill. And then the one on 18, it’s just absolutely filthy there.”

“Thedudewas electric tonight,” Hogart said. Wood was mobbed by teammates, with thecelebration moving from behind the mound to the area between second and third base.

“Gagewas justexecuting pitch afterpitch, getting ahead in the countand elevatinghis fastball in and out. Whata greatjob,” Arkansascoach Dave VanHorn said.

“The few plays we hadtomakebehind him —maybe nine,eight? just glad we made allthose plays.”

Wood,a projected first-round pickinnext month’sMLB amateur draft, went tothree-ball counts just twice, and 83 of his119 pitches were strikes.

“I thinkGage Wood madehimself some money today.Holy cow,” Racers coach Dan Skirka said.

Woodson,a 6-7 senior perimeter player,also has caught White’seye.

“Thefrontcourt, we’ve got length and athleticismand we’vegot guys who can stretchthe floor,” White said. “Sean (Elkinton)and Dariyus all can shoot. I’ve been really pleased with Dariyus —his leadership, his intensity,his effort. For a frontcourt guy,he’sbeen the most

The closest MurrayState came to breaking up Wood’sno-hitter was Carson Garner’shot grounderthat pulled first baseman Reese Robinett to his left.Robinett snagged theball and touched the bag for the last outofthe seventh inning. Wood showedearlysigns that this could be aspecial day. He had excellent command of his signa-

consistent outofall of them. That’s impressive andthathelps.”

The three returners —Zeke Cook, Kyran Ratliff and Jeremiah Evans —also have madegood impressions, although Evansishamperedbya minorinjury

“Zeke Cook hasbeen good,” White said. “I’mreally pleased with Kyra. I’m notsure he’s played

ture four-seam fastball, breaking ball and changeup. Of his first 20 fastballs, 19 were strikes, andhe fannednine of thefirst 12 batters he faced —seven in arow fromthe third to fifth innings. Wood hasgonefromcloser as a freshman to middle reliever as a sophomore to weekend starter as a junior.Heinjuredhis right shoulder throwing awarmup pitch in his Feb. 23 start against Michigan and didn’treturn until April 18 against Texas A&M, atotal of 54 days.He went into Monday’sgamehaving thrown just 282/3 innings this season. He threw acareer-long sixinnings andstruckout acareer-high 13 against Creighton in aJune 1 regional game against Creighton, then went 31/3 innings in asuper regional win over Tennessee on June 8.

as hard as he’sbeenplaying these lastthreedays, and I’m pleased with him. He’s just gottocontinue to come. Zeke’s been good,the efforthas been good.Hejust hasto be consistent. Jeremiahisout right now. Looking forward to him coming back.” Though it’searly,it’sstill an encouraging start.

“I think forhim to do that and just be able to catch the last ball, give him abig hug, it wasawesome,” Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick said. “I think everybody was really fired up for him. The main thing is we’re still here and we’re still playing.” The Razorbacks broke open the game after Graham Kelham relievedIsaac Silvatostart the seventh. SEC player of the year Wehiwa Aloy doubled in arun and another scored whenright fielder Dustin Mercer tried to make a shoestring catch on Logan Maxwell’sshallow fly and the ball got under his glove. Silva(9-3) kept histeamclose in his six innings, with Charles Davalan’sthird-inning RBI single producing theonly run against him. He allowedsix hits, walked two and struck out seven.

“I like our guards and like our team,” Whitesaid. “These three days have been agood three days. You’re not going to get to where you want to go in three days, and I understand that. It’sa process, but we’ve got agood group.”

EmailKevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU supporters takesomeofthe 50 Jell-O shots theypurchased at Rocco’sasfans convergeonthe area surrounding Charles Schwab Field on Saturdaybefore LSUcompetes against Arkansas in the CollegeWorld Series in Omaha, Neb

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByCAROLyN KASTER

J.J. Spaun celebrates with the trophyafter winning the U.S. Open at Oakmont CountryClubonSundayinOakmont, Pa

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Former LSU third baseman Madyson Manning is comingtothe UL Ragin’ Cajuns viathe transfer portal

points leaders Through June15 1. William Byron, 604. 2. Kyle Larson,537. 3. Christopher Bell, 524. 4. Chase Elliott, 500. 5. DennyHamlin,494.

6. Tyler Reddick, 477. 7. Ryan Blaney,466. 8. Ross Chastain, 443. 9. Joey Logano, 411. 10. BubbaWallace, 411. 11. Chase Briscoe, 393. 12. Alex Bowman, 376. 13. ChrisBuescher,373. 14. Ryan Preece, 354. 15. Austin Cindric, 337. 16. Michael McDowell, 330. 17. AJ Allmendinger, 328. 18. Kyle Busch,323. 19. JoshBerry,320 20. CarsonHocevar,313. 21. Ricky StenhouseJr, 312. 22. ErikJones,311. 23. John H. Nemechek, 301. 24. Ty Gibbs, 296. 25. Zane Smith, 287. 26. Todd Gilliland, 286. 27. Austin Dillon, 284. 28. Daniel Suárez, 274. 29. JustinHaley,247. 30. Shane VanGisbergen, 242.

31. Ty Dillon, 236. 32. Brad Keselowski, 233. 33. Noah Gragson, 231. 34. Cole Custer, 204. 35. RileyHerbst, 196. 36. Cody Ware,101. 37. Jimmie Johnson, 35. 38. Katherine Legge, 12. 39. CoreyLaJoie, 5. 40. Derek Kraus, 5. 41. Chad Finchum, 3. 42. Casey Mears, 2. 43. BurtMyers, 1. 44. Martin Truex Jr, 1. NASCAR Xfinity rookie standings Through June 15

1. Connor Zilisch, 430. 2. CarsonKvapil,409. 3. Taylor Gray,374. 4. Nicholas Sanchez, 359. 5. Daniel Dye, 330. 6. Dean Thompson, 315. 7. Christian Eckes, 310. 8. William Sawalich, 227. NASCAR Cup Series Laps in

Through June 15

TylerReddick

William Byron77.2

3. ChristopherBell70.9

4. DennyHamlin

5. Ryan Blaney

ChaseElliott

8. JoeyLogano

9. BubbaWallace

10. Ross Chastain

Formula One Pointsleaders Through June 15 1. Oscar Piastri, 198. 2. Lando Norris,176. 3. Max Verstappen, 155. 4. George Russell, 136. 5. Charles Leclerc, 104. 6. Lewis Hamilton, 79 7. Andrea Kimi Antonelli,63. 8. Alexander Albon, 42 9. Esteban Ocon, 22 10. Isack Hadjar,21. 11. Nico Hulkenberg, 20. 12. Lance Stroll, 14 13. CarlosSainz Jr 13 14. PierreGasly,11. 15. Yuki Tsunoda, 10. 16. Fernando Alonso, 8. 17. Oliver Bearman, 6. 18. Liam Lawson, 4. 19. Gabriel Bortoleto, 0. 20. Franco Colapinto, 0. 21. Jack Doohan, 0. IndyCar Pointsleaders Through June 15

1. Alex Palou, 335 2. Pato O’Ward, 262. 3. Kyle Kirkwood, 260. 4. Christian Lundgaard, 221. 5. Scott Dixon, 206. 6. Felix Rosenqvist,190. 7. Will Power, 181.

8. Scott McLaughlin, 171. 9. Colton Herta,170. 10. MarcusArmstrong, 153. 11. Santino Ferrucci, 149. 12. DavidMalukas,147. 13. Alexander Rossi, 144. 14. Christian Rasmussen, 138. 15. Rinus VeeKay,137. 16. Josef Newgarden, 132. 17. Conor Daly,125. 18. Graham Rahal, 123. 19. MarcusEricsson, 114. 20. Kyffin Simpson, 112. 21. Nolan Siegel, 104. 22. RobertShwartzman, 99. 23. Sting RayRobb, 88. 24. Louis Foster, 81. 25. Devlin DeFrancesco,78. 26. Callum Ilott, 63. 27. JacobAbel, 49. 28. Takuma Sato, 36. 29. Helio Castroneves, 20. 30. Ed Carpenter, 16. 31. Jack Harvey, 12. 32. Ryan Hunter-Reay, 10. 33. Kyle Larson, 6. 34. Marco Andretti,5 Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES —Recalled RHP Colin SelbyfromNorfolk(IL).PlacedLHP Cade Povichonthe 15-dayIL. DETROIT TIGERS —Claimed RHP Carlos Hernandez off waiversfromPhiladelphia. NEW YORK YANKEES —Returned DH/OF Giancarlo Stanton from hisrehab assignment and reinstatedhim from the 60-day IL. DesignatedINF/OFPabloReyes for assignment. TAMPABAY RAYS —OptionedRHP Mason Englert to Durham (IL) National League ATLANTABRAVES —ReinstatedRFStuart Fairchild from the 10-dayILand SS Nacho Alvarez Jr.fromthe 60-dayIL. DesignatedLF Jose Azocar for assignment. PITTSBURGH PIRATES—Reinstated RHP Dauri Moreta from the 60-dayILand optioned him to Indianapolis (IL).Desiganated CBrett Sullivan for assignment. SANFRANCISCO GIANTS —OutrightedINF Osleivis Basabe to Sacramento (PCL). WASHINGTONNATIONALS —Selected the contractof3BBrady House from Rochester (IL).Recalled OF Daylen Lile from Rochester. Optioned OF Robert Hassell III and INF Jose Tena to Rochester.Designated INF Juan Yepez for assignment.

FOOTBALL National FootballLeague SEATTLE SEAHAWKS —SignedOTLukeFelixFualalo to acontract. HOCKEY National Hockey League LOSANGELES KINGS —Signed GPheonix Copley to aone-yearcontract. TORONTOMAPLE LEAFS—Signed CRoni Hirvonen to aone-year contract.

278.05. 8, Nelly Korda,

9, Madison Young,

10, ManonDeRoey,

GreensinRegulation 1(tie), Yealimi Noh andHaeran Ryu, .78%. 3 (tie), Nanna KoerstzMadsen andRio Takeda, .77%. 5(tie), AllisenCorpuz, HannahGreen andRoseZhang, .76%. 8, 3tied with .75%. Putts per GIR 1, JeenoThitikul, 1.7. 2(tie),Minami Katsu and Yahui Zhang, 1.71. 4(tie),YukaSaso Patty Tavatanakit and Angel Yin, 1.73. 7, 6 tied with 1.74. Birdies 1, CelineBoutier,191. 2, Rio Takeda, 188. 3, AyakaFurue,181. 4, ALim Kim, 169. 5, Somi Lee, 168. 6, Minami Katsu, 165. 7, Auston Kim, 163. 8, Akie Iwai,162. 9, Jin HeeIm, 161. 10, Haeran Ryu, 160. Eagles 1, Mi Hyang Lee, 9. 2, Madelene Sagstrom, 8. 3, Rio Takeda, 7. 4, 8tied with 6. Sand Save Percentage 1, XiaowenYin 67%. 2, Madelene Sagstrom, .64%. 3(tie), LydiaKoand JennyShin, .63%. 5, Kumkang Park 62%. 6(tie), Jin HeeIm and Miyu Yamashita, .61%. 8, AriyaJutanugarn, .60%. 9, 2tied with .59%. Rounds UnderPar 1, Rio Takeda, .71%. 2, Somi Lee, .74%. 3, AyakaFurue 66%. 4, Celine Boutier, .63%. 5, Hye-Jin Choi, .74%. 6, Mi Hyang Lee, .64%. 7, Jin Hee Im, .63%. 8, Jeeno Thitikul, .79%. 9, Mao Saigo, .70%. 10, Minjee Lee, .68%. 11, Nanna KoerstzMadsen, .76%. 12, Sarah Schmelzel, .60%. 13, Miyu Yamashita, .64%.

Philly Me Up opensnew location in Livingston

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

For its first franchise location, Philly Me Up Cheesesteaks owners chose Denham Springs. On June 10, the restaurant opened at 120 Bass Pro Blvd.

The mother-son duo ofLisa Fontenotand Joshua Leestarted Philly Me Up Cheesesteaks in 2007. This new location fromTommy Riddle and Bri Schexnayder is the result ofyearsof patronage andarequest to franchise Riddle has been aregular at Philly Me Up forover 12 years. He loves the Voodoo sandwich —agrilled steak, chicken and shrimp sandwich topped with grilled onions, grilled sweet peppers, barbecue sauce and pepper jack cheese.According to Schexnayder, Riddle has asked to franchise alocationfor at least six years.

“Finally,weasked on the right day,and they said yes,” she said.

Schexnayder trained at the Baton Rougelocation of PhillyMeUpand hired an old manager there for the Denham Springs location, which will offer all the same cheesesteaks, wraps and salad optionswith some bonus items that are not sold at theoriginalstore

The owners added sweet potatototswith a spicyseasoningand Philadelphia water ice which Schexnayder said is similar to sorbet. They’re also in the process of applying fora beer/wine license and hope to serve spirits at their store. Now that they’ve hosted agrand opening, they will be open 10:30 a.m. to 8p.m. seven days aweek.

Schexnayder said she recommendspeople try the Voodoo or DaGumbo, agrilledchicken, shrimp and sausagesandwichtopped with gumbo. For dessert,she likesthe tropical rainbow water ice or the sour apple flavor for people who like somethingtart.

“They’ve gottengreat reviews,” Fontenot said of the store. “Denham Springs is welcoming them with open arms.”

LSU AGCENTER PHOTOByOLIVIA MCCLURE

Vermillionaire cuphea’stubular flowers are the perfect shape and sizefor hummingbirds’ long beaks and tongues, allowing them to access the plant’sabundant nectar

Hummingbirds love agood cigarplant

Vermillionaire cuphea agood choice to attractthem

If you’re searching for aplant that will attract hummingbirds to your garden andhandle the Louisiana summer likeachamp, look no further than Vermillionaire cuphea—one of the LSU AgCenter’s 2025 Louisiana Super Plant selections.

GARDEN NEWS

“There’salot of species of cuphea on the market, but Vermillionaire is oneofthe best that we’ve found intermsof year-to-year performance,” said AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg. Cuphea is sometimes referred to as cigar plant or firecracker plant.That’s becausemany species and hybrids within the Cuphea genus have tubeshaped, orange-to-red blooms. Dependingon howyou look at it, cuphea flowers resemble tiny cigars or apyrotechnic explosion.

The Vermillionaire hybrid from Proven Winners is low maintenance, thrives in the heat andhas fewpestordisease problems It stays compactand bushy,toppingout at

ä See CIGAR, page 6C

BITE CLUB

‘Jaws’

fans celebratemovie’s 50th anniversary with parties, memoriesand merchandise

BY TEDLEWIS Contributingwriter

Dun-dun dun-dun.

Evena half-century later,those two simple bass notes from “Jaws” still bring on atingling sense of impending danger

“When Iwas atriathlete, the‘Jaws’ music was always in the backofmy mind,”saidGeorgeRobichaux, of Houma. “I’dtry to get in themiddle of thepack so I’d feel safer.”

Such is thelasting impact of the StephenSpielberg-directedthrillerthat marksthe 50th anniversaryofits releaseonJune 20.

“Jaws” was asensationinthe summerof1975, setting abox office record that stood until “Star Wars,” two years later.The firstsummer blockbuster, “Jaws” spawned three official sequels plus ahost of imitators and an enduringmania for sharks from “Shark Week.”

Aboutthistimeevery year,there are reminders in the news of thedanger of shark attacks, rare as they might actually be.

fear of the unknown.”

GreerNaudin, of BatonRouge,who wroteher master’sthesis at the University of South Florida on Spielberg and the wayhecrafts music,isabig “Jaws” fan.

“The movie is incredible,” shesaid “It wasshot on the water,which had neverbeen done before,and Spielberg worked with (composer) John Williamstoincorporate the score so closelythatyou can’tthink of the movie without the music.

“The movie’snot as scary as people think, either.Because the animatronic sharks weren’tworking so well, he (Spielberg) had to keep them out of sight.”

Even 50 years from now,Naudin said, “I think Jaws will be viewed as amarker in film history for the score and the wayit’sdone overall.”

In NewOrleans back in 1975, “Jaws” played at the Joy Theater on Canal Street withcrowds lined up around the block forsold-out showings.

Added Robichaux, “The water will alwayshavethe allure of things we can’tsee. We allhaveatleast alittle

Wrote Times-Picayune critic Frank

ä See BITE, page 6C

STAFFPHOTO By JOHN MCCUSKER

Kevin Caywood is surrounded by his collection of ‘Jaws’ memorabilia in Slidell on Friday.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Jessica Cogan throws a‘Jaws’ party in NewOrleans around the Fourth of July

Contentcreator sister makesithardtoconnect

DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister is trying to become acontent creator While Iwant to support her dreams,it’sstarting to take atoll on our relationship. Every time we spend time together,whether it’s getting coffee, going on a walk or just hanging out at home, it somehow turns into acontent production day.She’sconstantly filming, taking pictures, asking me to retake videos or stopping in the middle of aconversation to capture the “perfect shot.”

Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

Iget that this is important to her, and Iknow building aplatform takes work, but Imisswhen we could just be present witheach other,talking, laughingand shar-

BITE

Continued from page5C

Gagnard, “‘Jaws’isa tremendous horror movie, maybe one of the best ever,with slickly engineered jolts and harrowing suspense.”

“Jaws”and its sequelsare now streaming on Peacock. But if you need to see it on abigger screen, you’ll probably have to wait until Labor Day weekend fora return to theaters.

One exception is Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, where the movie has been playing since Memorial Day,complete with shark-head buckets of popcorn. Unfortunately the franchise doesn’thave any theaters in Louisiana.

However,there’snolack of “Jaws” merchandise available, and many fans are headedtoUniversal’stheme parks in Orlandoand Los Angeles to get aclose-up scare from “Bruce,” the sharkused in the movie.

To commemorate the film’sgolden anniversary, we asked readers about their memories of seeing “Jaws” for the first time and its lasting impact on them.

No.1fan

Even at age 6, KevinCaywood of Chalmette wanted to see “Jaws.”

Maybe it was becausehis father, William, was an oyster fisherman Whatever the reason, when Kevin’sfather took him to the Joy that openingweekend, he was hooked and has been ever since, estimating that he’sseen the movie hundreds of times.

Kevin hascollected dozens of “Jaws”-relateditems, although many were lost in Katrina,and visited both Universal Hollywood and Orlando to see “Bruce,” the mechanical shark prop.

Upcoming are trips to Los Angeles forthe Academy Museum’s“Jaws” exhibit (the first dedicatedtoasingle film) and Martha’sVineyard.

“It’sjust such agood story,” Caywood said. “It wasn’tlike Godzilla going around killing people; it seemed real to me.

“The movie doesn’thave all of the special effects you see now, but that’swhy it holds up so well. It’swhat you don’tsee that draws you in.”

Oscar, please

New Orleans jazz musician Matt Lemmler was 8when he first saw “Jaws,” deciding to sitonthe front row of the Lakeside Cinema IIin Metairie while his father and two older brothers were farther back “I wanted to show howbrave I was,” Lemmler said. “But as soon as that John Williams score started playing, Iran back in total fear.”

Lemmler’sappreciation of “Jaws” and Williams’ Oscar-winning score has only grown over the years.

In 2019, he attended the Louisiana Philharmonic’stribute to Williams, which included an extended segment from “Jaws.”

“It was beautiful to hear it live,” Lemmler said. “Those opening notes just grab you.

“I can’twait to see it in atheater again. ‘Jaws’ never getsold.”

Babyshark

Spencer Cain was born a“Jaws”

CIGAR

Continued from page5C

about 2feet tall and reaching 1to 2feet wide.

This plant’smain attraction, of course, is its profusionofblooms. While some cupheas have open flowers, Vermillionaire has slender,nectar-rich blooms that are the perfect shape and size for hummingbirds’ long beaks and tongues. As abonus, the flowers sport abright, reddish huethat serves as another lure for hummingbirds.

“If you’re trying to draw

ing memories without it needing to be documentedorcurated for public consumption. It feels like I’mspending timewith heronlinepersona,not my actualsister.Isometimes feel used as apropfor her brand instead of appreciatedasa person. How do I talk to her about this withoutsoundingdismissive of hergoals or unsupportive of her hustle? —Used

DEAR USED: Just tellher Pointout that you need to create some boundaries whenyou are together so that every moment isn’t work. The workaholic nature of her behavior is interfering with your time together,and youneed it to stop —oratleast not besoinvasive.

Tell her you will allow acertain amount of production when you are together,but request that mostofyour time be reserved for just thetwo of you.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Ifeel like Ialways focus on the negative that’s going on around me. When somethinggood happens, Idoubt that it’sreal and wonder when the other shoe will drop. My friends have told me that Iamtoo negative. Ithink it may be because when Iwas young, bad things happened all the time. My parents got divorced just as Istarted making friends at school, and then we had to movebecause we couldn’tafford our house. Then my sister got sick, and all of the attention went to her and hardly any to me. The only time anybody

fan —literally.His parents, Nicky andJimmy Cain of Covington, chose to air aBlu-ray 25th anniversary director’scut of the movie in Nicky’sbirthing suite at Ochsner MedicalCenter in 2001. The show even attracted hospital staffers unconnectedtothe blessed event.

“I’ve never heard of anybody else coming into the world like that,” said Spencer.“But my parents are super fansand it makes a great family story.”

Here’sone justabout as good as teenagers, his parents,Nicky and Jimmy,were at thesame showing at theJoy on theday “Jaws” debuted,althoughthey didn’tknow each otherand would not meet until two decades later

“If we’d had been on adate, we’d probably have never seen each other again,” Nicky Cain said. “So Iguess it was worththe wait.”

Just when youthink it’s safe

Slidell’sSusan Donovan is alifelongcompetitive swimmer and lifeguard, but she still circles pool decks,“just checking,” anddoesn’t go in over her anklesinany “nonchlorinatedbodyofwater,always scanning the horizon for the fin with themusic always playingin my mind.”

Not everyone is quite that traumatized. When Chris Darnell of BatonRouge watched at theUniversity Cinema, aguy behind her grabbed her shoulderswhen the shark made its first appearance.

She didn’tlet it affect her love of the movie or the beach

That includes visiting relatives wholive on Cape Cod and their annual rewatch parties.

“There’sawildlife refuge nearby,” she said. “And sharks prefer seals to people, so nobody worries.”

Partytime!

Every time Elena Branzaru of Baton Rouge sees “Jaws,”she swears she can smell the Coppertone.

But her true love is “Sharknado,” theover-the-top aquaticmenace film that spawned fivesequels, three morethan “Jaws.”

“Every year,anew one was released (the lastwas in 2020), we hada partywithcostumes and themed snacks,” Branzaru said.

“‘Jaws’ and ‘Sharknado’ bring up such great memories.

“That’sthe way Iknowsummer

hummingbirds to your garden, cupheas are one of the best plants to do that,” Stagg said. “Other pollinators will also enjoy the nectar production from this plant.”

To make sure your Vermillionaire cuphea producesplenty of blooms, place it in full sun.

“It won’tbloom very much if it gets any shade throughout the day,” Stagg said. Flowering beginsinspring and continues throughthe first frost in thefall.

Regular fertilization will help keepthe plant full and ensure a steady supplyofflowers. Deadheading isn’tnecessary

has arrived.

AmityChoo-Choo

There aren’t anyrailroadson Amity Island. Butthat didn’tdeter KurtSauersofOcean City,Maryland, from building atrain garden running through amodel village of what’sshown in themovie.

Thetraingarden is Sauers’ tribute to hislate father,fromwhom he inherited thetrains,and took four years to construct in his basement. Sauersusedmorethan2,000 pieces of wood andother building materials.

“Mydad took me to see ‘Jaws’ when Iwas 8, andIheldmyfeet off the floor for the whole timeso thesharkwouldn’tget me,” Sauers said. “But Ilove ‘Jaws’ now “Most scary movies, you see what’s coming. But in ‘Jaws,’ it’s what you can’tsee. We’re all afraid of the unknown.”

Lastingtrauma

It took yearsfor Dickson Griswald of New Orleans to get over his fear of potential shark attacksinany body of water after he sawthe bloody blockbuster Ironically,Griswold’sfamily was vacationing on Martha’sVineyard in 1974 when “Jaws” was being filmed, andhecould seethe mechanical sharks being set up in Katama Bay.Itdidn’tmakehim less worried.

“That shows youhow great themovie is,” Griswald said. “It

When you first plantyourVermillionaire cuphea, water it regularly Once established, however,these plants are remarkablydroughttolerant.

“That is perfect forour sometimes-unpredictableraininthe summer,” Stagg said.

Don’tworry about scorching summer temperatures hurting this plant.Vermillionaire flourishes in theheat.

“The heat tolerance is one of the things thatwelove about it,” Stagg said.“Alot of times ourlandscapes start to weaken during August and September,and things don’tlook so great.But not this plant.It’sgoing to be perfect.”

seemed tonotice me was when Ihad aproblem.When Ithink about it, thebad stuff is what drew themost attention. Nowit’s theopposite. People don’twant to be around me if Iaminconstant complaint mode, but Idon’tknow how to snap outofit. Can you help? —BePositive DEAR BE POSITIVE: Medical professionals havenoted that the human brain naturally has negative thoughts throughout the day,in part to protect itself from the elements and any outside danger Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to choose to think positive thoughts, to train our brains to look for the good in situations even if bad things have happened in the past. In your case, this may require you to rethink how you are accustomed to getting attention and retrain your brain to look forhealthier meansoffinding the love you want and need. Tryitout. What happens if you choose to be in an upbeat environment and notice the good surrounding you? Similarly,what if you take amoment to see the good in asituation that is stressful? Look for something good even if something negative is also happening. Focus on that. Finally,get a therapist to help you sort through your baggage and find aclearing for how to face the future.

taps into ourprimordialfearthat there’sa predator coming to eat you.

“Itwasn’ta monster anditwasn’t aserial killer.Kids today are callous about special effects, but ‘Jaws’ scared the willies out of all of us.”

Louisianaconnection

WhenMatt Hooper performs the shark autopsy andextracts a Louisiana license plate, prompting Chief Brody to ask, “He didn’teat acar,did he?” thewording on the platewas no accident. Spielberg wanted to direct a James Bond film and was sending amessage to producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. The first three numbers on the plate are“007” andthe bottom says “72LOUISIANA 73” —references to the years “Live and Let Die” was partially shot in the NewOrleans area and released.

Spielberg’spitch didn’twork.

Forsome reason, Broccoli never thought the most successful directorinmovie history wasgood enough to helm aBond film

Partytime

Although Jessica Cogan of New Orleans confesses to having the “Jaws” themerunning in her head even when she’sswimming in pools or freshwater lakes, that hasn’tstopped herfrombeing a regular at the Prytania’sannual costume-themed watching parties

This year’s festivitiesare planned forLabor Day

“There aresomanyspecial moments,” Cogansaid. “And then we go to afriend’splace for lobster rolls.

“It’s just aboutperfect.”

No harm done

As ayoungster,Kevin Brown of New Orleans had to convince his strict minister father to let him see “Jaws,” sending him off with the warning, “Ifyou wanttoruin your life, go ahead.” Brown,now director of the social work program at SUNO,was apparently notpermanently scarred.

“I graduated from Ben Franklin, have two master’sdegrees and a Ph.D. and have receivednational awards for my work,” Brownsaid.

“I feel likeI contributedsignificantly to society

“Allthat despite having seen ‘Jaws’atthe Joy.”

Vermillionaire cuphea is generally considered an annual. But in south Louisiana, Stagg said, it’s possiblefor it to perennialize meaning it will survive the winter and come back in the spring. Like allLouisiana Super Plants, Vermillionaire has been rigorouslyevaluated by AgCenter scientiststhrough years of trials. Plants with this designationare as tough as they are beautiful, making themsolid choices foryour garden.

Check out afull list of Louisiana Super Plants and findmore informationabout the program at www.LSUAgCenter.com/SuperPlants.

Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o AndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday,June 17, the 168th day of 2025. There are 197 days leftinthe year

Todayinhistory:

On June 17, 1994, after leading police on aslow-speed chase on Southern California freeways, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with murder in the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole BrownSimpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. (Simpson wasacquitted of the murders in acriminal trial in 1995, but held liable in acivil trial in 1997.)

Also on this date:

In 1775, the Revolutionary WarBattle of Bunker Hill resulted in acostly victory for the British, whosuffered heavy losses.

In 1885, the Statue of Liberty, disassembled and packed into 214 separate crates, arrived in NewYork Harbor aboard the French frigate Isère.

In 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed the Smoot-Hawley TariffAct, which boosted U.S. tariffs to historically high levels, prompting foreign retaliation.

In 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Abington (Pa.) School District v. Schempp, struck down, 8-1, rules requiring the recitation of the Lord’sPrayer or reading of biblical verses in public schools.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon’seventual downfall began with the arrest of five burglars inside the Democratic headquarters in Washington, D.C.’s, Watergate complex. In 2008, hundreds of same-sex couples got married across California on the first full day that same-sex marriage became legal by order of the state’shighest court; an estimated 11,000 same-sex couples would be married under the California law in its first three months.

In 2015, nine Black worshippers were killed when agunman opened fire during aBible study gathering at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. (Dylann Roof,aWhite supremacist, was captured the following day; he would be convicted on state and federal murder and hate crime charges and sentenced to death.)

In 2021, the SupremeCourt, in a7-2 ruling, leftintact the entire Affordable Care Act, rejecting amajor Republican-led effort to kill the national health care law knowninformally as “Obamacare.”

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law creating the first new national holiday since the establishment of Martin Luther King Jr.Day Today’sbirthdays: Filmmaker KenLoach is 89. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is 82. Musician Barry Manilow is 82. Comedian Joe Piscopo is 74. Actor Jon Gries is 68. Filmmaker Bobby Farrelly is 67. Actor Thomas Haden Church is 65. Actor Greg Kinnear is 62. Olympic speed skating gold medalist Dan Jansen is 60. Fashion designer Tory Burch is 59. Actor Jason Patric is 59.

Harriette

PROVIDED PHOTO

Elena Branzarushows off her Sharknadoheadwear

PROVIDED PHOTO

Kurt Sauersposes with his ‘Jaws’ train garden.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Set your sights on your goal and take control of your day. Don't forget to reward yourself for what you achieve. You can choose to be productive and happy or hesitant and miserable.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Mix and mingle, discover what's trending in your community and offer time, money or expertise to a cause or effort that concerns you. Listen to suggestions, but verify information before taking a leap of faith.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Be aware of your surroundings and heed warning signs. A professional move looks promising. Pick up any additional skills that will encourage you to apply for a higher position.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Refuse to let the little things people do annoy you. Trust your instincts and create opportunities that put you in the running for a key position. It's your turn to shine.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Distance yourself from drama, temptation and conversations that can turn into a shouting match. A creative outlet will help calm your nerves and remind you of your talents Make love, not war

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Remember what life is about and the people and things that make you happy. Visiting someone who makes you forget about time or kicking back with a great book will help you adjust your lifestyle.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Invest more time in personal growth, updating your skills and making your life run efficiently. Enhance your productivity and mindset.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Choose to do things in unison with someone who shares your beliefs and goals. A change that promotes momentum will tempt you, but first, make sure you are acting in your own best interest.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Raise the bar and turn your surroundings or lifestyle into something engaging. Refuse to let boredom and monotony settle in and rob you of the life you long for.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Check out influences on social media and see what motivates you. Expand, explore and energize your life to enhance your emotional well-being.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Look for the good and the positive in every situation. Having a good attitude is the best way to combat negativity. Take the high road and see what happens.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Let your imagination lead the way and experience what life offers. Explore different outlets for your skills and look into how to make money from a hobby.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

ToDAy's cLuE: M EQuALs G

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

peAnUtS zItS

And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

This week we arelooking at theStaymanconvention, whose primaryjob is to trytofind a4-4 major-suit fitafter opener immediately shows abalanced hand. When the opening bidisone no-trump and responderbids two clubs,itasks opener to show afour-cardmajor. If opener has two of them,herebids two hearts. Then, what does the responder do when he has four spades and fewer thanfour hearts?

Ifhehasgame-invitationalstrength,it depends upon system. If one no-trumptwo no-trump is natural, showing about nine points and inviting game,then respondercontinueswithtwono-trump. Since he used Stayman, he must have a four-card major, andsince he has not raised hearts, he must holdfour spades. Butifoneno-trump-twono-trumpisnot natural,perhapsatransfertodiamonds, responder rebids two spades.

Opener is expected to place the final contract.Here, with an absolute maximum, he signs offinthree no-trump. AfterWest leads the diamond king, what shouldSouthdo?

Declarer has six top tricks and at least three more cancome from the clubs. However, if Easthas the clubking, there is ariskthe opponents will collect four diamond tricks to defeat you. The

answer? Duck the first trick. If West leads another diamond, it gives you two diamondtricks.IfWestshifts,youwinin hand and runthe club 10 (or queen).

Ducking withthe A-J-x is calledthe Bath Coup becausethisplaywas first recognized in that English city when whist waspopular.

©2025 by NEA,Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3

Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed

ToDAy’s WoRD WIDGEon: WIH-jin: Any of several freshwater ducks

Average mark 15 words

Timelimit 30 minutes

Can you find 22 or morewords in WIDGEON?

yEsTERDAy’s WoRD —oBVIousLy

loCKhorNs

Don’t be foolish.One dayyou will meet God face to face G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

Wall Street recovers from Friday’s shock

Calm returned to Wall Street on Monday, and U.S. stocks rose, while oil prices gave back some of their initial spurts following Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear and military targets at the end of last week.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.9% to reclaim most of its drop from Friday The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 317 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1.5% They joined a worldwide climb for stock prices, stretching from Asia to Europe.

Israel and Iran are continuing to attack each other, and a fear remains that a wider war could constrict the flow of Iran’s oil to its customers. That in turn could raise gasoline prices worldwide and keep them high.

But past conflicts in the region have seen spikes for crude prices last only briefly They’ve receded after the fighting showed that it would not disrupt the flow of oil, either Iran’s or other countries’ through the narrow Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s coast

Hopes that the fighting could remain similarly contained this time around helped send oil prices back toward $71 per barrel on Monday

WhatsApp to start showing ads

WhatsApp says that users will start seeing ads in parts of the app, as owner Meta Platforms moves to cultivate a new revenue stream by tapping the billions of people that use the messaging service.

The app said advertisements will be shown only in the app’s Updates tab, which is used by as many as 1.5 billion people each day They won’t show up where personal chats are found.

WhatsApp said in a blog post that the personal messaging experience isn’t changing It’s a big change for WhatsApp, whose founders vowed to keep the platform free of ads when they created it in 2009.

At Home files for bankruptcy amid tariffs

At Home, the North Texasbased furniture company, has filed for bankruptcy as it weathers the challenges of tariffs.

The company on Monday filed for Chapter 11 in a Delaware court as it seeks to continue serving customers during the process, according to a statement At Home made an agreement with lenders for terms to eliminate “substantially all” of the company’s nearly $2 billion in funded debt and provide a capital infusion of $200 million to support the company through its restructuring process and beyond.

At Home has navigated a complex retail environment that has led to other chains filing for bankruptcy, shuttering sites and changing ownership amid changing customer tastes and shifting policy changes. Retailers are under pressure as rising trade costs from key countries such as China scramble supply chains and squeeze providers’ abilities to maintain pricing.

“We are operating against the backdrop of an increasingly dynamic and rapidly evolving trade environment as we navigate the impact of tariffs,” CEO Brad Weston said in the statement At Home works with over 600 product partners, and in fiscal year 2025, it sourced about 90% of its products from overseas. The timing of the tariffs came at a bad time for the chain

“Newly imposed tariffs and the uncertainty of ongoing U.S trade negotiations intensified the financial pressure on the company, accelerating the need for a comprehensive solution,” it said in the filing.

At Home operates 260 stores in 40 states, including Slidell, Lafayette and Kenner As part of the plan, the company will close 26 sites, none in Louisiana.

BUSINESS

Trump name to sell mobile phones

They would be made in U.S., son Eric says

BY BERNARD CONDON AP business writer

NEW YORK

The Trump family is licensing its name to a new mobile phone service, the latest in a string of ventures announced while Donald Trump is in the White House despite ethical concerns that the U.S. president could mold public policy for personal gain.

Eric Trump, the president’s son running The Trump Organization in his absence, announced a new venture Monday called Trump Mobile. The plan is to sell phones that will be built in the U.S., and the phone service will maintain a

call center in the country as well.

The announcement of the new mobile phone and service, called T1 Mobile, follows several real estate deals for towers and resorts in the Middle East, including a golf development in Qatar announced in April. A $1.5 billion partnership to build golf courses, hotels and real estate projects in Vietnam was approved last month, though the deal was in the works before Trump was elected.

Even oversight of such a company, with the Trump name attached, raises ethical concerns.

Trump has already used the federal government to reward his allies and punish his enemies. The Federal Communications Commission, the primary regulatory body overseeing mobile phone

companies, has already launched investigations of media outlets Trump dislikes and, in some cases, is personally suing.

Eric Trump said Monday that consumers deserve a phone that aligns with their values.

“Hard-working Americans deserve a wireless service that’s affordable, reflects their values, and delivers reliable quality they can count on,” he said in a statement.

The company would also enter a highly competitive market that includes companies that have been directly attacked by Donald Trump.

The Trump phone deal comes as a mandatory financial disclosure report just filed with the government shows the president has moved fast in the last year to profit off his celebrity, taking in $3 million in revenue from selling “Save America” coffee table books, $2.8 million from Trump watches and $2.5 million from Trump branded sneakers and fragrances.

The Trump Organization on Monday said the new, gold-colored phone available for $499 in August, called the T1 Phone, won’t be designed or made by Trump Mobile, but by another company

The Trump Organization did not respond immediately to a request for more details.

The president criticized Apple last month because it planned to make most of its U.S. iPhones in India, and threatened to slap a 25% tariff on the devices unless the tech giant starts building the phones domestically

A SWINGING SUMMER

Smaller amusement parks hope for a strong season under the shadow of tariffs

BY MAE ANDERSON AP business writer

NEW YORK — The trade disputes involving global economic powerhouses such as the U.S and China are being felt even in such distinctly local places as your regional amusement park.

Families who balk at the cost of a summer vacation at big amusement parks like Disney World favor trips to regional parks, which typically are within driving distance, so expensive flights aren’t necessary But if tariffs lead to economic uncertainty, they may just stay home.

For park owners, tariffs could subject them to extra costs that their customers might not think about. Parts of the rides are made of imported steel that’s currently subject to tariffs. Those prizes and toys people win after they shoot basketballs into a hoop?

They usually come from China, which has been subject to varying tariffs.

So far this year, however, there’s been no letdown.

“We’ve had good crowds, and everyone seems excited to be here,” said Brian Hartley, vice president of Playland’s Castaway Cove, in Ocean City, New Jersey, which boasts 30 rides, miniature golf, go-karts and other beachfront attractions. “As long as the weather is good, they’re ready to come down.”

That’s true for park-goer Chris Del Borrello, who visited Castaway Cove on a bustling Friday evening with a group of 10 family members, including his four children.

“We come here every year because it’s so fun, and we build memories every single summer,” he said.

Tariffs loom over the summer tourism industry just as leisure travel is expected to get back to pre-pandemic levels.

The U.S. Travel Association expects Americans to take 1.96 billion trips this year, up 2% from 1.92 billion last year Travel spending is also expected to increase 2% year over year

As park operators prepared for the summer travel season, President Donald Trump unrolled on-again, off-again tariffs against U.S. trade partners that made planning difficult. For example, additional tariffs on goods made in China started at 10% in February, rose to 20% in March, ballooned to 145% in April, and were reduced to 30% in May On Wednesday the Trump administration put the number at 55%.

Hartley said he ordered items like stuffed animals for games from China early to beat the tariffs — and benefited from the reduc-

tion announced in May

“We loaded up We’re tripping over stuff at this point,” he said. “We tried to purchase as much stuff as we could to be ready for the season, because that little bit makes a big difference in the bottom line at the end of the day,” he said.

In particular, the park added two new rides this year, but parts were delivered back in the fall.

Not all parks were as fortunate. At Adventureland, in Farmingdale, N.Y., the steel structure for a new ride, Wave Twister, and some China-made game prizes like plush toys and basketballs were affected by tariff costs, said manager Jeanine Gentile.

“We ordered them months ago before the tariffs were in place, but they typically arrive for delivery at this time of the year, and so obviously the tariffs were in before we received the product,” she said. “We did have to pay additional for those tariffs in order to get the product.” So far, the park is absorbing the cost. Its operators made the decision not to raise ticket prices this year But that could change next year

“We’ve just sort of felt that if we can do this (not raise prices) for Long Island and for our guests, let’s do it where we can afford it, at least for this season,” Gentile said. Aside from tariffs, economic uncertainty is the biggest challenge for amusement parks this season.

Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which is co-owned by country legend Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment, opened a week later in March due to concerns about the economy, Director of Communications Pete Owens said. But attendance at the park, nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains, so far is up 4% from last year Attendees are spending but looking for deals.

A promotion giving discount tickets to public employees has proved popular Owens said he is seeing customers buy tickets for their families closer to their actual visits instead of several days or weeks in advance. Some are even waiting until they’re in the Great Smoky Mountains to make a purchase.

“I think they’re all still looking very closely to see what value pricing there is or what opportunities there are,” he said.

Credit scores decline as U.S. student loan collections restart

BY CORA LEWIS Associated Press

NEW YORK Millions of Americans are seeing their credit scores suffer now that the U.S government has resumed referring missed student loan payments for debt collection. After 90 days of nonpayment, student loan servicers report delinquent, or past-due, accounts to major credit bureaus, which use the information to recalculate the borrower’s score. Falling behind on loan payments can affect an individual’s credit rating as severely as filing for personal bankruptcy

A lower credit score makes it harder or more expensive to obtain car loans, mortgages, credit

cards, auto insurance and other financial services at a time when inflation, high interest rates, and layoffs have strained the resources of some consumers.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that in the first three months of 2025, 2.2 million student loan recipients saw their scores drop by 100 points, and an additional 1 million had drops of 150 points or more. Declines that steep may mean the difference between a manageable credit card interest rate and an unmanageable one, or approval or rejection of an application to rent an apartment

The U.S Department of Education paused federal student loan payments in March 2020, offering

borrowers relief during the economic chaos of the coronavirus pandemic. Though payments technically resumed in 2023, the Biden administration provided a one-year grace period that ended in October 2024. Last month, the Trump administration restarted the collection process for outstanding student loans, with plans to seize wages and tax refunds if the loans continue to go unpaid.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, about 1 in 4 people with student loan accounts were more than 90 days behind on payments at the end of March.

Kat Hanchon, 33, who works in marketing and higher education in Detroit, was one of them. Hanchon said her score dropped by 57 points

as a result of her loans falling delinquent this year That put her score below 600, or subprime. When Hanchon received her statement from her loan servicer, her expected monthly payments were higher than before the pandemic-era pause, even though she had enrolled in a repayment plan that takes a borrower’s full financial situation into account. Hanchon said she’s had to prioritize paying medical expenses — for a dental crown, a root canal, and an endoscopy before she’ll be able to consider putting money toward the loans. While her housing situation is secure for the moment, she worries about the annual percentage rate for her credit cards fluctuating.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MINGSON LAU