The Times-Picayune 06-18-2025 by The Advocate

Senate’s bill changesraise alarm

Statehospitals warn of jeopardizing services

BY MARK BALLARD Staffwriter

WASHINGTON Representatives of Louisiana’slargest hospitals converged Tuesday on Capitol Hill after aSenate committee released itsrecommendationsto squeeze more spending cuts out of Medic-

aidthan the House did in theOne Big Beautiful Bill Act. Louisiana’shospitalsare still evaluating the suggested Medicaid cuts, butaﬁrst read of the 549page bill released Monday night is not optimistic,saidPaul A. Salles, president and chief executive ofﬁcerofthe Louisiana Hospital As-

sociation.

“Unlike the House bill, which takes amorebalanced approach to controlling Medicaid spending, thenew proposal from theSenate FinanceCommittee includes devastating reductions that could jeopardize rural access,medical education and essential services

such as maternity care, children’s services,behavioral health and access to specialty care forpatients across Louisiana,” Salles said Tuesday

The legislation, which includes most of President Donald Trump’s domesticagenda, cleared the Housebyasingle vote. It would cut spendingover the next 10 years by $1.6 trillion,mostly from Medicaidreductions, but add $2.4

trillion to the national debt, mostly from tax breaks. An estimated 10 million people would no longer be able to enroll in thestate-federal program that pays forhealth care services for low-income Americans, according to the Congressional Budget Ofﬁce. Senators promised significant changes to the House-passed bill.

ä See SENATE, page 5A

HITTINGTHEIR STRIDE

LSUtopsUCLA9-5 in rain-delayed game to remain unbeaten in theCollege WorldSeries

Tensions eruptat meeting

Floodprotectiongroup membersnearly come to blows

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

Long-simmering tensions over changes sought by Gov.Jeff Landry’sadministration to the New Orleans regional ﬂood protection authority boiled over on Tuesday,culminating in aconfrontation between two members of its board that appearedtonearly turn physical. Board membersare in open revolt against Landry’s appointed board president, Roy Carubba,who has undertaken controversial changes at theagency under the guidance of Shane Guidry,a businessman and unofﬁcial advisertothe governor Carubba alleged, at the meeting andinradio appearancesinthe last week,thatthe board wasrifewith corruption and beset by mismanagement, which the other board mem-

bers vociferously denied. Shortlyafter themeeting ended, Carubba appeared to point his ﬁnger at board member Clay Cossé’s chestbefore storming off thedais Carubba said after the meeting that he told Cossé that he was “one of the

GOPstate senator from NewIberia claims to be ‘the MAGA choice’

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana state Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, announced his candidacy Tuesdayfor U.S. Senate,with an opening salvo targeting Republican incumbent Bill Cassidy’svote to convict President Donald Trump during his 2021 impeachmenttrial.

The initialframes of a video announcing Miguez’s runfor ofﬁceshowCassidy labeledasa “RINO” —Re-

LSU left fielder Derek Curiel passesinfront of the Tigers’ dugout as he runs home to score against UCLA during Tuesday’s game of the CollegeWorld Series at Charles Schwab Fieldin Omaha, Neb.LSU won9-5 to remain unbeatenand will playagain at 6 p.m.Wednesday.

ä Complete coveragein Sports, 1C.

publican in Name Only —as he says,“Ivoted to convict President Trump.” Then, Miguez appears and says, “I’m running forthe U.S. Senate because Bill Cassidy sucks.” He also touts his deep Louisiana roots and showcases his skills as acompetitive shooter, wielding various firearms throughout the videoto metaphorically target concepts conservatives oppose, like “Marxism.” Miguez is also branding himself as “the MAGA

ä See MIGUEZ, page 4A Miguez

STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East commissioners, from left,ClayCossé, Deborah Settoon and RoyCarubba listen during aboard meeting at the Joseph S. yenni Building in Elmwood on Tuesday.

Tropical storm expected to become hurricane

MEXICO CITY A hurricane warning was issued Tuesday for a portion of southern Mexico as Tropical Storm Erick gained strength in the Pacific Ocean, forecasters said.

The National Hurricane Center said Erick was expected to rapidly intensify and become a hurricane by late Tuesday or early Wednesday. The cyclone was centered about 240 miles southeast of Puerto Ángel, Mexico, on Tuesday afternoon

The tropical storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, the Miami-based center said. It was moving west-northwest at 7 mph and forecast to approach the coast by late Wednesday

The storm’s projected path would take its center near the resort of Acapulco, which was devastated in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that rapidly intensified and caught many unprepared.

At least 52 people died in Otis and 32 were missing, after the storm severely damaged almost all of the resort town’s hotels. Guerrero state Gov Evelyn Salgado said Tuesday that lessons were learned from that storm. She announced the closure of all schools across the state for Wednesday and said 582 shelters were prepared to receive people who might evacuate their homes.

A hurricane warning was in effect from Puerto Ángel to Punta Maldonado in coastal southern Mexico

Combs unlikely to testify as jurors deliberate soon NEW YORK The possibility that music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs might testify at his federal sex trafﬁcking trial all but vanished Tuesday after his lawyer predicted a defense presentation lasting as little as two days and a judge said jurors could begin deliberations as early as next week.

Attorney Marc Agnifilo offered the hint when Judge Arun Subramanian asked him for an estimate on the length of the defense case, and the attorney said their presentation could last less than two days — but not more than ﬁve.

If Combs testiﬁed, it was likely his testimony would take longer than a week. Testimony by two of his former girlfriends consumed two of the trial’s six weeks.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafﬁcking and racketeering conspiracy charges He has been jailed at a federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September arrest at a Manhattan hotel.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey said prosecutors would rest as early as Wednesday and no later than Friday morning.

The estimates were provided Tuesday after the irate judge scolded prosecutors and defense lawyers, saying information about a closed court proceeding involving a juror last Friday had leaked to a media outlet.

Baby delivered from Ga. woman on life support

ATLANTA The baby of a woman in Georgia who was declared brain dead and has been on life support since February was delivered early Friday morning, her mother said.

April Newkirk told WXIA-TV that 31-year-old Adriana Smith’s baby was born prematurely by an emergency cesarean section early Friday, the Atlanta station reported Monday night. She was about six months into her pregnancy The baby, named Chance, weighs about 1 pound and 13 ounces and is in the neonatal intensive care unit.

“He’s expected to be okay,” Newkirk told the TV station.

“He’s just ﬁghting. We just want prayers for him.”

Newkirk said her daughter had intense headaches more than four months ago and went to Atlanta’s Northside Hospital where she received medication and was released. The next morning, her boyfriend woke to her gasping for air and called 911. Emory University Hospital determined she had blood clots in her brain and she was declared brain-dead. She was eight weeks pregnant, according to WXIA. Newkirk said Smith would be taken off of life support Tuesday

G7 leaders try to salvage summit

BY ROB GILLIES, JILL LAWLESS and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

KANANASKIS, Alberta — Six of the Group of Seven leaders were wrapping up their summit on Tuesday, attempting to prove that the wealthy nations’ club still has the clout to shape world events despite the early departure of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his counterparts from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Japan were joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO chief Mark Rutte and discussed Russia’s relentless war on its neighbor at what has essentially become just the G6.

Zelenskyy said after overnight Russian attacks killed 15 people and injured 150plus in his country that “our families had a very difﬁcult night, one of the biggest attacks from the very beginning of this war.”

“We need support from allies and I’m here,” Zelenskyy said. He added, “We are ready for the peace negotiations, unconditional ceaseﬁre. I think it’s very important. But for this, we need pressure.”

Carney said the attack “underscores the importance of standing in total solidarity with Ukraine, with the Ukrainian people” and pledged $2 billion in new aid that would fund drones and other military items. Numerous meetings continued, and the remaining leaders agreed to jointly attempt to combat what they called non-market policies that could jeopardize global access to critical minerals.

They similarly pledged to limit the potential downsides of artiﬁcial intelligence on jobs and the environment while still

embracing the potential of the “technological revolution.”

But, notably, the leaders did not release any joint statements on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy had been set to meet with Trump while world leaders were gathering in the Canadian Rocky Mountain resort of Kananaskis, but that was scrapped.

The U.S. previously signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources amid Russia’s ongoing war in Zelenskyy’s country The summit opened with the speciﬁc goal of helping to defuse a series of pressure points, only to be disrupted by a showdown over Iran’s nuclear program that could escalate. Israel launched an aerial bombardment campaign against Iran and Iran has hit back with missiles and drones.

Trump departed before the final day began. As conflict between Israel and Iran intensiﬁed, he declared that Tehran should be evacuated “immediately” and has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”

Before leaving, Trump joined the other leaders in issuing a statement saying Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon” and calling for a “de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceaseﬁre in Gaza.” Getting unanimity even on a short and broadly worded statement — was a modest measure of success for the group.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that he sat next to Trump at Monday night’s summit dinner “I’ve no doubt, in my mind, the level of agreement there was in relation to the words that were then issued immediately after that,” he said.

Ex-Argentine president allowed to serve sentence at home

By The Associated Press

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina A federal court on Tuesday granted a request by former Argentine President

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to serve a sixyear prison sentence for corruption at her home in Buenos Aires.

JudgesruledthatFernández, 72, can serve time in the apartment where she lives with her daughter and her granddaughter, citing her age and security reasons. Fernández was the victim of an attempted assassinationthreeyearsago.

In the ruling, obtained by The Associated Press, the court said that Fernández “must remain at the registered address, an obligation that she may not break except in exceptional situations.”

The court also ordered that Fernández be placed under the watch of an electronic surveillance device to monitor her movements.

Last week, Argentina’s highest court upheld Fernández’s sentence in a ruling that permanently banned her from public ofﬁce over the corruption conviction that found she had directed state contracts to a friend while she was the ﬁrst lady and president.

The ruling left Fernández, Argentina’s charismatic yet deeply divisive ex-

leader, sent her supporters pouring into the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital, and blocking major highways in protest.

The ruling barred Fernández from running in this fall’s Buenos Aires legislative election just days after she launched her campaign.

On Tuesday the court dismissed prosecutors’ request that Fernández serve time behind bars. Judges said that the physical integrity of the political leader“wouldbecomecomplex in a situation of prison conﬁnement in coexistence with any type of prison population.”

Seeking to serve the sentence at home, the former president had argued that she is more than 70 years

FDA to faster review companies promoting ‘national priorities’

BY MATTHEW PERRONE AP health writer

WASHINGTON U.S. regulators will begin offering faster reviews to new medicines that administration ofﬁcials deem as promoting “the health interests of Americans,” under a new initiative announced Tuesday

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency will aim to review select drugs in one to two months. FDA’s long-standing accelerated approval program generally issues decisions in six months for drugs that treat life-threatening diseases. Regular drug reviews take about 10 months.

Since arriving at the FDA in April, Makary has repeatedly told FDA staff they need to “challenge assumptions” and rethink procedures. In a medical journal commentary published last week,Makarysuggestedthe agencycouldconduct“rapid or instant reviews,” pointing to the truncated process used to authorize the first COVID-19 vaccines under Operation Warp Speed.

For the new program, the FDA will issue a limited number of “national priority vouchers” to companies “aligned with U.S. national priorities,” the agency said in a statement. The special designation will give the selected companies access to extra FDA communications, streamlined staff reviews and the ability to submit much of their product information in advance.

Speeding up drug approvals has long been a priority ofthepharmaceuticalindustry, which has successfully lobbied Congress to create a variety of special programs and pathways for faster reviews.

Many aspects of the plan announced Tuesday overlap with older programs. But thebroadcriteriaforreceiving a voucher will give FDA ofﬁcials unprecedented discretion in deciding which companies can beneﬁt from the fastest reviews.

“The ultimate goal is to bring more cures and meaningful treatments to the American public,” Makary

said in a statement. Makary said he will prioritize vouchers for companies pursuing products that address health crises, deliver “innovative cures” or address other unmet public health needs.

An administration ofﬁcial said the program wouldn’t change FDA approval standards.

“Withoutalteringhownew treatments are evaluated just when the FDA’s new voucher program is a common sense reform that maintains rigorous clinical standards while streamlining needless bureaucracy,” Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, wrote in an emailed statement Tuesday Separate from this week’s announcement, Makary recently suggested the FDA should be willing to ease its scientific requirements for certain drugs targeting rare conditions. In such cases, the agency could consider waiving its requirement for randomized studies, in which researchers track patients over time to evaluate drug safety and effectiveness. Such trials are generally considered the gold standard of medical research, though the FDA has increasingly been willing to accept smaller, lessdefinitive studies for rare or life-threatening diseases. In several recent cases, the FDA has faced criticism for approving drugs based on preliminary data that didn’t ultimately show benefits for patients. The push to rapidly accelerated drug approvals is the opposite approach that Makary and his boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have taken on vaccines.

Promising a “return to gold-standard science,” Kennedy previously announced that all new vaccines would have to be compared to placebo, or a dummy shot, to win approval. Kennedy and Makary also have announced a stricter policy on seasonal updates to COVID-19 shots, saying they will have to undergo new testing before they can be approved for use in healthy children and most adults.

old — an extenuating circumstance taken into account by the justice system to grant the privilege.

Fernández dominated Argentine politics for two decades and forged the country’s main left-wing populist movement known as Kirchnerism — after her and her husband, former President Néstor Kirchner She rejects the charges as politically motivated.

During Fernández’s eight years in office from 2007–15, Argentina expanded cash payments to the poor and pioneered major social assistance programs. Her governments funded unbridled state spending by printing money, bringing Argentina notoriety for major budget deficits and sky-high inflation.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Calgary International Airport on Monday in Calgary, Canada, on his way back to Washington.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NATACHA PISARENKO

Supporters of former Argentine President Cristina Fernández gather outside her home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Tuesday, one week after the nation’s Supreme Court upheld her corruption conviction.

NYCmayoral candidateis arrested at immigrationcourt

BY CEDAR ATTANASIO Associated Press

NEW YORK New York City

Comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by federal agentsatanimmigration court Tuesday afterhe linked arms with aperson authorities were attempting to detain.

Areporter withThe Associated Press and other journalists witnessed Lander’s arrest at afederal building in Manhattan, the latest confrontation between U.S. agents and aDemocratic politician objecting to the Trump administration’s effort to jail and deport mass numbers of immigrants. The immigrant Lander escorted out of the courtroomwas also arrested.

Lander was released from custody after afew hours. The U.S. Attorney’sOffice said it was investigating his actions and would decide later whether to charge him with acrime.

Lander hadspent the morning observing immigration court hearings and told an AP reporter thathe was there to “accompany” some immigrants out of the building. In the moments before Lander was handcuffed, agents could be seen trying to physically separate him from the man they had come to detain.Lander struggled to stay close, keepinghis arms locked with the man, demanding to see ajudicial warrant.

Videos taken by journalists show agents struggling to separate Landerfrom the man he’d linked arms with for more than 40 seconds before wresting the two apart. Multiple agents then grabbed Lander’s arms and put them behind his back

“You’reobstructing,” an agent told Lander “I’m not obstructing,I’m standing right here in the

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and FBIagents outside federal immigration courtonTuesdayinNew york.

hallway,” Lander saidashe wasbeing handcuffed.

In astatement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary TriciaMcLaughlinsaid Lander “was arrested for assaulting lawenforcement and impeding afederal ofﬁcer.”

After his release, Lander told reportersthatall he was trying to do was hold the arm of theman who was beingdetainedand said he “certainly did not” assaultanofﬁcer

“I am happy to report thatI am just ﬁne. Ilost abutton,” Lander said after hisrelease. “I believe it is important to show up andbear witness and accompany people,” he said.

He addedthatthe man “ripped” from hisarmstoday “doesn’thave alawyer”and will sleepina federal detention center “SoI am going to keep coming here week after week,” he said,emphasizing aneed for nonviolence, to not give President Donald Trump “an excuseto ratchet”things up.

The episode occurred as federal immigrationofﬁcials are conducting large-scale arrests outside immigration courtrooms acrossthe country.Inmany cases,immigrants are arrested after ajudge grants agovernment

request to dismiss their case, making themeligible for expedited removal.

“They remove any opportunity for dueprocess,” Lander had told reporters earlier in the day after witnessing another person’shearing.

Lander’sarrest comes a littlemore than amonth after Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on atrespassing charge outside afederal immigration detention center in his city, though the charge was later dropped. Baraka’sfellow Democrat,Rep. LaMonica McIver,was charged with assaulting and impeding federal agentsstemmingfrom her role at the samevisit as the mayor.She’s deniedthe charges Lander is acandidate in the city’sDemocratic mayoral primary.Early voting in the contest is underway and the election is next week. Candidatesinthe race quickly weighed in to criticizethe arrest.

“This is thelatest example of the extremethuggery of Trump’sICE out of control one can only imagine the fear families across ourcountry feel when confronted with ICE,” said former Gov.Andrew Cuomo, who is running in the primary

BY MICHAEL R. BLOOD Associated Press

LOSANGELES Los Ange-

les Mayor Karen Bass lifted acurfewindowntown Los Angeles on Tuesday that was imposed in response to clashes with police, looting and vandalism amidprotests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the city

Thecurfewset in place June 10 provided “successfulcrime prevention and suppression efforts” andprotected stores, restaurants, businesses and residents, the Democratic mayor said.

On Monday,she trimmed back curfew hours after a dropinarrests in the area. The curfew covered a relatively tinyslice of the sprawlingcity—the area

of concern was concentrated in asection of downtownwhere thelooting and vandalism occurred.

Bass faulted arelatively smallgroupof“bad actors who do notcareabout the immigrant community,” a nod to thousands of protesters whoexercised theirrightspeacefully

On June 8, thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to Trump’sdeployment of theNational Guard, blocking off amajor freeway as lawenforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets andﬂash bangs to control thecrowd.

Aday later,police officers used flash bangs andshotprojectilesas they pushedprotesters through apopulardowntown commercial area where bystanders andres-

taurant workers rushed to get out of their way. Someprotesters set off ﬁreworks and threw water bottlesatthe ofﬁcers, yelling, “Shame!”

Photos capturedseveral Waymo robotaxis set on ﬁre

Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troopsand 700 Marinestothe nation’ssecond-largest city following protests over his stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws. On Sunday,Trumpdirected federal immigration ofﬁcials to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities, amove thatcomes afterlarge protests erupted in Los Angeles and other major citiesagainst hisadministration’simmigration policies.

Next-level emergencycare, righthere

Everyday there’snew evidence of East JeffersonGeneral Hospital’s commitmentto providing the highest levelofhealthcaretoour community.For example, on May14, we opened our newexpanded andupgradedEmergency Department, offeringincreased capacityand enhanced efficiency,ensuring patientsreceive timely, high-quality treatment whentheyneed it most.The newfacility features 62 treatmentcareareas.For patients, that means shorterwaits and faster access to emergency care.Plus,we’re better equipped to meet thediverse needs of ourpatientswithkey additions,likeadedicated mother/baby suite, an orthopedic traumaroom, andaseparateﬁrst-ﬂoor pedestrian entrancewithtemporary parking. At East Jeff,our next levelisnow! Learn moreatejgh.org/emergency.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By OLGA FEDOROVA Newyork CityComptroller Brad Landerisplacedunderarrest by

TENSIONS

worstpeople Iknow.”Cossé said Carubba called him an expletive, to which he responded, “hit me.”

Board member DeborahSettoon encouraged them both to stand down.

The confrontation followed a heated meetinginwhich Carubba alleged that the board forwhat is ofﬁcially known as the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East had failed in its duties before he was appointed.

Government watchdog groups haveexpressed concern andbewilderment over the overhaul beingpursued by Carubba, though he and Guidry have defended their approachasnecessary.

“None of these board members did anything,” Carubba saidduringthe meeting. “So you canridicule me all you want. The governor put me here to do the right thing, and that’sexactly what we’re doing.”

The other board members took serious issue with Carubba’s characterization of theirwork. Theynoted that the boardhad performed its duties with the seriousness that the task of ﬂood protection in New Orleans deserves, and hadrecently been praised by InsuranceCommissioner Tim Temple,who wrote that avisit to the ﬂood protection authority“left me in awe” of the agency

The meeting was the last for two board members, Cossé andRichardDuplantier. Thegovernordid notsendDuplantier’snametothe Senate to be conﬁrmed for anadditional term earlier this month, effectively removing him from the board when his termends at the end of the month. Cossé is termlimited and his ﬁnal termalsoexpires this month.

Both took the opportunity to speak candidly as theylefttheir posts.

“Itisreally important for you andthe public to understand that thenarrative that we’re better protectednow is notaccurate,” Duplantiersaid. “Theworkofdevelopingthisinfrastructure and themaintenance programs andthe mechanical systems and the operations that havebeen adopted over thelast 15 years and implemented didnot happen overnight.”

Duplantier stressed that the ﬂood protection system is strongerthisyear because of recent repairs, “not because oneperson was helicoptered into this agency sixor eight monthsago,” he said.

“I canassure you that I’m going to stayengaged in making sure that we getback to the business of ﬂood protection and get thepolitics outofﬂood protection,” he added.

Cossé echoed Duplantier’sstatement. “We’re in good shape,” he said. “I just pray we can keep it that way.”

Themeeting then descendedinto aseriesofaccusationsand counteraccusations, including some impossible to verify Carubba erupted after their statements, alleging that the board hadmishandledcontracts. He accused the board of failing to take action after staff members were called “names that start with an ‘N,’”and of failing to act on alegislative auditor’sreport that foundthatabout afifth of employees hadexperienced or witnessed age or racial discrimination in the past year.The report in question, issued in 2022, indicates that the agency did re-

spond to issues it raised. He accused Settoon of attemptingtohire afriend of hers for a position at the agency; Settoon said she had brought him forward as aqualiﬁed candidate. Carubba accused Cossé of giving out acontract for more than $30,000 for aprojectthat yielded no work; Cossésaid the agency’s police chief, Joshua Rondeno, killed the contract andensured no work was done.

Settoon shotback thatCarubba hadmaderemarks of asexualnature to at leasttwo women at the agency.Carubba saidshe had no proof.

“We’re better protected than we’ve ever been,” Carubba said.

“You can laugh all you want.”

With hurricaneseason under-

way,the board is without aregional director,the top staffposition at theagency. The agency received 26 applications forthe position, Settoonsaidduringthe meeting. Twocandidates hadwithdrawn. She saidthat Carubba hadnot cooperated with the board in hiring a new director Carubba said thatone of those candidates had “liedabout him knowing me,” adding that “I called him out on it during the interview and stopped the interview.” Thenine-memberboard is itselfshort-handed.Fourboard members have resignedinrecentmonths over Carubba’s leadership at the agency.The agency’s nominating committee, which recommends board members to thegovernorfor his approval, is scheduled to meet on Wednesday.

The board did, however,manage to approve itsemergencystorm plan, which lays outresponsibilities in theevent of ahurricane. It had failed to do so last month because the board lacked aquorum and did not meet. The board also conﬁrmedmillage rates for the East JeffersonLevee District, keepingthemthe same as they had previously been, and approved a payment to theU.S.Army Corps of Engineerstofortify levees along Lake Pontchartrain.

After themeeting,Carubba called Cossé a“feeble old man” and threatened to sue Settoon fordefamation. “Defamationof what?” Settoon responded.

As for Guidry —towhom Carubba haspreviouslysaidhereports even though Guidry holds no ofﬁcial position at the agency —he said he had not watched the meeting.

“I’m in the Bahamas on my big yacht. Ihad no clue there was a meeting,”Guidry said.“Ihaven’t talked to Roy(Carubba) in two months.”

Email AlexLubben at alex. lubben@theadvocate.com.

Continued from page1A

choice” for the U.S. Senate.

At the StateCapitol, he has championed some hallmark conservative causes, including gun rights and antiimmigration policies.

He’sspearheaded Louisiana’spassage of permitless concealedcarry lawsand last year sponsored legislation to ban “sanctuary” immigration policies.

This year,healsosponsored Make AmericaHealthy Againlegislation that bans some ultra-processed ingredients in food at schools

In responsetoMiguez’s announcement on Tuesday Cassidy defended his conservative bonafides and argued he has been an effective senator on issues important to Louisiana.

“I supported the president 90% of the time in his ﬁrst term, which is among the topofall Republican senators,” he said. “He’sgot two Cabinet secretariesthat he would not have unless Ihad gotten them approved.”

Cassidycontinued: “It won’tbethe last attack ad, that’sall Ican say.The more the merrier.”

Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, also aRepublican, in December announced his run for the seat—also by

highlighting Cassidy’simpeachment vote, which he called“ahuge mistake.”

“I thinkthat makeshim ineligible for reelection in astate that’svery,very supportive of President Trump,” he said Fleming onTuesdaytouted his own MAGAcredentials, noting that he wasa foundingmember of the U.S. House Freedom Caucus as amember of Congress, was appointedtothree different positionsinthe ﬁrst Trump administration and won the president’sendorsement when heran for treasurer

“I was part of the development of MAGA,”Fleming said.

Miguez’s candidacy has beenrumoredfor months.

While his announcement isn’t asurprise, it does throw the race “intoacompletetizzy,” said Pearson Cross, aprofessor of Louisiana and American politics at theUniversity of Louisiana at Monroe.

That’sdue to the “vastly” increased chances for arunoff in April’sclosed party primary race, he said Butany outcome is far from certain.

“I think at this moment, all three candidates havea shot at winningthis race depending on their fundraising,” Cross said He elaborated: Cassidy,the incumbent, has amassed asigniﬁcant war

chest, Fleminghas name recognition around Louisianaand thecapacityto fund his own campaign should he choose,and Miguez “is making aname for himself in conservative circles in Louisiana.”

Despite efforts to use Cassidy’simpeachmentvote against him, Cross said the incumbent still stands a chance.

“I think it’stoo early to discount atwo-term senator with asizable war chest, even if it is aclosed primary,” he said. Louisiana lastyear decided to end so-called jungle primaryraces —when all candidates compete against each otheronthe same ballot regardless of party afﬁliation —and instituted closed party primary races for several major elections, including U.S. Senate.

The Aprilelection will be

theﬁrst that sees the2024 changes implemented. Under the new rules,votersregistered as Republican must voteinthe Republican Party primary,and voters registered as Democrat mustvote in theDemocratic

Party primary Unaffiliated voters who register as “no party,” however,can choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary Sammy Wyatt, chiefcompliance and investigation of-

ﬁcer at LSUHealth Shreveport, hasalso announced a bid forCassidy’sseat. Staff writerMark Ballard contributed to this report. Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse pfeil@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

RoyCarubba, presidentofthe

speaks during aboard meeting

Their suggestions go much further on Medicaid than the House by cracking down on strategies states have used to raise more money for their share of Medicaid, which brings in more federal “match” dollars. That would have the effect of transferring the costs from taxpayers around the country to just those in a state.

Ofﬁcials from Louisiana’s largest health systems gave U.S. Sen Bill Cassidy an earful Tuesday morning, both Cassidy and hospital administrators in attendance acknowledged.

“I’m very much conscious of the impact that would have on our providers back home, but that’s the setting in which this is occurring,” Cassidy said after meeting with Louisiana health care ofﬁcials. The Baton Rouge Republican is a member of the Senate Finance Committee and chair of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee

“States have gotten incredibly greedy about pulling down money from the federal taxpayer as governors and legislatures have decided to spend their own dollars on things besides Medicaid,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy said the tax breaks in the bill will energize the U.S. economy and Louisiana workers.

Cassidy and the hospital executives note that the bill as released serves as a base for negotiations and is a long way from the shape it’ll be in when the legislation heads to the ﬂoor for Senate passage.

But the language now has worried hospitals in rural areas of the state, whose patients are mostly on Medicaid, said Jeff Reynolds, executive director for the Louisiana Rural Hospital Coalition.

center, administrator

“Right now, the way the bill reads,” Reynolds said, “all my member hospitals would have to see what programs they could reduce and what layoffs they’d have to order to stabilize” their ﬁnances. In particular, wording was changed to require “state directed payments” for Medicaid programs to equal the rate paid for Medicare, which is the federal health care program for the elderly The rules now allow the upper limit of those payments to be calculated from the average commercial rate for hospitals and nursing facilities. For Louisiana, the rural hospitals are set to receive $245 million in the state’s budget for the ﬁscal year the money coming primarily from the “state directed payments” the bill targets — to help offset providing health care services that cost more than the amount Medicaid covers. If the Senate’s proposed

the

legislation becomes law, equalizing those payments with the Medicare rate would immediately drop the amount the state receives to $211 million. Then the federal government would start withholding 10% annually until the calculated rate equals the Medicare rate.

Eventually payments would drop to about $128 million annually, Reynolds said. State legislators would have to cover the difference or they could cut Medicaid services

“Senate Republicans are actively looking at ways to support rural hospitals,” Cassidy said. “As a doctor who worked in the charity hospital system, seeing referrals from rural parishes, I understand the importance of these hospitals and will work to maintain them in

Louisiana and elsewhere.”

Additionally, the Senate Finance Committee basically reduced the amount a state can tax hospitals, clinics and other health care providers from 6% to 3.5%. Louisiana and most other states use the taxes to offset the portion they owe for services rendered, which leads the federal government picking

more of the costs.

Nobody knows for sure how much this provision would cost the state treasury, but lowering those percentages would shift the burden of raising the state’s match to the state’s taxpayers.

“Frankly, states have backed out of their commitment to the Medicaid pro-

gram and use provider taxes to replace the state commitment with federal taxpayer dollars. When we say federal taxpayer dollars that’s you and me,” Cassidy said. Less in the regulatory weeds is the proposed change likely to attract the most attention: Able-bodied adults with children over the age of 14 years are going to have to work or volunteer at least 80 hours a month to qualify for the health insurance program. The House’s work requirement was only for childless adults. In the House version, the Congressional Budget Office estimated about 5 million beneficiaries would lose their Medicaid mostly from being unable to keep up with the paperwork and confusion over the qualifications. Those estimates likely would grow as the numbers required to work increases dramatically in the Senate version House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, has repeatedly asked senators to take a light hand in the changes they make, pointing out that House leadership crafted the bill’s provisions to win over GOP reps who had opposed the legislation. The measure passed the House in May by a single vote. Johnson’s staff on Tuesday said the speaker wasn’t ready to comment on the Senate’s ideas for changes. Senate leadership hopes to get a vote on the bill next week and begin negotiations with the House on final language and deliver to Trump by July 4.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

Sponsored: Howenergy taxcredits arepowering Louisiana’sfuture–and what’s at risk without continuedsupport

In neighborhoodsacrossLouisiana,energy taxcredits arehelping redefinewhatdevelopment lookslike. Butthe future of this work is nowinjeopardy, as Congress looksatpotentially ending thevery incentives that have made majornew investmentsacrossthe statepossible. Nowhereisthatmission more visiblethanin NewOrleans,where GreenCoast Enterprises recently partneredwithNOLAPublicSchools andcommunity solardeveloper WorkingPower on afirst-of-its-kindproject.Solar installations on twocharter school campuses—G.W.Carver High School andAbramsonSci Academy—will provideanestimated $8.6 millioninenergy savingsoverthe life of theproject This6.7-megawattcommunitysolarinitiative will deliverdiscountedelectricity to around 1,400households, primarilyfamiliesserved by theschooldistrict. “Thisisabout giving our communitiesadirectbenefitfromclean energy,” Jackie Dadakis, CEOofGreen CoastEnterprises,explains. “We’re notjust making the grid reliable—we’re making it more affordable.” Theproject also creates workforceopportunities throughpartnershipswithThriveNew Orleans, SolarAlternativesand Neighborhood Sun, blending cleanenergydevelopment with localjob creationand subscriber support.

ButDadakis is clear: none of this wouldhave been feasible withoutthe taxcredits.“We’ve builtamodel that works—onethatdelivers

for families,schools,and thecity—butifthe rugispulledout from under us,it’sgoing to be extremelydifficult to scalethese projects and bringthe same beneﬁtstoother communities. GreenCoast’s reach extendsfar beyond New Orleans. Thecompany is currentlyundertaking a$16 millionredevelopment of ahistoricbuildingindowntownLakeCharles,transforming it into amixed-use hubfor localbusinesses, food serviceand office space. Like allGCE projects this onewillfeature energy-efficientdesignand acommitmenttobuildinglocal partnerships Fora stateasvulnerabletoclimate change as Louisiana, more andcleaner energy is not optional—it’sessential.But theprogressmade in recent yearsisfragile

“We’ve seen ﬁrsthand howfederal investment cantransform what’s possible,” Dadakis says.“Withoutthose incentives,manyofthe projects we’redevelopingnow wouldsimply notbeviable.

AsCongressdebatesthefutureofcleanenergy funding, GreenCoast Enterprisescontinues to push forward. Butthe stakes arehigh.

“Energytax creditshaveempowered local organizationslikeourstobebold, to thinkbig, andtobuild realpartnerships with schools, cities,and communitygroups,”Dadakis says “Cutting that supportnow wouldstall progress andhurtthe very people theseinvestments are meanttohelp.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Mehmet Oz,

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is joined by Republican senators as they speak to reporters following closed-door policy meetings at the Capitol on Tuesday.

Trumpcalls forIransurrender

Israel says topIranian general killed in latest roundofattacks

BY JOSEPH KRAUSS, JON GAMBRELL and NATALIE MELZER Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

Israel claimed Tuesdayto have killed atop Iranian general as it tradedmore strikes with its longtime foe, and U.S. President DonaldTrump warned Tehran’s residents to evacuatewhile demanding that Iran surrender without conditions.

Trump left the Group of Seven summit in Canada a day early to deal with the conﬂict between Israel and Iran, telling reporters:“I’m not looking at aceasefire. We’re looking at better than aceaseﬁre.”

When asked to explain,he said the U.S. wanted to see “a real end” to the conﬂict that could involve Iran “givingupentirely.”Headded: “I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate.”

Later on social media, he warned Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that the U.S. knows where he is hidingand called forIran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.” It was not clear whether that was asuggestion for Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Trump posted that there were no plans to kill Khamenei “at least not for now.”

Despite warning that U.S. “patience is wearing thin,” he indicated that diplomatic talks remained an option, and said he could send Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with the Iranians Iran offered no immediate response to the president’s posts, but the country’s military leaders vowedthat Israel would soon see more attacks.

“The operations carried out so far havebeen solely for the purpose of warning and deterrence,” Gen. Abdul Rahim Mousavi, the commander in chief of Iran’s army,said in avideo. “The punishment operation will be carried out soon.”

Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the evolving situation over the phone on Tuesday, according to aWhite House official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spokeonthe condition of anonymity Uncertainty roiled the region on the fifth day of Israel’sair campaignaimed at Iran’smilitary and nuclear program. Residents of Tehran fled their homes in droves.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog for the ﬁrst time said Israeli strikes on Iran’smain uranium-enrichment facility at Natanz had also damaged its main underground centrifuge facility,not just an above-ground facility,as previously acknowledged Israel says its sweeping assaultisnecessaryto pre-

vent Iran from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon. The strikeshave killed at least 224 people in Iran

Iran has retaliated by launching some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far,24people have beenkilled in Israel.

Iran did not immediately comment on the reported killing in TehranofGen.Ali Shadmani, whom Israel described as the mostsenior military commander Shadmani was littleknown in the country before being appointed last week to achief-of-staff-like role as head of theparamilitary RevolutionaryGuard’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters. The appointment followed thekillingof hispredecessor,Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, in an Israeli strike.

Israelimilitary spokesman Brig. Gen. Efﬁe Defrin announcedanew wave of strikes on Tuesday evening asexplosions and anti-aircraft fire boomed throughout Tehran, shakingbuildings. The Israeli military said its warplanes had targeted 12 missile launchsites andstorage facilities. It said the Israeli AirForce was conducting strikes around Tehran early Wednesday

Israel’smilitary warned thepopulation to stay close to shelters as Iran fired new salvos of missiles, but ofﬁcialssaidmost were intercepted. Sirens blared in southern Israel, includingin the desert town of Dimona, the heart of Israel’sneveracknowledged nuclear arms program. Iran launchedanother barrage early Wednesday. Israeli rescue services had no immediate reports of injuries.

The U.S. StateDepartment announced that the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will remain closed through Friday due to “the current security situation and ongoingconﬂict between Israel andIran.”

Iranhas ﬁred fewer missiles in each of its barrages, with ahandfullaunched late Tuesday.Ithas not explained the drop in missiles fired, but the decline comesafter Israel targeted many Iranianlaunchers.

Trumpwarnedonsocial media that “everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran,” echoing an earlier Israeli military call for some 330,000 residents of adowntown neighborhood there to evacuate.

Tehran is one of the largest cities in theMiddle East, with around 10 million people,roughlyequivalent to Israel’s entire population. Peoplehavebeen fleeing since hostilities began. Asked whyhehad urged theevacuation, Trump said: “I just want people tobe safe.”

DowntownTehranemptiedout early Tuesday,with many shops shuttered, as wellasthe ancientGrand Bazaar,whichhas closed only in timesofcrisis, such as during the 2022 anti-government protests and the coronavirus pandemic.

On the roads out of Tehran to thewest, trafﬁc stood bumper to bumper.Many middle- andupper-class Iranians were headed to theCaspian Sea, apopular getaway spot.Long lines snaked fromTehran’sgas stations.

Iranianauthoritiesappeared to be curbing the public’saccess to the outside world. Phoneand internet service was disrupted, with landline phones unable to receive or dial international calls. NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, reported that it had detected asigniﬁcant drop in internet trafﬁc from thecountry Iran,whichhas restricted importantcommunications tools in past nationwide protests and during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war,did notacknowledge anyrestrictions.

International websites appeared to be blocked, but local websites were functioning, likely signaling that Iranhad turned on thesocalled “halal net,” its locally controlledversionofthe internet aimed at limiting what the public can see.

Iran’sstate TV on Tuesday urged thepublic to remove the messagingapp WhatsApp from their cellphones, alleging without evidence that the app gathered user information to send to Israel.

In astatement, WhatsApp said it was concerned that “these false reports will be an excusefor our services to be blocked at atime when people need them the most.”

TheInternational Atomic Energy Agencysaid it believed thatIsrael’sﬁrst aerial attacksonIran’sNatanz enrichment site haddirectly affected the facility’sunder-

ground centrifuge facility.

Satellite imagerycollected after Friday’sattacks showed “additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls,” the watchdog said.

The IAEA earlier reported that Israeli strikeshad destroyed an above-ground enrichment hall at Natanz and knocked out electrical equipment that powered the facility,which is 135 miles southeast of Tehran.

Most of Iran’senrichment takes place underground to protect from airstrikes.

Israel has struck Natanz repeatedly and claims to have hurt itsunderground facilities,which expertsassess contain 10,000 centrifuges that enrich uranium up to 60%.

Iranmaintains itsnuclear program is peaceful, and the U.S. andothershaveassessed that Tehran hasnot hadanorganized effort to pursue anuclear weapon

since 2003. But the IAEA has repeatedly warned that the country has enough enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs should it choose to do so.

While Netanyahu claimed MondaythatIsraeli strikes on Iran’snuclear sites have set thecountry’s nuclear program back a“very,very long time,” Israel has not been able to reach Iran’s Fordo uranium enrichment facility,which is builtdeep into amountainside.

easy to use, especially in homeswithchildren.

“AtManningFamilyChildren’s, we see ﬁrst-handthe impact that gunviolencehas on children andhow it changesfamiliesforever With ourgun safety program, we’reproud to standbesidesurvivors,grassrootsleaders,and public health partners workingtowardlasting change,” said Manning Family Children’s Presidentand CEO, LucioA.Fragoso.“Families don’tjustreceivea safe—theyleave with the toolsand knowledgetheyneedtomaketheir homessafer forkids.

Asthe only verifiedLevel II PediatricTrauma Center servingGreater NewOrleans,Manning Family Children’s caresfor approximatelyone childper week whoisdirectlyimpactedby gunviolence–inits EmergencyDepartment, OperatingRooms,and IntensiveCareUnits Witha physician-ledapproach, thehospital haspartnered with theCityofNew Orleans andcommunity partners since2023tochange thestatisticssurrounding gunviolenceand children,bringinglifesavingresources directly to families Througha pioneering gunsafetyprogram, ManningFamilyChildren’shas emergedasa national modelfor community-basedfirearm safety,distributing more than 2,000biometric gunsafes andreachingfamiliesacrossseven high-riskzip codesinJeffersonand Orleans Parish sincethe programfirstlaunched. The program, supportedbyAmericanRescuePlan fundsthrough theCityofNew Orleans, grants andphilanthropic contributions, wasrecently featured in theChildrenHospitalAssociation’s national report on firearm injury prevention efforts,and thehospitalwas also invitedto participateinaWhite Houseforum on gun safety just last year Gunviolenceisthe leading causeofdeath for children.Asaleader in childhealthand wellbeing, ManningFamilyChildren’sbelievesit hasa responsibilitytohelpprevent this public health crisis –aimingtokeepkidssafe, andto keep guns outofthe handsofkids.

In collaborationwiththe NewOrleans Health Department’s Office of Violence Prevention,UbuntuVillage andthe NOLA Peace Ambassadors,Manning Family Children’s takesacomprehensive approach to ﬁrearm injury prevention.The initiativeofferstrauma-informedgun safety education, anddistributes free biometrics gunsafes with afocus on gunviolencehotspotsand neighborhoodswith high childpopulationdensity.Biometric gun safeswerechosenbased on data showingthat gunownersfound them themostsecure and

Sincelaunching, thehospitalhas participated in more than 100community events workingalongside earlylearningcenters,juvenile justiceprograms, communityevents, and even thehospital’sImmunization Bustobring gunsafetyresources into thecommunity –wheretheyare needed most.Whengun violence occurs in aneighborhood, theManningFamily Children’s team canquickly coordinate realtime responseevents, distributingsafes and educationalmaterials within days Sincethe inceptionofthe program, more than 2,200safes have been distributed,and thehospitalworks to follow-upwithrecipients. Feedback from follow-upsurveys tracks participants’knowledge retention, actionstaken to improvegun safety at home,behavioralchanges regardingﬁrearmstorage,and overallsatisfaction with theprogram.Familiesoverwhelminglyreportthattheyfeeltheir children are nowsafer in theirhomes afterreceivinga gun safe,and that they areusing them Families whoare residentsofOrleans Parish andare interested in participatingin theprogram canregisterfor agun safe online at manningchildrens.org/besmart.The hospital’sinjuryprevention team will follow-upwith educationand detailsabout upcoming gunsafe distribution events

ManningFamilyChildren’sremains committedtoprotectingNew Orleanschildren—one neighborhood,one family andone safe at atime.

Smoke rises from the

Lawmakersnamed by suspected Minn.shooter vownot to bowdown

BY RIO YAMAT and HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press

From alegislator in downtown Minneapolis to aveteran Ohio congresswoman, many lawmakers included in the suspected Minnesota gunman’swritings and list oftargets have vowed not to bowdown. Vance Boelter,57, wascharged with federal murder and stalking, along with state charges,following anearly two-day search that culminated in his capture in the woods near his home.

He is suspected of shooting and killing former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortmanand her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday.Heisalso accused of wounding Democratic Sen.John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. The dozens of politiciansincluded in Boelter’swritings were Democrats, according to actingU.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson.Authorities said the writings containedthe names of about 45 Minnesota state and federal elected officials but have not identified them publicly Members of Congress from at least five other Midwest states said law enforcement told them that their names were in Boelter’s writings. They included U.S. Sen.Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsinand U.S. Reps.EmanuelCleaver of Missouri and Nikki Budzinski of Illinois. Authorities havenot provideda motive for the shootings.Manny Atwal, Boelter’slead attorney,declined to comment, saying the office just got the case.

Minn. Rep. Esther Agbaje Agbaje spent the weekend with friends and family after learning that her name wasonBoelter’slist and said she is still trying to make sense of the violence.

Since his arrest, the lawmaker, whose district includes portions of northern and downtownMinneapolis, has returned home. Shesaidshe now feels “more committed than ever” to her work as alegislator

“Wecannot allow people to divide us and then use violence to keep up those divisions,” she said.

Mich.Rep.DebbieDingell

Aday after Dingelllearned her

name was included in Boelter’swriting, she held atown hall Mondayin ahigh schoolauditorium in Dexter

“Wecannot let terror terrorize us,” she told theaudience, who cheered.Dingell, who represents theAnn Arborarea, said some people wanted her to cancel the event After thetown hall, she reﬂected on her habitofgoing outinpublic without her staff because she always wants people to be able to talk with her.After the shooting, law enforcement ofﬁcers have toldher to be more careful.

“Wecan’tlet elected ofﬁcials be cut off,” she said. “Wecan’t letelected ofﬁcials become afraid.”

“Look, I’m going to keep fighting for the people that Irepresent I’m going to keep being avoice for those that want me to make sure their voice is heardatthe table,” she added.

Minn. stateSen.Ann Rest

Rest, who represents New Hope in Hennepin County,said she was made awarethat the suspect had been parked near her home early Saturday.She said in astatement Monday that the“quickaction”of lawenforcement ofﬁcers saved her life. While she was grateful forthe suspect’sapprehension, she noted in the statement that shewas grieving the loss of the Hortmans andpraying for the Hoffmans’ recovery

Mich.Rep.Hillary Scholten Scholten,who representsGrand Rapids, said she waspostponing a Monday townhall after learning she was apotential target.

“Out of an abundance of caution andtonot divert additional law enforcementresources away from

Members of law enforcement agencies search for shooting suspect, Vance Boelter,ata house Sunday in Belle Plaine, Minn.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By

GEORGEWALKER IV

protecting the broader public at this time,this is the responsible choice,” Scholten said in astatement.

Ohio Rep. MarcyKaptur

Kaptur’soffice said in astatement that hername was included in Boelter’swriting but thatitwill notget in theway of herwork“to make life better for families across NorthwestOhio.”

“Uplifting those whoshe hasthe honor to serve has been her sole focusevery singleday she has served and nothing will deter her from doing so now,” the statementsaid.

Minn.Rep.AlexFalconer

Falconer,whose district includes aportionofthe Twin Cities, said he woke up Saturday while on vacation withhis wife and kids to aﬂurry of text messagesabout theshootings. Thepolicechief then called to warn him about alist of targets.

Falconer said he later learned he wasn’tonthe list,but his family decided to stayaway until the suspect was in custody.The police chief increased patrolsinhis neighborhood andstationeda police caroutsideof his house, he said.

While thequestionofwhether to stayinpolitics was top of mind for him this weekend, Falconer said, “Theywin if we quit.”

Falconer and his Democratic colleagues in theMinnesotaHouse gathered at the Capitol on Monday to seek comfortinone another and share storiesofHortman, Falconer said. It was the ﬁrst time theycould meet since the shooting because they had been toldbylaw enforcement to notleavetheir homes while the suspect remainedat-large, he said.

BY MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

BOSTON Afederal judge has blocked the Trumpadministration from limiting passport sex markers for many transgender and nonbinary Americans.

Tuesday’sruling from U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick means that transgender or nonbinary people whoare without apassport or need to apply for anew onecan request amale, femaleor“X” identification marker rather than being limited to the marker that matches the gender assigned at birth.

In an executive order signed in January, the president used anarrow deﬁnition of the sexes instead of abroader conception of gender

The order said aperson is male or female and rejected the idea that someone can transition from the sex assigned at birth to another gender

Kobick ﬁrst issued apreliminary injunction against the policylast month, but that ruling applied only to six people who joinedwith the American Civil Liberties Union in alawsuit over the passport policy

In Tuesday’sruling she agreed to expand the injunctiontoinclude transgender or nonbinary peoplewho are currently without avalid passport, those whosepassportisexpiringwithin ayear, and those who need to apply for apassport because theirswas lost or stolen or because they need to change their name or sex designation.

The WhiteHouse did not immediately respond to arequest for comment.

Thegovernment failedto show thatblocking its policy would cause it any constitutional injury,Kobick wrote, or harm the executive branch’srelations with other countries.

Thetransgenderand nonbinary people covered by the preliminary injunction, meanwhile, have shownthatthe passport policyviolates their constitutional rights to equalprotection,

Kobick said.

“Even assuming apreliminary injunction inﬂicts some constitutionalharmonthe Executive Branch, such harm is theconsequence of theState Department’sadoption of aPassport Policythatlikely violatesthe constitutional rights of thousands of Americans,” Kobick wrote.

Kobick, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, sided with the ACLU’smotion for apreliminary injunction, which stays the action while the lawsuit plays out.

“The Executive Order and the PassportPolicyontheirface classify passport applicants on the basis of sexand thus must be reviewed underintermediate judicial scrutiny,” Kobick wrote in the preliminary injunction issued earlier this year.“That standard requires the government to demonstrate that its actions are substantially related to an importantgovernmental interest. The government has failed to meet this standard.” In its lawsuit, the ACLU described how one woman had her passport returnedwith amale designation while others are too scared to submit their passports because they fear their applications might be suspended and their passports held by the State Department.

Another mailed in theirpassport Jan. 9and requested to change their name and their sex designation from male to female. That person wasstill waiting for their passport, the ACLU said in the lawsuit, and feared missing afamily wedding and a botany conference this year In response to the lawsuit, the Trump administration argued that the passport policy change “does not violate the equal protection guarantees of theConstitution.”

It also contendedthatthe president has broad discretion in setting passport policyand that plaintiffs would notbeharmed since they are still free to travel abroad.

Senate passes crypto regulations

BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI, MARY CLARE JALONICK and ALAN SUDERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would regulate a form of cryptocurrency known as stablecoins, the first of what the industry hopes will be a wave of bills to bolster its legitimacy and reassure consumers.

The fast-moving legislation, which passed by a 6830 vote and will be sent to the House for potential revisions, comes on the heels of a 2024 campaign cycle in which the crypto industry ranked among the top political spenders in the country, underscoring its growing inﬂuence in Washington and beyond.

Eighteen Democratic senators crossed the aisle to vote for the legislation on Tuesday, siding with the Republican majority in the 53-47 Senate. Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Rand Paul were the only members of their party to oppose the measure It was the second major bipartisan bill to advance through the Senate this year, following the Laken Riley Act on immigration enforcement in January Still, most Democrats op-

posed the bill. They raised concerns that the measure does little to address President Donald Trump’s personal financial interests in the crypto space

“We weren’t able to include certainly everything we would have wanted, but it was a good bipartisan effort,” said Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md. on Monday. Alsobrooks, a co-sponsor of the bill, added, “This is an unregulated area that will now be regulated.”

Sen. Bill Hagerty R-Tenn., the bill’s sponsor, said on the Senate ﬂoor ahead of the vote that the legislation will have “far reaching implications” for the ﬁnancial system a “paradigm shifting development” that he believes will bring it into the 21st century

“With this bill, the United States is a step closer to being a global leader in crypto,” Hagerty said.

Known as the GENIUS Act, the bill would establish guardrails and consumer protections for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency typically pegged to the U.S dollar The acronym stands for “Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins.”

The bill only needed a simple majority vote to pass Tuesday, after it had already

cleared its biggest procedural hurdle last week in a 68-30 vote, with 18 Democrats siding with Republicans. But the bill has faced more resistance than initially expected.

Trump’s stake in crypto

There is a provision in the bill that bans members of Congress and their families from profiting off stablecoins. But that prohibition does not extend to the president and his family, even as Trump builds a crypto empire from the White House.

Last month, the Republican president hosted a private dinner at his golf club in Virginia with top investors in a Trump-branded meme coin. His family holds a significant stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto project that launched its own stablecoin, USD1.

Trump reported earning $57.35 million from token sales at World Liberty Financial in 2024, according to a public ﬁnancial disclosure released Friday A meme coin linked to him has generated an estimated $320 million in fees, though the earnings are split among multiple investors.

The administration is broadly supportive of crypto’s growth and its integration into the economy. Ahead

of Tuesday’s vote, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged the Senate to pass the bill, saying it could help stablecoins “grow into a $3.7 trillion market by the end of the decade.”

Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase the nation’s largest crypto exchange and a major advocate for the bill has met with Trump and praised his early moves on crypto. This past weekend, Coinbase was among the more prominent brands that sponsored a parade in Washington commemorating the Army’s 250th anniversary — an event that coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday But the crypto industry emphasizes that they view the legislative effort as bipartisan, pointing to champions on each side of the aisle.

“The GENIUS Act will be the most signiﬁcant digital assets legislation ever to pass the U.S. Senate,” Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., said ahead of a key vote last week. “It’s the product of months of bipartisan work.”

Some Democrats object The bill did hit one rough patch in early May, when a bloc of Senate Democrats who had previously sup-

ported the bill reversed course and voted to block it from advancing. That prompted new negotiations involving Senate Republicans, Democrats and the White House, which ultimately produced the compromise version that won passage Tuesday

Alsobrooks said “many, many changes” were made during negotiations and “it’s a much better deal because we were all at the table.”

Ahead of the vote Tuesday GOP Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis said that she is “OK” with where the stablecoin legislation has landed after negotiations.

“I’m not thrilled with it, but it’s OK,” said Lummis, one of the bill’s co-sponsors Still, the bill leaves unresolved concerns over presidential conﬂicts of interest — an issue that remains a source of tension within the Democratic caucus.

“Passing the GENIUS Act without strong anti-corruption measures stamps a Congressional seal of approval on President Trump selling access to the government for personal profit,” Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley said in a statement after the bill’s passage Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has been among

the most outspoken as the ranking member on the Senate Banking Committee, warning that the bill creates a “super highway” for Trump corruption. She has also warned that the bill would allow major technology companies, such as Amazon and Meta, to launch their own stablecoins.

Among the Democrats who backed the bill was ﬁrst-term Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who received $10 million in support from a crypto political action committee during her Michigan race last year Slotkin acknowledged the bill “wasn’t perfect” but called it a “good-faith, bipartisan start” to regulating stablecoins.

The stablecoin legislation still faces several hurdles before reaching the president’s desk. It must clear the narrowly held Republican majority in the House, where lawmakers may try to attach a broader market structure bill — sweeping legislation that could make passage through the Senate more difﬁcult.

Trump has said he wants stablecoin legislation on his desk before Congress breaks for its August recess, now just under 50 days away

BY MARCIA DUNN AP aerospace writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

— A pair of European satellites have created the first artificial solar eclipses by flying in precise and fancy formation, providing hours of on-demand totality for scientists.

The European Space Agency released the eclipse pictures at the Paris Air Show on Monday Launched late last year, the orbiting duo have churned out simulated solar eclipses since March while zooming tens of thousands of miles above Earth.

during the two-year mission, yielding more than 1,000 hours of totality That will be a scientiﬁc bonanza since full solar eclipses produce just a few minutes of totality when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun on average just once every 18 months.

The sun continues to mystify scientists, especially its corona, which is hotter than the solar surface. Coronal mass ejections result in billions of tons of plasma and magnetic fields being hurled out into space. Geomagnetic storms can result, disrupting power and communication while lighting up the night sky with auroras in unexpected locales. While previous satellites have generated imitation solar eclipses — including the European Space Agency and NASA’s Solar Orbiter and Soho observatory — the sun-blocking disk was always on the same spacecraft as the corona-observing telescope. Two

Flying 492 feet apart, one satellite blocks the sun like the moon does during a natural total solar eclipse as the other aims its telescope at the corona, the sun’s outer atmosphere that forms a crown or halo of light It’s an intricate, prolonged dance requiring extreme precision by the cube-shaped spacecraft, less than 5 feet in size. Their ﬂying accuracy needs to be within a mere millimeter the thickness of a ﬁngernail. This meticulous positioning is achieved autonomously through GPS navigation, star trackers, lasers and radio links.

Dubbed Proba-3, the $210 million mission has generated 10 successful solar eclipses so far during the ongoing checkout phase. The longest eclipse lasted five hours, said the Royal Observatory of Belgium’s Andrei Zhukov, the lead scientist for the orbiting corona-observing telescope. He and his team are aiming for a wondrous six hours of totality per eclipse once scientiﬁc observations begin in July

Scientists already are thrilled by the preliminary results that show the corona without the need for any special image processing,

said Zhukov

“We almost couldn’t believe our eyes,” Zhukov said in an email. “This was the ﬁrst try, and it worked. It was so incredible.” Zhukov anticipates an average of two solar eclipses per week being produced for a total of nearly 200

Notice is hereby givenpursuanttoArticle 7, Section23(C) of theLouisiana Constitution andR.S. 47:1705(B) and47:1705.1 that apublic hearingof theBoard of Commissioners forSt. TammanyFireProtectionDistrictNo. 13 will be heldatCouncil Chambers forthe St.Tammany Parish Councillocated at 21490 Koop Dr., Mandeville,LA, on Monday,July 21, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. to consider levyingadditional or increasedmillagerates withoutfurther voterapprovaloradoptingthe adjusted millagerates after reassessment androlling forwardto ratesnot to exceed theprior year’s maximum. Theestimated amount of taxrevenues to be collectedinthe next year from the increasedmillageis$4,926,199 andthe estimatedamountofincreaseis$423,638.

DisgracedformerSen.

BobMenendezarrives at prison to beginsentence

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRYNEUMEISTER Associated Press

NEW YORK Former U.S.

Sen. Bob Menendez arrived at afederal prison on Tuesday to begin serving an 11year sentence for accepting bribes of gold and cash and acting as an agent of Egypt. The New Jersey Democrat has been mocked for the crimes as “Gold Bar Bob,” according to his own lawyer

Thefederal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that Menendez was in custody at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkillin Minersville, Pennsylvania

The facility has amediumsecurity prison and aminimum-security prison camp. Giventhe white-collarnature of his crimes, it’slikely he’ll end up in the camp.

The prison is about 118 miles west of New York City.It’shome to about 1,200 inmates, including ex-New York City organized crime boss James Coonan and former gas station owner Gurmeet Singh Dhinsa, whom the New York Postdubbed “Gas-Station Gotti” for his ruthless, violent ways. Menendez, 71,maintains hisinnocence. Last week afederal appeals court rejected his last-ditch effort to remain free on bail while he ﬁghts to get his briberyconviction overturned. Athreejudge panel on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied his bail motion.

Pleading for leniency, Menendez told ajudge at his sentencing in January: “I am far from aperfect man. Ihave made more than my share of mistakes and bad decisions. I’ve done far more goodthan bad.” Menendez has also appeared to be angling fora pardon from PresidentDonald Trump, aligning himself withthe Republican’scriti-

cisms of the judicial system, particularly in New York City

“Thisprocess is political and it’scorrupted to thecore. Ihope President Trumpcleans up thecesspooland restores theintegrity to thesystem,” Menendez told reporters after his Januarysentencing.

In posts Tuesdayonthe socialplatform Xthat were later deleted, Menendez criticized prosecutorsas politically motivated and opposed to hisforeign policy views andpraised Trump for “rising above the law fare.

Menendez resigned last year after he was convicted of sellinghis clout for bribes.FBI agentsfound $480,000incash inhis home, some of it stuffedinside bootsand jacket pockets, along with gold barsworth an estimated $150,000 and aluxury convertible in the garage

In exchange, prosecutors said, Menendez performed corrupt favors for New Jersey business owners, including protecting them fromcriminal investigations, helping in business deals withforeign powers and meeting with Egyptian intelligence ofﬁcialsbefore helpingEgypt access $300 millioninU.S. military aid.

BY MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH, SAMY MAGDY and JOSEPH KRAUSS

Associated Press

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip At least51Palestinians were killed Tuesday andmore than 200 wounded in the Gaza Strip while waiting for U.N. and commercial trucks to enter the territory with desperatelyneededfood, according to Gaza’sHealth Ministry and alocal hospital.

Palestinian witnesses told The Associated Pressthat Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on anearby home before opening ﬁre toward thecrowd in thesouthern city of Khan Younis.

The Israeli militarysaid soldiers hadspotted agathering near an aid truckthat was stuck in Khan Younis, near whereIsraeli forces were operating. It acknowledged“several casualties” as Israelis opened ﬁre on the approaching crowd and said authorities would investigatewhat happened.

Theshooting didnot appear to be related to anew Israeli- and U.S.-supported aiddelivery networkthat rolled outlast month andhas been marred by controversy and violence.

The U.N. Ofﬁce for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs, or OCHA,saidthe people killedwere waiting for food rationsarriving in U.N. convoys. Also on Tuesday,the main Palestiniantelecomsregulatoryagencybased in the West BankcityofRamallah reported that Israelistrikes had cut off ﬁxed-line phone service and internet access in central and southern Gaza.

‘Aren’twehuman beings?’

Yousef Nofal, an eyewitness, said he saw manypeople motionless and bleeding on the ground after Israeli forces opened fire.“It was amassacre,” he said, adding that thesoldiers continued firing on people as they fled from thearea.

Mohammed AbuQeshfa reported hearing aloud explosion followed by heavy gunﬁre and tank shelling. “I survived by amiracle,” he said.

Thedead andwounded were taken to thecity’s Nasser Hospital, which confirmed 51 people had been killed. Later Tuesday, medical charityMSF raised thedeath toll to 59, saying that another 200 had been woundedwhile trying to receive ﬂour rations in Khan Younis.

SamaherMeqdadwas at thehospital looking for her twobrothers andanephew who had been in thecrowd.

“Wedon’twantflour.We don’twantfood.Wedon’t wantanything,” she said. “Why did they fire at the young people? Why? Aren’t we human beings?”

Palestinians say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened ﬁre on crowdstrying to reach food distribution

points run by aseparate U.S. andIsraeli-backed aidgroup since the centers opened last month. Local health ofﬁcials say scores have been killed and hundreds wounded. In those instances, the Israelimilitary hasacknowledged ﬁring warning shots at people it said had approached its forces in asuspicious manner

Deadly Israeli airstrikes continued elsewhere in the enclave on Tuesday Al-AwdaHospital,amajor medical center in northern Gaza, reported that it has received the bodies of eight Palestinians killed in an Israeli strike on ahouse in the central Bureij refugee camp

Desperationgrows

Israel says the new system operated by aprivate contractor,the GazaHumanitarian Foundation, is designedtoprevent Hamas fromsiphoning offaid to

fund its militant activities. U.N. agencies and major aidgroups deny thereis any major diversion of aid andhaverejectedthe new system, saying it can’tmeet the mounting needsinGaza and that it violates humanitarian principles by allowing Israel to control who has accesstoaid. Experts have warned of famine in the territory that is home to some 2million Palestinians. The U.N.-run network has delivered aidacross Gaza throughout the20-month Israel-Hamas war,but has faced major obstacles sinceIsrael loosened atotalblockadeithad imposed fromearly March until midMay.

U.N. ofﬁcials say Israeli military restrictions, a breakdown of law and order, andwidespread looting makeitdifﬁcult to deliver theaid that Israel hasallowedin.

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Stocks slump and oil prices jump

U.S. stocks slumped on Tuesday under the weight of another jump in the price of oil. It was a return to form for ﬁnancial markets after Wall Street’s worries about Israel’s ﬁghting with Iran had seemed to calm a bit on Monday

The S&P 500 fell 0.8% following signals that the Israel-Iran conﬂict may be worsening and that one of the U.S. economy’s main engines is weakening. The swing sent Wall Street’s main measure of health nearly back to where it started the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 299 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.9%.

Stocks sank under increasing pressure from crude oil prices, which climbed in their latest seesaw move. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude jumped

4.3% to $74.84. Brent crude, the international standard, added 4.4% to $76.45 per barrel.

Their gains accelerated after President Donald Trump raised the temperature on Israel’s ﬁght with Iran by calling for “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” on his social media platform and saying, “We are not going to” kill Iran’s leader, “at least for now.”

Before that, Trump had left a Group of Seven summit early and warned that people in Iran’s capital should evacuate immediately It took only about eight hours for Trump to go from suggesting a nuclear deal with Iran remained “achievable” to urging Tehran’s 9.5 million residents to ﬂee for their lives.

Trump suggests he’ll extend TikTok deadline

President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that he would likely extend a deadline for TikTok’s Chinese owner to divest the popular video sharing app.

Trump had signed an order in early April to keep TikTok running for another 75 days after a potential deal to sell the app to American owners was put on ice.

“Probably yeah, yeah,” he responded when asked by reporters on Air Force One whether the deadline would be extended again.

Trump also said he thinks Xi would “ultimately approve” a deal to divest TikTok’s business in the United States. He indicated in an interview last month with NBC that he would be open to pushing back the deadline again. If announced, it would be the third time Trump has extended the deadline.

Elon Musk’s xAI to be sued over pollution

The NAACP and an environmental group said Tuesday that they intend to sue Elon Musk’s artiﬁcial intelligence company xAI over concerns about air pollution generated by a supercomputer facility located near predominantly Black communities in Memphis.

The xAI data center began operating last year, powered in part by pollution-emitting gas turbines, without ﬁrst applying for a permit. Ofﬁcials have said an exemption allowed them to operate for up to 364 days without a permit But Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Patrick Anderson said at a news conference that there is no such exemption for turbines — and that regardless, it has now been more than 364 days.

A 60-day notice of an intent to sue, a prerequisite to ﬁling a lawsuit under the Clean Air Act, was sent to xAI in a letter.

The Southern Environmental Law Center is representing the NAACP in its possible legal challenge against xAI and its permit application, now being considered by the Shelby County Health Department.

The company said Tuesday that it takes its commitment to the community and environment seriously

“The temporary power generation units are operating in compliance with all applicable laws,” an xAI statement said

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

Interest rates expected to stay

U.S. economy is in a good place, but tariffs remain a concern

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The U.S. economy is mostly in good shape but that isn’t saving Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell from a spell of angst.

As the Fed considers its next moves during a two-day meeting this week, most economic data looks solid: Inflation has been steadily fading, while the unemployment rate is still a historically low 4.2%. Yet President Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs may

push inﬂation higher in the coming months, while also possibly slowing growth.

With the outlook uncertain, Fed policymakers are expected to keep their key interest rate unchanged on Wednesday at about 4.4%. Officials will also release a set of quarterly economic projections that are expected to show inflation will accelerate later this year, while unemployment my also tick up a bit.

The projections may also signal that the Fed will cut its key rate twicelaterthisyear,economistssay.

The prospect of higher inflation would typically lead the Fed to keep rates unchanged or even raise them, while rising unemployment would usually lead the Fed to cut its key rate. With the economy potentially pulling in both directions, Powell and other Fed ofﬁcials have underscored in recent remarks that they are prepared to wait for clearer signals on which way to move.

The Fed is in “an uncomfortable purgatory,” said Diane Swonk chief economist at accounting giant KPMG. “Without the threat of tariffs, we would be seeing the Fed cut. That’s not where we’re at because of the uncertainty and the threat and the effects (of tariffs) that we don’t know yet.”

The Trump White House has sharply ramped up the pressure on Powell to reduce borrowing costs, with Trump himself calling the Fed chair a “numbskull” for not cutting and other ofﬁcials, including Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, also calling for a rate reduction.

When the Fed reduces its key short-term rate, it often — though not always — leads to lower costs for consumer and business borrowing, including for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards. Yet financial markets also influence the level of longer-term rates and can keep them elevated even if the Fed reduces the shorter-term rate it controls.

Americans turn cautious as retail sales slide after rush to beat tariffs

Some consumer products companies say they are feeling the impact

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP economics writer

WASHINGTON Retail sales fell sharply in May as consumers pulled back from a spending surge early this year to get ahead of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on nearly all imports.

Sales at retail stores and restaurants dropped 0.9% in May, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, after a decline of 0.1% in April. Sales jumped 1.5% in March. The ﬁgure was pulled down by a steep drop in auto sales, after Americans ramped up their car-buying in March to get ahead of Trump’s 25% duty on imported cars and car parts.

Excluding autos, sales fell 0.3% in May

The sales drop is hitting after sharp declines in consumer conﬁdence this year Still, inﬂation has cooled steadily and unemployment remains low, which could fuel steady spending in the coming months, as the economy has remained mostly solid.

A category of sales that excludes volatile sectors such as gas, cars, and restaurants rose last month by 0.4%, a sign that consumers are still spending on some discretionary items.

Overall, the report suggests consumers have pulled back a bit but not dramatically so.

The retail sales report covers about onethird of consumer spending, with the other two-thirds consisting of spending on services. Economists expect overall consumer spending to grow in the April-June quarter

“Today’s data suggests consumers are downshifting, but they haven’t yet slammed the brakes,” Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley wealth management, said in an email. “Like the economy as a whole, consumer spending has been resilient in the face of tariff uncertainty.”

Yet many categories saw sharp declines.

Car sales plunged 3.5%, while sales at home and garden centers dropped 2.7%. They fell 0.6% at electronics and appliance stores and 0.7% at grocery stores. There were some bright spots: Sales rose 0.9% at online retailers, 0.8% at clothing stores, and 1.2% at furniture stores.

Gas station sales dropped sharply, by 2%, but that mostly reﬂects lower prices. The retail sales report isn’t adjusted for inﬂation.

Sales at restaurants and bars, a closely watched indicator of discretionary spending, fell 0.9% in May, though that followed a solid gain of 0.8% in April.

Some consumer products companies say they are seeing the impact of tariffs on their own costs and sales.

Paul Cosaro, CEO of Picnic Time, Inc., which makes picnic accessories like baskets, coolers, and folding chairs, said that orders from retailers are down as much as 40% this summer compared with a year ago. His company sells to a variety of stores like Target and Williams-Sonoma.

Cosaro noted that some stores have been cautious because they’re not sure how shoppers will react to higher prices. Some canceled orders because Cosaro couldn’t tell them how much the new prices would be due to all the uncertainty Roughly 80% of the company’s goods are made in China, with the rest in India and Vietnam.

The company, founded roughly 40 years ago and based in Moorpark, California, was forced to raise prices on average from 11% to 14% for this summer selling season, Cosaro said.

A folding outdoor chair now costs $137 this month, up from $120 in late 2024, he added. The company’s sales are still down this year, even though some shoppers accelerated their purchases out of concern that prices would rise.

“Shoppers are very price sensitive,” Cosaro said.

The company has implemented a hiring freeze because of all the extra tariff costs, he added. So far this year the company, which employs from 70 to 100 people, has had to

pay $1 million in tariffs. A year ago at this time, the bill was a third of that amount.

Liza Gresko, a 42-year-old mother of three in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, said she has watched as prices for basics like toothpaste or shampoo begin to rise again, and has started to buy groceries in bulk to save money, as well as switching to generic brands.

“If I make these small changes, then we are sacriﬁcing for the long-term goal of saving more,” Gresko said.

She has also begun shopping at thrift stores for children’s clothes, rather than Macy’s or H&M.

“Even with store sales and discounts, the rising costs make it unsustainable to continually purchase new clothing,” she said.

The retail sales report comes as other evidence indicates shoppers have been pulling back more amid worries about higher prices from Trump’s tariffs.

Naveen Jaggi, president of retail advisory services in the Americas for real-estate ﬁrm JLL, said that he’s hearing from malls that sales are slowing down heading into the ofﬁcial summer months. Retailers are pushing up back-to-school promotions to this month from July, he said. They want to get shoppers in early for fear consumers may not want to spend in the later months when prices will likely go up, he said.

So far, Trump’s tariffs haven’t yet boosted inﬂation. Consumer prices rose just 2.4% in May compared with a year ago, the government said last week.

BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP business writer

Kraft Heinz will be pulling artiﬁcial dyes from its U.S. products starting in 2027 and will no longer roll out new products with the dyes. The move comes nearly two months after U.S. health ofﬁcials said that they would urge foodmakers to phase out petroleumbased artificial colors in the nation’s food supply

Kraft Heinz said Tuesday that almost 90% of its U.S. products already don’t contain food, drug & cosmetic colors, but that the products that do still use the dyes will have them removed by the end of

2027. FD&C colors are synthetic additives that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in food, drugs and cosmetics.

Kraft Heinz said that many of its U.S. products that still use the FD&C colors are in its beverage and desserts categories, including certain products sold under brands including Crystal Light, Kool Aid, Jell-O and Jet Puffed. The company said that it will instead use natural colors for the products.

“The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio,” Pedro

Navio, North America President at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement.

Kraft Heinz stripped artificial colors, ﬂavors and preservatives from its macaroni and cheese in 2016 and said it has never used artiﬁcial dyes in its ketchup. The company plans to work with licensees of its brands to encourage them to remove the dyes.

In April, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference that the agency would take steps to eliminate the synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, largely by relying on voluntary efforts from the food industry Health advocates have long called for the removal of artifi-

cial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children. The FDA has maintained that the approved dyes are safe and that “the totality of scientiﬁc evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives.”

The FDA currently allows 36 food color additives, including eight synthetic dyes. In January the agency announced that the dye known as Red 3 — used in candies, cakes and some medications — would be banned in food by 2027 because it caused cancer in laboratory rats.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TED SHAFFREy

A ‘tariff free’ sign tries to attract vehicle shoppers at an automobile dealership in Totowa, N.J Powell

U.K. measureto decriminalize abortion passes

BY BRIAN MELLEY and DANICAKIRKA Associated Press

LONDON British lawmakers voted Tuesday to decriminalize abortion in England and Wales after alawmaker argued that it was cruel to prosecute women forendingapregnancy

The House of Commons approved an amendment to abroader crime bill that would prevent women from beingcriminally punished under an antiquated law Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, the Labour memberofParliamentwho introduced one of the amendments, said the changewas needed because police have investigated more than 100 women for suspectedillegal abortions over the past ﬁve years, including some who suffered natural miscarriages and stillbirths.

“This piece of legislationwillonlytake women out of the criminal justice system because they are vulnerableand they need our help,” she said. “Just what public interestis this serving? This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end.”

The amendmentpassed 379-137. The House of Commons will nowneedto pass thecrime bill,which is expected, before it goes to the House of Lords, whereitcan be delayed but not blocked.

Under current law,doctors can legally carry out abortions in England, Scotland and Walesup to 24 weeks, and beyond that under special circumstances, such as when the life of the mother is in

danger.Abortion in Northern Ireland was decriminalized in 2019. Changes in the law implemented during the COVID-19pandemicallow women to receive abortion pills through the mail and terminate their own pregnanciesathomewithinthe ﬁrst 10 weeks. That has led to ahandfulofwidelypublicized cases in which women were prosecutedfor illegally obtaining abortion pills and using them to end their own pregnancies after 24 weeks or more.

Anti-abortion groups opposed the measures, arguing it would open the door to abortionondemandat any stage of pregnancy

“Unborn babieswill have any remaining protection stripped away,and women will be left atthe mercy of abusers,” said AlitheaWilliams,public policy manager for the Societyfor the Protection of Unborn Children, whichdescribesitselfas the U.K.’sbiggest pro-life campaign group. The debatecame after recent prosecutions have galvanized support to repeal parts of the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. In one case, amother of three was sentenced to more than two yearsin prison in 2023 for medically inducing an abortion abouteight months into her pregnancy CarlaFoster,45, was released about amonth later by an appeals court that reduced her sentence. Judge VictoriaSharp said that case called for “compassion, not punishment and therewas no useful purpose in jailing her

S. Korearatifiestreatyaimed at adoptions

BY KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea— After years of delay,South Korea has ratiﬁed theHague Adoption Convention, an international treatymeant to safeguard international adoptions, highlighting a signiﬁcant policy shiftdecades after sending tensof thousands of children to the West through an aggressive but poorly regulated adoption system.

The government’sannouncement Tuesday came as it facesgrowing pressure to address widespread fraud and abuse that plaguedits adoption program, particularly during a heyday in the1970s and‘80s when thecountry allowed thousands of childrentobe adopted every year

Many adoptees have since discovered that their records were falsified to portray them as abandoned orphans, while others were carelessly removed —or even outright stolen—from theirbirth families.

South Korea’sForeign Ministry and Health and Welfare Ministry,which handlesadoptionpolicies, issueda joint statement saying thecountrysubmitted thenecessary documents to ratify the Hague Adoption Conventiontothe DutchForeignMinistry, the treaty’s depositary.

The treaty,which requires countries to strengthen state oversight andsafeguards to ensure international adoptions are legal andethical, will takeeffect in SouthKorea on Oct. 1.

SouthKorea signed the Hague convention in 2013, but ratiﬁcation was delayed by morethan adecade as the country struggled to bring adoptionsunder centralized government authority, as requiredby thetreaty, afterallowing private agencies to control international child placements for decades

“Going forward, inter-

in Korea, reinforcing the government’scommitment to upholding state responsibility across the entire adoptionprocess.”

A2023 law also mandates thetransfer of alladoption records from private agencies to the National Center forthe Rights of theChild by July,aiming to centralize processing family search requests fromadoptees who have returned to South Korea as adults seeking their roots.

Internationaladoptions from South Korea have plummetedinrecent years, withonly 58 in 2024, according to government data.

country adoptionswill be permitted only when no suitablefamily can be found in his or herstate of origin, and only if deemed to servethe child’sbestinterests through deliberation by theadoption policy committee under the Ministry

of Health andWelfare,” the ministries said.

Thestatementsaidthe ratiﬁcation was asigniﬁcant steptowardsafeguarding children’srights and “establishing an advanced,internationally compliant intercountry adoption system

During the 1980s, South Korea sent an average of more than 6,000 children abroad each year,under a previous military government that viewed adoption as away to reducemouths to feed andcurry favor with Western nations.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO By AHNyOUNG-JOON Truth and ReconciliationCommission

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JUNE

METRO

Trader Joe’s closer to opening in N.O.

Finishing touches added as construction ends

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

Trader Joe’s, the national grocery store chain with a cultlike following, is set to open its first location in New Orleans this August in the city’s medical district, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans. Construction of the store on Tulane Avenue, near the New Or-

JPSO settles facial ID lawsuit

Ga. man was incorrectly jailed over bad recognition

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe

Lopinto’s office has agreed to pay six figures to a Georgia man who was jailed for nearly a week over a bad identification using facial recognition technology

The $200,000 payout to Randal Quran Reid was sealed last month in federal court in New Orleans, according to a transcript. It resolves a civil rights lawsuit that Reid, now 31, ﬁled against Lopinto’s office over his arrest in DeKalb County, Georgia, on a warrant signed by Jefferson Parish Judge Paul Schneider Reid was accused of helping steal thousands of dollars in high-end purses from a Metairie consignment shop. He was pulled over outside Atlanta on the day after Thanksgiving in 2022 and remained in jail for six days, clueless about the crime, he said then.

“They told me I had a warrant out of Jefferson Parish. I said, ‘What is Jefferson Parish?’” Reid told The Times-Picayune in 2022. “I have never been to Louisiana a day in my life.”

In his lawsuit, Reid accused Lopinto and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Detective Andrew Bartholomew of violating his rights by failing to verify a match flagged by Clearview AI, the facial recognition provider Lopinto’s office enlisted in 2019 under a $25,000 contract. It didn’t end there. A Baton Rouge police detective borrowed JPSO’s identification of Reid to secure another arrest warrant against him, alleging a similar crime at a shop on Jefferson Highway The thieves allegedly stole well over $10,000 in Chanel and Louis Vuitton purses. Reid insisted he wasn’t one of them. His attorney in Louisiana, Tommy Calogero, said he alerted Lopinto’s office to physical differences between Reid and the purse thief seen on camera. JPSO rescinded the warrants, and Reid left the jail Court records show that JPSO also secured, then recalled, warrants for two other men in the scheme, both from New Orleans. They also were accused of theft and bank fraud. The affidavits supporting all of those warrants make no mention of facial recognition. They cited only “a credible source” for the suspects’ identities. Schneider signed the warrants for all three Reid sued for negligence, false arrest and malicious prosecution in a lawsuit that started in

leans VA Medical Center, has been completed and Trader Joe’s local construction ﬁrms are putting the ﬁnishing touches on the interior of the building

The famously tight-lipped company hasn’t yet picked a ﬁrm opening date, but it plans to hang the signage sometime in August, according to company spokesperson Nakia Rohde Typically, the company hangs its signage immediately before it opens its stores.

Trader Joe’s has built a devoted following with its quirky privatelabel goodies, friendly staff in Hawaiian shirts and fun in-store vibes jovial signage free samples, and occasional stickers or lollipops for kids.

They are also known to pick densely populated, higher-income and educated communities places where smaller store for-

mats perform strongly A Trader Joe’s is seen as an endorsement of a neighborhood. The Tulane Avenue store has been much anticipated as a sign of economic development in the city’s medical district, where billions of dollars have been spent since Hurricane Katrina to build the University Medical Center and the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System between Canal Street and Tulane Avenue.

A plan to create a BioDistrict that would run through parts of

Mid-City and incorporate the medical district, as well as parts of the Central Business District, ﬁnally secured a regular source of tax funding two years ago. The first BioDistrict budget was approved in November, and much of its early work is aimed at improving Tulane Avenue streetscapes. It will include new bus shelters, lighting, landscaping, and crosswalks along the thoroughfare. Some of those

WATCHDOG

Landscaping crews carefully move one of six large overcup oaks into place at Mardi Gras Plaza, located on the neutral ground on Veterans Memorial Boulevard across from Lakeside Shopping Center in Metairie. Jefferson Parish Parkways Department ofﬁcials said they are some of the largest trees they could ﬁnd and plant in the park.

At a height of 20 feet and a trunk diameter of 7 inches, it will look as though the trees have been well-established and growing for some time. The trees are replacing the Medjool date palms that have died over the years.

Move aims to increase opportunities for ex-offenders

BY JONI HESS and COURTNEY LUCIUS Staff writers

Amid advocates’ claims that the 7-year-old rule lacks teeth, the New Orleans City Council has moved to tighten a policy that bars public employers from discriminating against job applicants with criminal pasts.

The council unanimously voted last week to amend the city’s 2018 “ban the box” policy, which prevents city agencies and private employers that receive city money from requiring job applicants to disclose past convictions on applications The 2018 law also requires employers to interview applicants before requesting a criminal background check.

Though the older law allowed employers to eventually dismiss applicants with felony convictions, the changes approved Thursday require them to ignore

such convictions unless the offense would hinder the applicant’s ability to do the job. Managers also need to submit in writing to Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration their reasons for rejecting an applicant with a felony

Council member Oliver Thomas, who is running for mayor and who pleaded guilty to felony corruption charges in 2007 after he admitted to taking bribes, said the changes will give thousands of those with prior convictions a second chance to participate in the economy

“When a person pays their debt to society they’ve paid their debt to all of society and they should not be excluded from an opportunity,” said Thomas “As someone who knows, when you lose your citizenship and when there’s taxation without full participation, that’s a whole other level of frustration that happens to people who believe they’ve done their time.”

Council President JP Morrell added that the changes would Council

Trial date set in Baton Rouge rape case

LSU student fatally struck shortly after encounter

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

One of the three men indicted on charges tied to former LSU student Madison Brooks could be tried by the end of the year District Judge Gail Horne Ray set a Dec. 1 trial date for Casen John Carver during a hearing last week, according to 19th Judicial District Court records. That would make the 21-year-old Denham Springs man the first defendant to face a Baton Rouge jury in the high-profile case. Carver; Desmond Carter, 20; and Kaivon Deondre Washington, 20, were all indicted on charges of first-degree and third-degree rape Prosecutors later added a video voyeurism indictment for

Carver

The state got indictments against the three men in three separate dockets and intends to try them separately Ray is presiding over the cases of both Carter and Carver Temporary Judge Jewel Welch is presiding over Washington’s case, but District Judge Eboni Johnson Rose will take over handling the case when she returns to the bench from her Louisiana Supreme Court-imposed suspension later this year Ray scheduled Carver’s trial date during a hearing where prosecutors merged the voyeurism charge with his original indictments. All three charges stem from the same incident involving Brooks, who was a 19-yearold LSU sophomore when she died after being struck by a car near her Baton Rouge residence early on the morning of Jan. 15, 2023. Authorities said Brooks, following a night of excessive drinking, left Reggie’s — a Tigerland bar that has since been shuttered — with Carter, Carver, Washington

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Brooks

Court appearance ends in profanetirade

Manfaces hate crimecharge in attack on BR officer

Staff report

Aman is now facing ahate crime charge after police say he intentionally rammed aBaton Rouge motorcycle patrol ofﬁcer on Monday

The victim, Sgt. Caleb Eisworth, is “still critical, but showing signs of improvement” after undergoing surgery,ofﬁcialssaidTuesday

Eisworth was on his way to awork-related escort assignmentonJoorRoad near Prescott Roadaround 11 a.m. Monday.Gad Black, 41, followed ashort distance behind Eisworth on Joor Road in his pickup truck before intentionally ramming Eisworth on his motorcycle, authorities said.

Hate crimeagainst police

East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators believe the attack was meant to kill Eisworth because he was apolice ofﬁcer

In addition to being arrested by sheriff’s deputies on counts of attempted ﬁrstdegree murder and resisting an ofﬁcer,Blackisnow facing ahate crime charge.

“The investigationhas revealedthat Sgt. Eisworth was targeted specifically because he is alaw enforcement ofﬁcer,which makes this act not only violent, but hate-driven,” Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said in astatement to The Advocate.

Under Louisiana state statute, ahate crime charge can accompany other violent crime counts when the victim is believed to have been targeted for their “race,age, gender,religion, color,creed, disability, sexual orientation, national

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Continued from page1B

andanother manwho was notindicted.She gotinthe car with the four men,and sheriff’s deputies said Carver pulled his car into aresidential drivewayinthe 900 block of Jennifer Jean Drive and parked there for 20 minutes. That is where prosecutors allege Carter and Washington sexually assaulted

POLICY

Continued from page 1B

help the citydecide whether to quit doing business with companies that have ahistoryofrejectingformerly incarcerated jobapplicants.

‘Unfairbarriers’

Though the old law was supposed to allow room for job applicants to explain theirpast convictions and any rehabilitation efforts they’ve madesince then, advocates said it has had little practical effect

The currentordinance prevents “tens of thousands of people from entering the workforce and being active members in the economy,” said EmilyPosner,anattorney withthe statewideadvocacy group Voices of the Experienced

“When youpass alaw to prevent discrimination but you have no enforcementmechanism,thatlaw is meaningless in many ways,” Posner added.

Rhonda Oliver,aformerly incarcerated resident and founder of advocacy organization WomanDetermined, said going back to school wasn’tenough to overshadow her criminal record.

“I climbed up from an ofﬁceassistant,wentbackto school, wentall over and Icannot get ajob,” said Oliver.“And we’retelling these youth, ‘go back to school …change your life.’ Well, I’m an example. Ihave been pardoned, I’ve

origin, ancestry …orperceived employment as alaw enforcement officer,fireﬁghter, or emergencymedicalservices personnel.”

In social media posts minutesafter the attack,Black appeared tobrag about running down the ofﬁcer

AFacebook postfrom an accountwith thename Gad Black went up shortly after thecrash,reading: “Check HimOut onJoor Rd. Stretched One.”

Another post came minuteslater:“RodneyHinton I’m Rite Dere Witcha Homie.”

Thesecondpostreferences an incidentinOhiothat gained national attention where afather allegedly targeted apolice officer, fatally striking him with acar,inretaliation for the police killing of his 18-yearoldson.

“Let mebeabsolutely clear: Violence motivated by hatred for thosewho wear the badge is an attack on every officer and every citizen who relies on them. It will never be tolerated,” Gautreaux said.

“Wewillensure theindividual responsibleisheld fully accountable under the law,including for thehatebased motivation behind his crime.”

Blackwas previously arrested for trying to ramBatonRouge police vehicles during aFourthofJuly chase in 2014 involving Police Chief Thomas Morse, who was an officer at the time

In that incident,Black ledofﬁcers on ahigh-speed chase after Morse attempted to pull him over for careless driving on Florida Boulevard,records show Black drove on thewrong side of the road, strucka vehicleand triedtohit two marked police cars—all while hangingout of his window,makingobscene gestures at officers —be-

Brooksinthe back seat of the car,while Carvercheered them on from thefront seat andrecorded portions of the encounter with his cellphone

Afterward, the men dropped off Brooks in the Pelican Lakes development, deputies said. Minutes after she got out of the car,she wasstruckand killedon Burbank Drive by apassingvehicle driven by aLyft driver.

Attorneys forthe men

written books.Icannot get ajob.”

Ronald Marshall, chief policy analyst for Voice of theExperienced, saideven with the city’s2018 policy in effect, employers still find waystoaccess prior criminalhistory, and use that history to discriminate against job seekers

“Despite the good intentions of ban thebox, applicants still face unfair barriers,” said Marshall, who previously served25years at theLouisianaState Penitentiary at Angola. No one spoke against the changes Thursday Newchanges

Thenew measure applies only to city agencies and contractorsreceivingpublicmoney from thecity,not to privateemployers.

The changes followa 2018 ordinancethatrequired thecity’schief administrative office to arbitrate complaints from applicantswithcriminal backgrounds whohad been denied opportunities. But thenew ordinance creates awider avenue for applicants to bring legalaction against the city andits contractors if discrimination is suspected.

Underthe changes, applicants have the right to bring potential cases of discrimination to Civil District Court, accordingto theordinance.

The new law,like theold law, requires hiring managerstoconsider theseverity of the offense, how much time haspassed, the num-

fore crashing into another truck,police alleged.

Girlfriend arrested

Black originally fled the scene Monday beforebeing apprehended by sheriff’sdeputiesand other law enforcementanhourand a half later in the 8400 block of Airline Highway.His gray Dodge Ram1500pickup was found in theMonticello subdivision.

Black’s girlfriend was also arrested.

Asia Raby, 40, was booked Monday into the East BatonRouge ParishPrison on countsofobstruction of justiceand accessory after thefact to attempted ﬁrstdegree murderofapolice ofﬁcer

According to police records, Raby calledpolice to report the crash, saying, “I think apolice ofﬁcer just got hit or killed.” Raby made statementsthat the pickup drivermight have been suffering a“mental breakdown.”

Whendispatchers asked about the status and location of bothRaby and the pickup, she disconnected the call Raby was later contacted at herresidence,where the Dodge Ram was found.

Agitated firstappearance

Duringavideo hearing beforea BatonRouge magistrate on Tuesday,Black remainedirate, deﬁant and uncooperativealittleover 24 hoursafter theattack. Black was brazen when he made an appearancebefore 19th Judicial District Court Commissioner Nicole Robinson. Appearing remotely from Parish Prison, the live feedwas muted at several pointsasBlack launched into profanitylaced tirades As he approached the podium and jail ofﬁcials instructed him to introduce himself to Robinson,Black looked at the camera and

have argued the sexwas consensual, while prosecutors maintain Brooks was too intoxicated to give consent. She registered ablood alcohol contentof0.282, well over three times the legal driving limit,authorities have said.

Carver faces amandatory lifesentence if he is convicted of ﬁrst-degree rape, themost severe charge.

Email MattBruce at matt bruce@theadvocate.com.

berofpastconvictions and whetheritaffects jobseekers’ ability to do thework.

Thedifference,however, is that people with felonies will also be given those same considerations The ordinance takes effect upon Cantrell’s signature. The mayor has until Thursday to sign or veto it, or it will become lawwithouther action.

Theamendedordinance follows asymbolicanti-job discrimination proposal for the city’shome-rule charter thatwill go before voters on Oct. 11. That measure, approved by the council earlier this year, adds language to the city’s bill of rights that states“no law shall arbitrarily and unreasonably discriminate against apersonbased on conviction history.”

That changewas alsoled by Thomas, who served three yearsinfederal prison beginning in 2008 due to the corruption charge, and ran andwon his council seat four years ago.

Email Joni Hess at joni hess@theadvocate.com.

shouted, “She don’tknow who the f*** Iam.”

When Robinson asked him to state his name, Black refused multiple times, tellingthe commissionerhewas amember of a“tribalnation.”

He then could be seen shouting and ranting before guards dragged him away andRobinson cut the proceeding short, declaring Black too uncooperative. She hadyet to make a determination on his initial bail amount.

Robinson reset the first appearance for Wednesdayafternoon so she can explain Black’scharges to himand consider setting bail.

Robinson said she also

may have to consider appointing asanitycommission to evaluatehis mental condition.

Seekingprayers forofficer

The ultimate status of Eisworth’shealth was still in question Tuesday afternoon.

The sergeant has been with the Baton Rouge Police Department for23years, joining the motorcycledivision in 2008. He has received multiple awards for heroism in the line of duty,including theMedal of Valor— the highest honor bestowed by the Police Department.

Morse said the department is rallying around Eisworth. “Making it home after each shift is what Ipray over every one of my ofﬁ-

cers each day,” Morse said. “I’m asking everyone to join me in that prayer now Let’sfervently pray Officer Eisworth back hometohis loved ones.” East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-PresidentSid Edwards said he is praying for the officer andthe department. “Today’s incident is asobering reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every day in the line of dutytoprotect and serve ourcommunity,” he added.

Staff reporters Quinn Coffman, Aidan McCahill, Matt Bruce and Ellyn

contributed to this story

Couvillion

STAFFFILE PHOTOByHILARy SCHEINUK

Baton RougePolice Department Sgt. Caleb Eisworth was badly injured Mondaywhen he washit by another vehicle in what policesay was an intentional act.

held

St.

Senior living, LSU Tigers style

St. James Place celebrates game with Jell-O shots

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

At St. James Place, an active senior living community in Baton Rouge, Tonya Dixon decided to create a Jell-O shot board — inspired by Rocco’s in Omaha, Nebraska — to celebrate LSU’s appearance in this year’s College World Series. Instead of competition between College World Series teams, Dixon listed the names of the four independent living buildings at St. James Place. Before Monday night’s game’s rain delay, the St. James Place Bar and seating area were buzzing with older LSU fans in their vibrant purple and gold as LSU took on UCLA. Never mind that the game was eventually postponed until Tuesday a table full of purple and gold Jell-O shots named Purple Passion (mixed berry JellO with vodka) and Golden Grannies (pineapple Jell-O and Malibu rum) were hits.

The names of St. James’ buildings — Beauregard, Audubon, Evangeline and Garden/Patio Homes — lined the board Krystal Raye, St. James’ life enrichment coordinator, periodically posted the Jell-O shot score, carefully supervised by the eagle-eyed octogenarians nearby Cheers for the Tigers rang through the room, followed by cheers for the independent living buildings as the tally was announced.

In 2023, the last time LSU played in the College World Series (and won by the way), St. James Place held a small Jell-O Shot challenge for residents. Call it superstition or just a good time, but this year, St. James decided to go bigger

“Last time, it was smaller, like, ‘We’re gonna do some Jell-O shots,’” Dixon said. “The residents loved it. They had never done JellO shots in their life, so we taught them how to.” Dixon, director of active lifestyles, and her team made between 300 and 350 Jell-O shots for the Monday night event.

In honor of the Rocco’s pledge to each team’s food banks, St. James Place is donating $5 per shot to the

Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.

Residents gathered at tables, socializing while keeping one eye on the game and one on the shot scoreboard.

A few voiced formal complaints that the contest was unfair, since the number of residents varies by building Dixon reminded them there was no prize, but at St. James, bragging rights carry weight.

Dick Wager, president and CEO of St. James Place, was happily taken aback at the Tiger fervor and Jell-O shot revelry Wager, who moved to Baton Rouge from Memphis, Tennessee, in 2021, took the ﬁrst Jell-O shot of his life Monday night — and followed it with a few more for good measure.

Deanna Ashworth, 87, a twoyear resident of St. James Place, started ﬁrst grade at the University Lab School in 1944 and eventually graduated from LSU. At the Jell-O shot party, the lifelong LSU fan carried her ﬁrst-grade school photo in her pocket and was proud to show it to any and everyone celebrating with the Tigers.

“I’m really impressed with what Jay Johnson has done with the program,” she said. “Those boys look really responsible. It’s good for the university It’s good for the state.”

Charles and Nikki Spencer moved into St. James Place two weeks ago, and the Jell-O Shot Challenge watch party was quite a welcoming party for them.

St. James Place is a not-for-proﬁt

Continuing Care Community sponsored by the Episcopal Church and founded in 1983. The gated, 52acre campus serves residents 62 and older who live independently, offering access to health care, support services and a robust social calendar (occasionally including Jell-O shots).

Although the LSU game abruptly stopped for a rain delay, the party continued at St. James Place. The residents ﬁnished the evening with an impressive 249 Jell-O shots, which meant a $1,245 donation for the food bank

Oh, and the scoreboard? Beauregard took the title — edging out Evangeline by just two shots: 76 to 74.

As for the baseball game — the Tigers ﬁnished off a big 9-5 victory over the Bruins on Tuesday to advance to a game Wednesday night.

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com

Uptown store

improvements have already been made at the Trader Joe’s site.

The aim of the BioDistrict is to foster an “innovation district” similar to those found in other parts of the country, such as the Cortex Innovation Community in St Louis. Cortex helped spur a revival of a neglected part of St. Louis around its downtown university campuses, attracting hundreds of new businesses and created thousands of new jobs.

The key development in reviving the St. Louis neighborhood was the opening of an outlet of trendy Swedish home products store IKEA and local economy boosters have said Trader Joe’s arrival in the city should also help in place-making efforts here, too.

FACIAL

Continued from page 1B

Georgia but was transferred to the federal courthouse in New Orleans. Reid claimed Lopinto had failed to establish a policy and training for facial recognition.

His story and lawsuit drew national media attention. Reid accepted the $200,000 payout at a May 13 court hearing. Lopinto’s ofﬁce did not respond to a request for comment.

“I’m deﬁnitely satisﬁed with the outcome. I finally feel like I got some type of justice,” Reid said in a phone interview on Tuesday “I’m not a person who likes or seeks the attention Knowing I had to go through this for people coming after me is why I started it.”

Gary Andrews, one of Reid’s attorneys with the Atlanta-based The Cochran Firm, said Lopinto’s ofﬁce did not admit fault in the settlement Andrews said police bodyworn camera footage of Reid’s arrest during a highway trafﬁc stop supports his claim of ignorance.

“It was a misidentiﬁcation of an individual that was put in jail for something he did not do,” Andrews said.

The case highlights the pitfalls of a technology that more police agencies are adopting in Louisiana and across the country, including in New Orleans, where some ofﬁcials are pressing to expand its use

Court records show that inside Lopinto’s ofﬁce, top brass recognized a mistake early on.

Trader Joe’s also is planning to build its second outlet in New Orleans in the burgeoning Freret Street commercial area Uptown, on the site of a former Catholic school.

The store’s development partners overcame objections from the Historic Districts Landmark Commission to secure permission to tear down the midcentury school to make way for the grocery store. Zach Kupperman, one of the developers of the Uptown project, said demolition has been completed and initial work has started. It is “full speed ahead,” though there is no firm timeline yet for completion of the store.

Trader Joe’s, which was founded in the late 1960s by Joe Coulombe in Pasadena, California, cultivated a laid-back image with

In a January 2023 memo, Deputy Chief Jack Russo wrote that investigators had been told facial recognition was another tool, and that “supporting evidence or investigative leads need to be developed before having an arrest warrant issued.” Russo wrote that he reinstructed commanders about the requirement after Reid’s release.

Critics point to research that has shown higher rates of bad facial recognition matches for some populations, including Black people. It’s unclear if the racial bias identified in those systems has lessened since the arrest of Reid, who is Black, more than two years ago Clearview AI, one of the most prominent facial recognition providers for law enforcement, scrapes billions of images from public sites such as YouTube and Facebook to amass its capabilities.

Some cities and states have put clamps on their police departments’ use of it and other facial recognition tools. Several cities, including New Orleans, have backed off bans on the practice, in favor of tight limits and oversight.

New Orleans officials are now considering looser rules over facial recognition and other technology after the deadly Jan. 1 vehicle attack on Bourbon Street and the escape last month of 10 Orleans Parish jail detainees One of the escapees was captured in the French Quarter after a facial recognition hit from the privately-run Project Nola system. Recently the New Orleans Police

an eclectic range of affordable, high-quality grocery items for a well-educated and well-traveled consumer Unlike many successful chains, expansion was slow for decades, even after the chain was acquired by Germany’s giant Aldi Nord in 1979.

Trader Joe’s in Baton Rouge opened its doors on Oct. 31, 2013, at the Acadian Village

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

Department asked the City Council to authorize it to receive those “live” alerts from Project NOLA once more, and perhaps develop its own system, after Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick suspended the alerts in April. Kirkpatrick said last week that she was concerned that receiving them violated the city’s 2022 ordinance.

“We’re asking the council to change the rules to allow us to use it in real time,” Kirkpatrick said last week.

The Washington Post recently reported that the city’s use of the Project NOLA alert system made it the ﬁrst police force in the U.S. to deploy live facial recognition citywide.

“I support facial recognition technology With boundaries, because I also support privacy, and I do not believe in surveilling the American public,” said Kirkpatrick, who has a law degree. “But is this a security tool or a surveillance tool? For me, this is all about security When you commit crime on the streets, you lost your privacy.”

Critics, including the ACLU of Louisiana, argue that the technology enables surveillance and that the city should stop to consider safeguards.

Up to now, the NOPD’s use of facial recognition for criminal investigations has been spotty. Audits show only rare matches from requests made through the Louisiana State Analytical and Fusion Exchange.

The City Council is slated to take up proposed changes to the city ordinance next week.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

James Place, a senior living community in Baton Rouge,

its own Jell-O shot challenge during LSU’s College World Series game on Monday

Anderson Jr., Peter

Boudreaux, Nylie

Diehl, Blanche

Duncan,Debra Gilmore,Mary

GuillorySr.,Clarence

Jones, Willie

Keating, Dottie

LeCompte,Barbara

Madona,Joseph

Moore, Willie

Price,Arthur

Readeau,Alvin

Spong, Mason

Turner,Jacquelyn

Williams, Peggy

NewOrleans

Boyd Family

Price,Arthur

Greenwood

LeCompte,Barbara JacobSchoen

Spong, Mason

Lake Lawn Metairie

GuillorySr.,Clarence

Madona,Joseph

Majestic Mortuary

Moore, Willie River Parish

PatrickH Sanders

Williams, Peggy St Tammany

Audubon

Readeau,Alvin

EJ Fielding

Keating, Dottie West Bank

Mothe

Diehl, Blanche

Robinson FH

Duncan,Debra

Gilmore,Mary West Leitz-Eagan

Boudreaux, Nylie

Obituaries

Anderson Jr., Peter

Peter Ernest Anderson, Jr., 77, passed away on June 04, 2025. Born on March 14, 1948, he wasa native of New Orleans,LA and long time resident of Thibodaux. Friends and family will be received at SaintJoseph Co-Cathedral on Friday, June 20, 2025 from 9:00 AM until service time. AMass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:00 AM at the church. Aprivate burial will be held at alaterdate. Peter is survived by his children, Kevin Anderson(Danielle) Kathryn "Katie" Anderson, Kristin AndersonAmico (Jonathan); grandchildren Luke Anderson, Claire Anderson, Brooke Anderson, Piper Amico Parker Amico, Presley Amico; siblings, Judy Calcagno, Patricia Grashoff. He was preceded in death by his parents, Peter E. Anderson Sr. and Yvonne Kirsch Anderson; siblings, Betty-Gail Patureau. Peter was a member of one of the first graduating classes of Edward DouglasWhite Catholic High School. He continued his educationat Nicholls State University where he became aproud member of thePiKappa Alpha (PIKE) fraternity and formed lifelongfriendships. An avid tennis player, he broughtenergy and passion to the court. He was also the proud second

-generation ownerof Anderson Supply Company, Inc., where he carriedonthe legacy of his family business with dedication and pride. The family wouldliketothank Home Instead for allowing him to live outhis remaining days safely in his home.Inlieuofflowers, in honorofhis beloved dogs, the family requests donationstobemadetoyour localanimal shelter.Online condolences can be made at http://www.ordoynefun erals.com/.Funeral arrangements weretrusted to OrdoyneFuneralHome, 1489 SaintPatrickStreet Thibodaux, LA 70301.

Boudreaux, NylieDelois Snow 'Susie'

“You know whattodo, sodoit.”Ifyou'veever calledSusie’s phone, there’s astrongchance you got this voicemail message from herinstead ofher pickingupthe phone.That’sbecause she was probably cooking, napping,orspendingtime withher grandchildren. She wasbornNovember 26, 1957, as Nylie Delois SnowinMcIntosh, AL,but her father preferredtocall her Susie, inspired by The EverlyBrothers’ hitsong, Wake Up Little Susie. Fromthenon, thenick‐namestuck.Asa member ofthe MOWABandof Choctaw Indians, Susie mademanymemoriesdur‐ing hertimelivinginorvis‐iting Alabamathroughout her life,like“cuttin’up” withher cousins, attending powwows,and sharing preciousmoments with her belovedgrandmother, Louella Snow.She often split hertimebetween her hometownand theNew Or‐leans area,eventuallyliv‐ing in Uptown NewOrleans and theWestbank, which is where shemet herhus‐bandofnearly46years, Randy Boudreaux, Sr.His lovefor growingplantsand produce,aswellasraising chickensand rabbits, pairedperfectly with her talentfor cooking. As a long-time resident of Waggaman, LA,Susie’s childrengrewupblessed tohave amotherwho everyonecalled“Momma.” Local kids knew that they could count on Mrs. Susie towelcome them in to “ﬁx a plate” forthemselves. Countless familymembers and friendswerefortunate tohave theirplatespiled highwithfood at her house over theyears,too Toensureher legacy lived on, Susietook time to write downher favorite recipes topassontoher loved ones, allwritten in her beautifully iconic penman‐ship. Herchildren, Lil’ Randy (Trista) andFay (Tyler),and hertreasured grandchildren,Chris,Cain, and Layla, will keep her spiritalive with each bite asher memory andteach‐ingswillnourish them for‐ever. Whetheryou knew her as Mrs. Susie, Aunt Susie,Mawmaw, Momma, orevenNylie,the love and friendshipshe shared with everyonewillbe deeply missed. Sheisprecededin death by herhusband, Randy Sr parentsTisdale Snow, Sr.and Mattie Reed Snow, siblings Jimmyand Tisdale Jr.(Cindy),and manyother cherishedfam‐ily membersand friends who have sincepassedon. All areinvited to gather to‐getherand sharetheir memoriesofSusie starting at1:00pmatthe FirstBap‐tistChurch of Waggaman, 401 Azalea Dr., Waggaman, LA, on Saturday,June21, 2025. TheCelebration of Lifememorialservice will begin at 2:00 pm,and a repastluncheonon site willfollow. Flowersare welcome

Blanche Louise Ford

84. Mrs. Diehllived in Har‐vey,LA. Blancheisthe beloved wife of thelate WilliamF.Diehl.She is the daughterofthe late WilliamI.Fordand thelate Mable R. StedmanFord. LovingmotherofDavid C. Diehl (Kim). Loving grand‐motherofBenjaminL Diehl.She wasthe loving sisterofthe late Margaret FordDay (Green), Dorothy FordWillingham(Willie), WalterFord(Laverne),Clif‐fordFord(Arlene), Ruth FordDunn (David)and Betty Ford Campbell. Sheis alsosurvivedbybrothersin-lawand sisters-in-law manynieces, nephews, and ahostofgreat-nieces and great-nephews. Blanche graduatedfrom CementHighSchool in 1958 in Oklahoma andwas Valedictorian.She wasa memberofImmaculate ConceptionChurch.She workedasa business typ‐ist at Oklahoma Gas& Electricbeforeshe was married.After shemarried she wasa homemaker. She enjoyed baking andcook‐ing,watchingthe Hallmark Channel andfootball games andshe loved spendingtimewithher family. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend thefuneral Massthatwillbeat11am inthe Chapel of MotheFu‐neral Home,7040 Lapalco Blvd.,inMarrero,LAon Saturday, June 21, 2025 Visitationwillbefrom9:30 amuntil 11 am.Burialwill beinWestlawnMemorial Park, 1225 WhitneyAvenue Gretna, LA.The family kindlyinvites youtoshare thoughts, fondestmemo‐ries, andcondolences on‐lineatwww.MotheFunera ls.com. MotheFuneral Homehas been entrusted withfuneral arrangements

In Loving Memory of Debra MaeLaFranceDun‐can.Withheartsfulloflove and profound sorrow,we celebrate thelifeofDebra MaeMae”LaFranceDun‐can,who departed this world on Friday,June 13 2025, at theage of 71. A proud native of Boothville LA, anda longtime resident ofGretna, LA,Debra liveda lifedeﬁnedbylove, re‐silience, anddevotionto family. Debrawas thecher‐ished wife of LambertR Duncan, Sr., with whom she builta beautifullife ﬁlled with laughter,unwa‐veringsupport,and count‐lessmemories. Shewas a devoted mother,guiding her children with wisdom warmth, andlove: Sandar‐ian LaFrance,Taneka(Ho‐race) Henry, Debony Dun‐can.She also shared an un‐breakable bond with her extendedchildrenLarry Duncan, LambertDuncan Jr.,Leon(Christina) Dun‐can,LoletaDuncanMartin, Lydia (Thurmond)Arnold, and thelateLorne (Marie) Duncan. Herloveextended tothe next generationsas a belovedgrandmother to Jailynand JayceHenry and a proudgreat-grand‐mothertoJayceon Mas‐salineand Aria Owens. She alsosharedanunbreak‐ablebondwithLambert Duncan’sgrandchildren and great-grandchildren, who will carry forwardher legacyoflove. Debraem‐bracedher role as asister withopenarms. Sheissur‐vived by hersiblings: Theresa LaFrance,Sylvia (late Rev. EllsworthSr.) Harris, Daisy(Relief Jr.) Jones,James (Umica) LaFrance, Stephon LaFrance, Albert LaFrance LoisMayberry,and Dwayne(Francine)Ander‐son.She wasprecededin death by herdearsisters Dianne Washington and Morner(HenrySr.)Wash‐ington. Herextendedfam‐ilyofin-laws,nieces,

nephews, cousins, and close friendswillforever cherish thetimethey sharedwithher.Debra was a womanofdeep faith,un‐waveringinher trustin God.Her kindness and generositytouched the lives of allwho knew her, including thoseshe workedalongside at the Jefferson Parish School System, where herdedica‐tionwas evidentinevery momentshe spentuplift‐ing others.She waspre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐ents, DaisyLaFranceand AlbertDuplessiswhomshe loved andcherish.Family, friends,and allwho were touched by Debra’s warmthare invitedtocele‐brate herlifeand legacy at ZionHillChristian Church, 137 Zion Hill Lane Boothville,LA, on Thurs‐day,June 19, 2025. Visita‐tionwillbegin at 9AM, fol‐lowed by aheartfelt ser‐viceat11AM, ofﬁciated by Rev.SamuelCrum, Jr., and BishopSamuelCrum, Sr Funeralplanningentrusted ToRobinsonFamilyFuneral Home9611 Hwy23, Belle Chasse La.70037 (504)2082119.

Gilmore, Mary Lanette McTear

Mary Lanette McTear Gilmore wasbornDecem‐ber 11, 1948 to thelate JessieRobinsonMcTear and RevJosephMcTearSr. ofWaterproof LA.She en‐tered into eternalreston Monday, June 9, 2025 at the age of 76. Sheleavesto cherish hermemories: a daughter, Yolondis Gilmore and son, BrandonGilmore ofNew Orleans, 2grand‐childrenBrandon andMya Alexander,1 sister Kathy McTear, 3brothersGlen McTear, Rev. Joseph McTearJunior andKenny McTearand ahostofrela‐tiveand friends. Relatives and friendsofthe family are invitedtothe Celebra‐tionofLifeService on Fri‐day,June 20, 2025, at Olive BranchBaptist Church,lo‐cated at 1134 OdeonAve., New Orleans, LA 70114. The visitationwillbegin at 10 a.m andthe servicewill follow11a.m., Pastor Regi‐naldNicholasSr.,ofﬁciat‐ing andentombmentwill followatLakelawnCeme‐tery. Funeralplanningen‐trusted to Robinson Family FuneralHome, 9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse,LA70037, (504) 208-2119. Foronline condolences,pleasevisit www.robinsonfamilyfuner alhome.com

Louisiana, whounexpectedly died on June 15, 2025, after abrief illness. Clarencewas born in Mamou, Louisiana on July 20, 1927. Similar to many in hisgeneration in Acadiana, he wasthe first in hisfamily to have aformal education and speak English. After high school he enteredthe United States Navy whereheservedin Corpus Christi, Texas from 1946-1948. Followingservice in theNavy, he attended Louisiana State University for fiveconsecutive years withouta summer break, majoring in business administration andeducation. After a year teaching school in Missouri, he settled in New Orleansand marriedhis first wife, Ray Marie ZemmerGuillory.They hadthree children, Julie AnnFenger (Bobby), ThereseGuillory (Steve), and ClarenceJr. Ray Marie GuillorydiedinJuly 1962. He remarriedJanice ThriffileyGuillory andone childwas born of the union, Paula Margaret Brightman (Tommy). After years working as an executive forthe Boy Scouts of America andthe United Way, he became the Director of Planned Giftsat Loyola University New Orleans, ajob he enjoyed immensely on apersonal and professional level. He wasa devout Catholic and avidreader of religious books and literature.He wasalso an operabuff. Clarencewas especially proudofhis Mamouroots andCajun heritage and spoke and read French fluently. He lovedfamilydinners no matter what the occasion.Hewas preceded in death by hisparents, Savan andMarie Guillory. He is survivedbyhis four childrenand grandchildren,Ray Marie Fenger, CarolineFenger,Robert Fenger, Jr., Genevieve Lemoine,Spencer Lemoine, Margarita Wong (Lamgee), MaryBrightman, and Thomas Brightman, and great-grandchildren, Nicole McGee,Olivia McGee,Isla Wong andCole Wong. Clarencewill be greatly missed by hisfamily. Theserviceswillbeon Monday, June 23, 2025 at Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd.New Orleans, LA 70124. The visitation will begin at 9:30 am untilthe funeral mass at 11:00 am. The interment will follow within Metairie Cemetery

Willie BJones Jr Willie B. Jones Jr,age 82, passed away peacefullyon Thursday, June 05, 2025. Born on September 1, 1942, in NewOrleans,LAand he wasa graduate of George Washington Carver High School. After high school, he enteredthe workforce as acook, working at the American Drug Store, Royal SonestaHotel, The Gumbo Shop, andthe Federal Reserve, wherehe retiredasheadcook. Willie B. acceptedChrist as his Lordand Savioratthe age of 10. He will be rememberedfor hispassion of cooking, singing,and spending qualitytimewith familyand friends. Beloved son of thelateMary Wills andWillie B. Jones Sr.Heis preceededindeathby3 siblings, Robert WillsJr, Leroy Wills, and Sister Barbara Wills. Survivedby siblings, Mary Calloway, Gail Watson, SonjaAugust, Sheila McDonald,Terry Wills, LewisWills(Marie), andStanleyWills; godchildren,Renata Willsand Debbie Wells; aunt, Beatrice Shanchell;and a host of nieces and nephews. Relativesand friends of thefamily, pastors, officers andmembersof FischerCommunity Center andLife Center Cathedral are all invited to the Celebration of Life Service on Thursday, June 19, 2025, 10:00AM, at Professional Funeral Services, 1449 N. ClaiborneAve,NOLAwith Deacon WayneCousinJr officiating.Visitationwill be held from9:00AM until thehourofservice IntermentPrivate

Jones, Willie

Duncan,Debra MaeLaFrance

GuillorySr.,Clarence

Our family mourns the death of our dear father, Clarence Guillory, Sr., a resident of Covington,

Dottie MaeSchmidt

Keating,age 95, of Coving‐ton,Louisiana,passed awayonSunday, June 15, 2025.She wasbornonJan‐uary6,1930, in New Or‐leans,Louisiana.She is survivedbyher children, Charlotte DianeKeating Joiner(Herbert“Herbie”), Linda Gail KeatingFussell (Glenn),RodneyUriah Keating (Karen), andRan‐dallTyroneKeating (Leslie); grandchildren, JoshuaJoiner(Aukse) JustinJoiner(Allison),Jef‐fry Joiner (Brittany), Christopher “Chris”Fussell (Brittany), Alicia Fussell Hesson(Darrick),Tyler Keating (Ashley),Lauren Keating Barrosse (Randy) AmandaKeating Garner, and SarahKeating;20 great-grandchildren;and manyextendedfamily members andfriends.She was preceded in deathby her loving husband of over 50years,William “R.T.” Keating;her parents, John Cornelius Schmidtand ClairaHarrisSchmidt; brothers, John Leonard Schmidt, Joseph Cornelius Schmidt, andDavid Henry Schmidt; anda grandsonin-law, Matt Garner.Dottie attendedSophiaB.Wright HighSchool in NewOr‐leans andworkedasanas‐sistant dieticianfor St Tammany Parish Hospital for over 40 yearsuntil her retirementin2011.She was a loving wife,mother, grandmother,great-grand‐mother, sister,aunt,and friend, andshe will be dearlymissedbyher fam‐ily andfriends.Inlieuof ﬂowers, contributionsin memoryofMrs.Keating may be made to themeal ministriesofNew Zion Baptist Church,Fitzgerald Methodist Church,orSt. BenedictCatholicChurch. Relatives andfriends are invited to attend thefu‐neral services on Saturday June 21, 2025, at 12:00 PM atNew Zion Baptist Church, 17387 NewZion Baptist Church Road,Cov‐ington, Louisiana, with visi‐tationbeginning at 10:00 AM. Intermentwillfollow inNew Zion BaptistChurch Cemetery. E. J. Fielding Fu‐neral Home of Covington, Louisiana,ishonored to be entrusted with Mrs. Keat‐ing’s funeralarrange‐ments.Her familyinvites you to sharethoughts, memories, andcondo‐lencesbysigning an online guestbook at www.ejﬁeld ingfh.com

LeCompte,Barbara ElizabethCobar

BarbaraElizabeth Cobar

LeCompte passedaway peacefullyather home surrounded by herloving daughters,onMonday, June 9, 2025, at theage of 77. Born in GuatemalaCity, Guatemala,onApril 26 1948,toSalvadorCobar and MariaConsueloAl‐danaSaravia.Barbara cametoNew Orleansin 1965,where her ﬁrstpas‐sionwas beinganIBM computeroperator. She later became involved in a familybusiness, which in‐troducedher to manage‐mentand sales, in which she excelled until herre‐tirement. Knitting washer passion!Her favorite pas‐timewas with family and friends playingcards, backgammon, andbingo She is preceded in death byher belovedparents,her lovinghusband Robert JosephLeCompte,and her sisterMagda CobarMeza. Barbara is survived by her three daughters, Michelle SosaCarter(Ellis), Brenda Sosa(Travis), andJennifer SosaMartin(IV), grand‐childrenCotySosa(Ash‐ley), Jenna Carter,Julia Carter, andQuent Martin and great-grandchildren Gabriel Sosa andJoshua Glaze.The familywould liketoexpress theirsincer‐est appreciation to Mrs. Odessa from OneTouch SitterServicesfor allher love, help,and support withour mother.Inlieuof ﬂowers, please consider donatingthe Ocular Im‐munology andUveitis

Foundation (OIUF).Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to visitGreenwood FuneralHome, locatedat 5200 CanalBlvd.,New Or‐leans,LA70124, on Friday, June 20,2025, starting at 9:30a.m.A Memorial Mass willfollowthe visitation at 11:00 a.m. Theinurnment willbeinGreenwood Cemetery. We also invite you to share your thoughts, fond memories, and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com Your shared memories will helpuscelebrate Barbara’s lifeand keep hermemory alive

Madona,Joseph V.

JosephV.Madona, anativeofNew Orleans and resident of Metairie, passedawaypeacefullyat home the morningof Thursday, June 5th, 2025, at the ageof88. He was born on September 5th, 1936,to Ponsettia Luening Madona and JosephBernard Madona He was preceded in deathbyboth parents and his step-father, Hilliard Marcev; andgrandparents, Rose Scavo Madona Testavient, Stephen Luening and Louisa Huber Luening. He is survivedby his wifeof62years, Jaqueline Lorenz Madona; his three sons,Mark (Jennifer), Steven (Jennifer)and Kenneth (Carrie) Madona; his grandsons,Dominic, Sami (Jenna), and Enzo Madona; and his granddaughters, Cloee Spencer(David), and Phoebe Madona. He is also survivedbyhis sister, Brenda MarcevYokum (Nicky), nephew, Nicholas Yokum, and niece,Zoe Yokum Josephlived afulllife and was adevoted family man. He graduatedfrom St.Aloysius High School in 1954and attended Louisiana StateUniversity, wherehewas amemberof thePershing Rifles.He servedhis country in the United States Army, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. Joseph wasa lifelong loverofsports, especiallyLSU and the BostonRed Sox, and was an avid fisherman, golfer, and an accomplished bowler. He was alsovery proud of his Italianheritage, beingone of the original members of the Italian American Marching Club.

Joseph'sfamilywishes to thank Anvoi Hospice for their compassionate care, and especially Marguerite, Catherine,Jody and Montrel.

Visitation willbeatLake LawnMetairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA beginning at 12:00pm on Saturday, June 21, 2025,followed by aMassat 1:00pm.

To view and signthe online guest book, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

WillieDan Moore"Pop" was born in Greenville,Al‐abama on November 18, 1950, to Robert Smithand Novilla "Moore" Bruley.At the ageof6,hemoved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where hisStepfather, Earl Bruleywould enterhis life Heattendedthe NewOr‐leans public school system until graduating from Mc‐Donough 35 Senior High School in 1970. He fur‐theredhis educationonan athleticscholarship at Texas Lutheran College, where he played football until earninghis B.S. In Health, Physical Education and Recreation.Uponcom‐pleting college, he moved toHouston,Texas and began hiscareerwith Baker Hughes,working there forseveral years. He later gained employment withthe MetroTransit Au‐thorityofHarrisCounty,

where he operated as a Bus Driver,Safety Special‐ist,Metro TrailTrainer,and Supervisorfor 33 years until retirement.W.D Moorewas an active mem‐ber of Fontaine FirstBap‐tistChurch of Houston, Texas,where he served on the men'schoir anddea‐con board. He energetically servedthe community, valuing theopportunity to assist others around him, until he wasabruptly forcedtoreturnhometo New Orleans, Louisiana, to carefor hisparents.For those who arefamiliar with"Pop",itwas known thathewas atrue"people person" who lovedtoso‐cialize andfellowshipwith others. He enjoyedengag‐ing in conversation and havinga good time,laugh‐ing andjokingwhile play‐ing dominoes andcards, all thewhile savoring his refreshinglibations.Asa hobby,heloved thewood‐shop, where he builtand repairedmanythings, tak‐ing on projects as oftenas possible. Andifyou truly knewhim,hewas very clean andmeticulous about everything and didn’tlikeanythingout of place.Willietransitioned fromhis earthlybodyto peace on June 5, 2025. He is precededindeath by his parents Earl andNovilla Bruley. Mr.Mooreleavesto treasurehis memory:his brother,Henry Moore (Santa),two daughters TanikaMoore-Rhodes (Johnny) andMydasha Ver‐rett(Darrell),one sonJar‐ius Moore(Zajee),four grandsons Jarius Jr,Jonas Jacob,and Jrue,a devout and loyalcompanion Jo‐centa Ferrouillet, twoclose and dear nephews, two lovingnieces, anda host of great nephewsand nieces relatives,and friendswho willcherish hismemory forever.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare all invited to attend theFu‐neral ServiceonFriday, June 20th, 2025 at 11:00am atMajesticMortuarySer‐vice, Inc. 1833 Oretha C. Haley Blvd.New Orleans, Louisiana 70113. Visitation willbegin at 10:00am.Bur‐ial will be in Garden of MemoriesCemetery4900 Airline Dr.Metairie, LA 70001. DuetoCOVID-19, everyoneattendingisen‐couragedtowearmasks and adhere to social dis‐tancing.Professional Arrangementsentrusted to MajesticMortuaryService Inc. (504) 523-5872.

Price, Arthur Lee'Shorty'

Arthur Lee(Shorty) Price wasbornSeptember 4,1932, in Bassﬁeld, MS to the late Rosanna Grinstead and thelateEvinPrice.On June 5, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.,at the ageof92God dis‐patched HisAngelsto bring Arthur Leetoa peacefuland restfulplace because he hadfulﬁlledhis workonearth.Hewas the beloved husband of the lateBevelyn DenetPrice father of Earl James

(Linda), Maurice(Ollie) Cedric(late Marilyn), LesterRay,the late Arthur Lee Jr Rosalind Priceand Richard Mooreand grand, great grand, great-great grandfather of countless Alsosurvivedbyhis god‐child Sharon Crumb(Mike) and abonus father of Don‐ald RayWalls (Tiffany) Familyand friendsare in‐vited to attend theMemor‐ial ServiceonThursday, June 19, 2025, for1:00p.m atThe Boyd Family Funeral Home, 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy., NewOrleans,LA 70126. Visitation will begin at12:30 p.m. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditi onbegins.com(504) 2820600. DonavinD.Boydand LinearBrooksBoydOwn‐ers/FuneralDirectors

On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, Alvin Noel Readeau, age 99, wascalled hometojoinour Heavenly Father. He wasathome surrounded by hisloving family. Alvinwas affection‐ately knownas“Vinny” by his closefriends andfam‐ily.Hewas born on Decem‐ber 3, 1925, on Mandeville St. in NewOrleans Louisiana,tohis loving parents,Genevieve Joachim andJosephRead‐eau.His childhood was ﬁlled with wonderfulmem‐ories of beingraisedwith his siblings,all who have precededhim in death: Joseph, Elsie, Melvin,and Gerard“Jerry.” He attended Sts.Petersand Paul,where heloved playingsoftball, and he attended high school in NewOrleans until the ageof17, where he proudly joined theUnited StatesNavyand fought for our countryinWWII. In 1949, he marriedthe love of his life,who also preceded him in death, Patricia Bon‐necarrere Readeau, and theywerehappily married for 65 years. Alvinworked for American Commercial Barge Linesand wasfortu‐nateenoughtoretireat the ageof55. He wasan avidgolferwho enjoyedhis daily morningbreakfast withhis dear friendsat McDonalds.Alvin easily earnedthe love,respect and friendship of everyone heencountered.Hewas a guiding lightinour family and wasbetterknown for his quiet, digniﬁed pres‐ence, andgentlewaysas wellasbeing gracious and polite. He wasa braveand strongman who also hada softersidethatwas evi‐dentlyshown by hislove for allanimals.Aside from his family, he obtained muchjoy by watching Fox Newsdaily with hispup‐piesbyhis side.Itisnot an exaggerationtosay he loved hisfamilymorethan himself.Thiswas proven byhis commitment to showuptoevery major event in theirlives no mat‐ter howsmall.Henever missedany school activi‐ties or sporting events and

wasalwaysour biggest fan.Everythingweare and everwillbeisowedtohis great love andsacriﬁce.He truly wasfromthe greatest generation. Alvinisthe lov‐ing father of Barry Read‐eau,Bridget Readeau (Chris),and thelateAngel Readeau;grandfather of BrianaFuller(Travis)and Brandon Vallelungo (Han‐nah); great-grandfatherto Zoe,Bennett, andEllie.We willalwaysloveyou and now youcan rest easy with our sweet MeMe andour HeavenlyFather. Thefam‐ily wouldliketoextend their sinceregratitude to Sylviaand Mariefor their lovingcareand support. Relatives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend a gravesideservice with MilitaryHonorsonFriday, June 20, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. at the SoutheastLouisiana VeteransCemeteryin Slidell, Louisiana, with a Celebration of Life to fol‐low.Inlieuof ﬂowers, the familyrequestsdonations toany VeteranOrganiza‐tioninAlvin’s name.Mem‐ories andcondolences may beexpressedatwww.Aud ubonFuneralHome.com

MasonRhonanSpong

beloved husband, father, and lifelong public servant, passedawayonJune 14, 2025, in NewOrleans Louisiana,surrounded by his wife andchildren. He was 76 yearsold.Bornin Lexington,Kentucky— a surprisearrival during a roadtripfromMaryland— Mason wasthe only sonof Vincent andBetty Spong. Not long after,the family settled in NewOrleans, where Masonwould build a rich andmeaningfullife rootedinservice,integrity and community. Aproud product of theMarigny neighborhood, Mason graduated from FrancisT NichollsHighSchool (now Frederick A. Douglass High School)and laterattended LoyolaUniversityfor Crimi‐nal Justice. At theage of 19, he joined theNew Or‐leans Police Department launching acareer that wouldspanover ﬁve

decadesand leavea last‐ing impact on countless lives.Healsoservedmulti‐ple termsatthe Orleans ParishDistrictAttorney’s Office underthe Honorable Harry ConnickSr. as an in‐vestigatorand theHonor‐ableLeonCannizzaroasan Executive Assistant. He thenbrought hisdecades oflaw enforcementexperi‐encetothe Tulane Univer‐sityPoliceDepartment, where hissteadywisdom, calming presence,and trademark witmadehim a trusted figure in student safety,event logistics, and mentorship. To many of the younger officers,hewas simplyknown as “Pops. Overthe years, Mason helpedresolve countless cases andbring justiceto those who needed it most One of themostpivotal was achild abuseinvesti‐gationinvolving anow-in‐famousBoy Scouttroop in New Orleans. He supported a young victim throughthe entireprocess —and decades later, that sur‐vivor credited Masonwith savinghis life.The case is featuredinthe 2023 Net‐flix’s documentary, Scouts Honor:The Secret Filesof the BoyScoutsofAmerica For thesereasons,Mason was knownfor hisstrong sense of duty andabilityto leadwithout ego. He car‐riedthe weight of hiswork quietly,never seeking recognition andalways leading with humility Mason also worked secu‐rityand logisticsfor the New OrleansJazz& Her‐itage Festival forover20 years,eventuallyserving asHeadofLogistics— guiding artistslikeAretha Franklin, MilesDavis,Ste‐vie Wonder,and BobDylan acrossthe historic Fair Groundstotheir stages Embodying therhythm, grit, andcharm of thecity hecalledhomeall hislife, Mason’s encyclopedic knowledge of NewOrleans from itseventsand pa‐rades to itsstreetstogro‐ceryspecials— made him, tomany, theveryspiritof the city:complex,unique, deeply rooted, andimpos‐sible to forget.Thatsame spiritcarried into hisyears working with theNew Or‐leans Saints,where he proudly provided security for Mr.Tom Benson during the unforgettable“Benson Boogie” years. Just as he moved effortlesslythrough citystreetsand festival grounds, Masonalsofound meaning in long-standing traditionsand brother‐hood. Adedicated Freema‐son,hewas amemberof Etoile PolaireLodge #1 in New Orleanssince 2012 and served in severallead‐ershiproles,including Treasurer,Secretary,and WorshipfulMaster. He held the32ndDegreeofthe

Readeau, AlvinNoel

Spong, MasonRhonan

Moore, Willie Dan'Pop'

OUR VIEWS

Immigration enforcement needed, butnot this way

There’snodoubt that most Americanswant an orderly and just immigration system.Polls show that large majorities favor the Trumpadministration’sstrict enforcement of ourimmigration laws, and we agree thatour laws should be respected. Yetwhen it comes to thespecifics of how those laws are enforced, that’swhereconsensuscan start to breakdown—and forgood reason. Increasingly,the tactics being deployed by Immigrationand Customs Enforcementasitseeks to carry out mass deportation effortsare ensnaring even those who are trying to workthrough the system to gain American citizenship. Take, for instance, the case of Paola andAdrian Clouatre. The Baton Rougecouple with two small children knew Paola’simmigrationstatus was aproblem. She had entered the countryillegally from Mexicowithher motheratage 14 and applied for asylum. Themother anddaughter never showedupwhentheir case washeard two years later,however After she married Adrian lastyear,Paola appliedfor agreen card just as Adrianwas finishing afive-year stint in the Marines. Whenthey arrived in May for acitizenship appointment in NewOrleans, though, things did notgoas planned. ICE agentstook Paola intocustodyon an active deportation order that thecouple says they had onlyrecently learned about. Paola wasput in detention in Mississippi, then brought to afacility in Monroe. Nowthe father brings his nine-week-old daughter and1-yearold son to the jail twice aweek to visit their mother Their case is not unique. We are seeing grandfathers, daughters and sonsgettingsuddenly plucked from their families after yearsofliving in the United States peacefully.AsICE steps up enforcement at farms, hotels andrestaurants, theseare the kinds of cases that make us question whether we have losttrack of the goal and our values. Enforcement at courthouses, as in Paola’s case, also raises alarm bells. Astrong immigration system has to treat people fairly,sothey are not so fearful that they give up on the system altogether

The Clouatres say theywere honest with immigration ofﬁcials about her status everystep of the way.They never tried tohide anything. They were just hoping for abreak, forsomeone to listen, understand and give them achance. As Adrian put it, it’snot thepeople enforcing the law who deserve blame. “It’sthe system itself that won’tlet them exercise discretion.It’s like apower vacuum sucking everythingup.” It doesn’thave to be this way —evenifyou favor tough immigration enforcement. Since our founding, partofthe American ethos is that we are awelcoming people, that thosehuddled masses who arrive at ourshorescan expect to be treated with dignity.Ifwe lose that as we strive to protect our borders, maybe we also lose part of what makes them worth protecting.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com. TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

YOUR VIEWS

Better investigativesystem woulddeter fraudulent claims

Likemany citizens of Louisiana, I recently received aletter from Gov Jeff Landry highlighting thereform package to reduce high autoinsurance costs. He highlighted four bills aimed at frivolous lawsuits.Unfortunately,the bills do not provide additional resources for conducting investigations and for increasing thepenalty for anyone associated with fraudulent claims.

As prescribed by theLouisiana DepartmentofInsurance, Division of Insurance Fraud, Ireported afraudulent auto accident claim that resulted in a payout to an individual who was not involved in the accident.

Six monthslater,Icontacted the Ofﬁce of Insurance Fraud to get a progress updateonthe investigation, and Iwas sent an email containing the following:

“Weare not allowed to tell anyone thestatusoftheir submission. First, because status updates are not allowed for anyone because of theconﬁdentiality statute in Title 22. This even includes updating thesubmitter,topro-

tect thesubmitter from any liability in reporting thesuspected fraud.

Second, we don’tprovide status updates because not allour ﬁles are the same.”

So, Ireported aknown fraudulent auto incident claim as prescribed by theLouisiana Department of Insurance, which resulted in aloss of both propertyand time for me, and Iam unable to get an update on thestatus of the investigation. Without this information, how am Iable to recoup my losses? Ihave contacted the Louisiana StatePolice and was told that since the investigation is being handled by the Department of Insurance that it is outside of their jurisdiction.

The process is obviously broken. There needs to be arobust investigation withseverepenalties forall parties involved with anyfraudulent claim, including the doctors and lawyers. This alone wouldsigniﬁcantly reduce thenumber of fraudulent auto accident claims.

EDDIEHATTIER Lacombe

Nursing home bill’s passagepoints to broaderfailure in oursociety

Syndicated columnist David Brooks wrote “How America Got Mean” for The Atlantic, saying we’ve become amean-spirited culture, whether it’s towardateacher at school or road rage on the interstate. Paired with this is an increasing lack of compassion and empathy for others and an escalating rise of greed.

For me, the Louisiana HouseofRepresentatives’passage of Senate Bill 134 from state Sen. Thomas Pressley R-Shreveport, that largely shields the nursing home industry from lawsuits despitetheir consistentlylow performance in qualitymeasures, exempliﬁes an unethical, morally wrong and mean-spirited pronouncement. The laws asociety passes shape the kind of people we become. We can make laws that encourage people to be resourceful, inventive and considerate or conniving, manipulative and selﬁsh.

Astrong democracy demands ethical values encompassing concepts like honesty, fairness, respect, integrity and responsibility that form thebaseline for moral andprincipled conduct

As citizens, we must hold our representatives accountable forgiving false and deceptive information, withholding crucial data, and catering to the demands of lobbyists andinﬂuential individuals, as well as fraud and waste. Keeping the lines of communication open and active is essential forevolvement. However,ghosting, or ignoring all attempts at contact, is descriptive of communication in this case. Ghosting leaves morequestions than answers and denies theopportunity for discussion and closure. The ghosted ones are ﬁlled with negativity,wondering why they’ve been summarily kicked to thecurb. Until both legislators and constituents resolve to honor and protect moral and ethical values, respect human dignity, release their grip on false mandates that belie integrity and treat each other with respect and consideration, dignity andjustice will elude us.

Don’tlet that happen!

SUSAN LARSEN DAIGLE Mandeville

Ihope U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy will not be voting to appease constituents of the present, but as asenator who guides U.S. policy forthe good of his future constituents as well. In ademocracy,apriority should be funding programsthat help disadvantaged children receive the health care and education necessary foroptimum development, and eventually to be voting citizens.

Iknow Cassidy is interested in another term as senator.How he deals with voting on this issue will inﬂuence the outcome of that election.

The senator did the right thing when he voted to convict Donald Trumpatimpeachment. Voting to keep the “Big, Beautiful Bill” big and beautiful forDonald Trumpwill be adding recklessly to the deﬁcit. Voting to allow signiﬁcant cuts to programsthat are good or even necessary fordisadvantaged children will hurt democracy Hopefully,the waythe senator deals with this budget bill will add to his legacy as adistinguished senator KATHLEEN FISCHER NewOrleans

Tariff policy misunderstood by Americans

This letter is in response to the opinion letter by Kerrie Slaton on June 5. Slaton incorrectly states that “wethe people have been paying for the tariffs on the United States.” There’snoway aforeign governmentcan charge Americans for exports because the American exporter is the seller,not the buyer Tariffs on U.S. goods are not paid by U.S. businesses or its citizens. Tariffs are paid by the businesses and consumers of the country imposing the tariff. Likewise, U.S. tariffs on imports are paid by U.S. businesses and consumers of those imports. Tariffs result in increased prices on imported goods forthe country imposing the tariff.

DAVID

BERGERON River Ridge

DA WINNAS ANDDALOOZAS

Iknow.Iknow.Itold everyone Iwas retiring at the end of 2024. But,asMichael Corleone famouslylamented, “Just when Ithought Iwas out, they pull me backin.” Andwhat stronger “pull” thananother my last, and this time Ireally mean it edition of “Da Winnasand Da Loozas” for Louisiana’s annual legislativesession?

State lawmakers doubtless felt at times that they,too, were getting pulled back in. Back into MAGA’s andGov Jeff Landry’s divisive culture wars.Back intoﬁghts over who or what causes Louisiana’ssky-high auto andproperty insurance rates. Back into aquagmireof special-interest and sometimes just plain bad government legislation.

All this and more in an annual session that was supposed to focus on ﬁscal matters.

That’snot to say nothingworthwhilehappened.Somegoodthings managed to slip through. Which brings us to our annual tally of the legislative session’s victorsand vanquished, aka “Da Winnasand Da Loozas,” startingwith…

DA WINNAS

1. Nursing home operators:Nursing homes are hands-down the mostpowerfullobby in state government, even though the federalCenters for Medicareand Medicaid Services consistently rates Louisiana’s skilled nursing facilities among the nation’s worst. Most lawmakers respect powerover prudence,which explainsanew law limiting nursing home operators’ liability for wrongful deaths and maltreatment. The change classiﬁes nursinghomeoperators as “health care providers” underLouisiana’s Medical Malpractice Act, which caps civil damages at $500,000, and individual providers are liable for only the ﬁrst $100,000 of that. The rest comes from the state’sPatient Compensation Fund, which is funded by surcharges on patients’ medicalbills.Worst of all, House members defeated aproposed amendment to excludenursing homes rated “D” or “F” —literally,the worst of the worst —from the “med mal” cap. Edmund Burke was right: The greaterthe power,the more dangerousthe abuse.

2. Gov.Jeff Landry:Once again, the governor pushed an ambitious agenda. He didn’t get everythinghewanted— no governor does unlessheorshe aims low —but Landry scored some notable wins …and some losses.His wins includedseveral bills dealing with auto-accident litigation andameasure authorizing Insurance Commish TimTemple to reject rate hikes he deems unreasonable —apowerTemple does not want. That law gives Landry a“not my circus, notmy monkeys” excuse when rates go up.The guv also convinced lawmakers toradically restructure the Department of Transportation and Development, the Department of Children and FamilyServices and thestate Workforce Commission in ways that will undoubtedly enhance his alreadyconsiderable power and inﬂuence.

3. CVS —The pharmacy company iswholly owned by Caremark, the second-largest pharmacy benefit manager and No. 6on the Fortune 500 list. PBMs negotiate drug pricesbyacting as middlemen between manufacturers and the insurance companies and pharmacies thatprovide drugs to consumers. PBMs didn’texist 15 yearsago, but today they are the profit centers of the pharmaceutical industry —they’re bigger than Big Pharma —even thoughtheydon’t manufacture anything but profits. Critics claim PBMs don’tsharethe savings from reduced drug prices with consumersand may actually engage in price fixing (the feds are investigating PBMs nationally). The governor made alast-minutepushto prohibit Louisiana pharmacies from owning or operating aPBM, butCVS killedthe measure by sending asky-is-falling text message to its customers—one of whom happens to be Mrs.Jeff Landry,according to sources at the Capitol. That explainsthe guv’sirate threat to convene aspecial session, probably in August,toreconsider the ban.Thiswas apyrrhic victory forCVS and PBMs. The issue never had apublic hearing, which is why the Senatekilledit, but the votesare probably there to passthe banwhen it returns 4.The Senate:Once again, senators were the adults in the room. They bottled upthe hastily concocted, last-minuteanti-PBM bill, sent aHouse-passed anti-diversity, equity and inclusion bill to Siberia by denying it acommittee assignmentand generallyheldthe line againstthe governor’s

and theHouse’sexcesses. Senate President Cameron Henryisthe Bubba Henry(no relation) of his political generation. Bubba was the father of legislative independence in Louisiana when he served as House speaker in the 1970s. Cameron is building on that legacy in the Senate.

5. UNO:The UniversityofNew Orleans notched several winsasitprepares to rejoin the LSU System and deal with amassive structural deﬁcit.Itwill get $20 million to address its ﬁnancial challenges, and rejoiningthe LSUSystem should help both UNO and LSU —provided theLSU Board of Supervisors recognizes UNO’spotential to be acrown jewel of the system rather than amere satellite campus.

6. Sheriffs:Never bet against Louisiana’s sheriffs. They got a$17 million annual increase in their per-day ratefor housing state inmates in local jails.

7. Newmomsand newborns:Lawmakers passed measures to provide insurance coverage of home visiting services for newbornsand young children, offer Medicaid coverage for and expanded access to doulaservices, require health insurance coverage foraminoacid-based elemental formulas, mandate care and insurance coveragefor perinatal psychiatric care and guarantee informed testing and insurance coverage forSTIs in pregnant women.

8. Publicschool teachers:After voters in March soundly rejected Landry’soverloaded Amendment 2, which contained a provisionfor permanent teacher raises, K-12 teachers got one-time stipends of $2,000 for athird consecutive year.But they’ll get another shot at areal raise next spring when voters consider astand-alone constitutional amendment to redirect a portion of education trust funds to higher teacher pay.

9. High-performinghigh schoolers:They will soonqualify for enhanced TOPS awards, thankstochanges in thestate’scollege scholarship program

10. Domestic violence victims:The governor’s proposed budget had no funding for domestic violence victims’ services,but lawmakers restored $7 million —the same amountthat’sinthe current ﬁscal year’s budget but still less than what they got under theprevious administration. Meanwhile, lawmakers created aVictims’ Bill of Rights and established notiﬁcation procedures for events —including jailbreaks

that endanger DV victims. Which brings us to DA LOOZAS

1. Grandmaand Grandpa:The new law insulating bad-faith nursing homeoperators from wrongful death and negligent care lawsuitsisa stain on Louisiana’sgood skilled nursing facilities —and on theindustry in general —but thereal harm is to vulnerable seniors whose families cannot ﬁnd or afford better care for their beloved parents and grandparents.

2. Gov.Jeff Landry:The governor lost some high-profile fights. Senators killed his proposal to morethan double funding forhis LA GATOR (read: K-12 voucher) program, along with the anti-PBM bill that Landry pushed in thefinal days. Hismove to gut thenominating committee and eliminate theexecutive director’sjob forthe East BankFlood Authority was reduced to afew tweaks that actually makesense. Elsewhere, he failed to block“tort reform” measures that his trial lawyer allies were counting on him to kill, though he could still vetoone or more of those bills, as he did last year

3.TimTemple:Lawmakers approved several “tort reform”measures that Temple supported, but those wins paled in comparison to aLandry-backed bill giving the insurance commissioner authority to reject premium hikes he deems“excessive.” The latter makes Temple the face of higher insurance rates in Louisiana, while giving Landry aconvenient fall guy when rates go up. Because rates WILL go up.

4. Drivers and homeowners:The never-ending ﬁght between insurance companies and trial lawyers ended in adraw.They each scored awin or two and took afew losses as well, but none of the so-called tort reforms will lower insurance premiums for drivers and homeowners in the foreseeable future.

5.Transparency and ethics: These twoindicatorsofgood government go hand in hand, this year in defeat. Lawmakers amended thePublic Records Act to give themselves “protections” that ordinary citizens don’t have, gutted thealready weakened ethics laws to insulate all elected ofﬁcials from ethics enforcement (which is now ofﬁcially an oxymoron in Louisiana) and raised the contribution limits on campaign donations to further enhance all incumbents’ reelec-

tion chances.

6. Culture warriors: Senators killed aHousepassed anti-DEI bill forstate government that drove apainful —and very public —race-based wedge between Black and Republican lawmakers. The bill wasalso completely unnecessary and irrelevant, a hallmark of culture wars.

7.Vouchersupporters: Here again, the Senate stood up to the governor by keeping LA GATOR funding at its current level of $43.5 million, meaning no additional taxpayer-funded seats at private schools.

8. Carboncapture proponents:They defeated efforts to kill or seriously weaken the industry,but several new lawsimpose restrictions and add procedural hurdles to future carbon capture projects. One new law makes local courts the venue for all expropriation ﬁghts involving carbon capture, which could tip the scales in favor of local opponents. At aminimum,itwill makecarbon capture morepainstaking and moreexpensive.

9. Childrenofgun owners:The House rejected achild-protection bill that would have madeitamisdemeanor foranyone to negligently or intentionally leave aloaded ﬁrearm where akid winds up hurting himself or others with it. It’s yet another reminder —asifweneeded one —ofhow fearful lawmakers are of the NRA.

10.Average Louisiana citizens:I’ve always been tempted (and encouraged) to make“us folks” perennial Loozas, but Itry not to overstate the obvious. Now that I’monthe threshold of actually retiring from my beloved profession, I’mgonna go ahead and say it: Average citizens got next to nothing. Again. Sorry,folks.

In closing, as Ivow once moretoavoid Michael Corleone’s“they pull me back in” fate, Idosowith adeep sense of gratitude to the anonymous Capitol sources who have generously shared their insights and helped me compile my legislative version of “DaWinnas and Da Loozas” forthe past 40-plus years. Ialso thank my friend, editor and colleague Stephanie Grace, whoprovided signiﬁcant insights and assistance of her own these last fewyears.

Y’all are all “winnas” in my book. Clancy DuBosisaretired political columnist forGambitand The TimesPicayune |The Advocate.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Gov. Jeff Landryaddresses the Louisiana Legislature on opening dayoflegislativesession, April 14 at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge. Senate President Cameron Henry R-Metairie, left,speaks with Sen Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, on May12.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Louisiana Commissioner of InsuranceTim Temple has the authority to reject premium hikes he deems ‘excessive.’

Clancy DuBos

is on Friday, butsummerlike weather has remained constant.

Scottish Rite,known as Masterofthe RoyalSecret, and wasalsoa proud memberofShrinersInter‐national. He is survived by and deeply lovedbyhis wife, ElizabethCaruso Spong;their blendedfami‐lies, JamesMarks (Melissa Marks), ChristineMcGov‐ern (SeanMcGovern),Kait Spong (Chris Dominguez), and MasonDanielSpong (GeorgiaSmith); andhis grandchildren,George Marks,Charlie Marks, Jane Marks,and Leon McGov‐ern.A memorial service willbeheldonFriday, June 20, 2025, at JacobSchoen and SonFuneralHome (3827 CanalStreet,New Or‐leans), with visitation from 9:30a.m.to11:00 a.m.,fol‐lowed by aCatholicMass. Intermentwilltakeplace afterward at MasonicTem‐ple Cemetery No.2,at400 CityParkAvenue,New Or‐leans.Inlieuof ﬂowers, the familyrequeststhatdona‐tions be made to thePan‐creatic Cancer Action Net‐work(PanCAN). Arrange‐ments by JacobSchoen& Son FuneralHome. Condo‐lencesmay be left at www schoenfh.com.

Turner, Jacquelyn Di Maggio Jacquelyn (Jackie) Di Maggio Turner, age 79, of Covington, LA, passed away peacefully, June 7, 2025, at her home. She was born on August3,1945 in New Orleans, LA; one of five children of the late Joseph &Sarah Di Maggio.

Jackie is survived by her husband RobertTurner of 52 years; her sisters Elizabeth Di Maggio and Lorraine Schembre; her sisters-in-law Carolyn Di Maggio and Margaret Fink; her brother-in-law Joseph L. Schembre; her nieces Dawn Di Maggio, Deanna Allen, Dina Martinez, Gina Turner, Beth Drago, Jody Calcote, Cathy Drake, Angela Evola, Kimberly Fink, Gabrielle Rosen, Eleanor Fink, and Annie Rasquin; her nephews David Di Maggio Sr., Joe St. Philip, Frank St. Philip, Tom St. Philip, Tony St. Philip, Joseph V. Schembre, John J. Schembre, and Robert Fink; plus numerous grandnieces, grandnephews, great-grandnieces, and great-grandnephews! In addition to

DEATHS continued from her parents, Jackie was preceded in death by her brother PeterDiMaggio, her sisterMarieSt. Philip, her sister-in-law Blanche Fox, herbrother-in-law BarryFink and two of her nephews Eric Fink and Olivier Rasquin.

Jackie was aloving, caring,and downright fun wife, daughter, sister, aunt, co-worker, and a goodfriend to almost everyone she met. She loved to travel, visit family and friends, eatout in allkinds of restaurants, attend live performances, and go to the movies. Shealsoenjoyed stayinghome reading her bible, cooking, playingScrabble,and streaming/watching good quality programming on TV

Jackie was adevout RomanCatholic. Her funeral service willbeheldatSt. Peter Catholic Church in Covington, LA on Friday June,20th. Visitation will start at 9:30 AM followed by Mass at 11:00AM.

Contributions in Jackie's memory may be made to the Northshore Food Bank (https://northshorefoodba nk.org/) and/or The SalvationArmy-New Orleans Area Command (https://southernusa.salva tionar my.org/ new-o rleans/) and/or the American Cancer Society (Give.cancer.org)inlieu of flowers.

found heremployedasthe VicePresident of O’Keefe InsuranceAgency. In her later years, sheworkedas a business managerinthe Orleans Parish School Sys‐tem andlater retired. She leavestomourn herloving and devotedson Derrick, three grandchildren, (Der‐rickJr, Derren,Laila)her siblings, Patrick(Nadine), Paulette,Perry (Nichelle), Connie, andMelissa (Missy),fourgodchildren (Ariane,Perry Jr., Burnell and Haylee) onebonus daughter(MoniqueCarter) and ahostoflovingnieces, nephews,relatives and friends.She waspreceded indeath by herparents Clarenceand Wilhelmina Young,one brotherPhillip Young,and onegrandson DanielWilliams. Relatives and friendsofthe family, Priestand Parishioners of St. Leothe GreatCatholic Church andall neighboring churches areinvited to at‐tenda FuneralMassat 10:00 am on Friday,June 20, 2025, at St.Leo theGreat Catholic Church,2916 Paris Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70119. Father StanleyK Ihuoma,SSJ-Celebrant.Vis‐itation 9:00 am until the timeofFuneralMassatthe above-named church.In‐terment will be private. Final arrangements en‐trusted to PatrickH Sanders FuneralHome& FuneralDirectors,LLC,605 MainStreet,Laplace,LA 70068, 985-359-1919. “Pro‐vidingCare& Comfortis Our HighestMission.”

Williams,Peggy AnnY. Peggy AnnY.Williams was born in New Orleans, Louisiana,tothe late Clarenceand Wilhelmina Young.She wasa worship‐pingparishioner at St.Leo the Greatand St.Jude Church of New Orleans Louisiana.She wasmar‐ried to thelateRonnie Williams,and to that union,one amazingson Derrick AnthonyWilliams Sr. wasborn. He wasthe loveofher life andthe joy ofher heart. Hersharp mind andwitty personality Howtoplace an Obituary Notice Howtoplace a

EW OR LD SE RIE S

WINDELAY

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

OMAHA, Neb.— In the third inning

Monday night,LSU wasingood shape The Tigers led 5-3 over UCLA in the winner’sbracket of the 2025 College WorldSeries. Their second ace, junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson, had settledintothe game with two scorelessinnings after surrenderingthree runs in the ﬁrst. Awin would secure another day off andplace LSU avictory away from reaching the CWS ﬁnal.

Then the weather came. Justbefore the start of thefourth inning, lightning andrainlit up the night skyfor two hours and53minutes. Thematchup was suspended at 10:13 p.m. Monday’sgame was givena restart of 10:03 a.m.Tuesday.A loss to UCLA would forcethe Tigers to playagain Tuesday versus Arkansas in an eliminationgame. LSUneeded someonetoreverse its misfortune. That’swhen LSU coach Jay JohnsonturnedtoCasan Evans. Thefreshmanright-hander toed the rubber to begin the re-

startedgame and excelled, allowing just two runs in 41/3 innings to guide LSU past the Bruins 9-5

“Coach Johnson had told me that once we got outofthe delaythat I would be on themound, andthen it got rolled over to today,”Evans said. “Just went back to the hotel andgot readyfor today. Woke up early. With thewin,LSU will face the winner of Tuesday night’seliminationgamebetweenUCLAand Arkansasat6 p.m. Wednesday.

OMAHA, Neb. The LSU Tigers, it seems, have an answer foreverything. The UCLA Bruins began their battle of College World Series unbeatens Monday night by roughing up LSU co-pitching ace Anthony Eyanson, mainly by putting alot of balls in places where the Tigers found making outs arduous. No problem.

UCLA hung three runs on LSU in the top of the ﬁrst and the Tigers answered with four in the bottom of the frame, mostly thanks to a387-foot home run to right-center by Jared Jones that nosed just over the glove of right ﬁelderAJSalgado and into the bleachers.

“Wetalk about winning every inning,” Jones said. “Obviously,theyput up athree spot in the top half, so to win the inning we’ve gottoput up at least four.And it just so happened. It just so happened.” Youmake it sound simple, Jared. See ball, hit ball, seeball go over the wall. Another bad break soon followed, though. After Eyansonbailed out his boat and pluggedthe leaks, retiring eight of the last nine UCLA batters he faced, the game was haltedbyweather in the top of the fourthinning. If there’sanything this LSU team has known this year —other than winning ä See RABALAIS, page 4C

BY KOKI RILEY Staffwriter

OMAHA, Neb. For twohours and 53 minutes, LSU had to wait. And then wait and wait and wait some more.A game that began at 6:08 p.m. Monday didn’tconclude until 12:32 p.m. Tuesday

That’sbecause Monday’smatchup between LSUand UCLA was halted through anearly three-hour weather delay that technically didn’tend until the next day Instead of resuming the game Monday night, the matchup was suspended and didn’tresume until 10:03 a.m. Tuesday It took awhile, but the Tigers eventually took down UCLA 9-5 in their second gameatthe College World Series. The win means LSU will face the victor of Tuesday night’sgame between Arkansas and UCLA at 6p.m. Wednesday

“That’swhat this tournament is at times. Had delays here, night games that ended

ä See STORM, page 4C

Scott Rabalais

STAFF PHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK

Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander enter lore

OKC duo joins exclusive NBA Finals club for scoring

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

OKLAHOMA CITY Jerry West and Elgin Baylor did it often. Kyrie Irving and LeBron James did it a couple of times. Magic Johnson and Jamaal Wilkes were among those who did it once.

And now, Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have entered NBA lore.

Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night marked just the 14th time in league history that a game saw somebody score at least 40 points in a title-round game while one of his teammates scored at least 30. Williams had 40 and GilgeousAlexander finished with 31 in Oklahoma City’s 120-109 win over Indiana, a victory that gave the Thunder a 3-2 lead in the series.

“These guys are really good players,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said “Obviously.” A look at the history when a team has a 40-point and 30-point scorer in the same ﬁnals game: West and Baylor, Lakers

This 40-30 combination has happened 14 times in NBA Finals history Jerry West and Elgin Baylor are responsible for half of them, and they made it almost seem commonplace back then — while hardly any set of teammates has done it since.

April 8, 1962: West scored 40, Baylor scored 36 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 129-122 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of those ﬁnals.

April 18, 1962: Baylor scored 41, West scored 35, but it wasn’t enough and the Celtics beat the Lakers 110-107 in Game 7 for the title that season.

April 17, 1963: West scored 42, Baylor scored 38 and the Lakers beat the Celtics 119-99 in Game 3.

April 21, 1963: Baylor scored 43, West scored 32 and the Lakers beat the Celtics 126-119 in Game 5. The Celtics would prevail in six games.

April 17, 1966: West scored 41, Baylor scored 36 in the Lakers’

Phillies OF Castellanos benched over comment

Nick Castellanos was benched by Phillies manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday for “an inappropriate comment” the outﬁelder made after he was pulled for a defensive replacement a day earlier, ending Castellanos’ streak of 236 consecutive starts.

Castellanos played right field and singled in four at-bats against the Marlins on Monday before Johan Rojas replaced him in the bottom of the eighth. Max Kepler moved to right and Rojas played center

The 33-year-old Castellanos who is in his fourth season with the Phillies, is hitting .278 with seven homers and 36 RBIs. Castellanos, born and raised in South Florida, often has dozens of relatives and friends in the stands when the Phillies visit the Marlins.

Mets rotation loses Megill with right elbow sprain

The New York Mets lost a member of their rotation for at least one month on Tuesday when righthander Tylor Megill was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow sprain.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said before Tuesday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves the team would wait for inﬂammation in Megill’s elbow to decrease before being able to determine the severity of the injury

133-129 win over the Celtics in Game 1 of that series.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By NATE BILLINGS Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, left, and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stand on the court after Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on May 28 in Oklahoma City ä Thunder at Pacers. 7:30 P.M.THURSDAy,ABC

April 24, 1966: Baylor scored 41, West scored 31 and the Lakers beat the Celtics 121-117 in Game 5. But Boston would win the title again, prevailing in Game 7.

April 25, 1969: West scored 31, Baylor scored 32 and the Lakers beat the Celtics 118-112 in Game 2 that year And once again the Celtics would win, this time in another Game 7 and the 11th and ﬁnal title for Bill Russell.

Irving and LeBron, Cavaliers

They did it in back-to-back seasons for Cleveland, both times against Golden State. The Cavs won the title in 2016, then lost in 2017.

June 13, 2016: Both Kyrie Irving and Lebron James scored 41 points and the Cavs beat the Warriors 112-97, cutting Golden State’s series lead to 3-2. This was the season Cleveland successfully rallied from a 3-1 deﬁcit to win the title.

June 9, 2017: Irving scored 40 and James scored 31 as the Cavs avoided a sweep by beating the Warriors 137-116 in Game 4 of that series.

Golden State went on to prevail in ﬁve games.

40-94 26-32 120. Indiana22233430—109 Oklahoma City32272833120 3-Point Goals — Indiana 11-30 (Nesmith 4-5, Siakam 3-6, McConnell 1-2, Turner 1-2, Mathurin 1-4, Toppin 1-5, Nembhard 0-2, Haliburton 0-4), Oklahoma City 14-32 (Wiggins 4-7, Wallace 3-4, Jal.Williams 3-5, Dort 3-6, Holmgren 1-3, K.Williams 0-1, Caruso 0-3, Gilgeous-Alexander 0-3). Fouled Out — None. Rebounds — Indiana 50 (Mathurin 8), Oklahoma City 45 (Holmgren 11). Assists — Indiana 23 (Haliburton 6), Oklahoma City 24 (Gilgeous-Alexander 10). Total Fouls Indiana 25, Oklahoma City 24. A — 18,203 (18,203)

Johnson and Wilkes, Lakers

They did it once, in the clincher of the 1980 ﬁnals for the Lakers against the Philadelphia 76ers.

May 16, 1980: Magic Johnson scored 42 and Jamaal Wilkes scored 37 in the Lakers’ 123-107 road win in Game 6 to secure the title

Chamberlain and West, Lakers

West’s name pops into the list again, this time with Wilt Cham-

berlain in the Lakers’ 1970 ﬁnals appearance against the New York Knicks.

May 6, 1970: Chamberlain scored 45, West scored 33 and the Lakers beat the Knicks 135-113 in Game 6 of that series. New York would win the title two nights later in Game 7.

Havlicek and Howell, Celtics Hard to believe it’s happened only once in Celtics lore, but that’s indeed the case. The Boston teammates did it against the Lakers in 1968.

May 2, 1968: John Havlicek scored 40, Bailey Howell scored 30 and the Celtics won 124-109 in Game 6 of that series, clinching yet another championship.

Hagan and Pettit, Hawks

Not the Atlanta Hawks, the St. Louis Hawks. Cliff Hagan and Bob Pettit were the first members of the ﬁnals 40-30 club.

April 5, 1961: Hagan scored 40, Pettit scored 30 and the Hawks lost to the Celtics 116-108 in Game 2 of that series. Boston won the series in ﬁve games.

NBA Finals rest schedule helpful to players

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

INDIANAPOLIS Given the way In-

diana guard Tyrese Haliburton was limping on his way out of the postgame news conference after Game 5 of the NBA Finals, it’s safe to assume he’s a fan of the schedule right about now

Put simply, he could use a couple of days off at least.

Haliburton has a lower leg injury — nobody’s saying exactly what it is, whether it’s an ankle or calf or something else — and he was having an MRI on Tuesday to try to ﬁgure things out. It seems to be the sort of injury that if this were a back-to-back situation in December, he’d be missing at least one game.

But these are the finals, this is June, there are no back-to-backs in the playoffs, and when the league gets to the last series two-day breaks between games aren’t uncommon. The Pacers are probably happy about that right about now

“The ﬁnals, the NBA Finals is one of the great stages in all of sports,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “And so, it shouldn’t happen quickly and abruptly It should happen at the right pace and the right tempo, and the space in between games does help player health. That’s a very important aspect of it.”

There was a one-day gap between games in this year’s ﬁnals just once, separating Games 3 and 4 in Indianapolis. Everything else has seen a twoday gap, as will be the case going into Game 6 at Indy on Thursday night. And if the Pacers win to force a Game 7 back in Oklahoma City that’ll be preceded by another two days off going into an ultimate

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KyLE PHILLIPS

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton drives past Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren during Game 5 on Monday in Oklahoma City.

game on Sunday night. It should be noted that the Thunder don’t mind the schedule being drawn out, either

“We recover,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “The finals are great because you get extra time in between the games.

I think that’s huge in terms of rest and recovery at this time of the year I think it’s good for the product. I think it’s a good thing and by the time the ball goes up in the air, everybody is going to be ready to play and everybody is going to be excited.”

Even those who aren’t dealing with an injury seem to be welcoming the two-day gaps between ﬁnals games.

“It’s a lot of games. It’s tiring, for sure,” Thunder star and league MVPShaiGilgeous-Alexandersaid.

“But every game is tiring When you’re giving your all, every possession, you’re going to be tired. I don’t think I’m the only one out there that is tired. It wasn’t always like this.

The first NBA Finals were in 1947, before the league was called the NBA (it was the Basketball Association of America then) and before the title round was called the ﬁnals (after being called the BAA Finals in the early years, it was called the NBA World Championship Series until the mid-1980s).

That first year, Philadelphia and Chicago played five games in seven days. It would be unthinkable to play at that pace now; the NBA, for muchofthelastdecade,hasn’teven scheduled stretches like that in the regular season. The finals between Minneapolis

and New York did the same thing

— five games, seven days — in 1953. Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers played a five-game series in an eight-day span in 1965. Golden State and Washington played four games in eight days in 1975, with two cross-country flights in there as well. And this was long before charter flights became the rule in the NBA, too.

“We’re fortunate in this series. Travel is pretty reasonable Not a long distance,” Carlisle said, evidently aware that the finals has the shortest distance between the dueling cities Oklahoma City and Indianapolis are separated by 688 miles by air — than any finals matchup since 1956. “Not a long flight I do believe it’s a better circumstance for the overall integrity of the competition.”

The two extra days gives everybody Haliburton, coaches, everyone — more time to get ready Daigneault, the father of kids ages 3 and 2, said it gives him more time to be a dad between games.

“I do twice as much parenting,” he said, “not twice as much work.”

Carlisle said coaches get more time to study ﬁlm, though at this point in the series it’s pretty clear that the Thunder and Pacers know eachotheraboutaswellastheycan. And Haliburton will get another 24 hours of whatever scheme the Pacers’ medical staff draws up to try to get his leg good to go in Game 6. “All these guys playing in this series on both sides. I think it’s pretty clear now that we’re going into the sixthgame,andallattentionandthe crowd noise in both arenas, everything,thisisalifetimeopportunity,” Carlisle said. “Not many guys are going to sit even if they are a little banged up.”

The 29-year-old Megill is 5-5 with a 3.95 ERA in 14 starts. Mendoza says the team likely will ﬁnd a spot starter to ﬁll Megill’s next start on Friday at Philadelphia. The rotation could have more options soon as the team is awaiting the returns of Frankie Montas (lat) and Sean Manaea (oblique) from injuries.

Judge calls to settle bitter NASCAR antitrust battle

A federal judge urged NASCAR and two of its teams, including one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, co-owner of 23XI Racing, to settle their legal ﬁght over the stock car series during a hearing on Tuesday

The hearing was a request to toss out NASCAR’s countersuit, which accuses Jordan business manager Curtis Polk of “willfully” violating antitrust laws by orchestrating anticompetitivecollectiveconductinnegotiations. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of North Carolina grilled both NASCAR and teams on what they hoped to accomplish in the antitrust battle.

23XI and Front Row Motorsports were the only two organizations that refused to sign a take-it-or-leave-it offerfromNASCARlastSeptember

Lyles, Hill race canceled for ‘personal reasons’

Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles will not race Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill due to “personal reasons,” according to the New York Post, bringing to end a near yearlong saga of trash talk and back-and-forth.

Hill originally challenged Lyles to a 50-yard race — just days after the sprinter had won gold in the 100 meters at the 2024 Paris Games. The eight-time Pro Bowler has long since claimed to be one of the fastest people on the planet and wanted to use a race against Lyles to prove it.

It’s unclear whether the race will be postponed indefinitely or called off all together Regardless, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is likely happy that he won’t have to answer any more questions about it.

Wings forward Siegrist on shelf with knee injury

Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist is recovering from a right knee injury that won’t require surgery but will keep her out of the lineup for some time.

The Wings said Siegrist was diagnosed with an anterolateral tibial plateau (shin) fracture. Siegrist suffered the injury in Wednesday’s loss at Phoenix. The Wings said Monday that the injury won’t require surgery and that the third-year player is expected to make a full recovery and return to the lineup “later this season.” Dallas drafted Siegrist third overall out of Villanova in

Good Luck in Omaha! Om

TheTigers areOmaha-bound —and when excellence is on the line, LSUdelivers. That same championship mindset is shared by Our Lady of the Lake, part of Franciscan Missionaries of OurLady Health System and thehealthcareprovider trustedtocarefor LSU Baseball and all LSUstudentathletesall year long. Throughthe ChampionshipHealthPartnership,that same top-tier care is available to you —fromsports medicineand student healthtobreakthroughresearch and community care. Championshipcare.Championship culture

Learn howweare improving the health of Louisiana.

JaredJones, First Base Kade Anderson, Pitcher Steven Milam, Inﬁeld

COLLEGE WORLDSERIES

CALL

Continued from page1C

Tuesday’swin marks the eighth time LSU has started its College World Series run with a2-0 record In the seven previous instances, the Tigerswon the national title six times.

“Great win for our team ”Johnsonsaid. “Really proudofthem the mindset piece, the disruption of the game last nightbecause of weather.” Evans had five strikeouts and didn’tallow an extra-base hit. He consistently fooled UCLA hitters with his split changeup and pounded the strike zone, issuing no walks and hitting one batter

“I love the tempo that Casan set today,” Johnson said. “I thought he was outstanding, as he always is.” He eventuallyexitedfor freshmanleft-hander Cooper Williams aftertwo hitters reachedwith one out in the eighth inning Williams struggled in his first appearance in Omaha. The Texas native walked two batters and allowed both inherited runners to score. The two runs cut LSU’slead to 8-5 before sophomorerighthander Chase Shores entered with two outs and the basesloaded.

Shoresneeded just one pitchto end the jam, forcing afielder’s choice groundout to sophomore Steven Milam at shortstop.He then breezed through theninthin-

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up being day games the next day,” coach Jay Johnson said.“I’mjust really proud the way the team handled all that.” Weather disruptions have becomeall toofamiliar to LSU this season. Even if Monday was thefirst time this yearwhere it needed a second day to ﬁnisha game,the Tigers have gottenusedtoadjusting on the ﬂy

The matchup withUCLA was the19thLSU game this season that has been affected by the weather

“As Imentioned, everythingis training for something,” Johnson said. “It wasn’tjust the regional, super regional. We played like four games at 10 p.m. this year, and ﬁnished acouple at 1:30inthe morning.”

To burn the time during the initial delay, LSU startedplaying Maﬁa —the popular party game —inthe clubhouse. The Tigers spentaround an hour anda half playingthe game as rain continued to fall on Charles Schwab Field. It’s agame the playerstypically play on the team bus. Junior Tanner Reaves noted thatjunior catcher Eddie Yamin was among the better Maﬁa guessers.

“I do play alittle bit, but I’m usually the one that gets votedoff

Evans(Martin), by Hawk (Hernandez). Umpires—HP: Kellen Levy.1B: Angel Campos 2B: Jeff Head. 3B: Scott Letendre. T—3:41. A—24,623.

ning toend thegame.

“It felt amazing,” Shores said when asked about the one-pitch outinthe eighth. “I mean, if Ican do it in one pitch(and) yousave my pitch count, that’seven better.

The LSU bats produced during the restart,scoring four runs with twoouts.

Run-scoring singlesfromMilam and sophomore Jake Brown in the fourth inning stretched LSU’s

Mondaylead to 7-3. Threeinnings later,junior Daniel Dickinson blooped asingle into shallowright ﬁeld thatdrove in arun before “Rough dayfor me,it’sall good,” Dickinsonsaid regarding his bloop hit.“We’ll take them whenever youcan.”

Junior JaredJonesdrove in his fourthrun of the game in the eighth with asingle thatgaveLSU a9-5 advantage

Before the rain began to fall, LSU tallied four runs in the ﬁrst inning andaddedanotherscore in the third after falling behind 3-0.

The Tigers hit threeconsecutive singles in thefirst that resulted in arun-scoring hit by Brown Twopitches later,Jones blasted a three-run home run to theopposite field that turnedLSU’s 3-1 deficit into a4-3 lead

Jones’ homer was his 21st of the season and LSU’s ﬁrst in Omaha. The blast traveled 387 feet and was launched110 mph into the teeth of the wind in right-center ﬁeld.

Thehit washis ﬁrst of theCollege WorldSeriesafterhewent0 for 5with ﬁve strikeouts in LSU’s winagainst Arkansas on Saturday “Offensively,wejust wanted to start thegame on theright note,” Jones said. “Wetalk about winning every inning. Obviously,they put up athree spot in the tophalf, so to winthe inning we’ve gottoput up at least four.”

The Tigers added aﬁfth run in thethird on senior Luis Hernan-

ﬁrst becauseI’m so bad,” junior Daniel Dickinsonsaid. “They’re like,‘Oh,he’s(theMafia). He sucks.’ Igot in trouble for lying very,very often when Iwas a kid.”

Onceitwas announced the game wouldn’t resumeMonday,Johnson told the players to, “Go home, eat (and)gotobed,” Reaves said, and that’swhat they did. “Actually gotsome foodﬁrst, andthen hydrated alittlebit,then went straight to sleep,” sophomore right-hander ChaseShores said. “And we had an early morning. And we were all prepared for that.” Shores woke up at 6:30 a.m ahead of Tuesday’srestart, avery early time for the 6-foot-8 Texas

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—it’sweather delays. This was the 19th of the Tigers’ 65 games affected by inclement conditions.

On the Forrest Gump scale of weather,they’ve seen it all. Little bitty stinging rain. Big ‘ol fat rain. Rain that ﬂewinsideways. Theyevenhad arain delaythat masqueraded as hours of sunshine during the NCAA super regional in Baton Rouge. (Near as Icould ever ﬁgure,there was some concern about lightning in Texas. Around El Paso).

This, however,was your classic Midwestern, carryDorothy-off-to-Oz storm front at Charles SchwabField on Mondaynight. After hours of lightning and buckets of rain, they called the whole thingoff just after 10 p.m. with LSU leading 5-3, compelling the Tigers and Bruins to return at 10 a.m. Tuesday.Compelling everybody but Eyanson, who hadthrown too much and sat fortoo long to pitchagain.

Signs pointedtoLSU coach Jay Johnson turning to freshman Casan Evans. Overthe last six weeks Evans hasstarted, worked in long relief and was the closer forthe Tigers’ 4-1 victory Saturday over Arkansas. Ithink in apinch the kid also could tune apiano. But would Johnson want to save him if the Tigers were forced into amust-win game Tuesday night, or start Wednesdaytotry to reach the championship series?

dez’stwo-out single.The tally gave LSU a5-3 lead before the game was stopped becauseofthe weather Milam, Jones and Brown led the Tigers with multiple hitsapiece. Jones’ home run was their only extra-base hit, butonlyone starter —redshirt juniorTannerReaves —failedtorecordahit.

“I think it kindofcan go unnoticed withour team. It’smore than talent. It’sreally skilled baseball players, and (Milam’s) at thetop of that,” Johnson said.

“So when youhavethatkind of skill, youcan make adjustments quickly and usually not stay down forlong.”

Eyanson’s rocky start put LSU behind theeight ball Monday.The UC SanDiego transfer surrendered three runs on threesingles anda double in the ﬁrstinning.

His fastball was up to 96 mph, butUCLA hitterswerenot fooled by his slider even if he did improveasthe game continued. Eyanson retired eight of the last nine batters he faced.

“I was getting readytothrow a warm-up on the mound (and) the umpire kind of screamed at me, saying, ‘Hey,time to come offthe ﬁeld,’ “Eyanson said aboutMonday.“Ididn’treally know it was going to rain (Monday) at all. I didn’t really check theweather But yeah, it kind of sucked.”

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

AT AGLANCE

native to rise and shine.

“For me, Idon’t really wakeup that early,” Shores said. “It all dependsongametime, butifwe’re playing anight game, I’ll sleep until like 10:30, 11 a.m.”

Little didShores know when he woke up that he would enter the gamewith the bases loaded and twoouts in the eighth inning of athree-run game. He was ready from the start, needing just one pitch to end the inning on aﬁelder’schoice before closing out the game with aperfect ninth inning.

Given his performance, he may be amorning person after all.

“I gotthatquick out. Theconﬁdencewas kind of built,”Shores said.

“And then Iwent out to the ninth with alot of conﬁdence.”

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

The answer was an emphatic no.Evans was the man.

“Coach Johnson hadtold me that once we gotout of the delay that Iwould be on the mound,” Evans said. “Just went back to the hotel and gotready for(Tuesday). Woke up early.”

Another Tigerwho makes it sound easy.Wake up early,work late, win the game.

Evans gave LSU 41/3 innings of superb relief. Eventually, he ledthe Tigers into ajam in the eighth that led to two runs charged to him offpitches by fellow frosh Cooper Williams, but LSU hadmore than enough offense to stay in control. Chase Shores (he also pitchedSaturday) came in belching ﬂames, extinguishing the Bruins’ hopes with four outs of hitless relief to sew up the 9-5 victory “Really proud of them,” Johnson said. “The mindset,the disruption of the game last night because of weather.Ithought the response in the ﬁrst inning, after giving up three, to come back and score four was very much in character for our team.” History doesn’thelp theTigers make an out or getabase hit, but being in this position is very much in character for LSU. This is the eighth time the Tigers have started 2-0 in the CWS. Six of the previous seven times LSU won the championship. The only time it didn’twas 1998. The only time the Tigers won the CWSand didn’tstart 2-0 was two years ago, when LSU lost its second game to Wake Forest.

Much more meaningful than history,the Tigers’ conﬁdence tank hastobeon“F” right about now. They’ve dealt with weather,tough hitting, tough pitching and tough breaks, and they’ve gotten to the threshold of the CWSchampionship series. Now they’ve gottwo bites at that apple going into agame Wednesday night against Tuesdaynight’sArkansas-UCLA survivor(weather permitting).

Abig part of LSU’sformula forsuccess is dealing with things as they come, amix of youthful obliviousness and Johnson’sexperience at maintaining an even strain.

“As youget older in coaching,” Johnson said, “something Itry to getbetter at is not worrying about things that Icannot control, whether it’sNCAA rules or the weather.IfIcould have the power to push back lightning and rainstorms, I probably wouldn’tbeacollege baseball coach.

“But Iwant to set agood example forthe team. If I’mfrustrated, making it athing, then they’re going to make it athing. And it’smyjob to lead and not make it athing. So that’swhatI chose to do.”

Signs are that Johnson isn’t some sort of weather god. Signs are growing that LSU is on track forashotatanother national championship.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU first baseman Jared Jones catches the ball asUCLAcenter fielder Payton Brennan is out Tuesdayatthe CollegeWorld Series in Omaha, Neb.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK

George ‘Bobby’ Soileau won four state boxing championships while in high school in Louisiana.

He also won an individual NCAA championship in 1956 while boxing at LSU

PROVIDED PHOTO

Soileau’s quick hands cemented his legacy

BY RAYMOND PARTSCH III

Contributing writer

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.

George “Bobby” Soileau taught his son how to throw a punch.

Every day after coaching and teaching students at Sacred Heart High School, Soileau would come home to his wife and three sons and put on his worn-out gloves and show his youngest son, Robert, how to throw a jab.

“He always loved to put the gloves on and box with me when I was little,” Robert Soileau said.

“Every day, it is what we did together We would box in the backyard or even in the living room. I was 6 or 7 years old, and he would get on his knees and box me.”

The older Soileau does not always remember those days of bonding with his son. There are more days than not when he does not recall being one of Louisiana’s elite boxers with a ﬁerce left jab that helped him claim four state championships

and an individual national championship in college Dementia has taken that away from the 89-year-old Soileau. His accomplishments are slight ﬂickers of light now as Soileau is unable to relive those moments that will see him be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame on June 28 in Natchitoches.

“He just doesn’t understand,” his son said “I ask him the same questions every single day because the doctors told us that it helps. To his credit, he can still tell me his momma’s name, his brothers’ names and their nicknames. He even remembers being a boxer He will sometimes say ‘Yeah, I was a national champion at LSU.’ “ In the 1950s, boxing was one of the more popular high school sports in Louisiana. For kids in that era, the passion for the squared circle began at an early age His prep career began in the eighth grade at Sacred Heart under famed coach Jack Reed, and he won the 90-pound state championship in 1950. He would take the 100-pound crown in 1951, the 110-pound title in 1952 and the 125-pound cham-

pionship in 1954, the same year he was awarded the prestigious Francis G. Brink Trophy for being the state’s best boxer In his ﬁve-year career, Soileau went 96-2-1, won four state championships, and finished as state runner-up in 1953 when he lost to Plaquemine’s Bruce Boudreaux in the 115-pound title bout, a ﬁght considered to be one of the greatest in state history

Soileau received a boxing scholarship from LSU, which was established as one of the best boxing programs in the country The Tigers had won the NCAA team national championship in 1949. “We had a good boxing team,” Soileau said in 2017 “We couldn’t box against people around Louisiana. We had to go thousands of miles away to ﬁnd people who were still boxing in college. We won most of our boxing matches that we went to out of state.”

As a sophomore with the Tigers, he helped the team to a 7-1-1 dual-meet record and won the 1956 NCAA national title in the 125-pound division.

Soileau’s time at LSU was cut short.

The LHSAA decided to drop boxing as an ofﬁcially sanctioned sport in 1958. At the same time, universities were eliminating their boxing programs. LSU did it in 1956, and the NCAA in 1961.

“I had just won the national championship in college, and my coach called me in one day and he said I got some bad news, we are losing boxing,” Soileau said in 2017. Soileau considered turning professional, but breaking his shoulder during a practice at the Olympic Trials in Wisconsin for the 1956 Summer Olympics derailed that, as did a pinched nerve that bothered him for the rest of his life. Every day when Robert Soileau leaves the nursing home where his father resides, he goes through a familiar routine, which he learned from sparring with his dad six decades ago.

Now he gives that precious gift back to his father “Before I walk out, I put my hands up and ask if he can still move,” Robert Soileau said. “Without hesitation, he throws me a few of those left jabs. His hands are still really fast. He is still in there.”

Monahan due to leave as PGA turns to NFL exec as leader

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

CROMWELL, Conn. — Jay Monahan is leaving the PGA Tour next year after a decade that ends with a sport fractured by the Saudi riches of LIV Golf. He turns it over to top NFL executive Brian Rolapp in a new role as CEO that Rolapp sees as rife with commercial growth.

Rolapp, the chief media and business ofﬁcer for the NFL and seen as a potential successor to a Commissioner Roger Goodell, was introduced Tuesday as CEO, a position that had never existed in the tour’s six decades of existence.

“Players are central to everything we do, and making sure they are supported and heard will be a top priority,” Rolapp said in an open letter

“At the same time, we are going to keep challenging ourselves to grow the game in new ways, reach new fans, and create a tour that reﬂects the future of sports and entertainment.”

Rolapp met with the players for an hour on Tuesday morning ahead of the Travelers Championship, offering broad views more geared toward what the tour has in its favor before identifying any solutions to patch the game back together.

“Everything that works in the football world may not work in the golf world,” Rolapp said. “When it comes to that situation particularly, I think the fans have been pretty clear They want to see the best golfers competing against each other I agree with that. When it comes to the situation with LIV I think that’s a complex situation

that’s probably something I should learn more about before I speak.

“But I will say my focus is on growing the tour, making it better, and really moving on from the position of strength that it has.”

Monahan announced last December the search for a CEO. Still unclear was his role until the announcement of Rolapp on Tuesday Monahan said he will shift his dayto-day responsibilities to Rolapp and focus more on his position on the PGA Tour board, along with the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises board, through the end of his contract in 2026

“A year ago, I informed our boards that upon completing a decade as commissioner, I would step down from my role at the end of 2026,” Monahan said.

Tiger Woods ﬂew to Connecticut for the player meeting and introduction of Rolapp. He is out for the year after rupturing his Achilles tendon, though he was walking without a boot.

Woods and Adam Scott were the two players on the board who were part of the search committee, joined by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, PGA Tour board chairman Joe Gorder and Sam Kennedy from Strategic Sports Group.

Lucas Glover said Rolapp told players he had a lot to learn and didn’t have all the answers being new to the job, which will start sometime this summer

As for Monahan leaving, Glover said: “Whatever they think. I’ve got to get my gripes behind and go forward. I think we all learned it’s time for that.”

Pelicans add a second ﬁrst-round draft pick

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

Before Tuesday, the New Orleans Pelicans had one pick in this year’s NBA draft. Now they have two.

The Pelicans, who already own the No. 7 overall selection in the draft, also have No. 23 now They acquired the extra pick in a trade with the Indiana Pacers, the team announced Tuesday In the deal, the Pelicans get the No. 23 pick and the rights to Mojave King.

The Pacers receive back their own 2026 ﬁrst-round pick, which the Pelicans had obtained via the Toronto Raptors in the February Brandon Ingram trade.

It’s the first big move by Joe Dumars, the Pelicans new executive vice president of basketball operations.

Dumars, who replaced David Grifﬁn in April, had this to say in early June about the draft.

“I know this draft,” he said. “We’re going to get a really good player at seven.”

Now he has more options.

Dumars can stay put and use both draft picks, or he could package the two picks to try and trade up to get a player he covets even more.

Players who the Pelicans could target if they plan to move up in the draft include Rutgers forward Ace Bailey who is projected to be one of the top players picked in the draft behind Duke’s Cooper

Flagg, a certainty to be the ﬁrst pick by the Dallas Mavericks.

The ﬁrst round of the NBA draft is June 25. The second round is June 26.

The Pelicans don’t have a second-round pick in this year’s draft.

If the Pelicans decide to keep the No 23 pick, there’s some precedent for success in drafting in the 20s. Last year, the Pelicans drafted Yves Missi out of Baylor with the No. 21 pick. Missi, who was considered a project, became one of the Pelicans most reliable players during the injury-ﬁlled season.

Missi played in a team-high 73 games. He averaged 9.1 points and 8.2 rebounds, earning himself a nod on the second team of the NBA All-Rookie squad.

In addition to the draft picks, the Pelicans also acquired the rights to King, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from New Zealand. King has yet to play in an NBA game.

After playing with the G League Ignite, King was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2023 draft. His rights were immediately traded to the Pacers.

King, 23, played with the Pacers’ Summer League team and their G-League affiliate, but he has spent most of the past two seasons playing professionally overseas.

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

Louisville eliminates Oregon State after blowing lead in ninth

BY ERIC OLSON AP sportswriter

OMAHA, Neb Eddie King drove in the winning run with a sacriﬁce

ﬂy in the bottom of the ninth inning that gave Louisville a 7-6 victory over Oregon State on Tuesday and knocked the Beavers out of the College World Series.

chance to make a throw home.

King was mobbed behind ﬁrst base, with teammates squirting their water bottles at him and fans chanting “Edd-ie! Edd-ie!”

“Just hearing chants like that in a moment like that, it warms my heart,” King said. “And I’m so glad that it could be for Louisville.”

Rolapp was introduced two days after the U.S. Open, one of four times a year all the best players are together

Monahan, who guided all of golf through the COVID-19 pandemic, was criticized for not taking a meeting with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia when it wanted to invest in golf with a team component

LIV Golf began in June 2022 and over the next two years lured away Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson, among others.

Monahan and two board members, Jimmy Dunne and Ed Herlihy, then secretly met with PIF leadership and reached an agreement in late May 2023 geared toward ending the antitrust lawsuits and bringing golf back together

The secrecy stunned players and infuriated most of them who turned down the Saudi money to stay loyal to the tour

The framework agreement was never ﬁnalized. The PGA Tour and PIF are still negotiating on an investment deal, and not even President Donald Trump could smooth the way after a meeting at the White House in February

“Brian is the perfect choice for the next chapter of the PGA Tour,” Monahan said. “His arrival strengthens our leadership team and reflects our shared commitment to the tour’s continued evolution. With Brian’s expertise and vision, and the trust we’ve established with our players and fans, I’m more conﬁdent than ever in the future we’re building.”

The Cardinals (42-23) avenged a 4-3 walk-off loss to Oregon State one Friday and advanced to the Bracket 2 ﬁnal. They must beat Coastal Carolina on Wednesday and again Thursday to reach the best-of-three CWS ﬁnals.

Just like Oregon State (48-16-1) on Friday, Louisville squandered a late lead only to come back and win.

“It’s the value of being the home team,” Cardinals coach Dan McDonnell said. “Sometimes people act like it’s not that big a deal. It’s amazing when you get the last three outs and you get to walk somebody off. So, very fortunate that we were in that situation today.”

Kellan Oakes faced the top of the Louisville lineup to start the bottom of the ninth. Alex Alicea walked and Lucas Moore was awarded ﬁrst base on catcher’s interference when his bat nicked Wilson Weber’s mitt as he fouled off a pitch. The Cardinals loaded the bases when Matt Klein put down a bunt that Oakes (5-1) booted, the Beavers’ third error of the day and eighth in three CWS games. That brought on freshman Zach Edwards to face Jake Munroe, who got caught looking at strike three.

“I struck out on a call I didn’t like,” Munroe said. “I was upset about it. Did a little 360, saw Eddie, and I said, ‘Oh, yeah, we’re good.’ That’s kind of the special thing about this lineup.”

King fouled off a pitch and took two balls before he sent a ﬂy to center Alicea tagged up from third, and Canon Reeder had no

Cardinals pitchers repeatedly worked out of trouble until they couldn’t in the top of the ninth.

“Right there at the end, we probably shocked the heck out of everybody,” Beavers coach Mitch Canham said. “They bring guys in, we’re ﬁnding ways to get on base — hit by pitch, base hit, what have you.”

Aiva Arquette homered to leftcenter on Wyatt Danilowicz’s ﬁrst pitch, and Gavin Turley, Weber and AJ Singer reached to load the bases with no outs.

Oregon State tied it 6-6 when Tyce Peterson’s slow roller glanced off Alicea’s glove at shortstop and into the outfield grass, allowing two runs to score.

Tucker Biven (5-0) struck out Jacob Krieg, and Carson McEntire got Reeder to pop out.

“You knew they were going to make a rally there late,” McDonnell said. “And we pitched so well, but one of their best hitters jumps on a heater and their other best hitter (Turley) ﬁghts off a ball and it drops. It’s like, OK, you’re in it here now; you’re going to have to grind this out and earn it. And they made us earn it.”

The Beavers played as an indepedent this year and will again next season before the Pac-12 ramps back up in 2026-27. They had only 19 regular-season home games, logged nearly 25,000 air miles and won enough to be the No. 8 national seed in the NCAA Tournament.

They won five elimination games in regionals and super regionals. “What a season we had. What a run,” Arquette said.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Joe Dumars speaks during his introductory news conference as New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on April 22.

LIVING

BACK TO THE BEEF

Radosta’sPo-Boys marks50 yearswithnew owners,and the oldownersright beside them

BY IANMcNULTY | Staff writer

By5:30 a.m.,Wayne Radostais at therestaurantthatbears his family name, Radosta’sPo-Boys. He receives the day’s bread fromLaLouisianeBakery and starts cooking thesirloin tips andgravyfor the roast beef po-boys, like he’sdonefor the majority of his 73 years.

RADOSTA’S PO-BOYS

249 Aris Ave.

l (504) 8311537 l 11 a.m. to 7p.m. Mondayto Saturday, till 8p.m. Friday and Saturday

Alittle laterinthe morning, hisbrother Don Radosta arrives and the pace quickens as the 71-year-old starts ramping up the kitchen forlunch service.

The Radosta brothers have been doing this fora half century,eversincetheir parents opened shoponthis OldMetairie backstreet in 1975.

This week, the family and its manyfans are celebrating the50-year anniversary forthe business.

So are Sandy and Rob Case, the couple whobought Radosta’sfrom the family in 2022 andwho todaycontinue to work with them in an unorthodox arrangement that is all New Orleans heart.

“Radosta’s making it to 50 years, that’s their story,they’re the ones who made it what it is,” saidRob.“I’mjustreally glad we have achance to carry it on with them.”

ä See RADOSTA’S, page 2D

1732 St. Charles Ave., (504) 5869243, which is bestknown forbeer, andshouldbebetter known forits food.Wewere outearly, trying out the introduction of “pub brunch,”a weekendmenu served from9 a.m. to 1p.m. alongside the fullmenu. It’sone of those summer shifts restaurant (and bar) people aretryingtoshake up the season, andwe’re seeingmanysuch movesthis year It’sthe oppositeofadressy

ä See PUB, page 2D

Roast beef po-boysare the pride of Radosta’sPo-Boys Metairie.

STAFFPHOTOSByCHRIS GRANGER

Afried softshellcrab goes into aloaf foranother sandwich at Radosta’sPo-Boys in Metairie.

Tradition endures

Radosta’sPo-Boys, where, from left, Don Radosta, Wayne Radosta and Rob Case work together. Wayne makes the Italian and hot sausage patties fromrecipes he developed.

Amuffuletta is heated on the griddle at Radosta’sPo-Boys in Metairie.

STAFF PHOTO By IANMcNULTy

Sakeispoured on tap and from bottles at Rice Vice, atinyspotinAlgiers

STAFF PHOTO By IAN McNULTy

The ‘big ol’bloodymary’ and apairof breakfast burritos, sliced to showthe pulled pork within, startabrunchatthe Avenue Pub

By The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday, June 18, the 169th day of 2025. There are 196 days left in the year

Today in history: On June 18, 1812, the War of 1812 began as the United States Congress approved, and President James Madison signed, a declaration of war against Britain.

Also on this date:

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo as British and Prussian troops defeated the French Imperial Army in Belgium

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter and Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev signed the SALT II strategic arms limitation treaty in Vienna.

In 1983, astronaut Sally Ride became America’s ﬁrst woman in space as she and four other NASA astronauts blasted off aboard the space shuttle Challenger on a six-day mission In 1986, 25 people were killed when a twin-engine plane and helicopter carrying sightseers collided over the Grand Canyon In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Georgia v. McCollum,

SAKE

Continued from page 1D

Just down the levee from the Algiers ferry landing, Rice Vice is in the same building as Nighthawk Napoletana, makers of a ﬁne Neapolitan style pie and a good martini to boot.

The bar and pizzeria are separate businesses, though they share a roof The bar is in a little spot that was once a barbershop, and those close conﬁnes remain the same. However, the space has been transformed and opening the door feels like stepping through a portal doing altogether different realm.

There are just 18 seats between the bar and tables, with the whole space sheathed in wood. A vinyl soundtrack contributes to the vintage feel. It’s a ﬁnd to sit back, soak up the vibe and sample drinks you can’t get just anywhere.

Sake is the thing at Rice Vice. You can have it in its own glory, on tap or from bottles, and the bar can assemble ﬂights for sampling. It’s also an element for cocktails, like a sake-based martini or white negroni. Much

PUB

Continued from page 1D

brunch, more like a roll-out-ofbed brunch, with an order-at-thecounter casual approach. Televisions show weekend morning games, including the overseas leagues which inspire their own devotion. The streetcar clangs past outside.

Through different iterations, the Avenue Pub kitchen has ﬁelded menus that landed much better than normal bar food. Since new ownership took over in 2022 including partners from Blue Oak BBQ, the pub menu is imbued with a few elements from the smoker The new brunch menu has a short list of dishes: pancakes with (or without) fried chicken, shrimp and grits, a breakfast

ruled that criminal defendants could not use race as a basis for excluding potential jurors from their trials.

In 2018, President Donald Trump announced he was directing the Pentagon to create the Space Force as an independent branch of the United States armed forces.

In 2020, the Supreme Court, in the case of Department of Homeland Security v Regents of the University of California, rejected by a 5-4 decision President Donald Trump’s effort to end legal protections for more than 650,000 young immigrants In 2023, the submersible vessel Titan, on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean, imploded, killing all ﬁve people aboard.

Today’s birthdays: Musician Paul McCartney is 83. Actor Carol Kane is 73. Actor Isabella Rossellini is 73. Singer Alison Moyet is 64. Football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith is 62. Hockey Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis is 50. Actor Alana de la Garza is 49. Country musician Blake Shelton is 49. Football Hall of Famer Antonio Gates is 45.

like sampling through varieties of wine or beer, a comparison of one sake to the next gives an interesting interplay Rice Vice also serves in shochu, another Japanese drink, this time a spirit. It’s stronger than sake, though it shares a base of koji, the fermented rice essential part that give both their distinctive umami taste.

There’s a full set up of other spirits for more cocktails, though it’s the sake and shochu that give this bar its distinct identity

“The whole point is to lower the barrier for people who want to explore this,” said Rice Vice founder Byron Stithem. “It can be as deep learning experience as you want to make it or just a place to come and drink great sake.”

There’s no kitchen in the tiny bar, though a wall of snacks imported from Japan offer some wonderfully different munchies, like packets of Hokkaido scallop butter puffs and uni rice crackers. Rice Vice is making the case for a trip to Algiers Point to see where sake can take you. Rice Vice is open 4 p.m to 10 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday (11 p.m. Friday and Saturday). Reservations are available via resy.com.

version of the fried chicken sandwich (add egg and bacon) and a smokehouse breakfast burrito.

A good breakfast burrito is a beautiful thing, but not so easy to get your hands on. This one is exceptional. It is densely packed with smoky pulled pork, with egg and American cheese and the key element, the tater tots, fried in tallow (the brisket drippings from Blue Oak), which give it extra ﬂavor and the crunch of good frites.

It also reheats nicely later if you manage to portion it out for a post-brunch rebound. Sunday fundays can be a long run undertaking after all, and if this brunch turns into a crawl you do have more beer just next door at Care Forgot Beercraft, 1728 St. Charles Ave., the tiny brewery taproom that just marked its own ﬁrst anniversary on the avenue.

RADOSTA’S

Continued from page 1D

Retirement didn’t take

When a restaurant changes hands, it’s common for the previous owners to stick around, usually for a few months in a consulting capacity This is different.

The Radosta family handed over the keys and the recipes and believed they were done. That did not last very long.

“Retirement sucks,” bluntly blurted Don Radosta, known in the kitchen as Capt. Chaos for the barreling energy he brings to his work.

Radosta’s is the life that Wayne, Don and his wife Joan have known.

After they cashed in their nest egg and relieved their ﬁnancial responsibilities, they found they still wanted the good part — the people, the place, the social outlet and the rhythm of their family business.

“It’s something that’s in your heart, and we missed it,” said Joan.

“It’s very satisfying to see a smile on someone’s face, to hear them say ‘that’s the best roast beef,’ or ‘you just treat us like we’re family.’”

Within months they were back. Wayne and Don work in the kitchen, while Joan often trades off with Sandy at the register, taking orders, talking with customers and hollering back to guys in the kitchen, as always.

So whose restaurant is it now?

The Cases are ofﬁcially the owners, sort of the bosses but also inarguably students learning from the Radostas. It’s been about spending time together, learning house custom and absorbing the institutional knowledge of a long-running joint.

“This is a traditional generational neighborhood po-boy shop, and they just don’t exist like they used to that’s why we want to keep it like it is,” Rob said.

Carrying the torch

The character and ﬂavor of so many New Orleans area restaurants run through family How do they continue as the families behind them get older and as the trends and pressures around the business change?

At Radosta’s, the owners’ children chose other career paths outside the restaurant world. As retirement age neared, the family ﬂoated the prospect of selling the business. But none of the proposals other people brought sat right with them Some wanted to gut the building and turn it into a bar, others into a ﬁne dining restaurant The Cases

came with a different pitch.

“This has been my dream, not to have a place like Radosta’s, but Radosta’s,” said Rob. “I just never thought I’d get a chance.”

Now 56, the Lakeview native started coming to Radosta’s for roast beef po-boys when he was a kid. It was his own father’s favorite, and became his favorite, as these things often go.

Rob calls himself a journeyman in the restaurant business, working mostly front of the house and management posts, from old school restaurants like Irene’s Cuisine to newer spots like Station 6 in Bucktown. Taking on Radosta’s has been different, because of the Radosta-ness of it all.

“For the ﬁrst month, I literally just stood in the corner of the kitchen and watched these Sicilian brothers screaming at each other like they’ve done for 48 years,” Rob said 50 years of food, memory

The family story behind the shop reaches back much longer than 50 years. The brothers’ grandparents started out with a grocery in New Orleans, Radosta’s Fine Foods, at the corner of Claiborne and Carrollton, perhaps as early as the 1930s. It was one of countless Italian groceries that dotted the city

In 1975 the brothers’ parents, Jerome and Rosemary Radosta, followed the growth of the suburbs and relocated the store to Old Metairie. Wayne and Don are two of seven brothers. For more than 40 years, they worked the business with another brother, Mark, who is now retired (as in actually retired, not the version Wayne and Don still practice).

As shopping habits changed from corner groceries to supermarkets, the shelves at the old store gave way to more room for tables.

The menu remains a roster of house creations that have accrued over time and old New Orleans classics that have simply endured, like the split pea soup.

The roast beef po-boys start out with sliced beef covered with debris and gravy It’s tender and ﬂavorful with onion and garlic. Soft shell crab is another point of pride, and these give a fresh pop to the bite.

The Don Special pairs Italian sausage patties, made from Wayne’s recipe, with olive salad and provolone. The hot sausage patties, pulsing with the heat of ﬁve peppers (black, red, white, dried ﬂakes and ground jalapeño), come from another of Wayne’s recipes.

Rob and Sandy have made a few changes since taking over The hours now stretch into the evening, and there’s a computer system for orders. More people order online and for delivery now Those who visit will find the small bar Rob built in the corner, replacing an old grocery shelf.

The centerpiece of Rodasta’s is still the long meat case, painted with the colors of the Italian flag. Wayne started out here 50 years ago as a butcher working the same counter, when it was filled with fine meats It’s still chugging reliably along, and today he stands behind it in the mornings slicing the roast beef. “Old things just keep working,” Sandy mused, perhaps talking about more than the equipment.

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM THE RADOSTA FAMILy Wayne Radosta (in apron) with friends outside Radosta’s Grocery in 1975, which later became Radosta’s Po-Boys.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Rob and Sandy Case, from left, run Radosta’s Po-Boys together with members of its founding family, Wayne, Joan and Don Radosta.

n Cotillion

Kelsey McPherson

“Vintage NewOrleans —Honoring Elegance,Grace,and Timeless Traditions” bannered the18th annual PearlsofPride and Promise Cotillion presentedbyAlpha Kappa AlphaSorority, Inc., Omicron Lambda Omega Chapter. It was held in theCelestinBallroom of theHyatt Regency andshowcased aradiant queen,Miss Kelsey Amyri McPherson, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Isaac McPherson (she is Kimberly), along with 16 debutantes and the same-number of escorts,three princesses,and twopages Wearing the crown in 2024 wasMiss Hope Christine Singleton Thesorority’ssignature applegreen and salmon pink werethe dominant colors. Floral accents were used —along with drapinginthe custom background—in arches,columned aisles,nosegays, wristcorsages boutonnieres,and headpieces of the participants. Fitchﬁeld provided the musicthroughout and thehost hotel, thecuisine NotableswerecotillionchairJudge Charlene Larche-Mason, co-chairs Dr Yolanda Worner Prevost (also cotillionballcaptain)and Valerie Fontenot, mistresses of ceremonies Tara Lampton Johnson and Leigha McNeil, and respective chapter presidentand vice president Marjorie Parker and Mary Cole-Bush. NedraAlcorn chaired the cotillionawards.

Thecotillion’s ﬁrst and secondmaids wereMisses Lauren Ashley Fowler and Gabrielle Delilah Vance,whose parents are Dannye and LeanneFowler and Jason and Courtney Vance Thedebutantes and their parentswere Misses LailaSaige Blondell, Sean and Laci Rouzan Blondell;Riley Elise Brown,Tyrone and Angelle DeLarge Brown; Bria Gabrielle Dave,Bruce and Bridgette Williams Dave; Kalyn Jonae Guerin, John Guerin Jr.and Graclyn Guerin; Imani Johnae Guillory, John Willis Guilloryand Nina Ann Stokes; and Mariah Tatiana Hooks, Nakia Hooks and Tina Ellsworth. And, Misses KaseyAmorKeelen,GeorgeKeelen Jr. and Kijafa Keelen-Morris; TaylorSamone Kindrick,Nicholas Jr.and TanyaKindrick;Whitney Karen Neal,Warren and Shannon Neal; BaileiCamille Pearson, Mack and Bettina Ware;Kylah D’Laci Prevost,Kyle Prevost and Judge SharlayneJacksonPrevost;Jordyn Kensley Rayford,Glen Rayford Sr.and Re’Shawn Rayford; Kennedy Danae Skinner,Cedric and Kendria Skinner;and Trinity Delis Smith,Trebor and Demetrice Smith. The three princesses were Serenity Louise DiGiovanni, JuliaA.DiGiovanni and ChristiD.Walding; Braelyn Evelyn Jones,Keith Jones Jr.and Brenisha Jones;and Keller Lane Morris,TimothyMorris andMaQue Hollins.Completingthe cortege as pageswere BrooklynJoel Flowers, Brandon and Ashley Flowers,and Jerome Fedison III, Jerome Fedison Jr.and Donisha Fedison Prior to theimpressive Grand Curtsy by members of the Omicron Lambda OmegaChapter, the debutantes enjoyed twospecial waltzes:one with their fathers, and thesecond withescorts. Amongthe favorite musical selections were“Beauty and theBeast”and “The Last Waltz.” As for the visuals, all eyes turned to queen Kelsey’slovely white organzagownthat was adorned with ﬂoralpatterns and shimmeringpearls and rhinestones. The train’s embroidery honored thechapter Commentingonher reign, hermajesty recalledher mother’s royaltywiththe Mystic Krewe of FemmeFatale in 2018; herservice projectsleading up to her own Pearls of Pride and Promise queenship;and bonding with theother debutantes

Mariah Hooks, KaseyKeelen, KennedySkinner Laila Blondell

WhitneyNeal, Imani Guillory, Bria Dave,Kylah Prevost

Bailei Pearson, Jordyn Rayford,KalynGuerin,

Kimberly McPherson, Marjorie Parker Charlene LarcheMason

n Fine Arts

“Another Club year has cometoanend.” The salutatory sentence appeared at the topofthe invitation extendedbythe 1916-founded Fine Arts Club for its Au Revoir Luncheon at Ralph’s on thePark. New officersfor 2025-2026wereinstalled with past president Sonda Staceydoing thehonors. Sonya David willsucceed Cherry Bordelon as president,and, as officers the dubbed were AmyCarbonette Cioll, Judith Bonner, Bette Marks, Marcia Hubbard and Lee Yood.Elected as board members were Lynne Cashio, Eileen Capritto, Alicia Ohlmeyer,Lee PitreLynch, Brenda Tureau,and Cherry Bordelon,who thanked all the out-going officers andboard members, thusdischarging them fromtheir duties. Robust applause followedCherry’s address from the likes of Dr Nina Dhurandhar,Marlene Duronslet,Pat Gallagher,Gwen Hager,Kim Navarre, AliceReese,NoraWetzel and KarenVillavaso. Lavender-coloredhyacinths in pots bedeckedthe tables, where the clubmembers relished amenuofturtlesoup, catfish or pork chop as themaincourse, and afresh fruittartto conclude. In addition to catchingupwiththeir chums, members reviewedthe missionofthe club to study and advance the finearts, to assist such museums, to educate the membership and general public, andtoreceive and administrate related donations “Aurevoir” wasjustfor thesummer hiatus.InOctober,meetings, good works and camaraderie will be back aboard.

Nell Nolan SOCIETY

Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

n Heady Hobnobbing

Presented by First Horizon Bank, and in partnership with The New Orleans Town Gardeners and City Park Conservancy,the Heart of the Park Hat Luncheon packed the premises with pulchritude. Thechapeau-ed coterie arrived at 11 a.m. forthe patron party in thepark’sNew Orleans Botanical Garden, where Dex Daley Steel Panprovided the entertainment. Then it was on to the Pavilion of the TwoSisters for the pre-set luncheon by Chez Nous and City Park Catering of watermelon gazpacho, ravigote salad with Paul Piazza‘s Gulfshrimp, andkey limepie.

IndiaHicks,goddaughter of King Charles III (to whom she is related), was the guest speaker.ABritish designer,writer,businesswoman, and former fashion model, she is thedaughter of famedinterior designerDavid Hicksand Lady Pamela Hicks.She grew up in Englandand then lived on aCaribbean island, where she raisedher ﬁve children.Now,IndiaHicks“worksonthe fringesof fashion and thefrontlines of disaster relief.”

Teamed to chair Hat Luncheon were Alicia Higginbotham,Dr. Kate Zibilich Holcomb, MaryWyatt Milano and Katherine Saulsbury.More headliners were patron chairs Cathy Cary and Catherine Freeman;and décor chair Logan Howcott.The tableswere centerlined with ﬂowers andbeach shells, atop greenery,tocomplement therequested tropical chic attire of the attendees. An additional 33 womenserved on thecommittee. Addressing the comely crowd,alongwith thefeatured Hicks, were Liz Sloss,chair,City Park Conservancy; Tony Adams, New Orleans Market President,First Horizon Bank; abrace from New Orleans Town Gardeners in president Virginia Rowan and CathyPierson;and Rebecca Dietz, conservancy president and CEO. The luncheon hasplayeda crucial role in preservingand enhancing City Park’s1,300 acres of urbanforest and24miles of walkingtrails, as well as the establishmentofanendowment.Beneﬁted,too, will be NOTG’s 20-plus communityprograms. Further excitement was generated by theeight attractionsofthe Pop-Up Parties, and the virtual auction’sBahamas Bliss, fortwo couples and three nights, donated by Kathleen and TerryWhite In the top four sponsor categories, the individual names to know wereCathy and HunterPierson, Cathy and Rivie Cary, and Mrs. RobertH.Boh, Katherine. In departing, anumberofguests toted abook.Titled “Lady Pamela,” it was scripted by India Hicks as ahomage to her amazingmom.

Marlene Duronslet, Eileen Capritto, Judith Bonner

PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT

Taylor Kindrick,Lauren Fowler,Gabrielle Vance, Trinity Smith

RileyBrown

PHOTOSByMARy STROUT

MaryWyatt Milano, Katherine Saulsbury, Kate Holcomb,Alicia Higginbotham

Stephanie November,Rebecca Dietz

Caroline Reily,TinaKern, CathyCary

IndiaHicks,TonyAdams, CathyPierson

PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT

Sonya David, Cherry Bordelon, SondaStacey

Alice Reese, Amy Carbonette Cioll, Bette Marks, LeeTompsonyood

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Consider what you enjoy most and try incorporating that into your daily routine. Taking a break to satisfy your emotional wellbeing will help you accomplish more throughout the day.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Be open; awareness is the portal to new beginnings. Kindness and benevolence are your guide and path to happiness. Refuse to let anyone dismantle your dreams or interfere with what makes you feel complete.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Focus, stay alert and question everything and everyone. Timing will be essential when opportunities arise. Offer innovative insight and differentiate yourself from the competition.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Slow down, think and consider your best option. You have plenty to gain if you are levelheaded and willing to work alongside others. Social and networking events will help you engage with interesting people.

LIBRA (Sept 23-Oct. 23) Emotions will lead you astray. Rely on common sense and expert advice before deciding how to use your energy. Patience and organization are necessary to take care of business.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Get all agreements in writing and protect yourself from vague situations. A playful attitude will keep others guessing and give you time to determine your next move.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23-Dec 21) Discipline and elbow grease will help you lower

your overhead and enable you to design the perfect surroundings to pursue your next venture. Choose positive action over worrying.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) A change of scenery will help you gain perspective regarding personal matters. Talks will help you understand what's possible and best for you. Personal gain is within reach if you're willing to act.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Pay attention to where the money goes. Overpaying or spending money on unnecessary items or entertainment will lead to a budget crunch. Retrace your steps and cut corners wherever possible.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Research will be worthwhile. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don't need or want. You can't buy love, but you can gain respect by doing what's best for you.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Patience is a virtue. Have enough gumption to decline something you have no interest in, and turn your attention to what is worthwhile. Avoid snap decisions.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Slow down, do your research and make every move or change beneficial. Check your ego and stubbornness at the door. Use charm and intelligence to outmaneuver anyone who treats you with disrespect.

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

TODAy'S CLUE: T EQUALS W

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

peAnUtS

zItS

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

This week we are looking at various aspects of the Stayman convention, which tries to find a 4-4 major-suit fit after opener shows a balanced hand. When the opening bid is one no-trump and responder bids two clubs, it asks opener to show a four-card major. If he has two of them, he rebids two hearts Then, what does the responder do when he has four spades and fewer than four hearts?

If he has game-invitational strength, he continues with two spades if one notrump - two no-trump would not be natural (perhaps a transfer to diamonds) But if one no-trump - two no-trump would be inviting three no-trump, the responder rebids two no-trump. When the responder has game-forcing values, he jumps to three no-trump. If, as in this deal, the opener is 4-4 in the majors, he moves the contract from three no-trump to four spades. West leads the club queen. East takes dummy’s king with his ace and returns the club eight (the higher of two remaining cards). When that holds the trick, East shifts to the heart king. How should South continue after winning this trick with his ace?

South must avoid a spade loser. This will be easy if the suit splits 3-2, but what if an opponent has four to the jack? This can be handled only if it is East with the length. South should cash his spade king, then play a spade to dummy’s ace. When the bad break comes to light, South finesses his spade 10, draws the last trump, and runs the diamonds for his contract.

By andrews mcmeel

syndication

Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase,

Previous answers:

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAY’s WoRD — stAGnAtE: STAG-nate: To cease advancing or developing.

Average mark 23 words

Time limit 35 minutes

Can you find 31 or more words in STAGNATE?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD — WIDGEon

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

GramS Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a

Scrabble

Get fuzzy

roSe

DuStin

Drabble

luann

directedtothe Executive DirectorofProcurement at procurement@nol apublicschools.com TheDistrictwillhost a Virtual Pre-Proposal meetingtobeheldon Friday,June 20, 2025,at 10:00 A.M. (CST). TheVir‐tuallinkcan be found below: Register in advancefor thismeeting: https://us06web.zoom us/meeting/register/bKC RmHUXTXeW_Iz-Ds_dfA TheDistrictreservesthe right to reject anyorall Responses to Requestfor Proposalwheneversuch

TOWN OF JEAN LAFITTE

g Nature.Date Convicted: 12/13/2024.

WRIT AMOUNT: $623.50

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND,BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NO.601-03 BARTHOLOMEW STREET,CITYOF NEWORLEANS, IN THEMATTER ENTITLED:HSBC

BANK USA, N.A. AS TRUSTEEON BEHALF OF ACE SECURITIES CORP.HOMEEQ‐UITY LOAN TRUSTAND FOR THEREGISTERED HOLDERSOF ACESECURITIES CORP.HOMEEQ‐UITY LOAN TRUST, SERIES 2007-ASAP1, ASSETBACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES VERSUS DAVID H. DOTSON A/K/ADAVID DOTSON CI VI L DI ST RI CT

CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2022-8802 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, i th Fi t Di

knowledgeofa juvenile.Date Convicted:11/14/2013. My Addressis: 6001 DOWNMANRD, Apt63, NEWORLEANS,LA 70126

y , in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on July 24, 2025, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 601-03 BARTHOLOMEW STREET LOTA ADJOINS LOT14, SQUARE 132 (LATE SQUARE 5), THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQUIRED MIN 885558 WRIT AMOUNT: $157,362.25 Seized in the b i

Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 12/10/1983 Height:6'4 Weight: 222 Hair Color: BLACK EyeColor:BROWN Scars/Tattoos: Louisiana 145709, Jun17-18 $250 PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 2604-06 DAUPHINE STREET,THIS CITY, IN THEMATTER ENTITLED:IN‐VESTOR EQUI‐TIES L.L.C. VER‐SUS JAMES MICHAELTHOR‐RICK CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-1446 By virtue of a Writ of FieriFa‐cias directed to me by theHon‐orable Judges of CivilDistrict Courtfor the ParishofOr‐leans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on July 24, 2025, at 12:00o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 2604-06 DAUPHINE ST NEWORLEANS LA 70117 THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT SQUARE 166, LOT21 ACQ MIN:1435743 WRIT AMOUNT: I, JOHNATHANB SEXTON akaJONATHAN SEXTON,have been convictedof14:43.1Sexual Battery.Date Convicted: 5/4/2009. My Addressis: 2585 N PRIEUR ST NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117 Race:BLACK Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 12/10/1986 Height:5'10 Weight: 210 Hair Color: BLACK EyeColor:BROWN Scars/Tattoos: Louisiana 145707, Jun17-18 $250

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans BD 32 THELAW OF‐FICESOFHER‐SCHELC.AD‐COCK,JR.,L.L.C (225) 756-0373 COREYJ.GIROIR

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025 jun18-jul23-2t $97.24

cate Date (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025

jun18-jul23-2t $92.48

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTION OF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 609 MAJESTIC PLACE, THIS CITY,INTHE MATTER OF EN‐TITLED:THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON F/K/ATHE BANK OF NEWYORK AS TRUSTEEFOR NATIONSTAR HOME EQUITY LOAN TRUST 2007-AVERSUS THEUNOPENED SUCCESSION OF ELNORA SARTIN TAYLOR (A/K/A ELNORA SARTIN ELNORA TAY‐LOR) ANDTHE OPENED SUC‐CESSION OF LUTHER TAYLOR AND ALLEND.TAY‐LOR

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-7158

CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-5866

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on July 24, 2025, at 12:00o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 2420 DUBREUIL ST NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70117 SQUARE 1272, LOT8 THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQ MIN:1258628 WRIT AMOUNT: $62,789.41

TERMS CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACEMASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

BD 24

LAWOFFICES OF HERSCHEL C. ADCOCK,JR. LLC (225) 756-0373

COREYJ.GIROIR

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025

jun18-jul23-2t $88.24

PUBLIC NOTICE

(s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025

jun18-jul23-2t $90.89

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 6938 ORLEANSAV‐ENUE,THISCITY, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:SELECT PORTFOLIO SER‐VICING,INC VERSUS EDWIN M. REEVES,III

A/K/AEDWIN REEVES,III

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-9445

cause, I will pro ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on July 24, 2025, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

TRACTI:

Case No: 2024-8242

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on July 24, 2025 at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 1600 BODENGER BD NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70117 LOTS:1 AND2, SQUARE:270-A FIFTHMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQMIN: 728865 BODENGER SUB‐DIVISION WRIT AMOUNT: $73,448.22

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor ofthe Civil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on July 24, 2025, at 12:00o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 609 MAJESTIC PL NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70114

LOTS:13AND 14, SQUARE:242 FIFTHMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQMIN: 533353 WRIT AMOUNT: $40,000.37

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

GH 29 LOGS LEGAL GROUPLLP 504838-7535 EMILYA MUELLER

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025 jun18-jul23-2t $96.18

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTION OF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 2420 DUBREUIL STREET,THIS CITY,IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED: FLAGSTAR BANK,N.A.VER‐SUSWILLIAML WREN A/K/A WILLIAMWREN

CI VI L DI ST RI CT

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment ofadjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter Note: Thepay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACEMASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

GH 23 LAWOFFICES OF HERSCHEL C. ADCOCK,JR. LLC (225) 756-0373 COREYJ.GIROIR

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025

jun18-jul23-2t $87.18

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 2658 ACACIA STREET, THIS CITY,IN THE MATTERENITI‐TLED:CARRING‐TONMORTGAGE SERVICES LLC VERSUS THOMAS M. HENEHANA/K/A THOMAS HENEHAN

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-7227

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on July 24, 2025, at 12:00o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 2658 ACACIA ST NEWORLEANS, LA 70122 SQUARE 11, LOTS 18 &19 THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQ MIN:1184726 WRIT AMOUNT: $95,067.35 Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 2820 ANNETTE STREET,THIS CITY,IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:U.S BANK TRUST NATIONAL AS‐SOCIATIONAS TRUSTEEOFTHE CABANA SERIES III TRUSTVERSUS PAULAHOSKINS BATISTE CI VI L

CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-4193

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on July 24, 2025, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 2820 ANNETTE ST NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70119 LOTS 11 &A PORTIONOFLOT 12, SQUARE: 1583 THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQMIN: 825407 WRIT AMOUNT: $76,976.56

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH

Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson

Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

GH 17 LAWOFFICES JACKSON &MCPHERSON, L.L.C504-5819444 RADERJACKSON

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 6/18/2025 &

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on July 24, 2025, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 6938 ORLEANS AV NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70124 SQUARE 71, LOT 35-A SECOND MUNIC‐IPAL DISTRICT ACQ MIN:1124193 WRIT AMOUNT: $116,033.85

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

GH 20

LAWOFFICES OF HERSCHEL C. ADCOCK,JR. LLC (225) 756-0373 COREYJ.GIROIR

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025

jun18-jul23-2t $87.71

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 1111 GRAVIER STREET,THIS CITY,IN THEMATTER WNTITLED: PSOF NP NEW ORLEANSLLC VERSUS EHP NOLA HOTEL LLC CI

S Case No: 2025-2113

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwill pro‐d t ll b

MATELY PARAL LEL TO RAMPART STREET,A DIS‐TANCEOF0 FEET,6 INCHES, 0LINES;RUN‐NING THENCE IN ASTRAIGHT LINEAPPROXI‐MATELY PARAL‐LELTOGRAVIER STREET,A DIS‐TANCEOF 79 FEET,11 INCHES,1 LINE, TO THENORTH‐WEST CORNER OF SAID LOT, WHICH CORNER IS 18 FEET,7 INCHES, 3LINES,FROM GRAVIER STREET,MEA‐SURED PARALLEL TO RAMPART STREET PROPERTY 2: TWOCERTAIN LOTS OF GROUND,SITU‐ATED IN THE FIRSTMUNICI‐PALDISTRICTOF THECITYOF NEWORLEANS, PARISH OF OR‐LEANS, STATE OF LOUISIANA, IN SQUARE NO.299, BOUNDEDBY GRAVIER STREET,LOYOLA AVENUE,TU‐LANE AVENUE AND RAMPART STREET,AND WHICHLOTS AREDESIG‐NATEDBYTHE LETTERSK AND L, ON ASURVEYOFF C. GANDOLFO, JR.,SURVEYOR, DATEDFEBRU‐ARY11, 1957, AND WHICHPOR‐TIONSOF GROUND COM‐MENCEATA DISTANCE OF 27 FEET,4 INCHES, FROM THECOR‐NEROFGRAVIER ANDSOUTH RAMPART STREETS, AND MEASURES THENCE 50 FEET, 1INCH, 4LINES, MORE OR LESS, FRONTON SOUTHRAM‐PART STREET,BYA DEPTHONTHE SIDE LINETO‐WARDSTULANE AVENUE (FOR‐MERLY COMMON STREET)OF119 FEET,8 INCHES 4LINES,WITHA WIDTHINTHE REAR OF 40 FEET,1 INCH FRONTING ON A COMMON ALLEY, WITH A FRONTDEPTH ON THESIDE LINETOWARDS GRAVIERSTREET OF 40 FEET, 4 INCHES,THENCE AT RIGHTAN‐GLES TOWARDSTU‐LANE AVENUE 6 INCHES,THENCE ON AN OBLIQUE LINEOF80FEET 1 INCH

ACCORDINGTO ASURVEYMADE BY GANDOLFO KUHN,LLC, C.E.&L.S., PAUL J. KOCKE, SR., REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL LAND SUR‐VEYOR, DATED NOVEMBER 11, 2002, BEARINGNO. 556 15; ACOPYOF WHICHISAT‐TACHED TO ACT DATEDNOVEM‐BER26, 2002, REGISTERED AT CIN248404, SAID LOTS J, KAND L ADJOIN EACH OTHER, ARESIT‐UATEDIN SQUARE BOUNDEDBY GRAVIER STREET,SOUTH RAMPART STREET,TULANE AVENUE AND LOYOLA AVENUE (FORMERLY SARATOGA STREET), AND TOGETHER MEA‐SURE 77 FEET,6 INCHES, 3LINES,FRONT ON SOUTHRAM‐PART STREET,58 FEET,6 INCHES 6 LINES,INWIDTH IN THEREAR, BY ADEPTH AND FRONTON GRAVIERSTREET OF 121 FEET,2 INCHES, 5LINES,AND A DEPTHONTHE OPPOSITE SIDE‐LINEOF119 FEET,7

FEET, 7 INCHES,0 LINE. THEABOVE REF‐ERENCEDLOTS J, K, ANDL ARE NOWDESIG‐NATEDASLOT J 1, SQUARE 299 FIRSTDISTRICT OF THECITYOF NEWORLEANS, ON ARESUBDI‐VISION PLAT BY GILBERT, KELLY &COUTURIE, INC.,SURVEYING &ENGINEERING, DATED JUNE 16, 2014, ANDATTACHED TO DECLARA‐TION OF TITLE CHANGE BY SUBDIVISION, DATEDSEPTEM‐BER22, 2014, RECORDED AS CIN562260 IN‐STRUMENT NUMBER 2014 37567, RECORDSOF ORLEANS PARISH LOUISIANA, AND ACCORDINGTO WHICH LOTJ 1MEA‐SURES77FEET,6 INCHES,3 LINES, FRONTON SOUTHRAM‐PART STREET 58 FEET,6 INCHES,6 LINES IN THEREAR, BY ADEPTH AND FRONTON GRAVIER STREET OF 121 FEET,2 INCHES, 5LINES (AC‐TUAL), 121 FEET, 2INCHES, 4 LINES (TITLE), ANDA DEPTHONTHE OPPOSITE SIDE LINE0F119 FEET, 7INCHES, 0 LINES (ACTUAL),119 FEET,8 INCHES 4LINES (TITLE).

TRACTII(SERVI‐TUDE ESTATE): THOSECERTAIN INCORPOREAL RIGHTS FORUSE OF AN ALLEY BENEFITING TRACTI ESTABLISHED BY:

SALE OF PROP‐ERTY TO LOUIS DUBOST, DATED APRIL 2S,1879, RECORDED APRIL2S, 1879, AS COB 110, FOLIO 802, RECORDSOF ORLEANS PARISH LOUISIANA; AND FURTHERPUR‐SUANTTOSALE OF PROPERTY TO THIERRYDU‐FONGERAY, DATED APRIL25, 1879, RECORDED APRIL25, 1879 AS COB110, FOLIO 803, RECORDSOF ORLEANS PARISH LOUISIANA. TRACTIII (SERVITUDE ES‐TATE):

STREET, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. WRIT AMOUNT: $21,950,217.36

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- 100% CASH AT THE MOMENT OF AD‐JUDICATION

PROPERTY 1: ACERTAIN LOT OF GROUND, SITUATED IN THEFIRST MU‐NICIPALDIS‐TRICTOFTHE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, PARISH OF OR‐LEANS, STATE OF LOUISIANA, IN SQUARE NO 299, BOUNDED BY RAMPART ANDGRAVIER STREETS, A COMMON ALLEY ANDLOT "K", WHICHPORTION OF GROUND IS DESIGNATED AS LOT"J" ON A SURVEY BY J. A. D'HEMECOURT, DCS, DATED MAY19, 1879 ANDACCORD‐INGTHERETO SAID LOT"J" FORMSTHE CORNER OF RAMPARTAND GRAVIER STREETS AND MEASURES 27 FEET, 4INCHES, FRONTONRAM‐PART STREET,18 FEET,5 INCHES, 4LINES,IN WIDTHINTHE REAR,BYA DEPTHAND FRONTON GRAVIERSTREET OF 121 FEET EX‐TENDINGINTHE REAR TO AN ALLEYCOMMON TO IT ANDTHE ADJACENT PROPERTY ON RAMPART STREET.THE SIDE LINE NEARER LOT"K" MEASURES,40 FEET,4 INCHES, TO APOINT, THENCE ON A LINEAPPROXI‐MATELY PARAL‐LELWITHRAM‐PART STREET OF 0FEET 9 INCHES,THENCE AFURTHER DEPTHOF80 FEET,6 INCHES TO THECOM‐MONALLEY. ACCORDINGTO SURVEY BY F.C. GANDOLFO,JR., SURVEYOR DATEDNOVEM‐BER12, 1945, SAID LOT OF GROUND HAS THESAMEDES‐IGNATION AND LOCATION AND IS IN THESQUARE BOUNDEDBY RAMPART, GRAVIERAND SARATOGA STREETSAND TULANE AV‐ENUE,AND FORMSTHE CORNER OF RAMPARTAND GRAVIERSTREET AND MEASURES 27 FEET 4INCHES7 LINES,FRONT ON RAMPART STREET,18FEET, 7 INCHES,3 LINES IN THEREAR, BY ADEPTH AND FRONTON GRAVIERSTREET OF 121 FEET,2 INCHES 4LINES,EX‐TENDINGTOTHE REAR TO AN ALLEYCOMMON TO IT AND THEADJACENT PROPERTY ON RAMPART STREET.THE TU‐LANE AVENUE SIDE IS AN IRREGULARLINE DESCRIBEDAS FOLLOWS: BEGINNINGATA POINTONRAM‐PART STREET,27 FEET,4 INCHES, 7LINES,FROM THE CORNER OF GRAVIER STREET;RUN‐NING THENCE ALONGA STRAIGHT LINE AT A RIGHTANGLE TO RAMPART STREET,A DIS‐TANCEOF40 FEET,4 INCHES; RUNNING THENCE TO‐WARDSTULANE AVENUE ON A STRAIGHT LINE APPROXI‐MATELY PARAL‐LEL

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

BD 16 JONESWALKER

L.L.P. 504 582 8174

DAVIDM.KERTH

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025

jun18-jul23-2t $340.76

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF

4712 TULIP

THAT CERTAIN SERVITUDE ES‐TATE BENEFIT‐INGTRACT IES‐TABLISHEDBY: GRANTOF SERVITUDE BY THECITYOF NEWORLEANS TO SLUMBER CORNERSNOLA, LLC, DATEDOC‐TOBER14, 2015, RECORDED AU‐GUST 17, 2016, IN CIN604473, N.A. #2016 33337, RECORDSOF ORLEANS PARISH LOUISIANA, AF‐FECTINGA POR‐TION OF THERIGHT OF WAYOF GRAVIER STREET,CON‐SISTINGOF: AIRAND GROUND RIGHTS CONSISTING OF THEENCROACH‐MENT OF AN AWNING ON/OVER GRAVIERSTREET PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, THEEN‐CROACHMENTS BEING PART OF THEIM‐PROVEMENTS LOCATEDINTHE 1STMUNICIPAL DISTRICT,LOT J 1, SQUARE 299, BOUNDED BY LOYOLA AV‐ENUE,TULANE AVENUE,S RAMPART STREET, ANDGRAVIER STREET,NEW O A S

THE MATTERENTI‐TLED:NATION‐STAR MORT‐GAGE LLCVER‐SUSTHE UN‐OPENED SUC‐CESSION OF AND UNKNOWN HEIRSOFGLO‐RIADONALD THOMPSON A/K/AGLORIA DONALD THOMPSON A/K/AGLORIAD THOMPSON A/K/AGLORIA THOMPSON CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-442 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on July 24, 2025, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 4712 TULIP ST NEWORLEANS, LA 70126 LOTS:22AND 23, SQUARE:11 THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQMIN: 1085874 WRIT AMOUNT: $247,846.30

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

FEET BETWEEN EQUAL LAND PARALLEL LINES; SUBJECT TORESTRIC‐TIONS,SERVI‐TUDES, RIGHTS OF WAY AND OUTSTAND‐INGMINERALK RIGHTSOF RECORDAF‐FECTING THE PROPERTY WRIT AMOUNT:

$138,184.59

NEW ORLEANS, LA 70122 LOT 11 -SQUARE 39 3RDMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1365896 OAKPARKGAR‐DENS WRIT AMOUNT: $120,539.20

4901 HAYDEL ST NEWORLEANS, LA70126 SQUARE 18, LOTS1,2,&3 THIRDMUNICI‐PAL DISTRICT ACQ MIN:1206833 WRIT AMOUNT: $99,610.04

ACERTAIN LOT ORPORTION OF GROUND, SITU‐ATEDINTHE THIRD DISTRICT OFTHE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS,IN THATPART THEREOF KNOWNASNEW ORLEANS LAKESHORE LAND COMPANY TRACT,INTHE PARISHOFOR‐LEANS,STATE OF LOUISIANA, IN SECTION 5OF SAIDTRACT BEING APOR‐TIONOFSUBDI‐VISIONOFLOT 6, 7A,7B, 8AND 9 OF SAID TRACT,IN SQUARE BOUNDEDBY ARCADIA LANE, HAYNE BOULEVARD (FORMERLY LAKESHORE DRIVE),UNITY DRIVE ANDCUR‐RAN ROAD, DESIGNATED AS LOT NO.5, WHICHSAIDLOT COMMENCES

200FEET FROM THE CORNER OF HAYNE BOULE‐VARDAND AR‐CADIA LANE MEASURES THENCE 50 FEET FRONTONAR‐CADIA LANE, SAMEWIDTH ACROSSTHE REAR, BY A DEPTH OF 115 FEET

Seized in the above suit, TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and the balance withinthirty daysthereafter Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order.NoPer‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING.

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

GH 6 DEAN MORRIS, LLC 318 3881440 ASHLEY E. MOR‐RIS

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025 jun18-jul23-2t $120.00

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 1320 MENDEZ ST, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:HAN‐COCK WHITNEY BANK VERSUS KYONGYUN PORTER

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-379

Byvirtueof a WritofSeizure and Sale di‐rectedtomeby the Honorable JudgesofCivil DistrictCourt for theParishof Orleans,inthe above entitled cause,I will pro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, onthe ground ﬂoor of theCivil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue, inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onJuly24, 2025 at12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowingde‐scribed prop‐ertytowit: 1320 MENDEZ ST NEWORLEANS, LA 70122

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

RB 10 GRAHAM,ARCE‐NEAUX &ALLEN, LLC 504-5228256 LOUISG.ARCE‐NEAUX

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025

jun18-jul23-2t $88.24

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 4901 HAYDEL STREET, THIS CITY,IN THE MATTERENTI‐TLED:TRUIST BANK VERSUS ALIE HUBBARD, ELVERA WOODS HUBBARDA/K/A ELVERA WOODS-HUB‐BARD AND AKAYLA HUB‐BARD

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-5976

Byvirtueof a WritofSeizure and Sale di‐rectedtomeby the Honorable JudgesofCivil DistrictCourt for theParishof Orleans,inthe above entitled cause,I will pro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, onthe ground ﬂoor of theCivil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue, inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onJuly24, 2025 at12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowingde‐scribed prop‐ertytowit: 4901 HAYDEL ST

Seized in the above suit TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and the balance withinthirty daysthereafter.

Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order.NoPer‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING.

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

GH7 DEAN MORRIS, LLC 318-3881440 ASHLEY E. MOR‐RIS

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025

jun18-jul23-2t $89.30

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 5879 MARSHALL FOCH STREET, THIS CITY,INTHE MATTERENTI‐TLED:WILMING‐TONTRUST,NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, NOTIN ITSINDIVIDUAL CAPACITY,BUT SOLEYAS TRUSTEEOF MFRA TRUST 2015-1VERSUS KEITHC.LEE A/K/AKEITH CHARLES LEEAND MELISSA O. LEE A/K/AMELISSA ORTIZLEE

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2023-2373

By virtue of a WritofFieri Fa‐ciasdirectedto mebythe Hon‐orableJudgesof Civil District Court forthe ParishofOr‐leans,inthe above entitled cause,I will pro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, onthe ground ﬂoor of theCivil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue, inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onJuly24, 2025 at 12:00 o'clock

at 12:00 o clock noon,the fol‐lowingde‐scribed prop‐ertytowit: 5879 MARSHALL FOCHSTNEW ORLEANS,LA 70124 SQUARE 379, LOTS1 &2 SECOND MUNIC‐IPALDISTRICT ACQ MIN:1438211 WRIT AMOUNT:

$469,882.26

Seized in the above suit, TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and the balance withinthirty daysthereafter. Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order.NoPer‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING.

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

BD 8 DEAN MORRIS, LLC 318-3881440 ZACHARYGAR‐RETTYOUNG

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025

jun18-jul23-2t

$94.07

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 7530 CROWDERBD, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:U.S BANK TRUST NATIONAL AS‐SOCIATION, NOT IN ITSINDIVID‐UAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEEFOR RCF2 ACQUIS‐TION TRUST VERSUS DER‐RICK WALKER

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-2648

in the First Dis trictofthe City onJuly24, 2025 at12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowingde‐scribed prop‐ertytowit: 7530 CROWDER BDNEW OR‐LEANS,LA70127 LOT16- SQUARE C 3RD MUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1328346 NORTHKENIL‐WORTH SUBDI‐VISION WRIT AMOUNT: $258,659.13

Seized in the above suit, TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and the balance withinthirty daysthereafter. Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order.NoPer‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING.

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

RB 5 DEAN MORRIS, LLC 318-3881440 ZACHARYG YOUNG

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025

jun18-jul23-2t $93.10

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 13734 LOURDES STREET,THIS CITY,IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:FI‐NANCEOF AMERICARE‐VERSELLC VER‐SUSTHE UN‐OPENED SUC‐CESSION OF ANDUNKNOWN HEIRSOFMILES R. PEREZ, SR A/K/AMILES R. PEREZ, SR A/K/AMILES PEREZ, SR A/K/A MILESR.PEREZ A/K/AMILES PEREZ

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-11158

Byvirtueof a WritofSeizure and Sale di‐rectedtomeby the Honorable JudgesofCivil DistrictCourt for theParishof Orleans,inthe aboveentitled

above entitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, onthe ground ﬂoor of theCivil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onJuly24, 2025, at12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowingde‐scribed prop‐ertytowit: 13734 LOURDES STNEW OR‐LEANS,LA70129 LOT: 266 SQUARE: 29 THIRDMUNICI‐PAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1368669 WRIT AMOUNT: $125,107.73

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans GH 19 LAWOFFICESOF HERSCHELC ADCOCK, JR. LLC (225) 756-0373 DENNISF.WIG‐GINS

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025 jun18-jul23-2t $94.07

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 3807 NORTHTEAK AVENUE,THIS CITY, IN THEMATTER ENTITLED: PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC VERSUS TAU‐RELLE KEITH THOMAS

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-10932

ﬂoor of the Civil District Court Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue, inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onJuly24, 2025 at12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowingde‐scribed prop‐ertytowit:

3807 NTEAKAV NEW ORLEANS, LA70131 FIFTHMUNICI‐PAL DISTRICT SQUARE 118, LOT 287 ACQ MIN:1264481 WRIT AMOUNT: $157,113.71

Seized in the above suit TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and the balance withinthirty daysthereafter Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order.NoPer‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING. SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

RB 3 DEAN MORRIS, LLC 318-388-1440 ASHLEY E. MORRIS

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025 jun18-jul23-2t $87.18

PUBLIC NOTICESALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT PORTION OFGROUND BEARING MU‐NICIPAL NUM‐BER 4432

COPERNICUSST, THISCITY, IN THE MATTER

ENTITLED:U.S BANKNATIONAL ASSOCIATION NOTINITS INDI‐VIDUALCAPAC‐ITYBUT SOLELY IN ITS CAPACITY BUT SOLELYINITS CAPACITYASIN‐DENTURE TRUSTEEOFCIM TRUST 2021-NR2 VERSUSESTATE OF DENNISG PERKINS AND ESTATEOF LOUISEMORRIS PERKINS

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2022-4349

By virtue of a WritofSeizure and Sale di‐rectedtomeby the Honorable JudgesofCivil DistrictCourt for theParishof Orleans, in the b titl d

Orleans in the aboveentitled cause,I will pro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, onthe ground ﬂoor of theCivil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onJuly24, 2025, at12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowingde‐scribed prop‐ertytowit: 4432 COPERNI‐CUS STREET LOT336, SQUARE6 FIFTHMUNICI‐PAL DISTRICT SUBDIVISION5C OF HOLIDAY PARK, ACQ: 2003-34488 WRIT AMOUNT: $35,581.51

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

BD 13

JACKSON& MCPHERSON LLC504-5819444 CRIS JACKSON

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 6/18/2025 & 7/23/2025 jun18-jul23-2t $