The Tigers celebrate after defeating Coastal Carolina 5-3ingame twoofthe CollegeWorld Series finals in Omaha, Nebraska,onSunday. The roar is restored.When JayJohnson took over as theLSU baseball coach in 2022,the six-timenational championTigers were in the midstofa 13-year title drought.The Tigers returned to the top of college baseball during the 2023 season. LSU survived adiceyregional that went to awinner-take-all final at AlexBox Stadium againstupstart Little Rock. Then LSUdominated, sweeping the super regionaland College WorldSeries in sevengames. After Sundayand Johnson’s second national title, he has LSU threatening to reboot adynastythat blossomedunder legendary coachSkip Bertman.No. 8isonits waytoBaton Rouge.
ä SEE COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THETIGERS’ COLLEGE WORLD SERIES WIN. PAGE 1C
STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
AN UNFOLDINGSITUATION
OperationMidnightHammercalledasuccess as impact remainsunclear Iran says itsmilitary will decide ‘timing, nature andscale’ofresponse
Defense SecretaryPete Hegseth calls on reportersfor questions during anewsconference at thePentagon in Washington
after the U.S. militarystruck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel’sefforttodestroythe country’s nuclear program
BY JON GAMBRELL, FARNOUSH AMIRI and CARA ANNA
Associated Press
DUBAI,UnitedArabEmirates— Theworld grappled Sundaywith theenormousimplications after the UnitedStatesinserted itself into Israel’swar against Iran with an attack that raised urgent questions about what remained of Tehran’snuclear program and how its weakenedmilitary might respond.
Some observers warned that the future of worldwide efforts to contain the spread of nuclear weaponsbypeaceful means would be at stake in the daysahead,while fears of awider regional conflict loomed large. The price of oil roseasmarkets reacted.
Iran lashed out at the U.S.for crossing “a very big red line” with its risky gambit to strike three Iranian nuclear sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
Iran’sU.N. ambassador, AmirSaeidIravani, told an emergencymeeting of the United NationsSecurityCouncilthatthe U.S. “decided to destroy diplomacy,”and that the Iranian military will decide the “timing, nature and scale” of a“propor-
PBC
This satellitepicture by Planet Labs PBC shows Iran’sunderground nuclear enrichment site at Fordo on Sunday followingU.S.airstrikes targeting the facility
tionate response.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was flying to Moscow to coordinate with close ally Russia.
Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East. Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’ssupremeleader, said anycountry used by theU.S. to strike Iran “will be alegitimate target for our armed forces,” the state-run IRNAnews
agency reported. At first,the Trumpadministrationindicated it wanted to restart diplomatictalks with Iran. “Let’smeet directly,”Secretary of State Marco Rubio saidinaninterview with CBS. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S.“does notseek war.”
ä See IRAN, page 5A
Trumpsays he is open to regime change in Iran
BY JOSH BOAK and MIKE PESOLI Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Sunday called into question the future of Iran’sruling theocracy after asurprise attack on three of the country’snuclear sites, seemingly contradicting his administration’searlier calls to resume negotiations and avoid an escalation in fighting.
“It’snot politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ butifthe current IranianRegime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREATAGAIN, why wouldn’tthere be aRegimechange???” Trump postedonsocial media.
“MIGA!!!”
The posting on Truth Social markedsomethingofa reversalfrom DefenseSecretary Pete Hegseth’s Sunday morning newsconference that detailed the aerial bombing.
“This missionwas not and has not been about regimechange,” Hegseth said.
ä U.S. boosts emergency Mideast evacuations and travel warnings. PAGE 4A
Whatthe administration has made clearisthat it wants Iran to stop any development of nuclear weapons, withSecretaryofState Marco Rubio warning on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that any retaliation against the U.S. or arush toward building anuclear weapon would “put the regime at risk.”
But beyond that, the world is awash in uncertaintyata fragile moment that could decide whether parts of the globe tip into war or find away to salvage a relative peace. Trump’s warning to Iran’s leadership comes as the U.S. has demanded that Iran not respond to the bombardment of the heart of anuclear program that it spent decades developing.
The Trump administration hasmade aseries of intimidating statements even as it hassimultaneously calledtorestart negotiations, makingithardtoget acomplete read on whether the U.S. president is simply taunting an adversary or using
ä See TRUMP, page 5A
Federalcutscurtailingmedical research in Louisiana
‘Weare on life support,’ leader of one long-running studysays
BY EMILYWOODRUFF |Staff writer
About three decades ago, a54-year-old mother of 10 in Prairieville opened her localnewspaper andsaw anoticeabout adiabetes study starting atPenningtonBiomedical Center in Baton Rouge, about 16 miles down the road
Afinger-prick test revealed her blood sugar was just under the cutoff. But two weeks later, shegot acall: The studywas expanding eligibility.Although only prediabetic, she was in.
“I was so excited,” Donna Braud recalled. Aformer teacher,she signedup to “do something for society,promote a scientificthing.” Forthe next 30 years, she gave blood, took memory tests, kept food logs and underwent dozens of scansinwhat became known as theDiabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study.She eventually developed diabetes,but theprogramtaughther how to livewith it,said Braud,now 82.
WhenPenningtonstaffcalled this year to say the study had lost its federal funding and was ending, Braud was devastated. “I felt denied,”she said. “I did everything they asked. Iwent to every
ä See CUTS, page 4A
Donna Braud holds a brainscanfrom the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Studyfrom August 2024 in her Prairieville home on Friday.Braud, a30-year participant in the program, says it is the last document she receivedfrom the studyafter it was canceled by the Trump administration.
STAFFPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
Trump
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON
on Sunday
PHOTO PROVIDEDByPLANET LABS
U.S. boosts emergencyMideast evacuationsand travel warnings
BY MATTHEW LEE AP diplomatic writer
WASHINGTON The State Department has doubled the numberof emergency evacuationflightsitis providing for American citizens wishing to leave Israel,ordered the departure of nonessential staff from the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon and is stepping up travel warnings around the MiddleEast because of concerns Iran willretaliate against U.S. interests in the region for the weekend strikes on its nuclear facilities In an alert sent to all Americans worldwide and posted to its website on Sunday,the State Department warned all U.S. citizens abroadto exercise caution.
“The conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions
CUTS
Continued from page3A
meeting,Iwent to every test Idid all the paperwork. Inever missed anything.”
The Trump administration’sabrupt shift in federal funding has reached into Louisiana’sresearchinstitutions, stalling or terminating studies on infectiousdisease, reproductive health, HIV and chronic disease. While much attention has focused on canceled grants at high-profile universities who have publicly pushed back on ideological interference and cuts, researchers in Louisiana say the damage here is justassevere, and often harder to track. Subawards tied to larger institutions have dried up, renewals are in limbo and labs havebegun cutting staff.
In an emailed statement, the National Institutesof Health said terminated grants “do not align with NIH or agency priorities.” The agency did not answer questions about delayed grants.
Alist of canceled grants from the Department of Health and Human Services from January to June of this year shows cuts to programs in Louisiana to train underrepresented students in biomedical research; investigate racial disparities in lupus, suicide and lung cancer; study COVID-19 immunity in diverse populations; and boost vaccination rates were all cut, atotalof$2.5million in funding that was pledged but not delivered.Another $95.3 million wascut from grants to the state Health Department. These figures do not include subawards that flowed through out-of-state institutions, like the Pennington diabetes study,orgrants that were delayed, which can effectively end astudy Agovernment website tracking spending shows that total awards to Louisiana institutions —not limited to NIH —have dropped sharply,though the 2025 totals are still incomplete. Tulane University’sfunding fell from over $152 million in 2024to $64 million so far in 2025. LSU Health Sciences Center declined from $36 million to $9 million. Pennington Bio-
to travel and periodic closure of airspace across theMiddle East,” it said. “There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. TheDepartment of Stateadvises U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution.”
In anotice, also issuedonSunday, thedepartmentsaid it had ordered nonessential personneland the familiesofstaff at theU.S.Embassyin Beirut to leave Lebanon “due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation in the region.”
Thenotice made no mention of any potential evacuation flights or other assistance for private Americanswantingto leave Lebanon but said those who want to should tryto use existing commercial services to depart.
At the same time, the department
medical Research Center dropped from $30 million to $11million. Xavier Universityfell from$35 millionto $12million.
Pennington Biomedical is facing delayed NIH grant renewalsand the potential loss of $5 millionto$7milliondue to aproposedcap on indirect costs, threateningits ability to support research,accordingtoExecutive Director John Kirwan.Two grants totaling $2 million— $1 million forthe diabetes study andanotherfor aprojectthat supports collaborationamong LSU, Tulane, Manning FamilyChildren’sand Ochsner Health —have been terminated, though thecenter has appealed.
Researchers say someof the damage, eveniffunds arereinstated, is timely and costly to undo.
“It takesyears to collect people and follow them a longtime,” said Dr.George Bray,who wasthe director of Pennington when the Diabetes Prevention Program started. “When you cancel it, youloseall that information.
…It’sdisastrous.”
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,a physician, said thefederal government shouldstudy therootcauses of chronic diseaseand called for restoringfunding.
“You don’t just become healthy by saying you’regoingto make America healthy again,” Cassidy saidduring a press callwith reporters.
‘LikeIfeltafter Katrina’
Not long after Hurricane Katrina, Patricia Molina returned to her lab at LSU in NewOrleans and opened thefreezer.Months without power had melted every specimen. Blood and tissue samples, years of research, were gone
Nearlytwo decades later, Molina is again watching a body of scientific work deteriorate. For months, her team has waited for word on a$2million federal grant that funded along-running studyonhow alcohol use accelerates agingand worsens chronic illness in people livingwith HIV. Othergrants to trainyoung peopleinbiomedical research have also beendelayed or canceled.
“I feel right now like Ifelt afterKatrina,”Molina said. Research fromMolina’s
issued warnings to U.S.citizens in Saudi Arabia and Turkey to takeextra security precautionsgiven the uncertainty.
“Given reports of regional hostilities,the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia hasadvised itspersonnel to exercise increased caution and limit nonessential travel to any military installations in theregion,” the departmentsaid in its notice forSaudi Arabia
In Turkey,the departmentsaid U.S. personnel“have been cautioned to maintain alow profile and instructed to avoidpersonaltravel to the U.S. Consulate Adana consular district,” whichincludesthe NATO air base at Incirlik.
“Negative sentiment toward U.S. foreign policy may prompt actions against U.S.orWesterninterestsin Turkey,” the statement said.
center has found thatalcohol usespeeds up aging, worsens cognitivedeclineand chronic pain, and reduces the effectiveness of prescribed medications. With continued funding, they had planned to test whether metforminand cognitive behavioraltherapy could help sloworreverse those effects by reducing drinking andprotectingthe body from alcohol’sharmful effects.
Instead, they aresending letters of nonreappointment to staff. Further layoffs are on the horizon. Andthe alcohol study,which has tracked nearly 400people for 15 years, is barely hanging on.
“Weare on lifesupport,” Molina said. “Weare doing the minimum amount necessary to notlet the study die.”
At leastfive grantstotaling over $5 million at LSU Health Sciences Center have been canceled or delayed, according to theschool.
But there are likely more studiesthat will be impacted at LSU and institutions acrossthe state. Although Health andHumanServices haspublished alist of canceled grants, many large research institutions in Louisianaoperateassubawardees on multisite projects led by out-of-state partners. Pennington’sdiabetes study, for example, is run by Columbia University. When thoseinstitutionsfacedebilitatingcuts, local collaborators often lose funding as well without appearing on any public list. That ripple effect makes the damage difficult to quantify Tulane, thetop NIH-funded institution in the state,did notsay howmanystudies werecut.
“While recent cutshave affected some projects particularly those related to COVID-19, infectious disease prevention and other areas —weare actively working with ourcongressional leaders to restore this support,” the universitysaid in astatement
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has aggressively slashed NIH funding, canceling or delayingmore than 2,300 grants across the country,according to aNew York Times analysis.Some researchers in Louisiana say they are afraid to speak up about the cuts becausemanyelected
Late Saturday,the department said it was stepping up evacuation flights for American citizens from Israel to Europe and continuing to draw down its staff at diplomatic missions in Iraq.
Buteven before the U.S. airstrikes on Iran were madepublic by President Donald Trump on Saturday evening in Washington, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem hadannounced the start of evacuationflights for private Americans from Israel.
Sixty-seven American citizens left Israel on two government flights boundfor Athens, Greece, on Saturdayand four moreevacuation flightstoAthens had been planned forSunday,according to an internal StateDepartment document seen by The Associated Press. However, duetothe closureofIsraeliairspace after the U.S. airstrikes on Iran
leaders at the State Capitol and in its congressionaldelegation support the president’spoliciesonpublic health.
“Everybody is working off of fear,” said one Louisiana researcher,who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.
The National Institutes of Health is thelifeline of Louisiana’sresearch infrastructure. Claude Bouchard, professor emeritusand formerexecutive director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center,said roughly 900 clinical trials are underway across Louisiana at any given time, with abouthalf supportedbythe NIH
“If you don’thave your grants, youdon’t have asalary,” Bouchard said. “This disruption is catastrophic.”
Many of Louisiana’smost skilled researchers may leavethe country in search of stable funding.
“If youstop being an innovator,you need to get out of the way,becausethere will be other players who will take your place,” Bouchard said.
‘Theytrust us’
When aLouisiana teenager with HIV was thinking about suicide in the middle of the night, it wasn’ta parent, friendorhotline he called.It was MedeaGabriel Gabriel was theresearch nurse for astudy theteen hadbeen part of for years. Thatnight,she kept him on the phone while juggling asecond line to reach the study’slead physician, Dr Margarita Silio, and the appropriate authorities. Silio drove to his house, talking to him until he promised he wouldn’thurt himself.
Likeall participantsin thelong-running study on pediatricHIV,the teen had Gabriel’scellphone number It wasn’t the only middle-ofthe-night phone call over the years.
“They trust us,” Silio said “If they can’treach Medea, they call me. We’relike a bridge to care.”
In June,Gabriel packed up twodecades’ worthoffiles and photos from the project, which enrolled mothers during pregnancy, tracked babies’ milestones and followed teens into adulthood. One study was ending early,
three of those four flights were canceled,according to an update from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Theembassy is planning to reschedule the canceled flights to Athens on Mondaywhenitexpects as many as six evacuation flights to the Greek capital, along with a chartered flight to Romeand anotherflight to Cyprus, according to the update. In addition to the flights that have already left, acruise ship carrying morethan 1,000 American citizens, including several hundred Jewish youngsters who had been visiting Israel on an organized tour,arrived in Cyprus, according to the document.
It also said the evacuation of nonessential personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Erbil is continuing.
and another hasbeen on hold for months, and it isn’tclear if or whenitwill be funded. The moneytosupport her position, along with acoordinator,isgone.
When she began calling patients to explain thatthe study was ending, some cried. They felt like apromise had been broken. She’s sad, too, but proud of the work they’ve done, she said.
“I told them, even now,” Gabriel said, “justbecause I’m not with your study anymore, if you have to reach me for something andyou can’treach your doctor,I will get you to them.”
Braud, aregistered Republican,voted for Trump in 2016. “Not just because I’m aRepublican,” she said. “I vote forthe person.” But once he was in office, she changed hermind. “I never voted for him again,” she said. She wassoupset by the diabetesstudy cancellation that she contacted LSU and signed up to donate her body to science. Whenshe dies, shehopes amedical student or researchermight learn something more about diabetes. She still holds outhopethat the study will be revived.
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Continued from page 3A
But President Donald Trump, who has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates against U.S. forces, later mused about the possibility of regime change in Iran.
The U.S. strikes, confirmed by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, hit the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities, as well as the Isfahan nuclear site. Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination around them.
Trump claimed the U.S. “completely and fully obliterated” the sites, but the Pentagon reported “sustained, extremely severe damage and destruction.”
Israeli army spokesman Effie Defrin said “the damage is deep,” but an assessment with the U.S. continued.
“We are very close to achieving our goals” in removing Iran’s nuclear and missile threats Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Sunday
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agen-
cy, Rafael Mariano Grossi, told the Security Council that no one was in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordo, which is dug deep into a mountain, but visible craters tracked with the U.S. announcements. He said IAEA inspectors should be allowed to look at the sites. The U.N. nuclear watchdog’s governing board planned an emergency meeting Monday Grossi stressed that a path for diplomacy remained, but if that fails, “violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels,” and global efforts at nuclear nonproliferation “could crumble.”
With the attack that was carried out without detection, the United States inserted itself into a war it spent decades trying to avoid Success could mean ending Iran’s nuclear ambitions and eliminating the last significant state threat to the security of Israel, its close ally Failure — or overreach could plunge the U.S. into another long and unpredictable conflict.
For Iran’s supreme leader, it could mark the end of a campaign to transform the Islamic Republic into a greater regional power
taking military action without specific congressional approval.
that holds enriched nuclear material a step away from weapons-grade. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last spoke publicly on Wednesday warning the U.S. that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them.”
Iran, battered by Israel’s largest-ever assault on it that began on June 13, has limited options for retaliation, as key allies have mostly stayed out of the conflict. It could attack U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East with the missiles and rockets that Israel hasn’t destroyed. It could attempt to close a key bottleneck for global oil supplies, the Strait of Hormuz, between it and the United Arab Emirates. Or it could hurry to develop a nuclear weapon with what remains of its program. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said its program will not be stopped.
Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program was peaceful, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb. However Trump and Israeli leaders have argued that Iran could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon.
Israel has significantly de-
not to be a threat to the United States, and if they’re willing to do that, the United States is all ears,” Vance said.
graded Iran’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities and damaged its nuclear enrichment facilities. But only the U.S. military has the bunker-buster bombs that officials believe offered the best chance of destroying sites deep underground. A total of 14 of the bombs were used on Natanz and Fordo, according to the Pentagon.
Experts scrambled to answer the urgent question: What has happened to Iran’s stockpile of uranium and centrifuges?
Satellite images taken by Planet Labs PBC after the U.S. strikes, analyzed by The Associated Press, show damage to the facility They suggest Iran packed the entrance tunnels to Fordo with dirt and had trucks at the facility ahead of the strikes.
Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites.
Before the Israeli military campaign began, Iran said it had declared a third, unknown site as a new enrichment facility “Questions remain as to
where Iran may be storing its already enriched stocks as these will have almost certainly been moved to hardened and undisclosed locations, out of the way of potential Israeli or U.S. strikes,” said Darya Dolzikova, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute focused on nonproliferation issues.
Global leaders responded with shock and calls for restraint. Egypt warned of “grave repercussions” for the region. Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Middle Eastbased Fifth Fleet, called on Iran and the U.S. to “quickly resume talks.”
Trump’s decision
The decision to attack was a risky one for Trump, who won the White House partly on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts.
But Trump also vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. He initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country’s leaders to give up its nuclear program.
For Netanyahu, the strikes were the culmination of a decadeslong campaign to get the U.S. to strike Israel’s chief regional rival and its disputed
nuclear program. Netanyahu praised Trump, saying his decision “will change history.” Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with nuclear weapons, but the country has never acknowledged it.
Iran, Israel trade attacks Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Amir, called the U.S. attack a key “turning point” but added: “We still have targets to strike and objectives to complete.” Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it launched a barrage of 40 missiles at Israel, including its Khorramshahr-4, which can carry multiple warheads. Israeli authorities said more than 80 people suffered mostly minor injuries.
Late Sunday, the Israeli military said it again struck military infrastructure sites in Tehran and western Iran. Earlier, explosions boomed in Bushehr, home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant, three semiofficial media outlets reported. Israel’s military said it struck missile launchers in Bushehr Isfahan and Ahvaz, as well as a command center in the Yazd area where it said Khorramshahr missiles were stored
inflammatory words that could further widen the war between Israel and Iran that began earlier this month.
Up until the U.S. president’s post on Sunday afternoon, the coordinated messaging by Trump’s vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout would be manageable and that Iran’s lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table.
Hegseth had said that America “does not seek war” with Iran, while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington.
“We had a spectacular military success yesterday, taking the ‘bomb’ right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!)” Trump wrote.
National security team
At their joint Pentagon briefing, Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that “Operation Midnight Hammer” involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance.
But the unfolding situation is not entirely under Washington’s control, as Tehran has a series of levers to respond to the aerial bombings that could intensify the conflict in the Middle East with possible global repercussions.
Iran can block oil being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, attack U.S. bases in the region, engage in cyber attacks or double down on a nuclear program that might seem like more of a necessity after the U.S. strike.
All of that raises the question of whether the strikes will open up a far more brutal phase of fighting or revive negotiations out of an abundance of caution. Inside the U.S., the attack quickly spilled over into domestic politics with Trump choosing to spend part of his Sunday going after his critics in Congress.
Trump also used a social media post to lambaste Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who had objected to the president
Caine indicated that the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved.
“Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,”
Caine said.
Vance said he felt “very confident that we’ve substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon.”
Pressed further, he told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time I think that it’s going to be many many years before the Iranians are able to develop a nuclear weapon.”
The vice president said the U.S. had “negotiated aggressively” with Iran to try to find a peaceful settlement and that Trump made his decision after assessing the Iranians were not acting “in good faith.”
“I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbors,
Rubio said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that “there are no planned military operations right now against Iran, unless, unless they mess around and they attack” U.S. interests.
Trump has previously threatened other countries, but often backed down or failed to follow through, given his promises to his coalition of voters not to entangle the United States in an extended war It was not immediately clear whether Iran saw the avoidance of a wider conflict as in its best interests.
Reacting to the strikes
Much of the world is absorbing the consequences of the strikes and the risk that they could lead to more fighting across the Middle East after the U.S. inserted itself into the war between Israel and Iran. Israeli airstrikes that began on June 13 local time targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities and generals, prompting retaliation from Iran and creating a series of events that contributed to the U.S attack
While U.S. officials urged caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted byWashington,Irancriticized the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Washington was “fully responsible” for whatever actions Tehran may take in response.
“They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,” he said at a news conference in Turkey “I don’t know how much room is left for diplomacy.”
China and Russia, where Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the U.S. military action. The attacks were “a gross violation of
international law,” said Russia’s Foreign Ministry, which also advocated “returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course.” A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to “a global level.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies His office said he talked on Sunday with Trump about the need for Tehran to resume negotiations, but Trump would have posted his remarksaboutregimechange after their conversation
The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need for “a rapid resumption of negotiations.” France’s Emmanuel
Macron held talks with the Saudicrownprinceandsultan of Oman. Iran trying to stop oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz could create the same kind of inflationary shocks that the world felt after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Oil prices have increased as the war between Israel and Iran intensified, climbingby21%overthepast month.
The price of oil rose and U.S. stock futures fell on Sunday, amid uncertainty over Iran — which could undermine Trump’s promises to tame inflation and bring consumer prices down.
An explanation
The Pentagon briefing did not provide any new details about Iran’s nuclear capabili-
ties. Hegseth said the timeline for the strikes was the result of a schedule set by Trump for talks with Iran about its nuclear ambitions.
“Iran found out” that when Trump “says 60 days that he seeks peace and negotiation, he means 60 days of peace and negotiation,” Hegseth said. “Otherwise, that nuclear program, that new nuclear capability will not exist. He meant it.” That statement was complicated as the White House had suggested Thursday that Trump could take as much as two weeks to determine whether to strike Iran or continue to pursue negotiations. But the U.S benefited from Iran’s weakened air defenses and was able to conduct the attacks without resistance from Iran.
Suicide bomber attacks Greek Orthodox church
At least 22 people killed in Syria
BY ABDULRAHMAN SHAHEEN and KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press
DWEIL’A, Syria A suicide bomber in Syria opened fire then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people praying on Sunday, killing at least 22 and wounding 63 others, state media reported.
The attack took place in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Damascus inside the Mar Elias Church, according to state media SANA citing the Health Ministry for the toll of dead and wounded. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were at least 19 peopled killed and dozens wounded, but did not give exact numbers. Some local media
about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country No group immediately claimed responsibility Sunday. Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba said in a news conference that their preliminary investigation points to the extremist Islamic State group. The ministry said one gunmen entered the church, fired at the people there before detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing some witness testimonies.
“The security of places of worship is a red line,” he said, adding that IS and remaining members of the ousted Assad government are trying to destabilize Syria.
gether,” he said on X. “We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship and we also affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.”
Witnesses said the gunman with his face covered entered and fired at the people. When a crowd charged at him to remove him from the church, he detonated his explosives at the entrance.
Syria’s Social Affairs and Labor Minister Hind Kabawat, the country’s Christian and female minister, met with the clergy at the church in the evening to express her condolences.
reported that children were among the casualties.
The attack on the church was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus under its
de facto Islamist rule is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the country, there have been concerns
Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack, calling it a terrorist attack.
“This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us to-
“People were praying safely under the eyes of God,” said Father Fadi Ghattas, who said he saw at least 20 people killed with his own eyes. “There were 350 people praying at the church.”
Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release from jail before trial
But ICE plans to detain him
By The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee
judge on Sunday ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose mistaken deportation has become a flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, while he awaits a federal trial on human smuggling charges. But he is not expected to
be allowed to go free.
At his June 13 detention hearing, prosecutors said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would take Abrego Garcia into custody if he were released on the criminal charges, and he could be deported before he has a chance to stand trial.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to discuss the conditions of Abrego Garcia’s release.
The U.S. government has already filed a motion to appeal the judge’s
release order
Holmes acknowledged in her ruling Sunday that determining whether Abrego Garcia should be released is “little more than an academic exercise” because ICE will likely detain him. But the judge wrote that everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence and “a full and fair determination of whether he must remain in federal custody pending trial.”
Holmes wrote that the government failed to prove that Abrego was a flight risk, that he posed a
danger to the community or that he would interfere with proceedings if released.
“Overall, the Court cannot find from the evidence presented that Abrego’s release clearly and convincingly poses an irremediable danger to other persons or to the community,” the judge wrote.
Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty to the smuggling charges that his attorneys have characterized as an attempt to justify the deportation mistake after the fact.
The acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Rob McGuire, argued on June 13 that the likely attempt by ICE to try to deport him was one reason to keep him in jail.
But Holmes said then that she had no intention of “getting in the middle of any ICE hold.”
“If I elect to release Mr Abrego, I will impose conditions of release, and the U.S. Marshal will release him.” If he is released into ICE custody, that is “above my pay grade,” she said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By OMAR SANADIKI
Syrian citizens and security forces inspect the damage Sunday inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweil’a in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria.
Eastern half of U.S. swelters in heat wave
BY TODD RICHMOND Associated Press
MADISON, Wis.
— Tens of millions of people across the Midwest and East endured dangerously hot temperatures again on Sunday as a rare June heat wave that gripped much of the U.S. was expected to last into the coming week.
Most of the northeastern quadrant of the country from Minnesota to Maine was under some type of heat advisory So were parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi, the National Weather Service said.
The weather service office in Wakefield, Virginia, warned of sweltering conditions through Wednesday
“Please plan ahead to take frequent breaks if you must be outside, stay hydrated and provide plenty of water and shade for any outdoor animals,” the office said on X. Sunday marked the second straight day of extreme heat across the Midwest and East Coast. Heat indices on Saturday hit 103 in Chicago and 101 in Madison, Wisconsin, turning that city’s annual naked bike ride into a sticky and sweaty affair
area by 7:30 a.m. Sunday
other locations, and set up a “heat line” staffed by medical professionals to discuss conditions and illnesses made worse by the heat. At Lincoln Financial Field, officials said each fan attending Sunday’s FIFA World Cup match would be allowed to bring in one 20-ounce plastic bottle of water
With temperatures in the mid-80s, Maryland’s Rehoboth Beach was crowded Sunday
“It’s only going to get worse,” said beachgoer Vak Kobiashvili. “People are trying to get out to the beach before it’s too hot to really even manage to be outside.”
kind of feeling.”
Lynn Watkins, 53, is the director of Sacred Hearts Day Care in Sun Prairie, a Madison suburb. She said that she tried to sit outside Saturday to grill but it was so hot she had to go inside. She plans to cancel all outdoor activities at the day care on Monday with highs around 93 forecast.
“I can’t stand being outside when it’s like this,” she said. “I just want to sit in my air conditioning.”
The temperature reached 80 degrees in the Chicago
Meteorologists say a phenomenon known as a heat dome, a large area of high pressure in the upper atmosphere that traps heat and humidity, is responsible for the extreme temperatures.
Forecasts called for heat indices of between 100 and 105 degrees.
The heat index in Pittsburgh was expected to top 105 F. The temperature in Columbus, Ohio, was 77 at 8:30 a.m. Highs there were expected to reach 97 with a heat index around 104.
Forecasts called for a heat index of 100 F in Philadelphia on Sunday, with a 108 heat index on Monday
The city’s public health department declared a heat emergency Sunday lasting until Wednesday evening.
Officials directed residents to air-conditioned libraries, community centers and
Police say man opened fire outside Mich. church before staff killed him
BY PAUL SANCYA and HOLLY RAMER Associated Press
Kobiashvili said even his dog didn’t want to be outside.
“East Coast weather, at least from my perspective, is just very sweaty in the summer,” he said “It’s that walking through a swamp
Forecasters warned the heat index in Cromwell, Connecticut, would reach 105 F on Sunday, which could make life brutal for golfers Tommy Fleetwood and Keegan Bradley as they compete during the final round of the Travelers Championship. The index on the TPC River Highlands course stood at 98 degrees at 3:18 p.m. Fans sought shelter under trees and on air-conditioned benches. Many lined up for water at a hydration station near the ninth green. Karin Skalina, of New York, had been in the sunsoaked bleachers by the eighth green and eventually sought relief on a ventilated cooling bench. “Didn’t work,” she said.
“(We’re) trying to follow the shade,” Skalina said. Courtney Kamansky, of
Newington, Connecticut, had been to the tournament before and came prepared with extra water bottles Asked if she was able to find shade, she pointed to her umbrella and said, “I bring it with me.” Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz got sick Saturday while playing in the extreme heat against the Cardinals in St. Louis. Seattle Mariners reliever Trent Thornton, facing the Cubs in Chicago, also fell ill. The heat is expected to persist into the coming week, with the highest temperatures shifting eastward. New York City is expected to see highs around 95 on Monday and Tuesday Boston is on track for highs approaching 100 on Tuesday, and temperatures in Washington, D.C., were expected to hit 100 on Tuesday and Wednesday
“A parishioner struck the gunman with his vehicle as the gunman shot the vehicle repeatedly,” Strong told reporters. “At least two staff members shot the gunman causing the fatal wounds.”
Police described the suspect as a 31-year-old white male with no known connection to the church. His motive remains unclear, but it appears he was suffering from a mental health crisis, Strong said.
The shooting occurred around 11 a.m. in Wayne, a city of about 17,000 people
WAYNE, Mich A man who opened fire outside a Michigan church filled with worshippers on Sunday was struck by a vehicle and then fatally shot by security staff who averted a potential mass shooting, police said. Churchgoers attending a morning service at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne spotted the gunman driving recklessly and then saw him exit his car wearing a tactical vest and carrying a rifle and a handgun, police Chief Ryan Strong said at an evening news conference. The man began firing as he approached the church, striking one person in the leg.
located about 25 miles west of Detroit. The person who was shot in the leg was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the chief said. Nobody else was hurt.
Strong said a church member ran the suspect over with his pickup truck, giving security staff time to shoot him.
“We are grateful for the heroic actions of the church’s staff members, who undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting,” the chief said.
About 150 people were inside the church at the time.
The church’s website says it hosts a worship service on Sundays at 10:45 a.m.
By The Associated Press
MEMPHIS,Tenn.— Fred Smith, the FedEx Corp. founder who revolutionized the express delivery industry, has died, the company said He was 80.
FedEx started operating in 1973, delivering small parcels and documents more quickly than the postal service Over the next half-century, Smith, a Marine Corps veteran, oversaw the growth of a company that became something of an economic bellwether because so many
other companies rely on it. Memphis, Tennesseebased FedEx became a global transportation and logistics company that averages 17 million shipments per business day Smith stepped down as CEO in 2022 but remained executive chairman. Smith, a 1966 graduate of Yale University, used a business theory he came up with in college to create a delivery system based on coordinated air cargo flights centered on a main hub, a “hub and spokes” system, as it became known
The company also played a major role in the shift by American business and industry to a greater use of time-sensitive deliveries and less dependence on large inventories and warehouses. Smith once told The Associated Press that he came up with the name Federal Express because he wanted the company to sound big and important when in fact it was a start-up operation with a future far from assured. At the time, Smith was trying to land a major shipping contract with the Federal Reserve Bank that didn’t work out.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NAM y. HUH Children cool off Sunday at a fountain during hot weather in Chicago.
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JUNE
Big Brothers Big Sisters returns
munity,” Christ said.
youth mentorship program in New Orleans shut down in 2013
BY JONI HESS Staff writer
After more than 10 years, the Big Brothers Big Sisters youth mentorship program has returned to New Orleans to steer disadvantaged kids toward positive life outcomes.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater New Orleans, an offshoot of the national program of the same name, launched in January At its peak, the organization served more than 1,000 mentoring matches, but funding and participation dwindled in the decade after Hurricane Katrina, prompting its previous chapter, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Louisiana, to close in 2013.
Plans for animal shelter advance
Council accepting bids for construction
BY COURTNEY LUCIUS Staff writer
Jefferson Parish is one step clos-
er to a new animal shelter on the east bank after the Parish Council voted unanimously Tuesday to start accepting bids to construct it.
Michelle Brignac, director of Jefferson Protection and Animal Welfare Services, said there has been talk of a new shelter since she joined the agency in 2019. But when Hurricane Ida rendered the old shelter in Harahan unusable in 2021, building a new one became a priority
The old east bank shelter was demolished in 2023, and the parish’s West Bank shelter in Harvey has since struggled with an overflow of animals.
At the beginning of the summer, it was taking in 50 to 60 animals a week, Brignac said. Now, it’s taking in 150 animals a week
“It’s basically a balancing act,” she said. The new east bank shelter is expected to cost $16.4 million and open in the first half of 2027 at 1 Humane Way, the same address as the last shelter
It is being designed by Meyer Engineering Ltd., which has a $1.1 million contract with the parish
The 20,000-square-foot shelter will be able to house dogs, cats, wildlife, farm animals, small mammals and reptiles. It will have new features such as flexible kennels, a veterinarian clinic, foster clinic and water bowls that automatically refill.
There also will be opportunities for local artists to paint murals on the building’s exterior, Brignac said.
“It’s all about drawing people in, making the adoption process more positive and also making people curious as to wanting to know what’s in that building,” she said.
N.O.
official
Homeless services director accused of sexual harassment
BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer
Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration suspended the director of New Orleans’ homeless services department for three days after a city investigation found he kissed a worker while on the job. The Mayor’s Office informed Nathaniel Fields in an April 23 letter, obtained this week by The
“Too many young people here are struggling and need access to positive adult mentors who can expose them to alternative ways to approach their education, job readiness, mental health and their role in the community,” interim CEO Kalli Christ told a City Council committee Wednesday The program’s return marks an end to New Orleans being the only major city without a program chapter, adding to more than 250 across the U.S. National program leadership and local stakeholders helped raise $1 million in seed funding committed by private donors to use over five years. Christ said they plan to sustain operations by tapping federal, state and local funding sources.
The cost-free Big Brothers Big Sisters program supports relationship-based mentoring experiences between children, called “littles,” and volunteers, or “bigs,” who are matched according to shared interests, personalities and goals.
The organization is also building a local Champion’s Council and formal governing board to “ensure the work is led by and rooted in the New Orleans com-
There are 21 matches so far, and about 75 youth making their way through the enrollment process. All are children of color
ABOVE:
One to remember
suspended after kissing contract worker
Times-Picayune, that he would be suspended without pay for the following three days as discipline for violating the city’s sexual harassment policy
The suspension came nearly a month after city officials found that Fields had kissed a contract worker, Mary Bonney, on the night of Jan. 6 while they were working to transport homeless people to an emergency shelter during cold weather. Bonney earlier said that Fields sexually assaulted her and then continued to harass her in the following days, including calling her phone four times in a 10-minute span. That prompted her to request
that her then-employer, Civix, a technology firm based in Metairie, submit a complaint with the city on her behalf.
According to the letter to Fields and the city’s investigation report, also obtained this week in response to a public records request, Fields confirmed to city officials that he and Bonney (whose name is redacted in the documents) kissed on the night of Jan. 6. But, in his interview with officials, Fields described the kiss as mutual and consensual, and he denied all of Bonney’s other allegations of harassment.
As a result, city officials were “unable to substantiate” those alle-
gations, according to the investigation.
“Given the subjective nature of each party’s recollection and the absence of corroborating evidence to definitively establish whether the kiss was consensual, the City was required to make a determination based upon applicable policy and prevailing standards,” wrote Clifton Davis, Cantrell’s chief of staff, in the letter to Fields.
The three-day suspension without pay reflected the fact that Fields had “no prior disciplinary history or previous allegations of misconduct of a similar nature,” and had completed required sexual harassment
trainings, Davis wrote. Fields was suspended from work without pay for three days from April 24-28, coinciding with the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Fields’ annual salary is $170,654. Casey Denson, an attorney representing Bonney, derided the suspension as “insufficient” in an interview on Friday Bonney declined to comment. “If they’re acknowledging that they think there is credibility of her complaints that he sexually harassed her, then a three-day
JEFFERSON PARISH
STAFF PHOTOS By JOHN McCUSKER
TOP: The National WWII Museum marks the 100th birthday of veteran and museum trustee Paul Hilliard in New Orleans on Saturday
Cupcakes spell out the birthday boy’s age.
RIGHT: Hilliard and his wife, Madlyn, share a moment at the party.
BY JONI HESS Staff writer
Aman was shot and killed
Sundaymorning in the Pines Village area of New Orleans East, police said. Authorities respondedto reports of ashooting about 2:40 a.m. in
SUSPENDED
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suspension and continuingto holdasupervisory position is aliability to this city and an injusticetoMary,”said Denson. “This is acommon defense forsexual harassers once their misconduct is discovered —totry to recast the factstotry to show them as engaging in aconsensual act when that was not the case.” Fields did not respond to a request for comment.
The Cantrell administrationdeclined to renewits contract with Civix, the firm that employed Bonney, forwork with theOfficeof Homeless Services and Strategy in April.
Denson said Bonney was then laid off by Civix this month.
“As aresult of her complaining, she’sunemployed and he’s still working and supervising city workers and contractors,” saidDenson Civix did not respond to arequest forcomment.
Cantrell hiredFieldsin 2023torun the city’snewly created Office of HomelessServiceswiththe goal of finding permanenthousingfor everyone livingon the streets of New Orleans. He took the spotlight as the spokesperson for the city’s ambitious, high-profile efforts last year,but has taken on aless public role in recent months.
In February, City Council
President JP Morrell and Vice President Helena Moreno askedInspectorGeneral Ed Michel to investigate the city’shandling of Bonney’s complaint, “to ensurestrict adherence to codified procedures.” In April,they updated thatrequest to include that Michel examine “whether retaliation was afactor” in theadministration’sdecision to endits arrangement with Bonney Aspokesperson for Michel declined to comment on the status of the investigation on Friday
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from low-incomeorsingle-parent households, including thosebeing raised by agrandparent or other family member.The organizationalsocaterstokids of military familiesand incarceratedparents
“Being apart of Big Brothers Big Sisters has helped me get out of my shell and challengesmeto do things I’ve never done before,” said teenage participantSkye Stevenson “Theprogram has helped me to formafriendship and sisterhood with Angie. She is nowmyNo. 1personIgototalk to.”
Skye’smentor, Angie Taylor,said the experience brings her back to a timewhenshe, too, needed asupportivefigure in her life.
“Skye is so full ofexcitement, it reminds me of being in high school, andthis gives me theopportunity to bethe big sisterthat Ineeded in high school from being able tosupport hertobeingabletohelp herwith college applications,” Taylor said.
Christ said theprogram is especially needed in NewOrleans,where more than 80,000 youthregularly face challengesfrom poverty anda lackofaccessto resources.
As thegroup expands its work locally,ithopes to identify more participants that maybenefit fromhaving one-on-one guidance, andthe volunteer network, which is now near 100 mentors.
BigBrothersBig Sisters of Greater New Orleans also has partnered with existing mentorship nonprofits like Son of aSaint and local charter school networks KIPP New Or-
leans Schools andInspire NOLA to offervolunteers and youth mentees a rangeofcommunity and school-based activities, including NewOrleans Recreation and Development Commissionsponsored offerings like archery.
The program has schoolbased model, so bigs meet their littlesoncampus and utilize theschool’s resources, such as playgrounds and libraries. The bigs can offer homework assistance or just share conversations about the young person’sday over asnack.
Research shows that long-termimpacts of mentorships can lead to improved economic mobility, self-confidenceand emotional well-being.A 2024 Harvard Universitystudy showed evidence of higher collegeenrollment rates, reduced dependency on social services and better behavioral outcomes for mentored youth.
To get involved, interested parties can donate, volunteer as amentor or enroll achildonlineat bbbs.org/get-involved.
Ayouth ‘little’ and volunteer ‘big’ engageinNew Orleans as partofthe city’srelaunched Big Brothers Big Sisters mentorshipprogram.
PHOTOSPROVIDED By BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF GREATER NEWORLEANS
Ayouth ‘little’
volunteer ‘big’shoot hoopsinNew Orleans as partofthe city’s Big Brothers BigSisters mentorshipprogram.
Manthey, Frederick Palmer, Patricia
RichardSr.,Joseph
Sam, Lois
Sexton, Marlyne
Shaw,David Williams,Dixie
EJefferson
Garden of Memories
RichardSr.,Joseph
Leitz-Eagan
Manthey, Frederick
Richardson FH
Shaw,David West Bank
Robinson FH
Sam, Lois
Obituaries
Manthey, Frederick William'Fred'
FrederickWilliam Man‐they,October 22, 1943- May 29, 2025. Frederick“Fred WilliamManthey,age 81, passedawayMay 29, 2025, with hisdevoted wife Ali‐ciaMendezManthey by his side.Heisprecededin deathbyhis parentsMr. andMrs.EdwardThomas Manthey, andbrothers Tommy, Terry,Timmy and Tracy. He wasthe loving fa‐ther of Troy MichaelMan‐they (Jill), TristanEdwards Manthey(Melissa),Tisbee Jane Dantin (Dirk) andTa‐tianadel PilarManthey.He wasthe proudPapaFredto LindseyEasley(Ross),Gra‐cieMae Manthey, Jack Manthey, GrantManthey, PatrickManthey,Maddux Dantin,Britton Dantin, LouisCyr anda Great-Papa Fred to Beau Easley.Heis also survived by hissisters JanDugan,JillPurkey, June Bristol, JoyManthey and Jaye Manthey. He wasa proudAir ForceVeteran whoservedhis countryas an AirTrafficControllerfor four (4)years.Uponcom‐pletionofhis servicecom‐mitment, Fred served as an Aviation Meteorologist for theFederal Aviation Ad‐ministration forover25 yearsinNew Orleans, Louisiana, SanJuanPuerto Rico,and finally, DeRidder, Louisiana. He wasa union repfor NAATSfor Deridder Airport. Fred’s passionfor Mardi Gras wasun‐matched. Fred wasanavid parade goer, andwould oftencatch paradesin Chalmette,Metairieand downtown in thesame night. Allthe neighborhood kids were invitedtopile into thecar.Fredwas also amemberofnumerouspa‐rades, including: Endymion,Jason,Romulus &Remus,Venus,Elksand Freret.Fredalsoenjoyed marching in St.Patrick’s Dayparades with Terrance Corner.When he movedto DeRidder,Louisiana,Fred became atrue“country boy.”Overseveral years, Fred builthis housevirtu‐ally by himself. Fred be‐came agreat horseman at onetimeamassingas many as thirteen horses Fred neverrodehis horses; he just enjoyedbeing around them.Uponretire‐ment,Fredworkedhis land andfed hishorsesdaily.It wasa full time job, but kept himactive. He loved walkinghis property with hisfaithfuldog -Max.We wouldliketothank The Blakeand CARE Hospice fortheir greatcareofFred in hislastyearoflife. A celebrationoflifewillbe held in hishonor by family andfriends.Inlieuof flow‐ers, donationscan be made to theAlzheimer’s Associationwww.alz.org in Fred’s name.#endalz
Patricia Crotty Palmer, OFS, was bornon November 19, 1935, and passed awayonJune 17, 2025whilelivingatBeau Maison in Metairie She is survivedbyher children Mary Frances Palmer (KellyTippett) of House Springs, MO and Timothy Norman Palmer (Rochelle)ofHigh Ridge, MO and also her siblings Betty Ann Giliberto (Santo), WilliamMullen Crotty (Ernst Stringfellow), BernardTimothy Crotty (Lila), Mary Noel Ignal (Ken) and SusanMarie Michlik(Chuck). She was preceded in deathbyher husband Norman Brimberry; her parents William Edward and Thelma MullenCrotty; her sisters EileenMarilyn Crotty (Sister Mary Thelma, RSM), Wilma MargaretCrotty, HelenLee Crotty; and herbrother Edward OwenCrotty
Patgraduatedfrom Redemptorist GirlsHigh School in 1953.She met and marriedNorman BrimberryinSt. Louis wherethey raised their children. Pat worked in real estate before moving back to New Orleans whereshe worked forand retired from Vinson Guard Services.She wasalso a regularcommunicant at St Mary'sAssumption Church in the Irish Channel and she was an Ordained SecularFranciscan. Visitation willbeheld at St. Mary's Assumption Church at 2030Constance StreetinNew Orleans at 9:00 a.m. on June 24, 2025 followedbythe funeral mass at 10:00a.m interment at Greenwood Cemetery and acelebration of her life at Timand Lila's home in Metairie.
feredatwww.gardeno fmemoriesmetairie.com
Sam, Lois Theresa Anderson
behind alegacyofre‐silienceand compassion,a testament to thebeautiful lifeshe lived. Shewillbe dearlymissedbut fondly rememberedbyall who had theprivilege of know‐ing her. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend thecelebra‐tionoflifeservice which willbeheldonTuesday, June 24, 2025, at AllSaint Catholic Church locatedat 1441 TecheStreet,Algiers, LA70114. Father Freddie Kaddeeofficiatingand en‐tombmentwillfollowat WestlawnMemorialPark. Funeralplanningentrusted toRobinsonFamilyFuneral Home, 9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse,LA70037, (504) 208-2119. Foronlinecondo‐lences, please visitwww robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com
RichardSr.,Joseph
M. 'Joe'
Joseph M. “Joe”Richard Sr.,a proud veteran, skilled mechanic, anddevoted fa‐ther, passed away on June 5,2025, in Metairie, Louisiana.Hewas 66 years old.BornonJune11, 1958, inNew Orleans, Louisiana, Joe grew up with adeeprooted senseofservice and ingenuity. Thesequali‐tieswould define hislife’s workand passions.He servedhonorably in the UnitedStatesAir Forcefor 12years,dedicatinghim‐selftohis countrywithdis‐cipline andpride.Following his military service, Joe continued to servehis community as abus driver for Jefferson Parish Schoolsfor twodecades His commitmenttosafely transportinggenerations ofstudentsreflectedhis steadypresence andrelia‐bility. Joewas known among thosewho knew him as an avid inventor and tinkerer who believed inhelping people when‐everpossible. Whetherit was abrokenapplianceor a complexengineissue,he had therareabilitytoei‐ther fixitorcreatesome‐thing even better.A life‐longmechanicatheart,he workedoneverythingfrom small enginestoschool buses with skilland pas‐sion. He is lovingly remem‐bered by hisdaughter, Chelsea M. Richard, and his son, Joseph M. Richard Jr.,along with Joseph Jr.’s wife, Janeé. He also leaves behindhis siblings:Ernest J.“Jimmy” RichardJr., Betty R. Castillo,MaryC Richard,and Robert G. Richard.Joe waspreceded indeath by hisparents ErnestJ.Richard Sr.and IreneU.Richard.His legacy lives on throughthe many lives he touched—with every person he helped, every engine he repaired every studenthetrans‐portedsafely home,and every inventionthatbore the mark of hiscreativity. Joe's friendsand family are invitedtoa memorial gathering on Sunday,June 29, 2025 from 11:00amto 4:00pmatLafreniere Park'sPicnicIsland(Shel‐ter #2)inMetairie. Online condolencesmay
Lois TheresaAnderson Sam,bornonJanuary 27, 1938, at CharityHospitalof New Orleans, wasa beloved wife,mother, and friendknown forher infec‐tious humor, kindness, and devotiontoher family. Lois was thedaughterofMrs LeothaJulienAnderson Williamson andFreddie JosephAnderson. Step‐daughterofJames Williamson.She wasthe wifeofHarry SamJr. of Gretna, Louisianaand had six children.The beloved motherofSheilaT.Samuel (Tillis). ClintonD.Sam, Karen C. Sam-Dishman, RodneyP.Sam,DarrenA Sam,and BlainM.Sam.She attended AllSaints Catholic Church andwas baptizedand confirmed by Rev.JohnCallery,SSJ.She leavestocherish hermem‐ory:6 children-daughters SheilaT.Samuel(Tillis) Karen Sam-Dishman, sons Clinton D. Sam, Rodney P. Sam,DarrenA.Sam,and Blain M, Sam. 1son-in-law TillisSamuel, 18 grandchil‐dren: Tayquail Rhea (Tajuan)LamondFranklin, LaKária Sam-Green (Mario),Shaun Jones (Magan),KateriMcKnight, Kriselette Sam, Jasmine Sam Onyemauioa (Melody), KiaraHolmes, Ahmad Sam(Clarissa), DwayneJenkins,Jarmarris Sam,ClintonStokes, BiancaSutton, JaneeSam, Caleb &Carlton Celestine. 32great grandchildren: Ta'lynn BelleWhite (Cur‐tis), Londrell Franklin,Kalil Cox,Tja Rhea,SeanJones AllisiaRhea, Simone Rhea, NaTasia Jefferson, Kaylee Skipper,Ky'ReeSam, Chelsea Sam, AmyraSam AmyreeSam,D'Myron Johnson,Christian Hen‐nings,Zia Calvaria,Zana Calvaria, Skylar Jones, Djer Jones,NinaJenkins,Love Stokes, Legend Stokes, KingSam,DevontaeJohn‐son,JaKhyrenSam,Peace Onyemauioa, Dwayne Jenk‐ins Jr., EsmeraldaOnye‐mauioa, Tamyra Sam, KingsleySam,Jamerrell Sam,JumeriahSam,Khaza Mario Green.6 great-great grandchildren:KarterSkip‐per,TerriyahSimmons TerajèSimmons,Telayia Simmons,LillianaCox,and Jameson White. 4sisters: ArseanAlexandera, Pearl Edmonson, Sharon Edmon‐son,Beverly Beauvais,& Stacy Williamson.2 sis‐ters-in-law Lavern Williamson andMaryAnn Henderson,3 Godchildren: VerlinDampiere, Gwen‐dolyn Henderson, and Brian Turner.Hostof nieces, nephews, and cousins.Precededindeath byher mother Leotha Julien Anderson Williamson,fatherFreddy JosephAnderson, 3great grandchildren:KelseaSam, JaRielSam,Denzel Claverie, son-in-law Larry R.Dishman,sisters:Leonell Andersonand Floreen An‐derson, andbrother Harold James Williamson.Lois's legacyisone of love, laughter, andunwavering support.Her familyand friends cherishthe memo‐riesofher warm smile and generous heart. Sheleaves
An Indianapolis Business leader and philanthropist Marlyne Sexton died June 11, 2025. Aproud Texan,Marlyne raised her daughters in NewOrleans and later moved to Indianapolis where she and her late husband, Joe, builtthe Sexton Companies, developing multifamilyhousing throughout theMidwest and South. Marlyne immersed herself in Indianapolis, becoming a driving forcesocially and in business. The Sextons ledthe renaissance of downtownIndianapolis, redeveloping historic Lockefield Gardens and extensive propertyalong the yet to be builtCanalWalk. Theirgrowing passion forautoracing ledMarlyne to serveonthe boards of the500 Festival Foundation and more recently,the IndianapolisMotor Speedway Museum. She also endowed the500 Festival Princess Scholarship Program Celebrating alongfriendship withAJFoyt,Marlyne became thetitle sponsor of AJ Foyt Racing, bringing her positiveinfluence to theteam.
Aformidable woman, Marlyne was admired, respectedand alittle feared. Universallydescribedas both strong and generous she lovedlivemusic and dancing, fried chicken and Tex Mex, scotch and soda, organizing herimpeccable closetsand holding court with friends.
Acan-dowoman of action, Marlyne approached every endeavor with grit, determinationand urgency. She often providedthe visionary lead giftson projectsranging from an Isamu Noguchi sculpture in theWhite HouseRose Garden-the first work of art by an Asian American to become part of the White HouseCollection- to anew facility for the IndianapolisMetropolitan Police Department Mounted Patrol.
Marlyne was aFounding Member of theNational Council on White House History. She served twice as Co-Chairofthe White HouseHistoryGalaatthe Metropolitan Museumof ArtinNew York. She gen-
erouslyestablished the MarlyneSexton Endowment for White HouseHistory, creatingthe first named, endowed position at theWhiteHouse Historical Association Anative Dallasite and benefactor of SMU MeadowsSchool of the Arts, Marlyneestablished theSexton FamilySuitefor Creative Computation,as well as creatingthe Sexton FamilyCourtyard andthe Sexton FamilyArt Studio andTerrace.Through her contributions,the G. MarlyneSexton Institute forMusical Theatre and theG.MarlyneSexton Director of Musical Theatre were established,creating arare, comprehensive training programfor musicaltheatre Beyond theUniversity, she championed educational opportunity. She wasa distinguished advisor to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis anda sponsor of itsHunt Slonem permanentexhibit. Among themanyorganizationsbenefiting from her generosity are The Indianapolis PublicLibrary Foundation,IUHealth North Hospital,Riley Children'sHospital, Best Buddiesand TheKing's Foundation (formerly Prince of Wales Foundation,London).
Marlynereceivedthe Sagamore of theWabash award andhas been honored by theAlzheimer's Association,the Cityof Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. Shewas aNancyReagan Tribute Dinner business speaker.
Marlyne'sloss will be keenlyfeltbythosewho knew herinoversized sunglassesand earrings. She always droveconvertibles andupholsteredher sofas in white. Sheappreciated theperfectly sculptedheel of ashoeand aperfect April Fool's prank. Herfavorite places were herown immaculate homes in Indianapolis, NewYork, Florida andNew Orleans. Shewas alookerand arisk taker.
Marlyneissurvived by herdaughters Nicole Sexton andTracy Copeland, herbeloved Sexton Companiesfamily, many friends andcountless unnamedbeneficiaries of herinfluence and generosity. Allare welcome to celebrateand rememberMarlyne'slife.
Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, June 27, at Indianapolis Central Library, at 6:30pm in the Sexton Reading Room and East Garden Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, June 28, at St Paul'sEpiscopal Church,at4pm. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: TheIndianapolisPublic LibraryFoundation and/or The500 FestivalPrincess ScholarshipFund.
DavidFitzgeraldShaw, May 3, 1965-June 14, 2025 David wasborntothe union of Arthur Shaw and Juanita Maxine Donald ShawinNew Orleans, Louisiana.HeattendedSt. Philipthe ApostleCatholic School forhis primary years andthenmatricu‐lated to St.Augustine High School,where he gradu‐atedwiththe Classof1983 After completing high school,David went on to attend Xavier University of Louisiana.Duringhis high school andcollege years, David worked forMcDon‐ald’s Corporation. After‐ward, he taught French at St. Philip theApostle School.Heworkedconsis‐tentlywiththe Oblate Sis‐tersofProvidence, Marian‐ite Sisters, JosephiteFa‐thers,and theArchdiocese ofNew Orleansfor several years.David latersecured a position at Lockheed Martinand worked there for many years. Aftera longtenure, he changedin‐dustriesand beganwork‐ing at TenetHealthcareas a Senior Director.During thistime, he earned his MasterofHealthAdminis‐tration/BusinessAdminis‐tration degree from the UniversityofPhoenix, graduatingwithhonors. Beforethe onsetofHurri‐caneKatrina,David accom‐paniedhis mother,stepfa‐ther, andsistertoSt. Louis, MO, to ensure theirsafety After exploringmultiple job opportunities,hede‐cided to relocate to Dallas, TX, which became hispri‐maryresidence.Eventu‐ally, Davidaccepteda spe‐cialassignmentinhis birthplaceofNew Orleans, LA, servingasDirectorof Patient Access at LCMC HealthUniversityMedical CenterNew OrleansClin‐ics.Inhis sparetime, David enjoyed traveling. He espe‐cially looked forwardtohis annual Halloween cruise and tripstoPalmSprings among otherdestinations. Healsosharedhis passion for fashion by workingatK & GFashion Superstore serving theGreater New Orleans andMetairie areas.David wasa dedi‐cated employee andteam leaderuntil histransition. A devout Catholic,David regularly attended Mass at St. Raymond/St.Leo the Great Church.Hetransi‐tionedfromthislifeon June 14, 2025, at hisresi‐dence in NewOrleans,LA. David wasa devotedson, brother,uncle,godfather, brother-in-law, friend, leader, andco-worker David is preceded in death byhis maternal grandpar‐ents, Warren Joseph Don‐ald Sr.and Bishop Hilda Aline CathalinaDonald; his paternalgrandparents, Georgeand Vera Shaw; and hisuncle,Warren JosephDonaldJr. He leaves to cherishhis mem‐
Palmer, Patricia Crotty
Sexton, Marlyne
Congress gettingrid of safeguards to preventfraud
We voters have aright to expect the federal government —indeed, all government agencies —to eliminate waste, fraud andcorruption. But it seems to me thatWashington is moving in the opposite direction. Congress is currently considering abill to eliminate the Public Company Accounting OversightBoard.This board was created by Congress after the accounting fraud that ledto the collapse of Enron and WorldCom. All publicly traded companies are required to be auditedannually However,accounting firms are also consulting firms,and thepurpose of the board was to ensure that accounting firms prioritized honestaudits overlucrative business strategy consulting for their clients. Asingle instance can stand for apattern. Laying off IRS staff and firing agency whistleblowers, along with this current proposal, suggests apattern of actually enabling waste, fraud andcorruption.
MARCIA B. COOKE NewOrleans
ICEprotesters nottreated like thoseonJan.6
“They spit, we hit. Nobodyis going to spit on our police officers and military …Weare not going to let our country be torn apart ” Thesewere the words of PresidentDonaldTrump regardingthe protesters in Los Angeles. Such ahypocrite. He didn’tfeel the same way on Jan. 6, 2021, when protesters were beating the Capitol police on his behalf, spraying them with bear spray, pounding them with fire extinguishers, etc. He even elevated the status of the rioters for those actions by granting themfull pardons. Does he truly believe in law and order? His actions say otherwise.Itseems as if heisOK with beating up policeofficers as long as he stands to gain from such actions. He has donemore to tear our country apart than anyone else.
NELLAUCOIN NAQUIN Baton Rouge
LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR
AREWELCOME.HEREARE
YOUR VIEWS
Rouge.
Don’tignoreeffects of sugarcaneburning
Each year,large swaths of Louisiana are engulfed in toxic smoke from post-harvest sugar cane burning. Communities suffer in silence while stateleadership looks the other way.Gov.Jeff Landry’scontinued refusal to even form aSugarcane Burning Task Force —despite widespread public support,medical concern and formal calls to action —isa dereliction of duty. Acoalition of residents, health experts, environmental advocates and civil society organizations issued apublic news release months ago calling on Landry to createthe task force. To date, the governor has refused to even acknowledge it, offering no statement,nodialogue and no explanation. Meanwhile, the smokecontinues to wreak havoc. Each burn season, families suffer from increased asthma attacks, chronic coughing,hospitalizations and exposure to carcinogens like benzene and formaldehyde. Children are kept inside. Seniors struggle to breathe.The evidence is overwhelming: Sugarcane burning is apublic health emergency But this is also apropertyrights issue. Ru-
ral homeowners areforced to shutter their windows, abandon outdoor spaces and endure ash falling on cars, lawnsand rooftops. Thedanger doesn’tstop at the doorstep. Smoke-induced low visibilitycreates lethal driving conditions. In 2008, my father,John Achee Sr., was killed in acrash caused by cane smoke. In 2022, Addis police officer Erin Lapointdied in asimilar tragedy.These are not flukes —they are preventabledeaths, and they demand aresponse Formingatask force costs nothing. It doesn’tban burning or impose rules. It simply brings stakeholders together to examine facts and explore alternatives. The governor’srefusal to take this modest, good-faith step suggestsdeep indifference to the people he was elected toserve.
We deserve agovernment that protects its people —not one that ignores their cries for help. Landry must stop stonewalling and immediately form the SugarcaneBurning Task Force. Every day of silence puts morelives, lungs and livelihoods at risk.
JOHN ACHEEJR. CitizensAgainst Agricultural Field Burning
Medicaid expansionhas worked forLouisiana,solet’s notturnback
We are approaching the10-year anniversary of Louisiana’sMedicaid expansion. Since the early 2010s, our uninsured ratehas dropped fromover 22 percent to around 10 percent.More than 600,000 people now have coverage for the first time. In 2016, Gov.John Bel Edwards signed the expansion,helping working families who earned too much for traditional Medicaid but could not afford private insurance. Today, 1.6million Louisianans rely on Medicaid. It brings over$14 billion in federal funding and keepsrural hospitals open. That progressisnow at risk.
to parentsofteenagers even though mostrecipients already work or care forloved ones. This is not apolitical fight. It is about protectingwhat works. Medicaid expansion has reduced emergency room visits, stabilized healthproviders and supported working families.
Opinions bringTrump administration’s actions into focus
Twoletters from your opinion page May 24 stand out. One was ahilarious satirical look at President Donald Trump’sfirst 100 days by Josh Mayer,ofNew Orleans, while the other,written by Dudley Garidel, of Baton Rouge, equates Christianity to enforcing immigration laws.
Mayer details the incompetence of the secretary of defense, the “on again, off again tariff strategy” of the president and how he has liquidated muchfrom the financial markets, and chaos at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Garidel cites the Bible to justify enforcing immigration laws in the manner the president is doing such. He writesthat those deported are not being imprisoned at the request of the U.S. He writesthat it is the choice of the leader of El Salvador, but it is our government that is paying him to house these deportees. Our immigration laws must be enforced, but it must be done the right way with respect for due process. Mistakes have been made, and it’s possible some U.S. citizens maybe among those incarcerated. Ifeel for the family of Laken Riley,but would Jesus approve of the waythis is being carried out? Garidel states we are aChristian nation, but we do not have anational religion. We’re a secular nation. The folly of this administration was on display recently when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noemcouldn’texplain what “habeas corpus” is at acongressional hearing. The IRS nominee was cited for selling fraudulent tax credits. Under oath, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he knew nothing of the dinner for the 200 largest Trump meme coin investors, even though it’sbeen all over the news. What we have is a culture of corruption.
CHARLES V. DUNCAN Lafayette
La.taxpayermoney should notgo to rich Saudis fora golf tournament
OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE
Amongother things, theSenate version of the“One Big BeautifulBill” would cut $715 billion fromMedicaid and also reduce funding for provider taxes and supplemental hospital payments.That threatens rural health care. It also expands strict work requirements
At theLouisiana Center for Health Equity, we launched LA40by2030 to raise our health ranking from 50thto40th by 2030. That goal depends on maintaining the coverage we fought for Iurge all Louisianans tocontact Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy and Reps. Steve Scalise, Clay Higgins,Mike Johnson and Julia Letlow today Askthem to votenoonMedicaid cuts and so much more. We can’tafford to lose the progress we’ve made.
FREDERICK BELL boardmember,Louisiana Center forHealth Equity
Army’s displaywas less than impressive
As acombat veteran of Vietnam, Iwas eagerly looking forward to an amazing spectacle of American might in theArmyanniversary parade The Russian,Chinese and NorthKoreans each paradetheir forces to impress the world in near-perfect synchronization. Iwas disappointedtothe point of embarrassment
to see manyofour Army units march out of step like aragtag group going to the store. Were they not cognizant that they werebeing watched by the world? Some of those gruntscouldn’tscare aGirl Scout troop.
Iamvehemently opposed to allocating $7 million of hardworking Louisiana taxpayers’ money to the Saudi Arabian LIVgolf tournament. Saudi Arabia? Really? The country ruled by authoritarian Mohammed bin Salman, whoina2021 report by the CIAwas found to have ordered the brutal assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Is that the kind of country Louisiana taxpayers should give money to? Louisiana lawmakers are so quick to spend our tax dollars on anything that benefits the few at the expense of the many. Iwonder what quid pro quo the governor and state lawmakers think the president will be delighted to offer them forbringing his Saudi friends’ golf tournament to the state. Money given to and brought in from that country has blood on it. It would be better to allocate the $7 million to what would truly help our state; forinstance, the University of New Orleans (the vast majority of graduates stay in Louisiana and add billions, not millions, to our economy), infrastructure projects or water quality projects in rural communities.
KATHY HIGGINS Metairie
STAFF FILEPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
Sugarcane fieldsburninWest Baton
‘Junkscience’convictsaninnocentman COMMENTARY
INTELLIGENTLIFE
Nice! We received 692 entries in this week’s Cartoon Caption Contest. Frompizza to politicstopotholes, this was aparticularly funnygroup of punchlines to read through. Our winner brought it down to Earth with alocal problem that even AI would struggle with.Funnystuff! As always, when we have duplicate entries,and we always do, we pick theearliest sent in. —Walt
Charlotte Humphries,Hammond: “I guess theygaveuponthe real thing.”
Michele Starnes, Kenner: “Does this mean they’ll finally figure out howtofolda fitted sheet?”
John Weger, Baton Rouge: “Their politicians aren’t using thisyet!
Howard W. Streiffer,Metairie: “Maybe now they will finally figure out howto fixtheir potholes!”
RichardRobbins, New Orleans: “So, building the airportaccess ramp after the newairportopened was the result of normal intelligence?”
StuartClark, Lafayette: “I’ll believe it when the stop buying $8 lattes while complaining about high gasprices.”
Jim Williamson, Mandeville: “Weshould have neverallowedElon to go there!!”
RogerLehman, Lafayette: “They mightas well, their natural intelligence isn’t doing so well for them!”
Charles Riddle III, Marksville: “After watching this Louisiana Legislature, they sure could use some AI!”
On April 25, Judge Alvin Sharp of the 4th Judicial District in Ouachita Parish set aside the murder conviction of Jimmie “Chris” Duncan, who has spent 27 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. Duncan was convicted of the 1993 drowning death of 2-year-old Haley Oliveaux, the daughter of his then-girlfriend.
The court confirmed what we have knownall along. Duncanis innocent —the victim of seriously bad lawyering, prosecutorial misconduct and, most apparently, invalidated “junk” science.
John Fos, St.George: “This allstarted when youdivorced Siri and she movedtoEarth.
GinaVillavaso,New Orleans: “I wonderif their AI can helpthem figure out whythey keep putting pineapple on their pizza.”
ErinO’Sullivan Fleming,RiverRidge: “Look, they finally learned our language.We can plan our next vacation there.”
Faye Coorpender,Baton Rouge: “Well, that ought to be an improvement!”
Michael J. Fontenot, Hammond: “Don’t worry—they’re planning to ban artificial ingredients.”
GrantLandry, New Orleans: “Thepyramids, Stonehenge,now this… when we will get credit!”
SamJohnson, Zachary: “I think we are safe… theyare asking about Jell-O Shots!!”
ZoeZimmermann (eighth grade), Richmond,Texas: “But canit find my keys and phone?”
Duke Rivet,Baton Rouge: “Reminds me of the song –‘Ain’tnothing likethe real thing.’”
John Hanley,Baton Rouge: “Sounds great. But have youseen their tax forms?”
Bob Baggs,Mandeville: “CouldbeanAI generated story…”
LouieLudwig,New Orleans: “Obviously.”
Rosalie Abadie,Terrytown: “Doesthat mean, they’ll be ableto find the LSU games on their TVs?”
DavidDelgado, New Orleans: “What can youexpect of creatures with only twoarms and twoeyes?!
MikeDauterive, Covington: “Smile so we canpost thistoSpacebook!”
TerryJ.Meyer Jr., Kenner: “All of us definitelyneed to keep aCOUPLE of eyes on them.
Sherry M. Reed, Metairie: “Nosurprise, all their intelligence is artificial.
Frank Vicidomina, Metairie: “Astheyused to sayonMercury,‘this is goingtobeahot mess!
Betty Bordelon, Kenner: “Well, theyalready have artificialsweeteners,hip replacement and Astroturf,sowhy not…?”
Peacemaking effortsinvite more chaos
of Medical Examiners’ refusal to certify any pathologist performing more than 350 annual autopsies.
John Grisham GUEST COLUMNIST
That Duncan is still on death rowas I write (because the state’sappeals aren’t yet exhausted) is afurther travesty of justice and even more so given that the state of Louisiana seems intent on keeping him there —despite theweightof evidence supporting his innocence. Duncan was convicted almost solely on the wholly fabricated theories of two notorious forensic experts —pathologist Steven Hayne and odontologist Michael West, who peddled atheory known as bite mark analysis.The discredited theory held that it was possible to identify the perpetrator of acrime by matchingtheir teeth and bite to body wounds. It became popularafter thetrial of TedBundy when jurors heard that amark found on oneof his victims matched his crooked teeth
During the era in which Duncanwas convicted, West crisscrossed thecountry offering expert and well-compensated testimony for prosecutors keen to solve what were often violent crimes. But even as the celebrity of West was on the rise, the cracks in the theory were beginning to appear as the trail of wrongful convictions attributable to him and Steven Hayne became manifest.
Since 2000, at least seven people have been exonerated after courts found serious flaws associated withWest’s bite mark evidence. The same is true for the reputation of his business partner Hayne, who was performing over 1,200 autopsies ayear despite the National Association
Hayne’sconveyor belt approach to forensic analysis resulted in shocking miscarriages of justice, including at least three wrongful capital convictions that he and West worked on together
Duncan’scase is perhaps the most glaring example of how these “expert” opinions can condemninnocentmen.West is on video forcibly pushing amold of Duncan’steeth into Haley’sbody —actually creating the “bite marks” later “matched” to Duncan’steeth and wielded bythe state against him. What’s more, the state hid theastonishing video from thejury and its testifying expert who, without ever seeing how themarks were actually made, unsurprisingly found“bite marks that matched Duncan’s dentition.”
Added to that, Hayne, who could not pass the credentialing testfor forensic pathologists, told thejury without equivocation that the evidence proved thatDuncan hadanally raped and forcibly drowned the child in the bathtub. Yet, no blood or semen was found at the scene or in the “rape kit” and Hayne failed to preserve anyofthe evidence that would allow independent analysis of his autopsy report. This shoddy and fraudulent work turned atragic accident into asensational rape and murder —and not,asI’ve said, for the first time.
Ihave been aware of Hayne and West formanyyears, and have watched as Innocence Project attorneys fought tirelessly to free the innocent people they condemned to prison and deathrow.Most recent is the case of Eddie Lee Howard, whowas on death rowinMississippi’s infamous Parchman Prison. Howard had beenconvicted of the murder of 84-yearold Georgia Kemp, who had been stabbed to death andher house set on fire. Howard, who had no connection to Kemp,was convicted based solely on supposed bite mark evidence produced
by West.But it was only after autopsy and burial of Kemp’sremains that Hayne claimed there might have been bite marks on the body.Kemp’sbody was exhumed and West was called in to examine theremains with anew ultraviolet light technique he was touting. Despite no documentation of the injuries, West claimed that he “discovered” three bitemarks and matched them all to Howard’steeth. Howard —just like Duncan —always maintained his innocence and, just as in Duncan’scase, the conviction rested entirely on the say-so of Hayne andWest. Finally,in2021, after many appeals and legal motions, Howard was fully exonerated thanks in part to thetesting of DNA evidence from the crime scene
The harm and thedamage caused by this chicanery posing as scienceisimmeasurable —years lost by innocent people behind bars, lives, families and communities torn apart and crimes essentially unsolved.
Indeed, there have now been 39 wrongful convictions and indictments attributable to the use of “bite mark” evidence, and four separate scientific reports condemning theuse of such evidence, most recently by theNational Institute of Standards and Technology
Clearly,wehave to do better
Butthe truthisthat every single case touched by Hayne and West and every single conviction connected to them lacks integrity.The notion that Duncan could be put to deathonthe basisofjunk science peddled by these “experts” fora crime that never occurred is anathema to any sense of fundamental fairness. It really is time to clean up our criminal legal system and tohold every part of it to the highest possible standards of justice and fairness. As astart, Iurge the stateofLouisiana to do theright thing and free an innocent man from death row.Send Jimmie “Chris” Duncan home today
John Grisham is abest-sellingauthor and amember of the board of the Innocence Project
While the nation braced to see what would happen next in Los Angeles, recently asurprising message appeared on President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account. Aday after videos emerged of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents chasing after terrified farmworkers trying to hide in California fields, the president suggested in the Truth Social post that he might not fully pursue his corepolicy proposal of mass deportation after all. Or so it seemed.
Acloser reading revealed his sympathy was directed not so muchtoward the workers as toward the agricultural industry and his fellow members of the managerialand ownership class —the bosses who needed the labor that undocumented workers disproportionately provide.
“Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” he posted.
To underscore how muchofachange of tone this represents, recall the language he used in 2015 at Trump TowerinNew York to announce his first campaign to spin up fear, loathing and resentment as if he was ready to invade Mexico.
“When do we beat Mexico at the border? They’re laughing at us, at our stupidity,” he said. “And now they are beating us economically.They are not our friend, believe me. But they’re killing us economically.”
If you’re inclined to shrug this off with something like, “Oh, that’sjust Trump being Trump,” perhaps repeated exposure to his rhetorical excesses has caused you, like many of the rest of us, to normalize his xenophobia and racism.
So now the president is concerned that ICE immigration raids are hurting American farming.
Right, as Seth Meyers, host of NBC’s“Late Night” quipped. “I hope he finds who is responsible for that policy.” Indeed. It’snot like Trump is unaware that farmers form akey MAGA voting bloc.It’s not like he’snever heard of the hospitality industry.Heisintimately aware of its enormous immigrant labor force that goesback decades.
Instead of acknowledging any negative outcomes to his own decisions, Trump did whatpoliticians often do in apinch: He made promises that, if necessary,can easily be forgotten or denied.
In anews conference later that day,Trump had this to say: “Our farmers are being hurt badly by,you know,they have very good workers, they have worked forthem for 20 years. They’re not citizens, but they’ve turned out to be, you know,great. And we’re going to have to do something about that. We can’ttake farmers and take all their people and send them back because they don’thave maybe what they’re supposed to have,maybe not.”
I’m sure Trump thought this would sound to some like agenuine peacemaking gesture
But by now we all ought to recognize the transactional subtext of such statements. I might have my agents fan out through the country,breaking up families and destroying lives and businesses, or maybe not! It depends on how muchtheir employers mean to me
But before his faint praise for hard-working migrants had achance to soften the appalling face of his deportation policy,Trump was upstagedatanother event.
Federal agents manhandled Sen. AlexPadilla, aCalifornia Democrat, out of the room in Los Angeles where Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was speaking to reporters and as military troops were patrolling downtown L.A. streets in response to unrest fomented by Noem’sdepartment’spolicies. Padilla interrupted the event to ask her a policy question regarding the sweeps of allegedly undocumented workers, but before he could ask it, he was shoved down onto his knees and handcuffed.
As an old political expression goes, it was not agood look —and Noem did notsound very congenial.
“Weare not going away,” she said, referring to the National Guard and DHS presence in Los Angeles amid protests against Trump’ssweeping and drastic deportation missioninthe city
“Weare staying here to liberate the city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country and whatthey have tried to insert into the city.”
Wasthis aHomeland Security speechora political speech? And what“burdensome leadership” did she have in mind?
Los Angeles and the rest of us don’tneed more burdens. We need to give peacea chance. But peace is not what Trump and Noemhave in mind forthe blue states and blue cities of America. Ithink Padilla could confirm that.
Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@ gmail.com.
WINNER: Ken Adatto, NewOrleans
Clarence Page
NewOrleans Forecast
oryhis partnerof22years
DerricDouglas of Dallas, TX; hismotherand stepfa‐ther, Bishop JuanitaDonald Brandon andFrankie Lee Brandon;his father,Arthur Shaw; hissiblings: Arthur Michael Anthony (Danielle), AnnErinEliza‐beth(Dwayne Ward), and Versile JamesJohn(René) Shaw; andhis stepbrother, TramaineWilliams. He is alsosurvivedbyformer sister-in-law Lisa Johnson Shaw; nieces and nephews:Michael Isaac JordanMichaiah, Verselé Juanita,James John, and Paris René Shaw;aunts and uncles:Olive (Willie Jr.)McCloud,Yvonne Lewis (Fred Martino),Arnold (Hazel) Donald,Patricia Donald, Eugene Jones, Veretta,Veronica, Hilda‐gard, Vera Odessa,Viola, and George Shaw III;and a hostofrelatives,godchil‐dren, friends, co-workers and membersofthe Sa‐credHeart of JesusFamily and St.Michael Temple of the ExpandedMind, Arch‐bishopMichael A. West (St. Louis,MO).Funeral arrangementshavebeen entrusted to Richardson Funeral Home of Jefferson Inc.,River Ridge, LA.A Christian Mass will be held atSt. Martin de Porres Catholic Church,located at 5621 ElysianFields, New Orleans,LA70122 on Wednesday,June 25, 2025 at11:00 am.Viewing will begin at 9:30 am.Interment willfollowatSt. Michael’s Cemetery, locatedat6484 LA-44 in Convent, LA.A repastwillfollowthe Christian burial at St.Au‐gustine High School,lo‐cated at 2600 A.P. Tureaud Ave NewOrleans,LA 70119. www.richardsonf uneralhomeofjefferson com
DEATHS continued from was 88 years old. Thisis our family's favorite picture of Dixie, andher daughters and granddaughters imitate this pose frequently! Dixiewas known to allasloving, forgiving, patient andkind. Shesaw the best in everyone. She made themost delicious salad you ever had and was askedto bring it to everyfamily party.She lovedtoeat dessertatany time of the day and therewas always abox from McKenzie's Bakeryonher kitchen counter with fresh treats foreveryone
Dixie was born in Oakland, California, and she graduated from Dixon High School where she was the co-editor of both the school newspaperand the yearbook, and amember of the band. Shewas also Worthy Advisorofthe Order of the Rainbow for Girls during highschool Dixie marriedHerbert L. Williams,Jr. of New Orleans in 1959. After completing his service in the U.S. Air Force they returned to NewOrleans wheretheir threedaughterswereborn: Mary Alice DeCoursey,Betsy Sterkx and Lilly Williams.In1967 Dixie returned to work as a travelconsultant. During her yearsinthe travel industry she mentoredand trainedmany peopleand traveled allover the world In 2005 Dixiewas askedby herparish St.Stephenon Napoleon Avenue (now Good ShepherdParish)if she wouldconsider the position of office manager. Shegladly accepted, and this work becameher vocation. Dixie shared her love and kindness with all who came to the church. Shetreasuredthe pastors, deacons, volunteers, parishioners and visiting priests. Dixie retired from Good ShepherdParishin 2017.Throughout her life Dixie was involved in helping others. She was aGirl Scoutleader,a Catholic Youth Organization leader, and adevoted volunteerat the NewOrleans Museum of Art fordecades, being honoredasvolunteer of the year in 1997. Dixiewas awardedthe Order of St. LouisMedallion by Good Shepherd Parish in2009, and she enjoyed volunteer work at St. Clare's Monasteryand St.Joseph Rebuild Center after her retirement. Dixie's last act of kindness was to donate her body for medical researchtohelp others
Dixie is survivedbyher daughters; sons-inlaw Greg DeCoursey and Charles Sterkx; her grandchildrenMary Elise DeCoursey Nolan (Jerrod), CamilleDeCoursey, Jude Sterkx and JimSterkx; her great-grandchildrenKaty, Penny and Emma Nolan; her sister-in-lawMary Jane Phelan, and many nieces and nephews whomshe loveddeeply: Karen CharbonnetCarter, Michael Charbonnet (Beth), Marc Charbonnet, CraigCharbonnet(Sheila), Anne Charbonnet Osoinach (Anton), John Paul Charbonnet(Suellyn), Mickey Phelan(Lysle), AireyPhelanPizzini (John), and Danny Phelan(Ellen). Dixiecommented frequentlyhow blessed she was to havetheminher life.Dixieispreceded in death by her ex-husband Herb,sister-in-lawJean AnnCharbonnetand her brother-in-law Edward SoulierWilliams.
We are grateful to the loving staff at Covenant Nursing Home for their care of Dixieduring the last 16 months of herlife andtrulyappreciate the residents and staff at The ApartmentsatMater Dolorosa,her previousresidence Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend a memorial mass at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at theBasilica of St Stephen in GoodShepherd Parish, 1025 Napoleon Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70115. Visitation willbe held from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers please considera donation to Lantern Light Ministries 1803 Gravier Street,New Orleans, Louisiana 70112.
Williams, Dixie Logan
Dixie Logan Williams passed awaypeacefully on November 25, 2024. She
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES SPORTS
UNDISPUTED
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
60s, New York Yankees in the 90s and UConn women’s basketball in the 2010s certainly fit the description. LSU winning five national championships in 10 years under Skip Bertman definitely qualifies.
Coach Jay Johnson’s Tigers aren’t quite there yet but what LSU accomplished Sunday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field was remarkable nevertheless and potentially the beginning of another baseball dynasty in Baton Rouge. For the eighth time in program history, and for
the second time in three seasons, LSU won the national championship. The Tigers took down Coastal Carolina 5-3 in Game 2 of the College World Series final to secure the 2025 title.
“Unbelievable. I’m so proud right now,” Johnson said. “It’s not to be taken for granted being here two years ago. That was special Greatest night of my life.
“This is equal and maybe even tops it in some ways.”
The win secured Johnson’s second title in four years at LSU, making him the first coach in college baseball history to accomplish that feat at the same school
The Tigers did it despite bringing back just 12 players who appeared in a game from last year’s team, adding 12 players from the transfer portal
three junior-college recruits and 10 freshmen in the offseason. “We (added) really talented freshmen ” Johnson said. “In a month’s time, we were able to add Chris (Stanfield). We were able to add Anthony (Eyanson), Zac Cowan, Luis Hernandez, Danny Dickinson to those 12 guys who were the right 12 guys.”
With the score tied 1-1, the fourth inning proved to be the difference between a coronation and a Game 3 on Monday The Tigers scored four runs on a walk, a hit by pitch and four singles to take a 5-1 lead.
Sophomore Jake Brown led off with a walk before a single from junior Jared Jones and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the junior Stanfield.
For the 10th time in franchise history,the New Orleans Pelicans will have atop-10 pick in the NBA draft. Barring atrade, the Pelicans have the seventh pick in the draft that begins Wednesday with the first round and concludes Thursday with the second round.
an NBA All-Defensive team three times. Davis played seven seasons in New Orleans and led theteam to one of its two playoff series victories and itsonly sweep. The versatile big man’s rocky departure is still criticized by fans, andheremains avillain whenever he returns to the Smoothie KingCenter.His inability to stay healthy didn’thelp his case in this ranking.
3. Zion Williamson(2019, 1st pick)
Seattle’sCal Raleigh hit his30th homer of the season against the ChicagoCubs on Sunday in Chicago. The Mariners’ game against the Minnesota Twinson Mondaywill be televised by FS1.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO
Hall of Fame horse racing trainerLukas hospitalized LOUIISVILLE,Ky. Hall of Fame horseracing trainer D. Wayne Lukas has been hospitalized and won’treturn to training. Churchill Downs made the announcement aboutthe 89-year-old after speaking with members of his family Lukas’ family saidhehas battleda severe infectionthathas worsened and he has declined an aggressive treatment plan and instead will return home. Lukas’ horseshavebeen transferredto assistant trainerSebastian “Bas” Nicholl.
Lukasisone of the most accomplished people in the history of horse racing. His 15 Triple Crown victories aresecondonly to good friend Bob Baffert, and Lukas has wonthe Kentucky Derby four times since 1988.
Bradley rallies to keep Fleetwood winless on PGA
Rod Walker
The draft rights to two of the Pelicans’ previous nine top-10 picks (Nerlens Noel in 2012 and Zaire Williams in 2021) were traded away on draft night.
That leaves seven players selected in the top 10 who actually suited up forthe franchise. Here is aranking of those seven players.
1. Chris Paul (2005, 4th pick)
Paul, the only player in franchise history to win NBA Rookie of the Year,will go down as one of the greatest point guards ever He earned the nickname the “Point God” for areason.Twenty yearslater,he’sstill considered by most to be the greatest player in franchise history.Paul played six stellar seasons for the franchise, including the 2007-08 season when he finished second behind Kobe Bryant in theMVP race.Noplayer in team history has come closer to winningthe league’s most coveted individual award. Paul also made an AllNBA team three times and an NBA All-Defensive team three times.His availability gave him thenod over the second guyon this list.
2.AnthonyDavis (2012, 1st pick)
Youcould make an argument for AD in the top spot. He is the only player in team history to make first-team All-NBA three times. Like Paul, Davis also made
ThePelicansnever have drafted aplayer with as much hype as thethen-18-year-old phenom fromDuke. Hisdebut, which was delayed three months, hadthe SmoothieKing Center rocking when he knocked down four 3-pointers in a188-second stretch. Williamson has been namedtothe All-Star team twice since he looked into thecamera on draft night and said: “Let’s dance.” He’sprovided some memorablehighlights,but his career has been plagued by injuries in hissix seasons. He’s played in just 214 games, theequivalent of just more than 21/2 seasons. It’s beenafrustrating ride, but the talentisthere, which is why new Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars is committed to him for anotherseason.IfWilliamson ever stayshealthy, thereispotential to leapfrog the first two guys on the list
4. Dyson Daniels (2022, 8th pick) Daniels played just two seasons in New Orleans, but a breakout 2024-25 season with the AtlantaHawks shows the Pelicans probably hit on this pick. Toobad they didn’tget to stick it out and see the full potential of the guard from Australia. Daniels was voted the NBAMost Improved Player and was afinalistfor NBA Defensive Player of theYear this season. His scoring average ballooned to 14.1 points per game after he averaged just 5.8 ppg the season before in New Orleans
5. Buddy Hield (2016, 6th pick)
Chants of “Bud-dy,Bud-dy” rang outinone New Orleans sports bar when thePelicans chose thesharp-shooting guard outofOklahoma.Hield won the
DEMOCKER
The NewOrleans Hornets
John Wooden Award as the best player in college basketball after averaging 25 points in his final season withthe Sooners.His time in New Orleansdidn’tlast long. Hield played just 57 games before being shipped to theSacramento Kings in atrade that brought DeMarcus Cousins tothe Pelicans. Hield madethe NBA All-Rookie team, but he is now with his fifth team (the Golden StateWarriors)
6.AustinRivers (2012, 10th pick)
Nine picks after selecting Davis, thethen-Hornetsselected the son of Doc Riversout of Duke. Rivers played 21/2 seasons in New Orleans, averaging 6.9 ppg. Rivers became an NBA journeyman, playing withsix moreteams
after he was traded from the Pelicans.
7. Jaxson Hayes(2019, 8th pick)
The Atlanta Hawks picked Hayes with the eighth pick, but his rights(along with the rights forNickeil Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada) were traded to thePelicans. Hayes played four seasons for the Pelicans, with his best year coming in his third season when he averaged 9.3 ppg and 4.5 rebounds. That’sstill a career-best scoring average for Hayes, who just finished his second season with the Lakers. The Pelicans will add another nametothislist Wednesday night.Where will that player’s nameend up on this list? Time will tell.
Weiner knew earlyonhewantedtocoach
BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer
This is an entry in aprofile series of inductees forthe Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Classof2025. Theinduction ceremony is set for Saturday in Natchitoches Years melted away in an instant as Dale Weinertold the story that shaped his life.
“I watched Jimmy Taylor score a winning touchdown,” Weiner said. “It was just the way he angled his body to get between two defenders. Ihad never seen anything like that. He scoredand Baton Rouge High won. Iwas so excited.That was it —Iknew footballwas something Ihad be part of.” Weiner was a5-year-old standing in the back of the Baton Rouge High end zone that night. Not every young boy grows up loving football becomes a300-win high school football coach. Weiner did and it not only shapedhis life, it changed the trajectory of the athletic program at Catholic Highof Baton Rouge. Weiner,who amassed arecord of 317-109 as ahigh school coach, is part of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025. WhileatCatholicheposted a282-81 recordand wonaDivision Iselect title in2015.
Dale Weiner is the most consequential coaching hire in the history of Catholic High,” said Pete Boudreaux, the school’sformer athletic director.“Some people mightquestion that,but Idon’t When you look at ahighschool in Louisiana, one of the first things people ask about is the football team. Before Dale came, we might have agood season here or there.
OnceDalegot here, the program took off. He was the right man for the job. It changed not just football but the entire school.” Hyperbole or truth? Boudreaux, who collected 52 state titles in track/crosscountry,might point to the latter.Longtime Catholic assistant DonHood had alittle different take
“Wewere bad. …Everybody wanted to scheduleusfor their homecoming game,” Hood said. “Wewere calleda lotofthings that weren’tvery nice that Iwon’t repeat.When Dalegot there, Iknew things would change because I knewDale. He was always that guy
…bright, could motivate people and knew football.”
Long beforeCatholic,there was BatonRouge High. His dream was to play for theBulldogs and he did thatasa lineman. When he met the late Murrell “Boots” Garland, Weiner saw acareer path.
“Coach Garlandhad away of drawing people to him,”Weiner said. “Hehad asense of humorand away of getting apoint across. He could be toughwhenheneeded to be. Iloved playing for him. Iknew Iwanted to be acoach after watching him.” Weiner wanted to be thefootball coach at BatonRouge High, but a
few years after Weiner graduated, BatonRouge High became amagnet school with no football team.
His movetoCatholic High, just acouple of miles away —across Government Street —was more than adecade away after he graduated from LSU. His first jobcameasanassistant at Catholic-Pointe Coupee in 1975.
For another coaching icon,Jim Hightower,itwas his first head coaching job. Hightower,who turnedSt. Thomas More into a power,issecond on Louisiana’salltimewins list with 482 wins. Therewas onenotable misstep in his Hornets1975debut. CatholicPC won itsjamboree game on the final play
“Ourplayer wasrunning down the fieldtoscorethe winning touchdown, and Istarted jumping up and down in the press box,” Weiner said. “I was so excited.”
Everyone wanted to relive and reviewthat play once the film was developed. It wasnot meanttobe. Weiner was next to the camera when he started jumping. It distortedthe images.
“Welaugh about it now,” said Weiner’swife, Lindy. “Inthat moment,Jim was so madatDale.”
Soon, Weinergot his first head coaching job. He wasahead coach at St. John-Plaquemine, CatholicPC and Trafton Academy,now The Dunham School.The first time he applied at Catholic, Weiner was turneddown.
“I was meant to be at Catholic High. …I believed that fromthe timeIfirst applied,” Weiner said. Acouple of years later,the job openedagain andWeiner was hired.
CROMWELL, Conn. RyderCup captain Keegan Bradley rallied from three shots behind with four holes to play and birdied the 18th hole before adelirious home crowd Sunday fora2-under68towin the TravelersChampionship.
One shotbehind Tommy Fleetwoodgoing to the 18th hole, Bradley stuffed his approach to just under6 feet belowthe hole.
Fleetwood, looking like this mightbethe time he wins aPGA Tour title forthe first time,came up 50 feet shortand took three putts forbogey and a72. It wascrushing forFleetwood, the 34-year-old fromEngland who hasbuilt areputable record around the world but is 0for 84 in regular PGATour events.
Lee winsthird LPGA major despite closing witha74 Minjee Lee closed with a2-over 74 but never gave up the lead Sundayinthe final roundofthe KPMG Women’sPGA Championship to winher third major title. While Lee hadthree bogeys in afour-hole stretchonthe front nine,she had started the day witha four-strokelead over Jeeno Thitikul. And the world’sNo. 2-ranked player,also in that final group, bogeyed both par 5s that areamong the first threeholes on Fields RanchEast.
Lee, ranked24th,finishedat4-under 284, three strokes ahead of AustonKim andChanetteeWannasaen, the only other players under par Kim andWannasaen both shot68 after only two 68s combined in the first three rounds.Kim wasbogeyfree, but had only pars after three consecutive birdies to wrap up her front nine.
Scherzer expected to be activatedfrom injuredlist TORONTO— Three-timeCyYoung AwardwinnerMax Scherzer is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list to start for Toronto at Cleveland on Wednesday, manager JohnSchneider said after the Blue Jays’ 4-2 loss to the White Sox on Sunday SchneidersaidScherzerwill likely be capable of throwing as many as 90 pitches. Scherzer was declared ready to return after throwing between 30 and40pitches in a bullpen session Sunday morning. At Columbus last Wednesday, Scherzer gave up tworuns, struck out four and walked none over 41 3 innings in the second of two rehab starts forTriple-ABuffalo. The previous Friday,Scherzer struck out eight in 41⁄3 scoreless innings forthe Bisons against Worcester
Briscoe holds off Hamlin to claim winatPocono
ST.LOUIS Chase Briscoe returned to victory lane Sundayat Pocono Raceway,conserving fuel down the stretch to hold off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin for his first winwith his new race team
Briscoe raced his way into an automaticspotinNASCAR’splayoffs and gave the No.19Toyota its first victory since 2023 when Martin Truex Jr.had the ride.
Briscoe lost his job at the end of last season at Stewart-Haas Racing whenthe team folded andhe was tabbed to replace Truex. Hamlin appeared on thebrink of reeling in Briscoe over the final, thrilling laps only to have not enough in the No. 11 Toytota to snag that eighth Pocono win. Briscoe now has four top-10finish over the past six races.
ADVOCATE FILE PHOTO By BUDDyDELAHOUSSAyE Catholic High of Baton Rougecoach Dale Weiner holds the game ball after picking up his 300th career victoryafter the Bears beat Teurlings 28-14 on Oct.2,2015.
FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL
(nowPelicans) hit on Chris Paul when they took him withthe fourth pick in the 2005 NBADraft. He playedsix seasons for the franchise, including the 2007-08season when he finished as the runner-up to KobeBryant of the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBAMVP
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
Once Michael Braswell’s eighth-inning line drive cleared theleft side of the infield, thereliefwashed over him
Youcould see it on his face, which he angled up from first base, behind grateful hands, toward the bright blue sky above Charles Schwab field.
Braswellfinally hadhis hit— theone he hadspent thelastthree weekschasing. In theNCAA Tournament everyone saw the senior’s struggles at the plate. His frustrations. Braswell hit a modest .236 against Southeastern Conferenceopponents this season. That mark wasn’tterrible, butit also wasn’tgreat. What he wound up battling in the postseason was much heavier —anonerous string of 38 consecutive atbats that yielded only one hit. When he stepped into the box, there was nowhere to hide.
Still, Braswellmanaged to put his fingerprints all over LSU’seighth national championship, clinched Sunday with a5-3 win overCoastal Carolina.
“Wedon’twin the game (Saturday) night without his defense,” LSU coachJay Johnson said. “I mean, we lose the game without his defense (Saturday) night.” Johnson could have taken Braswell out of the lineup at any time during the College World Series, but the Tigers needed his glove. Hit-
ters facing Kade Anderson, forexample,tend to pull grounders to theleft side of the infield. Thatthinking helpedthe Tigers all season, including on Saturday when the third baseman notched ateam-high four assistson groundouts in arazor-thin 1-0 victory over the Chanticleers.
In the seventh on Saturday,Braswellsnuffed out a well-placed bunt. Theninthe ninth, he ranged towardthe middle ofthe infield, scooped up agrounderand deftly threw alaser tofirst for the game’s penultimate out On Sunday,Braswell assistedtwo more put-outs, and he even sprinkledin some offense. In the third inning,heused asacrificebunt to move Daniel Dickinson from first to second. Twobatters later, Ethan Freystepped to the plateand smashed adouble over thehead of theCoastal Carolina left fielder,scoring Dickinson from second for LSU’s first run of thegame. Aplay likethatone, especially in atwo-run game, can make quite adifference. For Braswell,itwas one of sev-
eral low-keyimportant contributions he made to LSU’s championship-series sweep of Coastal Carolina —even while he shouldered acumbersome hitting slump.
On Saturday, Johnson noted thatplayers can affect gamesevenwhile they’re slumping at theplate. Braswell found ways to do exactly that under Omaha’s blue skies, then rewarded himself with thehit thathad eluded him for nine consecutive NCAA Tournament games LSU had played since the regional opener against Little Rock “I’m really happy for him,” Johnsonsaid,“because when he came here, he didn’ttalk about pro baseball. He talked about gettingtoOmaha. Ikind of fist bumped him thefirst game we were here.He said, ‘We’rehere, let’s win it now.’Hecontributeda lot to that.”
Email Reed Darcey at reed.darcey@theadvocate. com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up forour newsletter at theadvocate. com/lsunewsletter
BY SCOTTRABALAIS
Staff writer
OMAHA,Neb LSU ended the College World Series best two-of-three championship series early with apairof 1-0 and 5-3 wins over Coastal Carolina. For Coastal Carolina head coach KevinSchnall and first-base coach Matt Schilling, the series ended much sooner than that.
The two were ejected in the first inning Sunday,throwing the season’sultimate college baseball game into chaos almost from the first at-bat.
The Chanticleers were batting in the bottom of the first inning with two outs when Schnall left Coastal’sdugout on the third-base side and walked toward home plate umpire Angel Campos, holding up three fingers. Campos raised his hand at least three times to warn Schnall, but he kept coming and Campos gave him the out signal Schnall stayed on the field to argue as did Schilling, whomomentslater also was ejected after saying something to the umpires.
“There’s25,000 people there, and Ivaguely heard a warning issued,”Schnallsaid in the postgame news conference. “Now,asahead coach, Ithink it’syour right to get an explanation of whywe got warned.
“At that point Ican now hear him say,‘It was awarning issued for arguingballs and strikes.’ Isaid, ‘Because you missed three.’ At that point, ejected.”
In the top of the fifth inning, the NCAA released astatement about the ejections. It said both coaches were sent off for continuing to argue balls and strikes after havingbeen warned. Schnallwill serve atwo-game suspension and Schilling three, according to the NCAA,which now will havetobeserved at the start of the 2026 season.
Hereisthe NCAA statement in full:
“In the bottom of the first inning, CoastalCarolinahead coach KevinSchnalland first base coach Matt Schilling were ejected from the game for continuedarguing aboutballsand strikesafter being warnedinitially by the umpire crew.NCAAPlaying Rule 3-6-f-Note 1states that balls, strikes, half swings or decisions about hit-by-pitch situations are not to be argued. After awarning, any player orcoach whocontinuestoargue balls, strikes, half swings or ahit-by-pitch situation shall be ejected fromthe game
“In addition to today’s ejections, Coach Schnallis suspended for thenexttwo games per NCAA Playing Rule 5-15-a-4, which states that an additional two-game suspension is added to any other penalties. By rule, no team personnel may continue to argue or tocontinue to excessively express themselves with prolongedactions or offensivelanguage after an ejection.
“NCAA PlayingRule 2-26-f states that an assistant coach, if ejected,isautomatically suspended for onegame. Per NCAA Playing Rule 5-15-a-4
an additional two-game suspension is added to any other penalties. By rule, Coach Schilling is suspended for threegames.”
Coastal Carolina assistant coach Chad Oxendine took over for the rest of Sunday’s game.
Amember of the umpiring crew tumbled to the ground during theargument.Schnall insisted thathedid not bump the umpire but that he was told it contributedtohis ejection.
“There was no bump,” Schnall said. “He was embarrassed. Ishouldn’t be held accountable for agrown man’s athleticism.”
LSU coach Jay Johnson, whosaidheand Schnall have been friends fora long time, saidhetried to remain “locked in” on the game for the sake of his players.
“I was ejected forarguing balls andstrikes this year,” Johnson said. “They don’t like thatwhen you argue balls and strikes.
“I’m not sure really what happened. Isaw the firstbase coach arguing. Then he (Schnall) came out and I don’tknowwhatwas said. It’satough situation. ButI literally moved past it immediately.”
HILARy SCHEINUK
WHEN COLLEGEGRADS MOVE BACK, GUIDELINES HELP EVERyONE GETALONG
HOME AGAIN
BY LEANNE ITALIE | AP lifestyles writer
ANEW YORK
shakyeconomy.Overwhelming student debt.Few jobprospects. Some recentcollege graduates have aburdensomemountain of reasons to moveback home. Forothers, thechoice may be easy as they seek to savemoney,ordesire the physical and emotional comforts of family
But thefamiliar may feel different with the changing dynamics that come with growing up.One thing is certain: If you’re anew grad or the parentsofone, you’re not alone in navigating newterrain.
Maturity and respect among all parties is agood place to startbeforethose packing boxesarrive. So ishaving aclear pathforward. Consider these tips for making itall work.
ä See GRADUATES, page 2D
Howto protectand monitorloved ones during summer
What are some tips in managing someone with Alzheimer’sduring the upcoming summermonths?
BY MARK KENNEDY
The season of summer can bring many challenges for the individual with Alzheimer’sdisease, especially if the individual has ancillary medical conditions. Protective measures and strategies should be in place to manage the summer’shot and humid conditions. Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and in general, older adults over the age of 65, are moreprone to heat stress because they do not adjust easily to sudden changes in temperature, and because of their chronic medical conditions, their bodies experience different responses to heat. If the individual’senvironmentisnot adequately cooled, he/she could sufferfrom heat stress, knownashyperthermia. Hyperthermia occurs when the body’sheat-regulating system is insufficient in keeping the individual cool. Forms of hyperthermia include fainting, heat cramps, heatstroke and heat exhaustion. Diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers, and someheart and blood pressure medications can all contribute or put individuals at risk for heat-related stress conditions. With the summer months here, it is agood idea to ensure the air conditioning in the house is functioning properly by having the system checked. If air conditioning is not available, make sure there is adequate air flow by using fans throughout the household. Affected individuals can benefit from participating in asenior center or arespite day program that can provide acool, safe environment, along with amuch needed social setting. Many individuals enjoy sitting outside, but the weather should be monitored to ensure safety for the individual. Even in the shade, the heat can be overcoming. Dehydration is amain concern so fluid intake should be monitored. Take steps in providing liquid throughout the day —six to eight glasses of water or other fluids aday Hydration should be offered at least every two hours, and keep in mind that beverages with sugar and/or caffeine may help to hydrate some, but they are not as effective as low-sugar or low/non-caffeine beverages. Oftentimes, the individual with Alzheimer’s or dementia refuses to drink water.Think of other ways of increasing your loved one’s fluid intake —breakfast cereals with milk, soup, ice pops, watermelon and supplements. Other measures in keeping affected individuals safethis summer include providing cool showers, baths or sponge baths, making doctor’sappointments in the cooler morning hours, and dressing the individual in comfortable, lightweight clothing.
Someform of exercise in the summer months should be scheduled, but try to find
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By SETH WENIG
Liquid biopsies offer more nuancedprofileofcancer
Dear Doctors: My mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and I’m helpingwith her medical appointments. Her oncologist says she needs aliquid biopsy She has already had abiopsy— that’show they found the cancer Why would she need another one? Dear reader: Abiopsy is adiagnostic medicalprocedure to collect cells from the body,then examine them under amicroscope for abnormalities. This can reveal the presence of adisease or condition. As with the procedure that diagnosed your mother’sbreast cancer,biopsy often involves the removal of tissue. Atissue biopsy from asuspected malignant
Dr.Elizabeth Ko Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS
growthortumor looks for the presence ofcancer cells.When cancer is found, atissue biopsy can also reveal information about genetic mutations. However, biopsiescan alsoentail bodily fluids, suchasblood, saliva or cerebrospinal fluid. This is known as aliquid biopsy
Aliquid biopsy identifies cellular biomarkers, such as circulating tumor DNA, RNA, microRNA, plateletsand endothelial cells. These provide amore nuanced profile of the cancer than atissue biopsy.The genetic diversity within the tumor and the presence of additional mutations can help identify how far in thebody thecancer has spread, theoptimal course of treatment and the likely responseofthe cancer cells to acertain treatment. Aliquid biopsy can also provide early signs when the current treatment is no longer effective. This early warning makes it possible to switch to adifferent treatment and stay one step ahead of the cancer
GRADUATES
Continued from page1D
Clearexpectations
Richard Ramos,aparenting trainer and authorof “Parents on aMission,” urges parents and their young adult children to break from their traditional roles.
For parents, shift from authority to ally
“You’re no longer parenting ateenager.You’re relating to an emerging adult. Move from ‘manager’ to ‘mentor.’ Offer guidance, not control. Maintain your home as alaunchpad, not a landing strip for them to get too comfortable in,” he says. Grads, come home with humility
“You may have adegree, but you’re still under your parents’roof,” Ramos says. “Show appreciation. Contribute to the household. Asking beforeassumingyou can simply take shows your growth as ayoung adult. Honorthe space they’ve made for you.”
Drilldowntospecifics
As acounselor and parent, Veronica Lichtenstein knows firsthand what Ramos means. Her26-year-old son has been living at home for two years since graduation to save money for his first house.
“I’velearned thatclear, collaborative boundaries are the foundation of harmony, she says. Lichtenstein has lots of practical advice, starting with a“living contract” created cooperatively
“His proposed terms became the starting point for negotiation. This empow-
MACY’S
Continued from page1D
SUMMER
ered himtotake ownership while ensuring mutual respect. The final signed agreement covered everything from chores to quiet hours,” she says Common areas must be left clean, for example,and advance notice is required if he plans group gatherings
“Emphasize that thisisa temporary,goal-oriented arrangement,” Lichtenstein says. By that, she means: “We’re happy to support youfor 12 months while you save Xdollars.”
Regular check-inskeep everyoneaccountable.
Sharingiscaring AmyMcCreadyisthe founderofPositiveParentingSolutions.com andauthor of “TheMe, Me,MeEpidemic —A Step-by-Step Guide to Raising Capable, Grateful Kids in an Over-Entitled World.”
She suggestssettingexpectations when it comes to shared resources.
“Ifthey’ll be drivingyour vehicle,beclearabout when it’savailable, who pays for gas or maintenance, and what responsibilitiesgowith the privilege,” McCready says.“Use‘when-then’ phrasing to keepthings respectful and direct: When your responsibilitiesare done, then the car is available.”
If conflict arises, it’s often because everyone reverts to oldroles and oldrules, she says. “Pause andask,‘Are we interacting like we did when they were 17?’” Then reset with intention.
What aboutspecial guests?
Parentsneedtodecideif conjugal visits forresident adult children aresomething they’recomfortable
Continued from page1D Awards three times. The fireworks will be fired from four barges on the lower East River and the pyrotechnics will reach 305 meters. Thelight show will also celebrate theupcoming Milano Cortina 2026Winter OlympicGames. “Welight thesky and create tradition,bringingmillionsacross thecountry together for shared experience and memory,” Will Coss, Macy’s4th of July Fireworks executive producer,said in astatement.
ways to do these activities in cooler environments. Summer is agreat time for
by bringing other family members or friends along Or look at exercise videos on YouTubethatcan accommodate theindividual Usingthese protective measures and monitoring theindividual’sactivities can ensure heisprotected from heat-related issues andthat they can enjoy the
with. Such overnight visits with romanticpartnerscan be tricky, McCready notes.
“If overnight visits aren’t somethingyou’re OK with, it’scompletely appropriate to setthat boundary,” she says. “You might say,‘We’re so gladyou’re here, and we want everyone to feel comfortable. For us, that means no overnight guests while you’re living at home.’”
Parentscan asktobetold ahead of timeiftheir grad plans to sleep elsewhere.
Be carefulnot to judge
Eric Wood,director of the Counseling &Mental Health Center at TexasChristian University,saysparents should check in on their frustrations over thenew living scenario. Their graduatemight feel embarrassed andworry that they’re aburden.
“Don’tjudge, especially with the current job market andrecentglobalevents. It’s important nottobecritical of agraduate whomust return home,” he says. “Just like we advise incoming college studentsnot to rush into acertainacademicmajor,it’smore important not to rush into an entry career position. Establishing asolid trajectoryfor asuccessful andhappy career is the priority.”
Wood said thenew mantra for parents should be: Support, but don’tproblem solve when it comes tofully launching agrad.
“It’s important for the parent or family member not to act as if they aretrying to solve aproblem,” he says. “Doing so will only send a message that the graduate is aproblem and could lead to conflicts.”
TV viewers can tune in on NBCorsee it simulcast live on Peacock at 7p.m. to 9p.m. ASpanish language simulcast will aironTelemundo at 8p.m. Look forfireworksinthe shape of crown jellyfish, atomic rings, yellow and green sunbursts and strobing lemon cascades.
summer monthscomfortably and safely
Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” Emailher at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.
Liquid biopsies areeffective only in cancerslike breast cancer that, as theygrow and spread,release asignificant amount of genetic material into theblood. Although effective in ongoing cancercare, liquid biopsies are notuseful for initial diagnosis. In the early stages of cancer,the tumorhasn’tshed enough genetic material for detection and analysis.
Recentdata suggest liquid biopsies have been particularly helpful in extending the lifespans of women with certain types of metastatic breast cancer.Newer methodsofanalyzing blood are sensitive enough to detect protein changes that signal achange in cancer behavior.This has furthered the emergence of sequential treatment, an important advance in cancer care. Getting aliquid biopsy is a simple blood draw forbreast cancer patients like your mother Depending on the type of cancer and her treatment, it’spossible additional liquid biopsies may be needed to monitor how her body responds to treatment.
Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.
Choosing sanity over silence
Dear Annie: I’ve been in a long marriage. In theearly years, we had happy times, but thingshave changed. For awhile now,I’ve been enduring emotional, psychological and verbal abuse from my husband. He often makes humiliatingcomments about me in front of others. When I trytocall him out, he says I’m too sensitive or claims he was just joking. Butit doesn’tfeel like ajoke; it feels degrading. The momentthat shook me happened recently while my 3-year-old granddaughter was sittingbeside me, coloring. Out of nowhere, my husband said to her,“Rosie, Nanny isn’t educated. Nanny doesn’t know very much.” Itook adeep breath and decided not to react in the moment. Later that evening,after our granddaughter had gone home, Ibrought it up with him. He looked at me with wide, innocent eyes and said, “Janie, Iwould never say anything like that to you.”Herepeated it, again and again, staring at me like Iwas losing my mind. For amoment, I believed him.Iactually questioned my own memory Butthen Irealized exactly what had happened. He had gaslighted me—completely denied realityand mademedoubt my own sanity. Andthat’s when I
Annie Lane DEAR ANNIE
finally drew aline. Itook my bedding and slept in a separate room Still, the next morning, I woke up feeling numband deeply anxious, like Iwas unraveling. It wasfrightening. Later,I heard him muttering under his breath, still denying what he had said, acting like Ihad madeitall up. Ididn’t. Iknow what Iheard, and I know how it mademefeel. Iknow Ineed to end this marriage, but I’mscared. He can be cruel, and Ifear how mean and manipulative he’ll becomeifItry to leave. But staying is taking atoll on my mental health, and I’mstarting to feel like I’mlosing myself. Isn’tmysanity worth morethan amarriage that slowly breaks me down? How do Ifind the strength to leave? —Feeling Lost Dear Feeling Lost: Yes. Your sanity is worth morethan amarriage that chips away at your self-worth. And yes, your mental health is absolutely priceless. What you are describing is emotional abuse, and it is real. The humiliation, the gaslighting, the denial of your own opinions is not just painful; it is damaging. Anyone whomakes you question your memory, your intelligence or your reality is not loving you. They are controlling you. Youare not crazy.You
are not too sensitive. You are waking up. Youhave already taken an important step by setting aboundary and sleeping in another room.That is courage. Nowitistime to build on that courage and take care of yourself That might mean speaking to atherapist whospecializes in traumaoremotional abuse. It might mean calling adomestic abuse hotline or alawyer to quietly explore your options. Youdonot have to do everything all at once. But you do need aplan and support.
Leaving may be hard. He may becomemean, manipulative or even more cruel. But staying in this situation is worse. Youare not alone, and you do deserve peace. Here are someresources that may help: n National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 or thehotline.org —offers confidential support, safety planning and local referrals 24/7 n Psychology Today (psychologytoday.com)— searchable directory to find licensed therapists in your area n WomensLaw.org —legal information and guidance forthose considering separation or divorce due to abuse.
Send yourquestions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.
Trythe Italianbusta forweddings
Dear Heloise: Iread with interest aletter in the San Antonio Express-News about cashboxes at weddings and possible problemswith theft. Italian weddings on the east coast solved the problem over 100 years ago. I’m first-generation Italian. When my wife andIgot married in 1964 in New Jersey (my wife was not Italian), we had thetraditional “busta” line, where wedding guests line up after dinner to give us an
By The Associated Press
Hints from Heloise
envelope with cash. The bride then puts the envelope in alarge satin bag. After we returned from our honeymoon, we opened all the envelopes and recorded the names of the guests as wellasthe amount of money given in abook. The satin busta bag stays at the head table with the bride, groom and wedding party until we leave. We had about 200 guests at the reception. This book (wehad four in total) must be saved; when our family is invited to future weddings of the families that gave us money,wemust give morethan what we received. No one would dare to steal the busta bag. By the way,wereceived almost $4,000. This was alot of money in 1964. However,wespent over $3,000 on our three-week honeymoon to Jamaica. I still have one of the four books we had with the info. —Vinnie F.,former vice president of distributionofthe San Antonio Express-News for23years Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
TODAYINHISTORY
Today is Monday, June 23, the 174th day of 2025. There are 191 days left in the year
Todayinhistory
On June 23, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed into law the Education Amendmentsof1972, including Title IX, which barred discrimination on thebasis of sex for “any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
On this date:
In 1888, abolitionist Frederick Douglass received one vote from theKentucky delegation at the Republican convention in Chicago, making him thefirst Black candidate to have his nameplaced in nomination for U.S. president.
In 1931, aviators Wiley Postand Harold Gattytook
off from Roosevelt Field in New York on an aroundthe-world flight that lasted eight days and 15 hours.
In 1947, the Senate joined the House in overriding President Harry S. Truman’sveto of the Taft-Hartley Act, designed to limit the power of organized labor
In 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union after abitterly divisive referendum campaign, toppling PrimeMinister David Cameron, who led the drive to remain in the bloc.
In 2020, the Louisville Police Department firedan officer involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor more than three months earlier,saying Brett Hankison showed “extreme indifference to the value of humanlife” when he fired 10 rounds into her apartment. In 2022, in amajor ex-
pansion of gun rights, the SupremeCourt said Americans have aright to carry firearmsinpublic forself-defense. Today’sbirthdays: Author Richard Bach is 89. Computer scientist Vint Cerf is 82. Actor Bryan Brownis 78. SupremeCourt Justice Clarence Thomas is 77. Musician Glenn Danzig is 70. Former “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson is 69. Actor Frances McDormand is 68. Golf Hall of Famer Colin Montgomerie is 62. Actor Selma Blair is 53. French soccer manager and former player Zinedine Zidane is 53. Actor Joel Edgerton is 51. Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is 48. Rapper Memphis Bleek is 47. Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson is 46. Actor Melissa Rauch (“The Big Bang Theory”) is 45.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CARLOSOSORIO
Graduates at the University of Toledo appear atcommencement ceremonies in 2018.
CANCER(June21-July 22) Sticktothe facts and refuse to let your emotional attachmentsleadyou to believe everything you hear. Go the distance and trust yourself; everything will fall into place.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Be observant; listen, learn and look for thebest possible choice before you leap into action.Protect your reputation, position,possessions and your cash.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Steady your emotions before youraise issuesthat caninfluenceyour position or advancement.You mayseekchange, buthow yougoabout it will determinethe outcome.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Pay attention to what affects you personally. Don't venture into other people's business if youwant to make the mostofyour day. Concentrate on what will make your home, familyand decisionswork.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Address money management, investments and spending habits. Prioritize communication,personal growth andromance,and you'll gain insight and approval from those who matter most.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Influential people will pull you in different directions. Tame your emotions,offsetanger and proceedwith apositive attitude and aplanyou can do alone if necessary.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Make fitness, comfort and convenience apriority at home and inpublic. How others per-
ceive youwill influence your success. Volunteer your time, not your money, andyou'll maintaincontrol
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Tally up whatthings cost before discussing the changes youwanttomake. Buckle up whenfacingopposition andprepare to respond with facts and figures thatothers cannot deny.
PISCES (Feb.20-March 20) Keep the changesyou want to implementto yourself until you have things well underway. Take precautionswhen dealingwiththe costs andcontracts you negotiate.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Choose discipline over temptation. Look outfor emotional trapsthatpoint youinthe wrong direction. Say no to excess and indulgence, and yes to positively impactingyourlife andothers.
TAURUS (April 20-May20) Put your energy into expanding your mind andpersonalgrowth and enhancing yourlife andthe lives of those youencounter. You can make adifference if youare positive andproductive
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Don't waste timeand energy networking in the wrong room. Pitch in and help where it will make adifference, and you'll find your comfort zone and personal happiness.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created fromquotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands foranother.
TODAy'S CLUE:U EQUALS F
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe
SALLYForth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
LAGoon
Sudoku
InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobjectistoplace the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.
