BY JON GAMBRELL, DAVID RISING and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates A frag-
ile ceasefire between Iran and Israel appeared to hold Tuesday after initially faltering, and U.S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration with both sides, saying they had fought “for so long and so hard” that they do not know what they are doing.
But even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had brought Iran’s nu-
clear program “to ruin,” a new U.S. intelligence report found that the program has been set back only a few months after U.S. strikes over the weekend, according to two people familiar with the assessment
The early report issued Monday by the Defense Intelligence Agency was described to The Associated Press by two people familiar with it. They were not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The report also contradicts statements from Trump, who has said the Iranian nuclear program was
“completely and fully obliterated.”
The White House called the assessment “flat-out wrong.”
After the truce was supposed to take effect, Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, and the Israeli finance minister vowed that “Tehran will tremble.”
The Iranian military denied firing on Israel, state media reported, but explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel, and a military official said two Iranian missiles were intercepted.
Decades after playing in the NFL, Duriel Harris started selling Angus beef pasture-raised in Ville Platte. All of his customers last year were schools across 10 different parishes, ‘from Shreveport to New Orleans,’ he said.
Push to serve local food in La. schools faces funding challenges
State losing millions in federal government cuts
BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer
Over three decades after Duriel Harris left the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas native settled in Acadiana and became a cowboy in his own right.
The former wide receiver bought two dozen Black Angus heifers in 2016, and since then, his Ville Platte operation has only grown Last year, Harris Cattle
Company had its best year yet, grossing nearly $400,000. His success is largely thanks to a market niche he found: a federal program that pays for schools to source food from local farms. After learning about the program, he started selling to schools in Alexandria, then Baton Rouge and St. Tammany Parish.
All of his customers last year were schools across 10 different parishes, “from Shreveport to New Orleans,” he said.
“If there was ever a win-win-win situation, that was it,” said Harris, known
to some football fans for a 1982 hookand-lateral play while with the Miami Dolphins. “Good for the economy, local producers and good for the state.”
But whether Harris can keep selling his Angus beef to schools hangs in limbo.
While the push for more local food in schools has gained broad support — from “Make America Healthy Again” backers in Louisiana’s Legislature to traditional nutritionists — government cuts and a lack of long-term funding are major stumbling blocks.
ä See FOOD, page 5A
Trial date set for former state wildlife secretary
Montoucet accused in bribery scheme
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
A trial date has been set for former Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet, accused of being involved in a kickback scheme that led to his resignation. A federal grand jury in Lafayette indicted Montoucet in May, charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in a scheme to award a Lafayette businessman a department contract. Montoucet, 77, pleaded not guilty June 12 and was released on an un-
secured bond. Federal Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst, of Louisiana’s Western District in Lafayette, on Monday set Montoucet’s trial date before federal Judge David Joseph for 9 a.m. May 11. Montoucet, a former state
legislator from Acadiana, served as Wildlife and Fisheries secretary from January 2017 until April 2023, when he abruptly resigned a day after The Times-Picayune | The Advocate identified him as the high-ranking department official who signed a contract that implicated him in a kickback scheme.
ä See TRIAL, page 5A
Murrill files 3 lawsuits against CVS
Attorney general alleges ‘unfair and deceptive acts’ in text campaign
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, backed by Gov Jeff Landry, said Tuesday she had filed three different lawsuits against CVS, claiming the company used its position as both a major pharmacy chain and a pharmacy benefit manager to abuse its market power and accusing it of “unethical and deceptive acts” in its use of customer data for political lobbying.
The three lawsuits filed in the 27th Judicial District Court in St. Landry Parish “detail in great length all of the ways that these manipulative tactics are used to drive our prices up and to drive the independent pharmacists out of business,” Murrill said at a news conference announcing the court action on Tuesday Landry at the media event called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, “corporate profiteers” that don’t actually lower prescription drug prices despite claiming to do so.
In a statement, CVS denied wrongdoing and said its system of PBMs and pharmacies helps make it easier for patients to afford and pick up their medicine. “CVS Pharmacy remains the lowest cost pharmacy and a critical partner in lowering prescription drug costs for Louisianans,” the company said.
All three cases allege that CVS violated Louisiana’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law
ä See CVS, page 4A
Montoucet
STAFF PHOTO By JOSIE ABUGOV
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BERNAT ARMANGUE
Israeli soldiers work Tuesday amid the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Beersheba, Israel
Murrill
Landry
Firefighters battle wildfire on Greek island of Chios
ATHENS Greece Hundreds of firefighters backed up by aircraft were battling a wildfire burning out of control for the third day on the eastern Aegean island of Chios Tuesday, with authorities issuing multiple evacuation orders.
Towering walls of flames tore through forest and agricultural land on the island, where authorities have declared a state of emergency and have sent firefighting reinforcements from Athens, the northern city of Thessaloniki and the nearby island of Lesbos.
By Tuesday morning, the fire department said 444 firefighters with 85 vehicles were tackling the blaze on scattered fronts. Eleven helicopters and two water-dropping planes were providing air support.
Emergency services have issued evacuation orders for villages and settlements in the area since Sunday when fires broke out near the island’s main town.
The fire department has sent an arson investigation team to Chios to examine the cause of the blaze
“We are faced with simultaneous fires in multiple, geographically unconnected parts of the island a pattern that cannot be considered coincidental,” Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said Monday from Chios. Authorities, he said, were “very seriously examining the possibility of an organized criminal act, in other words arson.”
Japan conducts first missile test on own land
TOKYO Japan’s army announced Tuesday that it conducted a missile test for the first time on Japanese territory, as the country accelerates its military buildup to deter increasingly assertive China.
The test-firing of the Type 88 surface-to-ship, short-range missile was conducted Tuesday at the Shizunai Anti-Air Firing Range on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido
About 300 soldiers participated in Tuesday’s exercise by the Ground Self-Defense Force’s 1st Artillery Brigade, using a training missile targeting an unmanned boat about 24 miles off the southern coast of Hokkaido, officials said.
Officials were still examining the results of the test, the GSDF said. Due to space limitations and safety concerns, Japan has previously conducted missile tests in the territories of the United States, a treaty ally, and Australia, a top Japanese defense partner where vast training grounds are available.
Tuesday’s first domestic missile test underscores Japan’s push toward a more self-sufficient military and its acquisition of strike-back capabilities as a deterrence to China’s increasingly assertive naval activity in regional seas.
Brazilian tourist dead after falling from volcano
SAO PAULO — A young Brazilian hiker who fell hundreds of meters from the ridge of a towering Indonesian volcano and was trapped there for almost four days was found dead on Tuesday, Brazil’s government said. For days, millions of people in Brazil had watched, posted and prayed as rescuers tried to locate her
The tourist, 26-year-old Juliana Marins, began summiting on June 21 Mount Rinjani, an active 12,224-foot volcano on the Indonesian island of Lombok, with a guide and five other foreigners when she fell some 1,968 feet, Indonesian authorities said “No signs of life were found,” said Mohammad Syafii, head of Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency Marins’ family in Brazil confirmed her death
The Indonesian rescue team said it found Marins’ body beside a crater using a thermal drone after four days of intensive searches complicated by extremely harsh terrain and weather
The difficult conditions and limited visibility delayed the evacuation process, Syafii said, as the rescue team climbed carrying Marins’ body to Sembalun basecamp but would have to wait until Wednesday for transport to a police hospital.
NATO’s chief praises Trump ahead of summit
Rutte says president will make Europe ‘pay in a BIG way’
BY MOLLY QUELL, LORNE COOK and MIKE CORDER Associated Press
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — NATO Secretary-
General Mark Rutte praised President Donald Trump for making Europe “pay in a BIG way,” as leaders gathered in the Netherlands on Tuesday for a historic summit that could unite them around a new defense spending pledge or widen divisions among the 32 member countries of the security alliance.
The U.S. president, while en route, published a screenshot of a private message from Rutte saying: “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.
“Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win,” Rutte wrote. NATO confirmed that he sent the message.
Rutte appeared unconcerned that Trump aired it, telling reporters: “I have absolutely no trouble or problem with that because there’s nothing in it which had to stay secret.”
Trump arrived early in the evening after injecting uncertainty over whether the U.S. would abide by the mutual defense guarantees outlined in the NATO treaty. “Depends on your definition,” he said. Rutte said he has no doubt about the Article 5 guarantee, which says an armed attack on one member is an attack on all.
On Wednesday, the allies are likely to en-
dorse a goal of spending 5% of their gross domestic product on their security, to be able to fulfil the alliance’s plans for defending against outside attack. Trump has said the U.S. should not have to.
Spain has said it cannot, and that the target is “unreasonable.” Slovakia said it reserves the right to decide how to reach the target by NATO’s new 2035 deadline.
“There’s a problem with Spain. Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them, frankly,” Trump told reporters. In 2018, a NATO summit during Trump’s first term unraveled due to a dispute over defense spending.
Ahead of the meeting, Britain, France and Germany committed to the 5% goal. The Netherlands is also on board. Nations closer to the borders of Ukraine, Russia and its ally Belarus had previously pledged to do so.
Trump’s first appearance at NATO since returning to the White House was supposed to center on how the U.S. secured the historic military spending pledge from others in the alliance — effectively bending it to its will.
But the spotlight has shifted to Trump’s decision to strike three nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran that the administration says eroded Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, as well as the president’s sudden announcement that Israel and Iran had reached a “complete and total ceasefire.”
Ukraine has also suffered as a result of that new conflict. It has created a need for weapons and ammunition that Kyiv desperately wants, and shifted the world’s attention. Past NATO summits have focused almost entirely on the war in Ukraine now in its fourth year
Russian attacks kill 26 civilians in Ukraine; Zelenskyy seeks more help
BY ILLIA NOVIKOV
Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian drones, missiles and artillery killed at least 26 civilians and injured more than 200 others in Ukraine, officials said Tuesday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought guarantees at a NATO summit of further Western help to repel Moscow’s invasion.
Russian forces have relentlessly struck civilian areas throughout the 3-year-old war More than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, according to the United Nations. Ukraine has also launched long-range drones against Russia, hitting residential areas
Zelenskyy joined Western leaders at a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, and is keen to lock in additional military support for Ukraine, as recent direct peace talks have made no progress on a settlement.
Key U.S. military commitments to Ukraine left over from the Biden administration are expected to run out within months, according to analysts, and there is uncertainty over whether U.S. President Donald Trump is willing to provide more.
A Russian ballistic missile attack on Dnipro hit multiple civilian sites in the central Ukrainian city
around midday Tuesday, killing 17 people and injuring more than 200 others, officials said. “The number of casualties is constantly being updated,” Dnipro’s regional administration head Serhii Lysak wrote on Telegram.
In the nearby town of Samar, an attack killed two people and injured 14, he said.
The barrage damaged 19 schools, 10 kindergartens, a vocational school, a music school and a social welfare office, as well as eight medical facilities, according to Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov Schools are closed for the summer break.
One of the blasts blew out the windows of a passenger train carrying about 500 people. Filatov declared Wednesday to be an official day of mourning.
In a post on Telegram, Zelenskyy said Russia
Extreme heat wave consumes most of eastern U.S. states
BY SETH BORENSTEIN AP science writer
NEW YORK Extensive triple-digit heat, broken temperature records and oppressive humidity piled up into a steaming mess as the heat dome crushing the Eastern half of the nation sizzled to what should be its worst Tuesday New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit a little after noon, the first time since 2013. Then Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston joined the 100 club. More than 150 million people woke up to heat warnings and forecasters at the National Weather Service expected dozens of places to tie or set new daily high temperature records Tuesday The dangerous heat sent people to the hospital, delayed Amtrak trains and caused utilities to urge customers to conserve power
“Every East Coast state today from Maine to Florida has a chance of 100 degree actual temperature,” said private meteorologist Ryan Maue, a former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist. Fryeburg, Maine, also hit 100, for the first time since 2011.
“Getting Maine to 100 degrees is infrequent,” Maue said.
Tuesday’s heat came on top of 39 new or tied heat records Monday But just as dangerous as triple digit heat is the lack of cooling at night, driven by the humidity
“You get the combination of the extreme heat and humidity but no relief,” said Jacob Asherman, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center “It’s kind of been just everything stacked on top of itself. It just speaks to how strong this heat wave is. This is a pretty pretty extreme event.”
Asherman and Maue said Tuesday is the peak of the high pressure system that sits on top of the Mid-Atlantic and keeps the heat and humidity turned up several notches.
“Nobody is immune to the heat,” said Kimberly McMahon, the weather service public services program manager who specializes in heat and health.
Heat turns dangerous
Dozens attending outdoor high school graduation ceremonies in a northern New Jersey city on Monday were treated for heat exhaustion and related problems, including 16 taken to hospitals. The Paterson school district held ceremonies in the morning and the afternoon as temperatures soared to nearly 100 degrees. Officials halted the second ceremony about an hour after it had started due to the heat. And in New Hampshire, two 16-year-old hikers were rescued from a mountain in Jaffrey late Monday afternoon, overcome by the heat, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said. They were described as being in and out of consciousness and taken to a hospital. The heat hit New York City as residents headed to the polls for the city’s primary election. In the Queens neighborhood of Jackson Heights, Rekha Malhotra was handing out flyers in support of Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani while wearing a pink electric fan around their neck.
“It’s 90 bazillian degrees and here I am,” said Malhotra, an event DJ. “I could have been phone banking.”
“I have all the things — hat, ice and this,” Malhotra added, pulling out a commercial-grade spray bottle from their bag.
Utilities across the Midwest and East braced for the surge of extra demand in the heat, at times asking people to cut back on air conditioning when it felt like it was needed the most. In Memphis, Tennessee, residents were asked to turn off unnecessary lights and electronics, wait until nighttime to use dishwashers, washing machines dryers, and raise thermostats a few degrees, if health allows.
needs foreign components to build its ballistic missiles and he urged countries to crack down on Moscow’s “schemes” to obtain them. “Sanctions against Russia must also be significantly strengthened,” he said.
Russia also shelled residential neighborhoods and critical infrastructure across Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, killing four civilians and wounding at least 11 others, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional military administration.
In the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine, a drone attack late Monday killed three civilians, including a 5-year-old boy, and injured six others, local authorities said. Among the injured were two 17-year-old girls and a 12-year-old boy according to officials.
POOL ROyAL PHOTO By MISHA SCHOEMAKERS
President Donald Trump, from right, is welcomed by Netherland’s King Willem Alexander, Netherland’s Queen Maxima and Netherland’s Crown Princess Amalia as he arrives for a formal dinner at the Paleis Huis ten Bosch ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on Tuesday.
PHOTO PROVIDED By RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRy PRESS
A Russian soldier prepares a Giatsint-B 152 mm field gun to fire toward Ukrainian position on an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Tuesday.
8deadfromboat capsizeonLakeTahoe
BY OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO Four members of afamily from Northern California who were celebrating abirthday were among eightpeople killed whenaboatcapsizedonLake Tahoe in California over the weekend during asudden and fierce thunderstorm.
Josh Pickles, 37, of San Francisco,his parents, 73-year-old Terry Pickles and 71-year-old Paula Bozinovich of Redwood City,and his uncle, 72-year-old Peter Bayes, of Lincoln, died Saturday,according to afamily statement
“No wordscan express the pain and anguish we feel knowing their lives were lost during what was meant to be ajoyful time on the lake,” Josh Pickles’ wife, Jordan Sugar-Carlsgaard, said in thestatement Tuesday. “Our hearts go out to those who tragically lost their lives and the two survivors of this unexpected and deadly storm on Lake Tahoe.”
Twopeople were rescued immediately afterthe boat flipped over. Their identi-
ties andconditionswerenot known Tuesday
The group was celebrating Paula Bozinovich’sbirthday on her son’sboat, which he bought about ayear ago, said SamSinger,afamily spokesperson. Josh Pickles’ wifehad stayed at home taking care of their7-month-old daughter, Singer said. The couple,who married in 2023, bothworked at tech companiesinSan Francisco Josh worked at DoorDash and Jordan at AirBNB, Singer said.
Theysplit their time between homes in the Bay Area andLake Tahoe, where they hadused their boatonly twicebefore.
RaviInukonda, ChiefFinancial Officer at DoorDash, saidthe deathofJosh, who hadworkedatthe company fornearly seven years, left themheartbroken.
“Josh loved his teamand was an inspiration to everyonewho hadthe privilege of knowing him,” Inukonda said in astatement. “Our thoughtsand loveare with his wife,his daughter,his family,and all who were close to him.”
TenCommandmentsrulingpaused
Case mayget review by full 5thCircuit
BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
Afederal appeals court decision blockingLouisiana’s TenCommandments law hasbeen paused, creating an openingfor thefullcourt to rehear the high-stakes case.
Athree-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appealsruled Friday that thelaw,which requires public schoolstopost the TenCommandments, is unconstitutionaland cannot be enforced. On Monday,an unnamed judge on the 5th Circuit stopped theruling from being sent to thelower courts, effectively putting it on hold.
The pause gives the defendantsanopportunity to request that thecase be reheard by thefull 5th Circuit, widely considered the country’smost conservative federalcourt of appeals. A spokesperson for state Attorney General Liz Murrill, whoseoffice is representing thedefendants, said
GOPtax bill would ease regulations on gunsilencers andsome guns
BYMARYCLARE JALONICK
Associated Press
WASHINGTON The massive tax and spending cuts package that President Donald Trump wants on his desk by July 4would loosen regulations on gun silencers and certain types of riflesand shotguns,advancing alongtime priority of the gun industry as Republican leaders in the House and Senate try to win enough votesto passthe bill.
The guns provision was first requested in the House by Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde, aRepublican gun store owner who had initially opposed the larger tax package. The House bill would remove silencers —called “suppressors” by the gun industry —from a1930s law that regulates firearms that are considered the most dangerous, eliminating a$200 tax while removing alayer of background checks
The Senate kept the provision on silencers in its version of the bill and expanded upon it,adding short-barreled, or sawed-off, rifles and shotguns.
Republicans who have long supported the changes, along with the gun industry,say the tax infringes on Second Amendment rights. Theysay silencers are mostly used by hunters and target shooters for sport.
“Burdensome regulations and unconstitutionaltaxes shouldn’tstand in theway of protecting Americangun owners’hearing,” said Clyde, who owns two gunstores in Georgia andoften wears a pin shaped like an assault
rifleonhis suit lapel.
Democrats are fighting to stop the provision, which was unveiled days after two Minnesota state legislators were shot in their homes, as the bill speeds through the Senate.Theyarguethat loosening regulations on silencers couldmake iteasier for criminals and active shooters to conceal their weapons.
“Parentsdon’twantsilencers on theirstreets, police don’twant silencers on their streets,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer,D-N.Y
Thegun language has broadsupport among Republicans and has received little attention as House SpeakerMikeJohnson, RBenton, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune,R-S.D., work to settle differences within theparty on cuts to Medicaid and energy tax credits, amongother issues. But it is justone of hundreds of policy and spending items included to entice members to votefor the legislation that could have broadimplications if the bill is enacted within weeks, as Trump wants.
Inclusion of the provision is also asharp turn from the climate in Washington just threeyears agowhenDemocrats, likeRepublicansnow, controlled Congress and the White House andpushed through bipartisan gun legislation. Thebillincreased background checksfor some buyers underthe age of 21, made it easier to take firearms frompotentially dangerous peopleand sent millions of dollars to mental health services in schools.
Passed in thesummer of 2022, just weeks after the shooting of 19 childrenand twoadults at aschool in Uvalde,Texas,itwas the mostsignificant legislative responsetogun violence in decades.
Threeyears later,asthey try to takeadvantage of their consolidated powerin Washington, Republicans arepacking as many of their longtime priorities as possible,including the gun legislation,intothe massive,wideranging billthatTrump has called “beautiful.”
“I’mglad the Senate is joining the House to stand up for the Second Amendmentand our Constitution, and Iwill continue to fight for these prioritiesas the Senate works to pass President Trump’sOne Big Beautiful Bill,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who was one of the lead negotiators on the bipartisan gun bill in 2022 but is now facing a primary challengefrom the right in his bid for reelection next year If the gun provisions remain in thelarger legislation anditispassed,silencers and the short-barrelrifles and shotguns would lose an extralayer of regulation that they aresubject to under the National Firearms Act, passedinthe 1930sin response to concerns about mafia violence. They would still be subject to thesame regulations that apply to most other guns —and that includespossible loopholes thatallow some gun buyers to avoid background checks when guns aresold privately or online.
the office planstosubmita requestthis week for afull court, or “en banc,” review
“Weare encouraged tosee that one 5th Circuit judge already hasheld the mandate in this case, signaling interest in en banc proceedings,” said spokesperson Lester Duhé, referring to thejudge who on Monday ordered the case notbereturned to the lower courts.
The TenCommandments case hasbeen closely watched as atest of whether the courts will uphold the traditional divide between churchand state or allow religion to play alarger role in public institutions.
If the full courtagrees to rehear the case, it could lead to avery different outcome than Friday’sruling. Twoof thethreejudgesonthe panel were appointedbyDemocrats, while 12 of 17 active judges on thefull court were appointedbyRepublicans,
with six selected by President Donald Trump.
The process leading to afull court review can be lengthy, with judges arguingbehindcloseddoors for or against the move before conducting apoll. In the meantime, alower court’s preliminary injunction will stand barring five school districts —EastBaton Rouge, Livingston, Orleans, St. Tammany andVernonparishes —from putting up the TenCommandmentsposters and state officials from enforcing the law
The 5th Circuit panel’sdecision on Friday upheld the lower court’sruling, calling the law “plainly unconstitutional.” The panel wrote that “unwanted exposure to government-sponsoredreligious displays” would violate students’ First Amendmentright to religious freedom The ACLU of Louisiana,
one of several groups representing public-school parents whosued to block Louisiana’slaw,praised Friday’s ruling.
“Religious freedom —the right to choose one’sfaith withoutpressure —isessential to American democracy,” said Alanah Odoms, the group’sexecutive director,inastatement.
ButFirst Liberty Institute, alegal advocacy group that supports Louisiana’slaw, condemned the panel’sdecision.
“The TenCommandments are part of thehistory and tradition of our country,and we hope that the full Fifth Circuit will step in to correct this grievous error,”Kelly Shackelford,the group’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
Email Patrick Wall at patrick.wall@theadvocate. com.
The first accuses CVS of improperly using itscustomers’ data to send text messages urging them to tell their legislators to oppose a billpendingduring the final days of the recent legislative session.
CVS “misused health-related information of Louisiana citizens for political lobbying, in violation of Louisiana law and fundamental principles of confidentialityand trust in the pharmacist-patient relationship,” the state’s court filings allege.
The text messages were “inaccurate, misleading and deceptive” and were “intended to incitefearamong vulnerable people” to generate political support, court filings say The bill in question, House Bill 358, which Landry supported, would have barred companies like CVSfrom owning both PBMs, which are supposed to negotiate lower drug prices from manufacturers, and drugstores themselves.
CVS sent abarrage of text messages to customers warning the billcould force the company to close down all of its pharmacies in Louisiana.
MurrillonTuesday said she received atext message
from CVS about the legislation,and Landry said his wife, Sharon, did, too.
Themeasure ultimately failed to pass after the Senate didnot take it up, though theLegislature didapprove another bill putting tighter restrictions on PBMs.
CVS has argued the texts were legal and were an important waytoalert customers to the legislation, which emerged abruptly in the last days of the session
“Our communication with CVS customers, patients and members ofthe community was consistentwith the law,” the companysaid
The second lawsuit alleges the company hasusedits size and vertical integration design —meaning its control of insurers, PBMs and drugstores— to squeeze out competition and drive up drug costs, among other practices
CVS controls theflow of prescriptiondrugs from formulary design and pricing negotiations to pharmacy reimbursement,health insurance coverage,and drug dispensing,” the lawsuit says.
“That influence has been wielded not to lower drug costs or enhance access, but insteadtomanipulate prices, restrictcompetition, and channel profitsinternally.”
CVS argues it delivers value to patients by providing better care and easier access.
“By combining health care delivery,pharmacy,health care benefits, and pharmacy benefit management, we make it easier for people to have what theywant the most: aconnected careexperience,” the company said in astatement.
The thirdlawsuit accuses CVS of abusing its market power to “inflict economic harm”and impose unfair feesonindependent pharmacies “under threat of being expelled from theCVS network.”
CVS disputesthose claims.
“Fortoo long,big drug middlemen called PBMS, have inflated drug prices and taken advantage of Louisianans,”Landry said in astatement. “I’m proud to stand with Attorney General LizMurrill in holding them accountable.”
Simmeringcontroversy
Thepolitical battle over PBMsburst intopublic view on thesecond-to-last dayof Louisiana’sregular legislativesession, when CVS sent the text messages saying the proposed legislation threatened to close all CVSpharmacies acrossLouisiana.
“Last minute legislation in Louisiana threatenstoclose your CVSPharmacy —your medicationcost maygoup andyourpharmacist may lose their job,” one such text said.
That day,Landry sent a
Israeli soldiers from the search-and-rescue unit work Tuesdayamid the rubble of residential buildings destroyedbyanIranianmissile strikeinBeersheba, Israel.
CEASEFIRE
Continued from page1A
Trumptoldreporters at theWhite Housebeforedepartingfor aNATOsummit that, in his view,both sides had violatedthe nascent agreement.Hehad particularly strong words for Israel, aclose ally,while suggesting Iran may havefired on thecountry by mistake.
Butlater he saidthe deal wassaved.
“ISRAEL is not goingto attackIran. All planes will turnaround and head home, while doing afriendly “Plane Wave” to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” Trump said in his Truth Social post.
Indeed, Netanyahu’soffice saidheheld offontougher strikes against Iran after speaking to Trump.
The conflict, now in its
12th day,began with Israel targeting Iranian nuclear andmilitarysites, saying it couldnot allowTehran to develop atomicweapons andthatitfeared the Islamic Republic was close. Iran has long maintainedthatits program is peaceful. If thetruceholds,itwill provide aglobal sense of relief afterthe U.S. intervened by dropping bunker-buster bombs on nuclear sites— a move that risked further destabilizing the volatile region.
Trump phoned Netanyahu after the American bombing on Sunday and told him not to expect additional U.S military attacksand that he should seek adiplomatic solution with Iran,a senior White House official said.
Trump’sposition wasthat the U.S. had removed any imminent threat posed by Iran, according to the official, whowas not authorized to comment publicly about
sensitive diplomatictalks andspoke on conditionof anonymity
Israel followed up theU.S. air attacks by expanding the kinds of targets it was hitting.
AfterTehran launched a limited retaliatory strike Mondayona U.S.military base in Qatar,Trump announced theceasefire.
Aprotracted conflictcould havea broad economic impact if Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, amajor shipping channel.
China, whichisIran’slargest trading partner and only remaining oil customer, condemned the U.S. attacks and said it was concerned about a“spiral of escalations” withouta ceasefire Trumpsuggested the ceasefire would allowIranianoil to continue to flow,saying on social media that China could keep purchasing crude from Iran.
letter to Murrill asking her office to investigate CVS for what he said were “mass textmessages to its patients about pending legislation” and for “improperly” using thecontact information of stateemployees.
The next day,the final day of the legislative session, Murrill held anews conference to announce that she would look into whether CVSengaged in “unfair and deceptive trade practices by improperlyusing people’s personalinformation in a waythatthey didnot permit.”
The attorney general that day also sent CVS aceaseand-desistletter,demanding the companystop “the unlawfuluse of Louisiana citizens’ personalinformation”and threatening possible legal action.
Apolitical fight
CVS Health is apublicly traded company that owns healthinsurer Aetna, drugstore chain CVS Pharmacy, andpharmacy benefit man-
ager CVS Caremark.
Aprovisiontacked onto a bill in the afternoon of the second-to-last dayofthe legislative session would have prohibited PBMs from owningpharmacies in the state —a policy CVS said was an existential threat to its pharmacies in Louisiana.
CVS said the restriction would have forced it to close 119 Louisiana pharmacies, affecting 1millionpatients.
It criticizedthe last-minute push to pass the bill without committee hearings.
But Rep. Dustin Miller, DOpelousas, who sponsored House Bill 358, said that it wastime for businesses to choose between operating as apharmacy or aPBM.
He said thatcurrent state of affairs has led to independent pharmacies getting reimbursedlessand less while PBMs “make their own pockets fatter.”
The bill died on the last day of session, however,after senators raised concerns that it hadskipped the standard public vetting process.
In the final days of session, Landry publicly pressured the Legislature to get behind Miller’sbill. And when it failed, he promised to calla special session on the issue. At the news conference Tuesday,asked about calling aspecial session regarding PBMs, the governor said that, “weare convening agroup of someofthe best and brightest regarding PBMs and vertical integration.”
That group, along with the attorney general,hesaid, is going to review state law to determine whether it’spossible to exercise “authority unilaterally” to exert greater control over PBMs through action by the executive branch.
“If we can’t, then certainly we intend to bring the Legislature in so that we can put the laws in place to protect ourpeople,” he said. “As soon as Ifind out when Ican act, we will act.”
Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse pfeil@theadvocate.com.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BERNAT ARMANGUE
The Trump administration eliminated the U.S. Department of Agriculture program in March, as part of cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency
Louisiana spent about $3 4 million on the farm-to-school program this fiscal year, according to information on the USDA website that has since been deleted.
The state will lose out on over $18 million due to cuts to the local food in schools and child care programs, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said in a May Senate committee meeting.
The administration also ended another USDA program that reimbursed food banks for local purchases. Across the country, the two federal programs provided around $1 billion to schools and food banks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture did not respond to a request for comment.
Louisiana officials have pushed back, including Republican supporters of the president. State Senator Patrick McMath, R-Covington, authored a resolution urging Congress to bring back the federal program.
He also sponsored a sweeping nutrition bill, which awaits Gov Jeff Landry’s signature after unanimous passage, aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, movement of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr While Senate Bill 14 is largely focused on restricting or notifying people about ingredients like artificial sweeteners or seed oils, it also seeks to expand local food in schools.
For McMath, access to local food, such as through the Biden-era program that the Trump administration cut, is central to the MAHA movement. The push for healthier eating is not a new idea, McMath noted, mentioning the work of former first lady Michelle Obama, only now the phenomenon has gained prominence with right-wing podcasters and pundits like Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson.
Kennedy is set to visit Louisiana on Friday for a “MAHA LA official bill signing.” Mc-
TRIAL
Continued from page 1A
The indictment alleges Montoucet and Dusty Guidry, a Youngsville man and unpaid appointee to the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, conspired to award a state contract to DGL1, a company run by Lafayette businessman Leonard Franques, to provide online educational boating and hunting courses, some of them taken by sportsmen to resolve citations received from Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents.
In a May 21 news release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office
the bill states that schools “shall purchase food produced in this state to the extent practicable.” There is no funding attached.
“That means nothing,” Richard said of the bill’s vague language.
Buying local food in many districts was only possible because of allocated money, she stressed. The local ground beef Richard procured for Calcasieu Parish schools was three times more expensive than national alternatives, as is the case with the vast majority of locally sourced meat and produce.
crops and protein common in Louisiana cuisine, like okra, tomatoes and shrimp.
“The more local food items on the school lunch tray the better,” said Catherine Carmichael, a registered dietitian at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center
“I love it when my kids come home from school and tell me they’ve had sweet potatoes or satsumas for lunch.”
The center has worked with the state and USDA to help schools offer meals like shrimp etouffee, catfish fresca, and grits and grillades.
with “funding so wishywashy.” The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, which dispersed the funds to local schools has told farmers and educators to plan on not having the funding for the upcoming school year, Richard said.
“At this time, we have not been informed of any changes from our USDA partners,” said Jennifer Finley, press secretary for agriculture commissioner Strain. Harris, the football star turned cattle farmer, is
Math said bringing back the farm-to-school program is the first thing he’s going to talk to the health secretary about.
“The further away from a farm you are, the less nutrient rich the food,” he said.
“You have to have this local farm infrastructure built in, harvesting lettuce in the morning and hitting kids’ plates at lunch.”
Skeptics of MAHA
SB14 will change how food manufacturers, schools and restaurants provide and sell food. McMath’s motivation for sponsoring it stemmed from his own experiences, he recounted during legislative debates.
He said he taught himself about wellness and “the effects of ultra-processed foods” after his wife faced health problems The legislation was also written with input from Casey Means, a holistic doctor and wellness influencer who is Trump’s pick for surgeon general.
Companies selling food with certain artificial ingredients, such as sweeteners in diet soda and additives in white frosting, will be required to include a QR code that links to a webpage warning of potential harms. Restaurants must alert customers if they use seed oils, like canola oil, in their food.
Doctors and nurses will also need to complete a onehour training on nutrition and metabolic health. The various measures will begin to take effect as early as 2026 through 2028.
When it comes to schools, Louisiana districts will not be allowed to serve certain additives and artificial colors in breakfasts and lunches (after-school snacks and con-
alleged that Guidry “was placed on the (LDWF) commission by and would take actions as directed by Montoucet.”
From about May 2020 until June 2022, the three men allegedly conspired in a kickback scheme in which DGL1 would allegedly reserve for Montoucet and Guidry some of the money it received from those taking the online courses.
The indictment alleges $122,508 was held as a kickback for Montoucet until he completed his term as Wildlife and Fisheries secretary After Montoucet’s retirement, Franques and Guidry allegedly were supposed to hire Montoucet and pay his
cession stands are exempt). Many of these ingredients are found in cereals, candies and colorful drinks.
Jacqueline Richard, the president of the School Nutrition Association of Louisiana, is vocal in her opposition to the legislation. A registered dietitian and the school nutrition director for Calcasieu Parish, she said the soon-tobe banned ingredients are “seemingly random” and not well researched.
“I hated the whole thing,” Richard said of the legislative process. “It was so very performative. Those things will do very little to help the health of children. There are other things that would.”
‘That means nothing’
But as the bill made its way through the Legislature, she found herself agreeing with the lawmakers on the idea of increasing local food in schools.
As she and others point out, local ingredients can be healthier than food transported far distances, as it is often fresher and less processed. The short travel and typically smaller-scale, sustainable operations also mean buying local food is better for the environment
The Legislature added an amendment that would require all schools that receive state funds to purchase at least 20 percent of their food from Louisiana farmers. But there was a problem: No additional funding was granted.
Complying with it in the absence of the USDA program would be a nightmare, Richard said. So the nutrition association urged lawmakers to remove the specific number and provide funding for local food in schools.
Instead, the final draft of
kickbacks as a purported “signing bonus,” in order to conceal the true nature of the funds.
Franques pleaded guilty in January in a plea deal with federal prosecutors to one felony count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Guidry pleaded guilty in April of 2023 for his alleged involvement in the Wildlife and Fisheries scheme and another involving the pretrial diversion program in the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Lafayette. Neither has been sentenced.
Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.
In the absence of longterm funding, schools likely will forgo local food entirely or buy cheaper commodities grown at a larger scale in Louisiana, like rice and sweet potatoes, said Marguerite Green, the director of the Louisiana Food Policy Action Council and an urban farmer in New Orleans. Previously, the federal program had allowed schools to buy more expensive, specialty
“When students know where their food comes from, they will be more likely to develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime,” she said.
Farmers unsure Farmers involved in the USDA program are struggling to prepare for an uncertain school year
Richard said that growers who sold food to schools in her area feel uncomfortable committing to the program
BY MARY CLARE JALONICK and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Trump administration on Tuesday postponed classified briefings for Senate and House members as lawmakers look for more answers about President Donald Trump’s directed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend and his announcement on Monday that the two countries had reached a ceasefire agreement.
The Senate briefing has been rescheduled for Thursday so that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio can attend, according to multiple people with knowledge of the scheduling change who would only discuss it on the condition of anonymity
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said on social media that the House briefing will now be held on Friday, “details to follow.”
Trump proclaimed on social media that Israel and Iran had agreed that there will be an “Official END” of their conflict. That tentative truce briefly faltered Tuesday when Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, but Trump later declared it was “in effect!”
The separate briefings for the House and Senate were to be led by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, along with Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and deputy secretaries of state Christopher Landau and Steve Feinberg.
Democrats in Congress,
along with some Republicans, have many questions about Trump’s unilateral decision to launch military action, arguing he should have gone to Congress for approval — or at least provided more justification for the attacks. Congress has not received any new intelligence since Gabbard told lawmakers in March that the U.S. believed Iran was not building a new nuclear weapon, according to two people familiar with the intelligence The people insisted on anonymity to share what Congress has been told.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said it is “outrageous” that the administration postponed the briefings.
“There is a legal obligation for the administration to inform Congress about precisely what is happening,” Schumer said. “What are they afraid of? Why won’t they engage Congress in the critical details?
California Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic caucus, said that lawmakers “need evidence, we need details and we need to know them now.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, defended the administration’s handling of the information, saying the briefings were postponed because “the situation is still developing” amid the recent ceasefire announcement
Many lawmakers feel they have been left in the dark on what led to the strikes and amid escalating tensions between the White House and Congress over the role of the United States internationally — disagreements that don’t always fall along party lines. Democrats have been generally suspicious of the Republican president’s strategy, and his motives abroad, but some believe the U.S. could have a role in supporting Israel against Iran. Others
Supreme Court asked to allow Sudan-bound deportation flight
BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to clear the way for the deportation of several immigrants to South Sudan, a war-ravaged country where they have no ties.
The motion comes a day after the justices allowed immigration officials to restart quick deportations to third countries, halting a lower-court order that had allowed migrants to challenge removals to countries where they could be in danger
But Judge Brian Murphy in Boston found the deportation flight diverted to Djibouti in May couldn’t immediately resume its
path to South Sudan. While he acknowledged the Supreme Court decision pausing his broader order, he said his ruling on that flight remained in place. The migrants must still get a chance to argue in court that they’d be in danger of torture if sent there, he found.
The Trump administration pushed back in a court filing, calling the judge’s finding “a lawless act of defiance that, once again, disrupts sensitive diplomatic relations and slams the brakes on the Executive’s lawful efforts to effectuate third-country removals.”
Attorneys for the migrants say they could face “imprisonment, torture and even death” if sent to South Sudan, the world’s newest and one of its poorest countries. South Sudan has
endured waves of violence since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, and escalating political tensions in the African nation have threatened to devolve into another civil war The push comes amid a sweeping immigration crackdown by Trump’s Republican administration, which has pledged to deport millions of people who are living in the United States illegally Because some countries do not accept their citizens deported from the U.S., the administration has reached agreements with other countries, including Panama and Costa Rica, to house immigrants. Murphy, who was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, didn’t prohibit deportations to third countries.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in
BRIEFS
FROM WIRE REPORTS
Stocks near all-time high, oil prices tumble
U.S. stocks rose towardtheir all-time high on Tuesdayafter oilprices eased furtheronhopes that Israel’swar with Iran will not damage the global flow of crude. The S&P 500climbed 1.1%, following up on big gains for stocks across Europe and Asia, afterPresident DonaldTrump said late Monday that Israeland Iran had agreed to a“complete and total ceasefire.” The main measure of Wall Street’s health is back within 0.8% of its record set in February after falling roughly 20% below duringthe spring.
The Dow JonesIndustrial Averagejumped 507points, or 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.4%.
The strongestaction was again in the oil market, where a barrel of benchmark U.S.crude fell 6% to settle at $64.37.Brent crude, the international standard, had asimilar drop The fear throughout theIsrael-Iran conflict has been that it could squeeze the world’ssupply of oil, which wouldpump up prices for gasoline and hurt the global economy.
Oilprices beganfalling sharply on Monday after Iran launched what appeared to be alimited retaliatory strike to the United States’entry into the war,one that did nottargetthe production or movement of oil. They kept falling even after attacks continued past adeadline to stop hostilities early Tuesday Consumer confidence drops on concerns
U.S. consumer confidence unexpectedly declined in June, underscoring lingering anxiety aboutthe potential impacts on the economy and job market from higher U.S. import duties.
The Conference Board’s gauge of confidence decreased 5.4 points to 93, data showed Tuesday.The figure was below all estimates in aBloomberg survey of economists.
Ameasureofconsumerexpectations for the next six months dropped 4.6 points, as the share of respondents anticipating better business conditions fell by the most in more than two years. Thegauge of present conditions fell 6.4 points.
The retreatinconfidence erased nearly half of the prior month’srebound that was due to atemporaryagreement between the U.S. and China to roll back extreme tariffs.This month’sretreatsuggestsconsumers will remain guarded about their spending
“In this kind of environment, it’snot surprising thatconsumers are hesitant to make big purchases,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, saidinanote.
“They are sitting on the sidelines and only buying homes, cars and appliances if they absolutely must. This is an ‘abundance of caution economy.’
The cutoff date for the Conference Board survey wasJune 18, fivedaysafterIsrael launched aseries of strikes on Iranian targets.
References to geopolitics increased only slightly in write-in responses, according to the survey.Tariffs remain top of mind among those surveyed.
Waymo’srobotaxis expand to Atlanta
Waymo’srobotaxis began carrying passengers through parts of Atlanta on Tuesday in an expansion of apartnership with Uber’sride-hailing service that began earlier this yearinAustin. The robotaxis willinitially cover a65-square-milearea withinthe Atlanta marketbefore expanding to alarger stretch.
Waymo’sdriverless march into Atlanta comes just days after Tesla finally launched alimited robotaxi service in Austin, more thanfive yearsafter CEO Elon Musk promised the electric automaker would quickly overtake Waymo as the leader in autonomous driving technology
Fedratecut on hold,Powellsays
Trump, chairatodds over reductions
BY CHRIS RUGABER AP economics writer
WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve will continuetowait and see howthe economy evolvesbefore deciding whethertoreduce its key interest rate, Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday,astance directly at odds with President Donald Trump’scalls for immediate cuts.
“For the time being, we are wellpositioned to wait to learnmore about the likely course of the economy before considering any
adjustments to our policy stance,” Powell said in testimonyTuesday before the House Financial Services Committee.
Several Republicans on the committee pushed Powelltoconsider reducingborrowingcosts more quickly,assoon as its next meeting at theend of July.But on the whole, thehearing wasuniformly polite and Powell did not face sharp criticism over theFed’s decision to leave its rate unchanged.
Membersofboth parties thanked Powell for maintaining his focus on the Fed’sdual mission of controlling inflationand supporting maximum employment. Powell hasoften cited hissupport
in Congress as abulwark against Trump’sattacks.
next couple of months before making any changes.
Trump lashed out again early Tuesday, posting on hissocial media site: “I hope Congress really worksthisverydumb, hardheaded person,over. We will be paying for his incompetence for many years to come.”
Several Republicans asked Powellwhy the central bank has yet to lower borrowing costs. Powellresponded that most economists,inside and outside the Fed, still expect tariffs to push inflation higher,and Fed policymakers want to see what happens over the
“Wedoexpect tariff inflation to show up more,” Powell said. “Wereally don’tknow how much of that’sgoing to be passed throughthe consumer.We have to wait and see.”
Under questioning, Powell acknowledged that tariffs might notpush up inflation as much as economists forecast. That,hesaid,could lead the Fed to reduce rates more quickly. Asharp rise in theunemployment rate could also spur the Fedtocut borrowing costs more quickly,hesaid.
EPAhints at planstoshut down Energy Star offices
BY CALEIGHWELLS Associated Press
TWINSBURG, Ohio WhenJudySautner recently walked into Power Appliance,a store in asoutheastern suburb of Cleveland, she had one goal in mind: replace herdaughter’s broken dryerwithsomething that worked and didn’tbreak the bank.
“I wasn’treally worried aboutall the bells and whistles,”said Sautner Jay Buchanan, the store’sowner,said many customers are like Sautner,and what theyare looking for frequently ends up beinganappliancewith the Energy Starsymbol.
The U.S.-based program claims that its blue sealofapprovalonefficientappliances saves householdsanaverageof$450 on their bills per year.Sinceits launch in 1992, Energy Star appliances have alsoprevented 4billionmetric tons of greenhouse gasemissions, the main cause of climate change. Butthe program’sfuture is unclear. The EnvironmentalProtection Agencyhas announcedanagency reorganization planthat would eliminateits Energy Star offices. That would make it more difficult forcustomers to find energy-efficient appliances.
Company must face trialonpirated books
BY MATT O’BRIEN AP technologywriter
In atest case for the artificial intelligenceindustry,a federal judge has ruledthatAIcompany Anthropic didn’t break thelaw by trainingits chatbot Claude on millions of copyrightedbooks. But the companyisstill on the hookand mustnow go to trial over how it acquired those books by downloading them from online “shadow libraries” of pirated copies.
U.S. DistrictJudge William Alsup of SanFranciscosaid in aruling
Energy Star is avoluntary labeling program. The EPAsets energyefficiencystandards for various machines,and then companies that producethemcan trytohit or exceed those standards. If they do, they get theEnergyStarsticker certifyingitworks as well as astandardproduct and usesless energy.
Companies are incentivizedtomake products thatearn that stickerbecause state and local utilityrebate programs, along with federal taxincentives, base qualifying appliances on theprogram.Consumerswho want to save moneythroughincentives andlower gas and electric bills know to look forit. And according to the program’swebsite, roughly 90% of households recognize the symbol. Qualifying specifications varydepending on theappliance,but requirementsinclude theamount of energy consumed when amachine is turnedoff, theinclusion of alowpower or “sleep”modeand aminimum efficiencyrating when it’soperating.
Finding andbuying energy-efficient productswithout that certification wouldn’tbe impossible, just difficult,said Elizabeth Hewitt, associate professor of technology andsociety at Stony Brook University
“You have to become areally savvy shopper,”she said. It would mean consumers searching for, say,adishwasher,would have to put together alistofoptions,gather specifications that
filed late Mondaythatthe AI system’sdistilling from thousandsof writtenworks to be able to produce its own passagesoftextqualifiedas “fair use”under U.S. copyright law because it was “quintessentially transformative.”
“Like any reader aspiring to be awriter,Anthropic’s(AI large language models)trainedupon works not to race ahead and replicateor supplant them —but to turn ahard corner and create something different,” Alsup wrote.
But while dismissing akey claim made by the group of authors who suedthe company for copyright infringement last year,Alsup also said Anthropic muststill go to trial in December over itsalleged theft of their works.
come with eachproduct, compare them,and recognize whichnumbers indicate that the dishwasher is energy efficient.
Specifications for awashing machine, for example, might include how many clothes can fit in aload, the gallons of water per load and the electricity required to run acycle, while afurnace’sspecs focus on how good it is at converting energy into heat, how much of that heat leaks andhow well itsfan does at blowing hot air into the house.
Converting all those numbers into asingle seal of approval would be complicated.
“Unless they’re deep into analytics, they’re notgonna freakin’ know,”saidBuchanan.
Buchanan said his customersusually ask forhelp finding energy-efficient appliances. So if that seal of approval disappears, it’ll change his life more than the lives of his customers. He said he’ll have to do the work to figure outwhichappliances will saveon energy bills.
The concern, said Executive Director Ben Stapleton with U.S. Green Building Council California, anonprofit focused on sustainablebuilding,isthatextraset of steps will deter people from prioritizing energy efficiency
“Ifwe’re justrelying on the manufacturer and relying on peopletogothrough the manual to see what the power draw is,it’shard to imagine that being effective,” he said.
“Anthropic had no entitlement to usepirated copies for its central library,” Alsup wrote. Atrio of writers —Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber and Kirk Wallace Johnson —alleged in their lawsuit lastsummer that Anthropic’s practices amounted to “large-scale theft,” and that the company “seeks to profit from strip-mining the human expression andingenuity behind each one of those works.” As the case proceeded over the pastyear in San Francisco’sfederal court, documents disclosed in court showed Anthropic’sinternal concerns about the legality of their use of online repositories of pirated works.Sothe companylater shifted itsapproach andattempted to purchase copies of digitized books.
“ThatAnthropic later bought a copy of abook it earlier stoleoff the internet will not absolve it of liabilityfor thetheft but it may affect the extent of statutory damages,” Alsup wrote.
The ruling could set aprecedent for similar lawsuits that have piled up against Anthropic competitor OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT,as well as against Meta Platforms, the parentcompany of Facebook and Instagram. Anthropic —foundedbyexOpenAI leaders in 2021 —has marketeditself as themoreresponsibleand safety-focused developer of generative AI models that can compose emails, summarize documents and interact with people in a natural way.
Pope offers message to priests studying
BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press
ROME PopeLeo XIV
kicked off aweeklongcelebration of Catholic clergy Tuesday by encouraging seminarians to be joyful and honest, offering an uplifting message afterPope Francis frequently castigated priests and decried what he called thesin of “clericalism.”
History’sfirst American pope presided over a rollicking encounterwith thousands of young men who were in Rome for a special Jubilee week celebrating seminarians, priests and bishops.
Tuesday’sencounter turned St. Peter’sBasilica into something resembling aconcert venue, with seminarians waving their national flags, interrupting Leo frequently with applause and shouts of “Papa Leone” and straining against barricades to kiss his ring as he passed. In his remarks, Leo thanked the seminarians for agreeing to devote their lives to the churchand said that with their energy “you fuel the flame of hope in thelife of the church.” He urged them to be brave, joyful, truthful and not hide behind masks or live hypocritical lives.
“You also have to learn to giveanameand voice to sadness, fear, anxiety and indignation, bringing everything before God,” the Augustinian pope told them. “Crises, limitations, fragilities aren’ttobehidden, but are rather occasions for grace.” Francis also frequently met with seminarians, priests and bishops. But he oftenhad amessage of tough love, railing against what he called clericalism, or the tendency to put priests and clergy on apedestal. For Francis, clericalism was the root of many of the church’sproblems, especially the clergy sex abuse and cover-up scandal, given how he said it can contribute to abuses of powerand authority While offering amore positive message, Leo citedmanyofFrancis’ concerns in urging seminarians to accompany the poor and lamenting today’s “throwawayculture.” The seminarians interrupted him with applause when he cited Francis by name. The message of encouragement may also have been aimed at addressing the Catholic Church’s chronic hemorrhaging of the number of clergy
Avoyelles. In allofthese, hewasn’tsimplya board memberattendingmeet‐ings. He putinthe work blood,sweat,tears,(and often hispersonalmoney) toget theorganizations off the ground andopera‐tional. He also served as President of theCottonport Service Club,Cottonport JayceeChapter,and the MarksvilleHighQuarter‐backClub. Always avision‐ary,and oftentoo far ahead of histime, Glenn had avisionfor qualityed‐ucation in AvoyellesParish going back to the1970s and 1980s whenheunsuc‐cessfully ranfor represen‐tativeand school board. It wasn’tuntil 1998 that he began to gain traction with his vision forquality edu‐cationfrombirth through 12thgrade,bybuilding great teamsthathelped him follow throughwith foundingAvoyellesPublic Charter School andthe AvoyellesEarly Childhood Development Center.He didn’trelax in retirement Around 2015, Glennbegan working to modernize AvoyellesParish govern‐mentbyrestructuring it fromonlytwo branches of governmentintothree, which is more typicalof federal,state,and local governments across the UnitedStates. He setupta‐blesatvarious locations throughoutthe parish and spoke to anyone who would listen to buildsup‐portfor theeffort. It took years of starts,stops,per‐sistenceand determina‐tion, butin2024 enough signatureswerecollected ona petition.Heeventually evenhad to go to courtto see theinitiativethrough Finally,after 10 yearsof timeand energy expended, itwillbeonthe ballot for voterslater this year.Early inlife, Glennlearned the art of conversation grow‐ing up in hisdad’s general store in therural Dora Bendarea, betweenCot‐tonport andEvergreen.As a boy, he spoke with the local farmersand people who wouldcomeintothe store,and later, themen who came fora drinkinthe bar.That skillservedhim wellthroughoutlife, as he looked at everystrangeras anopportunity to con‐verse,and perhapslearn something new, make a businessconnection, share a laugh, andjust maybe, makea “new best friend.”
One of thosenew best friends washis beloved wife, Jo,who remained to‐getherthroughouttheir lives andweremarried for 50years.Theymet at the Briar Patchwhile on adou‐ble date,and danced the night away together be‐cause theirdates didn’t want to dance. Together, theyembracedlifetoan extentweall dreamof, but few ever do.Theyloved great restaurants, great bars, great music, and great times. He didn’t mind breakingsocialnorms,and would oftenwanderinto the kitchentostart acon‐versation with the chef while dining out. When theyweren’t outcelebrat‐ing,theyoften threwleg‐endarydinnerparties at home. Glennwas also known to be an outstand‐ing cook.Moreofa “camp man”thana hunter,he loved cookingbig meals duringhuntingseasonor for Sunday lunchwiththe family. He couldbaketoo and oftenmadewonderful homemadebread and beignetsfor hisgrandkids whomhecherished dearly Sodearly, in fact,thatthey asked fora blueberry bush and insteadheplanted an entirefruit orchardwhen hewas 82 yearsold.He was abeloved family man tohis wife,sons, andsib‐lings,and wasalways passing alonglifelessons and wordsofwisdom. Any‐onewho knew Glennknew
DEATHS continued from he expected qualitywork and effort from everyone; hewas driven,demanding, but also fair, andoften wentout of hisway to qui‐etlyhelpfriends,family, employees,orwhomever whentheyneeded help the most. He also expected those around himtotreat everyoneequally and fairly. He cherishedhis em‐ployees,who were more likefamilytohim.Remark‐ably, Glennwas diagnosed withdyslexiawhile in his 30s. Duetogeneral lack of awareness andremaining undiagnosed,hestruggled withreading andtest-tak‐ing hisentirechildhood and earlyadult life.His doctorwas surprisedto learn he finished college. Everthe businessman, he spent most of hiscommu‐nityefforts where society would seethe greatest benefitfor hisinvestment oftimeand money: namely intothe betterment of chil‐drenand theireducation Hevehementlybelieved thatevery childcould learn,and if they weren’t there wasa reason.Glenn was predeceasedbyhis parents,Leonard Joseph Goudeau andMamie Chatelain Goudeau; his brother Stuart Leonard Goudeau,Sr.;and his beloved wife Priscilla“Jo MorganGoudeau.Those lefttocherish hismemory include hissister, Cheryl Goudeau of Metairie;his two sons,BeauGoudeau of Lafayette andJacques Goudeau andwife, Melissa Smith Goudeauof Marksvilleand hisfour grandchildren,Andre and Henri GoudeauofLafayette and Remy andJolie Goudeau of Marksville.All childrencan learntoread, and dyslexia is most treat‐ablewhendiscoveredearly inlife. It is estimatedthat 15% of allschoolchildren havedyslexia, anditrepre‐sents thevastmajorityof all learning disabilities Early diagnosisisalways important.Because of in‐urnment at alater date,in‐stead of flowers, Glenn would have preferreddo‐nations to offerfreediag‐nosis andtreatment of dyslexiainAvoyelles Parish. Donationstothis effort canbemadein memoryofGlenn Goudeau tothe “AvoyellesEducation Foundation,”and sent to the foundation account heldatthe Central Louisiana Community Foundation, P.O. Box7432, Alexandria, LA,71306. All fundswillgototreat dyslexiainAvoyelles Parish. http://www.mel anconfunerals.com
SauterSr.,FranklinA
FranklinA.Sauter, Sr., 91.VisitationwillbeobservedatFountain Memorial FuneralHomein LafayetteonThursday, June 26, 2025, from9:00 am until thetime of serviceat 11:00 am. Online obituary and guest book may be viewedatwww.fountainm emorialfuneralhome.com. Fountain Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery, 1010 Pandora St.337-981-7098 is in chargeofarrangements.
Sherryl MilnerVerdugo, 80, abeloved figure of Lafayettefor many years, went to meetour Lord on June 22, 2025. She was born in JenningsonDecember 6, 1944. She graduated from Jennings HighSchool in 1962. She receivedher bachelor's degree from LouisianaTech in 1966 and later went on to receive her master's degree, also in education. Sherrylwas an educator in Louisiana for 30 years, 22 of thosein Lafayetteparish. She retired in 1998 fromEdgard Martin. Her6th gradestudents willremember her as Mrs. Wilson. For27 years, she was aloyal member of First Baptist in Broussard.She also enjoyed teaching Sunday schoolclasses in which
she wasalways well prepared to share the gospel OurpreciousSherryl is survived by herdevoted son, Dirk Odom; siblings, Wayne(Marti)Milner, Carol (Mike)Regan,and Jerry(Cindy) Milner;many nieces andnephews; 10 grandchildren; andher first husband, JackOdom. Shewas preceded in death by herparents, Wilsonand Louise Milner; hersecondhusband,Doug Wilson; andher beloved husband, Jesus Verdugo. Jesus wasthe love of her life.
Visitation serviceswill be held on Friday, June 27, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM at Delhomme Funeral Home in Lafayette. Afuneralservice will be held at First Baptist in Broussard by Pastor Weldon Moak on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM with visitation beginning at 8:00 AM until time of service In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to the American CancerSociety.
Sherryl will be rememberedasa loving,beautiful, generous, and most of all faithfulwoman of God. Sheloved and enjoyedher familyand friends almost as much as herchocolate
Special thanks to Dr. Cain, Oncologist; Patricia Ledet, caregiver; and Hospice of Acadiana. Personal condolences may be sent to the Verdugofamilyat: www.de lhommefuneralhome.com Sherryl MilnerVerdugo andher familywerecared for andentrustedfinal arrangements to Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 BertrandDrive, Lafayette, LA. CopyrightDelhomme Funeral Homes, Inc. June 2025.
Verdugo, Sherryl Milner
Cassidy voices concerns over vaccine panel Senator calls for meeting postponement
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON
— After weeks of staying mostly quiet about Health
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s remaking of an influential committee that advises the federal government on vaccinations, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy on Monday night voiced concerns about the new members and called for postponing its scheduled two-day meeting slated to be-
Carencro High barn may be unsafe
Permitless work draws scrutiny
BY LESLIE TURK
leslie@thecurrentla.com
In the planning stages since the beginning of 2024, the agricultural barn at Carencro High School was supposed to go up quickly and cheaply School officials hoped to get students’ animals in by the winter
But going to bid would add 60 days. So the project was chopped into components to move things along. Avoiding the bid process also meant the selection of a contractor would involve less scrutiny
As of June 22, the ag barn was unable to be used And regulators say some of the work along the way has been inferior, raising concern that the structure was unsafe for occupancy
The Lafayette Parish school system facility has failed two inspections, including its electrical installment that for weeks posed a shock risk due to exposed outdoor wires.
“Technically, it’s really not safe. A kid could go out there and get electrocuted,” Rodney “Cooney” Richard, of Building Code Inspection Services, a local company that contracts with about two dozen municipalities, told The Current after a mid-May impromptu inspection.
The electrical work was done without a required permit. Richard’s company visited the site on May 13, discovered the faulty electrical work and rejected it Building code inspectors also later rejected the planned overhead doors because they did not meet wind load design requirements
“That’s what we’re here for,” Richard says, “to make sure things are done right.”
The wind load requirements added to the cost of the overhead doors. And even though the facility will house animals, it has no plumbing and no real plan to deal with animal waste. The school system has come under scrutiny for its project management procedures — from skipping critical due diligence
gin Wednesday.
Cassidy, a strong promoter of vaccinations over his 30 years as a medical doctor, was initially reserved in his reaction to Kennedy’s June 9 “retiring” of 17 scientists on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Kennedy, a longtime skeptic of vaccinations, said the Trump administration wanted members
more closely aligned with the president.
“A clean sweep is needed to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” he stated. Kennedy named eight new members, including some who have used conservative media platforms to voice skepticism about vaccines.
Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, said June 10 that he would reserve comment until he completed research on the backgrounds of Kennedy’s
picks. He did not comment much publicly until Monday night.
“Although the appointees to ACIP have scientific credentials, many do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology or immunology,” Cassidy wrote on X. “In particular, some lack experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines, and may even have a preconceived bias against them.”
Cassidy added that robust scientific discussion rooted in evidence is a necessary component of the panel’s advice.
“Wednesday’s meeting should not proceed with a relatively small panel, and no CDC Director in place to approve the panel’s recommendations. The meeting should be delayed until the panel is fully staffed with more robust and balanced representation — as required by law — including those with more direct relevant expertise,” Cassidy wrote. “Otherwise, ACIP’s recommendations could be viewed with skepticism, which will work against the success of this Administration’s
ä See BARN, page 4B ä See
A houseboat named Shine Down, measuring 120 feet long and with an 11,800-square-feet floor plan on three decks, is towed on Bayou Teche in New Iberia on Sunday. Breaux Brothers Enterprises, of Loreauville, built the custom vessel, which is solar powered, has many rooms plus a swimming pool and garage for a tender and jet skis
Going down the bayou
$10M Loreauville houseboat begins journey to Fla.
Staff report
“Shine Down,” a stunning 120-foot luxury houseboat built by Breaux Brothers Enterprises in Loreauville, left Loreauville on Monday via Bayou Teche.
The houseboat, valued at $10 million, is on its way to Apalachicola, Florida.
Iberia Parish President M Larry Richard gave a big shout-out to Breaux Brothers Enterprises.
“This kind of action on Bayou Teche truly highlights the world-class craftsmanship happening right here in Iberia Parish. A huge hats off to Breaux Brothers Enterprises for continuously putting our community on the map,” he said.
Breaux Brothers described the float-
ing mansion as “an entirely new concept in sustainable, off-grid, luxury living.”
The 120-foot all-aluminum houseboat is powered by 108 solar panels and features four king-size bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen with dumbwaiter service, two laundry rooms and a sun deck with a pool.
Breaux Brothers said they’ve worked with the owners of Shine Down for about three years to bring the boat from concept to reality
Two Carencro police officers fired, reports say
Officials say father, son involved in shooting
BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer
The father of a Carencro police officer arrested in a June 14 shooting also was arrested during the investigation, and
they’ve both been fired from the Police Department, according to reports.
Zachary Segura, 25, was arrested and booked on negligent injury after a June 14 shooting of a woman in a car in Youngsville.
Last week, Carencro Police Chief David Anderson confirmed Segura had been placed on administrative leave with pay, and the department also launched an internal affairs investigation
into the officer Segura’s father, Eric Segura, 54, also worked for the Carencro Police Department. Eric Segura is also a former Youngsville police officer, Youngsville Police Chief JP Broussard confirmed.
The shooting occurred about 9 p.m. June 14 at the intersection of Youngsville Highway and Copper Meadows Boulevard.
The woman was found in a vehicle suffering from a single gunshot wound. She was transported to a local hospital and was listed in stable condition. Anderson called the shooting accidental.
Records show Eric Segura was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on June 19 on a warrant accusing him of resisting an officer interfering with a law enforcement investigation and aggravated assault.
PHOTO By LEE BALL
CASSIDY, page 4B
Tackling absenteeism is next step in improving La.schools
We have tracked the gains in Louisiana students’ educational achievement with asense of pride, noting how the statebecameastandout across the nation in fourth gradereading scores afterthe pandemic. We have lauded the evidence-based strategieslaid outbySuperintendent of Education CadeBrumleyand others that focus on basics and emphasize increased support for those lagging behind.
But there is agroup that is notbenefiting from this rising tide. And those are students whoare chronicallyabsent from school. We arepleased to see that the state is addressing this problem with anew program called “Power of Presence” thatseeks to reduce chronic absenteeismby2% each year.Ifsuccessful, that would mean 45,000 more children regularlyattending school by the 2027-28 school year The initiative gives districtsguidelinesto boost attendance using simple strategiesfor prevention and intervention at thecommunity level —actions like sending notes home aftera student has several absences andsitting down with at-risk students to work on solutions. It was piloted fortwo years byBakerHigh School, which saw its share of chronically absent students decline by 13 percentage points That’s impressive, and we hope it will work in other schools. Louisiana, forall its education success in recent years,is oneofthe few states that has seen an uptick in chronic absenteeism. Last year,nearly1in4studentswere classified as chronically absent, up threepercentage points from the previous year,statedatashows. Bringingthese studentsback to the classroom on aconsistent basis is key to our continued educational success. We are glad to seethatstate leaders are not simply resting on their laurels and instead are constantly seekingout ways to serve our students well. High rates of absenteeism and truancy can lead to lower test scores and put students on apath that ends up in the criminal justice system, studies show The“Power of Presence” guidelinesgive districts aframework they can use to attack the problem by engaging with studentsand parents, not just punishing them. Andwhile no district is required to use the guidelines, state officials say they will be actively working with districts facing high rates of absenteeism. It alsohelps putdistricts on the same page when it comes to tracking absences, using the samecriteria on when to label absences excused or unexcused. This uniformity should help the stateidentify where problems are most acute We cannot highlight thework of the state Department of Education enough. Brumleyand his team are showing daily what adifferenceit makes to have competent leadershiplaser-focusedonsolving issues ourstate hasstruggled with for decades. Toooften in Louisiana,weresign ourselvestobelievingthat this is just how it is, change will never come. That’s onelesson we need to unlearn.
OPINION
Cassidymusthelpkeepsmall business taxcreditflying
At Fly Guys,webelieve that innovationdoesn’thave to be limited to Silicon Valley.We’ve built afast-growing drone technology company right here in Lafayette focused on making job sites safer operations moreefficient and datamore powerful for industries thatdrive our economy —fromconstruction and energy to infrastructure and agriculture. But like so many small businesses in underserved areas, our growthwasn’t guaranteed. It took grit, vision and afair shotatopportunity. And it was made possible, in part,byapowerful federal tool that too few people know about: theNew Markets TaxCredit program.
This program has been agame-changer —not just for Fly Guys, but for countless small businesses and projects across Louisiana and the country.Ithas driven $6.7 billion of investment to Louisiana’s ruraltowns and disinvested communities thattraditionallendersoften overlook. Despiteits proven track recordof revitalizing communities,the tax credit program was not included in the Housepassed reconciliation bill. And unless
the Senate includes in its reconciliation package —and unless the House agrees to keep it there—the program will simply disappear.That would be amistake withreal consequences, especially for Louisiana.
This program is pro-growth and empowers entrepreneurs to stay in the state. At Fly Guys,the NewMarkets TaxCredit capital allowed us to expand our team and investincutting-edge drones and data science technology in Acadiana. Thankfully,wehave apowerful champion in Sen. Bill Cassidy,who has consistently stood up forLouisiana’ssmall businesses.
Cassidy saved the Historic TaxCredit program in the last Republican reconciliation, and Iurge him to fight for the inclusion of the New Markets TaxCredit in the Senate’sreconciliation bill.
The future of innovation in Louisiana —and in communities like Lafayette acrossthe nation —depends on forwardthinking,economic-focusedpolicylike New Markets
JOE STOUGH CEO,Fly Guys
Former governor’s forum asuccess
The McLeod Lecture Series at McNeese State University recently hosted “Two Governors: Getting Results Against the Odds,” which featured former Massachusetts Gov.Charlie Baker and Louisiana’sformer Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, whoshared their experiences and lessons learned from working with legislatures across party lines. This program was arousing success, and we would like to thank the community forcoming out to support it. We send our heartfelt appreciation to the people and organizations whohelped host and promotethe event in the community: The McNeese Banners Series, led by Dr.Brook Hanemann and Randy Partin, McNeese President Wade Rousse and McNeese Administration fortheir worktoproduce the program,and McNeese Athletics V.P. Heath Schroyer and his team forhosting the gathering of student athletes with Edwards, and Charlie Baker in his role as president of the NCAA.
Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence
TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.
TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE
Steve Cochran’sguest columnonthe Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion nailed thereasons why Gov.Jeff Landry is attempting to stop this project.It appears Landry is more interested in moving the funding for thediversion to his projectsand their contractors, rather than implementing the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan Imagine the“good will” Landry will generatefor himself by awarding billions of dollars in construction contracts. The Louisiana Coastal Master Plan,developed by thestate’sown Coastal Protection andRestoration Authority,isanchored in 20 years of science-based research. The plan was
approved by theArmyCorps of Engineers and supported by three previous governors and by every environmental organization in Louisiana. At this point, we have not heard what makes up Landry’scoastal plan and whether or not it will be developed through atransparentpublic process. We call on our Louisiana legislators to stop Landry from dismantling the Mid-Barataria SedimentDiversion developed by theCoastal Protection and Restoration Authority.How manymore years must Louisiana wait before we begin rebuilding ourcoast?
R. LARRYSCHMIDT NewOrleans
We very much appreciate the media coverage throughout the state provided by the TimesPicayune |Advocate newspapers. We particularly thank Stephanie Grace, editorial page director and columnist forthe newspapers for serving as program moderator, and Baker and Edwards foraccepting our invitation to come to Lake Charles and giving of their timeand insights so freely For anyone interested is seeing the program,C-GOV Community Television did an excellent job of videoing the program,and it is now available on their YouTube channel
Thank you to everyone involved!
PAUL HARTMILLER SARA MCLEOD JUDSON McLeod committee co-chairs
Isaw video of U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla being wrestled out of HomelandSecurity Secretary KristiNoem’snews conference and then forced to the ground. His crime? Padilla was attempting to ask a question. Aquestion! Let me repeat that. AUnited States senator was dragged out of anews conference and forced to theground for attempting to ask aquestion.Why? Isn’tthis why we hold news conferences in this country? To clarify matters? To ask and answer questions? Is this thefate that awaits U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy if they ever need information from Noem? Iamsick. Ihonestly thought Ilived in theUnited States of America. Do Ineed to stop sending tax money to the IRS and the Department of Revenue? Should Isend it to the Kremlin instead?
ELIZABETH BROOKS Slaughter
should notbecasting stones
To discover and eradicate waste, fraud and abuse, one needs to look no further than 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C. ROSE MARYWILLIAMS Baton Rouge
An exampleoffaith in Iraq
“It’samazing to see people living the Christian faith —and especially when they don’thave to.” That’swhatChaldean Paul Thabet Habib Yousif Al Mekko of Alqosh in Iraq told me during an interview two years ago.Asoft-spoken man, he knew why he and his people werefollowing Christ. They were given an ultimatum by ISIS: Convert or die. So they left their homes, and Bishop Thabet helped lead his people to afuture with Christ, in a church rebuilt.
and sisters in Iraq. We did, after all, have something to do withthe interventions that made their lives worse, creatingthe instability that made the Islamic terrorism that sought to eliminate Christianity in the regionpossible.
Just short of 50, BishopThabet has now died after along illness that had been slowly wearing him down.Hehas been buried near his friend,the Rev Ragheed Aziz Ganni, who was martyred by Islamic extremistsonthe Sunday after Pentecostin2007. It would be appropriate to consider them both icons of freedom.
Iremembertalking withBishop Thabet at the annual Knights of Columbus convention, at which Thabet expressed hisgratitude for global Catholic fraternal organization’shelp in rebuilding the Catholic community in Karamlesh after the ISIS genocide. Of course, that’sthe least American Christians could do for their brothers
What wowed him was our desire to love and serve God, even when it might be abit of amishmash in our minds, hearts, and practice.
Thabet was apriest who pouredhimself out tohis people. But for him, that’sjust what you do.
Sitting with him in ahotel backroom, Iknewhewas prepared in some spiritual way to be martyred. It madesense to himthough, to be ready to give all when called to live in aland where Christianity is necessary,even if not alwayswelcome.
When Iasked Thabet to essentially download his wisdom and experience to us relatively spoiled and untroubled people, he probably thought Iwas silly.But he humored me. He modeled authenticity,albeit not explicitly,but by radiatingitwith his words and demeanor He said that what the genocide did was make clearthat aChristian’sidentity is in Christ and nothing else. So you
“fix your eyes on Christ.Inhis suffering. In his resurrection.” Thabet faced whole new levels of challenges on top of the violence and upheaval of recent years. Butitdidn’tdampen his spirits. “Wecan do it with Christ. We can rebuild. We can face new problems. With Christ. That’sgot to be your vision,”he said.
AndThabet wanted me—us —to understand somethingfundamental: He may have prayed in Aramaic and Arabic, and his English might have been sketchy,but we spoke thesame language: Christianity.It’sone the world comes to understand when they see that people believe it so much that they actually live it.
PopeFrancis often talked about how theBeatitudes are the identity cards of Christians. Bishop Thabet, by every testimonyI’ve heard over the years, lived the Beatitudes. If Iwere asked what to put on his tombstone, it might be: “Here are theearthly remains of a Christian.” As Christians do all kinds of non-Christian things, it is good to be reminded theChristian life is still possible. Thanks be to God for Bishop Thabet who reminded us.
Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.
Juneteenth came andwentThursday, but curiously,something seemed to be missing from the annualcelebration: acordialsalute fromthe president of the United States.
Well, sure,you might sayatthis point in ourpolitical history,after all, he’s Donald Trump. Whatdo we expect?The only timeswhen the master of Mar-a-Lago brings up adelicatetopic like America’s troubledracial history is when he can use it to bludgeon Democrats andotherliberals.
But it wasn’tlongago thatTrump regularly made apoint to mark Juneteenth, the holidaythathonorsthe freeing of enslavedAmericansbyhis Republican predecessorAbraham Lincoln. As The NewYorkTimesreported, Trump invokedJuneteenth in each of his first four years as president, before it wasa federalholiday.
It commemorates June 19, 1865, the dayUnion soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Texas, letting themknowtheyhad been legally freed by Lincoln’ssigning of the proclamation two yearsearlier.
Betterlatethannever.Muchbetter.
WhenaskedonThursdayabout Trump’sintentions to mark the holidayinthe traditionalpresidentialmanner, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answeredevasively,“I’mnot tracking his signature on aproclamationtoday.”
Thatwas strange,because by Leavitt’sown admission, Trump hadinthe past week issuedproclamations commemorating Father’sDay,FlagDay andNationalFlagWeek,and the 250thanniversary of the Battle of BunkerHill —noneofwhich areamong the 11 annualfederal holidays. Why does Trump feel differently aboutthe holidaynow?
Without mentioning Juneteenth by name, Trump bellyached on Truth Social:“Toomanynonworking holidays in America. It is costing ourCountry $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep allofthese businessesclosed. The workers don’twantiteither!”
Ah, yes, workers andtheir well-known aversion to paid holidays. He continued: “Soon we’ll enduphaving aholidayfor everyonceworking dayofthe year.It must change if we aregoing to,MAKE AMERICA GREATAGAIN!”
Thatsounds ominous. Is Trump planning to claw back paid holidays fromhard-working government employees? It occurredtome, as adescendant of freed slaves, thatperhaps Trump simply wants to downgrade ourday of jubilee.
True,back in his first term, Trump lavishly boasted: “I made Juneteenth very famous. It’sactually an important event, it’sanimportant time But nobody hadheardofit. Very fewpeople have heardofit.”(Thatwould be news to the millions of “nobodies” who spent yearseating soul food and pounds of traditional“redcake” to celebrate the day.)
Trump even spoke favorably aboutJuneteenth as afederal holiday, but he didn’tget around to making it officialbeforeheleftoffice. It wasJoe Bidenwho completedthattaskin2021. Whichmay explain Trump’snewfound hostility to the holiday. Whereas Joe Bidensought to mend the nation’sracial divisions afterthe George Floyd protests, Trump built his revanchist secondpresidencyonthe demonization of diversity
In ordering the bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran, PresidentDonald Trump did the right thing, for theright reason, and at the right time. As usual, some in the major media gotitwrong. The New York Times initially headlined: “U.S Enters WarAgainst Iran.” A Washington Post editorial said: “Trump did not prepare America for his war with Iran.”
theMiddle East, and around the world have died asa direct result of their hate. So many werekilled by their general,Qassim Soleimani. Idecided a long timeago that Iwould not let this happen. It will not continue.” Khamenei has reportedly retreated to abunker,asdid Adolf Hitler at the end of World WarII.
The U.S. has effectively been at warwith Iran since 1979, when “Iranian students” seized the American EmbassyinTehran and held 52 Americanshostages for 444 days before releasing them, apparently fearing what incomingpresident Ronald Reagan might do. Trump turned that fear into areality. In abrief Saturday night address, thepresident said all of Iran’snuclear capabilities were “obliterated,” though theextent of the damage has not yetbeen confirmed. He then warned any retaliatory strikes on Americans would be met with even more disaster forthe regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Addressing the “are we, or are we not at war with Iran,” the presidentsaid: “For 40 years,Iranhas beensaying deathtoAmerica, death to Israel. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off theirlegs, with roadside bombs. That wastheir specialty.Welost over 1,000 people and hundreds of thousandsthroughout
The difference is that Hitler committed suicide fearing capture by the Allies while Khamenei is said to be naming his successorsshould he be killed and is reported to have said he is willingtodie as amartyr.This is another majordifference between the two leaders. The defeat of Hitler squashed Nazism in Germany.Should Khamenei be toppled, it won’tcompletely defeat radical Islamism. That’sbecause it is avirus that does not respond to adiplomatic “vaccine.” Still, the bombing mayhave set back Iran’snuclear bomb capabilities for avery long time, hopefully forever
Some feckless European leaders were still pushing the diplomatic track, despite violations by Iran of previous agreements, until thebombing began. Afew still are.
Democrats are talking impeachment again (yawn). They ignore that their Nobel Peace Prize president,Barack Obama, bombed targetsinseven countries during his two terms without congressionalauthorization.
The isolationists have again been isolated. As former Israelidiplomat Yoram Ettinger has correctlystated in his newsletter: “Thewell-intentioned wish of Isolationists to militarily disengage from Islamic terrorism, establish peaceful coexistence, and be preoccupied withthe domestic agenda, must be based on global and Middle Eastreality; not on alternative reality. Thus, since theMuslim Barbary pirates of theearly 19th century,irrespective of U.S. policy,Sunni and ShiiteIslamic terrorism has been determined NOT to disengage from —but to intimidate, terrorize andsubjugate—the ‘infidel’ West, and especially the ‘Great American Satan,’ while establishing Islam as theonly legitimate, divinely ordained religion on earth.”
An act of war is atough decision for any president, but when the world is already at war with Islamic terrorism, there can be no compromise. Failure to have attacked those nuclear sites would have put not only Israel at risk of destruction, but theU.S. in greater peril. Trump’sbold decision to end the talking and act against an evil menace could change the entire dynamic of theMiddle East. Others have tried and failed. Trumpmay have just succeeded.
Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@ tribpub.com
Considerthatuntil recently,the following message could be read on the Army’sofficialwebsite, Army.mil: “Juneteenth is an integralpartofArmy life.Itisa time to reflect on the crucialrolethe Army playedinthe EmancipationProclamation andending segregationinthe U.S.” It calledonreadersto“honorthose who fought andsacrificed to ensure the Constitutionfulfilled its promise to allAmericans.”
As an Army veteran, thatsentiment makes me feel proud.
However, if youGoogle those words today, and clickonthe link in the search results, youreach an errorpage. The Army scrubbedthe message. Why? Perhaps forthe same reason,Trump’s secretaryofdefense orderedArlingtonNational Cemetery to delete webpage memorials of Blacks, Latinosand womenwho defendedour country And the same reason he restoredConfederate names to military basesand dismissedseveral Black generals. It’shardtothink of aholidaybettersuitedtouplift ourmulliganstewofanation thanJuneteenth, when ourarmedforces finally broke the shacklesofa profoundly unjust institution, beginning aprocessofliberationand reconciliationthatwecarry on Sadly,suchhistorical good news is being suppressedtoo oftenintoday’s classrooms andbypolitical opportunists who would ratherbuild unity in their own ranks by turning us against each otherlike so many political interest groups. Some, including ourpresident, it seems,would ratherhide ourtroubledpastthantry to use it to learnhow to work togetherand truly make Americagreat Say,tell me again: What was the U.S. Civil War about?
Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@gmail. com.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI
PresidentDonald Trump speaks with reportersbefore boarding Marine One at the White House on TuesdayinWashington.
Clarence Page
Kathryn Jean Lopez
Cal Thomas
Fair Groundsowner confirms racing season
ChurchillDowns sets datesafter backing down
BY ANTHONYMcAULEY Staff writer
The owner of the Fair Grounds Race Course& Slots officially confirmed on Tuesday that itwillproceedwithanormal horse racing season this November,after backing down on athreat to pull out of Louisiana if it wasn’tgranted a public subsidy
Cathy Beeding,Fair Grounds general manager, told ameeting of the Louisiana State Racing Commission that the upcoming season would begin as previously planned, on Nov 20.
Fair Grounds parent company Churchill Downs had threatened in May to pull out of Louisiana, where it also owns adozen off-track betting outlets as well as the Fair Grounds track and casino, if the state didn’t grant it amultimillion-dollar subsidy to make up for revenue lost when acourt banned it from using one type of slot machine.
“We’re just happy there’s
CASSIDY
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efforts.”
Cassidy said Tuesday his position supports the Trump administration “to help them get something which is more credible and somethingwhich is more standard.”
The Department of Health and Human Services didnot respond to arequest for comment.
Kennedy has named eight people so far to fill the 17
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to allegations of injuring public records and forging quotes. The barn’sproblems stem largely from the school system’sdecision to bypass public biddingrequirements —a choice that eliminated essential components from the project and ultimately resulted in both delayed opening and safety violations identified by inspectors.
The school system says it’ssaving money and completingprojects that have sat on the shelf foryears. System officials repeatedly claim their lawyers have signed off on the projectsplitting practices. However,when The Current requested documentation of this legal guidance, officials declined to provide these communications, citing attorney-client privilege. The system also claimed auditors signed off on change orders for the Carencro ag barnbut produced no records to support the assertion. Electricalwork, arequired functional component, wasnot included in the project specifications as the school system sought quotes from local contractors. Scott-based Bergeron’sMetal Buildings’ $210,000 quote was $38,000 less than the second-lowest of four competitive quotes submitted for theproject. The project was awarded to Bergeron’svia apurchase
it unprofitable and unable to subsidize horse racing in theformofpurses. It originally asked forapublicsubsidy of around $20 million but reduced that considerably in later negotiations.
Thecompany didn’tget any support from Landry’s administrationorfrom state andlocal legislators.
going to be aracing season this year,” Beedingsaidon the sidelines of themeeting.
Racing commission chair EdwardKoehlthanked Gov Jeff Landryfor hishelp in resolvingthe issue.Commenting afterthe board meeting, he said there had beennoconcessionofany kind made by thestate. The climbdown by Churchill Downs averts a crisis that hadthreatened horse racing at thehistoric Fair Grounds, which has been operating at thesitein one form or another since the1830s.
vacancies. Cassidy saidthe department is vetting others to fill thosepositions.
“I have actually submitted several names to be considered, so they’re actively interviewing,” Cassidy said. But noneofthose newcandidates will be appointedin time for Wednesday’smeeting. Thecommittee’smeetings involve presentations by the CDCofdetailed data concerningvaccinesand their uses. Thedraft agenda for the meetings on Wednesday andThursday include discussions about theeffec-
order on Sept. 18 without aproper scopeofwork having been defined in his proposal (thesystem does not have acontract with Bergeron for thework).
Five days later,Chris’ ElectricalServices,of Lafayette, submittedan $18,000 proposal to the school system to install the electrical system and connect it to an existing panel boxabout 40 feet from the building. Records from the open checkbook portal operated bythe school system show Chris’wasn’tpaid for thework. Instead, Chris’ Electrical completedthe work as an in-kind donation March 12.
Connecting the new electrical to the existing panel boxprovedproblematic, because the rusty exterior panel box —which houses the circuit breaker —was attached to adamaged utilitypole, Richard’scode inspector found when he visitedthe site May 13. When theinspector opened thecover panel, he found exposed and improperly spliced wiring. A silver-colored secondary cover panel that should have been bolted over the wiring can be seen lying on the ground in photos.
“Without that cover,you see allthe electrical wire and breakers that anybody can touch. That’swhat makesitdangerous right there,” Richard said.
After the May 13 visit to the site, Richard’s company notified Bergeron and Chris’ Electrical of the need for apermit,which
In March, theLouisiana Supreme Courthad ruled that HistoricHorse Racing machines —which allow betting on anonymized previously run races —are effectively anew type of slot machine rather than an extension of live horse race betting.That meant a2021 law allowing theslotswas invalid and users would need voterapproval in each parish before they could be allowed.
Churchill Downs arguedthatbanning those machines would nearly halve its revenue in Louisiana, which would make
tiveness of COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccines,which is akey issue for anti-vaxxers. As chairofthe Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions committee, many GOPsenatorslooked to Cassidy on whethertoconfirm Kennedy,President Donald Trump’scontroversial pick to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy hasmadeacareer out of questioningthe need and safety of the vaccinations used to treat and ward off disease.Inaddition
bothcompanies applied forfromthe city of Carencro on May 21. In notingthe deficiencies, Richard informed theparties that the electrical would notpass code inspection untilanew outside utilitypole and new panel box wereinstalled.
Chris’ Electrical agreed to replacethe pole and box at an additional costof $3,530. It’sunclear whether theelectrical contractor intends to be paid for theadditional work or will make another donation.
Company officials did not respond to requests for comment.
“Our client maintains that it performed its scope of work properly,did exactly what it was required to do underits proposal,” says attorneyEmile Joseph, of theAllen&Gooch law firm, which represents Chris’ Electrical. Joseph submitted to The Current an image from June 5showingthatChris’ had gone back to thelocation to install orange plastic fencing around the perimeter of the panel box; another image showsthe second-
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On the contrary,the New Orleans CityCouncil and thestate quicklypassed measures toensure that zoning restrictionsand ahistorical designation would make it difficult for ChurchillDowns to abandon horse racing and try to sell or redevelopthe 145-acre Fair Grounds site.
Also, Saints andPelicans owner Gayle Bensonhad made it known shewould be interestedinbuying Fair Grounds if it came on the market in ordertopreserve itshistoric place in the annual American horse racing calendar.
Severalofthe races run at the course each year,including the Louisiana Derby,count toward qualifying for theKentucky Derby andthe otherTriple Crown races
to thehealth care providers whorelyonvaccinations, enough Republican senators were wary of confirmingsuch awell-known antivaxxer to lead the nation’s healthdepartment.
Cassidy,who is running for reelection next year, backed theconfirmation after what he said were Kennedy’sassurances not to spread anti-vaccination stancesinto government programs.
Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.
ary cover securelyinplace covering the wires.
Joseph suggestedthat photographic recordsand hisclient’sreturnvisitsto thesiteindicatepotential “tampering” of the wires and box.
“Somebody did mess with thebox between the (inspector’s) first tripand the second,” Richard said.
Visitation forGlenn An‐thony Goudeauwillbeheld from2:30to5:30p.m., Fri‐day,June 27, 2025 by MelanconFuneral Home at Kilpatrick’sRose-NeathFu‐neral Home,334 Acton RoadinMarksville. Afu‐neral servicewillimmedi‐ately follow at thefuneral homebeginning at 5:30 p.m.A "Glenn Goudeaustyle CelebrationofLife", including live music, din‐ner,and “drinky-poos”will followatthe home of Jacques andMelissa Goudeau.Inurnment will takeplace at alater date in St. Joseph Cemetery #2 in Marksville. Arrangements are underthe directionof MelanconFuneral Home Bunkie.Mr. Glenn, 86, of Marksville, Louisiana, died peacefully on June 21, 2025 inBaton Rouge. Glennwas borninCottonportin1939 Hemarried Priscilla“Jo” Morgan, of Alexandria Louisiana,onMay 11, 1974 atSt. FrancisXavierCathe‐dral, andsettled in Marksvillefor theremain‐derofhis life.Glenn was See
the company throughmany hurdles,especiallyin weatheringthe recession ofthe 1980’sbyrestructur‐ing thebusiness. When the 50-employee tobacco and amusement companywas downtoonly13, he risked everythingin1990 to save itbyinvesting in adiffer‐ent direction, videopoker His earlyand aggressive entry into thenew andun‐provenindustryproved successful, as thecom‐panystill operates 35 years later andwillforever be the firstcompany in Louisiana to turn on video poker machines.His career was neversolelyabout work, though,asservice to community waspara‐mount to Glenn. He wasa foundingmemberof: Grand Lake Rodand Gun Club, AvoyellesCountry Club, LesTheatre DesBon Temps,AvoyellesEn‐tourage (Wagon Master), AvoyellesEducation Foun‐dation, AvoyellesPublic Charter School,Avoyelles Early Childhood Develop‐ment Center andFirst Tee
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER
Goudeau, GlennAnthony
BY RODWALKER Staff writer
Forty yearsago,the Detroit Pistons selected a22-year-oldguard from Natchitoches with the 18thpick of the NBA draft. It was the beginning of aHallof Fame career forJoe Dumars, who went on to win NBA titles as both aplayer and president of basketball operations in the Motor City Now Dumars, in his first seasonasNew Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, gets a chance to try to duplicate that success as the main decisionma ker,t hi s time for the NBA team in the state he was born and raised.
Dumars made his first major decisions back in May when he announced thatZion Williamson would remain the centerpiece of the team and that Willie Green will return as coach.
Dumars’ second big decision came Tuesday when he traded guard CJ McCollum, center Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick tothe Washington Wizards in exchange for guard Jordan Poole, forward Saddiq Beyand the No. 40 pick in this year’sdraft. His next moves comeWednesday with the NBA draft, where he’ll add his first new,young pieces.
SPORTS
What Dumars did Tuesday and what he willdoWednesday and Thursday could go along way in determining the BY RODWALKER Staff writer
The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t wait untilthe NBA draft to make their first major move this offseason.
They did it on Tuesday,the eve of the draft.
The Pelicans aretrading CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and afuture second-round pick to the WashingtonWizards, according to areportbyESPN. In exchange, the Pelicans will receiveJordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and this year’sNo. 40
pick in the second round. McCollum spent 31/2 seasons in NewOrleansafter being acquired in atrade withthe Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season. He played in 223 games and averaged 21.1 points and 5.0 assists with the Pelicans. McCollum had one year remaining on hiscontract at $30.7 million for 2025-26.
McCollum is the franchise’sall-timeleader in made 3-pointerswith 692. He scored 50 pointslast season againstthe Wizards, the team he’snow joining. He is one of justthree players in franchise history to score50points in a game, joining Anthony Davis (three times) and Jamal Mashburn.
Olynyk was acquired by the Pelicans from theToronto Raptors in February as part of the Brandon Ingram trade.
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
OMAHA, Neb.— When Josh Pearson’sflyball to right
field was caught to end the2024 Chapel Hill regional, LSUfound itself at acrossroads.
Yes, the Tigers had wontheir seventh national championship just 12 months earlier,but there were many questions to answerheadinginto the offseason How would they replace TommyWhite? With Luke Holman and Gage Jumpoff topro baseball, who would replace thematthe top of the rotation? Would Jared Jones and Griffin Herring return?
It’ssafe to say that coach Jay Johnson foundthe right answers.
Twelve months later,LSU wonanother national championship, securinganeighth title and second ring in three years Sunday at Charles Schwab Field afterdefeating Coastal Carolina 5-3 in Game2 of the College World Series final.
“I’m so proud right now,”Johnson said. “It’snot to be taken for granted being here two years ago. That wasspecial. Greatest night of my life.
“This is equaland maybe even tops in some ways.” Sunday’swin cappeda remarkablefirst four years underJohnson, who became the fastest coach in college baseball history to winmultiple national championships at the same school.
The latest crowningachievement might not be the last forLSU under Johnson.
LSU’s2023 national championship, unlike this year’s team, was aroster that Johnson mostlyinherited. DylanCrews, TreMorgan, Jordan Thompson, Cade Beloso,Gavin Dugas, Hayden Travinski, Alex Milazzo and Ty Floyd were champions withJohnson, but players who primarily were recruited by his predecessor,PaulMainieri. Johnsonaddedthe likesofPaulSkenes, Tommy White andThatcher Hurd outofthe transfer portal, butthe makeup and core of LSU’s first title under the second-year skipper wasthe opposite of the 2025 team “Thiswas
BY AARON BEARD AP basketballwriter
Will Wade’sworkbuilding N.C. State into an immediatewinner includedthe pursuit of an entrant in the NBA draft, just in casehereturned to college.
It wasn’ta huge risk: With all the cashflowing in college, the number of early entrants to the NBA draft has continued to shrink. This year’s draft starts Wednesday night with itslowesttotal of those prospectsinat least10years.
“Now you can play the long gamea littlebit more,”said Wade,referring to how college players can look at their futures.
“Look, Ican get paid thesame I would get paid in the GLeague, the same Iwould get paid on a two-way (contract). Some (college) guys are getting first-round money.” And more money is on theway
It’sbeen four yearssince college athletes were permittedto profit off the useoftheir name, image and likeness(NIL), opening the door for athlete compensation that was once forbidden
by NCAArules.July1marks the official start of revenue sharing where schools can begin directly paying athletes after the $2.8 billion Houseantitrustsettlement. ForWade, thatled to signing former Texas Tech player Darrion Williams after 247Sports’ fifth-ranked transfer withdrew from the draft.
Olynyk Bey
STAFF PHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK
LOUISIANA SPORTS HALL OF FAME
Scheuermann walks in father’s shoes
Delgado baseball coach helped save program in 2006
BY LENNY VANGILDER Contributing writer
This is an entry in a profile series of inductees for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The induction ceremony is set for Saturday in Natchitoches.
Joe Scheuermann was a 27-yearold assistant baseball coach at Tulane when he came to Natchitoches in June 1990 to present his father, “Rags,” for induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Curveballs are a part of baseball, and “Rags” delivered a dandy one that night. During his acceptance speech, he announced his retirement as the Delgado Community College baseball coach Thirty-five years after following in his dad’s footsteps on City Park Avenue and with 1,207 victories on his record, Joe Scheuermann will join his dad to become the fourth father-son combination in the LSHOF That culminates with the Class of 2025 induction ceremony in Natchitoches on Saturday.
While most assume it was a done deal that Joe Scheuermann would replace “Rags” at Delgado, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The younger Scheuermann came back to New Orleans and soon met with then-Delgado president James Caillier
“I don’t want to have this job because I’m Rags Scheuermann’s son,” Joe Scheuermann told his future boss. Later that summer, he became the second head coach of what is now the oldest junior-college program in any sport in Louisiana.
Joe Scheuermann was preparing for his 16th season at Delgado when his program and the entire city of New Orleans — was dealt a blow from Hurricane Katrina’s devestation.
The Scheuermanns, with their house and campus under water evacuated to New Roads. A few days later, in Baton Rouge, he met with Delgado’s chancellor, Alex Johnson.
With the college in financial straits after a lost semester and significant rebuilding costs, the
message about the spring 2006 season was simple: “We can’t fund it.” The only way to have a season and save the program started three decades earlier by his father — was to raise the money himself.
Scheuermann got that programsaving donation from a longtime supporter and friend, and the task of resuscitating a season — and a ballpark, since Kirsch-Rooney Stadium also had been inundated with several feet of floodwaters — began.
“I was looking at whether I should transfer,” said Kyle Beerbohm, a sophomore on the 2006 team
“We came back late in the fall and helped with cleanup and putting the field together Pitchers were putting up a fence during (batting practice) It was definitely a wild fall and early spring.”
Added Scheuermann: “The fact we played the year after Katrina is probably my proudest moment. It would have been easy for Delgado not to have athletics, but it made them realize how important athletics is for the college.”
One year later, the Katrina
freshman class would lead Scheuermann to his first-ever trip to the Junior College World Series, 22 years after “Rags” made his only trip.
“If you ask that ’07 team, they expected to win,”
Sc heu erm an n said. “If you expect to win, you win You can’t hope for anything.” Omaha, Nebraska, is the goal each year for LSU and other NCAA Division I programs. On the NJCAA Division I level, it is Grand Junction, Colorado.
“Once we got to the World Series, people bought into our program,” Scheuermann said. “Your kids remember the experience and they pass it down the line. Our expectations became Grand Junction.”
Delgado rattled off three straight trips to Grand Junction from 2014-16, then returned for a fifth time under Scheuermann in 2023, finishing fifth.
In May 2024, Scheuermann won
his 1,178th game to pass the late Tony Robichaux, a 2022 LSHOF inductee, to become the winningest college coach in Louisiana history That’s not how he sees it, though.
“I broke the junior-college record for wins in Louisiana,” said Scheuermann, who played at Tulane at the same time as Robichaux played at then-USL “Every game I’ve won was at the juniorcollege level. Tony Robichaux did it at the Division I level. That’s not the same.”
On April 13 of this year, Scheuermann registered his latest milestone, career win No. 1,200.
As much as Joe Scheuermann has followed in his father’s footsteps there’s one thing he won’t do go on stage at the Natchitoches Events Center and announce his retirement.
“I get asked all the time, when are you going to get out?” Scheuermann said. “I’m 62, I feel great, I enjoy coaching.
“I remember my dad saying, ‘You’ll know when it’s time.’ I really don’t feel it’s time yet. It’s an occupation, but I do it more for the kids and the school.”
Skenes to face NL’s newest rookie phenom on mound
BY STEVE MEGARGEE
AP sportswriter
MILWAUKEE There’s going to be plenty of hard throwing Wednesday in the first pitching matchup between Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes and Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski.
Just don’t expect too much hard contact.
Skenes, the 2024 NL rookie of the year, didn’t allow a hit the last time he pitched in Milwaukee. Misiorowski doesn’t have Skenes’ track record, but he has given up just one hit over 11 innings in his first two career starts. The 23-year-old flamethrowing right-handers meet as opposing starters for the first time Wednesday at Milwaukee.
“I think it’s going to be really entertaining to watch,” Misiorowski said. “Two really good prospects – I mean, he’s not a prospect anymore, I guess. Two guys that are at the top of their game right now. So I think it’s cool. It’s going to be fun.”
Statcast says Skenes has an average four-seam fastball velocity of 98.1 mph that ranks him behind only Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene (99.3) among starters who have thrown enough pitches to qualify In his first two starts, Misiorowski had an average four-seam fastball velocity of 99.7 mph. While those numbers are similar, Brewers manager Pat Murphy said it’s far too soon to start grouping Misiorowski with Skenes.
“(Skenes is) one of the best in the game,” Murphy said. “Miz is in his third start. It’s unfair to compare them, for sure. Unfair to Skenes, you know what I mean? It should be exciting. Miz is going on
four days rest for the first time.”
But this showcase should give Misiorowski a chance to measure himself against the game’s best.
Skenes indeed has long since graduated from prospect status to solidify himself as one of the game’s top pitchers. The No 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft finished third in the NL Cy Young Award voting last year and has gone 15-9 with a 1.91 ERA and 276 strikeouts over 235 innings in his young career
“It’s like everything just flows off his back,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “He never lets anything affect him too much, the way that he’s able to adjust and adapt not just start to start, from inning to inning, batter to batter understanding his stuff, what’s
working and what’s not.” In his two previous appearances against the Brewers, Skenes has struck out 19 while allowing only four hits and one run over 13 innings The last time he pitched at Milwaukee, Skenes pitched seven innings of no-hit ball before departing as the Pirates limited the Brewers to one total hit in a 1-0 victory last July Misiorowski has been equally effective in a significantly smaller sample size. He made his major league debut June 12 and held St. Louis hitless for five innings before departing the Brewers’ 6-0 victory with cramping and his right calf and quadriceps.
He threw 14 pitches at least 100 mph and reached a top speed of
Diamondbacks OF Carroll out with a chip fracture
Arizona outfielder Corbin Carroll has a chip fracture in his left wrist and his timeline for a return is unknown, manager Torey Lovullo said.
Lovullo told reporters Monday night after a 10-0 win over the Chicago White Sox that Carroll would “continue to get some opinions just to find out what that official diagnosis means and what the time frame will be.” Carroll hasn’t played since a pitch hit him in the left hand last Wednesday in Toronto X-rays at the time showed no fracture He was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, and outfielder Jake McCarthy was recalled from Triple-A Reno. Carroll is batting .255 with 20 homers and 44 RBIs this season. He was the NL rookie of the year and an All-Star in 2023.
Rangers LHP Bradford to have elbow surgery
Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford will have elbow surgery Wednesday after a setback during his rehab from a left elbow sprain that has kept him out all season.
Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations, said Tuesday that Bradford felt something in his elbow when he resumed throwing after a recent flu bug. He then saw team physician Dr Keith Meister, who will do the surgery
The 27-year-old Bradford is 10-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 34 games (21 starts) for Texas the past two seasons. He was expected to be part of the starting rotation this season, but was shut down during spring training in mid-March because of elbow soreness.
QB Rodgers says ’25 season likely his last
Aaron Rodgers is “pretty sure” the 2025 season will be his last in the NFL, the 41-year-old quarterback said Tuesday
The four-time MVP signed a oneyear deal with Pittsburgh earlier this month after two injury-marred seasons with the New York Jets Rodgers’ base salary is $13.65 million and he could earn up to $19.5 million with incentives, according to Spotrac.
Rodgers agreed to sign with Pittsburgh after regular conversations with coach Mike Tomlin over a few months during the Steelers’ minicamp. On the field, Rodgers hopes to provide stability — at least for one year — for a franchise that has cycled through several quarterbacks since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.
NBA allows $1.5B sale of Timberwolves, Lynx
102.2 that night.
Misiorowski came back Friday and had a perfect game going until he walked Byron Buxton and allowed a homer to Matt Wallner in the seventh inning of a 17-6 triumph at Minnesota. Both teams are eager to see what happens as Misiorowski gets to measure himself against one of the game’s most dominant pitchers in Skenes.
“Good luck to the hitters,” Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff said. “It’s 100 mph every pitch. It’s kind of crazy in terms of how the game has changed that way. It seems like everybody throws 100 now It’s cool. It’s good for the game. It’s two young guys who are obviously really good.”
Although the two pitchers hadn’t met until Monday, Misiorowski nearly preceded Skenes at LSU. Misiorowski committed to LSU but decided to start his pro career after the Brewers selected hm out of Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri, in the second round of the 2022 draft.
One year later, Skenes led LSU to a College World Series title in his lone season with the Tigers. Skenes transferred to LSU after spending two seasons at Air Force. Now, they’re finally in a ballpark together only as opponents rather than teammates.
“We know what Paul can do,” Kelly said. “I’m excited to see their guy out there. It’s going to be a good pitching matchup Just really looking forward to that one.”
The $1.5 billion sale of the Minnesota Timberwolves from Glen Taylor to an investment group led by e-commerce entrepreneur Marc Lore and former baseball star Alex Rodriguez gained NBA approval on Tuesday, finalizing more than four years after the deal was reached. The deal, which is expected to close this week nearly 51 months and more than 1,500 days after the initial agreement, includes the Minnesota Lynx.
The Timberwolves are planning an introductory news conference for Lore and Rodriguez next month in Las Vegas, with Lore as Timberwolves governor and Rodriguez as alternate governor the league announced. For the Lynx, Rodriguez will serve as governor and Lore as alternate governor
Krejcikova gets first-round win at Eastbourne Open
EASTBOURNE, England Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova saved two match points on British opponent Harriet Dart’s serve before rallying to win her opening match Tuesday at the grass-court Eastbourne Open.
Dart was 40-15 up on serve leading 5-4 in the decisive third set of a rain-affected round-of-32 match that second-seeded Krejcikova went on win 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-5. It was just the second victory this year for the 17th-ranked Krejcikova, whose season didn’t start until May because of a back injury The 29-year-old Czech player came to Eastbourne for her final warmup before beginning the defense
STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHy
Delgado Community College baseball head coach Joe Scheuermann gives instruction during practice May 18, 2021, at John Ryan Stadium.
Scheuermann
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PAUL SANCyA
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes throws against the Detroit Tigers during a doubleheader on Thursday in Detroit.
Misiorowski
LSU
LSU, Ifelt like Icould help that groupofplayers in the second year.”
Losing the majority of the startinglineup and thetop two starting pitchers proved to be too much for the 2024 team. And with 11 players enteringthe transferportal, Johnson had to build this season’steam nearlyfrom scratch.
Only 12 players who played in agame in 2024 returned to this year’steam. Johnson added 13 transfers, three junior-college transfers and 10 freshmen to fill outhis roster
From aconstruction standpoint, it was Johnson’s busiest offseason since he took the job in 2021.
“I knew we hadreally good players comingback,” Johnson said. “It just wasn’t alot of volume.”
Despite so many new faces, LSUwon another national championship. On the surface, going for titleNo. 9next season won’tbeas treacherous, at least from a roster-building standpoint.
Freshman Derek Curiel, and sophomores Steven Milam and Jake Brown are expected to return next season.
Juniors Chris Stanfield and Ethan Frey also could return, depending on their draft prospects.
Afew positions in the lineup are open, namely second base and first base,with Daniel Dickinson and Jared Jones off to pro baseball.Seniors Luis Hernandez, Pearson and Michael Braswell also create holes at catcher the outfield and third base, respectively For most of these questions, Johnson already has found answers. Kansas Stateinfielder SethDardar
DUMARS
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future of ateamcoming off the second-worst season in franchise history.
“Wehave some good talent on the roster,” Dumars said. “When this team has been healthy,it’sbeen a formidable team. Unfortunately,last yearitwas just decimated with injuries, and Iacknowledge that.But that doesn’tstop you from setting the bar higher and pushing harder to be better.”
The Pelicans have two first-round picks. They own the No. 7overall pick after falling from No. 4toNo. 7 in thelottery.Theyadded the No. 23 pick in atrade with the Indiana Pacers last week. Now they have the No. 40 pick as well. The Pelicans should be able to get aquality player with their first pick. Draft analysts rave about the depth of this class. TheDallas Mavericks certainly will take Duke’sCooper Flagg withthe firstoverall pick,
and High Pointthird basemanBraydenSimpsonare new additions out of the transfer portal Many of the answers areon therosteralready.
Freshman Cade Arrambide is anatural replacement for Hernandez behind the plate.
JuniorTanner Reaves has another year of eligibility, whether that be at second base or third. Sophomore Ashton Larson, after startingasafreshman, could slide into Pearsonor Stanfield’srole.
“I’mreally proud of the freshman season that (Cade’s) had, and Ihave great peace that that’s the guy for us,” Johnsonsaid.“Andhe mayend up beingthe best playerin the program next year at some point.”
Pitching-wise, LSU again is losing its topstarters in sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson and junior
andthe San Antonio Spurs almost certainlywill choose Rutgers guard Dylan Harper second.
“There are three different tiers,” ESPN draftanalyst Bobby Markssaid Tuesday during adraftQ&A panel “Where Cooper is.Where Dylan Harper is. And then there isagroup of five or six players in that Tier 3, and it’sjusta matter of what you like and who you think fits.” Dumars and senior vice presidentofbasketball operations Troy Weaver shouldhaveplenty of viable options at No.7.With Olynyknow gone, DukecenterKhaman Maluach seems like he couldfill aneed with both size and athleticism Guards such as Ace BaileyofRutgers or Jeremiah Fears of Oklahomaalso couldbeavailable. Dumarshad this to say whenaskedabouthis draft philosophy when it comes to best player available vs. fulfilling aroster need: “I don’tthink you want to pass on abest player,” Dumars said. “But if all things are equal, then you go for
right-handerAnthony Eyanson. Thedifference this season is that theTigers already have the pieces in place to replace their two aces.
Freshman right-hander Casan Evans wasastar all yearand junior right-hander Zac Cowan could return Freshman right-hander WilliamSchmidt, left-hander Cooper Williams and righthander Mavrick Rizy give the Tigers adeep wellof youth behind them
That’sbeforementioning juniorright-hander Gavin Guidry andsophomore right-hander Deven Sheerin returning from injury,or thepossible return of sophomoreright-hander Jaden Noot.
Adding more left-handed pitchers may be apriority, butLSU’srecenttrack record when it comes to pitching development should
theneed. But if thereisa gapbetween twoplayers, you’ve gottotakethe best player.You need acertain amount of talent in this league, so you can’tpass on that talent. Talent in basketballhas more impact Thereare only five people outthereonthe court.So that talent gap can makea difference. That’swhy you really want to takethe best player.” Finding that talent is why Dumarshired Weaver.Dumars describesWeaver as “elite”whenitcomes to evaluating young players. That’snot just at the top of thedraft.Backin2008when Weaver was in his first season with theOklahoma City Thunder,theydrafted Serge Ibaka with the No. 24 overall pick. Ibaka became akey piece on theThunder team that reached theNBA Finals in 2012. The Pelicans hit on afirst-round pick in the 20s lastseason, draftingcenter YvesMissi at No. 21. Missi flourished andwas voted NBA All-Rookiesecond team. NBA draft analyst Jay Bi-
It’s allpartofa seismic change thathas rippled through college athletics since thepandemic,its effect touching the NBA.
Players willing to “test the waters” in the draft before returning to school now have alucrative option to consider againstuncertain proprospects
Anditshowsinthe numbers.
“Withall themoney that’s being thrown around in NIL, you’re having a lot lessplayersput their names in,” Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said.
“You’re having pretty good players pulling their names out.”
Early-entrantdecline
This year’sdrop is significant whencompared to the yearsbeforeanyone had heard of COVID-19. Therewas aspike of college players jumping into the draft in the pandemic’s aftermath, when they were granted afreeeligibility year to temporarily make even afourth-year senior an “early” entrant.
them to analyze: ‘Am I actually ready forthis or not?’ Where money doesn’t have to be the deciding factor.Becauseifmoney’sthe deciding factor,that’swhy you seekids not stick. The NBA’s cutthroat. It justis.” The Blue Devils areexpected to have three players selected in the first round Wednesday,includingpresumptive No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg alongside top-10 prospects Kon Knueppel andKhaman Maluach.
They also had players sorting through draft decisions Freshman Isaiah Evans —aslenderwingwith explosive scoring potential —withdrew instead of chasing first-round status through the draft process. Incoming transfer Cedric Coward fromWashington Staterapidly rose draft boards afterthe combine and remained in the draft.
“There’snosubstituting the money you’regoing to make if you’rea top-15, top-20 pick,” Scheyer said. “Butifyou’renot solidified as afirst-round pick, why risk it whenyou can have asolid year and achance to go up or be in thesame positionthe followingseason?
Reshaped draftpool
make theTigersa popular destinationfor leftiesinthe portal.
“If you’re apitcherand you don’twant to come hereright now,you’re out to lunch,” Johnson said. “You’re notthinking clearly.”
Include afreshman class that headingintonext month’sdraft is the No.1recruiting classinthe nation, according to Perfect Game, and the Tigers go into next year as afavorite to win their third national title in four years.
And to think this is where LSU would be after an offseason filled with so many questions.
“Maybe that’swhy I’m so proud of this thing,” Johnsonsaid. “This is acompletely different team.”
Email Koki Riley at Koki. Riley@theadvocate.com.
lasbelieves there could be some similargems in this class at No. 23.
“It’s apretty deep draft,” BilassaidduringTuesday’s panel. “Once you get past8 or 9, there is alot of reasonable disagreement. ‘I like this betterorIlike thatbetter.’There arealot of things to like about these players.
“But how many times over the years have we had players outside the lottery whoturnedinto All-Stars or truly great players? That’s sorta the humility of this process. Youdon’tknow Youjusthavebeliefs and try to gather as much intelligenceasyou can.”
The predictionhere is the PelicanstakeMaluach at No. 7and Floridaguard Walter ClaytonatNo. 23.
The upside forbothof thoseplayers seemshigh, much like the upside looked 40 yearsago for aNatchitoches nativewho starredat McNeese State before makinghis mark forthe Pistons. Now itsuptothatfirstround pick fromthe 1985 draft to make his mark in New Orleans.
Butthosenumbershad fallen as thosefive-year playerscycled out of collegebasketball, and they’re now below pre-pandemic levels.That decline coincides with NIL’s July 2021 arrival, from athletes doing paid appearances or social-media endorsements to boosters forming collectives offering NIL packagesamountingtode facto salaries As aresult: n Eighty-two playersappeared on the NBA’s list of early entrants primarily from American colleges with asmattering of other teams, down49% from 2024 (162) and nearly 47% compared to the fouryear average from 2016-19 (153.5); n Thirty-two remained after withdrawal deadlines, downfrom 62 last year and 72 from 2016-19; n Adding international prospects, 109 players declared for the draft, down from 201 lastyear and 205 from 2016-19; n Andonly 46 remained, down from 77 in 2024 and 83.8 from 2016-19.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer understands draft dynamics, bothfor no-doubt headliners andprospects facing lessclarity.Hesees college athletecompensation as a“legitimate gamechanger.”
“Hopefully it allows players to decide what’s truly bestfor their game,” Scheyer said. “It allows
PELICANS
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He averaged 10.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in his 20 games with thePelicans Poole, a6-foot-4 guard, is entering hisseventhNBA season. He played his first four seasons withthe Golden State Warriors, whohe wonanNBA title with in 2022, and his last two with the Wizards.Poole averaged acareer-best 20.5 pointsand 4.5 assiststhis past season.Hescored a career-high 45 points in alosstothe Cleveland Cavaliers. Poole also set a Wizards’ recordfor made 3-pointers in aseason (235), eclipsing the record held by Bradley Beal
Trajan Langdon, himself aformerDuke first-rounder,sees the evolution, too. The Detroit Pistons, which he runs as the president of basketball operations,had their first playoffappearance since 2019 but lack afirst-round selectionand ownasingle pick in Thursday’ssecond round.
Fewer candidates could make the already imperfect science of drafting even trickier in this new reality According to the NBA’s 2024-25 rookie scale, a player going midway through the first round wouldmake roughly $3.5 million in first-year salary. That figure woulddropto about $2.8 million at pick No. 20, $2.3 million at No. 25 and $2.1 million with the 30th and final first-round draftee.
Aminimum first-year NBA salary? Roughly $1.2 million.
“These NIL packages are starting to get up to (between $3 million and $6 million),” Langdon said. “These guys are not going to put their name in to be the 25thpick, or even the 18th pick.Theyare going to go back to school in hopes of being alottery pick next year.With that pool of playersdecreasing, it kind of decreases the odds of thelevel of player we get at No. 37, just the puremathematics.”
Poole has two yearsremaining on hisdeal. He is set to make $31.8 million this upcoming season and $34 million in the 2026-27 season. Bey,a6-7 forward, last played in an NBA game in the 2023-24 season. He tore his ACLinearly 2024 while playing for the AtlantaHawks. He signed with the Wizards in July but didn’tplay The Pelicans now have three picks in this year’s draft,whichwill be held Wednesday and Thursday nights. In addition to the40th pick, the Pelicans also have twopicks (No. 7and No. 23) in the first round. Email RodWalkerat rwalker@theadvocate.com.
Continued from page1C
STAFF PHOTOSByHILARy SCHEINUK
LSU pitcher CasanEvans andoutfielder JakeBrown embrace after the Tigers defeated Arkansas 4-1 at theCollegeWorld Series on June 14 in Omaha, Neb.Both Evans and Brown are expected to returnin2026.
LSUpitcher William Schmidt could contend to be aweekend starter nextseason.
def.Ashlyn Krueger, United States, 6-1, 6-4. Women’s Singles Round of 16 Jasmine Paolini(2),Italy, def. Leylah Annie Fernandez, Canada, 7-6(8),7-6 (6). Jessica Pegula(1),United States,def.KaterinaSiniakova,Czechia,6-2,6-3 IgaSwiatek(4),Poland, def. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, 6-4, 6-4. Emma Navarro(5),United States,def.Naomi Osaka,Japan, 6-4, 6-4. Women’s Doubles Round of 16 AlexandraPanova,Russia,and Hanyu Guo, China, def. IrinaKhromacheva,Russia,and FannyStollar, Hungary,6-3,6-4 Xu Yifan and Zhaoxuan Yang, China, def. TayisiyaMorderger and Yana Morderger, Germany, 7-6(4),7-5 Nicole Melichar-Martinez, United States and Nadiia Kichenok,Ukraine,def.Asia Muhammad, United States,and Demi Schuurs (3), Netherlands, 4-6, 7-5, 10-6. Timea Babos,Hungary,and Luisa Stefani (4), Brazil, def. Olivia Nicholls, Britain,and Tereza Mihalikova, Slovakia,6-3,7-6 (4). Quarterfinals Lyudmyla Kichenok,Ukraine,and EllenPerez (2), Australia,def. Hao-Ching Chan, Taiwan, and ClaraTauson, Denmark, 4-6, 6-4, 10-7. ATP-Mallorca Championships Tuesday At Santa Ponca-Mallorca, Spain Surface: Grass Seedings in parentheses Men’sSingles Round of 32 BernardTomic, Australia,def.Rinky Hijikata, Australia,3-6,7-5,6-2 Brandon Holt, United States, def. Benjamin Bonzi, France, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Roberto BautistaAgut (7), Spain, def.Tomas Martin Etcheverry,Argentina, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. Men’sSingles Round of 16 Hamad Medjedovic, Serbia, def. Roman Safiullin,Russia,6-4,3-6, 7-6 (4). TallonGriekspoor (4), Netherlands, def. Ethan Quinn, United States, 7-5, 6-4. Gabriel Diallo (6), Canada,def. Laslo Djere Serbia, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Felix Auger-Aliassime (2), Canada,def. Arthur Rinderknech, France, 7-5, 6-3. Men’sDoubles Round of 16 Santiago Gonzalez, Mexico, and Austin Krajicek, United States,def.Alexander Erler, Austria, and Constantin Frantzen, Germany 6-4, 7-6(4) Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni (3), Argentina, def. LucasMiedler,Austria, and Francisco Cabral,Portugal,7-6 (5), 6-4. Alex Michelsenand LearnerTien, United States, def. NikolaMektic, Croatia, and SkanderMansouri,Tunisia,6-2,7-6 (5). Guido Andreozzi, Argentina, and Theo Arribage,France, def. Simone Bolelli andAndrea Vavassori (1), Italy, 6-7(5),7-6 (6), 11-9.
RyderCup quandary
CaptainBradley playing well,but does he pick himselffor team?
CROMWELL, Conn. The question about playing in the Ryder Cup was inevitable. For the Americans who have spent time with Keegan Bradley over the last year the answer he gave on the 18th green was as pure as the 6-foot putt he had just made to win the Travelers Championship.
“Go USA!” was all Bradley said.
“Of course he wants to play,” Justin Thomas had said two days before the 39-year-old Bradley posted a63-68 weekend to win. “I think his main priority is for the U.S. to win the Ryder Cup. In his heart, he does not care if he’splaying or captaining as long as the U.S. wins. Obviously if he couldchoose, it would be winning as acaptain and a player
“But everything has been so player-first with him,” Thomas said. “If everybody wants him on the team, I think he’ll be on it.” There is no getting around it now The idea of Bradley playing at Bethpage Black in New York for the Sept. 28-30 matches first came up last year when he took the job. A month later,hebeat the best PGA Tour players at the BMW Championship.Even then, being aplaying captain seemed like along shot. But now,after alate rally to win the TravelersChampionship —asignature event with another loaded field —Bradley has more PGA Tour individual titles than anyone but Scottie
Scheffleroverthe last year Forgetthe numbers and look at the game.Bradley hasbeen oneofthe better American playersthe past threeyearsand should have been pickedfor Marco Simone in 2023,whenhefinished at No. 11 in the standings. He playedthe opening two rounds at the Travelers Championship with Rory McIlroy.Theylooked like competitors,not apairingof Europe’s best and America’s captain. “I’ve hadthe thought if it wasanybody else but me as captain— before this week —I’d be strongly considered,”Bradley said. “Now we’rein an interesting spot I’mgoing to have to think about this.”
McIlroy already was thinking along those lines.
This was onlythe second time he hadplayedwith an active Americancaptain —the otherwas Jim Furyk in 2017,who at age 47 was rankedNo. 79 inthe world. Bradley is the youngest RyderCup captain since1963 andisNo. 7in the world.
“If he doesn’tfinish in the top six and he doesn’tpick himself,then youcould say America isn’tgoing with their very best,” McIlroy said theday beforeBradley
won. “But at the same time, they’re very deep and they have alot of great players who can stepinand fill the spots. He’s found himself in quite apeculiar situation.”
Bradley, whoseworld ranking is acareer best, is No. 9inthe Ryder Cup standings. Sincethe U.S. revamped its system in 2008 to allow for at least four captain’spicks, the No. 9player has been left out four times —Cameron Young (2023),Bubba Watson (2016),Hunter Mahan (2012) and Anthony Kim (2010). All but Young was because of form or injury
There are twomonths to go until the leading six Americans qualify,and then six captain’spicks are chosenaweek later
“It’stoo early,” said Scheffler,while also acknowledging timeisrunning out “There’s years where teams look pretty obvious. And thenthere’syearswhere there’s moredecisionmaking that has to go on,” Scheffler said. “I feel like at the beginning of the year you’re like, ‘Who’sgoing to be on the team?’And then eventually,towardthe end of the year,mostspots sort themselves out. That’s what Ithink is going to happen.”
Doug Ferguson
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By JESSICA HILL
Keegan Bradleyreactstomaking abirdie putt on the ninth hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship on SundayatTPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. Bradley wonthe tournament.
At this London museum, no one will shush you
BY JILL LAWLESS Associated Press
But not at the new V&A East Storehouse, where London’s Victoria and Albert Museum has opened up its storerooms for visitors to view — and in many cases touch — the items within.
The 170,000-square-foot building, bigger than 30 basketball courts, holds more than 250,000 objects, 350,000 books and 1,000 archives. Wandering its huge, three-story collections hall feels like a trip to IKEA, but with treasures at every turn.
The V&A is Britain’s national museum of design, performance and applied arts, and the storehouse holds aisle after aisle of open shelves lined with everything from ancient Egyptian shoes to Roman pottery, ancient Indian sculptures, Japanese armor, Modernist furniture, a Piaggio scooter and a brightly painted garbage can from the Glastonbury Festival.
“It’s 5,000 years of creativity,” said Kate Parsons, the museum’s director of collection care and access. It took more than a year, and 379 truckloads, to move the objects from the museum’s former storage facility in west London to the new site.
director of Collections Care and Access, shows a dress designed and made by Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1954, at the V&A Storehouse in London.
Get up close to objects
In the museum’s biggest innovation, anyone can book a one-on-one appointment with any object, from a Vivienne Westwood mohair sweater to a tiny Japanese netsuke figurine Most of the items can even be handled, with exceptions for hazardous materials, such as Victorian wallpaper that contains arsenic.
The Order an Object service offers “a behind-the-scenes very personal, close interaction” with the collection, Parsons said as she showed off one of the most requested items so far: a 1954 pink silk taffeta Balenciaga evening gown Nearby in one of the study rooms were a Bob Mackie-designed military tunic worn by Elton John on his 1981 world tour and two silk kimonos laid out ready for a visit. Parsons said there has been “a phenomenal response” from the public since the building opened at the end of May Visitors have ranged from people seeking inspiration for their weddings to art students and “someone last week who was using equipment to measure the thread count of an 1850 dress.” She says strangers who have come to view different objects often strike up conversations.
“It’s just wonderful,” Parsons said. “You never quite know. We have this entirely new concept and of course we hope and we believe and we do audience
ä See MUSEUM, page 6C
One of Louisiana’s last remaining Shoney’s restaurants is located in Morgan City
STAFF PHOTOS By JOANNA BROWN
REWINDING THE CLOCK
I tried one of the last remaining Shoney’s breakfast buffets in La. Here’s what I thought.
BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer
We all imprint on certain foods in our childhoods, and sometimes, they can be hard to find as we get older
Recipes change, brands are sold and reimagined, and that one cereal you grew up eating every Saturday morning often doesn’t taste the same when you’re an adult. It’s an understandable, but often disappointing, fact of life.
That’s why I tempered my expectations on my way to visit one of Louisiana’s last remaining Shoney’s restaurants, in Morgan City When I was growing up, the breakfast buffet at the Shoney’s in Oxford, Mississippi, was a weekend tradition and I always made a beeline for the French toast sticks, with a drizzle of warm syrup and a mound of fluffy, buttery scrambled eggs.
The French toast and eggs I make today can’t really measure up to the memories. Nor has any breakfast buffet since. A Shoney’s French toast stick is something
doors sometime around the dawn of the social media age.
So, when I discovered that there was a still-open location in Morgan City, I knew I had to check it out. I went prepared to enjoy a morning of nostalgia, while forgiving the lapses in quality that time (and memory) often brings to chain restaurants.
What I found surprised me. I’m thrilled to report that not only are the French toast sticks and scrambled eggs just as good as I remembered them — so are the sausage gravy, cheese grits, bacon, biscuits and myriad other items assembled around one of the most bountiful buffets your taste buds have ever experienced. The eggs deserve a special shoutout. This is the restaurant that taught me to love soft, large curds gently cooked so they don’t lose their moisture, and Shoney’s still knows what they’re doing here — as they do with a rich peppery white sausage gravy, which goes perfectly with a side of biscuits and grits.
Bacon, ham, chicken tenders and other meats on the line at the buffet at Shoney’s in Morgan City ä See SHONEY’S, page 6C
between a churro and a beignet, in the vernacular of French toast — and I thought they were firmly in my past. After all, Shoney’s restaurants have closed at a precipitous rate around the country, and I think my childhood Shoney’s shut its
AP PHOTO By JOANNA CHAN
Kate Parsons,
Keepingrecipecards clean, tidy
Dear Heloise: In response to AvaD., in Denver,who installed asmall magnet under her kitchencabinet to hold recipe cards, Iput atiny nail there instead. Ican hang small, cheap bag clips there to hold recipe cards. Some of the bag clips don’t have magnets. It keeps recipes clean and away from a busy food-prep counter —Gloria, in Mission Viejo, California Gloria, Icalled to see if Avaused amagnet “under” her cabinet, and she said her magnet wasinstalled on the inside of her kitchen cabinet. She usuallyused a magnetic bag clip to clipon the recipe,then attached it to the magnet on her cabinet door.Ibelieve this is a very clever hint. —Heloise Collegechoices
die in the line of duty
By The Associated Press
Hints from Heloise
perhaps do even better When mygrandmother passed away, Ifound out that she left me agood amountofmoney for college. Ialso work part-time and save my money,sofundingcollegewon’t be aproblem. However, I’m not entirely sure what to look for in a college. Where doI start? —Jason, in Denver Jason,congratulations on your scholastic achievements andyourambition to earn acollege degree! I’m gladyou’relookingatvarious colleges two years ahead of graduation. By the time you graduate, you’llprobably havefinalized which college is the collegeofyourchoice.
When you are scouting for acollegetoattend, there are several factors to consider:
Dear Heloise: In only two years, I’ll be heading to college. My grades have put me in the top 10%ofmyclass so far,and I’m working hard to maintain this average or
n First, what are youracademic strengths? Look for acollegethat specializes in these subjects
n Consider the college size. Some people like abig school,while othersprefer
asmall campus withfewer students.
n Work out amonthly budget that includes books, tuition,lab and other miscellaneous fees, transportation,phone bills, and whatever else you might need or use. Trytostick to your budget as much as possible.
n Check out theprograms offered by thecolleges. Ask yourself if thecollege can prepare you for thefield you want towork in for manyyears.
n Think about thelocation.Will you live on campus or live at homeand commute? If you commute to classes, you’ll need acar, gas, insurance and possibly maintenance.
n And my last hint is to learn to say“no.” There will be times when you’ll want to skip studying for an exam and go to aparty instead. But the partywon’thelp you as much as studying will.
My best wishes to you in whatever field or endeavor you chose! —Heloise
Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
Chicken club sandwich from
BEST
Continued from page5C
house chili oil sauce, which, for me, teetered the line perfectly of hot but not too hot. Ieven requested some for my leftoververmicelli bowl that Iorderedfor an entree. Served with lettuce and cabbage, the wontons are also topped withsesame seeds,chives and cilantro They’re refreshing, punchy and perfect for acrowd.
—Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator Chicken club sandwich n Bin 77 Bistro&Sidebar, 10111 Perkins Rowe,Baton Rouge
What’sbetter than afried chicken sandwich on aFriday? Nothing. The chicken club at Bin 77 is available blackened or fried, but fried chicken between two buttered pieces of Texas toast just does something for me. Other
than the tender chicken thighs, the sandwich is made with hickory-smokedham, applewood-smoked bacon, bibb lettuce, tomato, house honey mustardand roasted red pepper aioli. Everything comes together on asandwichthat creates one hellof acrunch when bitten into It’ssmoky.It’sfilling. It’s maybe themost satisfying chicken sandwich I’ve had.
—Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator Korean taco n Grace Yum, Lafayette Farmersand Artisans Market, 2913 Johnston St., Lafayette When I’m at the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market, Imakea beeline for Grace Yum, avendor offeringKorean specialtyitems like kimchi,dumplings and noodles and something I find irresistibly delicious beef andkimchi tacos. It’sahearty,filling taco absolutely burstingwith flavor, but fermented cabbage isn’t the solitary note here. The kimchi, gochujang-flavored beef, fresh vegetables and
house-made saucedrizzled on topcreate the perfect medley of ataco thathas a saucy, savory and slightly sweet taste. One taco just isn’tenough. Bring home a jarofGrace Yum’shomemade kimchi for good measure,and start adding it to everything. Now we know —Korean flavorsmake a great addition to taco night
—Joanna Brown, staff writer
Today is Wednesday, June 25, the 176th day of 2025. There are 189 days left in the year
Todayinhistory
On June 25, 1950, war broke out in Korea as forces from the communist North invaded the South. The conflict would last for over three years and would be responsible for an estimated 4million deaths, an estimated 3million of whom were civilians.
On this date:
In 1876, theBattle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’sLastStand, began in southeastern MontanaTerritory.Asmany as 100 Native Americans were killed in thebattle, as were 268 people attached to the7th Cavalry Regiment, including George Armstrong Custer and Mark Kellogg, thefirst Associated Press reporter to
SHONEY’S
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In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which set aminimum wage, guaranteed overtimepay and banned “oppressive child labor,” wassigned into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In 1947, “The Diary of a Young Girl,” the personal journal of Anne Frank, a German-born Jewish girl hiding with her family from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World WarII, was first published.
In 1973, former White House Counsel John Dean began testifying before the Senate Watergate Committee, implicating top administration officials, including President Richard Nixon as well as himself,inthe Watergate scandal and cover-up.
In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Cruzan v. Director,Missouri Department of Health, its first “right-
to-die” decision, ruled 5-4 that family members could be barred from ending the lives of persistently comatose relatives who hadnot made their wishes known conclusively
In 2021, former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin wassentenced to 221/2 years in prison forthe murder of George Floyd, whose death led to the biggest outcry against racial injustice in the U.S. in generations.
Today’sbirthdays: Actor June Lockhart is 100. Civil rights activist James Meredith is 92. Singer Carly Simon is 82. Actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 78. Musician Tim Finn is 73. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is 71. Actor-writercomedian Ricky Gervais is 64. Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour is 62. Author Yann
is
This Shoney’salso featuredacreamy tub of red beans, near the ham, rice and chicken tenders —a protein andcarb extravaganza to make ahungry Cajun proud. The buffet is open all day with asalad bar and dinner items, although breakfastfood is removed around 11 a.m. ThereusedtobeaShoney’s in Lafayette andone in Jennings, but they are no more. Louisiana’slast remainingShoney’srestaurants are in MorganCity and Gretna, and in fact, our state is abit of aShoney’s oasis for theregion. ResidentsofTexas, Arkansas and Mississippi no longer have access to one of the last true,complete breakfast buffet experiences— and let me tell you, they are missing out. So makeyour way to your nearest Shoney’swhile you still can, happy in the
MUSEUM
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research and we think that people are going to come. But untiltheyactually did, and came through the doors, we didn’tknow.”
Anew cultural district
The V&A’s flagship museuminLondon’saffluent SouthKensingtondistrict, founded in the1850s, is one of Britain’sbiggesttourist attractions.The Storehouse is acrosstown in the Olympic Park,apost-industrial swath of east London that hostedthe 2012 summer games.
As part of post-Olympic regeneration, the area is now home to anew cultural quarter that includes arts and fashion colleges, a dance theater and another V&A branch, duetoopen next year.The Storehouse has hired dozens of young people recruited from the surrounding area, which includessomeofLondon’s mostdeprived districts.
DesignedbyDiller, Scofidio and Renfro,the firm behind New York’sHighLine park, thebuilding hasspace
to show offobjects too big to have been displayedvery oftenbefore, including a17thcentury Mughal colonnade from India, a1930s modernist officedesignedbyFrank LloydWrightand aPablo Picasso-designed stage curtain fora1924 ballet, some more than 30 feet high.
Also on amonumental scale are large chunks of vanished buildings, including agilded15th-century ceilingfrom theTorrijos Palace in Spain and aslab of the concrete façadeof Robin Hood Gardens, ademolished London housing estate.
Not ahushedtemple of art, this is aworking facility.Conversation is encouraged and forkliftsbeep in the background. Workers are finishing the David Bowie Center,ahomefor thelateLondon-born musician’sarchive of costumes, musical instruments, letters, lyrics and photos that is due to open at the Storehouse in September
Seekingtransparency
One aim of the Storehouse is to expose the museum’s innerworkings, through displays delving into all aspects of the conservators’
knowledge that yes, some things —and some French toast sticks —are just as delicious as they’ve always been.
Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.
job–from the eternal battle against insects to thenumbering system for museum contents —and aviewing gallery to watchstaff at work.
The increased openness comes as museums in the U.K. areunder increasing scrutiny over the origins of their collections. They face pressure to return objects acquired in sometimes contestedcircumstances during the days of the British Empire Senior curator Georgia Haseldine saidthe V&A is adopting apolicy of transparency,“so that we can talkveryopenly about where things have come from, howtheyendedup in theV&A’s collection, andalso make sure that researchers, as well as local people and people visiting from all around the world, have free andequitable access to these objects.
“Onaverage, museums have one to five percent of their collections on show,” she said. “What we’re doing here is saying, ‘No, this whole collection belongs to allofus. This is anational collection and you should have access to it.’ That is our fundamental principle.”
Martel (“Life of Pi”)
62. Actor Angela Kinsey (“The Office”) is 54.
STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN Akimchi taco by Grace yum at the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market in Lafayette
STAFF PHOTO By LAUREN CHERAMIE
Bin 77 in Baton Rouge
French toast sticks and a warmpan of syrup offer up good memories on the buffet at Shoney’sin Morgan City
STAFFPHOTO By JOANNA BROWN
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Keep an open mind, but don't believe everything you hear. Agreements are likely to fall short of your expectations. You'll gain respect if you stand up for yourself and your rights.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Communication is your path to change. Listen, ask questions and formulate a plan regarding how you choose to move forward. Don't let others lead you astray; follow your heart and believe in yourself.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Expand your mind, interests, qualifications and connections. Once you know your worth, it will be easier to negotiate your way forward personally, financially and professionally.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Take a breather, sit back and rethink what's important to you. Take a walk down memory lane and revisit your aspirations. It's never too late to pursue what makes you happy.
scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) A lifestyle change will be energizing. Whether it's a physical move, a professional change or spending more time with someone you love, whatever you choose will lead to personal growth and peace of mind.
sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stick close to home and do your best not to overspend or overindulge. Too much of anything will lead to trouble. Take care of matters succinctly to avoid penalties.
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Prioritize partnerships, places and pastimes. Concentrate on looking and feeling
your best, spending time with those you love and respect, and having fun. Romance is in the stars.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Pay attention to how you earn your living, what's new and exciting in your line of work and how you can position yourself for success. Take an innovative approach to how you market yourself.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Doors will open if you knock. Don't hesitate to pursue your goals and approach those in a position to help you advance. In every aspect of life, there is a silver lining.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Get up and get moving. Turn up the dial and let your creative imagination lead the way. Innovation and discipline combined will help you navigate your way throughout your day.
TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Adjust your surroundings to meet your needs. You'll feel much better and gain a clear vision once your goals are underway. Set boundaries and a budget to ensure success.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Refuse to let anyone talk you out of your cash. Spurof-the-moment decisions will leave you in an awkward position. Communication is a two-way street. Know when to say no.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
ToDAy's cLuE: W EQuALs K
CeLebrItY CIpher
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
LAGoon
bIG nAte
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
Richard Gough was born in Sweden, raised in South Africa, played soccer in Scotland and now resides in San Diego. He said, “There are a lot of things to weigh up when a soccer transfer happens, and money is a big factor.”
There are a lot of things to weigh up when a bridge transfer bid happens, too, and fit for partner’s major is a big factor.
We are looking at responder’s transfers into the major suits when opener has a balanced hand. Almost all of the time, the opener completes the transfer, even with a low doubleton. But when he has four-card support, a maximum and a doubleton, he may jump in responder’s major — a superaccept.
The South hand in today’s diagram is textbook. After North responds two hearts, showing five-plus spades, South rebids three spades. (He must not jump to four spades, since responder might have no points at all.) This persuades North to take the push into four spades (although passing is conceivable.)
After West leads the heart ace, how should the play proceed?
First, East should drop his queen under partner’s ace, showing the queen and jack. Probably West will continue with a low heart, and East will shift to a diamond, but declarer wins with his ace, draws trumps, and plays on clubs. He will discard two diamonds from the board on his long clubs and lose only two hearts and one club.
Note that if South rebids only two spades, North will pass, his hand not being strong enough to invite game with a two-no-trump rebid.
Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
ToDAy’s WoRD — InADEQuAcy: in-AD-ih-kwih-see: Insufficiency.
