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M o n d ay, J u ly 21, 2025

BIG QUESTION:

U.S. Rep. Letlow’s next move in Louisiana politics?

‘There is no wrong answer,’ consultant says

$2.00X

Judge mulls D.R. Horton case Homeowners question builder’s contracts

BY MATT BRUCE | Staff writer West and Alicia Dixon have spent the past three years fighting for compensation for a home they say was not built to stand up to Louisiana’s withering summertime humidity.

The couple sued D.R. Horton, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, claiming the Youngsville house the Texas-based company sold them in 2014 had a faulty ventilation system that caused water damage, mold growth and health issues.

After years of legal wrangling, the Louisiana couple had their day in court last week and told a Baton Rouge judge about living in a house they said they can’t afford to fix and how it has impacted them and their four children. It was testimony that underscored their lawsuit, which claims D.R. Horton knowingly built substandard homes across southern Louisiana and sales representatives duped them and other buyers into signing sales contracts with arbitration agreements.

The case is poised to become a class-action lawsuit involving hundreds of Louisiana residents who purchased homes from D.R. Horton after 2007.

After listening to nearly eight hours of testimony Wednesday from the Dixons and several other D.R. Horton homeowners,

ä See CASE, page 4A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Start, won reelection to the U.S. House on Nov. 5, 2024. Louisiana’s political scene is buzzing with questions about what Letlow’s next move will be.

BY TYLER BRIDGES | Staff writer

and have a good chance of winning. Or sultants and donors contacted for this she could return to her comfort zone story, most predicted that Trump will and go back into academia. She is a either publicly or privately endorse What is Julia Letlow’s next move?

That’s the burning question now in commodity in all three of those long- Letlow and that will prod her to enter the Senate race.

Louisiana politics. Within the next 60 term choices.”

For now, Letlow is not tipping Several people said that Gov. or so days, the U.S. representative has Jeff Landry, who is closely to choose among three tantalizing op- her hand on what she might aligned with Trump, has told tions: Does she run for reelection, chal- do. She did not respond to a them that he wants her to run lenge U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy or seek to request for an interview for this article. In a statement, she against Cassidy. Landry apbecome president of LSU? said she was “grateful Well-liked by Republicans peared as the “special guest” for the outpouring of who either love or loathe Presat a fundraiser for her in Laencouragement and Landry ident Donald Trump, Letlow, fayette on June 30, with checks support” and added, “I 44, is personable and positive, earmarked for the “Letlow Vicremain committed to much more likely to praise tory Fund.” working with President someone than tear them down.

The Governor’s Office deTrump, Speaker (Mike) She is serving her second clined to comment.

Johnson, and Majority full term in the House in a disCassidy already is facing two Leader (Steve) Scalise major Republican opponents trict that extends from Monroe to continue delivering who want Trump’s support: through Livingston Parish and Cassidy results for Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming and the Florida Parishes into Baand the nation.” state Sen. Blake Miguez, of ton Rouge, including Central, Johnson Several political inNew Iberia.

St. George and LSU’s campus.

But some Republicans don’t She has easily won three races siders say she has disthink Trump will risk losing to the House, running the first cussed with them the Cassidy as a reliable vote in time after her husband Luke possibility of running the Senate by endorsing Lethad won the seat in December against Cassidy, a fel2020 and then died three weeks low Republican who low, Fleming or Miguez, given later from COVID-19. Before Trump is running hard for a the narrow Republican marthat, Letlow served as a senior third term. gin there. And others say that administrator at the University of LouiThe key question is whether Trump operates by his own set of rules, so no one can be sure siana at Monroe and was a finalist to be Trump would endorse Letlow Scalise to punish Cassidy for voting to what he’ll do. the university’s president.

Most people interviewed agreed that “There is no wrong answer for Julia bar Trump from holding office again Letlow because there’s no dead end under an impeachment article that ac- Letlow would run for the Senate only if in her political future,” said Mary- cused him of “inciting violence against she has Trump’s blessing, which they Patricia Wray, a lobbyist and political the government of the United States” say would open a spigot of campaign consultant in Baton Rouge. “She could with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. cash for her. run for reelection and gain seniority in Capitol. ä See LETLOW, page 5A the House. She could run for the Senate Of the 30 lawmakers, political con-

Infrastructure is priority in proposed budget New positions may be added to Lafayette government

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR | Staff writer The administration of Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Boulet has presented a balanced $803.7 million 2025-26 operating and capital budget for council and public review.

Balancing the budget, which covers the fiscal year from Nov. 1, 2025, through Oct. 31, 2026, presented challenges because $85 million in COVID-19 relief funds received through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 has been spent or obligated and Boulet no longer available.

The budget, an increase over the 2024-25 budget, was presented to the city and parish councils on Tuesday and is available online at www.lafayettela.gov/finance-management/ lcg-budget-documents/proposed-budget.

Both the city and parish general funds are budgeted to maintain a savings of at least 20% of operating costs recommended for emergencies. The city has historically maintained

ä See BUDGET, page 4A

WEATHER HIGH 93 LOW 76 PAGE 10C

Classified .....................4B Living............................5C Nation-World................2A Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Lottery..........................4B Opinion ........................2B Commentary ................3B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

101ST yEAR, NO. 21

2A ● Monday, July 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Syria’s armed Bedouins withdraw from city

MAZRAA, Syria — Syria’s armed Bedouin clans announced Sunday they had withdrawn from the Druze-majority city of Sweida following weeklong clashes and a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, as humanitarian aid convoys started to enter the battered southern city.

The clashes between militias of the Druze religious minority and the Sunni Muslim clans killed hundreds and threatened to unravel Syria’s already fragile postwar transition. Israel also launched dozens of airstrikes in the Druze-majority Sweida province, targeting government forces who had effectively sided with the Bedouins.

The clashes also led to a series of targeted sectarian attacks against the Druze community, followed by revenge attacks against the Bedouins.

A series of tit-for-tat kidnappings sparked the clashes in various towns and villages in the province, which later spread to Sweida city, the provincial capital. Government forces were redeployed to halt renewed fighting that erupted Thursday, before withdrawing again.

Interim President Ahmad alSharaa, who has been perceived as more sympathetic to the Bedouins, had tried to appeal to the Druze community while remaining critical of the militias. He later urged the Bedouins to leave the city, saying that they “cannot replace the role of the state in handling the country’s affairs and restoring security.”

Pope renews call for Gaza ceasefire

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Pope Leo XIV renewed his call on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking the international community to respect international laws and the obligation to protect civilians.

“I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” the pontiff said at the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer from his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo.

Leo also expressed his “deep sorrow” for the Israeli attack on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, which killed three people and wounded 10 others, including the parish priest.

“I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations,” the pope added.

The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war, now in its 21st month. Israel expressed regret over what it described as an accident and said it was investigating.

“We need to dialogue and abandon weapons,” the pope said earlier Sunday, after presiding over Mass at the nearby Cathedral of Albano.

3 still missing from deadly Texas floods

KERRVILLE, Texas — Just three people remain missing — down from nearly 100 at last count — since the Texas Hill Country was pounded by massive flooding on July 4, officials said Saturday.

Officials praised rescuers for the sharp reduction in the number of people on the missing list: Just days after the catastrophic flooding, more than 160 people were said to be unaccounted for in Kerr County alone.

“This remarkable progress reflects countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work, and an unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families during an unimaginably difficult time,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said in a statement.

The death toll in Kerr County, 107, held steady for much of this week even as the intensive search continued.

The flash floods killed at least 135 people in Texas over the holiday weekend, with most deaths along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio.

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Officials: 85 seeking aid killed in Gaza Israel widens evacuation orders

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, FATMA KHALED, MELANIE LIDMAN and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Gaza saw its deadliest day yet for aid-seekers in over 21 months of war as at least 85 Palestinians were killed while trying to reach food on Sunday, the territory’s Health Ministry said.

There was new alarm as Israel’s military issued evacuation orders for parts of central Gaza, one of the few areas where it has rarely operated with ground troops and where many international organizations trying to distribute aid are located. One group said several offices were told to evacuate immediately.

There was no immediate Israeli comment.

The largest death toll was in devastated northern Gaza, where living conditions are especially dire. At least 79 Palestinians were killed while trying to reach aid entering through the Zikim crossing with Israel, Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Health Ministry’s records department, told The Associated Press. The U.N. World Food Program said 25 trucks with aid had entered for “starving commu-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

Palestinians carry sacks of humanitarian aid on Sunday in the Gaza Strip. nities” when it encountered massive crowds.

A U.N. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to comment on the incident to the media, said Israeli forces opened fire toward crowds who tried to take food from the convoy. Footage taken by the U.N. and shared with the AP showed Palestinian men running as automatic gunfire was heard.

“Suddenly, tanks surrounded us and trapped us as gunshots and strikes rained down. We were trapped for around two hours,” said Ehab Al-Zei, who had been waiting for flour and said he hadn’t eaten bread in 15 days.

He spoke over the din of people carrying the dead

and wounded. ”I will never go back again. Let us die of hunger, it’s better.”

Nafiz Al-Najjar, who was injured, said tanks and drones targeted people “randomly” and he saw his cousin and others shot dead.

Israel’s military said soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza who posed a threat, and it was aware of some casualties. But it said the numbers reported by officials in Gaza were far higher than its initial investigation found. It accused Hamas militants of creating chaos.

More than 150 people were wounded, some in critical condition, hospitals said.

Al-Waheidi said Israeli gunfire killed another six

Palestinians in the Shakoush area, hundreds of yards north of a hub of the recently created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.- and Israel-backed group, in the southern city of Rafah. The GHF said it was not aware of any incident near its site. Witnesses and health workers say several hundred people have been killed by Israeli fire while trying to access the group’s aid distribution sites.

Separately, seven Palestinians were killed while sheltering in tents in Khan Younis in the south, including a 5-year-old boy, according to the Kuwait Specialized Field Hospital, which received the casualties.

The new evacuation orders cut access between

the central city of Deir alBalah and Rafah and Khan Younis in the narrow territory. The military also reiterated evacuation orders for northern Gaza.

Palestinians were startled to see the orders for parts of Deir al-Balah, a relative haven. “All of Rafah is under evacuation, and now you have decided that half of Deir al-Balah is under evacuation. Where will we move to?” asked resident Hassan Abu Azab, as others piled everything from bedding to live ducks onto carts and other vehicles. Smoke rose in the distance, with blasts and the sound of a siren.

The United Nations was in contact with Israeli authorities to clarify whether U.N. facilities in the southwestern part of Deir alBalah are included in the order, according to a different U.N. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media. The official said that in previous instances, U.N. facilities were spared from such orders.

The Medical Aid for Palestinians group said several humanitarian organizations’ offices and guesthouses had been “ordered to evacuate immediately” and nine clinics, including the MAP one, had been forced to shut down. It was not immediately clear what other groups were affected.

Russia seeks to achieve Ukraine goals despite ultimatum continues to intensify withdraw from the four a rejuvenated pipeline an effort to isolate Moscow Trump gave cow its long-range attacks on regions that Russia ille- for American weapons to in the global economy. cities, launch- gally annexed in Septem- reach Ukraine, hardening In addition, Trump said Moscow 50-day Ukrainian ing more drones in a sin- ber 2022, but never fully his stance toward Moscow that European allies would gle night than it did dur- captured. It also wants after months of frustration buy “billions and billions” deadline for ing some entire months Ukraine to renounce its following unsuccessful ne- of dollars of U.S. military in 2024, and analysts say bid to join NATO and ac- gotiations aimed at ending equipment to be transferred ceasefire

By The Associated Press Russia is open to peace with Ukraine, but achieving its goals remains a priority, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Sunday, days after President Donald Trump gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face tougher sanctions.

Peskov and other Russian officials have repeatedly rejected accusations from Kyiv and its Western partners of stalling peace talks. Meanwhile, Mos-

the barrages are likely to escalate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible.

This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy,” Peskov told state television in an interview.

“The main thing for us is to achieve our goals,” he said. “Our goals are clear.”

The Kremlin has insisted that any peace deal should see Ukraine

cept strict limits on its armed forces — demands Kyiv and its Western allies have rejected.

In his nightly address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his officials have proposed a new round of peace talks this week. Russian state media on Sunday reported that no date has yet been set for the negotiations, but said that Istanbul would likely remain the host city.

Trump threatened Russia on July 14 with steep tariffs and announced

Japanese PM’s coalition loses majority in upper house election

BY MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ’s ruling coalition failed Monday to secure a majority in the 248-seat upper house in a crucial parliamentary election, NHK public television said.

Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito needed to win 50 seats on top of the 75 seats they already have to reach the goal. With two more seats to be decided, the coalition had only 46 seats.

The loss is another blow to Ishiba’s coalition, making it a minority in both houses following its October defeat in the lower house election, and worsening Japan’s political instability. It was the first time the LDP has lost a majority in both houses of parliament since the party’s foundation in 1955.

Despite the loss, Ishiba expressed determination to stay on to tackle challenges such as U.S. tariff threats, but he could face calls from within his party to step down or find another coalition partner.

“I will fulfill my responsibility as head of the No. 1 party and work for the country,” he said.

Ishiba had set the bar low, wanting a simple majority of 125 seats, which means his LDP and its Buddhist-backed junior coalition partner Komeito needed to win 50 to add to the 75 seats they already have.

Exit poll results released seconds after the ballots closed Sunday night mostly showed a major setback for Ishiba’s coalition.

The LDP alone won 38 seats, better than most exit poll projections of 32, and still

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Voters fill in their ballots Sunday in the upper house election at a polling station in Tokyo.

the No. 1 party in the parliament, known as the Diet.

“It’s a tough situation. I take it humbly and sincerely,” Ishiba told a live interview with NHK. He said the poor showing was because his government’s measures to combat price increase have yet to reach many people.

The poor performance in the election will not immediately trigger a change of government because the upper house lacks the power to file a no-confidence motion against a leader, but it will certainly deepen uncertainty over his fate and Japan’s political stability. Ishiba could face calls from within the LDP party to step down or find another coalition partner.

Soaring prices, lagging incomes and burdensome social security payments are the top issues for frustrated, cashstrapped voters. Stricter measures targeting foreign residents and visitors also emerged as a key issue, with a surging right-wing populist party leading the campaign.

the war. The direct RussiaUkraine negotiations in Istanbul resulted in several rounds of prisoner exchanges but little else.

The U.S. president said that he would implement “severe tariffs” unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days. He provided few details on how they would be implemented, but suggested they would target Russia’s trading partners in

to Ukraine, replenishing the besieged country’s supplies of weapons. Included in the plan are Patriot air defense systems, a top priority for Ukraine as it fends off Russian drones and missiles.

Doubts were recently raised about Trump’s commitment to supply Ukraine when the Pentagon paused shipments over concerns that U.S. stockpiles were running low.

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Expert: Move to unseal Epstein transcripts likely to disappoint

BY LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press

NEW YORK — A Justice Department request to unseal grand jury transcripts in the prosecution of chronic sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend is unlikely to produce much, if anything, to satisfy the public’s appetite for new revelations about the financier’s crimes, former federal prosecutors say.

Attorney Sarah Krissoff, an assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan from 2008 to 2021, called the request in the prosecutions of Epstein and imprisoned British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell “a distraction.”

“The president is trying to present himself as if he’s doing something here and it really is nothing,” Krissoff told The Associated Press in a weekend interview.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made the request Friday, asking judges to unseal transcripts from grand jury proceedings that resulted in indictments against Epstein and Maxwell, saying “transparency to the American public is of the utmost importance to this Administration.”

The request came as the administration sought to contain the firestorm that followed its announcement that it would not be releasing additional files from the Epstein probe despite previously promising that it would.

Epstein killed himself at age 66 in his federal jail cell in August 2019, a month after his arrest on sex trafficking charges, while Maxwell, 63, is serving a 20-year prison sentence imposed after her December 2021 sex trafficking conviction for luring girls to be sexually abused by Epstein.

Krissoff and Joshua Naftalis, a Manhattan federal prosecutor for 11 years before entering private practice in 2023, said grand jury presentations are purposely brief.

Naftalis said Southern District prosecutors present just enough to a grand jury to get an indictment but “it’s not going to be ev-

erything the FBI and investigators have figured out about Maxwell and Epstein.”

“People want the entire file from however long. That’s just not what this is,” he said, estimating that the transcripts, at most, probably amount to a few hundred pages.

“It’s not going to be much,” Krissoff said, estimating the length at as little as 60 pages “because the Southern District of New York’s practice is to put as little information as possible into the grand jury.”

“They basically spoon feed the indictment to the grand jury.

That’s what we’re going to see,” she said. “I just think it’s not going to be that interesting. ... I don’t think it’s going to be anything new.”

Both ex-prosecutors said that grand jury witnesses in Manhattan are usually federal agents summarizing their witness interviews.

That practice might conflict with the public perception of some state and federal grand jury proceedings, where witnesses likely to testify at a trial are brought before grand juries during lengthy proceedings prior to indictments or when grand juries are used as an investigatory tool.

In Manhattan, federal prosecutors “are trying to get a particular result so they present the case very narrowly and inform the grand jury what they want them to do,” Krissoff said.

Krissoff predicted that judges who presided over the Epstein and Maxwell cases will reject the government’s request.

With Maxwell, a petition is before the U.S. Supreme Court so appeals have not been exhausted.

With Epstein, the charges are related to the Maxwell case and the anonymity of scores of victims who have not gone public is at stake, although Blanche requested that victim identities be protected.

“This is not a 50-, 60-, 80-yearold case,” Krissoff noted. “There’s still someone in custody.”

EU to ready retaliation plan as U.S. trade stance hardens

BY ALBERTO NARDELLI Bloomberg News (TNS) ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

Attorney General Pam Bondi, center, speaks Tuesday at a news conference at the Drug Enforcement Administration in Arlington, Va. Bondi requested judges unseal transcripts from grand jury proceedings that resulted in indictments against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

She said citing “public intrigue, interest and excitement” about a case was likely not enough to convince a judge to release the transcripts despite a 1997 ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that said judges have wide discretion and that public interest alone can justify releasing grand jury information.

Krissoff called it “mind-blowingly strange” that Washington Justice Department officials are increasingly directly filing requests and arguments in the Southern District of New York, where the prosecutor’s office has long been labeled the “Sovereign District of New York” for its independence from outside influence.

“To have the attorney general and deputy attorney general meddling in an SDNY case is unheard of,” she said.

Cheryl Bader, a former federal prosecutor and Fordham Law School criminal law professor, said judges who presided over the Epstein and Maxwell cases may take weeks or months to rule.

“Especially here where the case involved witnesses or victims of sexual abuse, many of which are underage, the judge is going to be very cautious about what the judge releases,” she said.

Bader said she didn’t see the government’s quest aimed at satisfying the public’s desire to explore conspiracy theories “trumping — pardon the pun — the wellestablished notions of protecting the secrecy of the grand jury process.”

“I’m sure that all the line pros-

ecutors who really sort of appreciate the secrecy and special relationship they have with the grand jury are not happy that DOJ is asking the court to release these transcripts,” she added.

Mitchell Epner, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice, called Trump’s comments and influence in the Epstein matter “unprecedented” and “extraordinarily unusual” because he is a sitting president.

He said it was not surprising that some former prosecutors are alarmed that the request to unseal the grand jury materials came two days after the firing of Manhattan Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey, who worked on the Epstein and Maxwell cases.

“If federal prosecutors have to worry about the professional consequences of refusing to go along with the political or personal agenda of powerful people, then we are in a very different place than I’ve understood the federal Department of Justice to be in over the last 30 years of my career,” he said.

Krissoff said the uncertain environment that has current prosecutors feeling unsettled is shared by government employees she speaks with at other agencies as part of her work in private practice.

“The thing I hear most often is this is a strange time. Things aren’t working the way we’re used to them working,” she said.

Associated Press Writers Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.

European Union envoys are set to meet as early as this week to formulate a plan for measures to respond to a possible no-deal scenario with President Donald Trump, whose tariff negotiating position is seen to have stiffened ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline.

The overwhelming preference is to keep negotiations with Washington on track in a bid for an outcome to the impasse ahead of next month’s deadline.

Still, efforts have yet to yield sustained progress following talks in Washington last week, according to people familiar with the matter.

Negotiations will continue over the next two weeks.

The U.S. is now seen to want a near-universal tariff on EU goods higher than 10%, with increasingly fewer exemptions limited to aviation, some medical devices and generic medicines, several spirits, and a specific set of manufacturing equipment that the U.S. needs, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

A spokesperson for the European Commission, which handles trade matters for the bloc, said they had no comment to make on the ongoing negotiations.

The two sides have also discussed a potential ceiling for some sectors, as well as quotas for steel and aluminum and a way to ring-fence supply chains from sources that oversupply the metals, the people said.

The people cautioned that even if an agreement were reached it would need Trump’s signoff — and his position isn’t clear.

“I am confident we’ll get a deal done,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “I think all these key countries will figure out it is better to open their markets to the United States of America than to pay a significant tariff.”

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4A ● Monday, July 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BUDGET

a healthy balance. The parish general fund struggled to do so until 2024.

In the proposed 2025-26 budget, the parish general fund has a $4.8 million balance. The city general fund’s balance is budgeted at $58.2 million.

Speaking Tuesday on behalf of an absent Boulet, Chief Administrative Officer Rachel Godeaux said public infrastructure, including drainage, is a significant priority in the proposed

budget.

Specific revitalization projects, Boulet wrote in the budget document, include the University Corridor, Louisiana Avenue Extension, Bertrand Drive, Johnston Street infrastructure improvements and the Interstate 49 Connector.

“These projects, in addition to strategic utility and fiber expansions, will improve traffic flow, enhance drainage and gateways, and increase connectivity across our region,” Boulet wrote.

The proposed budget includes funds for “micro transit services” to be deployed in strategic areas of

CASE

we just couldn’t get them on the phone anymore.”

Continued from page 1A

Continued from page 1A 19th Judicial District Chief Judge Donald Johnson now has a key decision: Should the case remain before him in state court, or should it be litigated in arbitration?

Plaintiffs’ attorneys argue the matter should remain in state court, where they say they would have more access to evidentiary documents and the matter would be less expensive for their clients.

Johnson has presided over the case for much of the past three years since the Dixons originally lodged their petition for damages in March 2022. The case was transferred to a federal district court for about 10 months before a federal judge remanded it to the 19th JDC in September 2023. In a July 8 ruling, the First Circuit Court of Appeal gave Johnson a deadline to rule on two motions filed by D.R. Horton that will settle the arbitration issue in the case.

The appellate court ordered Johnson to render his ruling by Tuesday. Last Wednesday’s marathon evidentiary hearing provided testimony that can inform his decision.

The hearing marked the first time the Dixons had a chance to tell their story in a courtroom. They were buoyed by expert witnesses and five other D.R. Horton homeowners who said the company strung them along with “Band-Aid” repairs to their faulty HVAC systems until the two-year warranty for their respective homes expired.

After that, company officials deserted them and left families on the hook to pay for the expensive repairs, witnesses testified.

“They kept coming out.

But they kept coming out and not fixing the issue,” said Anna Pollock, a mother of four who had to evacuate her home in the same Sugar Ridge subdivision where the Dixons live. She and her family were forced to move to Georgia to escape the mold issues that intensified her youngest daughter’s asthma.

“When they realized they weren’t fixing it, they abandoned us,” Pollock testified.

“They just stopped coming, stopped returning texts.

They left holes in the wall …

lll

the city, Boulet wrote, “providing flexible, on-demand transportation that shortens wait times and increases overall system efficiency.”

New positions will be added to Lafayette Consolidated Government, including an economic developer dedicated to Lafayette Utilities System.

That employee, Boulet wrote, will focus on “strategic growth initiatives, balancing investment opportunities in both infill and greenfield areas and better aligning infrastructure with community development goals.”

To streamline and lower

legal costs, Boulet also intends to hire an in-house paralegal to handle routine legal matters.

She also plans to increase internal staff in the Parks, Arts, Recreation, & Culture Department and reduce the dependency on contract services, “leading to more consistent service delivery and long-term cost savings.”

The city will be investing in special vehicles for the Fire Department to handle medical calls, Chief Financial Officer Karen Fontenot wrote, since about 40% of all Fire Department calls contain a medical component.

The new vehicles are ex-

pected to reduce the strain on the Fire Department’s trucks.

Drainage maintenance and improvements make up about 15% of the capital funding in the proposed budget, Fontenot wrote.

The budget, she wrote, contains $500,000 in seed funding to buy out or help homeowners elevate homes that have suffered repetitive flooding.

Capital funding is included for improving aging infrastructure like roads and public buildings, including nearby drainage, electrical system and pedestrian and bike safety.

Arbitration hurdle One key moment during Wednesday’s hearing came when Dustin Cole took the stand. Cole, who owns a Lake Charles heating and cooling company, testified as an HVAC expert. He inspected the Dixons’ home in October 2023 and said he found “negative pressure” that was causing outdoor air elements to be pushed into their indoor environment. It was so bad in their master bedroom, it was depressurizing the entire home, Cole explained to the judge.

“An HVAC is designed to circulate the air throughout the house and return it,” he said. “In the event that it is not allowed to return the air, then you can start having different imbalances. You can have a pressure imbalance.”

In a December 2022 filing, the Dixons amended their lawsuit to expand the proposed putative class, setting the stage for a class-action claim that could include as many as 1,000 plaintiffs.

The Dixons would become class representatives, suing on behalf of themselves and “all other individuals similarly situated” who bought a D.R. Horton-built home after Jan. 1, 2007.

James Alcee Brown, the New Orleans attorney leading D.R. Horton’s legal defense, said the company has sold more than 18,000 homes across Louisiana since 2007.

He later clarified that statistic and said nearly 14,000 D.R. Horton-built homes were sold statewide between 2007 and the end of 2022.

The Dixons’ amended complaint indicates hundreds of Louisiana homeowners whose residences were built with “defective design and construction” could possibly join the classaction suit as plaintiffs.

In order to reach that milestone in the case, however, the Dixons must first clear the hurdle of arbitration. Lance Unglesby, the plaintiffs’ lead attorney, described the evidentiary hearing as a pivotal “mini trial.” The objective was to convince Judge Johnson that the Dixons’ lawsuit should remain in court.

Attorneys for D.R. Horton have insisted from the outset that the issue should be settled in arbitration, citing the fact that the Dix-

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Crews work on the roof of a new construction build by D.R. Horton on West Worthey Street in Gonzales on July 14, 2023. ons signed a sales contract with a binding arbitration clause that directs any legal disputes into mediation under construction industry arbitration rules. The two exceptions, or motions for dismissal, that First Circuit Court of Appeal judges ordered Johnson to rule on by this Tuesday were both filed by D.R. Horton in April 2022 — less than a month after the Dixons lodged their original petition.

The motion for the company argues that court is an improper venue for the Dixons’ claims under the U.S. Arbitration Act, the federal law that enforces arbitration agreements.

Brown, D.R. Horton’s lead counsel in the case, drove home that same argument last Wednesday, telling Johnson the courts have no legal authority in the matter.

“It is undisputed that the Dixons signed the contract of sale and initialed the arbitration clause on two separate occasions,” Brown said. “We submit that is all we need to prove to the court to carry our burden on our original arbitration exceptions.”

But West and Alicia Dixon said the sales representatives pressured them to sign the contract, telling them the homes were selling fast and it was necessary so they could pay a $1,000 deposit to secure the four-bedroom LaSalle-style house they eventually purchased. Both testified that none of the sales representatives ever mentioned the arbitration clause or explained to them that it could prevent them from taking legal action in court. “I would not have signed it,” Alicia Dixon said.

“I took it in good faith from the company repre-

sentative that I was buying a home from that what he told me was 100% accurate,” West Dixon said. “That this document was a purchase agreement, and that it was just for the $1,000 we put down to hold the lot.”

West Dixon testified the only hazard sales representatives warned them about was that they could lose their deposit if they backed out of the house purchase after signing the contract.

Adhesive contract D.R. Horton’s legal team did not cross-examine any of the witnesses. Brown made several objections as plaintiff attorneys questioned

Key projects funded in the proposed budget include: Johnston Street, University Avenue, Bertrand Drive, City Hall repairs and renovations, improvements to existing walking paths and planning for future paths, modernization of the Heymann Performing Arts Center, Carmel Drive sidewalks, Pinhook Road turn lane and maintaining the Lafayette Parish Jail to functional standards.

The councils will hold a series of special meetings to review the budget and a final public hearing on Aug. 19. Adoption is scheduled for Sept. 11.

were not afforded to purchasers who signed the sales contracts. He opined the Dixons didn’t have “nearly the equal bargaining power” in the deal.

Arbitration under construction rules is a relatively expensive route that would likely cost the Dixons well over $10,000 to pursue litigation. Unglesby, the plaintiffs’ attorney, said D.R. Horton officials knew the HVAC systems installed in the homes were faulty and used the arbitration agreements to ward off lawsuits so they wouldn’t have to honor the mandates of Louisiana’s New Home Warranty Act. That state law requires builders to repair construction defects in new homes for two years after the properties are sold.

Unglesby also argued that the couple’s signatures don’t lock them into the contract’s arbitration clauses because they didn’t knowingly consent to those terms.

“A party cannot be bound to a contract term if they had no reasonable opportunity to read and understand it,” he said during one point of the hearing. “The question isn’t did they sign the contract?

The question is did they consent to all of the terms in the contract.”

the witnesses. But he said he was reserving his questions for arbitration, where all evidence should be presented.

The one follow-up question Brown did offer up was to ask West Dixon if he signed the sales contract a second time in June 2014. West said he did.

LSU law professor Kenya Smith, a specialist in contracts, testified that the arbitration agreements amounted to an adhesive “take-it-orleave-it” contract that heavily swayed in D.R. Horton’s favor. It gave the company exclusive remedies and hidden opt-outs — like keeping homebuyers’ deposits or Email Matt Bruce at matt. seeking attorney fees — that bruce@theadvocate.com.

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lll

Banksy painting in N.O. cut out and trucked away Owner hopes to display it by Katrina’s 20th anniversary

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

In 2008, a secretive graffiti painter left extremely valuable artwork scattered around New Orleans. Banksy, the world-renowned British graffiti master, painted more than a dozen minimurals, presumably intended to raise spirits and attract art-loving tourists during the city’s postHurricane Katrina recovery.

On Tuesday morning, one of those paintings was cut from the wall of an antique firehouse at 514 Jackson Ave. and hauled away by the building’s owner. It was the last visible Banksy that remained in its original location. All others have been painted over, demolished or removed from the sites where they were painted.

LETLOW

Continued from page 1A For now, Cassidy has a big head start. He has $8.7 million in campaign cash, is known statewide and has made a series of moves aimed at endearing himself to Trump and conservative voters. On Wednesday, Cassidy’s team highlighted that Trump signed a bill sponsored by the senator that aims to help law enforcement officials combat the scourge of fentanyl. Cassidy stood directly behind Trump’s left shoulder during the White House ceremony.

“Anyone can enter this race, but it won’t change the outcome — Senator Cassidy will win,” campaign spokesperson Ashley Bosch said in a statement. “He’s a solid conservative standing shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump — working to secure our southern border, unleash American energy, and champion the America First agenda. Senator Cassidy is protecting our values and delivering real results for Louisiana.”

President of LSU? But because Letlow has a doctorate from the University of South Florida and a background in academia, some people believe that she wants to become president of LSU, a position that opened when William Tate in May announced his departure for Rutgers University. The president’s job would come with housing and a significant pay boost for Letlow.

She has already moved to Baton Rouge with her two small children and has put her house outside of Rayville, in Richland Parish, on the market for $775,000, online records show.

Letlow has to decide her next move soon because of the new congressional election schedule that requires candidates to qualify for the House or Senate in mid-January for the April 18 closed party primary.

The owner, Jaohn Orgon, said he hopes to have the painting restored in time to exhibit it for the 20th anniversary of Katrina, which struck New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005.

In 2008, the firehouse in the 500 block of Jackson belonged to restaurateur Greg Surrey and his then-business partner Orgon.

Surrey said he was introduced to Banksy at the time and granted the internationally acclaimed artist permission to paint on the property.

In 2008, Orgon said, he saw that a scaffold wrapped in tarp had been erected on the side of the 19th-century brick structure, where the artist could work without being seen. He may have even laid eyes on the world’s most famous, yet least-seen artist. But at the time, he admits, he didn’t even know who Banksy was.

The 6-foot-tall, stencil-style design that Banksy produced depicted a stick figure pleading for mercy as it is painted over

Meanwhile, Scott Ballard, who chairs the LSU presidential search committee, said the committee will step up its efforts in August and is aiming to choose Tate’s successor by year end.

Lee Mallett, the committee’s vice chair, has publicly supported McNeese State President Wade Rousse as Tate’s replacement.

Mallett introduced Rousse to LSU health care officials at a reception at the Governor’s Mansion on June 2.

Stay in her current job?

Amid the uncertainty over what she will do next, Letlow’s surest bet is to seek a third full term in the House.

She cruised to reelection in November with 63% of the vote and is poised to hold that Republican-majority seat for years.

The biggest potential barrier is the U.S. Supreme Court, which said in June that it will rehear in its next term a case that seeks to overturn the current map for Louisiana’s six congressional districts. If the court does reject the existing boundaries, Louisiana might end up with a new map that gives Letlow a virtually unwinnable Black-majority district.

“If she forgoes the Senate race, she’s looking at possibly losing her own congressional race,” said Scott Wilfong, a Republican political consultant.

No matter how the court rules, the current map will almost certainly remain in place for next year’s elections, said Michael Li, a redistricting expert at the Brennan Center for Justice in New York and a Tulane Law School graduate. That’s because any court ruling will be too late to affect the 2026 elections, he said.

The Trump factor Political circles are rife with speculation whether Letlow will challenge Cassidy.

Some political insiders say that Trump has already met privately with Letlow and

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DOUG MacCASH

Banksy’s graffiti-style painting ‘The Gray Ghost’ has been removed from its original location, an antique fire house at 514 Jackson Ave., by the building owner.

by New Orleans’ legendary graffiti foe, the late Fred “The Gray Ghost” Radtke. The painting — which even then might have sold for hundreds of thousands at auction — was protected by a fence.

Despite the barrier, a vandal attempted to splash the artwork with black paint. Happily, he or

offered his support. Others insist that that hasn’t happened.

One thing is certain: She hasn’t publicly ruled out the possible race.

Another thing is certain: Trump has repeatedly shown he holds tremendous animus toward any Republican who voted to impeach him or convict him, taking great delight in the retirement or defeat of those who did.

Of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump of the Jan. 6 attack, only three remain in office: Sen. Susan Collins, of Maine; Sen. Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska; and Cassidy.

After that vote, Trump regularly belittled Cassidy, calling him “Wacky Bill” and other schoolyard names.

Cassidy has done everything he can this year to get back in Trump’s good graces.

He voted to confirm the president’s controversial Cabinet picks, including Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health. Cassidy, despite his strong support for vaccines, has not joined critics who have blasted recent moves

by Kennedy that have sowed doubt about the benefits of vaccines.

Earlier this month, Cassidy voted for Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, a measure that extends the president’s expiring tax cuts and partially pays for them by cutting Medicaid, the federal program that provides health care to the poor. The bill passed 51-50, so Cassidy’s support was crucial.

Cassidy’s staff sends out news releases each time he gets invited to the White House.

“Cassidy & Trump Continue to Work Together to Deliver Major Wins for Louisiana,” read the Cassidy campaign’s news release on the fentanyl bill signing.

At least for now, Cassidy has the financial backing of such major Republican donors as business owners Boysie Bollinger, Eddie

she missed, said Orgon, who is now sole owner of the property.

The painting was subsequently covered with a transparent plastic panel that prevented further vandalism.

Over the past 17 years, the effect of weather and Southern sunlight has faded the paint. However, Orgon said, the artwork is “in great shape for being so old and whatnot.”

A few months ago, when Orgon offered the historic property for sale, he began the process of removing the artwork and the estimated 5,000-pound section of brick and mortar that holds it.

Photos taken on Tuesday morning show the rectangular portion of the wall, cradled in a steel frame, being transported to a flatbed truck by a heavy-duty forklift.

Orgon’s goal is to preserve and show the painting, he said. “Any restoration,” he said, will be “done appropriately.”

He hopes to find a New Orleans museum willing to put the heavy-

Rispone and Richard Lipsey.

“There’s no reason I would change my support for Bill Cassidy,” Lipsey said. “I think he’s done an excellent job. I would hope there would be no confrontation between Julia and Bill. I think our president is smart enough to put that aside (the conviction vote).”

Bollinger doesn’t believe Letlow will run for Cassidy’s Senate seat because he doesn’t think Trump will support one of Cassidy’s opponents.

“It makes sense for Trump to stay out, as much as he hates Cassidy for the impeachment vote,” Bollinger said. “He got RFK (confirmed). If Trump opposed him, Cassidy has no incentive to support the Trump agenda. Trump knows that.”

Republicans hold a slim 53-47 advantage in the Senate. Murkowski, Collins, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky have

weight artwork on display in time for the 20th anniversary of Katrina at the end of August, he said.

Banksy’s small mural of the Gray Ghost with a stick figure is the fifth Banksy to be salvaged from New Orleans architecture for preservation.

Banksy’s so-called “Looters” and “Child on a Swing” are on display in the lobby of the International House Hotel, 221 Camp St. Banksy’s version of cartoon character Bart Simpson can be seen at the Habana Outpost restaurant, 1040 Esplanade Ave. In February 2024, Banksy’s painting of the Gray Ghost on the corner of Clio and Carondelet streets was removed for restoration.

In April 2024, Banksy’s “Umbrella Girl” was also removed from its location at the corner of Kerlerec and North Rampart streets for restoration.

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

shown a willingness to vote against Trump.

Letlow’s priorities

campaign finance report shows. She raised money at fundraisers hosted by lobbyist Paul Rainwater at his home in Baton Rouge in March (with special guest Attorney General Liz Murrill), by business owner Phyllis Taylor in Metairie in May (with Scalise as the special guest) and by Lee Mallett at his ranch in Jefferson Davis Parish in May. Car dealer Steve Taylor is hosting an event for Letlow at his Monroe home on July 25.

“The sky’s the limit for her,” said Ryan Cross, a lobbyist for Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge.

“Congresswoman Letlow has shown in short order an ability to navigate Capitol Hill, to rise in leadership and to deliver results for the people she represents.

That’s a rarity in Congress and an asset for Louisiana.”

During her campaigns, Letlow has said her priorities are getting more federal money for her district, including dollars to fix roads, bridges and sewer systems, making sure farmers receive the aid they need from the government and expanding broadband internet service in rural areas. Along with all other Republicans in Louisiana’s congressional delegation, she voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Letlow, during her 4 1/2 years in the House, has voted with the conservative Heritage Foundation 75% of the time, compared with 89% for the average House Republican. She has a 100% voting record with National Right to Life, a leading antiabortion group.

Letlow has been building a network of donors across Louisiana and has $2.1 mil- Email Tyler Bridges at lion in the bank, the latest tbridges@theadvocate.com.

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A sweet, savory experience at Edie’s Advocate staffer gets taste of Lafayette institution

BY JUSTIN MITCHELL Staff writer

On my last visit to Lafayette, I ate the same breakfast for three days — a blueberry buttermilk biscuit from the Reve Coffee Roasters downtown location.

The sticky, syrupy, square masterpiece was nothing short of addictive, so much so that I worked up the nerve to ask the barista

and chef what made them so special.

After writing about my love for Reve’s divine creation, several locals reached out to tell me about other biscuits I should try in Acadiana.

I was back in town this month, so I ventured to Edie’s Biscuits, a Lafayette institution, on a mission to try something sweet and savory.

Plan in works for new LSU arena’s name

When I walked into the oddshaped building situated in a triangle off West Pinhook Road, owner Stanley Leece introduced himself and could tell immediately I was not a local.

“Where do you work? Where are you from?” he asked. I explained I was from New Orleans by way of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and was visiting the area and at Edie’s for the first time.

Stanley shook my hand, introduced me to every person working in the kitchen and welcomed me into his shop that has fed Lafayette for decades.

Inside, regulars joked with their servers and left empty plates and tips. Fresh fruit bowls were so overloaded with grapes, apples and pineapple that they were wrapped with rubber bands. Fresh watermelon sat on the bar for people to sample.

I decided to try one savory and two sweet biscuits from Edie’s.

The ham, egg and cheese was hearty and filling. The thicksliced pork was smoky and sweet, and the medium fried egg added heft to the breakfast sandwich.

Next, the cinnamon biscuit was so sticky I had to stop in the middle of eating it to wash my hands.

And then I dug right back in, because it was that good. Different

ä See EDIE’S, page 4B

CAKE AND QUACKERS

Hospital negotiating $50M, 10-year deal

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

Baton Rouge hospital Our Lady of the Lake has been in talks to pay as much as $50 million over a decade for the naming rights to a proposed new LSU arena.

No deal to develop the arena has been finalized, and Lake spokesperson Alexandra Deiro Stubbs said Tuesday that “terms are still under negotiation.”

A draft document dated November sent to developer Oak View Group by LSU officials spells out a proposal with an “existing naming prospect” to pay $5 million a year for 10 years.

Though a specific entity is not identified in the term sheet, renderings included in other records show the arena bearing the Lake name, and Stubbs has confirmed the hospital was pursuing a naming rights deal.

A spokesperson for Oak View Group said Tuesday that the company is still “working closely with our partners at LSU” on the project.

“As part of this process, we are seeking a naming rights partner who shares a strong commitment to the Baton Rouge community and is dedicated to supporting its long-term cultural and economic growth,” Oak View Group said.

“We will share additional details at the appropriate time.”

ä See ARENA, page 4B

Youngsville man dies in single-car crash early Sunday Staff report A Youngsville man died early Sunday in a one-car accident in Lafayette.

Blaze M. Lachapelle, 24, was driving in the 200 block of Southpark Road when his vehicle left the roadway, struck a culvert then hit a tree and caught on fire, Lafayette Police Department officials announced.

Lachapelle was removed from the vehicle by Lafayette Fire Department personnel and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The crash remains under investigation.

PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

A duck joins the celebration as Idania Lopez Mon, from left, serves birthday cake to her son Angel Lopez and daughter Keily Lopez Mon on Tuesday in Girard Park.

Lafayette illustrator behind new La. license plate Specialty plate reflects state’s creative arts

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

The Louisiana Partnership for the Arts recently unveiled a new specialty license plate designed by Lafayette illustrator and author Denise Gallagher.

The specialty plate features a book to symbolize the state’s literary culture, a pencil and paintbrush representing visual arts, a variety of musical instruments reflecting Louisiana’s music scene and sea creatures that pay tribute to the state’s seafood industry.

“I thought of creative ways to represent the arts in Louisiana, including theater, music, dance and visual arts,” Gallagher said.

“It was important to showcase the things that make up our rich, creative community.”

After an open call to artists in 2023, Gallagher was selected by the state arts organization to create the plate’s design.

With a degree in graphic design from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Gallagher has illustrated library cards for the Lafayette Parish Public Library in 2023

PROVIDED PHOTO By DENISE GALLAGHER

Lafayette author Denise Gallagher was selected through an open call by the Louisiana Partnership for the Arts to create a new Louisiana specialty license plate. and authored and illustrated children’s books. She created the 2025 Festival International de Louisiane flag and, in previous years, served as the official visual artist for both Festival Acadiens et Créoles and Festival International.

“I love what I do and thinking creatively,” she said. “Designing this plate was such a a great opportuni-

ty to represent the state and the culture and everything that I love about Louisiana.”

A portion of the license plate sales will support the Louisiana Partnership for the Arts, which provides assistance to artists across the state.

Gallagher chose an egret as the central figure in the license plate

design rather than the state bird, the pelican. Pelicans, she said, are beautiful in their own way but egrets have a graceful elegance.

“And I later discovered, egrets can be found throughout the entire state — more so than pelicans,” she said.

To buy a specialty plate, visit artoflouisiana.com.

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T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/opinions

A simple way to lower auto insurance rates in Louisiana Louisiana drivers pay some of the highest auto insurance rates in the country. Despite dozens of insurers in the state, premiums keep rising while service stays poor. It’s time for a bold, marketbased reform.

Let’s flip the system: Instead of letting every company in, hold a sealed-bid auction once a year.

The top four bidding insurers would earn the exclusive right to operate in Louisiana for 12 months. The auction proceeds — potentially tens of millions — would go directly to fixing our roads.

This isn’t government overreach — it’s about restoring discipline and accountability.

Insurance companies would have to compete hard not just on price and service, but for the chance to do business here at all.

We’d also ban paid advertising, which drives up costs and clutters the market. Instead, all licensed insurers would list their offerings and claims performance on a state-run comparison website — no mascots, no slogans, just facts.

Some might argue this reduces choice. But the current system gives us dozens of options and no real savings. By tightening access and raising standards, we’d create real competition — on merit, not marketing.

This reform puts consumers first, funds infrastructure without raising taxes and forces insurers to deliver value. It’s time to fix what’s broken.

RICHARD BOYD Lafayette

Why have we allowed public discourse to sink so low?

“Have you no decency, sir?” This was the exasperated question by chief counsel Joseph Welch directed in 1954 to Sen. Joe McCarthy during his “Red Scare” congressional hearings.

This reaction came to mind when reading a recent story about a Major League Baseball player being brought to tears by a spectator yelling atrocities about his late mother. More and more over the last decade, this has become the norm. The Pandora’s box of social media and its cowardly license to engage in anonymous thuggery has transformed our lives.

Its deepest cesspool lies in the ceaseless name-calling and unfounded accusations that occur every day in the political arena. Can we all simply reboot our brains?

I fondly recall the days when as a nation we preferred “we” to “they.”

There is a fundamental difference between disagreeing with others’ positions and demonizing their character. We are better than this.

Let us all work together to Make America Gracious Again.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By ANDy GRIMM

A ruling by a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocking Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law has been put on hold, creating an opening for the full court to rehear the case.

What the 5th Circuit missed on Ten Commandments law Blocking the Ten Commandments in student classrooms continues the weakening of America’s religious culture. Pilgrims and immigrants came to the “new world” for religious freedom. Religion strengthens ethics, morals and human relationships. The Declaration of Independence asks God to help support our freedom. “In God we trust” is on our money. In Will and Arial Durant’s “The Lessons of History,” the Pulitzer Prize winners declare that our Judeo-Christian heritage created “cooperation that fostered Western Civilization.”

My second grade public school class opened with the Pledge of Allegiance containing “one nation under God” and a prayer ending “in the name of Jesus Christ.” What’s wrong with children reading, “Thou shall not kill,” “Honor thy Mother and Father” and eight more commandments that started social order for mankind?

Our Constitution says the majority of people rule, not minorities. The 5th Circuit Court of

VINCENT FORNIAS Baton Rouge

Appeal held that, “unwanted exposure to religious displays” may offend, but Christians and Jews are a majority of Americans. We study and follow the teachings of the Old and New Testaments. Judges are appointed for life, but Louisianans directly elected our Legislature and governor, and they passed the bill posting the Ten Commandments. In the next session, let’s add Jesus Christ’s Golden Rule, “Treat others as you would like to be treated.”

I had a very bright Chinese student when teaching at Tulane. I asked him what was the biggest difference between the U.S. and China? He said “In China, we obey the law out of fear of government. In America, you obey the law out of love of God.” America’s enemies must enjoy the way our courts have weakened our connection to religion. Let’s hope the Supreme Court restores love of God for our kids.

No one should want tax cuts at expense of future generations As an elderly person with conservative principles, I am deeply concerned about federal tax cuts that we cannot pay for. This problem is compounded by cuts to the bureaucracy at the Internal Revenue Service. Salaried workers pay taxes with each paycheck.

But corporations and the wealthy have access to write-offs that are subject to interpretation. Without adequate staffing IRS personnel are ill-equipped to pursue questionable returns. We have also raised the threshold above which estates are taxed. Do we really want to tell the next generation that hard work is not expected of them?

President Donald Trump has rightly urged members of the European Union to assume financial responsibility for their own military defense. That is an example of sound fiscal leadership. I recently heard state Senate President Cameron Henry speak at a private gathering in Old Metairie. He told his listeners that the state cannot spend what it doesn’t have. Yet states are being told that FEMA grants will not be awarded this year.

Like everyone else, I want my taxes to be as low as possible, but not if my children and grandchildren will be stuck paying down a ballooning national debt.

SIDNEY PULITZER New Orleans

LSU will learn how money can spoil fun in college sports FILE PHOTO

State Farm is the largest auto insurance company in Louisiana when ranked by market share with about one-third of policies.

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published identifying name and the writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and TO SEND US A LETTER, phone number SCAN HERE 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.

The impressive financial gymnastics Taylor Jacobs, who oversees name, image and likeness, and her team executed to enable LSU to be financially competitive in paying their athletes to play gives a literal definition to winning at all costs.

There are liabilities associated with pay to play that should be considered. Amateurism in college and high school sports no longer exists.

Excelling at sports used to be about fulling a dream to be the best through hard work and sacrifice and to experience the sheer joy of accomplishment.

Now, competing is complicated by a paycheck.

Have college athletes become mercenaries playing for the highest bidder? The money has become preeminent in discussions with players and has irrevocably changed players’ relationships with coaches and their teams. Forget about mentorship and team loyalty, just show me the money.

LSU athletes are professionals by definition.

They are contract workers but could become employees if they are allowed to collectively bargain. How will that work?

Wining is a good thing except when the costs are too high.

JIM ROBERTS St. George

Catholic Church should drop outdated ideas on women priests In response to a thread started about a month ago by Jim O’Neill and continued by two readers, I too feel it is time for the Catholic Church to admit women into the priesthood.

Responders to O’Neill’s letter seem to debate whether or not the scriptures sanction this idea. I offer no scholarship on such a debate, which may be moot, anyway. I do, however, feel strongly that the idea of Catholics keeping

women in a second class is woefully outdated and unjust.

Governments local and worldwide, not to mention other religious denominations, recognize the equality of women. The Catholic Church may well find that one of the solutions to declining attendance may be to rectify their stale and discriminatory views on this matter.

MARCIA B. COOKE New Orleans

EDWARD TEDROW Slidell

Entire GOP buys into Trump’s delusion

Our lawmakers in Congress forgot about neediest Louisianans Would someone please explain how Republican representatives in Louisiana vote to cut SNAP and Medicaid to thousands? We want to make Louisiana healthier. Really? We are last in almost everything when it comes to services for our residents. How can these repre-

Donald Trump’s presidency is like the old Woody Allen joke. He is the crazy uncle who thinks he’s a chicken, and the Republican Party keeps him around because they need the eggs.

sentatives explain what they are doing? Is this who we really are? Who pays the cost? People will die for lack of basic services. The rich will get richer on the backs of the poor.

JERMAINE DUPLESSIS LEWIS New Orleans

DAVE MEEKS New Orleans

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COMMENTARY Population policy must center women

COURSE PRO

WALT’S

CAPTION CONTEST

Mini golf is a summer favorite for kids and adults everywhere. No beach vacation is complete until you’ve navigated the windmill hole or aced number 18 for a free game! But something a little strange is happening here. So, what’s going on in this cartoon? you tell me. Be witty, funny, crazy, absurd or snarky — just try to keep it clean. There’s no limit on the number of entries. The winning punchline will be lettered into the word balloon and run on July 28 in our print editions and online. In addition, the winner will receive a signed print of the cartoon along with a cool winner’s T-shirt! Some honorable mentions will also be listed. To enter, email your entries to cartooncontest@theadvocate.com. Don’t forget!

All entries must include your name, home address and phone number.

Cell numbers are best. The deadline for all entries is July 24 at midnight.

Good luck, everyone! — Walt

Protecting hydrogen tax credits benefits La. Louisiana has long been a cornerstone of American energy leadership.

From our wealth of oil and natural gas resources to our expansive pipeline networks and world-class ports, the Pelican State has helped power the nation for over a century.

It knows firsthand that energy security is national security. And as global threats mount and demand for reliable fuel and power grow, it is time we reaffirm that leadership by advancing the next chapter of American energy independence: hydrogen.

Hydrogen is not a futuristic dream — it is a technological solution available today that is flexible, Adam domestically sourced Peters and capable of being GUEST deployed across sectors COLUMNIST critical to our economy and national defense. In fact, Louisiana’s energyintensive industries — refining, petrochemicals, shipping and manufacturing — already use hydrogen in daily operations.

Frank Now, with the right poliWolak cies in place, we have the GUEST chance to scale producCOLUMNIST tion in a way that simultaneously strengthens our economy, reduces emissions and cements U.S. leadership in a critical global market.

This is not a partisan issue — it is a strategic imperative.

That’s why the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and the preservation of the Section 45V hydrogen production tax credit, marks a significant milestone for American energy. With the credit intact, the U.S. is sending a strong, bipartisan message: We are serious about competing in the global hydrogen economy.

We commend Congress for recognizing the value of this policy, and we are especially grateful to Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy for their steadfast leadership and support for Louisiana’s hydrogen future.

Congress saw Section 45V for what it is: a pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-security policy. Section 45V is neither a handout nor climate gimmick. It is a targeted incentive designed to encourage private investment in American energy infrastructure — investment that keeps jobs here at home, reduces our dependence on foreign energy sources and strengthens supply chains in vital sectors like

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID J. MITCHELL

The long, narrow site where Air Products is planning to build a blue hydrogen complex in Darrow sits between the Impala Burnside Terminal and the Veolia Burnside sulfuric acid plant along the Mississippi River just upriver of the Sunshine Bridge. agriculture, transportation and defense.

Louisiana alone is seeing proposed hydrogen and ammonia projects valued in the billions. These projects are being driven by private capital, but they depend on the stability and clarity of policies like Section 45V to move forward.

The credit provides the certainty companies need to break ground, hire workers and produce fuels for energy trade with key allies in Europe and Asia — countries that are urgently seeking hydrogen and are currently looking to China and the Middle East to meet that demand.

Hydrogen is not only an opportunity for domestic supply — it is a powerful new tool for U.S. energy exports. Just as Louisiana helped pioneer America’s leadership in LNG exports, it can now serve as a launch point for hydrogen and ammonia exports to partners across the Atlantic and Pacific. This means more energy produced and shipped from the United States and more long-term energy trade surpluses that benefit American workers and communities.

While the passage of this legislation is a major win, work remains to ensure that Section 45V is implemented effectively. The credit should reward American innovation and efficiency — not punish producers based on theoretical

models or burdensome red tape. Implementation guidance must be grounded in science and engineering, and flexible enough to support regional realities like those in the Gulf Coast.

This is where continued congressional leadership matters most. The goal should be to ensure hydrogen development is both economically viable and environmentally sound — without overreaching bureaucracy or unrealistic mandates that stifle growth. We need smart regulation, not strangulation.

Section 45V stands to deliver enormous benefits to Louisiana and to the nation — and now, with this legislation passed, we have the foundation to move forward. Energy policy should be built on strength, strategy and sovereignty.

Hydrogen gives us a rare chance to check all three boxes.

Louisiana has never shied away from leading the nation through the next great energy evolution. With hydrogen, we can continue that leadership — and thanks to Congress, and to Cassidy and Kennedy in particular, we now have the tools to do it.

Adam Peters is CEO of Air Liquide North America. Frank Wolak is president & CEO of the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association.

Every year on July 11, World Population Day offers a moment to reflect on how demographic trends — births, deaths and migration — shape a country’s future.

In the mid-20th century, fears of a socalled population explosion led to coercive population control policies in many nations, including forced sterilizations that disproportionately targeted poor and minority women. Today, the conversation has flipped: Rather than too many births, many countries — including the United Anita States — now fear too few.

Raj In response, some governGUEST ments are once again turning COLUMNIST to women’s bodies as tools of demographic strategy. Policies such as baby bonuses and restricted access to reproductive health care are framed as solutions to declining birthrates.

But these pronatalist policy measures risk repeating history’s mistakes — substituting one form of reproductive coercion (preventing births) with another (pressuring women to give birth). These global concerns are central to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 2025 State of World Population Report, which I co-authored.

The report finds that across the globe, millions of people are unable to have the number of children they desire — whether that number is none, one or five. Though these issues affect people across demographic lines, it is once again poor and minority women who bear the brunt of policies and barriers that limit their reproductive choices. These constraints are not just unjust — they also contribute to worse health outcomes for women and children.

Louisiana, too, must reckon with these realities. While the state has not seen the same steep decline in birthrates as the national average, it faces a crisis of maternal and infant health.

Louisiana consistently ranks among the worst states for maternal and infant mortality, with Black women and infants suffering disproportionately. These statistics are not abstract. They represent lives lost, families broken and futures cut short.

Driving these outcomes are structural barriers: Widespread maternal health deserts, especially in rural parishes, and persistent racial health inequities will be exacerbated by Medicaid cuts. Medicaid is a vital lifeline in Louisiana, supporting maternal care and preventive services for children.

Reducing birth disparities requires more than encouraging childbirth. It requires guaranteeing that women and families have access to comprehensive, high-quality health care throughout pregnancy, birth and beyond.

Rather than incentivizing births with cash or limiting reproductive autonomy with policy restrictions, Louisiana would be better served by a different path — one that centers women’s health and agency. The investments we need are clear: n Guarantee access to the full range of reproductive and maternal health services in every parish n Ensure and expand Medicaid reimbursement to sustain maternal care providers, particularly in rural areas n Scale up midwifery and doula services to provide culturally competent, community-based care n Maintain and build on postpartum Medicaid coverage beyond 60 days — Louisiana’s 12-month extension is a strong start Globally and locally, people are not constrained by lack of desire to have children.

They are constrained by economic, structural and geographic barriers that block their ability to choose freely.

Yet too often, public discourse blames women for “not having enough babies,” rather than addressing the real barriers that make pregnancy and parenting untenable for many.

As the UNFPA reminds us, fertility is not a number to be engineered. It is a matter of agency and dignity for women.

Louisiana must respond not by pressuring women to bear more children, but by empowering them with the freedom, resources and support to make their own reproductive decisions. That’s how we strengthen families, communities and society as a whole.

Anita Raj is public health researcher based in New Orleans.

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Homebuilders criticize Tammany’s zoning changes

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

It was an unlikely pair.

There was Matthew Allen, an environmentalist who frequently opposes new residential development in St. Tammany Parish, and Jeff Schoen, a lawyer who regularly represents developers.

Normally on opposing sides, they both agreed at a St. Tammany Parish Council meeting in May to support an ordinance creating new building requirements in coastal areas prone to flooding. The council passed it unanimously, but it’s set to consider even more zoning changes in August, and homebuilders worry it could impact housing affordability.

The ordinance passed in May establishes a “coastal resilience” zoning area south of U.S. 190 between Mandeville and Slidell, which falls in the districts of Parish Council members Arthur Laughlin and Joe Impastato.

It requires new homes to be built 3 feet above the base flood elevation level — the water level expected in a flood with a 1% chance of occurring in a given year.

With a few exceptions, the law also prohibits the use of fill — dirt fill used to elevate homes — and restricts the storage of large equipment.

Allen thanked the council for taking a “leap of faith,” saying the regulations were “probably the biggest step forward in our development practices I’ve seen in 20 years.”

“I do think it’s a terrific initiative,” Schoen said, adding that it was important for business and development lawyers to recognize the need for a balanced approach to development.

“At this point we’re at a no-brainer,” joked council member Arthur Laughlin, who championed the ordinance and called it “my baby.” Residents in his district have been concerned costly flooding may be made worse by development in an area already prone to flooding from both rivers and Lake Pontchartrain.

But the new zoning rules have been criticized by homebuilders in the parish, who question its impact on the affordability of homes — a question the parish is asking about housing more broadly.

In August, the Parish Council will decide whether to approve a second area in Laughlin’s district for less restrictive coastal resilience zoning north of U.S. 190 and south of Interstate 12. Another area between U.S. 190 and I-12 in Impastato’s district could also get that zoning by the end of this year, Impastato said.

The new zoning regulations stem from a study the parish commissioned from Desire Line, a Metairiebased planning company, in response to bans on some construction south of I-12

in Laughlin and Impastato’s districts.

In the study, which kicked off in January 2024 and was finalized this spring, Desire Line found the low-lying area has significant flood risks from Lake Pontchartrain and rivers like Bayou Lacombe. A majority of the area was designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be in a flood zone, the study found, and about a third of the parish’s repetitive loss structures — or structures that flood more than once — were concentrated in that area.

The consultants found that inadequate infrastructure and a large number of homes with slab foundations built on fill were also contributing to flood risks.

They recommended lowering density in some areas and requiring “more resilient housing construction.”

“You can still build a ton of houses, it’s just not at the densities that are going to create widespread flooding,” said Alex Carter, founder of Desire Line.

Resilience Overlay District 1, for the areas south of U.S. 190 in Impastato and Laughlin’s districts, is now in effect. The less stringent Resilience Overlay District 2, which would also require raised homes, but place fewer restrictions on fill in an area between U.S. 190 and Interstate 12, has not yet been adopted.

“It’s not entirely new,” Impastato said, saying some parts of his district already had restrictions. But he said the study helped them make more informed decisions about it.

“We want to reverse the tide, so-to-speak, on flooding problems.”

“We were hoping the second resilience zone would go back to the drawing board,” said Jenny Dexter, executive officer at Northshore Homebuilders Association, which represents residential construction professionals in St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes.

Some homebuilders have criticized the two resilience overlay zones, saying more restrictions could raise costs for homebuyers.

“NHBA supports the goal of reducing flood risk and protecting property, but we have concerns that elements of the Coastal Resilience Land Use Study and the corresponding ordinance will result in unintended consequences, including reduced housing availability and affordability,” said Bubba Jenkins, a homebuilder and former chairman of the NHBA, in an email.

“There’s a lot of unanswered questions still,” Dexter said, adding she was dissatisfied with how the process of approving the regulations has gone.

Laughlin and Carter, meanwhile, said they have had numerous stakeholder meetings and public discussions about the study and its

recommendations.

They also argue that the concerns about affordability are misplaced. Even if the upfront cost of a raised home might be higher, the savings, such as from lower insurance rates, reduced flood costs and higher resale value, can make a raised home cost-effective, Carter said.

In a case study published in January 2024, researchers at Louisiana State University found that a 2,500-square-foot, singlefamily rental home in Metairie that was raised by 2 feet above base flood elevation had a combined net benefit for the owner and renter somewhere between $14,978 and $23,658.

In a statement, Michael Vinsanau, spokesperson for parish President Mike Cooper, also noted the potential cost savings from the new zoning.

“President Cooper’s administration supports resilient and sustainable construction practices which would reduce the likelihood of flood damage and improve our rating in (FEMA’s community rating system) program, which in turn, lessens flood insurance costs for our homeowners.”

Carter said it was necessary for the parish to take a two-pronged approach to planning.

“If you’re lowering density in this area, you have to raise density in other areas that are less prone to flooding.”

Laughlin said he thought part of the concern about new zoning rules may come from a fear that it will take off across the parish, which has found itself in recent years struggling to balance growth with residents’ concerns about infrastructure.

At a Parish Council meeting in the spring, council member Pat Phillips, whose district includes an area between U.S. 190 and I-12, suggested he might like a similar study done in his district.

Meanwhile, some longtime residents in Laughlin’s district, like Donna McDonald and Chief Elwin “Warhorse” Gillum, have praised the initiative.

“This is not going to stop all the flooding — we realize that, but it’s a tool in the toolbox,” McDonald said.

The Parish Council will have its next meeting on Aug. 7.

Edie’s Biscuits in Lafayette has been around for decades.

STAFF PHOTOS By JUSTIN MITCHELL

EDIE’S

Continued from page 1B than a cinnamon roll, the biscuit was covered with a thin spiced glaze that added a super-sweet element to the fluffy, savory biscuit.

The star of the show, once again, was the crumbly blueberry biscuit topped with a sweet glaze.

It was crispy and soft, gooey in the middle and filled with fresh fruit.

The Edie’s biscuit was more traditional and a touch more hearty compared with Reve’s modern take. They are both equally delicious.

I hope on my next trip to Lafayette that I can sit with Stanley for a while and talk shop — and try a few more items off the menu.

ARENA

Continued from page 1B If the arena deal is finalized, records show, the roughly $400 million facility would stand near Nicholson Drive, just south of Gourrier Avenue, on the current site of the LSU Golf Course. Oak View Group would own the stadium, while LSU Athletics would hold a lease agreement for men’s basketball, women’s basketball and gymnastics. The venue would also feature live entertainment acts.

Last week, Oak View Group’s then-CEO Tim Leiweke was indicted on federal charges in Texas.

Breakfast platter at Edie’s Biscuits

Department of Justice officials say Leiweke rigged the bidding process for Oak View Group’s Moody Arena at the University of Texas Austin — a facility LSU officials have repeatedly called the inspiration for the effort for a new arena in Baton Rouge. The company has paid $15 million in fines related to the allegations.

The day after the indictment was announced, LSU Athletics said it was “evaluating the implications” Leiweke’s charges might have on the arena project.

LSU officials in May identified Oak View Group as the lone finalist.

LSU Athletics spokesperson Zach Greenwell said much of the process

is still under negotiation and the records obtained

by The Advocate are “preliminary.”

“While a partner of Our Lady of the Lake Health’s stature would clearly benefit the arena project and the region, LSU will not comment directly on potential naming rights agreements or other arena-related negotiations as none have been finalized or presented to the board or university leadership for approval,” Greenwell said in an emailed statement. “Our Lady of the Lake Health has been a tremendous partner for LSU, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate on ways to benefit the community and university.”

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Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Purchasing Office located at 705 West Uni‐ Avenue, versity Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 2917187 (Attn: Thomas Me‐ trejean). Bidding docu‐ ments shall be available until twenty-four (24) hours before the bid opening date.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check in the amount of $500.00 or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive alter‐ nates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list approved bonding of companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana and counter‐ signed by a person who i d i h

Public Notices Bids/Proposals g y p is under contract with re‐ siding in this state. The certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyfive (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid The documents.

Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. The Lafayette Consoli‐ Government dated strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ Government solidated for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in disadvantaged which business are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 7-21-25, 7-27-25 DPR # 994772 150250-JUL 21-27-2T $121.86

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SPORTS

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

Scheffler dominates in British Open victory Golfer is one step closer to career Grand Slam

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M o n d ay, J u ly 21, 2025

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Tigers’ legend Haleigh Bryant on her return to LSU gymnastics as assistant coach

‘THE GOLD STANDARD’

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — The enormous yellow scoreboard above the 18th green at Royal Portrush perfectly illustrated the state of golf these days. Scottie Scheffler’s name was at the top. No one was close.

That’s how it was in the British Open on Sunday, when Scheffler never gave anyone a chance from the time his 9-iron settled a foot away for birdie on the first hole until he tapped in for a 3-under 68 and a four-shot victory over Harris English.

That’s how it is in the sport, a level of dominance not seen since Tiger Woods.

“He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to,” Masters champion Rory McIlroy said.

“In a historical context, you could argue that there’s only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run the one that Scottie’s been on here for the last 24 to 36 months. Incredibly impressive.”

Scheffler not only won his second major this year — and fourth in the last three years — he captured the third leg of the career Grand Slam, now missing only the U.S. Open.

He became the first player in more than a century to win his first fourth major title by at least three shots, and if not for his lone blunder from a bunker on the eighth hole when he had a seven-shot lead, he would have played bogey-free on the weekend.

“Being able to walk up 18 with the tournament in hand is a really tough thing to

ä See OPEN, page 3C

BY REED DARCEY and SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writers About two years ago, LSU gymnastics great Haleigh Bryant told Jay Clark she was interested in coaching.

The idea intrigued Clark. The timing just had to be right.

Then the stars aligned, giving Bryant an obvious launchpad for the coaching career she’s wanted to pursue ever since she was a college freshman. Ashleigh Gnat, another Tiger great who worked on Clark’s staff for five seasons, decided to step away from her assistant coaching gig near the end of the 2025 season — around the same time Bryant had to start charting the path she’d take after she hit the end of her legendary competitive career.

AP PHOTO By FRANCISCO SECO

Scottie Scheffler poses for photographers with the Claret Jug trophy after winning the British Open on Sunday at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.

“This sport has been my whole entire life,” Bryant told The Advocate in a phone interview. “I want to give back.” ä See LSU, page 3C

Poirier loses retirement fight to Holloway Lafayette native bid farewell to 16-year UFC career with final fight in New Orleans

BY ANDREW VALENTI

NFL teams open training camp, start long journey to Super Bowl LX

Contributing writer

BY ROB MAADDI

It wasn’t the storybook sendoff for Lafayette native Dustin Poirier.

The former interim UFC lightweight champion went all five rounds against No. 5 and BMF champion Max Holloway but fell in a unanimous decision in the final match of his career at UFC 318 Saturday night at the Smoothie King Center.

An emotional Porier (30-10) took to the microphone after the match and addressed the home state crowd, surrounded by his friends and family.

“It’s been overwhelming, honestly,” he said. “I feel appreciated, and I feel seen.

This week has been incredible. I feel the love from the fans, from Louisiana and (UFC).

I’m a kid just living his dream out here. I’m chasing dreams still. It’s beautiful.”

The Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions already have kicked off training camp.

Rookies for several other teams have also reported. All veterans across the league are due this week.

The NFL season is underway. The road to San Francisco for Super Bowl 60 begins in the grueling summer heat.

Some teams have new coaches. A couple of old coaches have new teams. Star players have switched uniforms. There are position battles to determine.

And, plenty of storylines to watch.

Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles aim for a repeat. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs look to rebound after being denied the first

AP pro football writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ELLA HALL

Lafayette native Dustin Poirier celebrates with fans following the final match of his ä See POIRIER, page 3C career at UFC 318 on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center.

ä See NFL, page 3C

2C ● Monday, July 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Hamlin survives delay to win Dover

BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter

DOVER, Del. — Denny Hamlin went back-to-back at Dover Motor Speedway, holding a late lead through a rain delay and an overtime finish Sunday for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s series-best fourth victory of the season.

Hamlin won in the No. 11 Toyota for the second straight time at Dover to add to wins this season at Martinsville, Darlington and Michigan.

Hamlin has 58 NASCAR Cup Series victories, leaving him two short of Kevin Harvick for 10th on the career list. The 44-year-old Virginia driver might hit that mark this season as he chases his first career Cup championship.

“Winning here at Dover is super special to me,” Hamlin said. “This is a place that I’ve not been very good at the first half of my career.

To go back-to-back here the last two years is amazing.”

Hamlin took the checkered flag days after he suffered a setback in court with his own 23XI Racing team’s federal antitrust suit against NASCAR. On Thursday, a federal judge rejected a request from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to continue racing with charters while they battle NASCAR in court, meaning their six cars will race as open entries this weekend at Dover, next week at Indianapolis and perhaps longer than that in a move the teams say would put them at risk of going out of business.

Hamlin vowed this weekend “all will be exposed” if the case goes to its scheduled Dec. 1 trial date.

The courtroom drama hasn’t affected Hamlin’s performance on the track. Hamlin held off JGR teammate Chase Briscoe for the victory. Hendrick Motorsports drivers took the next two spots, with Alex Bowman third and Kyle Larson fourth.

“I thought I did everything I needed to,” Briscoe said. “I thought I had him there for a second. I wish the Camry, the back, was about 3 inches shorter. I was so close to clearing him. I just couldn’t do it.

Obviously, racing a teammate, I wanted to make sure at least a JGR

Astros place third baseman Paredes on 10-day IL

Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a right hamstring strain.

Paredes was injured running to first base on a single to left field during Saturday night’s 7-6, 11-inning loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Paredes left the game and was replaced by Zack Short.

The 26-year-old is hitting .259 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs this season. Additionally, catcher César Salazar was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land.

In corresponding moves, infielders Shay Whitcomb and Jon Singleton were recalled from Sugar Land.

To make room for Singleton on the Astros’ 40-man roster, infielder Brendan Rodgers was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Sinner, Djokovic, Draper withdraw from Toronto

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DERIK HAMILTON

Denny Hamlin makes a pit stop at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday in Dover, Del. car won.”

Hamlin held off Kyle Larson down the stretch last season to earn the second of his three career wins at the Monster Mile.

The first July Cup race at Dover since 1969 started with steamy weather and drivers battled the conditions inside the car during a relatively clean race until rain fell late and red-flagged the race with 14 laps left. Hamlin said the during the break he planned to change his firesuit — temperatures inside the car soared to 140 degrees.

He also returned to the car after the 56-minute delay with old tires. Hamlin — who was the betting favorite to win, per BETMGM Sportsbook —- had enough to win on cool tires at Dover and park the Toyota in victory lane.

“We’ve got a lot left,” Hamlin

said.

He became the 19th Cup driver to win three times at Dover and the 13th driver to win consecutive races on the mile concrete track.

“I just studied some of the greats here,” Hamlin said. “I was very fortunate to have Martin Truex as a teammate. Jimmie Johnson, watching him win (11) times here.

You learn from the greats and you change your game to match it, you have success like this.”

The Tys have it in NASCAR. It’s Ty Gibbs vs. Ty Dillon next week at Indianapolis to decide the first winner in NASCAR’s $1 million mid-season tournament.

NASCAR seeded 32 drivers for the first In-season Challenge, a five-race, bracket-style tournament that mirrors the NCAA basketball tournaments.

Both drivers are winless and Dillon made it as the No. 32 seed.

Gibbs finished fifth Sunday for JGR. John Hunter Nemechek and Tyler Reddick were eliminated.

Joey Logano finished 14th for Team Penske in his 600th career start.

Logano has made every start since the 2009, 597 straight, putting him within striking distance of Jeff Gordon’s Cup record of 797 straight starts.

Logano was 35 years, 1 month, 26 days old when he hits No. 600 on Sunday, making him the youngest driver to reach that milestone. He topped seven-time NASCAR champion and Hall of Famer Richard Petty by six months.

Petty is the only driver to have won his 600th start.

WNBA ALL-STAR GAME

Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner, 24-time Grand Slam title winner Novak Djokovic and No. 5-ranked Jack Draper all withdrew Sunday from the Masters 1000 tournament in Toronto, citing injuries.

The No. 1-ranked Sinner blamed his right elbow, which he hurt in a fall in the fourth round at the All England Club on the way to his first title there and fourth major trophy.

He won his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto in 2023.

Djokovic said a groin injury was why he pulled out from an event he has won four times.

Draper will miss Toronto and the Cincinnati Masters next month because of a problem with his left arm.

Seahawks release TE Fant ahead of training camp

The Seattle Seahawks released tight end Noah Fant on Sunday ahead of the start of training camp.

The 27-year-old Fant spent the past three seasons with the Seahawks after being acquired in the 2022 blockbuster trade that sent quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver. Across his Seattle tenure, Fant racked up 130 receptions for 1,400 yards and five touchdowns.

Fant was entering the final season of a two-year contract, and was due a non-guaranteed salary of $8.49 million this year.

The Seahawks will save $8.91 million against the salary cap with the move. In parting ways with Fant, who was a 2019 first-round pick of the Broncos, the Seahawks’ stable of young tight ends figure to be featured more prominently in 2025.

Collier’s performance leads team to victory Memphis guard Parker

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

INDIANAPOLIS — Napheesa Collier made a statement with her record play on the court and the players made one with warmup shirts for the WNBA All-Star Game.

Collier scored a record 36 points to help her team beat Team Clark 151-131 in the WNBA All-Star Game that was devoid of defense but full of 4-point shots.

This record offensive effort came a year after the league’s annual exhibition game was a competitive contest that pitted the U.S Olympic team against WNBA All-Stars.

The game capped off a weekend where negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement took center stage.

Players wore T-shirts while warming up before the game that said “Pay us what you owe us.”

“The players are taking this seriously, I think it sends a really strong message that we’re standing really firm in certain areas that we feel really strong that we need to improve on. I think we got the message across,” said Collier, who was named the game’s MVP. As she waited to get her trophy the crowd chanted “Pay them more” and All-Star Brittney Sykes held up a sign saying “Pay the Players.”

Captain Caitlin Clark was unable to play for her team because of a groin injury she suffered earlier this week. She still served as ambassador for the weekend.

Known for her deep logo 3-pointers, Clark would have loved a chance at the 4-point shot that was added to this game which was 28-feet from the basket.

Both teams took advantage

of the deep shot en route to the record-setting offensive night.

They combined to hit 20 of the shots on 65 attempts.

The 151 points scored by Team Collier broke the mark put up by Team Stewart of 143 in 2023 for the most in an All-Star Game.

Collier’s point total broke Arike Ogunbowale’s previous record of 34 points scored last year.

The combined total of 282 also surpassed the previous high total of 270 set in 2023.

While there was little defense played, both teams challenged plays in the fourth quarter with the game not in doubt.

One was successful and one wasn’t.

The game also featured rookies Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen making up the largest rookie contingent at the game since 2011.

Citron and Iriafen were on Team Clark, and Bueckers was a starter for Napheesa Collier’s team.

Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever and Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces were announced earlier in the day as starters for Team Clark replacing Clark and Satou Sabally of Phoenix.

Mitchell received a loud ovation from the fans who were happy to have another one of their players in the starting lineup.

Young didn’t actually start as Gabby Williams took her spot as a starter. Young injured her hip in Las Vegas’ last game before All-Star weekend.

Besides the 4-point shot, the game also included a 20-second shot clock instead of the normal 24 and the ability for teams to substitute during live play.

There also were no free throws shot — not that there usually are many in an All-Star Game — until the final two minutes of the

arrested on assault charge

Memphis guard Sincere Parker was arrested Saturday on an aggravated assault charge for an attack on his girlfriend, who told police that he choked her and hit her.

The attack occurred on May 27 at the Memphis apartment the couple shared where Parker pushed her, slapped her in the face and choked her, leaving her bruised and bloodied, according to a police report.

A warrant for Parker’s arrest was issued Friday and the 22-year-old was taken into custody Saturday.

The 6-foot-3 Parker transferred to Memphis after averaging 12.2 points last season for McNeese, helping the Cowboys and coach Will Wade reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

He played his first two seasons for Saint Louis.

Journalism rallies in burst to win Haskell Invitational

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy

Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier stands by the All-Star MVP trophy following a win against Team Clark on Saturday in Indianapolis. game.

Instead players were automatically awarded the points. The only free throws were shot was

by Skylar Diggins with 1:01 left in the game.

She made both. Diggins also had the first triple-double in AllStar history.

All four rules had been used at some point during previous All-Star Games, but not all in the same one.

The All-Star Game brought the stars out in Indianapolis.

Rapper GloRilla performed at halftime while musicians Common and Jennifer Hudson sat courtside near WNBA legends Lisa Leslie and Tamika Catchings.

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton sat in a suite and got the loudest ovation from the crowd when he was shown on the videoboard.

Journalism launched a dramatic rally to win the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Saturday at Monmouth Park.

It was Journalism’s first race since the Triple Crown. He was the only colt to contest all three legs, winning the Preakness while finishing second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

Heavily favored at 2-5 odds, Journalism broke poorly under jockey Umberto Rispoli and wound up trailing the early leaders. He kicked into gear rounding the final turn where Journalism roared down the center of the track to win by a half-length.

The Haskell victory was Journalism’s sixth in nine starts for Southern California-based trainer Michael McCarthy.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, July 21, 2025 ● 3C

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OPEN

Continued from page 1C describe. It’s a really cool feeling. I have a lot of gratitude towards being able to accomplish something like this,” Scheffler said, the silver claret jug on the table next to him.

“It’s taken a lot of work — not only a lot of work, but it takes a lot of patience,” he said. “It’s a high level of focus over 72 holes of a tournament. This was, I felt like, one of my best performances mentally.”

The emotions he showed were telling.

Until he had his name etched on golf’s oldest trophy, Scheffler had a week marked by his extraordinary insight on how he views winning. He said celebrations last only a few minutes. He has wondered, “What’s the point?”

He loves the work required to be the best. He thrives on competition. But in terms of fulfillment, he often questions why he wants to win so badly when the thrill of winning is fleeting.

On the golf course, his biggest fist pump was for a par on the sixth hole. As he crouched to line up his birdie putt on the 18th, he rested his head on his hand with a slight smile of deep satisfaction.

When he tapped in the final putt, he plucked the ball from the cup and put it in his pocket as if he had just won a regular PGA Tour event.

But when he finally found his family — wife Meredith, 15-monthold son Bennett, and his parents — Scheffler went crazy. He thrust both arms in the air, pumped both arms, screamed and threw his cap in the air. That’s what it’s all about for the 29-year-old from Texas.

“She’s always the first person I want to celebrate with,” he said.

“She knows me better than anybody. That’s my best friend. It takes

LSU

Continued from page 1C Bryant said she wants to run her own program one day. For now though, in her role as LSU’s newest assistant coach, she’ll help fellow assistant Courtney McCool Griffeth instruct the Tigers’ balancebeam and floor-exercise lineups.

The Tigers are planning to put her in charge of one rotation — be it beam, floor or even vault, her signature event — once she’s farther along in her coaching career.

“It’s a win-win,” Clark said. “Recruits already respect her tremendously. She’s our Heisman winner, our Jayden Daniels or our Joe Burrow. The kids don’t remember (Gnat) as an athlete. When I tell them Haleigh is going to be their coach, their faces light up. When she walks into a room, she’s the biggest name in collegiate gymnastics with Jordan Bowers and Jordan Chiles. She’s the gold standard.”

It’s fitting that Bryant is taking over for Gnat.

a lot of work to be able to become good at this game, and I wouldn’t be able to do it without her support.”

McIlroy had referred to the outcome as “inevitable” when Scheffler built a four-shot lead going into the final round, and it was every bit of that.

The tap-in birdie on the first hole.

A brilliant approach between two knobs to 7 feet for birdie on the fourth. A 15-foot birdie on No. 5.

Most telling was his biggest celebration, a powerful fist pump when he made a 15-foot par putt on No. 6.

It was reminiscent of when Woods saved his biggest fist pump for a par on the 16th hole of his historic 15-shot victory at Pebble Beach in the 2000 U.S. Open, when it was clear Woods was competing mainly against himself.

That’s what it felt like until Scheffler’s one wobble a double bogey on No. 8 when it took two shots to get out of a fairway bunker.

That ended his streak of 32 consecutive holes without a bogey. The lead was down to four shots when Scottish Open winner Chris Gotterup birdied the ninth. And then Scheffler birdied the next hole. He played the back nine with eight pars and a birdie because that’s all he needed. No one could catch him.

“I played with him the first two days, and honestly I thought he was going to birdie every hole. It was incredible to watch,” Shane Lowry said. “If Scottie’s feet stayed stable and his swing looked like Adam Scott’s, we’d be talking about him in the same words as Tiger Woods. ...

His bad shots are really good. That’s when you know he’s really good.”

Scheffler, who finished at 17-under 267, won for the fourth time this year. He now has won 20 times worldwide in the last 30 months.

This was the 11th straight time he turned a 54-hole lead into a victory.

“I don’t think we thought the golfing world would see someone as

dominant as Tiger come through so soon, and here’s Scottie sort of taking that throne of dominance,” said Xander Schauffele, the defending champion who tied for seventh.

“You can’t even say he’s on a run.

He’s just been killing it for over two years now,” he said. “He’s a tough man to beat, and when you see his name up on the leaderboard, it sucks for us.”

English capped off a memorable two weeks in the United Kingdom.

His caddie of eight years couldn’t get a new travel visa because of a 10-year prison term he served two decades ago. English had a replacement last week at the Scottish Open and another this week.

It didn’t stop him. English closed with a 66 and was runner-up in a major for the second time this year — both times to Scheffler — as he strengthened his case for the Ryder Cup team.

“The only guy to beat me at the PGA and this week. I’m playing some good golf,” English said. “I wasn’t playing professional golf when Tiger was at his peak. But it’s pretty incredible, just how good of a front-runner he is.”

Li Haotong of China (70), Matt Fitzpatrick (69) and Wyndham Clark (65) tied for fourth. That gets Li into the Masters next year.

As for McIlroy, there were few complaints. He needed an electric start like he had Saturday and was eight shots behind an hour into the final round. No matter. The Masters champion soaked up adulation across Royal Portrush, closing with a 69 to tie for seventh.

“I wish I had have been closer to Scottie going into today and been able to make a real push,” McIlroy said. “But he’s been on a different level all week and he’s been on a different level for the last two years to the rest of us. He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to at this point.”

Gnat, Bryant said, was the LSU gymnast who helped show her around campus on the visit she took with the program as an eighth grader. A young Bryant — even then a recruiting priority for longtime coach DD Breaux — committed not long after her first trip to Baton Rouge and stuck to that pledge all the way through high school, setting the stage for her all-time great career.

Bryant, a native of Cornelius, North Carolina, can claim a pair of individual NCAA titles (allaround and vault), five individual Southeastern Conference titles and the highest all-around score in LSU history (39.925). She also posted 18 perfect 10s across her five-year career — more than any other Tiger and all but eight gymnasts who have ever competed at the NCAA level — and completed both the season and career gym slams (at least one perfect 10 in every event).

No LSU gymnast has more career all-around wins (33) than Bryant, and only two have more career event wins (105).

Those accomplishments put her in the company of program greats such as Gnat, who returned to LSU as a coach at the same time Bryant arrived as a freshman. They each then played key roles on the 2024 team that won the Tigers’ first national championship.

“She just fits from a character perspective and a philosophy perspective,” Gnat said. “Being in the gym with her every day, the way she goes about her business, her preparation, I know will carry over to her coaching.”

Bryant says she plans to use her coaching inexperience to her advantage. She can relate to the LSU gymnasts on both a personal and athletic level, she said, because she was “in their shoes” so recently.

Clark and his staff want to bring Bryant along slowly. Because some fortuitous timing allowed her — like she’s executing one of her famous vaults — to springboard down the path she chose in hopes of giving back to the sport that gave her a decorated competitive career.

“I just didn’t think it would happen this soon,” Bryant said.

POIRIER

Continued from page 1C A teary-eyed Poirier walked out the Octagon and down the aisle for the final time as a competitor with the Acadiana flag draped over his back as a raucous crowd of 18,000 cheered his exit. This was Poirier’s first loss to Holloway (27-8) in their last two meetings after winning in 2012 and 2019.

“The Diamond” has had a decorated career with two wins against Conor McGregor and owns 15 wins by knockout and eight by submission. Poirier has said he will return home to Lafayette, where he and his wife will raise their daughter and prepare for the birth of their son following his retirement.

While Poirier landed a number of blows throughout the match and knocked Holloway down in the second round, the Hawaii native was the more consistent striker.

“It sucks to do it against a man like that,” Holloway said. “I did it against Korean Zombie and now I did it against Dustin. He’s a great human being, and I have nothing but love and respect for him.”

The co-main event featured two of the best knockout artists in the middleweight division in No. 13 Paulo Costa and No. 14 Roman Kopylov. Costa had 11 knockouts in 14 wins, and Kopylov notched 12 of his 14 wins via knockout.

But this match went all three rounds, with the Brazilian Costa coming away with the unanimous decision victory by outstriking the Russian Kopylov.

The rest of the main card had all three matches go the distance.

Daniel Rodriguez (20-5) notched a unanimous decision win against the No. 14 welterweight Kevin Holland (28-14). Rodriguez had more strikes and looked to have the edge

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ELLA HALL

Max Holloway, left, hits Dustin Poirier during their title fight at UFC 318 on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center. heading into the third round.

But Holland came out swinging in the third frame and landed a flurry of blows that dazed and knocked Rodriguez to the mat twice. Rodriguez landed multiple strikes later in the round to hold on for the win.

Patricio Pitbull (37-8) downed the No. 11 featherweight Dan Ige (19-10) in a unanimous decision.

Lightweight division veteran Michael Johnson (25-19) showed he still has a lot left in the tank after dispatching Daniel Zellhuber (153) also by a unanimous decision.

The preliminary fights featured some Louisiana flavor too.

Covington native and the No. 11 middleweight Brendan Allen (25-7) snapped a two-match losing streak via a unanimous decision against No. 10 Marvin Vettori (199-1). While the Italian had some moments in the third round, Allen consistently landed more strikes

and was the more dominant fighter throughout the match.

The win for Allen will more than likely vault him into the top-10 rankings of the division.

Allen still resides in Covington with his family and has been commuting to New Orleans from the northshore during fight week.

“The fight just happened, and there are still so many fights that can come,” Allen said. “We’ll see what UFC wants and what’s next for me. But for now, I’m going to go home and see my kids and my wife and give them a hug and a kiss and tell them thank you and be a dad and a husband for a little while.”

Carli Judice (5-2), who also fights out of Lafayette, downed Brazil native Nicole Caliari (8-4) by a technical knockout in the third round of a flyweight bout. The 26-year-old dropped Caliari to the canvas with a knee straight to the body.

Despite ‘awesome week,’ McIlroy falls short at British Open

BY STEVE DOUGLAS The Associated Press

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Scottie Scheffler was walking down the first fairway at Royal Portrush when a shout came from outside the ropes: “Go Rory!”

They were all over the Dunluce Links again Sunday, those passionate supporters of Rory McIlroy cheering on their favorite son in the final act of his homecoming — whether they were watching him or not.

The big disappointment for McIlroy was that he couldn’t deliver what they craved.

“It’s been an awesome week,” McIlroy said after shooting 2-under 69 to tie for seventh at the British Open. “I’ve gotten everything I wanted out of this week apart from a claret jug, and that’s just because one person was just a little bit better than the rest of us.”

That might be an understatement.

Scheffler, the world No. 1, won by four shots to capture his fourth major title. He was seven strokes clear of McIlroy and playing on a different level in this pretty corner of Northern Ireland.

McIlroy even acknowledged as much.

“He’s an incredible player,” he said of Scheffler. “He’s been dominant this week. Honestly, he’s been dominant for the last couple years. He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to.”

As for Scheffler, he could only apologize for spoiling the McIlroy party.

“I know I wasn’t the fan favorite today,” he said, grinning, in his post-round speech on No. 18, “but I did hear a lot of USA and Dallas, Texas chants.”

Scheffler might have won two majors this year and asserted himself as the game’s dominant player. Yet, for many, 2025 still belongs to McIlroy after his dramatic win at the Masters in April to complete the career

NFL

AP PHOTO By FRANCISCO SECO

Rory McIlroy acknowledges the crowd as he walks onto the 18th green during the final round of the British Open on Sunday at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.

Grand Slam.

Fans came in droves this week to celebrate McIlroy’s achievements, and produced some of the loudest roars he has ever heard on a golf course.

If McIlroy didn’t quite deliver, then Royal Portrush — where he shot 61 as a 16-year-old for the course record — certainly did, gaining widespread rave reviews.

When the Open returned to Portrush in 2019 for the first time in 68 years, McIlroy was so emotional he hit his opening drive out-of-bounds, shot 79 and missed the cut.

He made amends six years later.

“I feel so thankful and just so lucky that I get to do this in front of this crowd,” McIlroy said.

“Hopefully I’ll have one or two Opens left here, if the R&A decide to keep coming back — probably one while I’m still competitive and another one while I’m more gray than I already am.”

McIlroy started Sunday six strokes back from Scheffler after a wild third-round 66, and needed a minor miracle to catch his big rival.

ended up in New York, but the Giants also selected Jaxson Dart Continued from page 1C in the first round.

Justin Fields has a third chance with the Jets.

J.J. McCarthy is the man in Minthree-peat in Super Bowl history. nesota after he missed his entire Training camp dates rookie season with a knee injury.

Saints rookie Tyler Slough gets The Chargers and Lions were the first teams to have their full an opportunity to replace Derek roster in camp. The Cowboys and Carr, who retired.

The Titans have No. 1 overall Chiefs will have theirs on Monday. The rest of the league starts pick Cam Ward.

Tuesday. The Falcons and SteelTop camp storylines ers arrive Wednesday.

Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers face Some contract issues still need off against Dan Campbell’s Lions to be resolved. in the Hall of Fame game on July The Bengals have yet to sign 31 in Canton, Ohio. first-round pick Shemar Stewart A pair of division rivalry games and they haven’t agreed to a new will open the season. The Eagles deal with All-Pro edge rusher will host Dallas to begin the regu- Trey Hendrickson, who wants a lar season on Sept. 4. The Chiefs raise after leading the league in and Chargers meet in Brazil the sacks last season. following night.

The dispute with Stewart, a pass rusher the defense needs, isn’t New head coaches about money; it’s about the team Pete Carroll is back in the NFL trying to insert language in Stewwith the Las Vegas Raiders after art’s contract that would trigger just one year out of coaching. the voiding of his salary guarantees Carroll, who turns 74 in Septem- with a breach or default by him.

Another contract situation to ber, has a tough task building the Raiders into a playoff contender watch involves Dallas. Micah Parsons is due for a new deal that’s in a difficult division.

Former Patriots star linebacker expected to make him the highestMike Vrabel takes over in New paid non-quarterback in NFL hisEngland, replacing Jerod Mayo, tory. T.J. Watt currently holds that who lasted one season after re- distinction after Pittsburgh gave him a $123 million extension worth placing Bill Belichick.

The Bears turned to former an average of $41 million per seaLions offensive coordinator Ben son. Jones waited too long on Dak Johnson. The Jets hired former Prescott and ended up making him Lions DC Aaron Glenn. Kellen the NFL’s first $60 million man last Moore left Philadelphia after one season. Now, he’s going to end up championship season to take over paying Parsons more than anyone in New Orleans. Liam Cohen’s suc- else who doesn’t play QB. cess as Tampa Bay’s OC landed him the head job in Jacksonville. Quarterback competition Jerry Jones gave Brian SchottenThe Browns have to choose heimer a chance to lead Dallas. between Flacco, Pickett, Sanders and Gabriel. Veteran Daniel Teams with new quarterbacks Jones is competing with Anthony The Steelers are going all-in Richardson in Indianapolis. Richon Aaron Rodgers, hoping the ardson, the No. 4 overall pick in 41-year-old, four-time MVP can 2023, has been injured often and has a lingering shoulder problem. take them to the big game.

Shough and Spencer Rattler are The Raiders acquired Geno Smith, reuniting Carroll with the battling in New Orleans.

Wilson, Winston and Dart quarterback he chose to replace should make it a tough decision Russell Wilson in Seattle.

Sam Darnold ended up with the for the Giants.

Ward has to beat out Will Levis Seahawks after a career-year in in Tennessee.

Minnesota.

Joe Flacco is back in Cleveland where he was the NFL Comeback On the road Player of the Year in 2023. The Six teams — the Bills, Cowboys, Browns also traded for Kenny Colts, Chiefs, Rams and Steelers — Pickett and drafted Dillon Gabri- will spend their entire camp away el in the third round and Shedeur from their facilities. Dallas, which Sanders in the fifth. trains in Oxnard, California, is the Wilson and Jameis Winston only team going out of state.

4C ● Monday, July 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

Pacquiao’s comeback falls short

BY MARK ANDERSON

AP sportswriter

LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao pushed back against his doubters, the odds and even Father Time on Saturday night — and nearly made some history.

But Pacquiao, in the end, fell just short on the judges’ scorecards as Mario Barrios escaped with a majority draw to retain the WBC welterweight championship. Two judges scored the bout a draw, and judge Max DeLuca awarded Barrios a 115-113 victory.

The Associated Press scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Pacquiao.

“I thought I won the fight,” Pacquiao said.

Barrios landed more total punches (120-101), according to Compubox, but Pacquiao had the edge in power shots (81-75).

Pacquiao, enshrined into the International Boxing Hall of Fame last month, was trying to break his own record for oldest welterweight champion. He was 40 when he emerged in 2019 split decision over Keith Thurman. This also was his first appearance in the ring in nearly four years for the 46-year-old Filipino, a loss by unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugás.

Barrios, a 30-year-old from San Antonio, was a -275 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook. He hoped to bounce back from a split-decision draw on Nov. 15 against Abel Ramos, but didn’t exactly come away with an emphatic victory in improving to 29-2-2. The heavily pro-Pacquiao crowd loudly booed the decision.

“It was an honor to share the

might be in trouble with the judges. All three, in fact, awarded Barrios each of the final three rounds.

“I didn’t think the fight was getting away from me, but I knew I had to step it up to solidify a win,” Barrios said.

Both sides they would be interested in a rematch.

“I hope this is an inspiration to boxers that if you have discipline and work hard you can still fight at this age,” Pacquiao said.

Sebastian Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) retained his WBC super welterweight title when Tim Tszyu (25-3) didn’t come out for the eighth round in the co-main event.

Fundora floored Tszyu with a left hand in the first round and dominated the action with 118 power punches, according to Compubox, by repeatedly backing down the Australian.

“I’m the bigger guy,” said Fundora, who led 69-63 on all three judges’ cards. “Everyone says I’m a bully in the ring, so I thought I should start really bullying these guys. I just kept working on aggression my whole career and we’ve just been adding.”

It was a big week for Fundora, ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN LOCHER who was accepted into Harvard and then won the rematch with Manny Pacquiao, left, fights Mario Barrios in a welterweight title match on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Tszyu. The first fight on March 30, 2024 was much closer, with Fundoring with him,” Barrios said. ing is real. He’s still a very He began to be take control in the ra emerging with a split-decision “This is by far the biggest event awkward fighter to try to figure seventh, lantding several big left victory.

I’ve had to date, and we came in out.” hands to win the following three The Coachella, California, here and left everything in the Pacman (62-9-2) moved swiftly rounds on two cards and two on resident also had been the WBO ring. I have nothing but respect around the ring from the begin- the other. champion, but that organization for Manny. ning, often looking more like the But Barrios was the better stripped him of his belt for not “His stamina is crazy. He’s younger champion who captured fighter at the end, coming out fighting mandatory challenger still strong as hell and his tim- 12 world titles in eight divisions. more aggressive knowing he Xander Zayas.

SCOREBOARD Odds Sports Betting Line MLB Monday

American League FAVORITE LINE at CLEVELAND -136 N.Y Yankees -126 at TAMPA BAY -210 at TEXAS -154 National League FAVORITE LINE at MIAMI -130 Cincinnati -130 at ATLANTA -126 at COLORADO OFF Interleague FAVORITE LINE at PITTSBURGH -126 at PHILA -210 at N.Y METS -184 at CHI CUBS OFF at ARIZONA -148 at SEATTLE -122 at LA DODGERS -196

UNDERDOG Baltimore at TORONTO White Sox Athletics

LINE +116 +108 +176 +130

UNDERDOG San Diego at WASH San Francisco St. Louis

LINE +110 +110 +108 OFF

UNDERDOG Detroit Boston LA Angels Kansas City Houston Milwaukee Minnesota

LINE +108 +176 +154 OFF +126 +104 +164

Sykes 22:17 8-18 0-0 1-3 7 0 16 Citron 20:47 4-11 0-0 1-2 2 0 11 Jones 12:06 5-6 0-0 1-3 3 0 11 Totals 200 52-107 8-8 12-41 36 2 131 Percentages: FG .486, FT 1.000.

3-Point Goals: 19-64, .297 (G.Williams 4-10, Mitchell 3-7, Citron 3-8, Thornton 3-11, Ionescu 2-5, Iriafen 2-7, Jones 1-1, Boston 1-4, Wilson 0-2, Sykes 0-9).

Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: None.

Blocked Shots: 0 Turnovers: 8 (Iriafen 2, Sykes 2, Wilson 2, Citron, G.Williams).

Steals: 8 (Iriafen 2, Mitchell 2, Citron, G.Williams, Thornton, Wilson).

Technical Fouls: None.

Team 49 33 37 32 — 151 Team 36 24 35 36 — 131 A_16,988 (20,000). T_1:43.

Major League Baseball American League East Division Toronto New York Boston Tampa Bay Baltimore

Pct .586 .556 .530 .525 .443

GB — 3 5½ 6 14

NBA Summer League

Central Division

L 41 44 47 47 54

At Las Vegas Saturday, July 19 Consolation

Detroit Cleveland Kansas City Minnesota Chicago

W 59 48 48 47 35

L 40 50 52 51 65

Pct .596 .490 .480 .480 .350

GB — 10½ 11½ 11½ 24½

Houston Seattle Texas Los Angeles Athletics

W 56 53 50 48 42

L 42 45 49 50 59

Pct .571 .541 .505 .490 .416

GB — 3 6½ 8 15½

Washington 94, New York 85 Houston 104, Minnesota 101 Golden State 82, Cleveland 71 San Antonio 96, Detroit 84 Phoenix 111, Portland 87

West Division

Semifinals

Sacramento 98, Toronto 88 Charlotte 109, Oklahoma City 80

Sunday, July 20 Consolation

Saturday’s Games

Atlanta vs. Boston, n Memphis vs. L.A. Clippers, n

Championship

Sacramento vs. Charlotte, n

WNBA Glance

EASTERN CONFERENCE New York Atlanta Indiana Washington Chicago Connecticut

W 15 13 12 11 7 3

L 6 9 11 11 15 19

Pct GB .714 — .591 2½ .522 4 .500 4½ .318 8½ .136 12½

Minnesota Phoenix Seattle Las Vegas Golden State Los Angeles Dallas

W 20 15 14 11 10 8 6

L 4 7 9 11 12 14 17

Pct GB .833 — .682 4 .609 5½ .500 8 .455 9 .364 11 .261 13½

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Saturday’s Games

2025 All-Star Game Team 151, Team 131

Sunday’s Games

No games scheduled.

Monday’s Games

No games scheduled.

Team Collier 151, Team Clark 131 Late Saturday FG

FT

Reb

COLLIER Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS

Collier 18:35 13-16 6-6 5-9 1 1 36 Stewart 20:34 4-8 0-0 1-4 2 0 8 Ogwumke 19:17 7-8 0-0 1-7 3 1 16 Bueckers 21:46 2-6 1-1 1-2 8 0 6 Gray 16:18 5-12 3-3 0-0 2 0 18 Diggins 21:15 4-8 2-2 1-11 15 0 11 McBride 19:15 4-12 3-3 1-3 0 0 15 Reese 17:14 3-7 0-0 5-9 2 0 6 Plum 17:10 7-14 1-1 1-5 3 1 16 C.Williams15:26 5-9 0-0 0-2 5 0 13 Thomas 13:10 3-4 0-0 1-4 4 0 6 Totals 200 57-104 16-16 17-56 45 3 151 Percentages: FG .548, FT 1.000.

3-Point Goals: 21-56, .375 (Gray 5-12, Collier 4-5, McBride 4-12, C.Williams 3-4, Ogwumike 2-2, Bueckers 1-5, Diggins 1-5, Plum 1-8, Reese 0-1, Stewart 0-2).

Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: 2.

Blocked Shots: 0 Turnovers: 12 (Ogwumike 2, Plum 2, Thomas 2, C.Williams, Collier, Diggins, McBride, Reese, Stewart).

Steals: 3 (Collier, Plum, Reese).

Technical Fouls: None.

FG FT Reb

CLARK

Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS

Ionescu 20:21 Wilson 12:04 Boston 17:54 Mitchell 21:10 Young 0:53 Thornton 25:12 G.Willims 24:03 Iriafen 22:59

4-8 2-4 4-7 8-13 0-0 5-14 5-11 7-15

2-2 0-2 0-0 0-2 0-0 1-6 1-1 0-2 0-0 0-0 2-2 4-11 2-2 0-0 1-1 4-10

7 2 2 2 0 5 5 1

0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0

12 4 9 20 0 15 16 17

Toronto 6, San Francisco 3 Miami 3, Kansas City 1 Philadelphia 9, L.A. Angels 5 Chicago White Sox 10, Pittsburgh 4 Texas 4, Detroit 1 Athletics 8, Cleveland 2 Chicago Cubs 6, Boston 0 Tampa Bay 4, Baltimore 3 Colorado 10, Minnesota 6 N.Y. Yankees 12, Atlanta 9 Seattle 7, Houston 6, 11 innings

Tour de France Sunday 15th Stage A Hilly 105-mile ride from Muret to Carcassonne

Toronto 8, San Francisco 6 N.Y. Yankees 4, Atlanta 2 Cleveland 8, Athletics 2 Chicago White Sox 7, Pittsburgh 2 Kansas City 7, Miami 4 Baltimore 5, Tampa Bay 3 L.A. Angels 8, Philadelphia 2 Boston 6, Chicago Cubs 1 Minnesota 7, Colorado 1 Houston 11, Seattle 3 Detroit at Texas, n

Monday’s Games

Baltimore (Sugano 7-5) at Cleveland (Bibee 5-9), 5:40 p.m.

Detroit (Flaherty 5-9) at Pittsburgh (Skenes 4-8), 5:40 p.m.

Boston (Buehler 6-6) at Philadelphia (Wheeler 9-3), 5:45 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees (Rodón 10-6) at Toronto (Gausman 6-7), 6:07 p.m.

L.A. Angels (Anderson 2-6) at N.Y. Mets (Senga 7-3), 6:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox (Burke 4-8) at Tampa Bay (Baz 8-5), 6:35 p.m.

Athletics (Lopez 3-5) at Texas (TBD), 7:05 p.m.

Kansas City (Cameron 3-4) at Chicago Cubs (TBD), 7:05 p.m.

Houston (Gordon 3-2) at Arizona (Gallen 7-10), 8:40 p.m.

Milwaukee (Woodruff 1-0) at Seattle (Kirby 4-4), 8:40 p.m.

Minnesota (Festa 3-3) at L.A. Dodgers (Ohtani 0-0), 9:10 p.m.

National League Philadelphia New York Miami Atlanta Washington

W 56 56 46 43 39

L 42 44 52 55 60

Pct .571 .560 .469 .439 .394

GB — 1 10 13 17½

Chicago Milwaukee Cincinnati St. Louis Pittsburgh

W 59 58 52 51 39

L 39 40 48 48 61

Pct .602 .592 .520 .515 .390

GB — 1 8 8½ 21

Central Division

West Division Los Angeles San Diego San Francisco Arizona Colorado

W 58 54 52 49 24

Saturday’s Games

L 41 45 48 50 74

Pct .586 .545 .520 .495 .245

Detroit (Flaherty 5-9) at Pittsburgh (Skenes 4-8), 5:40 p.m.

San Diego (TBD) at Miami (Pérez 3-2), 5:40 p.m.

Boston (Buehler 6-6) at Philadelphia (Wheeler 9-3), 5:45 p.m.

Cincinnati (Singer 7-7) at Washington (Irvin 7-5), 5:45 p.m.

L.A. Angels (Anderson 2-6) at N.Y. Mets (Senga 7-3), 6:10 p.m.

San Francisco (Birdsong 4-3) at Atlanta (Elder 3-6), 6:15 p.m.

Kansas City (Cameron 3-4) at Chicago Cubs (TBD), 7:05 p.m.

St. Louis (TBD) at Colorado (Gomber 0-3), 7:40 p.m.

Houston (Gordon 3-2) at Arizona (Gallen 7-10), 8:40 p.m.

Milwaukee (Woodruff 1-0) at Seattle (Kirby 4-4), 8:40 p.m.

Minnesota (Festa 3-3) at L.A. Dodgers (Ohtani 0-0), 9:10 p.m.

Cycling

Sunday’s Games

East Division

Sunday’s Games

Toronto 8, San Francisco 6 N.Y. Yankees 4, Atlanta 2 Chicago White Sox 7, Pittsburgh 2 San Diego 8, Washington 1 Kansas City 7, Miami 4 N.Y. Mets 3, Cincinnati 2 L.A. Angels 8, Philadelphia 2 Boston 6, Chicago Cubs 1 Minnesota 7, Colorado 1 Milwaukee 6, L.A. Dodgers 5 Arizona 5, St. Louis 3

Monday’s Games

W 58 55 53 52 43

Pro basketball

Toronto 6, San Francisco 3 Miami 3, Kansas City 1 Cincinnati 5, N.Y. Mets 2 Philadelphia 9, L.A. Angels 5 Washington 4, San Diego 2 Chicago White Sox 10, Pittsburgh 4 Chicago Cubs 6, Boston 0 Arizona 10, St. Louis 1 Colorado 10, Minnesota 6 N.Y. Yankees 12, Atlanta 9 Milwaukee 8, L.A. Dodgers 7

GB — 4 6½ 9 33½

1. Tim Wellens, Belgium, UAE Team EmiratesXRG, 3:34:09.

2. Victor Campenaerts, Belgium, Team Visma, 3:35:37.

3. Julian Alaphilippe, France, Tudor Pro Cycling, 3:35:45.

4. Wout van Aert, Belgium, Team Visma, same time.

5. Axel Laurance, France, INEOS Grenadiers, same time.

6. Aleksandr Vlasov, Russia, Red Bull-BORAhansgrohe, same time.

7. Jasper Stuyven, Belgium, Lidl-Trek, same time.

8. Jordan Jegat, France, Team TotalEnergies, same time.

9. Michael Valgren, Denmark, EF EducationEasyPost, same time.

10. Valentin Madouas, France, GroupamaFDJ, same time.

Also

16. Neilson Powless, United States, EF Education-EasyPost, 3:35:45.

21. Quinn Simmon, United States, Lidl-Trek, same time.

42. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 3:40:16.

43. Sepp Kuss, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, same time.

161. William Barta, United States, Movistar Team, 3:56:51.

Overall Standings

1. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 54:20:44.

2. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 54:24:57.

3. Florian Lipowitz, Germany, Red Bull — BORA — hansgrohe, 54:28:37.

4. Oscar Onley, Great Britain, Picnic PostNL, 54:30:02.

5. Kevin Vauquelin, France, Arkea-B&B Hotels, 54:31:05.

6. Primoz Roglic, Slovenia, Red Bull — BORA — hansgrohe, 54:31:18.

7. Felix Gall, Austria, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, 54:32:44.

8. Tobias Johannessen, Norway, Uno-X Mobility, 54:33:17.

9. Carlos Rodriguez, Spain, Ineos Grenadiers, 54:39:10.

10. Ben Healy, Ireland, EF Education-EasyPost, 54:39:25.

Team Standings

1. Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 163:35:17.

2. UAE Team Emirates XRG, 163:52:08.

3. Red Bull — Bora — Hansgrohe, 164:25:55.

4. Decathalon AG2R La Mondiale Team, 164:27:55.

5. Arkea-B&B Hotels, 164:27:56.

6. Ineos Grenadiers, 165:05:27.

7. Groupama-FDJ, 165:13:46.

8. Movistar Team, 165:19:39.

9. XDS Astana Team, 165:31:14.

10. EF Education-EasyPost, 165:40:07.

Chicago 9 9 5 32 44 New England 6 10 7 25 30 Toronto FC 5 12 6 21 25 Atlanta 4 11 8 20 27 D.C. United 4 13 7 19 20 CF Montréal 3 15 6 15 20 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

Golf The Open Championship Sunday

At Dunluce Links Portrush, United Kingdom Purse: $17 million Yardage: 7,381; Par: 71 Final Round S. Scheffler $3,100,000 68-64-67-68—267 -17 H. English $1,759,000 67-70-68-66—271 -13 C. Gotterup $1,128,000 72-65-68-67—272 -12 W. Clark $730,667 76-66-66-65—273 -11 Matt Fitzptrick $730,667 67-66-71-69—273 -11 Hao-Tong Li $730,667 67-67-69-70—273 -11 R. Macintyre $451,833 71-66-70-67—274 -10 Rory McIlroy $451,833 70-69-66-69—274 -10 X. Schauffele $451,833 71-69-66-68—274 -10 Corey Conners $304,650 74-69-66-66—275 -9 Brian Harman $304,650 69-65-73-68—275 -9 Russell Henley $304,650 72-70-65-68—275 -9 B. DeChambu $304,650 78-65-68-64—275 -9 Rickie Fowler $240,000 69-72-70-65—276 -8 Nicolai Hojgrd $240,000 69-69-69-69—276 -8 T. Fleetwood $185,257 73-68-69-67—277 -7 R. Hojgaard $185,257 69-68-70-70—277 -7 H. Matsuyama $185,257 74-69-68-66—277 -7 Justin Rose $185,257 69-71-68-69—277 -7 Jesper Svnssn $185,257 71-72-68-66—277 -7 Tyrrell Hatton $185,257 68-69-68-72—277 -7 John Parry $185,257 72-71-67-67—277 -7 Ludvig Aberg $138,040 73-67-68-70—278 -6 Lucas Glover $138,040 69-72-68-69—278 -6 M. McNealy $138,040 69-74-69-66—278 -6 J.J. Spaun $138,040 73-69-68-68—278 -6 D. Johnson $138,040 73-69-67-69—278 -6 Harry Hall $119,950 73-67-68-71—279 -5 Oliver Lindell $119,950 72-68-68-71—279 -5 Daniel Berger $104,850 72-70-70-68—280 -4 Akshay Bhatia $104,850 73-68-70-69—280 -4 Keegan Badly $104,850 72-67-70-71—280 -4 Kristoffer Rtn $104,850 72-68-68-72—280 -4 C. Bezuidenht $86,517 67-73-69-72—281 -3 Aaron Rai $86,517 69-72-71-69—281 -3 Justin Thomas $86,517 72-69-69-71—281 -3 Sergio Garcia $86,517 70-73-70-68—281 -3 Jon Rahm $86,517 70-72-69-70—281 -3 Lee Westwood $86,517 69-70-69-73—281 -3 Takumi Kanaya $68,340 71-72-69-70—282 -2 Shane Lowry $68,340 70-72-74-66—282 -2 Jordan Spieth $68,340 73-69-72-68—282 -2 Nathan Kimsey $68,340 71-72-68-71—282 -2 Jason Kokrak $68,340 71-70-71-70—282 -2 Sam Burns $51,186 70-69-72-72—283 -1 Thomas Detry $51,186 72-71-70-70—283 -1 T. Lawrence $51,186 73-70-68-72—283 -1 Matt Wallace $51,186 73-69-66-75—283 -1 M. Jordan $51,186 68-72-73-70—283 -1 Jordan L. Smith $51,186 71-68-72-72—283 -1 Henrik Stenson $51,186 75-68-69-71—283 -1 Sepp Straka $44,350 72-71-70-71—284 E Sungjae Im $44,350 71-71-67-75—284 E Marc Leishman $44,350 73-68-68-75—284 E Adrien Saddier $44,350 72-71-72-69—284 E Tony Finau $42,333 70-68-72-75—285 +1 Jhonattan Vegas $42,333 72-70-70-73—285 +1 Phil Mickelson $42,333 70-72-76-67—285 +1 Justin Leonard $41,550 70-73-70-73—286 +2 Antoine Rozner $41,550 72-70-73-71—286 +2 Dean Burmester $41,100 71-71-76-69—287 +3 R. Langasque $41,100 71-71-72-73—287 +3 Viktor Hovland $40,280 73-69-73-73—288 +4 F. Molinari $40,280 72-71-71-74—288 +4 Andrew Novak $40,280 71-72-74-71—288 +4 Ryggs Johnston $40,280 74-66-74-74—288 +4 Riki Kawamoto $40,280 72-70-78-68—288 +4 J. Skov Olesen $39,400 67-76-73-74—290 +6 Matti Schmid $39,100 73-70-79-70—292 +8 S. Soderberg $38,900 73-70-75-77—295 +11

Soccer MLS Glance Western Conference

W San Diego FC 13 Vancouver 12 Minnesota United 11 Seattle 10 Los Angeles FC 10 Portland 9 Colorado 8 Austin FC 8 San Jose 7 Real Salt Lake 8 Houston 7 FC Dallas 6 Sporting Kansas City6 St Louis City 4 3 LA Galaxy

L 7 5 5 6 5 7 10 8 9 11 11 10 11 13 14

T Pts 4 43 6 42 8 41 7 37 6 36 7 34 6 30 6 30 8 29 4 28 6 27 7 25 6 24 6 18 7 16

GF GA 47 32 39 26 40 27 37 33 39 27 32 32 30 36 17 24 46 42 24 29 30 39 32 41 36 42 23 38 28 48

W L 15 6 14 5 14 5 12 4 12 4 10 6 11 11 10 8 9 9

T Pts 3 48 5 47 5 47 8 44 5 41 8 38 2 35 5 35 6 33

GF GA 39 31 42 25 40 23 40 33 49 34 43 32 41 39 30 26 39 35

Eastern Conference

Cincinnati Nashville Philadelphia Columbus Inter Miami CF Orlando City Charlotte FC New York City FC New York

40 32 30 43 45 45

Saturday, July 19

Charlotte FC 3, Atlanta 2 Columbus 2, D.C. United 1 Chicago 2, CF Montréal 0 Orlando City 2, New England 1 Miami 5, New York 1 FC Dallas 3, St Louis City 0 Philadelphia 1, Houston 1, tie New York City FC 1, Sporting Kansas City 1, tie Nashville 1, Toronto FC 0 Seattle 3, San Jose 2 Cincinnati 1, Real Salt Lake 0 LA Galaxy 3, Los Angeles FC 3, tie Minnesota 1, Portland 1, tie Vancouver 1, San Diego FC 1, tie

Friday, July 25

Orlando City at Columbus, 6:30 p.m.

CF Montréal at New England, 6:30 p.m.

New York City FC at FC Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

LA Galaxy at Houston, 7:30 p.m.

Portland at Los Angeles FC, 9:30 p.m.

Nashville at San Diego FC, 9:30 p.m.

USL Championship Glance Eastern Conference Charleston Louisville Loudoun North Carolina Pittsburgh Detroit City FC Indy Birmingham Miami Rhode Island FC Tampa Bay Hartford

W 13 11 8 8 6 5 5 4 5 4 4 3

L 3 1 6 6 6 6 6 8 8 8 10 8

Western Conference

T 2 5 3 2 4 6 5 6 3 5 2 4

Pts 41 38 27 26 22 21 20 18 18 17 14 13

GF GA 38 16 30 13 26 24 25 20 14 14 20 22 26 28 19 25 16 24 14 18 17 25 15 21

W L T Pts GF GA Tulsa 8 3 5 29 24 16 San Antonio 8 5 3 27 23 21 New Mexico 8 6 1 25 22 17 Sacramento 6 4 6 24 22 12 Phoenix 6 5 5 23 26 26 El Paso 6 5 5 23 24 25 Monterey Bay FC 6 8 4 22 19 23 Orange County 6 7 2 20 22 22 Oakland 6 9 2 20 19 25 Lexington SC 4 6 7 19 17 23 Colorado Springs 4 6 6 18 19 22 Las Vegas 5 9 3 18 13 28 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

Saturday, July 19

Hartford 0, Rhode Island FC 0, tie Oakland 2, Loudoun 0 Charleston 3, Miami 0 Colorado 1, Birmingham 0 Tulsa 1, Louisville 1, tie Orange County 4, Las Vegas 0 Lexington SC 0, Sacramento 0, tie

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League HOUSTON ASTROS — Placed INF Isaac Paredes on the 10-day IL. Optioned C Ceasar Salazar to Sugar Land (PCL). Recalled INF Shay Whitcomb from Sugar Land. Selected the contract of INF Jon Singleton from Sugar Land. Transferred INF Brendan Rodgers to the 60-day IL. KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Sent RHP Hunter Harvey to Northwest Arkansas (TL) on a rehab assignment.

NEW YORK YANKEES — Agreed to terms with RHP Hayden Morris, SS Jackson Lovich and OF Camden Troyer on minor league contracts.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Sent RHP Alek Manoah to Dunedin (FSL) on a rehab assignment.

National League ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Reinstated INF Ketel Marte from the restricted list. Designated INF Sergio Alcantara for assignment.

CINCINNATI REDS — Reinstated RHP Carson Spiers from his rehab assignment.

COLORADO ROCKIES — Placed INF Ryan Ritter on the 10-day IL. Recalled INF Adael Amador from Albuquerque (PCL).

LOS ANGELES DODGERS — Sent LHP Blake Sneel to Oklahoma City (PCL).

MILWAUKEE BREWERS — Placed 1B/OF Jake Bauers on the 10-day IL, retroactive to July 19. Recalled INF Tyler Black from Nashville (IL).

FOOTBALL

National Football League CINCINNATI BENGALS — Signed C Andrew Raym, DTs McTelvin Agim and Taven Bryan and QB Desmond Ridder to contracts. Released QB Logan Woodside.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Signed DT David Olajiga to a contract.

LIVING

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

M o n d ay, J u ly 21, 2025

5Cn

ALZHEIMER’S Q&A

Cognitive impairment can be linked to multiple conditions What are some brain conditions that can cause dementia?

STAFF PHOTO By MADDIE SCOTT

A graduate student at Tulane University holds a brick of hydrogel. It’s slimy and squishy, and it took a year for researchers to design.

IN THE PIPELINE

This blob could become a superhero suit in 20 years, thanks to Tulane labs and government funds

BY MADDIE SCOTT

“If you have rubber bands, you What can we do that’s novel?’ And it took us a while to figure it out,” can stretch them at least three, four or five times, but if you do that Grayson said. a lot of times … it snaps,” he said.

A mysterious blob sits on a lab Grayson and his team’s hydrogel table in Tulane University’s Stern Rare attributes Hall. It’s slimy, squishy and a little Weighing about a pound and a is even stretchier and stronger, bigger than a hockey puck. half, the blob of hydrogel is elastic, with additional properties and caChemistry professor porous and swells in water pabilities.

Scott Grayson calls it hylike those magic, rubbery toy figurines you’d leave in A unique molecular makeup drogel, and his team has the bathroom sink as a child. spent the past year develIt all starts in the hydrogel’s moThe hydrogel is conduc- lecular makeup. oping the material with a grant from the Defense After researchers add substanctive, which opens many Advanced Research Projdoors for potential func- es together, heat them and perform ects Agency (DARPA), a tions. It can press buttons purification and dialysis processes, research and development Grayson on phone screens like a a liquid base takes the shape of arm of the Defense Definger can, and can hold an whatever container it dries overpartment created in response to electric current, making it possible night in, like cake batter, resulting to create a body suit with sensors. in the hydrogel. the launch of Sputnik in 1957.

Since the material is nontoxic The nice thing about DARPA If placed in water, the substance projects, Grayson said, is that re- and can stretch to five times its takes about two to three days to searchers complete as many steps original size, it might be used to swell to its maximum size. To as possible in a fixed amount of fashion “superhero” suits for the revert to the original shape, retime, so it’s fast-paced. The hydro- military, complete with wearable searchers can place the hydrogel gel is the start of what will even- body sensors. It might become a in the oven at 70 degrees Celsius tually become a long-term project special medical tape to help treat (158 F) to dry it out. burn injuries, Grayson said.

Right now, the possibilities are lasting a decade or two, he said.

The hydrogel uses a technology “We were trying to figure out, ä See BLOB, page 6C ‘what can we do that’s interesting? that the Mayas invented — rubber.

Staff writer

We want to actually figure out … if we try to stretch and strain, how much we can stretch and strain.” SCOTT GRAySON, Tulane University chemistry professor

How to host the perfect game night, according to a pro

BY BEATRICE FORMAN

regular game nights for the Roots frontman, documentarian, and sandwich entrepreneur, who startPHILADELPHIA — The key to hosting ed hosting the parties as a way for a game night so good it brings out his famous friends to unwind.

Taylor Swift’s competitive side?

The prep is for good reason: Overprepare, according to Cathy Questlove’s rotation of celebrity Rong, Questlove’s chief of staff guests include Swift and fellow and the woman behind his viral Philly luminary Quinta Brunson, star-studded board game bashes. as well as Channing Tatum, Rong can spend up to three ä See GAME NIGHT, page 6C months in advance planning semi-

The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

‘Game Night has always been my thing,’ Questlove captioned an October 2023 Instagram post.

ANDREWMITS/ DREAMSTIME/TNS PHOTO

Some commonalities between Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia and certain brain conditions like tumors and subdural hematomas involve memory impairment, difficulty in communication, poor concentration, personality changes, problems performing routine tasks, social withdrawal and disorientation.

Typically, with a brain tumor or hematoma, the onset is more rapid and in addition to possible cognitive impairments, the conditions are associated with headaches, vomiting, seizures, incontinence, and some gait and motor dysfunction.

If you or a loved one is experiencing unusual cognitive changes, it is very important to first consult a physician and undergo testing to confirm a diagnosis. Some types of dementia are very treatable and/ or reversible, and symptoms might not necessarily indicate Alzheimer’s, either.

Brain tumors can be cancerous or noncancerous and can result from several conditions.

Any type of brain tumor is a serious risk to an individual’s health and life because of its invasive nature.

Some common symptoms of brain tumors include severe headaches, vomiting unrelated to any illness, stiffness in the neck, acute intracranial pressure, behavior changes or rapid decline in cognitive ability.

There are no known environmental factors that are directly related to the development of brain tumors. Many inherited diseases may increase the risk of brain tumors, such as Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, multiple endocrine neoplasia and Type 2 Neurofibromatosis.

Another brain condition is a subdural hematoma, or SDH, which is a clot of blood just beneath the outer covering of the brain. These clots usually form in conjunction with an atrophy of the brain and typically occur in individuals over 60 years old. Most SDHs become very large before they are ever noticed because of the lack of symptoms in the early stages.

Similar to brain tumors, symptoms of a subdural hematoma include headaches, difficulty recalling memories and also include confusion, physical weakness, impaired vision, nausea and vomiting. In the advanced stages, the condition can cause paralysis or a coma.

One of the biggest risk factors for SDHs is brain atrophy linked to a minor trauma, which oftentimes goes completely unnoticed. Other risk factors include alcohol abuse, previous tendencies for seizures, and use of Coumadin or other bloodthinning medications.

Treatments for brain tumors and SDHs vary accordingly with the individual and the nature of the condition. Cognitive impairment is always a cause for concern, and it is always important to fully understand and discuss

ä See CONDITIONS, page 6C

6C ● Monday, July 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Crucial to use sterilized water in nasal irrigation Dear Doctors: Whenever you talk about neti pots, you include a warning about always using distilled water. It seemed to me like an overreaction, but now there’s news that someone died from not doing that. Why would that be, when drinking water is treated and goes through testing?

Dear reader: Nasal saline rinse, or nasal irrigation, is a personal hygiene practice using warm, sterilized water to gently clear debris from the nasal passages.

The debris can include dirt, dust, bacteria, pollen, dander or other allergens. Nasal irrigation also thins out mucus and moistens the delicate tissues of the sinuses to ease congestion and inflammation.

The practice typically involves the use of a small, spouted vessel,

distilled or sterilized water due to risk of infection.

You are correct that tap water in the United States is filtered and disinfected to kill potential pathogens. However, some bacteria, viruses and other organisms can survive this process, including Naegleria fowleri. Commonly ASK THE DOCTORS known as the “brain-eating” bacteria, Naegleria fowleri is actucommonly known as a neti pot. ally an amoeba. When ingested in You fill it with a saline solution drinking water, Naegleria fowleri (plain water can be irritating) dies in stomach acid, but when it made with warm, sterile water. enters the body through the nose, With the spout fitted to one nosit can migrate along the olfactory tril, you lean forward and tilt your nerve and reach the brain. Once there, the amoeba quickly begins head, and water flows through to multiply and destroy brain the nasal passages and exits the other nostril. Then you repeat this tissue. This is a condition known as primary amebic meningoenin the other direction. It’s crucial that nasal saline rinses use either cephalitis (PAM).

Dr. Elizabeth Ko Dr. Eve Glazier

GAME NIGHT

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

A good game night should feel like a choose-your-ownadventure book.

the best wildlife preserve), but acknowledges that most people prefer something you can win quickly.

“Not everyone has the patience to sit through Catan and pick it up,” Rong said.

“Some people prefer something snappier and faster that can take, like, two minutes a round.”

Rong recommends offering a mix of games. Recent hits at her and Questlove’s parties have been Tetris-adjacent puzzle game Blokus and Uno, which Questlove told Hot Ones host Sean Evans he uses as a “personality tester” for game night newbies.

No-phones policy Another unexpected game Admittedly the game night hit: Speak Out, which nights Rong plans for asks teams to guess what Questlove are more curat- words or phrases players are ed than casual with a strict saying through a mouthpiece no-phones policy and an on- and is a favorite of game site photographer. Previous night regular Chrissy Teigen. swag bags have included upscale dice, silk pillowcases, How many guests? and custom Uno boosters.

What comes first: The None of those, said Rong, chicken or the egg, or — er are required for a good — the games or the guest time, but there are still some list? guidelines for taking game For Rong, the games in night from a dud to a slam circulation determine how dunk. many people she invites “Sitting at a table and since some — like Catan or starting with the same set mahjong — require a speof rules kind of equalizes cific amount of players or everyone. There’s no ego,” extra space. And while some said Rong. “I think of (game people like to spectate, game nights) as a way to be inten- night hosts should not go in tional about setting aside with the expectation that people will be OK sitting out. time for fun.”

Looking to level up your The point, after all, is to play.

“The number of people game nights? Here are Rong’s four tips for plan- does matter,” Rong said.

Rong also recommends ning a game night so good a circulating YouTube tutoricelebrity might show up. als of lesser-known games Games galore ahead of time to level the A good game night should playing field. It goes withfeel like a choose-your-own- out saying that board game adventure book, according haters — and sore losers — to Rong. don’t make the cut.

Rong prefers long-form “Beyond personalities, a games like Catan and Wing- love of gaming is the first span (a cozy-yet-competitive prerequisite” for being instrategy card game where vited to her and Questlove’s you collect birds to build game nights, said Rong, not

BLOB

from using tap water for nasal irrigation. In the recent incident you’re referring to, a woman in Texas developed a fatal infection after using tap water from a campground to perform nasal irrigation. So, to repeat the warning that prompted your letter, always use distilled or sterilized water for nasal irrigation. You can buy sterilized water, or you can sterilize your own tap water by boiling it for three to five minutes then letting it cool.

Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

Chewing gum decorates sidewalk

Continued from page 5C

Trevor Noah, Lin-Manuel Miranda, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen, among others.

The parties balance highand lowbrow fun. The most recent game night Rong, 28, planned was just before the Met Gala, and the dress code called for sweat suits. And last July, Brunson and Questlove teamed up to host one in Los Angeles with an ice cream truck, Scrabble, and a “Game of Thrones”-themed version of Monopoly.

“Game Night has always been my thing,” Questlove captioned an October 2023 Instagram post. “Even 10 years ago.”

They’ve also always been Rong’s, who grew up in California before moving to New York City to attend New York University. After working as an executive assistant at Gary Vaynerchuck’s VaynerMedia and Complex, Questlove hired Rong in 2022 to help him juggle his various creative projects.

Outside of work, she plays Catan with her friends, obsesses over gaming tables, and has a closet shelf dedicated just to tabletop games.

Symptoms of PAM appear about five days after infection. It starts with headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. As the infection progresses, it causes confusion, loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations. The destruction of brain tissue, along with the resulting immune response, causes swelling. This pressure gets so intense that the connection between the brain stem and the spinal cord eventually severs. This is what can lead to death. There are no effective treatments for PAM at this time.

Naegleria fowleri infection of the brain is quite rare. In the U.S., we see fewer than 10 cases each year. Most are infections acquired while swimming in warm fresh water. However, PAM is possible

see if it worked, if it didn’t work,” Nadeem said.

Continued from page 5C Nadeem and other researchers are fully optimizing the hydrogel recipe, a endless, and researchers are process that takes time. She still figuring out the hydro- learned how important the ratios are when concocting gel’s full capabilities.

“We want to actually figure the gel because if the ratio out … if we try to stretch of an ingredient is off, the and strain, how much we can product might not be a gel, stretch and strain,” Grayson or it might not be stretchy enough, she said. said.

Now that the first year of One of many lab projects research has elapsed and the Students work on multiple team no longer must submit projects every day in the monthly reports to DARPA, lab, and the hydrogel is just the hydrogel will soon head one of them. The element to the University of Southof surprise brings graduate ern Mississippi, which has student Amman Nadeem a lab dedicated to polymer back to the lab. research.

“That was an exciting thing — that if I set up a re- Email Maddie Scott action tonight, then I’m go- at madison.scott@ ing to come in tomorrow to theadvocate.com

being a celebrity.

Finger foods, party favors For the game nights she plans, Rong enjoys a mix of novelty and self-serve foods, like pizza cupcakes from Whole Foods, ice cream, and cereal bars. At Questlove’s most recent game night, Rong tapped Bronx-born culinary team Ghetto Gastro to create a special menu of takeout-style finger foods, including oxtail patty burgers, fried chicken topped with caviar, and matchaswirled Swiss rolls.

Rong’s personal game nights are a more “casual” affair sans swag bags, but she does relish curating the party favors for Questlove’s gatherings.

The best goodies, she explained, elevate the gaming experience. Once, Rong said, she commissioned a custom +25 Uno card themed after her boss for guests.

Competition rules Though Rong describes herself as “in the middle” on the casual-competitive spectrum, she said that some trash talk and low-stakes rivalry can be a good thing.

Actually, Rong said, competition is part of what makes her and Questlove’s game nights so fun.

Reading-born Swift, for example, is a known Uno hustler who Questlove said takes the card game “to levels of excitement that I didn’t know one could do. ” Rong said comedian Trevor Noah is similar, while actress Stephanie Hsu runs the mahjong table. “She wins like basically every game.”

“It gets tiring to go to one PR event after another ... this is just like a hobby club,” Rong said. “There’s a huge competitive streak in the room. There’s trash talk, there’s spectators. Everyone lets their guard down.”

CONDITIONS Continued from page 5C

with your family physician which condition is causing the symptoms, as dementia or Alzheimer’s are not always the source.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.”

She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

NEWS 24/7 ON

Dear Heloise: I travel a fine of $200 or give them through Texas a lot with a chance to clean up their my husband. I notice most very own spot of gum. convenience stores we stop I must say the accumulaat while on the road have tion of gum on pavement numerous pieces of began to really chewing gum glued bother me when I to the pavement was on a walker for outside the store. several months. I So, my hint is very had to constantly simple: Every piece look where I was of gum comes in a walking. Not litterHints from ing is just being a wrapper, and since Heloise good citizen. — Kathall men’s clothing has pockets and erine H., in San Antonio women tend to carry pursKatherine, I have to agree es, you can keep the wrap- that throwing gum on the ground is a bad habit. One per into your pocket or other problem with gum on purse. Then you can later wrap the chewed gum into our streets and grass is that birds can mistake it for food the stored wrapper and and won’t be able to digest drop it into a waste can. it. It can easily kill them in Just an aside for humor: time. So, readers, please I’ve imagined our country dispose of gum, chewing with a large DNA base of tobacco, wrappers and cigaevery citizen. If such a thing existed, I’d love to rettes in the trash and not invent a way to shadow a on the ground. — Heloise spot of gum with my imagiRazor blades nary invention and pull up the owner of each piece. I’d Dear Heloise: I have a tip then send each perpetrator that promotes razor blade

longevity, but I have to give credit to the late Dr. Bill Wattenburg — a physicist, engineer, and longtime radio talk show host at KSFO. When asked about this issue, he stated, “What chance do whiskers have against steel?” He then added that “rust is the biggest killer of razor blades.”

For years now, I’ve been drying the blade as best as I can between shaves before storing it in a jar with a small amount of mineral oil. I now change the blades maybe once or twice a year. I find that it also helps to use your skin as a strop, keeping contact with the razor in both directions. Obviously the blades won’t stay good as new for the entire length of time, but I simply don’t change them out until I feel the need to. — Fred, in Portland, Oregon Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press Today is Monday, July 21, the 202nd day of 2025.

There are 163 days left in the year.

Today in History On July 21, 1925, the so-called “Monkey Trial” ended in Dayton, Tennessee, with John T. Scopes found guilty of violating state law for teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.

(The conviction was later overturned.)

Also on this date: In 1861, during the Civil War, the first Battle of Bull Run was fought at Manassas, Virginia, resulting in a Confederate victory.

In 1944, American forces landed on Guam during World War II, capturing it from the Japanese some three weeks later.

In 1954, the Geneva Conference concluded with accords dividing Vietnam into northern and southern entities.

In 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong

and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin blasted off from the moon aboard the ascent stage of the lunar module for docking with the command module.

In 1970, construction of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt was completed.

In 1972, the Irish Republican Army carried out 22 bombings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, killing nine people and injuring 130 in what became known as “Bloody Friday.”

In 2008, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, one of the world’s top war crimes fugitives, was arrested in a Belgrade suburb by Serbian security forces. (He was sentenced by a U.N. court in 2019 to life imprisonment after being convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.)

In 2011, the 30-year-old space shuttle program ended as Atlantis landed at Cape Canaveral, Florida, after the 135th shuttle flight.

In 2012, Erden Eruc

became the first person to complete a solo, humanpowered circumnavigation of the globe.

In 2023, the “Barbenheimer” buzz reached its peak as the films “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” opened in theaters; the critical and public acclaim for both films led to the fourth-largest weekend box office of all time.

Today’s Birthdays: Singer Yusuf Islam (also known as Cat Stevens) is 77. Cartoonist Garry Trudeau is 77.

Author Michael Connelly is 69. Comedian Jon Lovitz is 68. Retired soccer player Brandi Chastain is 57. Rocksoul singer Michael Fitzpatrick (Fitz and the Tantrums) is 55. Actor/singer Charlotte Gainsbourg is 54. Actor Justin Bartha is 47. Actor Josh Hartnett is 47. Reggae singer Damian Marley is 47. Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings is 46.

Former MLB All-Star pitcher CC Sabathia is 45. Singer Blake Lewis (“American Idol”) is 44.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, July 21, 2025 ● 7C

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FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

zodIAC CANCER (June 21-July 22) Simplify your life. Keep information to yourself and concentrate on personal and professional gain. Take care of matters that influence your home, finances or health.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Explore your options by participating in events that connect you to people who can help you.

Leave nothing to chance when it comes to your lifestyle and concerns. Strive for what serves you best.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Carefully delegate your time and effort. Common sense and good manners will help you navigate any controversy you encounter. Keep an open mind, but make sure to check all information you receive.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Big dreams, temptation and hope will lead to mixed emotions. When in doubt, ask an expert.

Don't take on unnecessary debt, responsibilities or someone else's drama. Pay attention to how you look and feel.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Revise your plans to meet your demands. Trying to accommodate too many people will lead to disappointment. Mix business with pleasure and make the most of your day.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Put more effort into combining functionality and comfort. A well-run home can make your life easier and give you more time to nurture your relationships with loved ones.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Honesty will keep you out of trouble. Look for

opportunities and avoid exaggerating or making promises you cannot keep.

Set goals, establish boundaries and create realistic timelines.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You've got all the right moves to get things done and enjoy the outcome. Focus on home, personal gains and worthwhile partnerships. Self-improvement, networking and heart-to-heart talks are featured.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Explore people, places and pastimes that pique your interest. Attend events that offer insight into how others live. Put your energy behind your plans, and it will positively impact your perspective.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Discipline coupled with ingenuity will help you ward off temptation. Networking and marketing yourself for success will take you to the winner's circle.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) An open mind will help you gain perspective and reduce the likelihood of getting into a no-win situation. Stubbornness gets you nowhere; find the path that leads to new beginnings and a better future.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) You'll thrive on change. Whether you instigate it or are swept up in someone else's whirlwind, hang on and enjoy the ride. Put your energy to good use. Keeping busy will ward off interference.

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

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

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

TODAy'S CLUE: V EQUALS Z

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Monday, July 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

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Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, July 21, 2025 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER When you are in a trump contract, perhaps your first question is: “How quickly should I draw trumps?”

There is no simple answer, but the basic guideline is that the more trumps you have, the quicker you should remove the opponents’, especially when you can do it without losing the lead.

When you have only eight or nine trumps, you might delay drawing them; in fact, you might never touch them at all. In particular, if you do not have the trump ace, think twice before leading a trump.

In today’s deal, how should South plan the play in four spades after West leads the club king?

Declarer looks at his 13 cards, takes dummy’s high cards into account, and counts his losers. Here, he has five: two hearts, two diamonds and one club. The minor-suit losers are unavoidable, so South must ruff his two heart losers on the board.

However, suppose declarer wins with his club ace, cashes the spade ace and top hearts, then ruffs a heart on the board.

What happens next?

South cannot get back to his hand. And when he plays, say, a club, West will win and surely return a trump, killing the second ruff. Instead, declarer should immediately take his top hearts, ruff a heart with dummy’s spade eight (so the mean and nasty East cannot overruff),

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

play a spade to his hand, and ruff his last heart with the spade king. Then 10 tricks roll in.

Yes, South could also duck the first trick, allowing him to ruff a club in his hand.

This week we will look at various trump-suit techniques. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

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 — DEMAGoGY: DEM-uh-gah-jee: Using people’s prejudices and

Bizarro

marmaduKe

emotions to gain power.

Average mark 12 words Time limit 20 minutes Can you find 17 or more words in DEMAGOGY? sAtuRDAY’s WoRD — notIcEs nest nice nicest noes noise nose note notice once onset tine

tone tonic icon incest insect inset into cent cite coin cone

conte coset cosine cost cote scent scion scone sect section sent

since sine site snit sone sonic stein steno stoic stone

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3

God does not share His glory with any other. He is God and God alone. — G.E. Dean

10C ● Monday, July 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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ALMANAC

AIR QUALITY

LAFAyETTE THROUGH 5 P.M. SUNDAy

YESTERDAY

TEMPERATURE

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

GOOD

92°/75° 92°/75° 100° in 1924 66° in 1904

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

READING 41

TODAY

PRECIPITATION

GOOD

24 hours through 5 p.m. Sun. 0.00” Month to date (normal) 3.99” (4.27”) year to date (normal) 50.99” (35.42”)

SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

6:20 a.m.

8:08 p.m.

2:43 a.m.

5:42 p.m.

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates SOURCE: AIRNOW.GOV

NEW

FIRST

FULL

LAST

JUL 24

AUG 1

AUG 9

AUG 16

THE NATION AND WORLD Today City

LOUISIANA FORECAST

RIVER STAGES MISSISSIPPI

Monroe 97/76

Shreveport 99/77

Jackson 98/75

Longview 97/74

Many 96/72

Hattiesburg 99/75

Alexandria 98/74

Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge Donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO

Cairo COMITE

Near Olive

Baton Rouge 95/76 Beaumont 94/76

Lafayette

Port Arthur 93/77

AMITE

Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent

New Orleans 93/79

Lake Charles 93/76

TICKFAW

Montpelier Holden

Houma 93/75

ATCHAFALAYA

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

TIDES HIGH

First FT. LOW

Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 5:23p 0.8 Shell Beach 10:43a 1.7 South Point, Marsh Island 4:25a 2.1 Cypremort Point 7:46a 1.9 Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 7:06a 1.5 Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) 6:22a 1.9 Wine Island 8:14a 1.9

FT.

4:50a -0.2 11:25p -0.4 6:21p -1.0 10:31p -0.4 6:47p -0.4 5:09p -0.6 7:49p -0.5

HIGH

Second FT. LOW

FT.

---------------

---------------

---------------

---------------

Forecasts and graphics, except KATC forecasts, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2025

Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

9.10 34.90 38.00 22.10 13.90 10.73 7.13

+1.10 -0.58 -1.20 -1.00 -1.00 -0.68 -0.51

40

25.37

+0.51

19

-1.45

-0.03

18 29 8

-0.82 10.88 2.10

-0.11 -1.68 -0.16

13 15

1.83 0.98

-0.04 +0.25

47 34 29 20 12 6

17.80 13.39 11.94 9.72 7.00 3.70

-0.46 -0.50 -0.40 -0.35 -0.60 -0.03

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

The World Amsterdam Bangkok Barcelona Berlin Brussels Cairo Dublin Frankfurt Havana Hong Kong Jerusalem

Tuesday

Hi

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

City

97 79 99 69 89 101 87 94 97

76 60 77 51 76 80 73 79 76

s s s c pc s t t t

99 74 99 67 88 101 90 92 94

75 62 79 52 75 77 72 79 74

c s s c sh s c t t

New Orleans Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Raleigh St. Louis San Diego Tampa

72 88 83 77 71 98 66 78 91 88 88

60 79 71 60 58 78 55 60 74 82 69

sh r s t sh pc r c t r s

71 89 84 71 73 99 66 74 91 89 92

62 80 73 60 58 80 54 60 74 80 71

sh r s sh sh pc sh sh r r s

Kuwait City London Madrid Mexico City Montreal Moscow New Delhi Paris Rome Stockholm Tokyo

Hi

Today

Tuesday

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

93 95 86 102 81 94 91 72 95

79 77 65 81 57 75 77 65 81

t t s pc pc t t pc t

96 89 82 102 82 88 95 73 88

78 76 67 82 64 68 80 65 78

s t s t s t t pc t

120 72 91 76 71 70 88 71 89 81 93

93 60 60 56 53 63 80 61 74 58 80

s t s pc pc t sh t s s s

120 75 96 77 73 73 90 75 89 77 92

93 59 64 57 58 62 80 61 66 60 80

s pc s pc pc t sh c s s c

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

-10

-0s

0s

10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s

SOLUNAR TABLE The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter.

Today Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun.

Major

8:52a 9:49a 10:46a 11:42a 12:11a 1:06a 1:59a

Ready To Make The Move

Minor

Major

2:37a 9:23p 3:33a 10:20p 4:30a 11:16p 5:28a 12:11p 6:24a 12:37p 7:19a 1:31p 8:10a 2:21p

Minor

3:08p 4:04p 5:01p 5:56p 6:51p 7:43p 8:32p

Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation.

Temperature bands are highs for the day.

Showers T-storms

Rain

Flurries

Snow

Ice

Cold

Warm

Stationary

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