The Times-Picayune 07-21-2025 by The Advocate

and NorthRampart

as ahistoric landmarkbecause of the F.W. Woolworth’sDepartment Store sit-in in 1960 andthe Hard Rock Hotelconstruction site collapse in 2019.

NewOrleans building site deemed historic

Location of Hard Rock collapse,Woolworth’s granteddesignation

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE |Staff writer

The intersection of Canal and North Rampart streets, where the proposed Hard Rock Hotel collapsed and killed three people in 2019 and where civil rights activists heldsit-ins atthe former Woolworth’sin1960, has been nameda historic landmark.

The Central Business District Historic District Landmarks Commission granted ahistoric designation to the site last week, adecisionthat followed apush by the City Council to commemorate the space.

The designation comes nearly six years after the building supportsat the now-demolished Hard Rock construction site gave way,sending the top three ﬂoors of the 18-story proposed hotel tumbling, killing three workers and injuringdozens more. The collapse, which triggered widespread scrutiny of thecity’sSafety andPermits Department, remains under investigation.

And it comes 65 years aftersevenlocal college studentsstaged theﬁrstsit-inprotestofthe Civil Rights Movement in NewOrleans at the former Woolworth’slunch counter,which wasdemolished, along with the retail building, in 2014.

The move is meant to honor two important parts of the city’shistory,council members said this week.

“The decisionbythe commission marksa powerful step forward in honoring the layered history of this location —aplace that remembers both the undeniable courage of theCivil Rights Movement and the sorrow of lives lost toosoon,” City Council Vice President HelenaMorenosaid in astatement on Monday.Moreno and District Ccouncil member Freddie Kingbothpushedfor the designation.

The councilmembers’ request for thedesignation came afterfamily members of thevictims

ä See SITE, page 6A

An unidentified NewOrleans police detectivestands behind protesters Jerome Smith, from left, Ruth Despenza,Joyce Taylor HughMurrayJr.,Archie Allen and William Harrell as theytakepart in aCongress of Racial Equality sit-in, which lasted almost five hours Sept.9,1960, at the segregated Woolworth’sdepartment store lunch counter in NewOrleans.

After the 2019 Hard Rock Hotel collapse, which killed three construction workers, Mayor LaToyaCantrell’s administration promised big changes at the Departmentof Safety and Permits. STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Ex-KarrfootballstandoutdiesinTenn. shooting

Afterstate championship win, CoreyAdams wasattending OleMiss

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE |Staff writer

Former Edna Karrfootballstandout

Corey Adams died from gunshotwounds

‘Problem’ housein Marigny torn down

Wasdemolitionappropriate or just easiestanswer?

BY SOPHIEKASAKOVE |Staff writer

Over months,the sceneatthe littleblue cottage on the corner of Port and Royal streets had spiraledout of control. Furniture andbike parts formed atangled heap on theporch,and neighbors became accustomedtododging debris and trash that spilled onto the sidewalk, including, at one point, abucket of human waste.

Then, one day,the house wasgone.

With abulldozer in tow,the city’sOfﬁce of Code Enforcement set offtothe Marigny neighborhood this month to put an end to over ayear of complaintsrangingfrom drug use to stolen property to illegal electricity tapping.

Neighbors breathed asigh of relief.But the now-vacant lot has spawned new discontents, as city ofﬁcials face pushback from regulators, preservationists and even some of those same neighbors, who say the mid-19th-century historic homeshould have been saved.

“The building was innocent in all of this and it’s the one that gets destroyed,” said Chris Costello, president of the Faubourg Marigny ImprovementAssociation. “It’sheartbreaking that ahistoric building wastorndown because …different departments thatare responsible forthe enforcementeither do not have the ability to enforce, or

ä See HOUSE, page 4A

Lake Maurepas plan faces newbattle

Opponentscompare carbon capturework to now-banned activity

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL |Staff writer

Anew battle is shaping up over AirProducts’ controversialplans forcarboninjectionwells beneath Lake Maurepas, with the extensive digging required nowcoming into focusand stirring fresh opposition to the project. The carbon injection and storage ﬁeld is expected to requireenoughunderwater diggingthat the removed mudcould ﬁll LSU’s Pete Maravich Assembly Center nearly twiceover, companyestimates show

The digging will help make wayfor anetwork of underwater pipelines forcarbon dioxide, natural gasand ﬁberoptic cablesthat will form roughly the shape of two “T’s” touching endto end, plans show

AirProducts announced itsplans to build the ﬁrstcarbon captureand sequestration operation in Louisiana nearly four years ago, but the extent of the work hascome into sharperfocuswithrecent permit applications.

ä See PLAN, page 7A

FormerEdna Karr

suffered Saturday night, according to a release from the Shelby CountySheriff’s OfﬁceinTennessee.

Adams,atop player on the Karrfootball team that won astate championship last season, was found by deputies in avehicle after ashooting that took place before 10:15 p m.outside aresidence in Cordova, Tennessee. Thedeputies attempted “lifesavingmeasures,” thereleasesaid, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Adams,listed as afreshman on the football team at Ole Miss, was among ﬁve shooting victims, the release said. The other fourarrived in personal vehicles at hospitals andare listed in noncritical condition, according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce. Deputies foundmultiple

ä See ADAMS, page 6A

football standout

CoreyAdams died from gunshot wounds suffered Saturday night, according to arelease from the ShelbyCounty Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee.

STAFF

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

The empty lot at the cornerofCanal

streetsinNew Orleans is recognized

STAFF FILEPHOTO By RALPHURIBE

FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

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.

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-

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

Trump gave Moscow 50-day deadline for 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-

cow continues to intensify its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities, launching more drones in a single night than it did during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say 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

withdraw from the four regions that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022, but never fully captured. It also wants Ukraine to renounce its bid to join NATO and accept 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 leader’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

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.

a rejuvenated pipeline for American weapons to reach Ukraine, hardening his stance toward Moscow after months of frustration following unsuccessful negotiations aimed at ending 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

an effort to isolate Moscow in the global economy In addition, Trump said that European allies would buy “billions and billions” of dollars of U.S. military equipment to be transferred 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

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

Palestinians carry sacks of humanitarian aid on Sunday in the Gaza Strip.

Expert:Movetounseal

Epsteintranscripts

likely to disappoint

BY LARRYNEUMEISTER Associated Press

NEW YORK AJustice Depart-

ment request to unseal grand jury transcripts in the prosecution of chronic sexual abuser JeffreyEpstein and his formergirlfriend is unlikely to producemuch,ifanything, to satisfy the public’sappetite for new revelations about the ﬁnancier’scrimes, formerfederal prosecutors say Attorney Sarah Krissoff, an assistantU.S.attorneyinManhattan from 2008 to 2021,calledthe request in the prosecutions of Epstein and imprisonedBritish socialite Ghislaine Maxwell “a distraction.”

“The president is tryingtopresent himself as if he’sdoing something here and it really is nothing,” Krissoff told The Associated Press in aweekend interview

Deputy Attorney GeneralTodd Blanche made the request Friday,asking judges to unseal transcripts from grand jury proceedings that resulted in indictments against Epstein and Maxwell, saying “transparencytothe 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 federaljail cell in August 2019, amonth after his arrest on sextrafficking charges,while Maxwell, 63, is serving a20-year prison sentenceimposed after her December 2021 sex trafficking conviction for luringgirls to be sexuallyabusedbyEpstein Krissoff andJoshua Naftalis,a Manhattan federal prosecutorfor 11 years before entering private practice in 2023, said grand jury presentations are purposely brief. Naftalis said Southern District prosecutors present just enough to agrand jury to get anindictment but “it’snot going to be ev-

erything the FBIand investigators have ﬁgured out aboutMaxwell and Epstein.”

“People want the entire ﬁlefrom however long. That’sjust notwhat this is,” he said, estimating that the transcripts, at most, probably amounttoafew hundred pages.

“It’snot going to be much,”Krissoff said, estimatingthe lengthat as little as60pages “becausethe Southern District of NewYork’s practice is to put as little information as possibleintothe grand jury.”

“Theybasically spoonfeedthe indictment to thegrand jury That’swhatwe’re going to see,” she said. “I just think it’s notgoingtobethat interesting. Idon’t think it’sgoing to be anything new.”

Both ex-prosecutors said that grand jurywitnesses in Manhattan are usually federal agents summarizing their witnessinterviews

That practice might conflict with the public perception of some stateand federal grandjuryproceedings, where witnesses likely to testify at atrial are brought before grand juriesduring lengthy proceedings priortoindictments or when grandjuries are used as an investigatory tool.

In Manhattan, federal prosecutors “are trying to geta particular result so they present the case very narrowly and inform the grand jurywhat they wantthem to do,” Krissoff said.

Krissoffpredicted thatjudges who presided over the Epstein and Maxwell cases will reject the government’s request.

With Maxwell, apetition is before the U.S. Supreme Court so appeals have not beenexhausted.

With Epstein, thecharges are relatedtothe Maxwell case and the anonymityofscores of victims whohavenot gone public is at stake, although Blanche requested thatvictim identities be protected.

“Thisisnot a50-, 60-, 80-yearold case,” Krissoff noted. “There’s still someone in custody.”

AttorneyGeneral PamBondi, center,speaks Tuesday at anews conference at the Drug Enforcement Administration in Arlington, Va Bondi requested judges unseal transcripts from grand jury proceedings that resulted in indictments against JeffreyEpstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

She saidciting “public intrigue, interestand excitement” about a case was likely not enough to convince ajudge to release the transcripts despite a1997 ruling by the2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appealsthatsaidjudges have wide discretion and that public interest alone can justifyreleasing grand jury information.

Krissoff calledit“mind-blowinglystrange” that Washington Justice Department officials are increasingly directlyfiling requests andarguments in the Southern District of New York, where theprosecutor’sofﬁcehas long been labeled the“Sovereign District of New York” for itsindependence from outside inﬂuence.

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

Cheryl Bader, aformer federal prosecutor andFordhamLaw School criminal law professor, said judges whopresided over the Epstein and Maxwell cases maytake weeks or months to rule

“Especially here where thecase involvedwitnessesorvictims of sexualabuse, manyofwhich are underage, the judge is going to be very cautious about what the judge releases,”she said.

Bader said she didn’tsee the government’squest aimed at satisfying the public’s desire to explore conspiracy theories “trumping —pardonthe pun— thewellestablished notions of protecting the secrecy of the grand jury process.”

“I’m sure that all the line pros-

ecutorswho really sort of appreciate the secrecy and special relationship they have with the grand jury are nothappy that DOJ is asking the court to release these transcripts,” she added.

Mitchell Epner,aformer federalprosecutor now in private practice,calledTrump’s comments andinﬂuence in theEpstein matter “unprecedented” and “extraordinarily unusual” because he is asitting president.

He saiditwas not surprising that some former prosecutors are alarmed that the request to unsealthe grandjurymaterials 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 thepolitical or personal agenda of powerfulpeople,then we areinavery different place than I’ve understood the federal Department of Justicetobein over the last 30 years of my career,” he said.

Krissoffsaidthe uncertain environment that has current prosecutorsfeeling unsettled is shared by government employeesshe speaks with at otheragenciesas part of her workinprivate practice.

“The thing Ihear most often is this is astrange time.Things aren’t working the way we’reused to them working,” she said. Associated Press WritersEric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.

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

BY ALBERTONARDELLI

Bloomberg News (TNS)

European Union envoys areset to meet as earlyasthisweektoformulate aplan for measures to respond to apossible no-deal scenariowith President Donald Trump, whose tariff negotiatingpositionisseen to have stiffenedahead of an Aug. 1deadline.

The overwhelming preference is to keep negotiationswithWashington on track in abid foranoutcome to theimpasse ahead of next month’sdeadline.

Still, efforts have yet to yield sustained progress following talks in Washington last week,according to people familiar withthe matter Negotiations will continue over the next two weeks.

The U.S. is nowseen to want a near-universal tariff on EU goods higherthan10%,withincreasingly fewerexemptionslimited to aviation,some medical devices and generic medicines, severalspirits, and aspeciﬁc set of manufacturing equipment that the U.S. needs, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

Aspokesperson for the European Commission, which handles trade matters for the bloc, said theyhad no commenttomakeonthe ongoing negotiations.

The two sideshavealso discussed apotential ceiling forsome sectors, as well as quotas forsteel andaluminum and away to ring-fence supply chains fromsources that oversupply the metals,the people said. The people cautioned that even if an agreement were reached it would need Trump’ssignoff —and his position isn’tclear

“I am confident we’llget adeal done,” U.S. Commerce Secretary HowardLutnicksaidonCBS’s“Face theNation” on Sunday.“Ithink all these key countries will ﬁgure out it is better to open their markets to the United States of America than to paya signiﬁcant tariff.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

Landry chooses new child welfare agency chief

Governor shakes up troubled division’s leadership

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

As the agency continues to struggle with staffing shortages and recruitment, Gov. Jeff Landry has announced that Rebecca Harris will take over as secretary of the Department of Children & Family Services.

Landry said in a news release that Harris will replace David Matlock, who has headed the agency since early 2024

cized for its stafﬁng shortages.

are unable to enforce, the laws.”

In recent months, a renewed campaign against blight by Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration has pitted the city’s code enforcement arm, which has promised to level hundreds of blighted homes each year, against preservationists who say that — when it comes to historic properties — demolition should be an absolute last resort.

The 1,800-square-foot Creole cottage became the latest battleground as it fell into increasing disrepair.

The property’s owner, Chelsea Perez who bought the property in 2022, could not be reached for comment.

In an inspection on May 27, the Historic District Landmarks Commission inspector Alex Nassar found that the building, which sits within one of more than a dozen historic districts overseen by the commission, did indeed show “signs of neglect and a compromised building envelope.” But overall, he wrote, the building was structurally sound and “rehabilitation of the building would not be very costly or particularly difﬁcult.”

“Demolition of the building is unnecessary,” Nassar concluded.

Meanwhile, code enforcement ofﬁcials went through their own process of preparing for demolition: inspecting the building, conducting a hearing and submitting paperwork with the safety and permits department.

According to city code, emergency demolitions can be undertaken when necessary to protect “life, health, property or public safety” regardless of the historic commission’s recommendation.

“The property was declared blighted, a public nuisance, and ultimately condemned,” Cantrell spokesperson Kourtney Williams said in a statement. “It was deemed uninhabitable, a ﬁre hazard, and a serious threat to public health and safety.”

But MaryNell NolanWheatley, director of the Preservation Resource Center, said that the city has become too quick to bring out

Harris’ “experience in operational improvement and her commitment to protecting our most vulnerable children make her the right choice to lead DCFS,” Landry said “I have full confidence she will strengthen this department and deliver positive outcomes for our most vulnerable citizens.”

commitments to improve outcomes for those we serve.

Harris

Harris previously served as an undersecretary and, most recently, as a deputy secretary

In a statement, Harris said she is “honored and excited to serve as Secretary during this great time of opportunity and transformation, focusing on strategic

Matlock will stay on as the confidential assistant to the secretary according to the release, which says the changes go into effect Aug. 1

“It was an honor to serve as Secretary of DCFS, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made together for Louisiana’s children and families,” Matlock said in the release. “I look forward to focusing my energy on building strong, supportive environments for the children who need us most.”

The DCFS has long been criti-

A recent report from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor found the agency had 140 child welfare staff position vacancies in February up from 118 at the end of the 2023 ﬁscal year

The audit also found that between July 1, 2022, and Feb. 10, 2025, the number of ﬁlled child welfare positions decreased by 108.

That change comes despite an alarming number of child abuse deaths that brought the agency under scrutiny in 2022, prompting lawmakers to demand change.

In a statement, the DCFS said one of its key initiatives for the current fiscal year includes a

the bulldozers, rather than step in earlier as a building falls into disrepair

“Oftentimes, it’s a lack of enforcement for the rules that has led to the current conditions,” Nolan-Wheatley said, adding that her organization “applauds the city for making blight a priority but we think that there need to be alternatives to demolition considered.”

A lawsuit brought against the owners of the Port Street home by neighbor Steven Thesman alleging that the owners were stealing electricity from his property includes emails from residents and others pleading with city ofﬁcials to take action dating back to May 2024. City records show that there have been 52 calls for service made from the 600 block of Port Street since January 2024, including noise complaints and “quality of life issues.”

“Generator blasting away this AM again. It’s miserable here. Please Please Please do something ASAP It won’t be long until they are on drugs running space heaters connected to a generator,” a neighbor Tom Cheek, wrote to city officials in November 2024.

The New Orleans Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Data from the city shows it has obtained demoli-

tion orders for at least 133 properties since April 2023, shortly after the city launched its push to tackle blight. It’s unclear how many of those have been demolished or how many were in historic districts.

But the Preservation Resource Center identiﬁed at least seven historic properties demolished in 2024 that the organization says the city should have explored options to save instead.

In an article describing the demolition of three historic properties on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard in October 2024, the organization described the scene as “a grim one, as the ﬁnal building came down and irreplaceable historic materials crown molding quoins, medallions, transoms — were smashed under the crushing blows of a bulldozer, with these architectural elements destined next for the landﬁll.”

In a New Orleans City Council meeting on Oct. 11, Council member Lesli Harris thanked the director of code enforcement, Anthony Davis, for his department’s work, but cautioned that the department should be “mindful of the structure and the historic nature of New Orleans and why we all love New Orleans.”

The city should work to transfer neglected proper-

ties to responsible owners rather than knock them down, Harris said, adding that overzealous demolition can leave neighborhoods “that look like broken up teeth two houses in a block that used to have ten.” Davis replied that he and

recruitment campaign and increased stafﬁng.

A 2022 investigation by The Advocate | The Times-Picayune found that, when adjusted for inflation, DCFS lost nearly half of its funding between 2007 and 2021. It also found that DCFS caseloads were three times the national standard.

Meanwhile, Louisiana faces a shortage of foster care families.

“As of July 2, 2025, there were more than 4,200 children in care and less than 2,000 certiﬁed foster homes,” according to the agency Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

his team “respect the historical nature of what you just mentioned.”

“But what we’re trying to get HDLC and all of us to understand is that: listen, we should stop rewarding bad behavior, these people have made it clear they’re doing nothing,” said Davis, referring to negligent property owners.

In a statement on Friday Williams wrote that the historic commission and the code enforcement department “continue to work collaboratively under an established protocol to review similar cases and consult on

properties” within historic districts’ boundaries.

Thesman said he is glad the building was demolished given its condition but he too questioned why the city didn’t intervene sooner with a different approach. “It could have just been boarded up,” he said. “We just want the owners to be held accountable.”

Staff writer Missy Wilkinson contributed to this report.

Email Sophie Kasakove at sophie.kasakove@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Sand covers the empty lot of 638 Port St. after the city demolished the structure due to complaints from neighbors about poor conditions and illegal activity in New Orleans on Saturday

PHOTO PROVIDED

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of the Hard Rock collapse

—JosePonce Arreola, Anthony Magrette and Quinnyon Wimberly —requested a permanent memorial to honor them, the statement said “Thissitetells two powerful stories —one of courage in the ﬁght for civil rights and one of tragedy that must never be forgotten,” said King.

AngelaMagrette, twin sister of Anthony Magrette, said the landmark designation was an important step in keepingher brother’s memory alive.

“The next step is to see what they’re actuallygoing to put out there to get it marked for the guys so that people will remember what happened,” Magrette said. She believes the site should be turned into apark, with a plaque commemorating the workers.

The loss of her brother is “an everyday struggle,” said Magrette, adding that the city should “step up their game with inspectors” to prevent similar tragedies. A spate of building collapses across the city’score at the end of last year “hit hard” forthe family,Magrette said.

The landmark designation doesn’tentail additional protection or oversight of theproperty, BryanBlock, director of the Historic DistrictLandmarks Commission, said at the commission’sJuly 9meeting. Any plaque or memorial at the site would need to be approvedbyofﬁcialsseparately While the commission does not typically designate vacant lots as landmarks, stafferswrote in areport

walksonNorth

that the“site overwhelmingly meets the criteria for landmark designation it exemplifies or reflects the broad cultural, political, economic or social history of the nation, state, or communityand is associated with important events in national, state, or local history.”

“The memory of theprotests which happenedthere are ever present,” staffers wrote. “The collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel is amore recent tragedy,and it’shard

to saywhat the effectson thepsyche of theCitywill be moving forward. For now,the current emptylot stands as asilent monument to the senseless deathsof three men,Jose Ponce Arreola, Anthony Magrette, and Quinnyon Wimberley,an uncomfortable and visceral reminder of the horrors of October 19, 2019.”

Email SophieKasakove at sophie.kasakove@ theadvocate.com.

shell casings at the scene, the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce said The Times-Picayuneselected Adamsasthe allmetro defensive player of the year after the 6-foot-4, 250-pound standout ended the season with 47 tackles, including 15 sacks along with four forced fumbles. Adams, 18, was twice selected by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association to the Class 5A all-state team. The LSWAalso selected him as the 5A defensive player of the year in 2024. Catholic League coaches selected him as the all-district defensiveMVP last season. Adams had asidelineto-sideline presence while also working his way into opposing team backﬁelds, making him one of the more dominant defensive players in the New Orleans metro area. Among his more memorable plays was when he wrested the football from the Holy Cross quarterbackand ran 70 yardsfor atouchdownduring agamein2023.

“I do alot of wild stuff on

theﬁeld,” Adams saidduringmediainterviews after theschool celebrated his college signing in December.“My coach was not lying. Ireally do some crazy stuff. I’maggressive. I’m hard. Youcan’tmake me bowdown. Somebody is going to have to surrender whenI’m on theﬁeld. Idon’t

fear nobody,and that’show it’sgoingtostay.”

Adamsarrived at Ole MissinJanuary as an early enrollee so that he could participate in springpractices ahead of hisﬁrst collegeseason

The Edna Karr football Facebook page saidthe community was “heart-

broken and tormented to pieces,” andremembered Adams on Sundayas“a friend, brother,son,student,and all around great young man.”

Ole Miss said the football program “is trying to cope with thistragic loss,” according to astatement fromthe Ole Miss football program, and“ourthoughts

are with his loved ones during this incredibly difﬁcult time.”

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Apedestrian

Rampart Street near Canal Street in NewOrleans on Thursday.The empty lot is recognized as ahistoriclandmark because of

construction site collapse in 2019.

One month after the Hard Rock Hotel buildingcollapse, the wreckage looms over Canal Street in New Orleans on Nov. 12, 2019.

STAFFFILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

With this informationin hand, longtime legislative and other opponents recently announceda newstrategy to ﬁght the project. They plan to invoke the history of damaging shell dredging in the lake to encourage closer regulatory scrutiny,they said This plan comes with the public comment periods having opened this month for Air Products’ clean water and waterway permits with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its coastal use permit from the Louisiana Department of Energyand Natural Resources.

Air Products disputes the comparison with shell dredging and calls the planned work on the lake bottom relatively minimal Its plans involve injectingupto5.5 millionmetric tons of carbon dioxide per year more than amile deep into porous rocks millions of years old. That would allowit to produce low-carbon hydrogen and potentially ammonia at a$7billion plant proposed in AscensionParishthat has garnered local and state backing due to the project’ssizable job andtax beneﬁts.

‘Deserve arealsay’

Anow-banned practice that dated back to 1914 along Louisiana’scoast and its inland estuaries, oyster and clam shell dredging was the subject of a hot-button environmental dispute in the 1980s until it was ended in the early 1990s.

Opponents successfully argued then that the pollutants and mudstirred up by the practice —using suction dredges to pull up shells from lake and coastal bottoms caused long-term harmto water quality and aquatic wildlife while removingprotective oyster reefs.

In the mid-1980s, the state sued in federal court to force the Corps of Engineers to do the kind of deeper analysis now sought forAir Products, known as an environmentalimpact statement.

StateRep.KimberlyCoates, R-Ponchatoula,recently told acrowded bingo hall in Tangipahoa Parish that the case establishedaprecedent that she believes will help.

“This ﬁght for Lake Maurepas is about protecting our communities,our ecosystem, and our constitutional right to public input. The people deserve transparency,and they deserve areal sayinwhat happens to their lake,” Coates said in alater statement after the town hall in Ponchatoula last week.

TheNovember 1987 Corps analysis that the suit forced ended up opposing shell dredging in Lake Maurepas due to its small size, shallowness, fresh water and other factors. The practice wouldn’tbehaltedinnextdoor Lake Pontchartrain and elsewhere statewidefor afew more years

The Corps’ conclusion came afew years after state regulators recognized the particular sensitivity of Maurepas. They banned shell dredging in that lake in the mid-1980safter a resumption of the practicein 1983 following along hiatus.

In internal memos,state Department of Environmental Qualityofﬁcials detailed the nearly immediate and extensive impactshell dredging hadonMaurepas’ shallow waters in the spring of 1983 and winter of 1983-84, even after theytried to reduce digging fromthree dredges to one dredge onlyfor ﬁvedays over a10-day period.

AirProducts officials say they remain open to an EIS, which could take up to two years, and to new public hearings that opponents are also seeking, but pointed out those decisions are up to the Corps.

“Any comparisonofshell dredging to our workwould be inaccurate and misleading,” saidChristina Stephens, acompanyspokeswoman.

“Weare proposing to conduct very minimal improvements to the lake bottominorder to provide safe navigation into Lake Maurepas.”

Corpswillevaluate

Air Productshas already finished seismic and other testingand receivedits state air permit in June, but it is waitingonDENR’stechnical review of its underground injectionplans,company ofﬁcials said.

The carbon storage project is however facing renewed internal scrutiny following an investor-led leadership shakeup earlier this year

Air Productsislooking for investors to take over the carbon capture and ammonia production piece of the operation,and thecompletion date hasbeen pushedback two to three years.

Corps officials say they can’t consider whether to have public hearings orrequire an EIS until after their comment period ends July30.

Air Products planstouse abargewitha waterjet to carve6-foot-deep,4-footwide pipelinetrenches and dig out other parts of the lake for other infrastructure. That will require the excavation of about 209,500 cubicyards of lake bed, according to astate permit application.

Whether the Corpsdoes an EISoralesser review known as an environmental assessment depends on the likelihood of asigniﬁcant impact from theproject.

Corps spokesman Ricky Boyett saidthe agency’s

analysis “will evaluate the impacts associated with constructionofAir Products’proposed project,which would include disturbing Lake Maurepas water bottoms due to pipeline installation.”

He said “it’snot clear how the constructionimpacts from pipeline and (carbon capture and sequestration) well constructionand several decades of clam shell dredging in LakeMaurepas and Lake Pontchartrainare comparable, but it is something we mayconsider.”

‘Least disruptive paths’

Air Products says it has tried to limit the impact of temporary construction and its permanent operations.

The company plans to have surfacestructurescontained in 17 sites, including 16 injection and monitoring wells, and has tried to locate the different facilitiestogether to limit the visual impact

“Oncecompleted, Air Products’ presence on Lake Maurepas will only represent around 0.0008% of the entire surface of thelake,” said Stephens, the company spokeswoman.

The company alsowill locate underwater pipelines next to oneanother in parallel routes of two or three channels and useamud curtain and other practices during dredging to reduce clouding the water with dirt.

Spoil mud from thenew pipeline trenches would be spread along their sides and would be no deeper than 6 inches, Air Products says.

“Wehave worked with regulators to ﬁnd theleast disruptive paths for our pipelinesand at every step of the process we are implementing waystominimize our environmental impact on LakeMaurepas,” Stephens said.

Kristi Trail, executive director of thePontchartrain Conservancy,said her group remains concerned about thewetlands destruction required for pipeline and other construction on land and about the impact dredging could have on the lake and partsofthe food web.

“It’saverysensitive ecosystem, anditwas well recognized, the beneﬁt of halting dredging, which is why it was stopped,” saidTrail,

whose nonproﬁtisdedicated in parttothe healthofthe twolakes.

Providedthe DEQ memos from the 1980s, Trail said they show the impact dredging of just about amonth caused andarguedAir Products’ work over potentially a fewyears could cause “irreversible harm to the lake.”

“Why are we repeating the mistakes of thepast? Is his-

tory doomed to repeat itself because we refuse to learn?

It’spossible to have economic development but not at the expense of our sportsman’s paradise. Do better, Louisiana,” she said.

DavidJ.Mitchellcan be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

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S&WB lead pipe project on hold

Protest filed over contractor selection

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

A long-planned effort to replace up to 85,000 lead water pipes in New Orleans is on ice after the losing bidder accused the Sewerage & Water Board of violating its own contracting rules.

Community Infrastructure Partners ﬁled a formal protest in May

State officials send $3.3M to Gretna

Some money allocated to projects whose funding got cut

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

Gretna saw major wins this legislative session with over $3 million in state funds allocated to local projects, including some that had been in jeopardy after the parish cut funds to them earlier this year Gov Jeff Landry signed off on $3.3 million for Gretna and its Police Department, including $750,000 for the Gretna Farmers Market $500,000 for the Gretna Heritage Festival and $500,000 for the Gretna BMX Track — all projects that new Jefferson Parish Council District 1 member Timothy Kerner Jr cut parish funds to at his debut council meeting just two months ago.

“You guys are the gem of the West Bank,” Sen. Pat Connick, R-Marrero, told the Gretna City Council last week. “What you do here is very impressive ” The state also allocated $1.2 million for renovations to Gretna’s City Hall and $2.9 million to help build a brewpub, park and parking garage in downtown Gretna, a controversial project that’s moving forward despite calls from the inspector general to cancel it.

Connick said the windfall of cash was made possible through efforts by Jefferson Parish’s state delegation, especially Senate President Cameron Henry, an inﬂuential Republican leader from Metairie.

“I saw what happened with the money being taken from your city,” Connick said. “I sat down with the president, and I said, ‘We need to help.’ He didn’t bat an eye.”

A large portion of the money was allocated to Gretna projects through a budget amendment in response to Kerner’s funding cuts. Last May, Kerner moved to de-obligate millions of funds from his discretionary spending accounts that his predecessor, Marion Edwards, had promised to Gretna.

That included $1.5 million to add a covering, restrooms and concession stand to the Gretna BMX track and $350,000 to upgrade the farmers market pavilion with new rooﬁng Kerner, a former Jean Laﬁtte mayor, platformed his campaign on distributing parish funds more evenly across the district, as he believes too much money had been concentrated into downtown Gretna over the past decade.

after a selection panel chose CDM

Smith for the job, triggering an appeals process that must ultimately be settled by the S&WB’s Executive Director

Former executive director Ghassan Korban resigned in May and the agency’s new leader, Randy Hayman, is set to begin on July 28.

are between 55,000 and 85,000 lead pipes in the city, a holdover from the days when lead wasn’t as widely recognized as a serious health hazard.

Meanwhile, the water board won’t vote on the contract until the appeal is resolved, which seems unlikely until next month at the earliest. The S&WB originally hoped to sign a deal with a project manager by the end of 2024, according to an agency presentation.

City ofﬁcials estimate that there

Hayman is expected to appoint a special arbitrator to weigh the appeal and make a recommendation before he makes a ﬁnal decision.

Five firms responded to the S&WB’s call for proposals to manage the project, and the selection committee eventually narrowed the pool to Community Infrastructure Partners and CDM Smith.

Community Infrastructure Partners, founded in 2022, has landed three pipe replacement contracts in Wisconsin and Rhode Island.

CDM Smith, an international engineering ﬁrm currently overseeing the city’s $2 billion roads overhaul, is managing pipe replacements in Washington, D.C., Chicago and elsewhere. The protest by Community Infrastructure Partners centers on the departure of New Orleans Health Director Dr Jennifer Avegno from the selection panel after its ﬁrst meeting. S&WB bid rules say such panels “must” consist of

PICKLEBALL

PHILANTHROPy

ABOVE: Saints team captain Cam Jordan and his foundation sponsored a pickleball tournament at The Exchange Pickleball + Bar in New Orleans on Sunday. The event was a fundraiser for the Cam Jordan Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to uplifting children and strengthening communities through education, youth development, and meaningful support.

RIGHT: Saints team captain Cam Jordan, left, and Saints teammate Bryan Bresee clown around during a pickleball tournament.

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

To hear Ray Masker III tell the story, Wicked Bayou Brewing Co. got its start with a dream and an “Oh, no!” moment. Masker was talking with a neighbor and friend, Scott McCain, one evening in 2023. Both ardent home brewers, the conversation naturally turned to beer

“I said, ‘I think it’d be cool to open a brewery’

“He (McCain) gets all serious and leans in I say, ‘Oh, no!’ He says, ‘Yeah, me too.’” McCain, you see, had been working on his own brewery plans since 2015. He had a lot of the background already researched and worked out, and he was raring to go. Fast forward a couple of years and Masker McCain and a third partner and buddy, Steve Bagwell,

are making plans to open Slidell’s ﬁrst brewery and tap room. If their schedule holds, Wicked Bayou Brewing Co. taps will ﬂow by year’s end.

The company last month got an agreement from the Slidell City Council to rent a decommissioned city building on Bayou Lane, known as the “old barn,” near Bayou Bonfouca and the Olde Towne district

While the brewery was born of the trio’s love for home brewing Masker is adamant about one thing: “This isn’t going to be a hobby This is a business.”

The city ordinance adopted by the council states that the city will receive $4,000 per month over the initial 10-year term of the lease. After that, the lease can be renewed at $4,500 a month for an additional ﬁve years, according to the ordinance. Wicked could receive “$300,000 in potential rent credit for permanent improvements/renovations made on-site” during the 10-year period, the ordinance says. Masker told the council

ners look forward to a

future

PHOTO PROVIDED By RAy MASKER III Scott McCain, from left, Steve Bagwell and Ray Masker III plan to open their Wicked Bayou Brewing Co. brewery and taproom in Slidell by the end of 2025.

See LEAD, page 2B

STAFF PHOTOS By JOHN McCUSKER

N.O. real estate developer

John Yemelos dies at 82

‘He liked the excitement,’ daughter says

BY JOHN POPE

Contributing writer

John Yemelos, a real estate developer

didn’t want to work in the shipping industry and we returned to New Orleans,” he said.

One of his early projects was a 1,400-unit apartment building at the same time he was developing the Biloxi Hilton He sold the apartment building in 1979 and used the profits to underwrite the Lakeway complex

celebrated for his skill at sizing up property in the New Orleans area and on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, died Saturday at East Jefferson General Hospital. He was 82. Among his projects were the three Lakeway towers in Metairie overlooking Lake Pontchartrain; hotels in Covington, Slidell and Biloxi, Mississippi; and subdivisions and other commercial properties

“He loved the art of evaluating real estate,” said Nick Moustoukas, a longtime friend. “He could tell you if a piece of property was worth the time and investment and if it had a future. He did very well.”

“I think he liked the excitement and the thrill of the chase,” his daughter Casie Rung said. He was a son of the Lower 9th Ward whose parents were Greek immigrants who spoke little English His father painted houses, and his mother was a homemaker Yemelos graduated from Holy Cross High School and LSU in New Orleans (now the University of New Orleans). He earned a law degree at John Marshall Law School in Atlanta.

After graduating, he went to Greece to work for an uncle in the shipping industry he said in an interview with medium.com.

“Once I was engaged in 1967, I realized I

GRETNA

Continued from page 1B

Kerner said Monday he was happy to see more state dollars ﬂowing into the West Bank, and that the Legislature’s help in Gretna would allow him to continue focusing on other parts of his district.

“My whole goal coming into this ofﬁce was to leverage more state funds,” Kerner said. “This shows that it’s possible, and we can expand the footprint of where good projects are in this district.” Kerner hasn’t decided where his withdrawn funds will now go, although he has dedicated $250,000 of his discretionary money to the Terrytown home facade improvement program, alongside $500,000 approved by the state Legislature earlier this year Gretna Mayor Belinda Constant said she was “extremely happy” to regain funds for projects that were already in their design phases. Constant and other Gretna ofﬁcials expressed distrust in Kerner during his campaign for his comments about old Gretna, and said they “got slapped a little bit” when he cut funds to the BMX track and other projects. However, both Constant and Kerner say they are ready to move forward and work together for the West Bank.

“I told him nobody is better off if we don’t work together,” Constant said. “We need to work together, we are happy to work together. Let’s move forward in how you can do great things for District 1.”

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate. com.

BREWERY

Continued from page 1B

facility and tap room.

“The place is in rough shape,” he said, noting there is a substantial amount of work to be done.

The city-owned property that includes the barn encompasses about 7 acres The brewing company is leasing about 4 acres for the production facility and parking lot, he said

He and his brother-in-law Frank Nicolaides founded N-Y Associates Inc., a Metairie-based engineering, architecture and planning ﬁrm.

Not every investment turned out well. For instance, Yemelos built hotels in Covington and Slidell in anticipation of a highly successful world’s fair in 1984. But the fair declared bankruptcy and Yemelos lost money on those ventures, he told medium. com

“My father has always taken chances in business,” Rung told medium.com. “By taking opportunities as they came his way is what made him the successful man he is today.”

One of his more recent projects was Omni Storage, a family-owned storage company The ﬁrst opened in 2003; there are nine outlets.

An active member of New Orleans’ Greek community, Yemelos was “a kind, honest man who loved his family,” Moustoukas said.

His wife, Despina “Dici” Yemelos, died in 2019.

Survivors include two daughters, Rung, of Mandeville, and Renee Lalla, of Madisonville; a sister, Peggy Nicoladis, of Metairie; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, which are incomplete.

LEAD

Continued from page 1B

five members: four agency officials and an expert in the field.

Avegno, who has warned about the health risks of lead drinking water pipes, was chosen to serve in the expert role.

“It very clearly stated that (Avegno’s role) was part of their selection panel and process and criteria,” said Community Infrastructure Partners CEO Shawn Kerachsky “Nobody on the panel even acknowledged that she disappeared.”

Kerachsky said Avegno’s absence left a committee of S&WB executives who were biased toward CDM Smith, despite that firm’s slower replacement schedule and — apparently — higher cost proposal. Responding to the protest letter, S&WB Purchasing Director Cashanna Moses said Avegno was not available for most of the panel’s meetings, and replacing her would have forced it to start evaluations over

Avegno said she quit the committee a few days before the second round, which included interviews with three ﬁnalists on separate days. She said the timing of the first interview, with engineering firm Arcadis, conflicted with a meeting of the Orleans Parish Communication District board, which she chairs. She said the Arcadis interview couldn’t be rescheduled.

“Unfortunately, I had not caught this before,” Avegno said in an email “I decided it would be most fair to not participate in any of the other ﬁnalist meetings.”

Lead has increasingly been recognized as a serious health hazard over several decades, especially for young children, who can suffer nerve damage, learn-

“The location is the key,” Masker said “It’s a diamond in the rough.” Wicked would become Slidell’s first brewery and tap room. Two other breweries now operate in St. Tammany Parish Abita, which has become a well-known national brand, and Chafunkta Brewing Co. in Mandeville. Masker, who owns several businesses, including restaurants, said Wicked has been working for a while to “frugally” acquire as much brewing equipment as it possibly can. He said the group got some equipment during an auction after Faubourg Brewing Co. closed in New Orleans East It also already has the 10-tap system it will use in Slidell, which means there will always be a lot of beers on tap, Masker said. He said Wicked has three

Man arrested after standoff with police, SWAT team

Suspect faced armed robbery counts

BY KASEY BUBNASH and JONI HESS Staff writers

A SWAT team was deployed to the Hoffman Triangle neighborhood Sunday afternoon after a man wanted on armed robbery counts refused to leave a house in the area, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

Police said Jeremiah Mills, 27, had refused to exit a house in the 3400 block of Fourth Street when NOPD ofﬁcers and detectives arrived about 1:50 p.m. Mills, who was wanted on counts of armed robbery and attempted armed robbery is also a person of interest in a shooting, according to NOPD.

Police announced about 2:45 p.m that a SWAT team had been deployed.

Investigators had gathered around a white house on Fourth Street that afternoon. Maurice Wind-

ing, who lives a block away from the house, said police began arriving around 10 a.m. “I left and went to church and when I got back at 12, the whole block had police everywhere,” he said. Mills exited the house and was arrested shortly after the SWAT team arrived, according to NOPD. He was booked into the Orleans Parish jail, police said.

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

ing disabilities, hearing loss and anemia, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Lead poisoning in adults can cause high blood pressure and kidney problems.

The EPA has issued a series of regulations to reduce harm of lead pipes, most recently during the Biden administration. The latest rules require most cities, including New Orleans, to replace all lead and galvanized service lines by 2037.

Lead pipe replacement projects have sprouted up across the country since then, spurred by $15 billion dedicated for the projects in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law The S&WB secured $86 million in federal infrastructure funds, but that represents less than 10% of estimated cost of the entire project, according to

go-to beers, Honey Island Blonde, made with honey from the Honey Island Swamp, as well as Dell Sucio, a Mexican-style lager that plays on Slidell’s “Dell” nickname, and Swamp Death, which Masker describes as a “smooth, dark ale.”

The brewers’ recipes have developed a following: Wicked Bayou took ﬁrst place in the People’s Choice Home Brewer’s Category at the Larry Brew fest last month in Mandeville. The company carries the Wicked Bayou name as homage to Gum Bayou, which runs behind their homes in The Landings neighborhood in the Slidell area

a planning document.

The S&WB started an inventory of the city’s 278,000 public and private service lines last year, ﬁnding about one third of those assessed were made of lead.

Fewer than 20% of the service lines had been assessed when the contract solicitation was issued in November, and completing the inventory while replacing known lead pipes is part of the project manager’s duties.

In its bid, CDM Smith proposed 3,500 pipe replacements in the ﬁrst two years, a pace that would fail to meet the 2037 federal deadline , according to a summary of the proposals.

Community Infrastructure Partners, meanwhile, committed to replace 13,690 pipes in the ﬁrst two years, which would meet

Masker says the brewers know the hurdles they face in the jump from garage brewing to commercial brewing. But he said they’re confident the beer — both quantity and taste — won’t be a problem. McCain agrees. A certiﬁed nurse anesthetist, science and chemistry are his thing. And beer brewing, he says, is nothing if not science and chemistry

“It’s exciting and scary at the same time,” McCain said. “But when you see it, touch it. It’s like we’re so close — we’re almost there.” With reporting from contributing writer Kim Chatelain.

the deadline if the number of replacements falls in the middle of the S&WB’s estimated range. Though cost proposals have not been publicly disclosed, some panel members said during the ﬁnal selection meeting that CDM Smith’s bid was more expensive than Community Infrastructure Partners. CDM Smith did not respond to questions. Without Avegno, the remaining four panel members were split between Community Infrastructure Partners and CDM Smith after the second round.

One of the two that previously ranked Community Infrastructure Partners the highest, S&WB General Superintendent Steve Nelson, switched to CDM Smith in the third round. In the ﬁnal selection pan-

el meeting, Nelson said he chose CDM Smith because of its “track record of past performance in large scale production with multiple different agencies and cities across the country.” Email Ben Myers at bmyers@theadvocate. com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CARLOS OSORIO

A cut lead pipe is pulled from a dig site for testing at a home in Royal Oak, Mich., on Nov. 16, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed eliminating all lead service lines nationwide over the next 10 years

Yemelos

STAFF PHOTO By JONI HESS

Police vehicles surround a house in Hoffman Triangle during a SWAT roll on Sunday.

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Brantley, Catherine Burke, Lucy Eves,David Sino, Phyllis Toups,June

EJefferson

Garden of Memories

Toups,June

NewOrleans

Boyd Family

Eves,David St Bernard

CharbonnetLabat

Sino, Phyllis St Tammany

EJ Fielding

Brantley, Catherine Obituaries

Brantley,Catherine 'Tina'

Catherine“Tina”Brant‐ley passed away on Wednesday,July16, 2025

She wasborninCovington, LAonFebruary11, 1967

She is survived by herhus‐band, Mark Brantley;her child,Cal Brantley.She is alsosurvivedbyher sib‐lings,MaryB.Mizell(late David), John E. “Jeb”Brandt III (Anne),Laura B. Alberts (Lloyd) andJoanna B. Case She wasprecededindeath byparents HelenCatherine “Kay” Ross Brandt and JohnEugeneBrandt, Jr Mrs.Brantleygrewupin Covington,attending St Peter Catholic School and graduatingfromSt. Scholastica Academy. She graduated with aBache‐lor’s degree from Louisiana State University,a Master’s degreeinReading from the State University of New York- University of Albany, and agraduatecertiﬁcate inSchoolLibrarianship fromLouisiana StateUni‐versity.Tinataughtin seven schoolsinfour statesasshe movedwith her husband throughout his Army career.After moving back to Covington,

she taught in Catholic schoolsand then wasa li‐brarian forFontainebleau HighSchool,Brock Elemen‐tarySchool,Alton Elemen‐tarySchool,and Abney Early Childhood Center Tinawas acaringand compassionate educator wife, mother,sister, and friend. Shedeeply valued education andgivingback tothe community,and her passion washelping others feel welcome. Herlibrary was asafe spacefor all, and shecared abouteach personindividually. She was constantly thinking about newbookstobuy and howshe couldsupport her students.Tinavolun‐teered much of hertime throughouther life.She en‐joyed supporting young soldiersand cadets and was avolunteer forArmy Community Service. She received theArmyCom‐mander’sAward forPublic Service fororganizingand running aFamilySupport Group during aunitde‐ployment. Most recently, Tinawas amemberof MaryQueen of Peace Church where sheserved asa EucharisticMinister and volunteeredwiththe FamilyPromise ministry Tinawas acollector of Playbills,loved museums and thearts, andwas awedbyornatecathedrals and basilicas. Shetraveled toseven countriesand treasured hervisit to Italy and VaticanCity. Sheal‐waysloved cats,including her childhood cat, Nosey Posey.She waspreceded indeath by hercatsLucky and Twix andissurvived byher grand-cat, Bagel. Her most cherishedthing inlifewas to be called Mom,Aunt Titi by her manyniecesand nephews, and Miss Tina by herstu‐dents.She will be missed byall who knew andloved her.Inlieuof ﬂowers, con‐tributionsinmemoryof Mrs.Brantleymay be made toNorthshoreFood Bank www.northshorefoodbank org .Relatives andfriends are invitedtoattend the funeralservicesatE.J FieldingFuneralHome, 2260 W21st Avenue,Cov‐ingtonLA70433 on Satur‐day,July26, 2025, at 11:00 AMwithvisitationonSat‐urday beginningat9:00 AM. Interment will follow inPinecrest Memorial Gar‐dens. E.J. Fielding Funeral Homehas been entrusted withfuneral arrangements The Brantley family invites you to sharethoughts, fondest memories,and condolences online at E. J. FieldingFuneral Home Guest Book at www.ejﬁeld ingfh.com

Burke, Lucy Fournier

Lucy Burke,71, of New York, passed away on March 17, 2025, leaving behind alegacy of love, laughter, and an irresistible urgetoadoptevery straydog and cat that crossed her path

BornonMarch 28, 1953, Lucy was aboundless sourceofkindness, always ready witha warm smile and akindwordfor both people and animals.

She was thebeloved wife of her soulmate James Burke, and now rejoicesinbeing reunited with him and all her loved oneswho passedbefore her.

Lucy sincerely believed that deathwas notanend buta reunionwiththose she once held dear.She is survivedbyher cherished children, Kateand Jeb, grandchild,Beatrice,and her loyal canine companion, Muppet.

In apoetictwist,Lucy beganeach morningwith coffee in one hand and the obituary sectioninthe other—readingitfaithfully, with curiosityand quietreflection.

She was clear about how she wished her life to be celebrated: no tears, no sorrow—onlylaughter, good food and wine, and joyful memories.Her loved onesinvite all who knew her to gather, sharestories,laugh,and perhaps bring atreat fora neighborhooddog.

Just as Lucy wouldhave wanted.

DavidAnthony Eves passedawayonJune 29, 2025, at theage of 64 years old.David AnthonyEvesis survivedbyhis partner, Yolanda Johnson, her daughterMelunicaTre‐paigner,siblings; Judy Eves-Jackson(Kenneth Jackson Sr.) Harry R. Eves, Jr. (AngeleEves- deceased) Elizabeth Eves-Keller (AbrahamKeller, Jr.).Also survivedbya host of nieces, nephews, otherrel‐ativesand friends. Pre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐ents,Mrs.Joyce Eves and

Harry R. Eves Sr.Family and friendsare invitedto attendthe Celebrationof LifeService on Wednesday, July23, 2025, for11:00 a.m. atThe Boyd Family Funeral Home, 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy., NewOrleans,LA 70126. Visitation will begin at10:00 a.m. ChaplinDuane Gidney, ofﬁciating. Inter‐mentisprivate.Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditi onbegins.com(504)2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd and DonavinD.BoydOwn‐ers/FuneralDirectors

PhyllisMae Sino re‐ceivedher wingsonFriday, July11, 2025. Sheispre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐ents, Jamesand Elmira Sino; siblings,JosephSino, Shirley Sino,James Sino, LionelPayne andClifford Sino. Sheischerished by her sister,Helen James (Huey), ahostofnieces, nephews,other relatives and friends. Relativesand friends;Pastor, ofﬁcers and membersofSt. An‐drewBaptist andall other neighboring churches of Plaquemines, St.Bernard

andOrleans Parishes; AlumniofPhoenix High School areinvited to at‐tendthe funeral. ACele‐bration servicehonoring the life andlegacyofthe latePhyllis MaeSinowill beheldatSt. Andrew Bap‐tistChurch,2823 English TurnRoad, Braithwaite, LA onTuesday,July22, 2025 at 10am, Pastor Jaydon Green,Ofﬁciating. Inter‐mentEnglish Turn Ceme‐tery. Visitation 9aminthe church.Pleasesignonline guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Finalarrangementsen‐trusted to Charbonnet FamilyServices(504) 3021520.

June D. Toupspassed awaypeacefully on Tues‐day,July15, 2025 after a longand beautifullifeat the ageof98. Shewas the beloved daughter of the lateRobertand Regina Descant andthe sister of the laterAldearLaiche, RobertDescant Jr and Dorothy Heinz. Shewas the lovingwifeofthe late Harry Toupswithwhom shehad 2daughters

NancyThevenot(John) and LoriGagliano(Charles) Grandmother of 5grand‐children: Daniel Gagliano, AmandaGregoire,Jessica Glenn, JaimeZapico, and JillThevenot, and9 greatgrandchildren:Skylar, Aidan,Caleb,Addison, Madeline, Harry,Jack, John, andOwen. Funeral ServiceswillbeheldatSt. AngelaMericiCatholic Church,901 BeverlyGarden Dr. Metairie,LA70002 on Wednesday,July23, 2025 Visitationwillbegin at the church at 11:00 am with a Massofﬁciated by Fr.Beau Charbonnetstartingat 12:00 noon.Interment will followinGardenofMemo‐riesCemetery, 4900 Airline Dr. Metairie,LA70001. To order ﬂowersoroffer con‐dolences, please visit www.gardenofmemorie smetairie.com

Sino,Phyllis Mae

Toups, June D.

Eves,David Anthony

Asimple way to lowerauto insurance ratesin

Louisiana

Louisianadrivers paysomeof the highest auto insurance rates in the country.Despite dozensof insurers in the state, premiums keep rising while service stays poor.It’stime for abold, marketbased reform.

Let’sﬂip the system: Instead of letting every company in, hold a sealed-bid auction once ayear Thetop four bidding insurers would earn the exclusive right to operate in Louisiana for 12 months. The auction proceeds —potentiallytens of millions— would go directly to ﬁxingour roads This isn’tgovernment overreach—it’sabout restoring discipline and accountability. Insurance companies would have to compete hard not just on price andservice, but for the chance to do business here at all We’d also ban paidadvertising, which drives up costs andclutters the market. Instead, all licensed insurers would list their offeringsand claims performance on a state-run comparison website— no mascots, no slogans,justfacts. Some might argue this reduces choice. But the current system gives us dozens of optionsand no real savings. By tighteningaccess and raising standards,we’d create real competition —onmerit, not marketing.

This reform puts consumers ﬁrst, funds infrastructurewithout raising taxesand forces insurers to deliver value. It’stime to ﬁx what’sbroken.

RICHARD BOYD Lafayette

of policies.

YOUR VIEWS

the full courttorehear the case.

What the5th Circuitmissed on TenCommandmentslaw

Blocking the TenCommandments in student classroomscontinues the weakening of America’sreligiousculture. Pilgrims and immigrantscame to the“newworld” for religious freedom. Religion strengthens ethics, morals andhuman relationships. The Declaration of Independence asks God to help support our freedom.“In Godwetrust”isonour money.In Will andArial Durant’s“The Lessons of History,” the Pulitzer Prize winners declare thatour Judeo-Christian heritage created “cooperation that fostered Western Civilization.”

My second grade public school class opened with the Pledge of Allegiancecontaining “one nationunderGod” and aprayerending “in the name of Jesus Christ.”What’swrong withchildrenreading,“Thou shall notkill,” “Honor thy Mother andFather”and eight morecommandments thatstarted social order for mankind? OurConstitution says themajority of people rule, not minorities.The 5thCircuit Court of

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

Ihad avery bright Chinese student when teachingatTulane. Iasked himwhat was thebiggest difference between the U.S. and China? He said “In China, we obey the law out of fear of government. In America, you obey thelaw out of love of God.” America’senemies must enjoy the way our courts have weakened our connection to religion. Let’shope the SupremeCourt restores love of God for our kids.

SIDNEYPULITZER NewOrleans

LSUwilllearn howmoney canspoil funincollege sports

The impressivefinancial gymnastics Taylor Jacobs, whooversees name, image and likeness,and her team executed to enable LSU to be financially competitive in paying their athletestoplay gives aliteral definitiontowinning at allcosts. There areliabilities associated withpay to playthat should be considered. Amateurism in college and high school sportsnolonger exists Excelling at sports used to be about fulling a dream to be the best through hard workand sacrifice and toexperience the sheer joyofaccomplishment Now,competing is complicated by apaycheck.

Havecollege athletes become mercenaries playing for thehighest bidder? The moneyhas become preeminent in discussions with players and has irrevocably changed players’ relationships with coaches andtheir teams. Forget about mentorship and team loyalty,just show me the money LSU athletes areprofessionals by deﬁnition. They are contract workersbut could become employees if they areallowed to collectively bargain. How will thatwork?

Wining is agood thing except when the costs aretoo high.

JIM ROBERTS St. George

Whyhavewe allowed public discourseto 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 arecent story about a Major League Baseball player being brought to tears by aspectator yelling atrocities about his late mother.More and moreover the last decade, this has becomethe norm.The Pandora’sbox of social media and its cowardly license to engage in anonymous thuggery has transformed our lives.

Itsdeepest 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? Ifondly recall the days when as a nation we preferred “we” to “they.” There is afundamental difference between disagreeing with others’ positions and demonizing their character.Weare better than this. Let us all worktogether to Make America Gracious Again.

No oneshould want taxcutsat expenseoffuture generations

As an elderly person with conservative principles, Iamdeeply 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 IRSpersonnel are ill-equipped to pursue questionable returns. We have also raised the threshold above which estates are taxed. Do we really wanttotell the next generation that hard work is not expected of them?

Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

Catholic Church should drop outdated ideasonwomen priests

In response to athread started about a monthago by Jim O’Neill and continued by two readers, Itoo feel it is time for the Catholic Church to admit women into thepriesthood.

Responders to O’Neill’sletter seem to debate whether or not the scriptures sanction this idea. Ioffer no scholarship on such adebate, which may be moot, anyway.Ido, however, feel strongly that the idea of Catholics keeping

women in asecond 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 rectifytheir stale and discriminatory views on this matter

EDWARD TEDROW Slidell

Ourlawmakers in Congressforgotabout neediest Louisianans

Wouldsomeone please explain how Republican representatives in Louisianavote to cut SNAPand Medicaid to thousands? We want to make Louisiana healthier.Really? We are last in almost everything when it comes to services for our residents. Howcan these repre-

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 DUPLESSISLEWIS NewOrleans

President Donald Trumphas rightly urged members of the European Union to assume ﬁnancial responsibility fortheir own military defense. That is an example of sound ﬁscal leadership. Irecently heard state Senate President Cameron Henry speak at aprivate gathering in Old Metairie. He told his listeners that the state cannot spend what it doesn’thave. Yetstates are being told that FEMA grants will not be awarded this year Like everyone else, Iwant my taxes to be as low as possible, but not if my children and grandchildren will be stuck paying downa ballooning national debt.

MARCIA B. COOKE NewOrleans

Entire GOPbuysinto Trump’sdelusion

Donald Trump’spresidency is like the old Woody Allen joke. He is the crazy uncle whothinks he’sa chicken, and the Republican Party keeps him around because they need the eggs. DAVE MEEKS NewOrleans

VINCENT FORNIAS Baton Rouge

STAFF FILE PHOTO By ANDyGRIMM

Aruling by athree-judgepanel of the 5th U.S. Circuit CourtofAppeals blocking Louisiana’sTen Commandments lawhas been putonhold,creating an opening for

FILE PHOTO

State Farm is thelargest auto insurance companyinLouisiana when rankedbymarket share with about one-third

WALT’S CAPTION CONTEST

COURSEPRO

Mini golf is asummer favorite for kids and adults everywhere. No beach vacation is complete until you’venavigated the windmill hole or aced number18 forafree game! But something alittle strangeishappening here. So, what’s going on in this cartoon? youtell me. Be witty,funny, crazy,absurd orsnarky —just trytokeep it clean. There’snolimit on the number of entries. Thewinning punchline will be lettered into the word balloon and runonJuly 28 in our print editions and online. In addition, the winner will receiveasigned print of the cartoon along with acool winner’sT-shirt! Some honorable mentions will also be listed.Toenter, email your entries to cartooncontest@theadvocate.com. Don’t forget! Allentries must includeyour name, home addressand phone number Cell numbers are best. Thedeadline for all entries is July 24 at midnight. Good luck,everyone! —Walt

Protecting hydrogen taxcredits benefits La.

Louisiana has long been acornerstone of American energyleadership From our wealth of oil andnatural gas resources to our expansive pipelinenetworksand world-class ports, thePelican State has helped power the nation for over acentury

It knows ﬁrsthand that energysecurity is national security.And as global threats mount and demandfor reliable fuel and power grow,itistime we reafﬁrm that leadershipbyadvancing the next chapter of American energy independence: hydrogen.

Population policy must center women

Every year on July 11, World Population Day offers amoment to reﬂect on how demographic trends —births, deaths and migration —shape acountry’sfuture. In the mid-20th century,fears of asocalled population explosion led to coercive population control policies in manynations, including forced sterilizations that disproportionately targeted poor and minority women. Today,the conversation has ﬂipped: Rather than too manybirths, manycountries —including the United States —now fear too few. In response, somegovernments are once again turning to women’sbodies 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’smistakes —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 Ico-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 womenwho bear the brunt of policies andbarriers that limit their reproductive choices. These constraints are not just unjust —they also contribute to worse health outcomes forwomen 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 acrisis of maternal and infant health.

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

Hydrogenisnot afuturistic dream —itisatechnological solutionavailable today that is ﬂexible, domestically sourced and capable of being deployed across sectors critical to oureconomy and national defense. In fact, Louisiana’senergyintensive industries reﬁning, petrochemicals, shipping andmanufacturing —already use hydrogen in daily operations. Now,with the right policies in place, we have the chance to scale production in away that simultaneously strengthens oureconomy,reduces emissionsand cements U.S. leadership in acritical global market. This is not apartisan issue —itis a strategic imperative.

That’swhy the passage of theOne Big Beautiful BillAct, and thepreservation of the Section 45V hydrogen production taxcredit, marks asigniﬁcant milestone for American energy.Withthe credit intact, the U.S. is sending astrong, bipartisan message: We are serious about competing in the global hydrogen economy We commend Congress for recognizingthe value of this policy,and weare 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: apro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-security policy.Section 45V is neither ahandout norclimate gimmick. It is atargeted incentive designed to encourageprivate investment in American energy infrastructure —investment that keeps jobs here at home, reduces our dependence on foreign energy sources andstrengthenssupply chains in vital sectors like

agriculture, transportation and defense. Louisiana alone is seeing proposed hydrogen and ammonia projects valued in the billions. These projects are being drivenbyprivate capital, but they depend on thestability andclarity of policies likeSection 45V to move forward. The credit provides thecertainty companies need to break ground, hire workers and produce fuels for energy tradewith key allies in Europe and Asia —countries that are urgently seeking hydrogen and arecurrently looking to China and theMiddle East to meet that demand

Hydrogen is not only an opportunity for domestic supply —itisa powerful newtool for U.S. energy exports. Just as Louisiana helped pioneer America’s leadership in LNG exports, it can now serve as alaunch point for hydrogen andammonia exportstopartners across theAtlantic and Paciﬁc. This means more energy produced and shipped from the United States and more long-term energy trade surpluses that beneﬁtAmerican workers and communities.

While thepassage of this legislation is amajor win, work remains to ensure that Section 45V is implemented effectively.The credit should reward Americaninnovation and efﬁciency —not punish producersbased on theoretical

models or burdensomered 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 wherecontinued congressionalleadership matters most. The goal should be to ensure hydrogen development is botheconomically viable and environmentally sound —without overreaching bureaucracy or unrealisticmandates that stiﬂe growth. We need smart regulation, not strangulation Section 45V stands todeliver enormousbeneﬁts to Louisiana and to the nation —and now,with this legislation passed, we have thefoundation to move forward. Energy policy should be built on strength, strategy and sovereignty. Hydrogen gives us arare chance to check all three boxes. Louisianahas 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,wenow have the tools to do it

Adam PetersisCEO of AirLiquide North America. Frank Wolak is president &CEO of the Fuel Cell& Hydrogen EnergyAssociation.

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 avital lifeline in Louisiana, supporting maternal care and preventive services forchildren. Reducing birth disparities requires more than encouraging childbirth. It requires guaranteeing that womenand 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 adifferent 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’s12-month extension is astrong 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

Yettoo often, public discourse blames womenfor “not having enough babies,” rather than addressing the real barriers that makepregnancy and parenting untenable formany

As the UNFPA reminds us, fertility is not anumber to be engineered. It is amatter of agency and dignity forwomen.

Louisiana must respond not by pressuring womentobear morechildren, but by empowering them with the freedom, resources and support to maketheir own reproductive decisions. That’show we strengthen families, communities and society as awhole.

AnitaRaj is public health researcher based in NewOrleans.

Anita Raj GUEST COLUMNIST

STAFF FILEPHOTO By DAVIDJ.MITCHELL

The long,narrowsite where Air Products is planning to build ablue hydrogencomplex in Darrowsitsbetween the Impala BurnsideTerminal and the Veolia Burnsidesulfuric acid plant along the MississippiRiver just upriver of the Sunshine Bridge

NewOrleans Forecast

Scheffler dominates in British Open victory

Golfer is one step closer to career Grand Slam

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

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

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

BY ANDREW VALENTI

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

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

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.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

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

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.

Collier’s performance leads team to victory

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

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

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.

Memphis guard Parker 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

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.

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.

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

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.

WNBA ALL-STAR GAME

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DERIK HAMILTON

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

BRITISH OPEN

‘An awesome week’

BY STEVE DOUGLAS The Associated Press

Northern Ireland Scottie

PORTRUSH,

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,

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-month-

$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

$42,333 70-72-76-67—285 +1

Phil Mickelson

Justin Leonard $41,550 70-73-70-73—286 +2

Antoine Rozner $41,550 72-70-73-71—286 +2

$41,100 71-71-76-69—287 +3

Dean Burmester

R. Langasque $41,100 71-71-72-73—287 +3

$40,280 73-69-73-73—288 +4

Viktor Hovland

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

$39,400 67-76-73-74—290 +6

J. Skov Olesen

Matti Schmid $39,100 73-70-79-70—292 +8

S. Soderberg $38,900 73-70-75-77—295 +11

Texas chants.”

Schefﬂer might have won two majors this year and asserted himself as the game’s dominant

old 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 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 Got-

terup birdied the ninth. And then

Schefﬂer birdied the next hole. He played the back nine with eight

DeChambeau set for Ryder Cup return after strong rally at Portrush

BY STEVE DOUGLAS AP sportswriter

PORTRUSH,Northern Ireland Bryson

DeChambeau was among the players receiving a personal message from American Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley at Royal Portrush this week.

“He put something in our lockers that was pretty inspirational,”

DeChambeau said Sunday

“It meant a lot.”

Helped by a strong comeback at the British Open, DeChambeau appears to be headed for a return to the U.S. team for the matches against Europe at Bethpage Black in September

player Yet, for many, 2025 still belongs to McIlroy after his dramatic win at the Masters in April to complete the career 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-ofbounds, 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.

He got up-and-down for birdie at the par-5 second hole but couldn’t make a fast enough start. A bogey at No. 4, after missing the green with his approach, was a mistake he couldn’t afford and he suddenly was eight shots adrift of Schefﬂer, who played as steady as ever A double at No. 10 ended his hopes.

McIlroy couldn’t reproduce his Saturday charge but at least played all four days this time.

“I tried as best as I could to keep my emotions in check, especially walking up the last there and that reception,” McIlroy said.

“It’s just been incredible to come back here and to play and at least feel like I had a chance today going out there. Just an awesome week.”

He looked to be on his way home after shooting 7-over 78 in the first round Thursday, only to dig deep and bounce back with 65-68-64 finish. He was in a tie for 10th place, following up a tie for fifth at the Masters and tied second at the PGA Championship.

DeChambeau has seven top-10 ﬁnishes in his last 13 appearances in the majors, including a win at the U.S. Open last year

DeChambeau solidiﬁed the No. 5 spot in the points standings for U.S. Ryder Cup qualifying. The top six qualify automatically to the team and Bradley also has six picks.

Because he plays on the LIV Golf circuit, DeChambeau cannot gain any more points before the qualifying period ﬁnishes after four more tournaments.

One way or the other, DeChambeau ﬁgures to be at Bethpage for his third Ryder Cup.

“I hope I can bring a lot of energy and a tsunami of a crowd that’s going to be rooting for Team USA,” said the 31-year-old DeChambeau, whose popular YouTube channel adds to his status as one of the world’s most famous golfers.

The U.S. team will be looking to win back the cup from Europe after a loss in Italy in 2023, when DeChambeau didn’t play

“This year’s no joke,” he said “We’re tired of it. We’re tired of losing.” DeChambeau was proud of the way he recovered from his poor round on Thursday at Portrush, helped in part by the better-thanforecast conditions at the links course off the North Atlantic.

“I always told you guys I like it when it’s fair conditions. I can play well,” said the player nicknamed “The Scientist.” “I still have to crack the code when it’s raining and windy But I feel like we’re getting close to some opportunities and solutions for that.

“It just takes a long time to develop stuff. I’m starting to learn.”

Garcia’s rage

Sergio Garcia played his last 16

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 leader-

holes at the British Open without a driver after snapping it in a rage after a bad drive.

Garcia slammed his driver onto the ground after hooking his tee shot on No 2. It split in two and he threw the half containing the club head toward his golf bag.

“I’ve done that 50 times, and I’ve never broken a club,” he said. “The shaft just snapped in half and I was surprised.” Garcia went on to make birdie at the second hole and had four more in a 68 to ﬁnish 3 under for the tournament.

Lowry’s grandstand finish

Shane Lowry stood over his ball beside the green at No. 18 and thought of Justin Rose 27 years ago.

Lowry said it would have felt “pretty cool” to hole out at the 72nd hole to cap the Irishman’s homecoming at Royal Portrush, just like Rose famously did as an amateur at Royal Birkdale in England in 1998.

The ball rolled toward the hole, struck the ﬂagstick and stayed out. Lowry signed for a closing 5-under 66 but there would be no second claret jug for him at Portrush, after 2019. Who knows, the next time the island of Ireland stages a British Open it might be at Portmarnock a course 30 minutes from Lowry’s house. The R&A has started a feasibility study regarding whether the seaside links north of Dublin can be added to the 10-venue rotation.

“I’d be able to stay at home and play in an Open,” Lowry said “It’s one of the best golf courses in the world. I think it’s good enough to host an Open, and hopefully it will soon.”

board, 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.”

AP PHOTO By MIKE EGERTON Bryson DeChambeau waves to fans on the 18th green during the final round of the British Open on Sunday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JON SUPER Rory McIlroy plays out of the rough on the 17th

nal round of the British Open on Sunday at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.

NFLPLAYER RANKINGS

in Cleveland.

FOUR YEARSINTHE MAKING

Garrett’s14sacks in four straightseasons earnshim topedgerusher

BY ROBMAADDI

AP pro football writer

Myles Garrett is afour-time All-Pro, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of theYearand theonly player to register14sacks in four straight seasons His dominant stretch earned him the No. 1edge rusher spot Thursday in apreseason survey by The Associated Press. Apanel of eight AP Pro FootballWriters rankedthe top five players at the position, basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season. First-place voteswere worth 10 points. Secondthrough fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2and 1points. Garrett received five first-place votes, two seconds and one third. Trey Hendrickson got two firstplace votes and Micah Parsons received theother.T.J. Watt finished second overall, onepoint

ahead of Parsons. Hendrickson came in fourth and Nick Bosa ﬁnishedﬁfth.

Nik Bonitto, Aidan Hutchinson, Kyle VanNoy andMaxxCrosby also received votes.

1. MYLESGARRETT,Browns

Garrett has been adominant presence for Cleveland’sdefense over his first eight seasons. He became the youngest player in NFL historytoreach 100sacks last season when he finished with 14. Garrett finished third in voting for Defensive Player of theYear, earned hisfourthAll-Prospotand sixth Pro Bowl trip.

TheBrowns made him the highest-paid edgerusher in NFL history,giving him a$160 million, four-year deal

2. T.J. WATT,Steelers Watt, the 2021 NFL Defensive

Five ﬁrst placevotes make Surtaintop CB

BY ROBMAADDI AP pro football writer

Patrick Surtain II became only theseventh cornerback to win the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, doing so last season. His shutdown season al so helped him earn thetop cornerback spot in voting by apanel of eight AP Pro Football Writers who rankedthe top five players at theposition,basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifthplacevotes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1points. Surtain received fivefirstplace votes and three seconds. Sauce Gardner got two firstplace votes, finishing second. Cooper DeJean gotthe other first-place vote, appearing on only one of eight ballots. Derek Stingley Jr.finished third, TrentMcDuffie was fourth and DeJean placed fifth. Jaylon Johnson, Marlon Humphrey,Charvarius Ward and DJ Reed also received votes.

1. PATRICKSURTAIN II,Broncos

Surtain had an outstanding season,allowing just 37 receptions and recording four interceptions to earn All-Pro honors. Opposing quarterbackshad a 61.1 passer rating when targeting Surtain, who became justthe second Broncos player to win the AP Defensive Player of the Year award. He receivedthree secondplace votes along with the ﬁve ﬁrsts.

2. SAUCEGARDNER,Jets

After earning All-Pro honors his ﬁrst two seasons in the NFL,

Gardner had a down year by his standards. Still, he appeared on seven ballots to finish behind Surtain.

Gardner has forced aleaguehigh 46incompletions andallowed aleague-low0.60yards per cover snap since his rookie season.

3. DEREKSTINGLEYJR.,Texans

Stingley was aﬁrst-time AllPro last season, emerging as one of the NFL’sbest cover cornerbacks.

Selected one spot ahead of Gardner at No. 3overall in the 2022 draft, Stingleyhad abreakout season lastyear

He hadﬁve interceptions and gave up 40 catches for 382 yards and four TDs. Stingleygot three secondplace votes and ﬁve fourths.

4. TRENTMCDUFFIE, Chiefs

McDufﬁe earned All-Pro honors as aslot cornerback in 2023 andwas second-team All-Pro after moving back outside last season. While the Chiefs don’tuse McDuffie to shadow opposing receivers, he is anelite cover guy

McDufﬁe allowed 54 catches for545 yardsand four TDs in 2024.

He receivedone second-place vote, two thirds, onefourth and four ﬁfth.

5. COOPER DEJEAN,Eagles

DeJean’sﬁrst career interception was apick-6 against Patrick Mahomesinthe Super Bowl, helping the Eagles dominate the Chiefs in a40-22 victory

Asecond-roundpickin2024, DeJean was asuper slot cornerback for Philadelphia. He didn’tallow aTDon97targets.

Player of theYear,was named to hisseventh Pro Bowl after registering 111/2 sacks, aleagueleading six forced fumbles, 27 quarterbackhits and19tackles for loss.

He was asecond-team All-Pro aftermaking first team four times. Watt received four secondplace votes, three thirdsand one ﬁfth.

3. MICAHPARSONS,Cowboys

Despitemissing four games, Parsons had 12 sacksin13games andearned his fourth straight Pro Bowl trip.

Thetwo-time All-Prohas been one of the most dynamic pass rushers in theNFL since the Cowboysselected him 12th overall in 2021. Parsonshas at least 12 sacksineach season He’sdue to getanew contract that will likely surpass Garrett’s. Parsons receivedtwo second-

place votes, one third andthree fourths to go with the one ﬁrst.

4. T. HENDRICKSON, Bengals

Trey Hendrickson led the NFL with 171/2 sackslast season after registering 171/2 in 2023. He was afirst-team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year Hendrickson hassought a newcontract from theBengals throughout the offseason. He got one third-place vote, two fourths and onefifth to go with two firsts.

5. NICK BOSA,49ers

Bosa had nine sacks in 14 games lastseason, earning his ﬁfth Pro Bowl appearance The 2022 NFLDefensive Player of the Year has 531/2 sacksoverthe past four seasons. He received onethird-place vote, one fourth andtwo ﬁfths.

Raven’sjackofall trades earnsNo. 1safetyspot

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer

Kyle Hamilton hasquickly proved that he can be ajack of all trades on Baltimore’sstellar defense, thriving in theslot, thebox or as adeep safety Butitwas the decision to move Hamilton to free safety midway through last season that helped eliminate the big plays and boost theRavens’ defense.

Hamilton’stalentand versatility helpedhim earnthe honor of beingvoted the topsafety in the league by TheAssociated Press.

Apanel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked thetop ﬁve players at safety,basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season.

First-placevotes were worth 10 points.Second- through fifthplace votes were worth5,3,2 and 1points. Hamilton gotfive first placevotes, onesecondand onethird to claimthe top spot.Detroit’s Kerby Joseph got theother three first-place votes and finished second. Green Bay’sXavier McKinney, Detroit’sBrian Branch and Derwin James of the LosAngeles Chargers rounded out the top five. Atlanta’sJessie Bates, Tampa Bay’sAntoine Winfield Jr., Miami’s MinkahFitzpatrick,Denver’sBrandon Jones,Arizona’s Budda Baker and Houston’sC.J. Gardner-Johnson alsoreceived votes.

1. KYLE HAMILTON,Ravens

Hamilton has been themost importantpiece on Baltimore’sdefense thanksinlarge part to his versatility. He has the ability to stop the run, excelagainst thepassand rush the quarterback and was

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer

Whether it’s stopping therun game, dropping into pass coverage or even rushing the quarterback, Fred Warner thrives for the San Francisco 49ers.

Warner’sstrong all-around play forSan Franciscohelpedhim win the honorofbeing voted the top offball linebacker in the league by The Associated Press. Apanel of eight AP ProFootball Writers ranked the topﬁve playersat off-balllinebacker, basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season.

First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through ﬁfthplace votes were worth 5, 3, 2and 1points.

Warner got seven of the eight first-place votes to go with one second to winthe voting easily.Three other players were selected on alleight ballots, with Baltimore’s Roquan Smith getting the other first-place vote to come in second, Philadelphia’sZack Baun finishing third andWashington’sBobby Wagner coming in fourth. Indianapolis’Zaire Franklin rounded out the top five. New Orleans’ Demario Davis, Denver’sDre Greenlaw,Minnesota’sBlake Cashman andPittsburgh’sPatrick Queenalsoreceived votes.

1. FRED WARNER,49ers

Despite playing most of last season with abroken bone in his ankle, Warner still performed at ahigh level and earned his third straight andfourthoverall ﬁrstteam All-Pro honor Warner had131 tackles, five tackles forloss, two interceptions, seven passes defensed and four forced fumbleslastseason.Warner has 10 sacks, 10 interceptions, 15 forced fumbles, sixfumblerecoveries, 36 tackles forloss and 53 passes defensed in his ﬁrst seven seasons.

He is one of three active players with at least 10 sacks, interceptions and forced fumbles, along with Minnesota safety Harrison Smith and TampaBay linebacker Lavonte David.

2. ROQUAN SMITH, Ravens

voted aﬁrst-team All-Pro in 2023 and second-teamer last season. Hamilton played the majority of his snaps starting in Week 11 last season as afree safety and theRavens wentfrom allowing 4.7 pass plays of at least 20 yards per gameto1.6 after the switch.

2. KERBYJOSEPH, Lions Joseph emerged as abig-time playmaker in his third season, leading the NFLwith nine interceptions to earn ﬁrst-team All-Pro honors. His 17 career interceptions are themostfor any safety in his ﬁrst three seasons since Hall of Famer Ed Reed had 21.

3. XAVIER MCKINNEY,Packers

McKinneymadeamajor impact on Green Bay’s defense in his ﬁrst season after signing with thePackers as afree agent. He was at his best in pass coverage as adeep safety McKinney hadeight interceptions last season andalloweda 56.4 passer rating whentargeted in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus.

4. BRIANBRANCH, Lions Branch has becomeanimmediate impact player on Detroit’sdefense since being drafted in the second roundin2023. He led allsafeties with 16 passes defensedlastseasonand was tiedfor third with eight tackles for loss as he performed at ahigh levelboth in therun andpass game.

5. DERWIN JAMES, Chargers

James bounced back from a down 2023 season to earn second-team All-Pro honors in his ﬁrst season in coordinator Jesse Minter’sdefense. James is oneofthe most versatile safeties, getting extensive time working in the slot, as abox safety,adeep safety and even as apass rusher,where he had the second-most pressuresofany safetylast season.

The midseason trade in 2022 that sent Smith from Chicago to Baltimore helped liftthe Ravens’ defense by solidifying the middle of the ﬁeld.

In 41 games with Baltimore, Smith has398 tackles, ﬁve sacks, three interceptions and 15 passes defensed as he has earned firstteam All-Pro honors the past three seasons.

3. ZACK BAUN,Eagles

After struggling to get on the ﬁeld on defense as an edge rusher his ﬁrst four seasons in New Orleans, Baun was arevelationat linebacker in his first year with the Eagles. He had 151 tackles, 31/2 sacks and one interception in the regular season and also had apick against Patrick Mahomes in the Eagles’ Super Bowlwin.

Baun earnedAll-Pro honors, ﬁnished ﬁfth in voting forthe AP Defensive Playerofthe Year award andcashedinwitha three-year, $51 million deal in the offseason.

4. BOBBYWAGNER, Commanders

Coach Dan Quinn brought his former linebacker from Seattle to Washington in hisﬁrst season as coach of the Commanders forveteran leadership. Wagner,who turned 35 last month, showed he can still perform at ahigh level.

Wagner had his 13th straight season with at least 100tackles and earned his fifth second-team All-Pro selection to go along with six first-team picks. Only Reggie White(13)and Jim Otto (12) have been picked as a first or second-team All-Pro more than Wagner

5. ZAIREFRANKLIN, Colts

Franklin led the NFL with 173 tackles last season, becoming the second player since at least 2000 with three straight seasons with at least 165 tackles.

His 518 tacklesinthreeseasons since becoming afull-timestarter in 2022 arethe most in the NFL in that span.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By KIRK IRWIN Cleveland Browns defensiveend Myles Garrett runs offofthe line of scrimmageagainst the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 29

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By TERRANCE WILLIAMS PittsburghSteelers linebacker T.J. Watt in action during agame against the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 11 in Baltimore.

Warner

Hamilton

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 ring with him,” Barrios said.

“This is by far the biggest event I’ve had to date, and we came in

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 heading into the third round.

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 go-

here and left everything in the ring. I have nothing but respect for Manny

“His stamina is crazy He’s still strong as hell and his timing is real He’s still a very

awkward ﬁghter to try to ﬁgure out.”

Pacman (62-9-2) moved swiftly around the ring from the beginning, often looking more like the younger champion who captured

12 world titles in eight divisions.

He began to be take control in the seventh, lantding several big left hands to win the following three rounds on two cards and two on the other

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.

ing 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.

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

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 Judice has now won two matches in a row as she looks to steadily climb the division rankings.

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

But Barrios was the better fighter at the end, coming out more aggressive knowing he 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 comain 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, who was accepted into Harvard and then won the rematch with Tszyu. The ﬁrst ﬁght on March 30, 2024 was much closer, with Fundora emerging with a split-decision victory The Coachella, California, resident also had been the WBO champion, but that organization stripped him of his belt for not fighting mandatory challenger Xander Zayas.

take them to the big game.

Continued from page 1C

three-peat in Super Bowl history

Training camp dates

The Chargers and Lions were the ﬁrst teams to have their full roster in camp. The Cowboys and Chiefs will have theirs on Monday The rest of the league starts

Tuesday The Falcons and Steelers arrive Wednesday Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers face off against Dan Campbell’s Lions in the Hall of Fame game on July 31 in Canton, Ohio.

A pair of division rivalry games will open the season The Eagles will host Dallas to begin the regular season on Sept. 4. The Chiefs and Chargers meet in Brazil the following night.

New head coaches

Pete Carroll is back in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders after just one year out of coaching. Carroll, who turns 74 in September has a tough task building the Raiders into a playoff contender in a difﬁcult division.

Former Patriots star linebacker

Mike Vrabel takes over in New England, replacing Jerod Mayo who lasted one season after replacing Bill Belichick.

The Bears turned to former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The Jets hired former Lions DC Aaron Glenn. Kellen Moore left Philadelphia after one championship season to take over in New Orleans. Liam Cohen’s success as Tampa Bay’s OC landed him the head job in Jacksonville. Jerry Jones gave Brian Schottenheimer a chance to lead Dallas.

Teams with new quarterbacks

The Steelers are going all-in on Aaron Rodgers, hoping the 41-year-old, four-time MVP can

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.

The Raiders acquired Geno Smith, reuniting Carroll with the quarterback he chose to replace Russell Wilson in Seattle. Sam Darnold ended up with the Seahawks after a career-year in Minnesota.

Joe Flacco is back in Cleveland where he was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2023. The Browns also traded for Kenny Pickett and drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the ﬁfth.

Wilson and Jameis Winston ended up in New York, but the Giants also selected Jaxson Dart in the ﬁrst round.

Justin Fields has a third chance with the Jets.

J.J. McCarthy is the man in Minnesota after he missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury Saints rookie Tyler Slough gets an opportunity to replace Derek Carr, who retired.

The Titans have No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Quarterback competition

The Browns have to choose between Flacco, Pickett, Sanders and Gabriel. Veteran Daniel Jones is competing with Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis. Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in 2023, has been injured often and has a lingering shoulder problem.

Shough and Spencer Rattler are battling in New Orleans. Wilson, Winston and Dart should make it a tough decision for the Giants. Ward has to beat out Will Levis in Tennessee.

On the road

Six teams the Bills, Cowboys, Colts, Chiefs, Rams and Steelers — will spend their entire camp away from their facilities. Dallas, which trains in Oxnard, California, is the only team going out of state.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU gymnast Haleigh Bryant celebrates with teammates following her balance beam performance on Feb 28 at the Raising Cane’s River Center

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

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN LOCHER

Manny Pacquiao, left, fights Mario Barrios in a welterweight title match on Saturday in Las Vegas.

INTHE PIPELINE

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

Amysterious blob sits on alab table in TulaneUniversity’s Stern Hall. It’sslimy,squishy anda little biggerthan ahockey puck Chemistry professor Scott Grayson calls it hydrogel, andhis team has spentthe pastyeardevelopingthe material with a grant from theDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a research anddevelopment arm of the Defense Department created in response to the launch of Sputnik in 1957

Whatcan we do that’snovel?’ And it took us awhile to ﬁgureitout,” Grayson said.

Rare attributes

Weighing about apound and a half, theblobofhydrogeliselastic porous and swells in water like those magic, rubbery toyﬁgurines you’dleave in the bathroomsinkasa child.

The nice thing about DARPA projects, Graysonsaid, is thatresearchers completeasmany steps as possibleina fixedamount of time,soit’sfast-paced.The hydrogel is thestart of what will eventually become along-term project lasting adecadeortwo, he said. “Wewere trying to figure out, ‘what canwedothat’sinteresting?

Thehydrogel is conductive,whichopens many doors forpotentialfunctions. It can press buttons on phone screenslike a ﬁnger can, and can hold an electric current, making it possible to create abody suit with sensors. Sincethe material is nontoxic and can stretch to five timesits original size,itmight be used to fashion “superhero”suits for the military,completewith wearable body sensors. It might become a special medical tapetohelptreat burn injuries, Grayson said. The hydrogel uses atechnology that theMayas invented —rubber

“If you have rubberbands, you can stretch them at least three, four or ﬁve times, but if you do that alot of times …itsnaps,”hesaid. Grayson and his team’shydrogel is even stretchier andstronger, withadditional properties andcapabilities.

Auniquemolecular makeup

It all starts in the hydrogel’smolecular makeup.

After researchers addsubstances together,heat them andperform puriﬁcation anddialysis processes, aliquid base takes the shape of whatever container it dries overnight in, like cake batter,resulting in the hydrogel. If placed in water,the substance takes abouttwo to three days to swelltoits maximum size. To revert to the original shape, researchers can place thehydrogel in theovenat70degreesCelsius (158 F) to dry it out

Right now,the possibilities are

ä See BLOB, page 2D

We want to actually figureout …ifwetry to stretchand strain, how much we can stretchand strain.” SCOTT GRAySON,Tulane Universitychemistryprofessor

What are some brain conditions that can cause dementia?

Somecommonalities between Alzheimer’sdisease and other dementia and certain brain conditions like tumors and subdural hematomas involve memoryimpairment, difﬁculty in communication, poor concentration, personality changes, problemsperforming routine tasks, social withdrawal and disorientation.

Typically,with abrain 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 somegait and motor dysfunction. If you or aloved one is experiencing unusual cognitive changes, it is very important to ﬁrst consult aphysician and undergo testing to conﬁrm a diagnosis. Sometypes 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 lifebecause of its invasive nature. Somecommon symptomsof 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

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

There are no knownenvironmental 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 2Neuroﬁbromatosis. Another brain condition is a subdural hematoma, or SDH, which is aclot 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 becomevery large before they are ever noticed because of the lack of symptomsinthe early stages. Similar to brain tumors, symptomsofa subdural hematomainclude 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 acoma. One of the biggest risk factors for SDHs is brain atrophy linked to aminor 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 forbraintumors andSDHsvary accordinglywith theindividualand thenature of thecondition. Cognitive impairment is always acause forconcern,and it is always important to fully understandand discuss

STAFF PHOTO By MADDIE SCOTT

AgraduatestudentatTulane Universityholds abrick of hydrogel. It’sslimy and squishy, and it took ayear for researcherstodesign.

Crucialtouse sterilized waterinnasal irrigation

Dear Doctors: Whenever you talk about neti pots, you includea warning about always usingdistilled water.Itseemed 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 andgoes through testing?

Dr.Elizabeth Ko Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

Dear reader: Nasal saline rinse, or nasal irrigation, is apersonal hygiene practice using warm, sterilized water to gently clear debris from the nasalpassages. The debris can include dirt, dust, bacteria, pollen, dander or other allergens. Nasal irrigation also thins outmucus and moistensthe delicate tissues of the sinuses to ease congestion and inflammation The practice typically involves the use of asmall, spouted vessel, commonly known as aneti pot. Youfill it with asaline solution (plain water can be irritating) madewith warm, sterile water With the spoutfitted to one nostril, youlean forward and tilt your head,and water flows through the nasal passages and exits the othernostril. Then you repeat this in theother direction.It’scrucial that nasal salinerinses use either

distilled or sterilized water due to risk of infection. Youare correct that tap water in theUnited States is ﬁltered and disinfected tokill potential pathogens. However,some bacteria, viruses and other organisms can survive this process,including Naegleria fowleri. Commonly known as the “brain-eating” bacteria, Naegleria fowleri is actually an amoeba. When ingested in drinking water,Naegleria fowleri dies in stomach acid, but when it enters thebody through thenose, it can migratealong the olfactory nerve and reach the brain. Once there, the amoeba quickly begins to multiply and destroy brain tissue. This is acondition known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

Elevatorssolve anotherproblem

Dear Miss Manners: Tooof-

ten for my comfort, Ifind myself at the bottom of a staircase, escorting awoman upstairs. My instinct is to let the woman go first, but the unfortunate resultisthat when Ifollow her up the stairs, my eyes are at the level of her bottom. The situation is even more complicated if short skirts are part of the equation. The “solution” of my going up the stairs first means that the woman is then left at eye level with my buttocks (whichmywife kindly assures me is not a hardship), possibly making them uncomfortable. To avoid —oratleast minimize— any discomfort, who should proceed up the stairs first?

youwouldbeinno danger of excitingthe ladybehind you.

pleasant invitation.

Symptoms of PAMappear about ﬁvedays 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 andthe spinal cord eventually severs. This is what can lead to death. There are no effective treatments forPAM at this time.

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

GAME NIGHT

Continuedfrom page1D

from using tap water fornasal irrigation. In the recent incident you’re referring to, awoman in Texas developed afatal 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 fornasal irrigation. Youcan buy sterilized water,oryou can sterilize your own tap water by boiling it forthree to ﬁve minutes then letting it cool.

Send yourquestions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask theDoctors c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Dear Miss Manners: Ireceived an invitation to a95th birthday celebration.While it’slovely to be included at such amomentousoccasion,Iwas abit takenabackatthe wording of theinvitation

After announcing the day and time, it read that no alcohol wouldbepermitted. I understand that “Jenny” maynot wantabunch of drunks carousing onher special day.Nevertheless, Ithought the wording strange and even abit unwelcoming

Gentle reader: The correct procedure is that the lady goes up the stairs ﬁrst, and agentleman keeps his salacious thoughts to himself. Should you go ﬁrst, however,Miss Manners,unlike your wife, believesthat

The invitation also announced“No gifts,please” —again, ﬁne,because what would 95-year-old Jenny dowith them? —but after that, it said,“There will be abox for cardsand cash.”

How would Miss Manners viewsuchaninvitation?

Gentle reader: Suchanun-

There is no need to serve alcohol, but there is also no need to issueawarning, as if the guests were likely to smuggle it in. Andforbidding presentswhile puttingout acash box makes it clear that admission is being charged.

Ordinarily,Miss Manners would advise you to treat this like the fundraiser it is —that is, to accept only if you consider it acharityyou want to support.But considering Jenny’sage, someone else might have crafted this event, and the invitation, on her behalf.

Youmight want to avoid such aperson, and instead pay aseparate visit to Jenny to acknowledge her birthday

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick,1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Chewinggum decoratessidewalk

Dear Heloise: Itravel through Texas alot with my husband. Inotice most convenience stores we stop at while on the road have numerous pieces of chewing gum glued to the pavement outside the store. So, my hint is very simple: Every piece of gum comes in awrapper, and since all men’s clothing has pockets and women tend to carry purses, you can keep the wrapper into your pocket or purse. Then you can later wrap the chewed gum into the stored wrapper and

drop it into awastecan

Trevor Noah,Lin-Manuel Miranda, JohnLegend,and Chrissy Teigen, among others. The parties balance highandlowbrow fun. Themost recent game night Rong, 28, planned was just before the Met Gala, and thedress code calledfor sweat suits. And lastJuly, Brunsonand Questlove teamed up to hostone in LosAngeles withanice cream truck, Scrabble, and a “GameofThrones”-themed version of Monopoly

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

They’vealsoalwaysbeen Rong’s, whogrewupin California beforemoving to NewYorkCitytoattend New York University. After working as an executive assistantatGaryVaynerchuck’sVaynerMedia and Complex, Questlove hired Rongin2022 to help him juggle his various creative projects.

Outsideofwork, she plays Catan withher friends, obsesses over gaming tables, andhas acloset shelfdedicated just to tabletop games. No-phonespolicy

Agood game night should feel likeachoose-your-ownadventure book

thebestwildlife preserve), but acknowledges that most peopleprefer something you can winquickly

“Not everyonehas thepatience to sit through Catan andpickitup,” Rong said “Somepeople prefer something snappier and faster that can take,like, twominutes around.”

Rongrecommendsoffering amix of games. Recent hits at her and Questlove’s parties have been Tetris-adjacent puzzle game Blokus and Uno, which Questlove told HotOneshostSean Evansheuses as a“personality tester”for game night newbies.

being acelebrity

Finger foods, partyfavors

By The Associated Press

Hints from Heloise

Just an asidefor humor: I’ve imagined our country with alargeDNA base of every citizen.If such athing existed,I’d lovetoinvent away to shadow a spot of gumwith my imaginary invention andpullup the owner of each piece. I’d then send each perpetrator a ﬁne of $200 or give them achance to clean up their very own spot of gum Imust saythe accumulation of gum onpavement began to really botherme when Iwas on awalker

for several months. Ihad to constantly look where I was walking. Not littering is just being agood citizen. —Katherine H., in San Antonio Katherine, Ihave to agree thatthrowing gum on the ground is abad habit.One other problem withgum on our streetsand grass is that birds can mistake it for food and won’tbeable to digest it. It can easily kill themin time.So, readers, please dispose of gum, chewing tobacco, wrappers and cigarettes in the trash and not on the ground. —Heloise Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

docking with thecommand module.

Today is Monday,July 21, the 202nd day of 2025

Thereare 163 days left in the year

TodayinHistory

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’sTheory of Evolution. (The conviction was later overturned.)

Also on this date: In 1861, during the Civil War, the ﬁrst BattleofBull Run was fought at Manassas, Virginia, resulting in a Confederate victory.

In 1944, American forces landed on Guam during World WarII, capturing it from the Japanesesome 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

In 1970, construction of theAswan High Dam in Egypt was completed. In 1972, theIrish Republican Army carried out 22 bombingsinBelfast, Northern Ireland, killing nine peopleand injuring 130 in what became known as “BloodyFriday.” In 2002, Ernie Els won the British Open in the ﬁrst sudden-deathﬁnish in the142-year history of the tournament. In 2008, former BosnianSerbleader RadovanKaradzic, one of the world’stop war crimes fugitives, was arrested in aBelgradesuburb by Serbiansecurity forces.(He was sentenced by aU.N. court in 2019 to life imprisonmentafter beingconvicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.)

In 2011, the 30-year-old space shuttle program ended as Atlantis landed at CapeCanaveral, Florida, after the135th shuttle ﬂight In 2012, Erden Eruc becamethe ﬁrst person to

complete asolo, 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’sBirthdays: Singer Yusuf Islam (alsoknown as Cat Stevens) is 77. CartoonistGarry Trudeau is 77. Author Michael Connelly is 69. Comedian Jon Lovitz is 68. Retired soccer player Brandi Chastain is 57. Rock-soul singer Michael Fitzpatrick (Fitz and the Tantrums) is 55. Actor/singer Charlotte Gainsbourg is 54. Actor Justin Barthais47. Actor Josh Hartnett is 47. Reggae singer Damian Marley is 47. Basketball Hall of Famer TamikaCatchings is 46. Former MLB AllStar pitcher CC Sabathia is 45. Singer Blake Lewis (“American Idol”) is 44. Latin singer Romeo Santos is 44. Actor Betty Gilpin is 39. Actor Juno Temple is 36. Actor RoryCulkin is 36.

Admittedly the game nightsRong plans for Questloveare more curated than casual with astrict no-phones policy and an onsite photographer.Previous swag bags have included upscale dice, silk pillowcases, and custom Uno boosters.

None of those, said Rong are required for agood time, but there are still some guidelines for taking game night from adud to aslam dunk.

“Sitting at atable and starting with the sameset of ruleskindofequalizes everyone. There’snoego,” said Rong. “I thinkof(game nights) as away to be intentional aboutsetting aside time for fun.”

Looking to level up your game nights?Here are Rong’sfour tips for planning agame night so good a celebrity might show up.

Gamesgalore

Agood game night should feel like achoose-your-ownadventure book, according to Rong.

Rong prefers long-form gameslikeCatan andWingspan (a cozy-yet-competitive strategy card game where you collect birds to build

BLOB

Continuedfrom page1D

endless, andresearchers are still ﬁguring outthe hydrogel’sfull capabilities.

“Wewant to actually ﬁgure out …ifwetry to stretch and strain, how much we can stretchand strain,”Grayson said.

Oneofmanylab projects

Studentswork on multiple projects everyday in the lab, andthe hydrogel is just oneofthem. Theelement of surprise brings graduate student Amman Nadeem back to thelab.

“Thatwas an exciting thing —thatifIset up areaction tonight, thenI’m goingtocome in tomorrow to

Another unexpected game nighthit:Speak Out, which asks teams to guess what words or phrases players are saying through amouthpiece and is afavorite of game night regular Chrissy Teigen. Howmanyguests?

What comes first: The chicken or the egg, or —er —the games or the guest list?

ForRong, the games in circulation determine how many people she invites since some —like Catan or mahjong—require aspecific amount of players or extraspace. Andwhile some people like to spectate, game night hosts should not go in with the expectation that people will be OK sitting out.

The point, after all, is to play.

“The number of people does matter,” Rong said. Rongalsorecommends circulating YouTube tutorialsoflesser-known games ahead of time to level the playing field. It goes without saying that board game haters— and sore losers don’tmake the cut.

“Beyond personalities, a love of gaming is the first prerequisite”for being invited to her and Questlove’s game nights, said Rong, not

see if it worked,ifitdidn’t work,” Nadeem said. Nadeem andother researchersare fully optimizing thehydrogel recipe, a process that takes time. She learned how important the ratios are when concocting thegel because if theratio of an ingredient is off, the productmight notbeagel, or it mightnot be stretchy enough, she said.

Now that theﬁrst year of research has elapsed and the team no longer must submit monthly reports to DARPA, the hydrogel will soon head to the University of Southern Mississippi, which has alab dedicated to polymer research.

Email MaddieScott at madison.scott@ theadvocate.com

For the game nights she plans, Rong enjoysamix of novelty and self-serve foods, like pizza cupcakes from WholeFoods, icecream,and cereal bars. At Questlove’s mostrecentgame night, Rong tapped Bronx-born culinary team Ghetto Gastro to create aspecial menu of takeout-style ﬁnger foods, including oxtail patty burgers, friedchickentopped with caviar,and matchaswirled Swiss rolls. Rong’s personal game nights are amore “casual” affair sans swag bags, but shedoesrelish curatingthe party favors forQuestlove’s gatherings. The best goodies, she explained, elevate the gaming experience. Once, Rong said, she commissioned acustom +25 Uno card themed after her boss forguests.

Competitionrules

ThoughRong describes herself as “in the middle” on thecasual-competitive spectrum, she said that some trash talk and low-stakes rivalry can be agood thing. Actually,Rongsaid, competition is part of what makes her and Questlove’s gamenights so fun. Reading-born Swift, for example, is aknown Uno hustler who Questlove said takes the card game “to levels of excitement thatI didn’tknowone could do.” Rong said comedianTrevor Noah is similar,while actress Stephanie Hsu runs the mahjong table. “She wins like basically every game.” “Itgetstiringtogoto onePRevent after another this is just like ahobby club,” Rong said. “There’sa huge competitive streak in the room.There’strash talk, there’s spectators. Everyone lets their guard down.”

CONDITIONS

Continued from page1D

withyourfamily physician which conditioniscausing thesymptoms, as dementiaorAlzheimer’sare not always thesource.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’sadvocate and authorof“What My Grandchildren

Taught Me About Alzheimer’sDisease.” She hosts “TheMemory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

STAFFFILE

PHOTOByLESLIE WESTBROOK

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Simplify your life. Keep information to yourself and concentrate on personal andprofessionalgain.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 whenitcomes to your lifestyleand concerns. Strive forwhat servesyou best.

VIRGO(Aug.23-Sept. 22) Carefully delegate your time and effort. Common sense andgood mannerswillhelp 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, temptationand hope will lead to mixed emotions. When in doubt, ask an expert. Don't take on unnecessary debt, responsibilitiesorsomeone else's drama. Pay attention to howyou look and feel.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Revise your plans to meet your demands.Trying to accommodatetoo many people will lead to disappointment.Mix business with pleasure and makethe most of your day.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Putmore effort into combining functionalityand comfort. Awell-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 keepyou 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 getthings done andenjoythe outcome. Focus on home, personal gains and worthwhile partnerships. Self-improvement, networking and heart-to-heart talks arefeatured.

PISCES(Feb. 20-March 20) Explore people, places and pastimes that pique your interest. Attend events that offer insight into how otherslive. Put your energy behind your plans,and it will positively impact your perspective.

ARIES(March21-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 yougain perspective and reduce the likelihood of getting into ano-win situation. Stubbornness gets younowhere; find thepath thatleadsto new beginnings and abetter 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. Putyour energy to good use. Keeping busywill ward off interference.

Cipher cryptograms are created fromquotationsbyfamous people, past and present. Each letter in thecipherstands foranother

VEQUALS

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of thesudoku increases from monday to sunday

Saturday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

When you are in atrump contract, perhaps your first question is: “Howquickly should Idraw trumps?”

There is no simple answer, but the basicguidelineisthatthe more trumps youhave,thequickeryoushouldremove the opponents’, especially when you can do it without losing thelead.

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 twicebefore leading a trump. In today’s deal, how should Southplan the play in four spades after Westleads the club king?

Declarer looksathis 13 cards, takes dummy’shigh cards into account, and counts his losers. Here, he has five: two hearts, twodiamonds andone club. The minor-suit losersare unavoidable, so South must ruff his twoheart losers on the board.

However, suppose declarer wins with hisclubace,cashesthespadeaceandtop hearts, thenruffs aheart on the board. What happens next?

South cannot get back to his hand. And when he plays, say, aclub, Westwill win and surely return atrump, killing the second ruff. Instead, declarershould immediately take his top hearts, ruff a heartwithdummy’s spade eight (so the mean and nasty Eastcannot overruff), play aspade to hishand, andruff his last heart with the spade king. Then 10 tricks roll in.

wuzzles

Yes, South could alsoduckthe first trick,allowing him to ruff aclub in his hand. This week we will look at various trump-suittechniques.

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”

as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3.

or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper

or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAY’sWoRD DEMAGoGY: DEM-uh-gah-jee: Using people’s prejudices and emotions togain power.

Average mark 12 words

Time limit 20 minutes

Canyou find 17 or more words in DEMAGOGY?

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letterword from the letters in each row.add points of each word, using scoring directions at right.Finally 7-letterwords get 50-point bonus. “Blanks”used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5thEdition.

kenken

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) withoutrepeating. 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes called cages must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages withthe number in the top-left corner.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer