The Times-Picayune 07-22-2025

Prices rising on insurancemaketplace

Rule changesaffecting Affordable Care Actcost, availability

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Longbefore therecently enacted changes in theOne Big Beautiful Bill Act will be felt by the 1.86 millionLouisianans on Medicaid, the new law likely will start pushing many Affordable Care Act beneficiaries off their private insurance, experts say Myriad rule changes will even-

tually starttouching many of the 785,000 Louisiana residents who enrolled in Medicaid as part of the expansion of thelaw dubbed “Obamacare.”

Insurers have filed for rate increases —ata median monthly cost of 15% more —for plans sold on theHealthCare.gov website, according to aFriday analysis by KFF,aSan Francisco-based health policy research organization.

Akey part of the Affordable Care Actgives subsidies to buy insurance to people who make too

More immediately,however, 292,994 self-employed or lowerincome Louisiana workers who acquired theirinsuranceanother way,through an AffordableCare Act marketplace, will have to pay dramatically higher prices when they start applying Nov.1for their coverage next year

much money to qualifyfor Medicaidbut financially struggle to buy privatepolicies on their own. Generally,that’sdefinedasahousehold of four making between $48,226 and$66,625 annually but under some conditions up to $128,600.

The state’smedian household income is $60,023, about $20,000 below the national figure.

The enhanced tax creditsare scaled to income levels depend-

N.O. officialsblindsidedby Cantrell sanitation contract

Square on Monday

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

Three senior city officials said Mayor LaToya Cantrell agreed this monthtokeep IV Waste working on its emergency sanitation contract in the French Quarter and Downtown Development District through the end of the year,and thenblindsided them by tapping Henry Consulting for that job instead.

At aCity Council committee meeting Monday,officials detailed their private back-and-forth with Cantrell over asanitation contract dispute thathas madena-

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

Tyrell Morris, the indicted formerhead of New Orleans’911 communications center,was disqualified from his nascentmayoral campaign on Monday,along witha host of other hopefuls for city office whose claims about filing their taxes were challenged in court.

tional headlines, spurred television ads and spawnedpro-IV Wastesigns all over theFrench Quarter

Chief AdministrativeOfficer Gilbert Montaño, Deputy Chief Administrative

Officer Joe Threat andSanitation Director Matt Torri said they expressed serious doubts aboutHenry Consulting’s readiness forthe job in ameeting with Cantrell on July 8, and the mayor agreed to rescind hertermination of IV Waste. Aletter to IV Waste had already been drafted tothateffect.

“Weleft that meeting in agreement that we would continuethatpath, that we would

issue arescission letter to IV Waste,” Torri said, speaking at aCity Council committee meetingalongside Threat and Montaño. Thenextmorning,Torri said he got atextfromthe mayor’schief of staff, Clifton Davis, instructinghim to issue a “notice to proceed” to Henry Consulting, settingoff aday filledwithconfusion as officials scrambled to figure outwhat happened. Later that afternoon,Cantrell notifiedMontañoinanemailshe had“gained the confidenceneeded to stand by the initialdecision” to terminate the IV Waste

ing on the health care insurance planbought. Just like the private insurance bought through the workplace, different plans provide various options forcoverageand thus range in price.

In Louisiana, theAffordable Care Act credits made buying insuranceeasierfor peoplewho started making too much money andlosttheir Medicaidqualification, said Stacey Roussel, deputy director of Invest in Louisiana, a

ä See PRICES, page 4A

Senate opening prompts scramble

Election to follow Bouie’smoveto SUNO chancellor

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

The news that state Sen. Joseph Bouie will become the newchancellorofSouthernUniversityof New Orleans will, no doubt, set off ascramble of candidates to run for his seat.

But thatscramble can’t begin until Senate President Cameron Henry decidesonthe electiondate, and he has alot to sort through first.

“Let’swait until everybody does what they have to do,and then we’ll figure it out,” Henry,R-Metairie, said Monday

Thefirst step, Henry said, is forBouie to decide when he’ll resign.

Bouiesaidthatwould be in eitherSeptemberorOctober.Inthe meantime, he will becomethe new SUNO chancelloronAug. 1. He said he can hold both jobs temporarily because state senator is a part-time job, and the Legislature is not in session.

Bouie,D-NewOrleans, saida major factor in his decision is how to minimize the loss of services to his 120,000 constituents in District 3while the seat is vacant.

“I don’twant to leave my constituents hanging,” Bouie said Monday About 80% of District3isinOrleans Parish, with the other 20% in St. Bernard Parish.

Thedistrict, whichincludes Gentilly and parts of New Orleans East, was drawn by legislators in

ä See SENATE, page 4A

Morris turned away aprocess server over the weekend and then failed to show up atOrleans Parish Civil District Court on Monday to defend hiscandidacyfor city’stop job. Voter Robert Collinshad challenged Morris’ candidacy,claiming Morris lied when he marked on his qualifying formthat he’d filed his state tax returns for the previousfive tax years. Judge Jennifer Medleyappointeda curator attorneyand former Jefferson

ParishCouncil member Mark Spears —tosit in for Morris beforeshe agreed that he, in fact, had not filed his state taxes since 2021. Medley also finedMorris the $750 cost for Spears’ services. “He did notfile returns at all (for those years), andyet certifiedunder oath, under penalty of perjury,that he did,” said attorney BobEllis, whorepresented Col-

lins, adiesel mechanic. Ellis’ firm ledseveral of theOrleansParish challenges. Morris, whoappeared Sunday at an online candidate forum forVoters East of the Industrial Canal, did not respond to aphone message seeking comment. He could appeal the ruling.

Bouie

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

IV Waste employees pressure wash the sidewalk in front of Jackson

Pilot made sharp turn to avoid bomber over N.D

BISMARCK,N.D The pilot of a regional airliner flying over North Dakota made an unexpected sharp turn to avoid a possible midair collision with a military B-52 bomber that was in its flight path over the weekend.

The Friday incident is detailed in a video taken by a passenger and posted to social media as Delta Flight 3788 approached the Minot International Airport for landing. In the video, the SkyWest pilot can be heard over the plane’s intercom system explaining that he made the hard bank after spotting a B-52 bomber in his flight path.

“Sorry about the aggressive maneuver It caught me by surprise,” the pilot can be heard saying on the video. “This is not normal at all. I don’t know why they didn’t give us a heads up.”

An Air Force spokesperson confirmed Monday that a B-52 bomber assigned to nearby Minot Air Force Base conducted a flyover Friday of the North Dakota State Fair, which is held in Minot The Air Force is “looking into” the incident, the spokesperson said.

3 killed in burning ferry in Indonesia; 575 saved

MANADO Indonesia Rescuers in Indonesia responding to a ferry that caught fire and killed at least three people said Monday they had rescued 575 people — far more than originally reported — and that two people were still missing.

The KM Barcelona V-A caught fire Sunday in the sea off North Sulawesi province, and initial reports said five people were dead and about 280 rescued, based on the ship’s manifest However, by Monday afternoon officials updated the death toll to three, with two missing, and said many more people were aboard than were listed, and that 575 of them were rescued.

It is common in Indonesia for the number of passengers on a boat or ferry to differ from the manifest. Such discrepancies can reflect overcrowding and complicate search and rescue efforts, said navy First Adm. Franky Pasuna Sihombing.

The KM Barcelona V-A was making its regular half-day journey between the ports of Melonguane and Manado when it caught fire about midday Sunday, Sihombing said.

Father arrested in N.Y in death of daughter

LATHAM, N.Y A man whose 9-year-old daughter was found dead in a wooded pond after he reported that she had been abducted while they were they were vacationing in upstate New York was charged Monday with murder Luciano Frattolin, 45, of Montreal is charged with murdering and concealing the corpse of his daughter, Melina Frattolin, according to New York State Police.

A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf at his arraignment Monday, according to court officials. The public defender’s office assigned to defend Frattolin did not immediately respond to phone and email requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Luciano Frattolin called 911 Saturday night and later told authorities his daughter had been abducted from a parking lot near Lake George, a resort town in the Adirondack region, authorities said. That led officials to issue an Amber Alert overnight to enlist the public’s help in finding her But authorities said there were inconsistencies in the father’s account, and that they concluded there was no evidence she had been taken.

Israeli forces push into central Gaza city

Location had been largely spared during war

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, MELANIE LIDMAN and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

DEIRAL-BALAH,Gaza Strip Israeli troops for the first time Monday pushed into areas of a central Gaza city where several aid groups are based, in what appeared to be the latest effort to carve up the Palestinian territory with military corridors.

Deir al-Balah is the only Gaza city that has not seen major ground operations or suffered widespread devastation in 21 months of war, leading to speculation that the Hamas militant group holds large numbers of hostages there. The main group representing hostages’ families said it was “shocked and alarmed” by the incursion and demanded answers from Israeli leaders Israel says the seizure of territory in Gaza is aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages, but it is a major point of contention in ongoing ceasefire talks.

The U.N food agency, meanwhile, accused Israeli forces of firing on a crowd of Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid over the weekend. The Gaza Health Ministry called it one of the deadliest attacks on aid-seekers in the war that has driven the territory to the brink of famine.

In the latest sign of international frustration, the United Kingdom, France and 23 other Western-aligned countries issued a statement saying “the war in Gaza must end now.” They harshly criticized Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid and called for the release of the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza.

Associated Press reporters heard explosions and saw smoke rising from parts of the city that were ordered evacuated on Sunday The Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said it was the first time ground troops had operated in the area

A man living in the evacuation zone, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said Israel dropped pamphlets at dawn ordering people to evacuate. Two hours later, tanks rolled into the area.

He said his 62-year-old father, who had spent the night elsewhere, fled from house to house as Israeli forces moved in and saw them flattening structures with bulldozers and tanks. Both men managed to leave the evacuation zone.

The World Health Organization said Israeli forces raided its main staff residence in Deir al-Balah, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward

the coast

“Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot and screened at gunpoint,” the U.N. health agency said in a statement It said two staff and two family members were detained, with three later released and one still being held.

The WHO said its main warehouse in the city which is in the evacuation zone was damaged by an explosion and a fire, hurting the agency’s ability to help hospitals and emergency medical teams. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military

United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric had earlier said two U.N. guesthouses in Deir al-Balah were damaged by shrapnel. He said the cause was still being investigated but that heavy Israeli airstrikes had been reported in the area. Local and international staff will continue to work there, he said.

The military declined to say if it had ordered the evacuation of aid groups based in the city, saying only that it maintains continuous contact with them and facilitates their relocation when necessary

Separately, the military announced that a 19-year-old soldier was killed and an officer was severely wounded in combat in southern Gaza.

Tens of thousands of people have sought refuge in Deir al-Balah during repeated waves of mass displacement in Gaza.

The U.N. humanitarian coordinator says 87.8% of Gaza is now under evacuation orders or inside Israeli military zones, “leaving 2.1 million civilians squeezed into a fragmented 12% of the Strip, where essential services have collapsed.”

Israel has taken over large areas of Gaza and split the territory with corridors stretching from the border to the sea as it seeks to pressure Hamas to release more hostages.

In response to the Deir al-Balah incursion, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum warned in its statement that “the people of Israel will not forgive anyone who knowingly endangered the hostages — both the living and the deceased. No one will be able to claim they didn’t know what was at stake.”

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the Oct 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war and killed around 1,200 people Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive.

Israel blames the deaths of Palestinian civilians on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas, and it accuses the group of prolonging the war because Hamas has not accepted Israel’s terms for a ceasefire.

Pentagon withdraws 700 Marines from Los Angeles

BY JAIMIE DING Associated Press

Bangladesh Air Force jet crashes into Dhaka school

Authorities say at least 25 killed

BY JULHAS ALAM Associated Press

DHAKA, Bangladesh — A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school in Dhaka, the country’s capital, shortly after takeoff on Monday afternoon, killing the pilot and 24 other people, most of whom were students, officials said.

The jet crashed and caught fire, leaving also 171 people, mostly students, injured. They were rescued from the school’s smoldering two-story building, officials said, many with burns, taken away in helicopters, ambulances, motorized rickshaws and the arms of firefighters and parents.

Initially, reports after the crash said 20 people died. Five died of their injuries overnight. Doctors said late Monday that the condition of about two dozen injured remained critical.

The Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft experienced a “technical malfunction” moments after takeoff at 1:06 p.m. local time, and the pilot attempted to divert the plane to a less populated area before crashing into the campus of Milestone School and College, according to a statement from the military

Many relatives waited overnight at a specialized burn hospital for bodies of their loved ones.

About midnight, Mohammed Abdur Rahim was looking for his cousin Afia

Akter in a hospital. “We could not find my cousin. She is missing. Doctors here have asked us to go to other hospitals,” he told The Associated Press.

Students said the school’s buildings trembled violently, followed by a big explosion that sent them running for safety A desperate scene soon unfolded at the crash site, as panicked relatives searched for loved ones. Screams filled the air at a nearby hospital.

The Milestone school is located in Dhaka’s Uttara neighborhood, about an 7 miles drive from the A.K. Khandaker air force base. The school is in a densely populated area near a metro station and numerous shops and homes.

The pilot, Flight Lt. Mohammed Toukir Islam, made “every effort to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas toward a more sparsely inhabited location,” the military said, adding that it would investigate the cause of the accident.

It is the deadliest plane crash in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory

The government announced a national day of mourning on Tuesday, with flags to fly at half-staff across the country Doctors at Uttara Adhunik Hospital said more than 60 students, many between the ages of 12 and 16, were transferred to a special hospital for burn victims. By Monday evening, rescuers continued to scour the debris, searching for bodies. A crane was being used to remove debris.

n A story Monday misstated MaryNell

LOS ANGELES The Pentagon ordered the U.S Marines to leave Los Angeles on Monday, more than a month after President Donald Trump deployed them to the city against the objections of local leaders. The 700 Marines were deployed June 9 on the fourth day of protests in downtown Los Angeles over the administration’s crackdown on immigration. Four thousand National Guard soldiers were also deployed. Their presence in the city had been limited to two locations with federal buildings in Los Angeles, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office and detention facility downtown. During their deployment outside a federal complex in west L.A., the Marines temporarily detained a man who said he was rushing to get to a Veterans Affairs appointment.

The decision to pull back the Marines comes after half of the National Guard troops were ordered to leave the city last week. The rest remain.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the military presence “sent a clear message: lawlessness will not be tolerated.

Mayor Karen Bass held a news conference Monday morning ahead of the announcement with several leaders of veteran groups who raised concerns about the deployment of military troops on domestic soil. They called for the remainder of troops to be withdrawn from Los Angeles.

“This is another win for Los Angeles but this is also a win for those serving this country in uniform,” Bass said in a statement. “Los Angeles stands with our troops, which is why we are glad they are leaving.” California Gov Gavin Newsom sued the federal government in June over the deployment of the National Guard, arguing that Trump violated the law when he activated the troops without notifying him. Newsom also asked the judge for an emergency stop to troops helping carry out immigration raids.

While a lower court ordered Trump to return control of the Guard to California, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month temporarily blocked the judge’s order

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI Smoke and flames erupt from an Israeli airstrike on Monday in Gaza City

Harvard seeks billions in funding restored at hearing

School says Trump slashed money illegally

BY MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

BOSTON — Harvard University appeared in federal court

Monday in a pivotal case in its battle with the Trump administration, as the storied institution argued the government illegally cut $2.6 billion in federal funding.

President Donald Trump’s administration has battered the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university with sanctions for months as it presses a series of demands on the Ivy League school, which it decries as a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism.

Harvard has resisted, and the lawsuit over the cuts to its research grants represents the primary challenge to the administration in a standoff that is being widely watched across higher education and beyond.

A lawyer for Harvard, Steven Lehotsky said at Monday’s hearing the case is about the government trying to control the “inner workings” of Harvard. The funding cuts, if not

Protesters gather Monday outside the Moakley Federal

Harvard University appeared to challenge

administration.

reversed, could lead to the loss of research, damaged careers and the closing of labs, he said. “It’s not about Harvard’s conduct,” he said. “It’s about the government’s conduct toward Harvard.”

The case is before U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, who is presiding over lawsuits brought by Harvard against the administration’s efforts to keep it from hosting international students. In that case, she temporarily

blocked the administration’s efforts.

At Monday’s hearing, Harvard asked her to reverse a series of funding freezes. Such a ruling, if it stands, would revive Harvard’s sprawling scientific and medical research operation and hundreds of projects that lost federal money

A lawyer for the government, Michael Velchik, said the Trump administration has authority to cancel the grants after concluding the

funding did not align with its priorities, namely Trump’s executive order combating antisemitism

He argued Harvard allowed antisemitism to flourish at the university following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamasled attacks on Israel, including protesters camped out on campus chanting antisemitic slogans as well attacks on Jewish students.

“Harvard claims the government is anti-Harvard. I reject that,” said Velchik,

a Harvard alumnus. “The government is pro-Jewish students at Harvard The government is pro-Jewish faculty at Harvard.”

Burroughs pushed back, questioning how the government could make “ad hoc” decisions to cancel grants and do so without offering evidence that any of the research is antisemitic. At one point, she called the government’s assertions “mind-boggling.”

She also argued the government had provided “no documentation, no procedure” to “suss out” whether Harvard administrators “have taken enough steps or haven’t” to combat antisemitism.

“The consequences of that in terms of constitutional law are staggering,” she said. “I don’t think you can justify a contract action based on impermissible suppression of speech. Where do I have that wrong?”

Velchik said the case comes down to the government’s choosing how best to spend billions of dollars in research funding.

Harvard’s lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of waging a retaliation campaign against the university after it rejected a series of demands from a federal antisemitism task force in April.

A second lawsuit over the cuts filed by the American Association of University Professors and its Harvard faculty chapter has been consolidated with the university’s.

The task force’s demands included sweeping changes related to campus protests, academics and admissions. For example, Harvard was told to audit the viewpoints of students and faculty and admit more students or hire new professors if the campus was found to lack diverse points of view

Harvard President Alan Garber says the university has made changes to combat antisemitism but said no government “should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”

Monday’s hearing ended without Burroughs issuing a ruling from the bench. A ruling is expected later in writing.

Several dozen alumni from Harvard joined students and faculty to decry the effort to cut the federal funds, holding up signs reading “Hands Off Harvard,” “Strong USA Needs Strong Harvard” and “Our Liberty Is Not For Sale.”

Judge gives ex-officer nearly 3 years in Breonna Taylor raid

DOJ called for no prison time

BY DYLAN LOVAN Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A federal judge on Monday sentenced a former Kentucky police officer to nearly three years in prison for using excessive force during the deadly 2020 Breonna Taylor raid, rebuffing a U.S. Department of Justice recommendation of no prison time for the defendant.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings, in sentencing Hankison, said no prison time “is not appropriate” and would minimize the jury’s verdict from November Jennings said she was “startled” there weren’t more people injured in the raid from Hankison’s blind shots.

Hankison

Brett Hankison, who fired 10 shots during the raid but didn’t hit anyone, was the only officer on the scene charged in the Black woman’s death. He is the first person sentenced to prison in the case that rocked the city of Louisville and spawned weeks of street protests over police brutality that year

She sentenced Hankison, 49, to 33 months in prison for the conviction of use of excessive force with three years of supervised probation to follow the prison term. He will not report directly to prison. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons will determine where and when he starts his sentence, Jennings said.

The judge, who presided over two of Hankison’s trials, expressed disappointment with a sentencing recommendation by federal prosecutors last week, saying the Justice Department

was treating Hankison’s actions as “an inconsequential crime” and said some of its arguments were “incongruous and inappropriate.”

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who helped Taylor’s family secure a $12 million wrongful death settlement against the city of Louisville, had called the department’s recommendation “an insult to the life of Breonna Taylor and a blatant betrayal of the jury’s decision.”

Crump was at Monday’s hearing and said he had hoped for a longer sentence but was “grateful that (Hankison) is at least going to prison and has to think for those 3 years about Breonna Taylor and that her life mattered.”

Afterward, before a crowd outside the courthouse, Crump sounded a familiar chant: “Say Her name.” The crowd yelled back: “Breonna Taylor!” And he and other members of Taylor family’s legal team issued a subse-

Trump officials lash out at N.Y. after off-duty customs officer shot

Second suspect arrested

BY PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press

NEW YORK The Trump administration lashed out Monday against New York City officials over their sanctuary policies as authorities arrested a second man living in the country illegally in connection with the shooting of an off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem called the two suspects, both from the Dominican Republic, “scum of the earth.” She said they’d accumulated lengthy criminal records in just a few years and should have never been free to commit Saturday’s robbery-gone-

By The Associated Press

BUSRA AL-HARIR, Syria Syria‘s government on Monday started evacuating Bedouin families trapped inside the southern city of Sweida, where deadly fighting between Druze militiamen and Bedouin fighters has largely stopped as a ceasefire

wrong in a Manhattan park.

Noem blamed the mayor and city council, nearly all Democrats, saying “the people that were in charge of keeping the public safe refused to do so.”

Border czar Tom Homan, meanwhile, vowed the administration would “flood the zone” with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents following the shooting.

“So sanctuary cities get exactly what they don’t want: more agents in the community,” he said alongside Noem and other officials during a news conference at CBP’s offices in Manhattan. New York and other cities have long-standing laws and policies that limit or restrict local government involvement in federal immigration matters. New York Democrats also passed a 2019 law

abolishing pretrial incarceration for most nonviolent offenses, arguing defendants are innocent until proven guilty and keeping people locked up before trial often does more harm than good.

Christhian Aybar Berroa, the alleged getaway driver, was apprehended early Monday and was expected to appear later in federal court in Manhattan, authorities said.

The alleged shooter, Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, was taken into custody Sunday after arriving at a Bronx hospital with gunshot wounds to the groin and leg. Police say Mora Nunez shot the customs officer in the face and arm before being wounded and fleeing.

The officer, who has not been identified by authorities, is recovering and is expected to survive, Noem said.

quent statement criticizing the Justice Department

“While today’s sentence is not what we had hoped for — nor does it fully reflect the severity of the harm caused — it is more than what the Department of Justice sought That in itself, is a statement,” the statement said.

Hankison’s 10 shots the night of the March 2020 botched drug raid flew through the walls of Taylor’s apartment into a neighboring apartment, narrowly missing

a neighboring family

The 26-year-old’s death, along with the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, sparked racial injustice and police brutality protests nationwide that year

But the Justice Department, under new leadership since President Donald Trump took office in January, sought no prison time for Hankison, in an abrupt about-face by federal prosecutors after the department spent years prosecuting the former detective. They sug-

gested time already served, which amounted to one day, and three years of supervised probation.

Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, said she was disappointed that the new federal prosecutors assigned to the case were not pushing for a tougher sentence On many occasions inside the courtroom Monday, lead federal prosecutor Rob Keenan agreed with Hankison’s defense attorneys on factors that would decrease Hankison’s punishment.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLES KRUPA

Courthouse in Boston, where

$2.6 billion in funding cuts by the Trump

contract, and therefore needed to sign Henry Consulting to an emergency contract, according to council member Freddie King’s public reading of the email on Monday.

“For some reason, a new contractor is hastily being thrown in everyone’s face, and we don’t know exactly why,” said King, whose District C includes the French Quarter

In a statement Monday, Cantrell’s office said the fate of French Quarter sanitation pickups are legal matters that “will ultimately be resolved by the courts.” A spokesperson did not address the mayor’s change of heart.

“The city remains committed to working with all parties to provide sanitation services to the French Quarter and DDD,” the statement said.

‘Great risk’?

Cantrell last year tried to sign Henry Consulting to a seven-year, $73 million contract awarded through a competitive solicitation, but the contract is tied up in court and can’t begin without a green light from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeal. Cantrell signed IV Waste to its current emergency contract to serve in the interim, but the mayor announced in April she would terminate the IV Waste contract early so Henry Consulting could begin the long-term contract at the end of this month — even with the litigation still pending Torri, assuming Cantrell would proceed with the long-term Henry Consulting contract despite concerns over its legality, said he asked the firm in late June to provide standard assurances it was ready to begin work by the end of July Torri said responses by the firm’s owner, Troy Henry, raised alarms

“It was clear they had not yet secured facilities, actually purchased equipment, had it in their possession or hired (employees),” Torri said. “Given that we were three weeks away from the proposed start of that contract, all of those were alarming to us and presented great risk.”

Council members also said they are flabbergasted Cantrell would replace IV Waste, which is popular in the French Quarter and working on a $6.2 million contract — $2.1 million less expensive than Henry’s while the city is dealing with a $70 million deficit.

“There is no objective rationale that can possibly be provided,” council President JP Morrell said after the meeting.

But Henry said in a text he looks forward to starting work on July 31.

“Our team is ready!” Henry said.

IV Waste owner Sidney Torres said he hopes “common sense prevails” and that Cantrell takes heed of her deputies’ recommenda-

SENATE

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2022 to elect a Black Democrat

During his 11 years in the Legislature, Bouie championed raising the minimum wage, providing equal pay for women who do the same work as men and protecting New Orleans’ noncharter public schools.

So far, one potential major candidate has publicly expressed an interest in seeking Bouie’s seat

“A lot of people are asking me to run,” said former lawmaker Jon Johnson. “I’m probably going to do it.” Johnson has loads of political experience, having spent 24 years in the state Legislature until 2004, representing portions of District 3. He then spent two years on the City Council, representing District E, before resigning and pleading

PRICES

Continued from page 1A

progressive research and advocacy group based in Baton Rouge

“It really made it so that people who are self-employed, or who work for employers that don’t offer health insurance, had an affordable option,” Roussel said Monday The subsidies have led Louisiana to its lowest uninsured population ever, she added.

“We’re concerned about what’s going to happen to low-income households when those enhanced premium tax credits go away,” she said. “People will see those premiums go up and many will make a choice that it’s unaffordable. We’re

tion to keep his company in place through the end of the year

“Take the advice of those individuals and let us finish out,” Torres said.

Court hearing set for Wednesday

The three aides noted the mayor’s about-face two days before an Orleans Civil District Court judge will hear arguments on whether to let Henry’s contract proceed after Daniel Conwill, owner of Felix’s Restaurant and Bar in the French Quarter, and French Quarter resident Marina Costopoulos sued to block its implementation, claiming it violates city policies because it was signed without a bid solicitation.

Though Judge Sidney Cates ruled against the pair’s request for a temporary restraining order to block the contract earlier this month, they have also requested a preliminary injunction that would also stop Henry from starting the work.

The mayor signed the temporary contract with Henry after she declared an emergency earlier this

guilty to siphoning Federal Emergency Management Agency grant money when he lost a 2007 state Senate race. He spent six months in prison

Johnson withdrew on Friday from the District E City Council election, which, like all New Orleans races this fall, holds the primary in October and the runoff, if needed, in November

Johnson’s decision leaves state Rep. Jason Hughes, D-New Orleans, and Cyndi Nguyen, who held the District E seat from 2018-22, as the favorites in that race.

The upcoming New Orleans election schedule complicates Henry’s decision

In an initial interview, he said he wanted elections that would minimize the cost to taxpayers.

That would point to putting Bouie’s seat on the same schedule as the October and November elections for mayor and council.

But Joel Watson, a spokesperson

concerned about what that could mean for health systems, for making progress to healthier outcomes as a state.”

People can go online to the HealthCare.gov website if they meet income qualifications and choose from a variety of plans offered by dozens companies in the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But more than 100 of those insurers have requested 10% to 20% increases for 2026, while 27% of the insurers seek premium hikes of 20% or more, says KFF Common reasons for higher rates are evident in the applications, such as higher costs for medical care, according to KFF Recent tariffs play a role too in driving up the costs of drugs, equipment and supplies. But a bigger a factor is

month, citing the July 31 expiration of IV Waste’s contract as the basis for that emergency But IV Waste’s contract was set to expire at the end of this year before Cantrell announced in April she would terminate it early Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed an amicus brief in Conwill and Costopoulos’ case on Monday, claiming Cantrell fabricated an emergency for convenience. And at the council meeting Monday, council Vice President Helena Moreno, a mayoral candidate who supports IV Waste, said the fact that Cantrell initially decided to retain IV Waste suggests the mayor “manufactured” the emergency “There really is no need for there to have ever been an emergency declaration, because you all had already handled the issue,” Moreno said, addressing Montaño, Threat and Torri.

IV Waste submits its bid

Meanwhile, the French Quarter Management District, a state-created public agency is preparing to

for the Secretary of State’s Office, said following that schedule would be “tricky” because the qualifying period for the October primary has already taken place.

Another option could be to hold the primary for Bouie’s seat during the city’s November runoff. That would require Henry to call a special election for a December runoff.

But Henry said another factor complicates his decision: He might want to hold the election late enough for the musical chairs that could take place following the council races.

Besides Hughes, two other state representatives are running for the council: Matt Willard and Delisha Boyd, for the council at-large seat held by mayoral candidate Helena Moreno. (Willard is the only state representative who lives in Bouie’s district.)

Henry said he might want to hold the election for Bouie’s District 3

the Dec. 31 expiration of Biden-era tax credits and subsidies that will drive up out-of-pocket premium payments, KFF states.

Unless Congress renews the provision, even families with lower incomes will have to start paying premiums, about $800 per year for some plans, according to KFF

“We know that the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits help make marketplace coverage more affordable for individuals and families ineligible for Medicaid,” said U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, DNew Orleans “It’s essential that we continue to both strengthen Medicaid and extend the ACA premium tax credits. As a result of Republican’s Big Ugly Law, Louisianians who rely on these programs will die.” Senate Majority Leader John

hire IV Waste to its own contract, assuming IV Waste doesn’t continue working on its current contract by court order or Cantrell’s relenting State lawmakers recently authorized the district to hire its own sanitation contractor when the city doesn’t have a valid contract in place.

The district’s chair, Jane Cooper, said Monday that IV Waste was the only company to submit a bid for the work and that the board would vote on the contract July 28. She declined comment when asked if the contract would proceed if Henry Consulting is actively working on its emergency contract.

The signed Henry Consulting emergency contract is dated July 9, but council members on Monday questioned whether the contract was actually signed on that date. They pointed to emails with drafts of the contract exchanged between city officials and Henry Consulting’s lawyers late in the evening on July 9, as well as a break in the printed line with the date that council President JP Morrell said

race concurrently with the races to replace any of the three state representatives who win council races. Under this scenario, the primary might be in December, and the runoff would be in January

Henry said he would want the new senator to be seated before the Legislature convenes for its next regular session on March 9.

Amid the political uncertainty, one thing is clear: Bouie is thrilled to return to SUNO. After graduating from there, he spent 39 years at the university as a professor and administrator He was the chancellor there from 2000-02, when the Southern University board dismissed him amid allegations of “financial irregularities, gender discrimination and sexually explicit emails,” according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education, an online publication. Bouie said then he was fired because he had made the tough

Thune, R-South Dakota, acknowledged that some Republicans are talking about whether to extend the expiration.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Baton Rouge Republican who chairs the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, said Monday in a statement: “I am committed to making our health system pro-patient. This includes holding insurance companies responsible as we work to make health care more affordable and accessible.” The National Academy of State Health Policy a Washington-based research group that provides technical assistance, wrote in a recent analysis that expiration of the tax credit enhancements could result in 8 million individuals losing their health care coverage.

looked like whiteout.

The signing date matters, they said, because the council rescinded the emergency declaration on July 10. Henry Consulting’s owner, Troy Henry, has said the $8.3 million contract is valid because it was signed while the emergency declaration was in effect.

Council members also said the Henry Consulting emergency contract is invalid because there is no signed performance bond, which is a guarantee by a financial institution to reimburse the city for any losses related to contractor nonperformance. Torri, the sanitation director, said his department had not received a signed bond for the Henry Consulting emergency contract, adding that having a bond in place prior to work starting is standard practice.

Henry’s lawyer, Daniel Davillier, said a performance bond for Henry Consulting had in fact been provided to the city He declined further comment.

Email Ben Myers at bmyers@ theadvocate.com.

decision of laying off the wife of then-U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans.

On Sunday, at the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, Bouie, 78, received a thunderous ovation by the congregation when introduced by the Rev Fred Luter Jr He said Bouie had been wronged years ago for taking a stand, according to one congregant.

Bouie said he was planning to run for the District D council seat held by Eugene Green when Southern University board members approached him about returning to SUNO.

“I’m uniquely positioned to lead SUNO,” he said. “I have a strong commitment and bond to this institution.”

Staff reporters James Finn and Will Sutton contributed to this article.

Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

“Uninsured adults are more than twice as likely to report having difficulty affording health care costs, and 60 percent of uninsured adults report having health care-related debt. Uninsured individuals are also less likely to receive preventive care and more likely to be hospitalized for avoidable reasons,” the report said.

The Congressional Budget Office, Congress’ arm for calculating the financial impact of legislation, estimated 5.1 million people would lose their coverage when the marketplace tax credits expire and as the new law’s regulations begin to kick in.

That’s on top of the 11.8 million additional uninsured by 2034 when the changes to Medicaid start to be implemented in late 2026, according to the CBO.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Decatur Street in the French Quarter is coated with a fresh lemon scent after being washed by IV Waste on Monday

Slaincivil rights leader’s family opposes document dump

BY BILL BARROW AssociatedPress

TheTrump administration has released records of the FBI’s surveillance of Martin LutherKing Jr., despite opposition from the slain Nobel laureate’sfamily and the civil rights group that he led until his 1968 assassination.

The digital document dump includes more than 240,000 pages of records that had been under acourt-imposed seal since 1977, when the FBI first gathered the records and turned them over to the National Archives andRecords Administration.

In alengthy statement released Monday,King’stwo living children, Martin III, 67, and Bernice, 62, said their father’sassassination has been a“captivating public curiosity for decades.” But the pair emphasized the personal nature of the matter,urging that “these files must be viewed within their full historical context.”

The Kings got advance access to the records and had their own teams reviewing them. Those efforts continued even as the government grantedpublicaccess. It wasnot immediatelyclear Monday whether the documentswould shed any new light on King’slife, theCivil Rights Movement or his murder

“As the childrenofDr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King,his tragic death has been an intensely personalgrief —adevastating loss for hiswife, children,and thegranddaughterhenever met— an absence our family has endured for over 57 years,” they wrote. “We askthose whoengagewiththe release of these files to do so with empathy,restraint, and respect for our family’scontinuing grief.”

They also repeated the family’s long-held contention that James Earl Ray,the man convicted of assassinating King, was not solely responsible, if at all BerniceKing was5years old when her father was killed at the age of 39. Martin III was10. Astatement from the office of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called the disclosure “unprecedented” andsaid many of the records had been digitized for the first time. Shepraised President Donald Trump for pushing the issue. Trump promised as acandidate to release files related to President John F. Kennedy’s1963 assassination. When Trump took office in January,hesigned an executive order to declassify theJFK records, along with those associated with Robert F. Kennedy’sand MLK’s1968 assassinations.

Thegovernment unsealed the

MORRIS

Continued from page1A

The39-year-old is facing criminal charges filed last year for allegedly abusing his office while serving as director of the communications district before he resigned in 2023.

Morris was indicted by agrand jury on state charges of malfea-

JFKrecords in Marchand disclosed some RFK files in April. Theannouncement from Gabbard’soffice included astatement from Alveda King, Martin Luther King Jr.’sniece, who is an outspoken conservative and has broken from King’schildren on various topics—including the FBI files. Alveda King said she was “grateful to President Trump”for his “transparency.”

Separately, Attorney General Pam Bondi’s social mediaaccount featureda picture of theattorney general with Alveda King. Besides fulfillingTrump’sorder, the latest releasemeans another alternative headline for the president as he tries to mollify supporters angry over his administration’s handling of records concerning thesex trafficking investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself behind bars while awaiting trial in 2019, during Trump’s first presidency.Trump last Friday ordered the Justice Departmenttorelease grand jury testimony but stopped short of unsealing the entire case file.

firestorm engulfing Trump over theEpstein files and the public unraveling of hiscredibilityamong theMAGA base.”

The KingCenter, founded by King’swidow and now led by Bernice King, reacted separately from what Bernice said jointly with herbrother.The King Center statement framed the release as adistraction —but from more than short-term political controversy “Itisunfortunate andill-timed, giventhe myriadofpressing issuesand injustices affecting the United States andthe globalsociety,” theKing Center, linking those challenges to MLK’sefforts. “This righteous work should be ourcollective response to renewed attention on the assassination of agreat purveyor of true peace.”

“Weask those who engagewith the release of these files to do so with empathy, restraint, and respectfor our family’scontinuing grief.”

STATEMENTFROMMARTIN

LUTHER KINGJR.’S CHILDREN

Bernice King and Martin Luther KingIII did not mention Trumpin their statementMonday

Some civil rights activists were not so sparing.

“Trump releasing theMLK assassination files is not about transparencyor justice,”the Rev. Al Sharpton said.“It’s adesperate attempt to distract people from the

sance in office, false impersonation of apeace officer and insurance fraud,amongothers, stemmingin part from an alleged failure to submittoadrug andalcohol screen after crashing hispublic SUVon Elysian Fields Avenue.

He then allegedly tried to cover it up by creating afake policy and lying about how thewreck occurred on insurance documents, according to District Attorney JasonWilliams’ office. His resigna-

The King records were initially intended to be sealed until2027, untilJustice Department attorneys asked afederal judge to lift the sealing order early Scholars, history buffs and journalists have been preparingto study thedocuments for new information about his assassination on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. The SouthernChristian Leadership Conference, which King cofounded in 1957 as theCivil Rights Movement blossomed,opposed the release.

The group, along with King’s family,argued that theFBI illegal-

tion ended arockyfive-year tenure at the district, which handles 911 and 311 calls. Morris’ attorney in the criminal case did not return a call seeking comment.

Also disqualified Monday was mayoral candidate Gabrielle Harris Thomas, and City Council hopefuls Kevin Griffin-Clark, who registered to run in District D, and Willie Miller Jr., whoregistered in District E, according to an attorney for Criminal Court Clerk Dar-

ly surveilled King andother civil rights figures, hoping to discredit them and their movement.

It haslong been established thatthen-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was intensely interested if not obsessed with King and others he considered radicals. FBI records released previously show how Hoover’sbureau wiretapped King’stelephone lines, bugged his hotelrooms andusedinformants to gather information, including evidence of King’sextramarital affairs.

“He was relentlesslytargeted by an invasive, predatory,and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover through the FederalBureau of Investigation (FBI),”the King children saidin their statement.

“The intent …was not only to monitor,but to discredit, dismantle and destroy Dr.King’sreputation and the broader American Civil Rights Movement,” they continued. “Theseactionswerenot only invasions of privacy,but intentional assaults on thetruth —undermining the dignity and freedoms of private citizens whofought forjustice, designedtoneutralize those who daredtochallenge the status quo.”

The Kings said they “support transparency and historical accountability” but “object to any attacks on our father’slegacy or attempts to weaponize it to spread falsehoods.”

Opposition to King intensified even afterthe Civil Rights Movement compelledCongress andPresident Lyndon B. Johnson to enact the Civil Right Act of 1964 and the Vot-

ren Lombard’soffice, which heads city elections.

Thomas saidMondayshe would not appeal thecourt decision, acknowledging that she failed to file taxesforatleastoneofthefiveyears.

“I do understand there are rules, and I’m acitizen that wants to follow the rules,” she said. “My taxes were incomplete, that’strue. It doesn’tchange how Icare about thecity and it’sfuture.”

ing Right Act of 1965. After those victories, King turnedhis attention to economic justice andinternational peace. He was an outspokencritic of rapacious capitalism and the VietnamWar.King arguedthatpolitical rights alone were not enough to ensure ajustsociety

Many establishment figures like Hoover viewed King as acommunist threat.

King wasassassinated as he was aiding striking sanitation workers in Memphis, part of his explicit turn toward economic justice. Ray plead guilty to King’smurder.Ray later renounced that plea andmaintainedhis innocence until his death in 1998. Members of King’sfamily,and others, have long questioned whether Ray acted alone, or if he waseveninvolved. Coretta Scott King askedfor the probe to be reopened,and in 1998,then-Attorney General Janet Reno directed the Justice Department’sCivil Rights Division to take anew look. Reno’s department said it “found nothing to disturb the 1969 judicial determination thatJames Earl Raymurdered Dr.King.” In their lateststatement,Bernice King and Martin Luther King III repeated their assertions that Raywas setup. Theypointedto a1999 civil case, brought by the King family,inwhichaMemphis jury concluded that Martin Luther King Jr.had beenthe target of a conspiracy

“As we review these newly released files,” the Kings said, “we will assess whether they offer additionalinsightsbeyond the findings ourfamily hasalreadyaccepted.”

Griffin-Clark did not immediately return amessageseeking comment after the ruling in his case becamefinal.

Miller said he disagreed with the decision in his case. He said he brought acopy of his tax returns to court but that Civil District Judge Ellen Hazeur deemed it insufficient proof. Hazeur foundthat Miller had falsely certifiedthat he’d filed the past five years of state and federal tax returns. Miller said he was considering an appeal.

Martin Luther King Jr., head of the SouthernChristian Leadership

Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS Court: Social media age veri

fication law valid

A Mississippi law that requires social media users to verify their ages can go into effect, a federal court has ruled. A tech industry group has pledged to continue challenging the law, arguing it infringes on users’ rights to privacy and free expression.

A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals overruled a decision by a federal district judge to block the 2024 law from going into effect.

It’s the latest legal development as court challenges play out against similar laws in states across the country

Parents — and even some teens themselves — are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media use on young people. Supporters of the new laws have said they are needed to help curb the explosive use of social media among young people, and what researchers say is an associated increase in depression and anxiety

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch argued in a court filing defending the law that steps such as age verification for digital sites could mitigate harm caused by “sex trafficking, sexual abuse, child pornography, targeted harassment, sextortion, incitement to suicide and self-harm, and other harmful and often illegal conduct against children.”

Attorneys for NetChoice which brought the lawsuit, have pledged to continue their court challenge, arguing the law threatens privacy rights and unconstitutionally restricts the free expression of users of all ages.

Alaska Airlines resumes flights after issue

Alaska Airlines has resumed flights after the failure of a critical piece of hardware forced the airline to ground all its planes for approximately three hours, but the effects lingered into Monday the company announced.

The carrier issued a systemwide ground stop for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights around 8 p.m. Pacific time Sunday The stop was lifted at 11 p.m., the Seattle-based company said in a social media post. More than 150 flights have been canceled since Sunday evening. The FlightAware tracking site reported 84 cancellations and nearly 150 delays Monday

The airline said “a critical piece of multi-redundant hardware at our data centers, manufactured by a third-party, experienced an unexpected failure.” That affected several of the airlines key systems, but hacking was not involved.

Subway hires ex-Burger King executive as CEO

Subway has hired a former Burger King executive as its new CEO.

The Miami-based sandwich chain said Monday that Jonathan Fitzpatrick will join the company on July 28. Fitzpatrick is the first CEO hired since Subway was bought by the private equity

firm Roark Capital in 2024. And Roark didn’t have to look far to find him.

Since 2012, Fitzpatrick has been the president and CEO of Driven Brands, which is also owned by Roark. Driven Brands is the parent company of auto service brands like Meineke Car Care Centers and Maaco. Before joining Driven Brands, Fitzpatrick held multiple senior leadership positions at Burger King, including executive vice president.

Subway was founded in 1965 and was still owned by its founding families when it was purchased by Roark.

It’s one of the world’s largest restaurant chains, with nearly 37,000 outlets in more than 100 countries.

But in recent years, Subway has been losing

and

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

More Americans shift money to savings

Study finds that more want an investment income

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON New research

finds

that more Americans are shifting their money from checking and savings accounts into financial vehicles that pay an investment income — a trend that helps to

explain the resilience of the U.S. economy after a bout of high inflation and recent uncertainty due to tariffs.

The analysis by JPMorganChase Institute examined the accounts of 4.7 million households and found that people’s total cash reserves are increasing when including new amounts going into brokerage accounts, money market funds and certificates of deposit to assess people’s well-being.

Inflation-adjusted cash balances in checking and savings accounts

“remain low with a flat-growth trajectory,” but since the middle of 2024 total cash reserves have been increasing and approaching historical growth trends once the additional accounts are included, the analysis said. “Families across many income bands are now seeing a turnaround in their total cash,” said Chris Wheat, president of the institute. Wheat said it had been “hard to square the circle” of consumer spending staying strong despite

the lack of growth in checking and savings accounts, an issue that can now be explained by people in a higher-interest rate environment shifting more money into accounts that yield investment returns. He said people appear to be using the other accounts to manage their cash, rather than simply making long-term investments Wheat cautioned, however, that the trend might be short term and that the institute doesn’t have a basis yet as to whether it will continue.

LESS SELECTION, HIGHER PRICES

Tariffs are already shaping holiday shopping season

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO and MAE ANDERSON AP business writers

NEWYORK With summer in full swing in the United States, retail executives are sweating a different season. It’s less than 22 weeks before Christmas, a time when businesses that make and sell consumer goods usually nail down their holiday orders and prices.

But President Donald Trump’s vacillating trade policies, part of his effort to revive the nation’s diminished manufacturing base and to reduce the U.S. deficit in exported goods, have complicated those end-of-year plans. Balsam Hill, which sells artificial trees and other decorations online, expects to publish fewer and thinner holiday catalogs because the featured products keep changing with the tariff import tax — rates the president sets, postpones and revises.

“The uncertainty has led us to spend all our time trying to rejigger what we’re ordering, where we’re bringing it in, when it’s going to get here,” Mac Harman, CEO of Balsam Hill parent company Balsam Brands, said. “We don’t know which items we’re going to have to put in the catalog or not.”

Months of confusion over which foreign countries’ products may become more expensive to import has left a question mark over the holiday shopping season. U.S retailers often begin planning for the winter holidays in January and typically finalize the bulk of their orders by the end of June. The seesawing tariffs already have factored into their calculations.

The consequences for consumers? Stores may not have the specific gift items customers want come November and December Some retail suppliers and buyers scaled back their holiday lines rather than risking a hefty tax bill or expensive imports going unsold. Businesses still are setting prices but say shoppers can expect many things to cost more, though by how much depends partly on whether Trump’s latest round of “reciprocal” tariffs kicks in next month.

The lack of clarity has been especially disruptive for the U.S. toy industry which sources nearly 80% of its products from China American toy makers usually ramp up production in April, a process delayed until late May this year after the president put a 145% tariff on Chinese goods according to Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of the Toy Association, an industry trade group.

The U.S. tariff rate may have dropped significantly from its spring high — a truce in the U.S.-China trade war is set to expire on Aug. 12 — but continues to shape the forthcoming holiday period. Manufacturing activity is way down from a year ago for small- and medium-sized U.S. toy companies, Ahearn said.

The late start to factory work in China means holiday toys are only now arriving at U.S. warehouses industry experts said A big unknown is whether tariffs will keep stores from replenishing supplies of any breakout hit toys that emerge in September, said James Zahn, editor-in-chief of the trade publication Toy Book.

In the retail world, planning for Christmas in July usually involves mapping out seasonal marketing and promotion strategies Dean Smith, who co-owns independent toy stores JaZams in Princeton, New Jersey, and Lahaska, Pennsylvania, said he recently spent an hour and a half running through pricing scenarios with a Canadian distributor because the wholesale cost of some products increased by 20%.

Increasing his own prices that much might turn off customers, Smith said, so he explored ways to “maintain a reasonable margin without raising prices beyond what consumers would accept.” He ordered a lower cost Crazy Forts building set so he would have the toy on hand and left out the kids’ edition of the Anomia card game because he didn’t think customers would pay what he would have to charge.

“In the end, I had to eliminate half of the products that I normally buy,” Smith said. Hilary Key, owner of The Toy Chest in Nashville, Indiana, said she tries to get new games and toys in early most years to see

which ones she should stock up on for the winter holidays. This year, she abandoned her product testing for fear any delayed orders would incur high import taxes.

Meanwhile, vendors of toys made in China and elsewhere bombarded Key with price increase notices. For example, Schylling, which makes Needoh, Care Bear collectibles and modern versions of nostalgic toys like My Little Pony, increased prices on orders by 20%, according to Key

All the price hikes are subject to change if the tariff situation changes again. Key worries her store won’t have as compelling a product assortment as she prides herself on carrying.

“My concern is not that I’ll have nothing, because I can bring in more books. I can bring in more gifts, or I can bring in just things that are manufactured in other places,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to have the best stock for every developmental age, for every special need.”

The retail industry may have to keep taking a whack-a-mole approach to navigating the White House’s latest tariff ultimatums and temporary reprieves.

Last week, the president again reset the rates on imports from Brazil, the European Union, Mexico, and other major trading partners but said they would not take effect until Aug. 1.

The brief pause should extend the window importers have to bring in seasonal merchandise at the current baseline tariff of 10%. The Port of Los Angeles had the busiest June in its 117-year history after companies raced to secure holiday shipments, and July imports look strong so far according to Gene Seroka, the port’s executive director

“In my view, we’re seeing a peak season push right now to bring in goods ahead of potentially higher tariffs later this summer,” Seroka said Monday

Stocks set more records during big week for profit reports

BY

NEW YORK U.S. stock indexes inched their way to more records on Monday to kick off a week full of profit updates from big U.S. companies. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% and squeaked past its prior all-time high set on Thursday The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down by 19 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record. Verizon Communications helped lead the way and rose 4%. The telecom giant reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected along with higher revenue than forecast. Fol-

lowing the better-than-expected performance, Verizon raised its forecasts for profit and other financial measures for the full year That helped offset a 5.4% drop for Sarepta Therapeutics, which continued to fall after the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that it asked the company to voluntarily stop all shipments of Elevidys, its gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, due to safety concerns. Block, Jack Dorsey’s company behind Square, Cash App and other tech brands climbed 7.6% in its first trading after learning it will join the widely followed and imitated S&P 500 index. It will take the place of Hess, which Chevron bought, before trading begins on

Wednesday Cleveland-Cliffs rallied 12.4% after the steel producer reported a smaller loss for the spring than analysts expected. It shipped a record 4.3 million net tons of steel during the quarter, and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said the company has begun to see “the positive impact that tariffs have on domestic manufacturing” and other things. It’s a major supplier to the auto industry, and President Donald Trump’s tariffs steer companies hoping to sell cars in the United States toward steel made in the country Other U.S. companies, though, are navigating the downsides and complications of tariffs, which

raise prices on all kinds of things imported to the United States. That includes General Motors, which will report its latest profit results later this week, along with such market heavyweights as Alphabet, Coca-Cola and Tesla Many of Trump’s stiff proposed tariffs are currently on pause after Trump extended the deadline for talks with other countries in order to give more time to reach potential trade deals that could lower the tax rates. The next big deadline, at least for now is Aug. 1.

It’s still early days in this earnings reporting season, but most big U.S. companies have been topping analysts’ expectations, as is usually the case.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By MATT SLOCUM In the retail world, planning for Christmas in July usually involves mapping out seasonal marketing and promotion strategies.

Hilary Key, owner of The Toy Chest in Nashville, Ind., said she abandoned her product testing for fear any delayed orders would incur high import taxes.

‘Cosby Show’ actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies at 54

Offi

cials say performer drowned in Costa Rica

BY JAVIER CORDOBA and ANDREW DALTON Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica Mal-

colm-Jamal Warner the actor who played teenage son Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” has died at age 54 in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica, authorities there said Monday.

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department said Warner drowned Sunday afternoon on a beach on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast He was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean.

“He was rescued by people on the beach,” the department’s initial report said, but first responders from Costa Rica’s Red Cross found him without vital signs and he was taken to the morgue.

Warner created many TV moments etched in the memories of Generation X children and their parents, including a pilot-episode argument with Bill Cosby’s Cliff Huxtable about money, and

Russia

launches major air attack on Kyiv

BY EMMA BURROWS and ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

Russia unleashed one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine in recent months hours before Britain and Germany chaired a meeting Monday to discuss President Donald Trump’s plans for NATO allies to provide Ukraine with weapons.

The drone and missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, killed two people and wounded 15, including a 12-year-old, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The deadly assault underscored the urgency of Ukraine’s need for further Western military aid, especially in air defense, a week after Trump said deliveries would arrive in Ukraine within days.

A drone struck the entrance to a subway station in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district where people had taken cover Videos posted on social media showed the station platform engulfed by smoke, with dozens inside. The heaviest strikes hit the city’s Darnytskyi district, where a kindergarten, supermarket and warehouse

another episode where Theo tries to hide his ear piercing from his dad. His Theo was the only son among four daughters in the household of Cliff Huxtable and Phylicia Rashad’s Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom, and he would be one of the prime representations of American teenage boyhood on a show that was the most popular in America for much of its run from 1984 to 1992

He played the role for eight seasons, appearing in each of the show’s 197 episodes and earning an Emmy nomination for supporting actor in a comedy in 1986. For many the lasting image of the character, and of Warner, is of him wearing a badly botched mock designer shirt sewed by his sister Denise, played by Lisa Bonet. The “Gordon Gartrell” shirt later became a memeable image: Anthony Mackie wore one on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon and the profile picture on Warner’s Instagram shows a toddler sporting one.

NBA hall-of-famer Magic Johnson was among those paying him tribute Monday Johnson said on X that he and his wife are sad to hear of the death of their friend.

“We were both super fans of the hit ‘Cosby Show’ and continued to follow his ca-

reer on shows like ‘Malcolm and Eddie’ and ‘The Resident,’ ” Johnson said. “Every time I ran into Malcolm, we would have deep and fun conversations about basketball, life, and business. He will truly be missed.”

Like the rest of the “Cosby Show” cast, Warner had to contend with the sexual assault allegations against its

facilities caught fire

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who arrived in Kyiv on Monday for talks with Zelenskyy, visited some of the damaged area. Zelenskyy and Barrot spoke about expanding defense cooperation, including a decision by French companies to start manufacturing drones in Ukraine, and advancing Ukraine’s path toward European Union membership, the Ukrainian leader said on social media.

The virtual meeting of high-level military officials was led by British Defense Secretary John Healey and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius. U.S Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and NATO leader Mark Rutte, as well as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, attended the so-called Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting.

Moscow has intensified its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate as Russian drone production expands. Ukraine’s new Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal

urged allies to speed up deliveries of American air defense systems under the plan put forward by Trump.

“I request the U.S. to make these weapons available for purchase, and our European partners to extend all the needed financing for their procurement,” Shmyhal, who until recently served as prime minister, told the meeting.

Trump’s arms plan, announced a week ago, involves European nations sending American weapons, including Patriot air defense missile systems, to Ukraine via NATO either from existing stockpiles or buying and donating new ones.

In an shift of tone toward Russia, Trump last week gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face tougher sanctions.

At Monday’s meeting, Healey was expected to urge Ukraine’s Western partners to launch a “50-day drive” to get Kyiv the weapons it needs to fight Russia’s bigger army and force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, the U.K. government said in a statement

U.K. officials: Rocks, eggs thrown at police during asylum hotel protests

BY DANICA KIRKA Associated Press

LONDON Rocks and eggs were thrown at police as they tried to protect a hotel near London being used as accommodation for asylumseekers, prosecutors said Monday as a man arrested in connection with the incident appeared in court.

More than 100 protesters some wearing British flags and releasing red, white and blue smoke — gathered at the Bell Hotel in Epping Forest on Sunday as demonstrators gathered to vent their anger after a man was arrested in the area on suspicion of sexual assault.

Chanting “save our kids” and “send them home,” the demonstration escalated, with projectiles thrown at police vans blocking the entrance Officers escorted a

counterprotester from the area after demonstrators surrounded her. A similar protest took place last Thursday.

“Disappointingly, we have seen yet another protest, which begun peacefully, escalate into mindless thuggery with individuals again hurting one of our officers and damaging a police vehicle, Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow of the Essex Police said in a statement on Monday “For anyone who thinks we will tolerate their thuggery, think again.”

The protests come amid escalating tensions over the rising number of asylum-seekers who are being housed at government expense in hotels around the U.K Those pressures flared into days of rioting last month in Northern Ireland after two teenagers were arrested on charges

of sexual assault

Violent anti-immigrant protests spread throughout the U.K. last summer after social media users spread misinformation about the identity of the person who attacked a dance class in the northwestern town of Southport, killing three young girls. The attacker was a 17-year-old who was born in the U.K. to parents from Rwanda and was not an asylum-seeker, as had been rumored.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has acknowledged concerns about immigration and made tackling irregular migration a priority As Parliament debated the unrest in Epping Forest on Monday, Diana Johnson, the policing minister, said there was no justification for the violence.

titular star whose conviction in a Pennsylvania court was later overturned.

Warner told The Associated Press in 2015 that the show’s legacy was “tarnished.”

“My biggest concern is when it comes to images of people of color on television and film,” Warner said.

“We’ve always had ‘The Cos-

by Show’ to hold up against that. And the fact that we no longer have that, that’s the thing that saddens me the most because in a few generations the Huxtables will have been just a fairy tale.”

Representatives for Cosby declined immediate comment.

Warner later appeared on the sitcom “Malcolm &

Eddie,” co-starring with comedian Eddie Griffin in the series on the defunct UPN network from 1996 to 2000.

And in the 2010s, he starred opposite Tracee Ellis Ross as a family-blending couple for two seasons on the BET sitcom “Read Between The Lines.” He also had a role as O.J. Simpson’s friend Al Cowlings on “American Crime Story” and was a series regular on Fox’s “The Resident.”

“First I met you as Theo with the rest of the world then you were my first TV husband,” Ross said on Instagram. “My heart is so so sad. What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant.” His film roles included the 2008 rom-com “Fool’s Gold” with Matthew McConaughey and Kate

By The Associated Press

TOKYO Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Monday he will stay in office to tackle challenges such as rising prices and high U.S. tariffs after a weekend election defeat left his coalition with a minority in both parliamentary chambers and triggered calls for his resignation.

Ishiba’s ruling Liberal

Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito were short three seats to maintain a majority in the 248-seat upper house in Sunday’s vote. Though the LDP is still the leading party, its ruling coalition is now a minority in both houses of the Diet, or parliament, which makes it difficult for the coalition to pass any legislation. The loss of a majority in Sunday’s election does not immediately lead to a change of government because the upper house lacks power to file a noconfidence motion against a leader With opposition too fractured to form a united front powerful enough to topple the ruling coalition, Ishiba is under more pressure to step down from ultraconservative rivals in his own party

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Actor and musician Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played teenage son Theo Huxtable on ‘The Cosby Show,’ died Sunday at age 54 in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica, authorities said Monday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EFREM LUKATSKy Firefighters work Monday in a destroyed apartment building after a Russian attack in Kyiv Ukraine.

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LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Studio of fire and music

At 81, TomLorio still lives in theBaton Rouge Garden District home where he grew up. His studio,tucked behind the wilds and rambles of his yard, looks like a cross between amad scientist’s laboratory and atreasure trove. The cluttered tangle of tools, wires, ribbons, tin cans, lamps andworkstations felt like an invitation. Walking in, Ifelt I could almost touch the 50 years of quiet energy,steady hands and creative sparks.

He keeps Baton Rouge High School’sradio station, WBRH, 90.3FM, on and generally dances to the beat as he makes his way from one workstation to another —advising students on what to do next, offering encouragement or explaininganew tool.

I’ve taken acouple of jewelrymaking classes through the years, but none as calming as this one. When my friend Madeline Ellis invited me to take a jewelry-making class withLorio, Ihad no idea what Iwas in for (If you’re aLouisiana jewelry person, perhaps her name rings a bell. She’sthe creative force and founder of Mimosa Handcrafted jewelry,based in Baton Rouge.) Ellis and her 11-year-old daughter also took the class —each of the four sessions lasted two hours. Taking aclass froma master jeweler and metal worker like Lorio with amaster jeweler like Ellis was alesson in humility —which, in the big pictureof life, is ahealthy thing, Isuppose. Even still, the classes were a

ä See RISHER, page 2B

COVID levels in N.O. wastewater rising

Tracking showsother virusesremainlow

COVID-19isshowing up at high levels in parts of New Orleans’ wastewater this month, offering a quiet signal that the virus is circulating again, even as other respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses remain low

According to WastewaterSCAN, anational virusmonitoring network, the West Bank treatment plant, which serves about 50,000 people,iscurrently in the“high” categoryfor COVID concentrations. On the East Bank, which covers more than 330,000 residents, levels are categorized as “medium” but fluctuating.

The East Bank, representing most of New Orleans, was previously in the “high” categoryon Friday,said Amanda Bidwell, scientific program manager forthe network, asign that there may be asustained bump in cases.

“When we’re starting to see a surge happen for COVID, itkind of toggles on and off between medium and high,” Bidwell said. Wastewater offers anear realtime view of virusactivityinthe community.People shed viruses like COVID in stool, saliva and

METRO

Poll detailsN.O.mayor’s race

Moreno in lead with field finalized

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

RoyceDuplessis’ entry intothe New Orleans mayor’srace does not appear to have bluntedHelena Moreno’ssupport among voters, accordingtoanew pollthat gives an early sense of how New Orleanians are feeling about the candidates seeking the city’s top office.

The survey of 600 voters, con-

ducted by New Orleans-based FaucheuxStrategies between July 14-19, is thefirst to include Duplessis,who entered the race last month after initially saying he would not run. About 14% of voters said they would back Duplessis, astate senator,while 47% said they would back Moreno, theCity Council’svice president Moreno’ssupport is virtually unchanged from an earlier sur-

vey thesame firm performed before Duplessis got into the race. Duplessisappears instead to be eating away at support that had gone to council memberOliver Thomas andretiredJudge Arthur Hunter.Thomas’ support among voters has dropped by 6 percentage pointsfrom that earlierpoll, to 16%,while Hunter’s supportdroppedby4percentage points, to 5% “Itappears that Duplessis’ entry into the race has taken votes away from Thomas andHunter and doesn’tseem to have taken

many votesaway from Moreno,” said Ron Faucheux, aveteran pollster and analyst whose firm conducted the survey. He added that the dynamicsin the race remain fluid at this early stage The poll was paid for by Voice of thePeople Political Action Committee, which is led by Sidney Torres IV.Torres, apolitically active business owner allied withMoreno, is vying to keep a FrenchQuartertrash contract

SLEEP SWEEP

N.O. enforces ‘no sleeping in theFrench Quarter’ policy aimed at homeless residents

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

New Orleans officials began dispersing homeless residentssleeping or campinginthe French Quarter and parts of the Marigny on Monday in the latest phaseoftheir yearslong effort to reduce the city’s unsheltered population.

Those effortsreceived ashot in the

arm recently after Gov.Jeff Landry’s administrationgranted the city’s Low BarrierShelter on Gravier Street $380,000 to fund permanenthousing for shelterresidents,a request local officials have longmade of the state Enforcement began about 9a.m. and resulted in at least twopeople choosing to be transported to the Low Barrier Shelter,8th District Capt Samuel Palumbo toldthe French Quarter Management District at a meeting Monday “That’swhat we’re looking towards, trying to housepeople that are sleeping on thestreet,” Palumbo said at the 11 a.m. meeting. Monday’sactionswere far more subdued than the large-scale sweeps Landry’sadministration conducted

earlierthis year

Ahead of the TaylorSwift concerts in October,State Police and other state officials conducted sweeps of homeless encampments across downtown NewOrleans andrelocated people to asingle designated site at Landry’sdirection. And before the SuperBowlinFebruary,State Police cleared homeless encampments and bused people to atemporary shelter in Gentilly

The state’sgoal then,officials said, was to eventually place all 170-plus shelter residents into housing. Eventually,the state housed108 of them, according to the state’s Officeof Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

UPSplans to close, renovate facility

177employees will be affected, companysays

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

UnitedParcel Service Inc., the Atlanta-based package delivery company,said Monday that it plans to close part of itsNew OrleansEast distribution hub for a renovation in September,amove thatwill impact 177 part- andfulltime employees. The New Orleans East “streamlining” is part of the major overhaul UPS has been undertaking over the past three years, which hasresulted in tens of thousands of job losses and outlet closures, amid aslowdown in itspackage

delivery volume and efforts to automate more of its operations.

Acompanyspokespersonsaid that theMorrison Road facility will reopen sometime next year but she could notgive atimeframeorsay how manyofthe affected workers would be retained and how manylet go permanently UPS last week filed aWorker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN,about the closure of part of the distribution hub, saying that 164 parttimeand 13 full-timeemployees would be impacted. AWARN is afederally required notification of closures or other disruptions that mightcause temporary or permanent displacement of jobs.

“Since we areworking to place

YoungLutherans help outacrossN.O.

BY COURTNEY LUCIUS Staff writer

Easily identifiable in big groups of brightly colored T-shirts, nearly 20,000young Lutherans from across theU.S.havedescended on New Orleans for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’striennial Youth Gathering, which began Saturday andends Wednesday The youth, ranging from elementaryschool-agedkids to 22-year-olds, canbespotted volunteering around the city beautifying gardens, helping schools prepare forthe newyearor working on other service projects. On Monday,hundreds of kids and teens packed into the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center ahead of their massevent at the Caesars Superdome. Sometried

to get to karaoke stations, makeshift basketballcourtsorinteractive photostations. Some stopped at the Orphan GrainTrain and put on white aprons and hairnets to pack mealsfor the needy.Others raced to abooth to grab apair of free headphones.

Although hordes of young churchgoers traversing the city is afamiliar sight in New Orleans during the summertime, these young Lutherans arenot the sameaslast year’svisitors, when 16,000 young people visited with theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America. There are morethan 40 denominations of the Lutheran church.

Both church groups partnered with nonprofits to set up local service projects. Someofthe

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Aperson sleepsinfront of abusiness on Decatur Street in the French Quarter early Mondaymorning

Mayor LaToya Cantrell wants to award to Troy Henry, an ally of Thomas. Moreno, meanwhile, has sided with other council members’ efforts to block Henry’s company from taking over the long-term contract.

Torres in a brief interview Monday said he was not prepared to “endorse” a candidate but called Moreno a “friend,” said he believes she is “the right person to lead the city” and that he thinks she is the best-equipped to deliver change New Orleans needs.

“I’m not coming out and endorsing her, but I think she’s the right person to lead the city at this time,” he said.

The survey consisted of phone calls to cell and landline numbers and had a 4% margin of error

Its results were sharply criticized Monday by Thomas’ campaign The campaign’s manager, Ethan Ashley in a statement said Thomas would continue to build support “on porches, in churches, and in every neighborhood” in the coming months.

He said the poll does not portray the full picture of the Thomas’ campaign’s impact and suggested that its findings were skewed to favor Thomas’ opponents.

HOMELESS

Continued from page 1B

New Orleans’ strategy is also focused on getting homeless people into a shelter where they can quickly be connected to permanent housing.

Ed Carlson director of the Low Barrier Shelter, said in an interview Friday that the shelter was prepared to accommodate at least 30 additional people, thanks in part to the state’s cash infusion.

“We’ve actually been doing a really good job of getting people out of the shelter and into permanent housing,” Carlson said. “They’ll go directly to the Low Barrier Shelter and we’ll be able to handle them without increasing our capacity.”

A spokesperson for Landry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday Neither did City Council member Lesli Harris, who has long called on the state to fund the city’s work to house homeless residents, nor Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s office respond to requests. Palumbo declined further comment after his presentation Monday

New Orleans has set a goal of housing 1,500 residents by the end of 2025. As of May 31, around 1,133 individuals were housed.

At a meeting last week, Palumbo said NOPD would carry out sweeps of “any person who’s camping out, laying tents, blankets, anything of that nature, on the sidewalk.”

“Essentially, no sleeping in the French Quarter,” Palumbo said.

The French Quarter Management District last week also approved a proposal to allocate $260,000 to fund a new State Police detail in the French Quarter that will “conduct focused Quality of Life and Nuisance Sweeps” in collabora-

LUTHERAN

Continued from page 1B

volunteer opportunities this week include going to Audubon Charter School to help set up classrooms or to Sugar Roots Farm to support a nonprofit farm.

“There are all kinds of serving opportunities,” LCMS Council of Presidents Lee Hagan said. “But part of what’s helpful for young people is to see that they’re a part of something that’s so much larger than maybe what they realize at their small, individual parish.”

When they aren’t doing service projects, attendees can go to Bible study or other sessions with speakers. For some, that’s just as much fun as doing service

“I think the favorite part of this weekend has been getting to talk with the group after going to a session that we just learned about,” said Zach Chem, a 22-year-old participant. “And so them just getting to have a conversation with everyone and get everyone’s thoughts and opinions.”

Roy Askins, executive editor of the Lutheran Witness, said the LCMS is already planning the next one, which happens every three years, set for San Antonio, Texas.

Ashley mentioned that Thomas the previous evening received a majority of votes cast by about 170 attendees at a virtual forum hosted by Voters East Of the Industrial Canal, a grassroots group with a presence in New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward, areas Thomas represents.

“Polls like these are incomplete snapshots, influenced by negative or positive questions, headlines, and timing,” Ashley said. “They don’t tell the whole story.”

Early snapshot

The poll’s respondents were asked who they would most likely vote for in a mayoral primary, whether they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of each of the four candidates plus outgoing mayor LaToya Cantrell, and who they would vote for in a runoff between Moreno and either Thomas or Duplessis.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they would vote for Moreno over Thomas in a runoff while 57% said they would vote for her over Duplessis, according to the poll results.

About 17% of voters said they didn’t know who to vote for if a runoff was held between Moreno and Duplessis.

About 15% of voters said they would be undecided if a runoff was held between Moreno and

Thomas. Duplessis’ campaign in response to the poll said he would continue to gain ground with voters in the weeks ahead.

“It’s indisputable that Royce’s entry into the mayoral race just three weeks ago has been a game changer and multiple polls have shown that,” said his campaign manager, Cherie Teamer Henley “Our campaign is grassroots and people powered. Once the voters across this city hear our message and we have begun our paid efforts, it will become clear that Royce is the best choice to lead our city as mayor.”

Twenty-seven percent of poll respondents said they viewed Cantrell’s job performance favorably the same percentage that gave that response in Faucheux’s earlier poll this year

Funding tallies

Moreno maintains a huge cash advantage over her opponents, according to campaign finance records submitted earlier this month. She has $1.7 million in her campaign account In response to the poll results Monday, Moreno said she was “inspired by the excitement to move our city in a new direction.”

Thomas gained fundraising ground on Moreno in recent months, bringing in nearly

$320,000 during a period from April to early July detailed in the new records That’s more than any other candidate in the race save for Moreno, who raised $474,000 in that same period.

In four days between his announcement on June 29 and the close of the reporting period on July 3, Duplessis raised $19,309. Since January, his campaign brought in $165,000. He also loaned his campaign about $25,000. A political action committee is also supporting his campaign.

Hunter, who launched his campaign last year with no cash on hand, from April to July raised $125,000.

Hunter, too, largely dismissed the findings of Torres’ poll Monday “Qualifying just ended and campaigns are now getting started,” his campaign spokesperson, Karen Carvin Shachat, said in a statement “We are running a full fledged professional campaign and Arthur is out every day in person and through media platforms bringing his message of change directly to the voters.”

The four leading candidates, along with 10 others, will appear on citywide ballots on Oct. 11.

Email James Finn at jfinn@ theadvocate.com.

tion with NOPD and other law enforcement The management district’s proposal, which was approved unanimously, cites “an uptick in concerns related to public order, nuisance activities and overall safety” in the Vieux Carré, according to the proposal Neighborhood business owners and residents have repeatedly cited concerns about homelessness, unpermitted vending and illegal parking.

Palumbo said last week that that while violent crime is down in the French Quarter “on the

RISHER

Continued from page 1B

joy, providing a chance to clear my head and focus on nothing but moving a saw up and down to cut a small piece of copper Surprisingly the 11-year-old turned out to be the star of the class. She inherited her mom’s creative vision and uncanny ease with tools. Watching her work, I couldn’t help but think that she seemed like she was born knowing how to create beautiful things. I loved watching her and Lorio solve problems together Their 70-year age difference melted away, and they were just two people building beauty.

Had I gone to the classes just to watch this sixth grader work, that in and of itself would have been a joy She inspired me to try new things like attempting to draw and cut an alligator from a piece of metal. I am not good at drawing or using a saw but, remarkably, it all worked out in the end.

Patience has never been my strength, but in Lorio’s studio, I tried to dig deep. His easy manner deflates pressure and encourages experimentation. He’s one of those teachers with a knack for knowing how much to push a student to try and just when to step in and guide.

quality-of-life side of things, there’s significant improvements that we would like to see.”

Violent crime dropped by 27% in the second quarter of this year compared with the same time in 2024 in the 8th District, which includes the French Quarter, Central Business District and the Marigny, according to statistics compiled by the Metropolitan Crime Commission.

Still, the uptick enforcement doesn’t mean homeless people won’t be allowed in the French Quarter “There needs to be a reasonable

The roots of his jewelry studio-slash-science-lab run true. Lorio went to school to be a science teacher and began his career teaching science. He uses all that science know-how in his jewelry As needed in each class, he demonstrated chemical reactions to use to work with the metals to help achieve the final effect.

The process of annealing metal (using heat to soften metal and improve its workability) felt like magic. Once the metals were softened, I was able to imprint various designs on them. Lorio, who graduated from Catholic High in 1962 and LSU a few years later, is a master of adaptation. He uses old crockpots set up for warming a liquid to pickle the metals, old shirts as polishing cloths, Christmas ribbon and leaves to imprint metals. He has row upon row of cigar boxes filled with tiny pieces of metal or jump rings lining the shelves. Somehow, he knows exactly which box to go to find what he needs. With Lorio as a guide, I came to appreciate the jazz bebopping in the background as I slowly progressed through the many stages required to make a copper alligator, which eventually became a brooch That feat took the bulk of my four classes, but I was also able to make two other less complicated pieces. Overall, I appreciated the

COVID

Continued from page 1B

other waste when they brush their teeth or flush the toilet, making wastewater a reliable early warning tool before people might have symptoms or seek out care. The WastewaterSCAN data is updated with three samples weekly from each of the two New Orleans treatment plants.

“It provides a really good snapshot of what is happening in your community,” Bidwell said. At local hospitals, the rise hasn’t translated into a noticeable spike in patients.

“There are a few patients in the hospital who have COVID, but nothing terribly outrageous,” said Dr Julio Figueroa, an infectious disease specialist at LSU Health New Orleans.

COVID-19 appears to be following a now-familiar pattern: two bumps a year, often after travelheavy holidays, said Figueroa.

Other common viruses tracked in the wastewater — including RSV, flu A and B, adenovirus, enterovirus D68, norovirus, and rotavirus — are also currently in the “low” range.

For residents wondering how to use the data, Bidwell suggests thinking of it like a weather report. While public health agencies haven’t issued any formal alerts, individuals may choose to take extra precautions, like masking or avoiding large indoor gatherings, especially if they are vulnerable or caring for the young or elderly

With most viruses quiet for now, clinicians are turning their attention to the months ahead, when viruses are typically more active, said Figueroa, who noted a drop in vaccination rate for pertussis, or whooping cough, which has resulted in infant deaths in Louisiana this year

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.com.

UPS

Continued from page 1B

as many employees as possible in other positions, this number (177) represents a worst-case scenario,” said UPS spokesperson Natasha Amadi.

Last October, the company closed its adjacent customer service center at 5700 Morrison Road, just lakeside of Pines Village The spokesperson declined to say how many employees were affected by that closure. There was no WARN filed by UPS in Louisiana last year

expectation we will encounter homeless people in the Quarter,” said Christian Pendleton, general manager of Brennan’s Restaurant on Royal Street and a board commissioner on the French Quarter Management District on Monday “What we are moving to is to no longer encounter sleeping people in the Quarter Those are different things,” he said.

Staff writer Sophie Kasakove contributed to this report.

Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.

slowness of the experience, a stark contrast to most of the rest of the world.

In Lorio’s studio of fire and wires and music, time softened too. The world quieted just enough for something small and beautiful to take shape — and not just in the metal. For information about Lorio’s jewelry classes, email tlorio1622@hotmail.com or call (225) 383-7258. Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

The WARN from last week said that current employees at the distribution hub “will be separated from employment on September 8, 2025, unless otherwise required by the applicable collective bargaining agreement.”

The company declined to clarify how many employees are union members or how many might be rehired at Morrison Road when it reopens. The spokesperson said they plan to make efforts to help any employees who lose their jobs find alternative employment at other facilities.

The unionized UPS employees at Morrison Road are represented by Teamsters Local 270. The WARN said there are “bumping rights” in place under the existing contract with union members, which means they have first right of refusal to keep a job if they have seniority

The Teamsters Local 270 did not respond to requests for comment. UPS has cut 14,000 jobs globally over the past two years and said it plans to cut another 20,000 this year as it closes 76 facilities. The company had 490,000 employees at the end of last year

The big package delivery companies — which had been much sought after by economic development promoters, especially in the Gulf South have been cutting tens of thousands of jobs in the last few years after the boom during the COVID pandemic eased, and while they moved to further automate their processes.

As of mid-2025, major package delivery and logistics companies Amazon, FedEx, UPS, DHL, USPS and others — have cut over 100,000 U.S. jobs combined since late 2022, according to company filings and government data. Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER Tom Lorio works with an 11-yearold student during a jewelrymaking class in Baton Rouge.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

A woman washes her hair using water from a horse trough near Jackson Square in the French Quarter on Monday. She said she’s from New Orleans and had nowhere else to go after her husband left.

Jr., Ray

Prevost, Jeanne

Obituaries

Melerine Jr., Ray Louis 'Totu' Ray "Totu" Louis Melerine Jr. passed peacefully under hospice care. He was alifelong resident of St.Bernard Parish. He is survived by 3adult children. Ray, Angie, Beau Melerine and deceased Brian Nasworthy. He has 14 grandkids and 5great grandkids.

Siblings Denise Roberts, Dawn M.Ratcliff, Desiree M.Stephens and thelate Irwin Melerine.

Avisitation willbeheld from 10:30 AM to 11:00AM on 2025-07-25atSt. Bernard CatholicChurch 2805 Bayou Rd.

Aburial willbeheld from 11:00 AM to 12:00PM on 2025-07-25atSt. Bernard CatholicChurch 2805 Bayou Rd..

Prevost, Jeanne A.

Jeanne A. Prevost, 70,a beloved mother,sister, aunt,friend, andlifelong educator, departed from thisearth on July 10, 2025, ather home in New Or‐leans,LA. Alifelongresi‐dent of NewOrleans,she

wasbornonAugust12, 1954, to Herman Prevost, Sr. andEmeldaPrevost Jeanne graduatedfrom XavierUniversityPrepara‐toryHighSchool in 1972 and earned aBachelorof ArtsSpecial Education fromDillard University of New Orleans. Jeanne de‐voted over 33 yearsofher career to theJefferson ParishSchool System, where sheservedasa pas‐sionate andcommitted special educationteacher She provided individual‐izedinstruction andsup‐porttostudentswithdis‐abilities,ensuringtheyhad access to thegeneral edu‐cationcurriculumand wereequippedwiththe academic, social,and emo‐tionaltoolsneeded forlife‐longsuccess. Jeanne was deeply devotedtothe wellbeing of herstudents, al‐wayspreparing them for lifebeyondthe classroom Her impact extended be‐yondacademics—she also led thegirls’ flag team, coached volleyball,and ac‐tivelycontributed as a memberofthe teachers' union.Jeanne's commit‐

ment to teaching extended beyondthe classroom;she was amentortomany young educatorsand a faithfuladvocatefor edu‐cationalequity. Sheissur‐vived by herbeloved daughter, Jeanneda Luke (DerekLuke),along with her cherishedgrandchil‐dren, Nova Luke andAtlas Luke. Jeanne is also sur‐vived by herfoursisters and brother: Charmaine Prevost,Valerie P. Roussell (Owen Roussell),Moureen P.Blackwell (Glenn Black‐well),DarrilynP.Broussard (KevinBroussard), and HermanP.Prevost,Jr.,as wellasa host of nieces and nephewswhomshe adored. Jeanne's accom‐plishmentswerenumer‐ous.She wasa star athlete inhighschool,earning the title of MVP in volleyball at XavierPrepand contribut‐ing to thebasketballteam. Her dedication to student athletics wasevident in her involvementinofficiat‐ing andsupportinggirls’ sportsthroughoutthe New Orleans area.Jeanne was one of theoriginators of theEmeldaPrevost Schol‐

arship Fund,which contin‐ues to supportstudentsin their educationalpursuits. In addition to hereduca‐tionaland athletic contri‐butions,Jeanne wasanac‐tiveand esteemed member ofthe KacuwasSocialand PleasureClub, where she fosteredcommunity spirit and camaraderieamong its members. Hervibrant personality andinfectious laughterbrought joytoall who knew her. Jeanne Pre‐vost’slegacyisone of compassion, leadership, and unwavering dedication tothe students andschool community sheservedso faithfully. Herlegacywill liveonthrough thelives she touched, thestudents she inspired,and thelove she shared with herfamily and friends. Shewillbe deeply missedlovinglyre‐membered. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend aMemorial MassofChristian Burial at St. KatherineDrexel Church,2015 Louisiana Ave NewOrleans,LAon Thursday,July24, 2025 at 10:00am.Visitationwill beginat8:00am– 10:00am

Prevost, Jeanne

OUR VIEWS

Governor should tell public what hisgoals are forupending leveeboard

With the height of hurricane season fast approaching,Gov.JeffLandryowes Louisianans a thorough public explanation of what he is trying to do with amajor levee board, and why Right now,the board of theSoutheastLouisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, which guards partofOrleans, Jefferson andSt. Bernard parishes, seems to be in ashambles. The public can only hope the actual operationsof the agency are in better shapethanthe board that oversees it. With some of the floodwalls actually sinking slightly,withsea levelsapparently rising and with thishurricane season still projectedtobe of above-averageactivity,the region can’tafford to have alevee authoritythat doesn’twork. Unfortunately,there are reasons to be concerned.

With little explanation,Landry andhis team have roiled the waters at the agency. The governorunsuccessfully pushed legislationtoupend the reformist, apolitical advisory committee that nominates boardmembers. His handselected board president,Roy Carubba,claims to answer directly to Landry’s informaltop adviser,businessman Shane Guidry. Carubba effectively forced outthe agency’s directorinJanuaryand hasn’treplaced her Four members of the nine-memberboard resigned in protest of Carubba’s management, forcing the cancellation of May’s boardmeetingwhen Carubba’sown absence left the board without aquorum. The Junemeeting became so heated that it nearly resulted in fisticuffs. The boardstill remains three members short, and one of the previously vacantspots wasfilledby aman who is Carubba’s“verygood friend” and business associate, whom Landry chose forthe positionover someone who the head of thenominatingcommittee said was more qualified

The security chief, with no formal experience in engineering or flood control, is theone put forth on the radio to discuss “flow rates” and other technical aspects of thelevee system. Meanwhile, formal complaints of civil service violations have been filed bothbyand against Carubba’steam.

And that’sonly asampling of the controversies surrounding this East Bank levee board. Granted,it’spossible there’samethod toall this.Carubba expresses great enthusiasm for the agency’sflood-protection goals and says he is on avaluablereform mission.Still, the appearance of so much turmoil is hardly reassuring. Throughout all of this, Landry himself has been notably silent.

If the governor has abeneficent planatwork, he should tell the public what he is doing.Louisianans have aright to know thatboththeir floodwalls and theagency managingthemstand on firm foundations.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

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OPINION

Stateneeds Medicaid for health outcomes,jobs

There are moreemployees in the health care industry than any other industry in Louisiana, and we are also an unhealthy population. Medicaid expansion stabilized the healthcare system and economy in Louisiana. Someprovisions contained in the One Big BeautifulBill Act will result in asignificant loss of patient care, destabilization of Louisiana’shealthcare system and decimate our economy As amember of the Louisiana House of Representatives Health and Welfare Committee, Ihave seen firsthand the importance of maintaining arobust Medicaid program in Louisiana, serving 36% of our residentsand financing half of all births in Louisiana. We supported our Medicaid program through theutilization of provider taxes and state-directed payment programs. This strengthened our ability to maintain accesstoour community hospi-

tals andhealthcare providers, especially in rural areas,sowedid not experience large numbers of hospital closures like other states.

Several provisions will undermine the ability for hospitals and health care providers to continue to provide care to Medicaid patients. The magnitude of Medicaid reductions and changes to health insurance marketplaces will shiftthousands of our residentstouninsured status. The law further erodes programsthat help bridge thegap of chronic and historic Medicaid underpayments. Estimates of theimpacts to Louisiana may result in over a$2billion-plus reduction in Medicaid payments that would lead to catastrophic impacts, including hospitals closures, loss of life-saving services and joblosses.

STATEREP.JOE STAGNI member,House Health &Welfare Committee

What we arewatchingour countrybecomedefies belief

Iwant to be wrong about alot of things that Isee the majority of our representatives in Congress and the Senate doing. I want to be wrong that they are following, and blindly admitting to do so, theperson in the White House and don’tmind having given up independent thought. Iwant to be wrong that they see no problem endorsing Cabinet memberswho are blatantly unfit for their roles. Iwant to be wrong thatthey are just fine funding acruel police statetype government,complete with prisons filled withpeople whose main crime (a crime only because themajority of our legislators say so) is wanting to live in the United States. Iwant to be wrong that states’ rights

Your story on July 2was full of praise about Jimmy Swaggart. It painted him as a saint.Itmentioned nothing about his antiCatholicism.

Several pointswere detailed in an email from theCatholic League: At one point, Swaggart said, “I maintain that theCatholic superstructure and organization is not really aChristian organization. Itsclaims are false.” He constantly bashed thepope, saying he was “the mostevil man alive.” In oneofhis tracts, “A Letter to My Catholic Friends,” he said of his “friends” that they are “poorpitiful individuals who think they have enriched themselves spiritually by kissing thepope’sring,” and he urged them

only count when it is convenient to these legislators. Iwant to be wrong that they are just fine that they are robbing those in need in order to fund themselves and the already super wealthy.I wanttobewrong that they are OK with nonchalantly stripping access to affordable health care from millionsofus. Iwant to be wrong that the ruling legislators are smiling as they allow our country’sstrength to wither all forthe power and the glory of afew people who don’tgive adang about Americans. Iwant to be wrong that these elected officials are lying when they tell Americans that they have ourbacks.

DENISE

PADDOCK NewOrleans

to leavethe Church. He said that Catholics were idolaters, because they participate in “Mary-worship.” Their belief in purgatory, he argued, “provided the Catholic Church with avery effective meanstorake heaping piles of money into its coffers.” In theend, what finished him wasnot his anti-Catholicism. He was photographed visiting aprostitute in New Orleans. After an investigation by the Assemblies of God, he went on TV to beg forforgiveness and apologized to his wife.But his apology proved to be insincere. He was later caught with another prostitute.

RICHARD J. MOORE Covington

This letter responds to one published July 1, “Enforcing lawsisn’tfascism; leftwants to stoke division.”

Iagree with the writer that enforcing lawsisn’t fascism.The definition of fascism is “an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.”

In my opinion, how laws are being enforced, especially regarding immigration (Immigration and CustomsEnforcement agents arresting people without visible identification, no due process, fear of being arrested when in the U.S. legally) is fascism Perhaps President Donald Trump’sdisregard for human rights and ICE’s methodology of following his directives aren’troots of fascism because, after all, they’re acting that way and doing it their way for our nation. Is this really the path we Americans want forour democratic, Constitution-driven nation?

KAREN POIRRIER Lutcher

Reader outlined what immigrationreform should look like

Iwould like to commend Susan Rotolo forher recent letter.Itprovided alogical and humane framework forour illegal immigration issue. We need to find some common ground, and it is this kind of clear thinking that will lead to that.

JOE SPITALE Kenner

COMMENTARY

ON THE RECORD |REPS.TROyCARTER and CLEO FIELDS

Reaffirmingthe role of Congress

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,D-New Orleans, and U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, began their careers in public service early,both eventuallyservingin the Louisiana Legislature. Fields left the stateSenate and served twoterms in the House of Representatives from 1993 to 1997. AfterLouisiana’scongressional districts were restructured and Fields was left without a seat, he returned to the state Senate. Carter made history in 1991 as the first African American elected to serve thestate’s 102nd District in the state House. After stints on the New Orleans City Council and in the state Senate, Carter was elected toserve the state’s2nd Congressionaldistrict. He was the only Democrat in the Louisiana congressional delegation until Fields returnedto Congress to represent the state’s 6th Congressional district after thecourt ordered that asecond, Black-majority district be created. Carter and Fields satdown with columnist Will Sutton in Washington, D.C. The conversationhas been edited for length and clarity.

SUTTON: Thank you for agreeing to ajoint interview.We haven’t had this opportunity to have you both in the same room at the same time. This is aprivilege, especially here on Capitol Hill.

SUTTON: (motioning to Carter) So you’re in an additional term. How have things changed in Congress since you first got here? And, Mr Fields, how have things changed since you were here before?

FIELDS: From our perspective, the process, the institution, is the same. The way we passed bills 32 yearsago is the same way we pass bills today.The same way we voted 32 years ago is the same way we vote today Ihave served when we were a majority in the House, and I’m serving when we’re aminority (U.S. Rep.) TomFoley,who was the speaker of the House, spent almost as much time withthe Republicans as he spent with the Democrats. Bipartisan really meant somethingback then. President (Bill) Clinton spent a sizable amount of his time working with Republican members of Congress. That’sthe biggest difference. Republicans are in control, and they going to have their way, and they really don’tcare about what theminority thinks. Ithink that’sadangerous way to operate agovernment.

CARTER: Ironically,from my first term to my third term, not much has changed. The last two terms, of course, were under the Biden administration.Weboth left the Louisianastate Senate. We worked with the Democratic governor,but we controlled the Senate,and the House was controlled by the RepublicanParty. We were still able to work together.Wehad better relationships. We spent more time together In Congress, it’snot thatway.In this hyperpartisan environment, it appears that there is aresurgence of us against them. There’s not nearly as much collaboration and coalition-building.It’salmost as if it’sbecome abad word.

SUTTON: TwoofCongress’stop leaders are from Louisiana, Mike Johnson and SteveScalise. How has that been helpful to Louisiana?

FIELDS: Iguess the jury is still out.This president has taken the position that he’spresident and he runs it all. He doesn’tneed Congress, and his Congress has taken the position that they’re going to rubber-stamp what the president says. In terms of the speaker andthe majority leader,

how that parlays into things for Louisiana, all Ican tell you is what Ihave seen. Idon’tknow of any statein the nation like Louisiana thathas leadership (that can be) parlayed into helping our state. Iknow that Louisiana is in avery,very,very good position. Having said all of that, they’re bothinvery tough positions.I’m happy I’m not in their position. Theyhave apartythey’ve got to cater to, and they have apresidentthey have to cater to, they have avery slight,slight,slight majority.How do you manage that?

SUTTON: So let’spick up on that. Let’ssay you switch roles. Answer that.

CARTER: We’re all products of the state Legislature. All four of us have served there. Three of us served in the Senate. Mike’s only served inthe House. We’re Louisiana Legislature products where we got to know each other Those relationships allowed us to work and transcend beyond the natural partylines. Having both Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise in leadership, on its face, is obviouslyagood thing because it brings great strength, particularly in the areas of recovery dollars and resources for infrastructure. But that’snow being challenged by apresident who says Americans should wean themselves off of FEMA, apresident who says we want to literally throw millions of people off the rolls of Medicaid. Eventhough our two leaders are in very challenged positions because they’re having to work with the president,wecan never forget why we’re here. Our job is not to cater to any one president, or even just our party.Wehave to take care of the people.

SUTTON: Let’ssay with the flick of aswitch, you two were in the positions of Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise. How would it look different?

FIELDS: It would look different because our parties are different.First of all, I’m assuming thatyou are saying that the WhiteHouse would be Democratic.

CARTER: Congress would be led

by Hakeem Jefferies. We would have thepresidentinthe White House.

FIELDS: First of all, we wouldn’t be giving big billionairetax breaks.Wewould be doing just theoppositeofwhat they’re doing today.Ifyou change the scenario just alittlebit,and you say Trump is still in theWhiteHouse, and we control the Congress, let’s say Troy is speaker and I’m the majority leader.Therewould be abig difference. He wouldn’tbe having his way.Therewould be checks and balances.

CARTER: If we had aDemocratic president and aDemocratic-led House and Senate, we would have an inclusive form of government, one that respects the Constitution, therule of law,one that recognizes individual and human rights. We would not pit people against each other.Wewould not tryto dismantle democracy.Wewould be endeavoring toenhance rights and provide for people that have been historically marginalized or left behind, and to create arobust economy that benefits all people, not just some. Now if we had the House, the Senate, but Trump was president this stuff wouldn’tbehappening becausewewould be standing up to allofthesebreaches of the Constitution.Wewould be acting as the guardrails.

FIELDS: Let me throw out athird scenario. Let’sassume we’ve got aDemocratic Houseand a Democratic president, but the president chooses to take the Trump route, apresident who’s of our own party,who’sperhaps going in adifferent direction than ourstate or thecountry Just because you’re the president doesn’tmean that you’re right.WithPresident Clinton came the North American Free Trade Agreement. Istood up to him. Itold him he was wrong. It was bad for my district because Ihad alot of textile industries in my district andtheywould close. He didn’tagree withme. Ididn’t agree with him. Ivoted against it and it passed.The crime bill. President Clinton wanted to pass acrime bill, and Iwas against it for alot of reasons. Butwehad

a good debate.Hesentthe attorney generalover, andI voted against it. The same thing would happen today.Iwasn’tinleadership at that time,but Isuspect if Iwas in leadership, my position would be the same.Itwould be my job to convince Congress to follow me as aleader of this party

CARTER: To follow up on that, I often tell people thatifJimmy Carter,Bill Clinton, Barack Obama or Joe Bidenhad done these things thatDonald Trump is doing Iwould challenge even aDemocratic president who wanted to do away with Medicaid. Iwould challenge aDemocratic president who wanted to takeaway the rights of American citizens. Iwould challenge a Democratic president who wanted to dismantle the Education Department. Just because we’re thesame party doesn’tmean that you get to rubberstamp awrong.

SUTTON: Let’smovecloserto home. Gov. JeffLandry has had afew months in office. He has made it veryclear thathefeels like withthe votesthathegot, that he hasa mandate.Have you been able to work with any collegiality with Gov.Landry, Republicansupermajorities in theHouse andthe Senate and Republican colleagues in Congress representing Louisiana?

FIELDS: Iguess Icould answer thequestionbecause I’m fresh off of it. As aformer member of the stateSenate, Iwas in the minority.I chairedacommittee in theminority.Wehad to get things done in the minority.I’ve been able to work with Republicans and Democrats to getthings done, one being the creation of this seat thatIholdtoday It would not have happenedhad it not beenfor the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. People saythat thegovernor andthe Legislature agreed after theyweredefeated in courttime andtime again. Nonetheless, it took working with all parties to make it ultimately happen. With theRepublicanParty, with the governor,wehad an understanding thatIfought for nonnegotiable things, like civil

rights. Nonnegotiable. As long as we had those clear delineating lines, we workedwell together Ithink more legislators need to take thatapproach.Don’tjust oppose somebody because of their party affiliation.

CARTER: We sayrelationships andoftentimes it’soverused. We don’thavetohateeach other. Or even dislike each other.Wehate or dislike the policies. We are oftentimesonopposite sideswith policy. Whatweshould be doing is melting themtogether as best we can to address the issues of the people back home.

SUTTON: Onefinalquestion. Louisiana hasmoreregistered Democrats thanRepublicans, but continuously elects Republicansstatewide. The Louisiana Democratic Party hasseemed to struggle in the last several years to find its footing andhave good people in good positiontorun for more offices to have greater strength in numbers. What’syour viewofthe Louisiana Democratic Party andthe prospects for the future?

CARTER: It’sa work in progress. The state party is awork in progress, very much like afootball team thatgetsnew coach and gets newplayers, they’re rebuilding. Our party is building. We have to broaden the tents to bring amorediverse group into it. We have to make our party look like the inclusive party that we are. And so we are in that rebuilding mode of redefining thatwe’rethe party of inclusion, the party thatisworking for the people.Not the party of the president, but the party of the people FIELDS: People arenot apathetic. They’re just uninspired. It’sour jobtoinspire people.They’re not active because they just need some inspiration. The Democratic Party hasa big agenda. Its tent is biggerthanthe other party’s. We want to start taking back statewide offices,state offices andlocal offices.The people have to be energized. It’sgoing to take allofusdoing ourparttomake thathappen.

An expandedversionofthis interview is available online

PROVIDED PHOTOByOFFICE OF U.S. CLEO FIELDS

Will Sutton

NewOrleans Forecast

SPORTS

Search for answers

Saints will start addressing question marks as camp gets underway

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Assemble the tailgate gear and get the Sunday outfits ready, football season is (almost) back in New Orleans.

The New Orleans Saints begin training camp Wednesday morning at their Airline Drive facility in Metairie, taking their most meaningful step toward the beginning of a 2025 season that will at the very least provide a glimpse of the franchise’s future

For a franchise that has been defined by its commitment to continuity the past 20 seasons, so much is new this time around: the head coach, the quarterback, the defensive scheme — heck, even the uniforms (the Saints are announcing something uniform related Tuesday).

So let’s have a quick refresher and look at some of the important questions that will be answered in the coming months, starting with the quarterback situation.

Who is it going to be?

The light drama regarding rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and his contract status with the Saints finally was resolved this past weekend, when the two sides agreed to a fully guaranteed four-year deal.

With that in the rearview, things can progress along the path they were supposed to with Shough competing with

second-year player Spencer Rattler for the right to start the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals in the Caesars Superdome on Sept. 7. It is far too early to say with any con-

fidence which player is going to win the job; both Shough and Rattler enjoyed some solid moments during the summer

Shaq’s likability fuels career as TV pitchman

RODNEY HO TheAtlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

ATLANTA When people say “Shaq is everywhere,” it’s hardly an exaggeration.

do that. Hopefully you remember the silly stuff.”

The NBA Hall of Fame center may have retired from basketball 14 years ago, but Shaquille O’Neal seamlessly has transformed himself into an amusing and likable pitchman for a wide variety of advertisers. Watch him dance at a high school prom with the animated cartoon general for The General Insurance. See him lead a cavalcade of warriors to fight pain for Icy Hot Giggle while he goofily cavorts, fully dressed, in a pool for Carnival Cruises. Get hungry while he hawks a cholesterol bomb Shaqa-Roni pizza for Papa John’s, packed with extra cheese and pepperoni.

“I try to use a lot of humor,” Shaq said. “I try to redefine how a commercial should be done When I do a commercial, I try not to just make it about selling stuff. Too many people

Mike Lewis, a marketing professor at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University in Atlanta who specializes in sports marketing, has done an annual survey of 50 to 60 celebrities over several years to gauge their popularity Three names pop up regularly as the most trustworthy: Dolly Parton, Dwayne

“The Rock” Johnson and Shaq.

“They’re all larger-than-life characters,” Lewis said. “They’re selfdeprecating, they’re funny and they have long histories of excellence.

“In some ways, all celebrities play a character Shaq’s character feels like it’s the real manifestation of who Shaq is.”

His prolific presence on TV is no illusion. ISpot, which tracks TV commercials, has more than 300 Shaq-related ads to view on its online portfolio going back three decades to his early days promoting Pepsi, Taco Bell and Reebok.

Personal investment

Shaq often invests in the companies he endorses. Beyond being a

Tulane

BY RASHAD MILLIGAN Staff writer

Tulane reportedly has a new quarterback on campus after former BYU player Jake Retzlaff transferred to play for the Green Wave as a walk-on this season, according to an ESPN report.

Retzlaff led BYU to an 11-2 record last season as he completed 213 of 368 pass attempts for 2,947 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The 6-foot-1 California native withdrew from BYU on July 11 after being accused of rape in May The alleged incident took place in 2023, and despite the lawsuit being dismissed on June 30 with both parties agreeing to dismiss “with prejudice,” Retzlaff still received a suspension from BYU for violating the school’s honor code of admitting to having premarital sex. According to the ESPN report, Retzlaff was recruited by Tulane coach Jon Sumrall when Sumrall was at Troy The quarterback reportedly has enrolled as a walk-on at Tulane this season because he left BYU after the

Karr community mourns death of Adams

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Edna Karr coaches and administrators remembered on Monday how Corey Adams proudly wore a blue suit and red tie that matched the Ole Miss school colors on the December day he signed with the college where he planned to play football.

They also remembered when Adams returned to the high school on July 5 so that the two-time all-state defensive lineman selection could collect his football state championship ring during a ceremony at the school.

Less than three weeks later, the 6-foot5, 250-pound Adams was gone, dead from a gunshot wound after Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputies found him in a car after a shooting just outside of Memphis, Tennessee.

The shooting occurred just minutes after Adams arrived outside of a pool party with roughly 100 or more attendees, chief deputy Anthony Buckner said during a video recording of a news conference Monday

“Corey was a good young man,” said Buckner, who noted that more than 40 rifle and pistol shell casings were found near the shooting that also wounded four other individuals with noncritical injuries. “He didn’t deserve this.”

“My son was not a bad child,” Chantrel Bernhart said at the news conference, as the mother of five pleaded for anybody who knew anything about the shooting to contact detectives. “He lived for football.”

Caden Adams, a rising senior offensive lineman on the Karr football team and one of Corey’s brothers, also attended the news conference and spoke.

“He just wanted to play football at Ole Miss and pursue his dream,” Caden said.

“He was a great person.”

Back at Karr, the 18-year-old Adams was remembered by coaches and administrators not only for his aggression and drive on the football field but also for the positive example he set in the hallways and in the classrooms at the school in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans.

“Seeing him play, and seeing him in the classroom, walking the hallways, I had the opportunity to see both sides,” Karr principal Tomika Washington said. “When it’s time for him to be locked in with his studies, it’s the same way he would be on the field.” Washington described Adams as “a

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints linebacker Demario Davis celebrates stopping Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders during the season opener on Sept. 8 at the Caesars Superdome.

O’Neal

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints coach Kellen Moore fist-bumps cornerback Quincy Riley during an OTA practice in Metairie on June 5.This is Moore’s first season as a head coach

PHOTO By ROSS D FRANKLIN

Retzlaff warms up prior to

against

Scheffler disagrees with fans

The British Open champion calls the comparison to Woods ‘a bit silly’

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland Another comparison between Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler surfaced during the final round of the British Open. This one wasn’t about numbers or trophies, but a fist pump.

Scheffler needed only one hour to expand his four-shot lead to seven shots with a steady diet of fairways and greens at Royal Portrush on Sunday, along with three birdie putts. But he missed his tee shot on the par-3 sixth and his chip was weak, leaving him a 15-foot par putt.

Scheffler fiercely pumped his fist when it dropped, evoking memories of Woods and his 15shot win at Pebble Beach in the 2000 U.S. Open.

Woods had a 12-foot par putt on the 16th hole of that final round, and it was the most emotion he showed all day when he made it He wanted a clean card and wound up going his final 26 holes bogey-free.

Woods was so utterly dominant that his only competition came from himself.

That’s how it felt with Scheffler when he won the claret jug for the third leg of the career Grand Slam.

Scheffler went 32 holes without a bogey until he took two shots to get out of a fairway bunker on No. 8 and got a double bogey

What stood out to Scheffler in his four-shot victory was the lack of bogeys, the core of his dominance.

“To only have one double — really one over-par hole in the last 36 holes of a major championship — that’s how you’re able to win these tournaments,” he said.

He won the British Open by four shots.

He won the PGA Championship in May by five shots.

He won by four in the 2024 Masters. Scheffler was five shots ahead on the final hole in his first Masters win in 2022 when he fourputted while simply trying to finish. There are plenty of numbers to consider starting with his position at No. 1 in the world. No one has held it longer since Woods.

Scheffler and Woods are the only players in the last 50 years to win two majors in the same year by at least four shots Amateur researchers at the PGA Tour discovered how Scheffler and Woods each went 1,197 days between

winning their first and fourth majors. Regardless, Scheffler is fed up over the comparisons.

“I still think they’re a bit silly,” he said. “Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there. I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf. He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf.”

For majors alone, a better comparison would be with Rory McIlroy

He also won four majors in three years, including two of them in 2014.

McIlroy won a U.S. Open and a PGA Championship by eight shots, the latter a record margin.

And then he went 11 years without a major Greatness in golf is also about longevity.

Scheffler won for the fourth time this year and now has 20

victories worldwide. He has won 11 straight times with the 54-hole lead.

The 29-year-old from Texas was introduced as champion golfer of the year, a title the R&A has used for more than a century Scheffler at this rate might be champion golfer of his generation.

And to think he was slowed at the start of the year recovering from a puncture wound on his right hand that he got while trying to cut ravioli with a wine glass.

The year’s top highlight still might be McIlroy winning the Masters amid tense drama to finally complete the Grand Slam.

That was his third win of the season, following The Players Championship and Pebble Beach. McIlroy, however, sounded almost dismissive about them Sunday evening.

“I also had the three wins when Scottie wasn’t quite on his game,” he said.

Also driving the comparisons to Woods are high praise from just

about everyone who has had to face Scheffler since that first win in 2022.

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

Any hesitation about comparisons besides the 15-4 tally in majors, as Scheffler is quick to point out — is their style of play Woods was as dynamic as he was relentless, especially with recovery shots.

Scheffler doesn’t have that many because he’s rarely out of position. Woods was groomed for stardom when he appeared on “The Mike Douglas Show” at age 2. Scheffler never cared about anything other than playing golf and getting better at it.

“I don’t focus on that kind of stuff,” Scheffler said of the comparisons.

“That’s not what motivates me. I’m not motivated by winning championships. I don’t look at the beginning of the year and just say, ‘I want to win X amount of tournaments.’ I don’t do that.”

Italy’s one win away from Women’s Euro final

Progress is three years after players allowed to become pros

BY DANIELLA MATAR AP sportswriter

Italy is one win away from reaching the final of the Women’s European Championship, but just three years ago its players couldn’t even get professional contracts in their own country Little wonder veteran captain Cristiana Girelli was in tears after her two goals inspired Italy to a 2-1 victory over Norway last week, and a first semifinal appearance at the tournament in 28 years.

The Azzurre plays defending champion England next on Tuesday in Geneva.

“It’s a great joy to be among the top four in Europe and it is a happiness that we want to share because we know how important it is to bring home the results in Italy and especially for the new generations,” Girelli said, after again wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Because obviously we do this for our glory but there is a much deeper meaning, which we certainly want to bring, which is that in Italy women can play soccer too.” Of course they can, although they couldn’t hope to make a lot of money for it until 2022 after years of amateur-only status. It was in April of that year that

the executive board of the sport’s national federation approved new regulations to open the way for a women’s professional era starting July 1 — in time for the following Serie A season. A 1981 Italian law had limited female players to amateur status, meaning they couldn’t earn more than 30,000 euros ($32,000) per year before taxes

Benefits such as social security contributions, an end-of-career fund, pension, medical protection for injuries and maternity leave were a distant dream.

The 35-year-old Girelli and many of her national teammates have

experienced the change firsthand, with several of them having had to do hospitality jobs to support their soccer careers.

“There were difficult years where we really suffered a lot,” Girelli said.

The push to make the women’s game professional in Italy followed the national team’s surprise run to the quarterfinals of the 2019 Women’s World Cup. It was also helped by the big clubs — Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Roma and Lazio — starting to invest more in their women’s teams. Progress has been slower than

Venus Williams returns in doubles match victory

Venus Williams competed in a tournament for the first time in over a year and in doubles for the first time in nearly three at the DC Open on Monday

The 45-year-old Williams, owner of 21 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles, displayed her trademark power on some strokes while teaming with Hailey Baptiste for a 6-3, 6-1 victory against 2014 Wimbledon runnerup Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue.

Her most recent match had been at the Miami Open in March 2024.

Throughout her carrer, Williams acquired seven major singles trophies — five at Wimbledon, two at the U.S. Open — and an additional 14 in doubles with her younger sister, Serena, plus four Olympic gold medals.

Azinger selected to receive PGA Payne Stewart Award

Paul Azinger is getting what he considers the greatest honor of his career He was announced Monday as recipient of the Payne Stewart Award that recognizes traits belonging to his closest friend on the PGA Tour

The award began in 2000, a year after Stewart died in a plane crash. It has become one of the top awards in golf, with a ceremony televised live from Atlanta during the Tour Championship in August.

Azinger is a 12-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 1993 PGA Championship that he won in a playoff. He is equally known for reshaping the Ryder Cup qualification system and leading the Americans to a rare victory against Europe in 2008. Now, he works as a television analyst for the PGA.

Titans QB Levis to undergo season-ending surgery

Tennessee quarterback Will Levis will have season-ending shoulder surgery, keeping him from competing for playing time in his third season with the Titans.

The Titans announced Monday that Levis made his decision after consulting with doctors and his representatives. The quarterback started 12 games in 2024 after spraining the AC joint in his right, throwing shoulder Sept. 30 against Miami while diving for a first down. Levis’ surgery is scheduled for July 29.

Coach Brian Callahan rotated quarterbacks during the offseason with no current starter announced. No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Cam Ward, is expected to be the starter when the Titans open the regular season Sept. 7 at Denver

Paul returns to Clippers for expected final season

Chris Paul is rejoining the Los Angeles Clippers for what’s expected to be the point guard’s 21st and final NBA season.

ä England vs. Italy

2 P.M.TUESDAy,FOX

in the countries of its traditional soccer rivals — such as England, France and Spain — but Italy is showing signs that it is catching up on the international stage.

Under coach Andrea Soncin, Italy is proving it can go toe-to-toe with the top teams, culminating in its first semifinal match at the European tournament since a run to the 1997 final.

“It’s something magical,” Girelli said. “But to tell you the truth I have felt something special in the air since I arrived in Switzerland, since the coach took charge of this team I felt something special.

“And you know, women are never wrong with their feelings,” she continued with a wry smile.

While it hasn’t quite reached fever pitch back home, 2.4 million television viewers in Italy — a 16.2% audience share watched the team’s match against Norway and that’s likely to be even more for the semifinals.

“We hope this love, this affection, this atmosphere that’s coming to us from Italy doesn’t disappear,” Girelli said. “I really hope that with all my heart because we struggled to get here.

“We’ve reached something amazing, something extraordinary, and however it goes, I really hope it continues to feed this passion, this love for us.”

The team confirmed Monday afternoon that Paul had signed. The 12-time All-Star was a free agent after playing all 82 games for the San Antonio Spurs last season, becoming the first NBA player to do so in his 20th season or later He averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 assists while shooting 43% from the floor Paul joins a veteran roster that includes new additions guard Bradley Beal, forward John Collins and center Brook Lopez. Paul made five All-Star teams from 2012 to 2017 and his 4,023 assists are still the most in franchise history

Phillies sign right-hander Robertson to one-year deal

The Philadelphia Phillies have signed right-hander David Robertson to a $15.7 million, one-year contract, prorated to $6 million through the end of the regular season, to bolster their bullpen in a bid to outlast the New York Mets and win a second straight NL East title. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced the move Monday, optioning the 40-year-old reliever to Triple-A Lehigh Valley Robertson has a $15,718,310

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANCISCO SECO

Scottie Scheffler of the United States kisses the trophy after winning the British Open at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland on Sunday Scheffler posted a total of 17 under for the tournament.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO

Italy’s Cristiana Girelli, center right, celebrates after scoring her side’s second goal during the Women’s Euro quarterfinals match against Norway at Stade de Geneve in Geneva Switzerland on Wednesday.

Hamlin climbing NASCAR wins list without a title

BY DAN GELSTON AP sports writer

DOVER, Del. — Denny Hamlin has stood his ground that wins — enough of them to soon earn his place inside NASCAR’s career top10 list matter more to his legacy than a championship.

Easy to say, of course, with 58 race victories compared to zero titles.

The 44-year-old Hamlin, still driving the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing as he’s done since his rookie season in 2006, is motivated to reach the top 10 this season over the final 15 races of the Cup season. Kevin Harvick is 10th on the career list with 60 and Kyle Busch, still active with Richard Childress Racing, is ninth with 63, giving Hamlin realistic numbers to shoot for the rest of the season.

Best to take advantage at tracks where he’s had success, such as Dover Motor Speedway, where he won Sunday for the second straight year and third time overall, compared with a track like this weekend’s race on the Indianapolis oval, where Hamlin is 0 for 16.

“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to go back-to-back so bad,” Hamlin said of Dover “(Indy’s) a track that I’ve just come so fricking close to winning. I just want to cross off all the major racetracks on our schedule.”

Hamlin is a driver who thrives in the chaos like few others in the series. His win at Dover came days after the race team he owns with Michael Jordan suffered a setback in its court fight with NASCAR. He insisted ahead of the race that the legal issues never caused a distraction for him in the race car, then proved it on the mile concrete track with a series-best fourth win of the season.

Maybe more dark clouds — like the ones that opened up Sunday, causing a rain delay just laps ahead of the scheduled finish — can fuel Hamlin at Indy

“All I can hope is that something happens this week that derails ev-

Continued from page 1C

brand ambassador for Papa Johns, he owns Papa Johns franchises and spent five years on the board of directors before last year

Shaq said he likes to be actively involved with his advertisers on both a creative and strategic level, and he even holds an annual summit for them.

“I’m big on teamwork and championships,” he said: “As the ad agency, they’re the point guards. I read the copy, Shaq-ify it and, as the center, I deliver It’s totally a team effort.”

The General Insurance is a prime example of Shaq’s impact. He has helped expand the brand awareness of The General, which focuses on high-risk drivers. He recalled using The General when he was at LSU and said the company took good care of him. A quarter-century later he wanted to return the favor

“It was the first insurance I had before I became the Shaq-ster,” he said. “Now I’m the Shaq-ster, you want me to switch up and go with the big boys? I’m staying with The

erything and then I’ll do better,” Hamlin said.

Hamlin then turned to a NASCAR employee and cracked, “Maybe it’ll come from them.”

Can Hamlin realistically get to 60 in 2025? He won eight times in 2010, six times in 2019 and seven in 2020, all totals that would get him to 60 this year

“When you get him in a situation where he’s got the ball in his hands and it’s time to go win the race, he finds a way to do that most times,” crew chief Chris Gayle said.

It’s a fitting analogy for a race team owned by a former NFL coach At his pace, Hamlin remains a contender to cash in this November at Phoenix Raceway and win his first NASCAR championship — even if he lost out on the $1 million prize in the series’ first In-Season Challenge.

$1 million is on the line

The idea for the challenge largely was championed by Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner who floated the idea of a midseason tournament on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast. When NASCAR bought into the idea and announced the creation of the tournament last year, Hamlin called the tournament on social media “such a win for our sport and drivers.” He jokingly added, “I will collect my 1M royalty next season.”

Hamlin earned the No. 1 seed and was promptly eliminated in the first race by Ty Dillon, the No. 32 seed.

Dillon faces Ty Gibbs next week at Indianapolis to decide the first winner of the tournament.

Hamlin said the five-race, bracket-style tournament overall was a success — but not without a few kinks. Some of the seeding was off, such as Shane van Gisbergen not qualifying for the field, then ripping off consecutive wins on the Chicago street race and Sonoma Raceway during the tournament races.

And sure, everyone loves a Cin-

General.”

Rob Jenners, who produced a podcast with Shaq and radio host John Kincade for several years out of Atlanta, recalled Shaq meeting The General’s CEO, Randy Parker, for the first time in 2016 to tape a special podcast for employees

“They had these formal questions written out on a piece of paper,” Jenners said. “Shaq took the paper from them and put it on the table. ‘I just want you to talk to me. This isn’t an interview Let’s talk about what you do, why it helps people and how I can help get the message out.’ ”

Since then, Shaq has created dozens of ads for The General, the latest featuring him with musician T-Pain, who is known for his use of auto-tune That is the source of humor in the ad.

Chauncey Citchens, director of marketing for The General, said T-Pain is often misjudged and underestimated — similar to The General and Shaq had fun with that dynamic.

“They made a good pairing,”

she said.

The best part of being on set with Shaq she said, is when he goes off script: “That’s when

Skubal making a strong case for another Cy Young

BY NOAH TRISTER AP baseball writer

It’s been a quarter-century since an American League pitcher won back-to-back Cy Young Awards. It takes a pretty special pitcher to pull that off, but Tarik Skubal fits the bill. Skubal showed why he’s the favorite to win the Cy Young for a second straight year, striking out 11 with no walks Sunday night in Detroit’s 2-1 victory over Texas. If the Cy Young goes to him, he’ll be the first AL pitcher to earn it in back-to-back seasons since Pedro Martinez’s remarkable stretch with the Red Sox in 1999 and 2000.

Roger Clemens won consecutive Cy Youngs on two different occasions (1986-87 and 1997-98), and Jim Palmer did it in 1975-76. Those are the only AL pitchers besides Martinez to pull that off. It’s been a bit more common in the National League: Greg Maddux (199295) and Randy Johnson (19992002) both won four straight, and Tim Lincecum (2008-09), Clayton Kershaw (2013-14), Max Scherzer (2016-17) and Jacob deGrom (2018-19) are in the two-in-a-row club.

All-Star Game didn’t go great either with Skubal giving up two runs in the first inning and Tigers teammate Casey Mize allowing a homer in the sixth. Skubal, however, pitched well enough on Sunday to take over the AL lead in ERA. He’s at 2.1854, while Boston’s Garrett Crochet is at 2.1946.

Double repeat?

Not only does Skubal have a shot at winning two straight Cy Young Awards, but last year’s AL MVP — Aaron Judge — has a good chance to repeat as well.

Only three times has a league had back-to-back winners of both its MVP and Cy Young — and all three times it happened in the NL. Albert Pujols was MVP and Lincecum won the Cy Young in 2008 and 2009. Barry Bonds was MVP in 2001 and 2002 while Johnson was winning the Cy Young. Bonds also was MVP in 1992 and 1993 while Maddux was taking Cy Young honors. Line of the week

derella in March But two in July

isn’t necessarily making the tournament the NASCAR story of the summer

“I think it has been unfortunate, right, you probably had a lot of the top seeds get knocked out pretty early in it, but overall, I thought the implementation of it has been good,” Hamlin said.

The other side of the argument is this: Would any fan or media outlet really care about a pair of winless drivers such as Gibbs (the sixth seed) or Dillon at this point of the season without $1 million at stake?

“For a team like us, at this point in the season, we’re not exactly where we want to be yet, but we’re trending in a good direction,” Dillon said on TNT “Our story doesn’t get told in years past. It’s mainly the guys trying to fight for the points position It’s the guys running up front, trying to win the race. But our story and our growth in the year stops getting told. I’m grateful we’ve been able to show our personality as a team.”

How they fared

Dillon had luck on his side during his run, with his lone top-10 finish coming in the first race in Atlanta. He advanced in that race after Hamlin crashed out and finished 31st. Dillon twice has finished 20th, including at Dover He has a best finish of 13th in five career races on the Indy oval.

Gibbs, the grandson of team owner and football and NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, and Dillon have failed to win in a combined 374 Cup races. Dillon has only two career top-five finishes in a career that dates to 2014. The 22-year-old Gibbs has a much better pedigree, winning the 2022 Xfinity Series title, a series in which he was a 12-time winner. He has six top 10s already this season and could make NASCAR’s playoffs on points.

Gibbs has three straight top 10s in the tournament, including a fifth-place finish at Dover Gibbs finished 23rd on the Indy oval last season.

the magic happens. We give him space to just be himself.”

Where it all started

Shaq has a clear memory of his first TV ad, which was seen by tens of millions of people: a 1994 Pepsi commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. He enters a basketball court and finds out the cooler has no Pepsi. He approaches a kid and is about to grab the boy’s Pepsi, but the kid — with an impish grin on his face — says, “Don’t even think about it.”

But his off-court exploits for a time were more focused on other areas.

In 1994 he released “Shaq Fu,” a Sega video game that flopped. His 1996 comedy film “Kazaam,” in which he played a genie, is still the butt of jokes. He also released four rap albums and contributed bars for Michael Jackson.

“Shaq came into the league as a giant and kind of an angry guy,” said Steve Koonin, a former TBS/TNT executive who is now chief executive officer of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. “He wanted to be a rapper He wanted to be Super-

National Leaguer Sandy Koufax won the Cy Young in 1965 and 1966, back when there was only one award for both leagues. The win Sunday snapped a six-game losing streak for the Tigers, who still have baseball’s best record and an 11game lead in the AL Central. Not only has Detroit struggled to win games lately, but the

ADAMS

Continued from page 1C

very quiet storm” for how the soft-spoken student showed the bolder side of his personality while he was on the football field. Adams made great strides during his time at Karr, going from a player who frequently made mistakes to one whom other teammates leaned on for advice.

“In his first year he would always mess up,” Karr athletic director and defensive coordinator Taurus Howard said. “And I would be like, ‘Corey, come here, come here.’ And before I could get to him, he was already beating himself up, like, ‘My bad, coach. My bad. I knew I should have done this.’

“And once he would get to you, he would beat himself up so bad, you would be like, ‘Go back out there.’ “ Adams completed his high school playing career not only as a two-time all-state selection by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association but also as the Class 5A defensive player of the year when he was as senior District 9-5A coaches also selected Adams as the defensive MVP Adams ended his senior season with 62 tackles that included 19 sacks, along with four forced fumbles.

“I can remember the Catholic High game, to see him make the tackles on the quarterback when we needed them the most,” said

man. Today, he’s America’s teddy bear I think his success off the court has been as powerful as his success on the court. He’s just a wonderful guy.”

But even Shaq has occasionally missed a basket.

For about a year he was a spokesman for the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which went belly-up in 2022. Shareholders sued, and earlier this year, Shaq agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle a class-action lawsuit.

“I think with a fraud case, it will all come down to the nature of the fraud and whether consumers hold the spokespeople culpable,” Lewis said. “Off hand, I can’t think of an example where a corporate scandal harmed an endorser’s brand equity.”

Shaq runs an active charity foundation and generates occasional stories about his random acts of generosity In 2021, for instance, Shaq was caught on video paying for an engagement ring for a guy he saw at a Zales, no questions asked.

“I’m into making people happy,” O’Neal said on “Inside the NBA” when asked about it “I didn’t mean for that to get out because I don’t do it for that.”

Miami’s Kyle Stowers, who hit three homers on June 13 in the final game before the All-Star break, added two more in the Marlins’ first game back Friday night. One of those was a tworun, walk-off shot that gave Miami an 8-7 win over Kansas City Honorable mention goes to Minnesota right-handed pitcher Joe Ryan, who allowed one run in seven innings and struck out 11 in a 7-1 win over Colorado on Sunday The All-Star lowered his ERA to 2.63.

InspireNOLA chief executive officer Jamar McKneely, also a former receivers coach at Karr “Or in the state championship game, knocking down passes. He was already that leader, to say that if anybody was going to take the lead, he was willing to take the lead to be the leader that everyone needs.” Adams completed high school soon enough for him to enroll early at Ole Miss, where he attended classes and participated in practices in the spring.

He returned home in May for the Karr graduation ceremony held at Xavier University, where guidance counselor Neisha Riley walked with Adams after the ceremony to their cars.

“We were talking and my last words to him were, ‘Go be great,’ ” she said. “He’s like, ‘I am. I can’t wait.’ ”

Counselor Royce Hooks recalled the pride with which Adams expressed about being named to the dean’s list.

“What keeps playing in my mind,” said Howard, the defensive coordinator, “was you could tell that he was appreciative of how we molded him to be the young man that he is Not because he said it, but because of his attitude.”

The last exchange between the two came when Adams left the ring ceremony earlier this month

“All right, man, keep working hard,” Howard remembered telling him. “He’d be like, ‘All right coach. I love you, coach.’ He would constantly say that to everyone he loved.”

No politics

He also maintains a largely apolitical public face. He admitted on a podcast to voting for the first time in 2020 while refusing to say who he voted for

“My thought is that if you are not an expert on it or if you haven’t been doing it, don’t do it,” he told CNBC in 2020. Justin Pettigrew, a Kennesaw State University professor of public relations, said in such divisive political times, taking such a stance “certainly makes him more appealing to a broader audience.”

Shaq’s life philosophy is simple: Keep hustling.

“I enjoy working,” he said. “I enjoy the opportunity. My grandfather told me something one time. I was complaining about something stupid and he said, ‘It could be worse.’ I take those words to heart. I’m grateful to still be working and still be in demand.” But is there such a thing as too much Shaq?

“The way he has built his brand he can probably do 10 more things and it wouldn’t feel like he’s wearing his name out,” Lewis said. “He has a knack for bringing people into the joke.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOOT By DERIK HAMILTON

Denny Hamlin celebrates in victory lane after winning a NASCAR race at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday in Dover, Del.

NFL

NO SACKSGET PAST JOHNSON

TheEaglesright tackle’s performanceanchors No.1offensive tackle spot in theNFL

BY ROBMAADDI AP pro football writer

Lane Johnson didn’tallow a sackin2024, anchoring one of the NFL’s best offensive line units and helping the Philadelphia Eagles win their second SuperBowl

The six-time Pro Bowl pick and two-time All-Prowas selected the No. 1offensive tackle in apreseasonsurvey by The Associated Press.

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

First-place votes wereworth 10 points. Secondthrough fifthplace votes were worth 5, 3, 2and 1points. Johnson, who plays right tackle, received three first-place votes andfour thirds.

Teammate Jordan Mailata, who plays the left side, also got three

first-place votes. Penei Sewell and Trent Williams also received one first apiece. Mailata finished second and TristanWirfs cameinthird,followedbySewelland Williams. Rashawn Slater,Laremy Tunsil and Dion Dawkins alsoreceived votes.

1. LANE JOHNSON, Eagles Johnsonhas establishedhimselfasone of the greatest right tackles in NFL history sincethe Eaglesselected him No. 4overall in the 2013 draft Johnson helped pave the way for Saquon Barkley’srecordsetting rushingseason and protected Jalen Hurts. He’sbeen adominantforce on theright side and avaluable team leader for Philadelphia.

2. JORDAN MAILATA, Eagles

Mailata had neverplayed Americanfootballbefore the Ea-

Lindstromnow above radarastop interior OL

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro footballwriter

Chris Lindstrom has spent much of his six-year careerunder the radar playing foranAtlanta team that hasn’t madethe postseason since 2017.

But Lindstrom’s playdeserves much more attention as his ability to create holesinthe run game and protectthe passer is akey part to Atlanta’s offensive production. Lindstrom has been the top-graded guard by Pro Football Focus for threestraight seasons and has won the honor of being voted the top interior offensive linemaninthe league by TheAssociated Press.

But Lindstrom really shines at run blocking when his ability to get in space on zone runs has helped fuel Bijan Robinson’ssuccess.

2. JOETHUNEY, Bears

Apanel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players among guards andcenters, basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season. First-place votes wereworth 10 points. Second through fifthplace votes were worth 5, 3, 2and 1points Lindstrom got three first placevotes, two seconds and one third to beat out JoeThuney for the top spot.

Thuney,who was traded from Kansas City to Chicago this offseason, got two first-place votes, one second, three thirdsand one fourth to finish second. Kansas City centerCreed Humphrey got two first-place votes and finished third and Denver’sQuinn Meinerzgot the other first-place vote and came in fourth. Indianapolis’ Quenton Nelson rounded out the top five. Baltimore Tyler Linderbaum Philadelphia’sLandon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens, Baltimore’s Daniel Faaleleand recently retired former Detroitcenter Frank Ragnow also received votes.

1. CHRISLINDSTROM,Falcons

Lindstrom has allowed just threesacks and 37 pressures on true pass sets the past three seasons, according to PFF,and has been asteady presence on Atlanta’soffense.

Thuney has been one of the top guards in the league ever since being draftedbyNew England in 2016. He has been afirst-team All-Pro the past two seasons in Kansas City and helped theChiefs and Patriots reach the Super Bowl sixtimes in his nine seasons. Thuney was forced to move outtotacklelatelastseason for Kansas City,but will be back at guard as akey piece in Chicago following on offseason trade.

3. CREEDHUMPHREY,Chiefs

TheChiefs were willing to part with Thuney in part because they were strong at the other interior spots led by Humphreyatcenter

Humphrey has taken the mantle from Jason Kelce as thetop center in the league and made first-team All-Pro for the first time last season. Humphrey hasn’tmissed a game in four seasons and excels at bothrun and pass blocking.

4. QUINNMEINERZ,Broncos

After being drafted in the third round from Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2021, Meinerz has made steady progress each season and earnedfirst-team AllPro honors in 2024 to getonthis list

Meinerzallowed just 12 pressureslastseason, accordingto PFF,and is aviolent blocker in the run game.

5. QUENTONNELSON, Colts

Nelson’splayhas droppeda little in recent years but the 29-year-oldisstill one of the top guards in the league.

He wasanAll-Pro hisfirst three seasons afterbeing drafted sixthoverall in 2018 and earned second-team All-Pro honors for thesecond time in his career last season. Nelson has made thePro Bowl allseven seasons.

gles drafted the Australian rugby star in the seventh round of the 2018 draft.

Under offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland’sguidance, he’sbecome one of the best in the game. APro Bowl snub in 2024, Mailata earned second-team All-Pro honors. He got one second-place vote, one third and one fifthtogo with the three firsts.

3. TRISTANWIRFS,Bucs

Wirfs, who switched from right tackle to left in 2023, became the first player selected an All-Proat both tackle spots. He made it at right tacklein2021 and earned thespot on the left side lastyear Wirfswas theanchorofanoffensive line thathelped Tampa Bay finish fourth in rushing last season. He got five second-place votes,two thirds and one fifth.

4. PENEISEWELL, Lions

Sewell beat outJohnsonfor

first-team All-Pro last season despite adownyear as apass blocker

He excelled as arun protector but allowed pressure on 4.7% of pass plays, per Pro Football Focus.

Sewell, who moved fromleft tackle to theright side afew years ago, is athree-time Pro Bowl pick andtwo-time All-Pro. He gottwo second-place votes, four fourths and one fifth along with the one first.

5. TRENTWILLIAMS, 49ers

Williams is coming off an injury-plagued season but remains oneofthe best left tackles in the NFL.

He’s an 11-time Pro Bowlpick and was an All-Pro three straight seasons before missing seven games last year He receivedone third-place vote,two fourths andone fifth to go withhis onefirst.

Chiefs’Jones vitaltoseven AFCtitle gamesinarow

Thedefensive tackle earnstop interior defensivelineman

BY JOSHDUBOW AP pro football writer

Theone main constantonKansas City’s defense during arun of seven straight appearances in the AFC title gamehas been defensive tackle Chris Jones.

While Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have carried the offense, Jones hasdonethe same on the defensive end for the Chiefs with his knack of creatingpressure at keymoments playing a crucial roleinKansas City’s success. That helped Jones win thehonor of being voted the top interior defensive lineman in the league by The Associated Press.

Apanel of eightAPPro Football

Writers rankedthe top five playersatinterior defensive line, 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. Jones got seven of the eight first-place votes to go with one second towin the voting easily

Twoother playerswereonall eight ballots with Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants getting theother first-place vote to come in secondand Philadelphia’sJalen Carter finishing third Pittsburgh’sCam Heyward finishedfourth andQuinnenWilliams of the Jets came in fifth. Seattle’sLeonard Williams Tennessee’sJeffery Simmons, Denver’sZach Allen andCarolina’sDerrickBrown alsoreceived votes.

1. CHRISJONES,Chiefs

Jones’ sack totaloffive last season was hislowest sincehis rookie season in 2016 but he still earned his thirdstraight All-Pro selection after finishing second

Bengals likely missing twoDEs

Cincinnatifaces uncertaintyahead of training camp

BY JOE REEDY AP sports writer

CINCINNATI Coach Zac Taylor hopes Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart will be his starting defensive ends when the Bengals open the season on Sept. 7atCleveland.

The odds of both players being on the field when training camp practices open Wednesday are slim Stewart,the 17th overallpickin April’sdraft, didnot report with the rest of Cincinnati’srookies Saturday. The Bengals’ veterans, including Hendrickson, are scheduled to report Tuesday “Those twoguys are guys Ihave tremendous regard for.Trey and Shemar,wewouldn’thave them here if we didn’tbelieve in them as people andplayers,”owner Mike BrownsaidonMonday.“Things like this happeninthe NFL. We acceptit. We don’tinternalize it We’re not trying to hold grudges or anything like that. We have to do what’sbest for our football team. If Ithought we were being unfair in ways, it would be adifferent story.But Idon’t.”

Taylor said he talked to Hendrickson acouple of days ago, but wasn’t sure if he wouldsee him this week.

Hendrickson was an All-Pro selection last season after he led the league with171/2 sacks. He did not attend last month’smandatory minicamp, but did make an appearance during an offseason workout in May to vent his frustrations about negotiations.

among all interiordefensive linemen with 74 pressures in the regular season, according to Pro FootballFocus. Jones’ 72 sacks over the past seven seasons rank tied forfifthoverallinthat span andtiedwith Aaron Donald for themost among interior linemen.

2. DEXTER LAWRENCE,Giants

While most of the other players who got votes at interior defensive lineare “3 technique” tackles wholine up on the outside shoulder of the guards, Lawrence mostly plays nose tackle directly over the center

Those players are typically run stoppers since it is easier to double-team them in the pass game butLawrence thrives at both. He had acareer-high nine sacks in 12 games last season and his 103pressures when lined up as anose tackle the past three seasons are 80 more than any other player,according to PFF

3. JALENCARTER, Eagles

Carter was the anchor of Philadelphia’sSuper Bowl-winning defense last season. He has 101/2 sacksand 102 total pressuresinthe regular season in hisfirst two years, according to PFF, and helps free up the edge rushersfor theEaglesbecause he warrantssomany double teams.

4. CAMHEYWARD,Steelers

Heyward has shownnosigns of aging as headsinto this season at age 36.

He hadeight sacks last season whenheearnedhis fourthfirstteam All-Pro selection.

He has631/2 sacks and 91 tackles for loss in the past eight seasons, earning Pro Bowlbids in seven of them.

5. QUINNENWILLIAMS, Jets

Williams’ production dipped last season as theJets’ defense struggled overall but he has been aconsistent performer since being drafted third overall in 2019. He still has 176 pressuresand 231/2 sacks thepast three seasons.

Hendrickson is seeking alongterm extensionwith an amount of guaranteed money that matches what theleague’s top pass rushers are earning. He is scheduled to earn $15.8 million in base salary and has acap number of $18.7 million.

“He’s earneda raise andanextension, and we’ll continue to see if we can cometogether on something,” director of player personnel Duke Tobin said.

Tobin took an opposite approach in discussing Stewart, who is the only first-round pickwho hasn’t signed.

The Bengals and Stewart are deadlockedovercontract language that couldvoid futureguarantees if there are any off-field incidents.

Other teams have had that language, but this is the first time Cincinnati is trying to include that provision with afirst-round pick.

“It’savery peculiar thing, it isn’t aboutmoney. That’s beenagreed to for months,” Brown said. “Itis anegotiation that has reached the level of, Ican only think of aword Ishouldn’tuse here, but it’ssilliness. We’ll have to waituntil we get abetterresult. Ithink eventually that’sgoing to happen.”

The twosides have been at odds since Stewart was drafted on April 24. Stewart did not sign an injury waiver to practice with teammates during offseason workouts while still unsigned, arare move by a rookie player

“I think Shemar needs to be here. The number one thing ayoung player candoishavea fast start andhaveagood rookie season That normally translates into a long productive NFL career and he needs to be here getting to work on it,” Tobin said. Tobin tried to deflect blaming Stewart, instead going afterhis agent, Zac Hiller

“He’slistening to the advice that he’spaying for. Idon’tunderstand or believe or agreewith theadvice. But I’m not the one paying for it,” Tobin said. “If Ithought we were treating him unfairlyasitrelates to allthe otherdraftpicks in this year’sdraft, then maybe it’d be adifferent story. Butwe’re not. Again, Idon’tfully understand where things are there.”

Hiller said in atext message to The Associated Press: “Duke Tobin has had no involvement in this negotiation. It seemstobeabove his pay grade.”

Lindstrom

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CHRIS SZAGOLA

Philadelphia Eagles tackleLane Johnson blocks againstthe LosAngeles Rams on Jan. 19 in Philadelphia.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO By DOUGBENC

Philadelphia Eagles offensivetackle Jordan Mailata blocks against the Kansas CityChiefs during Super Bowl LIX on Feb.9 in NewOrleans.

Jones

Lawrence

Jonessays‘nothing new’ on contract talkswithParsons

BY DANGREENSPAN

Associated Press

OXNARD,Calif. Given that the Dallas Cowboyshave gone 29 seasons since appearing inanNFC championshipgame —the longest drought in the conference owner Jerry Jones has found himself occasionally considering whether to step down as general manager “Yes, momentary,” Jonessaid Monday.“Small fractionsofseconds, Ipromise you.” With his player personnel duties seemingly not changing anytime soon,Jones remains focused on how to get the Cowboys back to the Super Bowl. That seemsunlikely tohappen anytime soon without ahappy, healthy and productive Micah Parsons in the fold, and the star defender’scontract dispute was the primary topic of discussion Monday before the start of training camp.

“There’snothing new about what we’re talking about here todayrelativetocontracts.That’s been going on along time now,” Jones said.

It’sthe second straight offseason where financial dealings with standout playersrisk overshadowing the Cowboys’ football preparations.

Quarterback Dak Prescott participated in trainingcamplast year before getting anew contract before the start of theseason that made him the NFL’s highestpaid player at the time.Wide receiver CeeDee Lambheldout of camp before receiving anew $136 million, four-year contract with $100 million guaranteed in August. Those protracteddealings came ahead of a7-10 season that marked the end of Mike McCarthy’sfive-year run as coach.

Parsons had 12 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 13 games, the

lowesttallies of his fourseasons in Dallas in each category.The 26-year-old defensive end is at camp,somethingJones appreciates, but it isn’tclear whether Parsons will participate in the first practice onTuesday.Heisgoing into the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, and the Cowboys could apply thefranchise tag in 2026 on him.

Jones said he had not negotiated directly with Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, though Cowboys executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones later clarifiedthatheistypically theone who handles such discussions.

“Obviously,wedon’thave adeal with Micah, and we have work to do. That’sthe onlything Iwould comment on,” Stephen Jones said when asked what was holding up apotential deal.

Jerry Jones doesn’tbelieve a likely Parsons hold-in would affect the team’sdevelopment during camp, whichruns through Aug. 14.

“I’m not concerned at all about whatour teamcan be thisyear, and develop and develop into, andwhatwemake of our training camp,” Jones said.“I’m not at allconcernedabout acontract that involves andwillaffectthat in any way.Ican’temphasize that enough.”

The ever-loquacious Jones alternatedbetween praising Parsons’ business acumen and pointing out he dealt with an injury forthe first time in his career,missing four games because of ahigh ankle sprain.

The 82-year-old Jones said he still enjoysmaking player personnel decisions, even against the backdrop of constantcriticism as theCowboys have wonfive playoff games in the past 29 seasons.

“I likeitthis way,and if you watch this (upcoming documentary on) Netflix, you’ll see Igave every frigging thing in my life and then exposed probably two or threetimes thattoget to sit up here,” Jones said.“Listen,listen, Ihaven’tworked in 35 years. I’ve had the damnedest run and the mostfun that you could ever imagine.”

WhiteHouse says Trumpis‘serious’ aboutRedskinsname

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Aday after Donald Trumpthreatened to hold up adeal for anew football stadium in the nation’scapital if the Washington Commanders didnot go back to the name Redskins, White House press secretary KarolineLeavitt said the president’scomments were not ajoke.

“The president was serious,” Leavitt told reporters Monday whileanswering questions on the White House driveway.“Sports is one of the many passions of this president, and he wants to see the name of that team changed.”

Asked why he’sgetting involved, Leavitt called Trump a“nontraditional president”and said sports fans are behind him on this.

“I think you’ve seenthe president gets involved in alot of things that most presidents have not,” Leavitt said. “He’sa nontraditional president. He likes tosee results on behalf of the American people and, if you actually poll this issue with sports fans across the country,and even in this city, people actually do support the president’sposition on this and the name change.” After Congress passed abilllate last year to transfer land from the federal government to the District of Columbia, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and theteamreached an agreement in Apriltobuild on the site of the old RFK Stadium. That is still pending approval by the Council of the District of Columbia. “I think the thing thatweshould focus on in D.C. is doing ourpart,” Bowser said. “I have worked for the better part of 10 years to get our part completed, includinggetting control of the land, coming to an agreement with the team and advancing afantastic agreement to the council, so we need to do our part.”

Keyplayers eagertomake comeback afterinjuries

BY LARRYLAGE AP sportswriter

ALLEN PARK,Mich. AidanHutchinson put his left hand down in a three-point stance, and on the snap, he made an inside move on an offensive tackle to help collapse apocket around the passer Hutchinson looked like he did on mostplays in practice and games during his first two-plus seasons with the Detroit Lions

The only obvious difference was ablack sleevethatcovered and supported muchofhis surgically repaired left leg. Hutchinson appeared to practice without any limitations on Sunday,when Detroit kicked off training camp withits first practice. That was agood sign for him and afranchise that desperately needs him to regainthe spectacular formhehad before breaking hisleg in twoplacesninemonths ago against the Dallas Cowboys. Hutchinson, theNo. 2overall pickin2022, was an early candidate for The Associated Press NFLDefensive Player of the Year last season when he had 71/2 sacks in five games for one of the league’stop teams

Histhirdseason ended with a gruesome injury thatlanded him in aTexas hospital for acouple of days,forcing himintohis longest hiatus without football.

Hutchinson’s long wait to play again is expected to end Sept. 7 at Green Bay, wherethe two-time reigning NFC North champions will start theseason.

“I don’tthink anybody in the game of football will ever be as grateful when Icomeback in that first game,” Hutchinson said. San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey,Dallas quarterback Dak Prescottand Minnesota quarterbackJ.J.McCarthy may beg to differ because they, too, arethankfultobeonpaceto bounceback from injury-shortened seasons.

ChristianMcCaffrey

Thetwo-timeAll-Prorunning back hassaidhehas “zero restrictions” after Achillestendinitis kept him out of the first eight gameslast year and aright knee injury relegated him to watching the last five games.

San Francisco slippedlast season with McCaffrey limited to fourgames, going 6-11 after reaching the Super Bowlthanks in part to its dynamic running back. He wonthe AP Offensive Player of the Year that season after leading theleague with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and tying for the NFL lead with 21 touchdowns.

“Last year didn’tgothe way I wanted. It didn’tgothe wayanyone wanted,” he said. “Buthaving this time off has allowed me to start from scratch andhave the time where Ican build abase again.”

DakPrescott

The three-time ProBowl quarterback is expected to be fully recovered from surgery on his torn hamstringinNovember. That will

give him achance to live up to the $240 million, four-year contract he signed just before the 2024 season.

The Cowboys are counting on Prescott to bounce back to help them get back to the playoffs after athree-year postseason run with just seven wins last season.

Ayear after finishing second in NFLMVP voting, Prescotthad 11 touchdown passes and eight interceptions in eight games last season.

“I’m healthy,” he said. “I’llbe full go for camp.”

J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings, aiming to earn consecutive postseason bids for the first time since 2009, plan to giveMcCarthy ashot to take the first snaps this season after he missedhis rookie year after knee surgery

The Vikings let Sam Darnold depart in freeagency, clearing theway for the10th overall pick in the 2024 draft. McCarthy showed no signs of trouble during spring practices and declared himself to be bigger, faster and stronger than he was before he hurt his kneeinthe team’sfirst exhibitiongame on last August.

“Whenyou get it taken away fromyou,you take every chance you get to be back out here and really appreciate it, really take the mostout of it,” McCarthy said. “Nothing better than being out here with the boys playing some ball, so having agreat time.”

Dan Snyder,who had said multipletimes as owner since 1999 that he would neverchange thename, didso in July2020after facing mounting pressure from sponsors and critics.WashingtonFootball Team was used for two seasons before Commanders was unveiled as the permanentname in early 2022.

Josh Harris, whose group bought the team from Snyder in 2023, said earlier thisyear the Commanders namewas here to stay Savannah Romero, co-founder and deputydirector of the Black Liberation-Indigenous Sovereignty Collective, said in astatement Monday responding to Trumpthat “Native Americansare not mascots.”

“Toequate Nativepeople with cartoonish mascots alongside animals is agross and ongoingtactic of dehumanization,” saidRomero, who is an enrolled memberofthe Eastern Shoshone Nation.

Aspokesperson for theNational Congress of AmericanIndianssaid theorganization was working on finalizing astatement.

At least one organization, the Native American Guardians Association,has filed petitions to bring back the Redskins and Cleveland Indiansnames.

Ahandful of fans who were askedbyThe Associated Pressfor theiropinion generally dismissed Trump’scomments. EnderTuncay,who grew up in theWashington area and returns to visit family,called it “typical Trump stupidity.”

“It’s justhim focusing on things that aren’t consequential and trying to distract from the actual issues that are going on,”Tuncay said, adding he does not care whatthe name is. “But I’d like themtoget thenew stadium, for sure. Ilikethissitewhere it is. My parents used to tell me storiesof how great RFK was back when we were really,really good.”

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program, though neithercompetedinlive11-on-11drills. The next month should feature both quarterbackstaking snaps with the first-team offense.

Shough has theadvantage of being handpicked by the new coaching staff. Rattler has the benefit of experience —somethingthat shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand, even though he struggled in adverse situations last year

This has thefeeling of being a story throughout alloftraining camp —and potentially into the regular season. Stay tuned

Does Moorehavethe goods?

Nearly 20 years ago, the Saints changedthe trajectory of their franchise when they hired a young and relatively unproven offensive mind as their head coach in Sean Payton. Can they strike gold twice?

Maybeit’snot fair to call Kellen Moore unproven. He’s coordinated six NFL offenses and he’s hada lot of success in that role, most recently helping the Philadelphia Eagles secure aSuperBowltitle. But this year will be his first as ahead coach,and that position comes with alot of other responsibilities outside of drawing up afun offense.

As with thequarterback question,there is no wayofknowing howthis will unfold until we see it in action. Forevery Sean McVayorKyle Shanahan —that is, ayoung offensive-minded coach who succeeded —there are some like JoshMcDaniels or Adam Gase who failed in thebig seat. Like any first-time head coach,

Moore will have to prove he’s morethan whathehas been to this point. And like most new coaches, he will have to do it in anon-ideal situation. The Saints don’thave to contend this year to know they have something in Moore, but if he has what it takes thelong-term outlook should be much rosier by theend of theyear Is this atransitionyear defensively?

Themost likely answer is yes. Butdoes that really matter? With newdefensive coordinator Brandon Staley calling plays, New Orleans is transitioning into a3-4 base lookthat likely will play alittle more zone coveragethan previous iterations of the Saints defense. While it is true that changing the base defensive scheme (3-4vs. 4-3) means alot less nowthanitdid even 10 years agobecause of the proliferation of sub defensive packages, it’sstill worth monitoring. Put simply: The Saints mostly hada roster built for what Dennis Allen wanted, and now they have roughly the same roster running what Staley wantstodo. It will probablyfitsomeplayers well, but it’s not going to be a fit for everyone. New Orleans might be another year or two removed from thefull realization of what this could look like. Allthat being said, the Saints can’tget much worse than they were last year? New Orleans ranked 25th or worse in total defense (30th), rushingdefense (31st), pass defense (27th), and sack percentage (25th), and it wasn’tmuch better in scoring defense (19th). Even marginal improvement withanincomplete roster would

be an impressive step in the right direction.

Canthe Saints surprise?

It’s not hard to find pre-training camp rankings that feature the Saints at or near the bottom of the NFL. There’snext to no optimism about this group from anational standpoint, and the prevailing theory is the Saints are in line for atop-five pick in 2026.

There’sagood chance everybody’sright aboutthat. But for the optimists outthere,apath does exist for the Saints to exceed everyone’sexpectations. It looks something like this:

1. TheSaints connect on every button they pushed along the offensive line this offseason drafting Kelvin Banks ninthoverall; movingTrevor Penningto guard and Taliese Fuaga to right tackle;hiringcoaches Brendan Nugent and T.J. Paganetti —and that group sets ahigh floor for the offensebyclearing lanesfor the rushing attack and protecting a young passer

2. Moore raises the floor alittle higherbygiving theSaintsthe best offensive infrastructure they’ve had since Payton roamed the sidelines, providing that young quarterback ahealthy environment to develop.

3. After yearsofpoor injury luck, the Saints actually get through theseason withnormal injury luck (usually apretty good predictor of playoffteams, by the way).

4. Thedefense is just OK,but it produces several splash plays that change games.

That’sa lot to ask for and it probably all won’t happen. But hey,nothing’simpossible.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO By PAUL SANCyA

Detroit Lions defensiveend Aidan Hutchinson runs adrill during apractice in Allen Park, Mich., on May30.

LATE TO THE GATE

Passengers are missing their flights this summer. Here’s how to avoid being left behind.

BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT Travel Troubleshooter

Ever had this nightmare?

You’re racing through the airport, dodging slow-moving travelers, swerving to avoid those annoying golf carts, only to arrive breathlessly at your gate just as the doors close.

Your flight is gone. Your trip is ruined.

Darrel Reid knows all too well the pain of missing a flight. Earlier this year, he and his wife arrived two hours early at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport for a 7:05 a.m. flight to Los Angeles.

They thought they had plenty of time. But they didn’t.

“By the time we parked, took the shuttle, and got to the ticket counter, it was 6 a.m.,” says Reid, a salesman from Mesquite, Texas. “An airline representative told us we couldn’t check our bags because we’d missed the cutoff time. The gate agent couldn’t have cared less.”

Missing a flight isn’t just inconvenient. It’s expensive, stressful, and can take a wrecking ball to your travel plans And it will probably happen more often than ever this summer With record-breaking passenger numbers expected, airports are bracing for chaos. Delays, long lines, and overbooked flights are the new normal.

People are afraid. One survey by Faye Travel Insurance found that almost a quarter of air travelers (23%) were worried they would miss their flight.

Money matters

Missing a flight can have a domino effect. If it’s your outbound flight, your airline could cancel your return Miss a connection, and you could be stranded overnight. Add in the cost of rebooking fees, hotel stays, and missed reservations, and the price tag can easily run into the thousands.

For Reid, who had booked a vacation package to Disneyland with his family through Expedia, the solution was to spend more money Frontier wouldn’t put him on the next flight because it listed him as a “no show,” forfeiting

MAKING ENDS MEET

In a tough economy, New Orleanians are pursuing extra income with a side hustle — or two

BY LEE CUTRONE

Contributing writer

By day Jill Sanchez Lind handles sales and marketing at Em’s clothing boutique on Metairie Road. By night and when not keeping up with the demands of full-time employment, marriage and a 3-yearold son, she designs, makes and sells fashion accessories — turquoise and feather hat pins and jewelry with a luxe Aspen vibe — as a second source of income.

Lind and her “side hustle” are part of a what is both a long-standing tradition and an increasingly conspicuous phenomenon in New Orleans and elsewhere — workers taking on a secondary job to boost their income and pursue their personal interests

“Side hustles date way back in our family,” said Lind, who credits her mother and grandmother with instilling a work ethic that inspires her to have creative, moneymaking ventures outside of the 9-to-5 workday Side hustles offer a way to make ends meet or indulge in a passion while making extra money They can be a means to exploring entrepreneurial opportunities and working toward financial independence.

In 2024, Forbes Magazine reported that 40% of Americans had a side hustle. And while the number of locals engaging in side jobs is hard to

toward piecing together shortterm projects, freelance work and independent contract labor to earn a living, relies heavily on digital platforms to connect those seeking work and those seeking services, making it easier than ever to promote a side hustle.

Workers and customers connect on Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, TaskRabbit, Etsy and Shopify, as well as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

The rising cost of living in a market such as New Orleans, where there is a heavy concentration of relatively low-paying jobs in the service industry and creative fields, is likewise a driving force. During the COVID pandemic, those who lost jobs had to be innovative with finding work.

Natalie Blaustone, an adjunct teacher and Ph.D. candidate in the field of urban studies at Tulane University as well as a bartender at Vaughn’s Lounge, has studied the local labor market for a decade. She’s had her own hodgepodge of side hustles since her teens.

come by as labor statistics generally measure primary forms of employment, side hustles appear to be thriving in the metro area.

Digital platforms are crucial

The gig economy a term coined in 2009 by journalist and editor Tina Brown to describe the shift

According to Blaustone working multiple jobs has always been a way of life in New Orleans for “marginalized groups who aren’t privileged” and members of the service, hospitality, tourist and entertainment industries. But digital platforms have “normalized” the sideline and “changed

BY HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Jill Sanchez Lind works making hat accessories in her home in New Orleans on July 8.

PHOTO By CHRIS ByNUM

Marrero resident Benjamin Kast has traveled across the U.S. as an experienced pipe fitter. Then, five years ago, he started a sideline as a handyman.

Wonderfulhostess makesfor very poor visitorelsewhere

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave visited adear friend afew timesover the years, and each time, Iam greeted with alovely guest room: comfortable bedding, fresh flowers and fluffy towels, all of which made my stay extra special. When she visited me for the first time, Iwas excited to put together asimilar experience for her.But Iwas rather shocked to discover that she arrived with asleeping bag and her own towels, saying she didn’t want to inconvenience me. Now Idon’tknow whattodo when (or if) Ivisit her again. Pack my own bedding andtowels? It seems odd that aguest would not want to enjoy the trouble that the host obviously went to, but perhaps Ihavebeen mistaken

wholike to say “You’ve lost weight!” when Isee them at holidays.

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thediscourse” around it, she said. “Most people Iknow patch together multiple jobs and work morethan 40 hours aweek,” said Blaustone.

Plugging in where, when they can

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

This seems rudetome. Nobody would ever exclaim, “My, you’ve gainedweight!” So whydothey think it’sOK to make theoppositeobservation? (Never mind that they are incorrect, andmyweight hasn’t changed in 40 years!) Is there away to politely respond to this comment and suggest they stop saying it?

As afinancially motivated single mother,Catherine Allenhas done ride shares for Lyft and remote bookkeeping for aWest Coast company to supplement herfull-time pay Today,she balances a40-houra week job at apopular Uptown restaurant with after-hours baking foragourmet food and catering business that allowsher aflexible schedule.

Gentle reader: Youdon’thave bedbugs, do you?

Presuming that there is no such danger from which your friend has to protect herself, her actions have informed you that your hospitality is not good enough for her Oh, Miss Mannersrealizes that was not your friend’sintention. She is one of those people who says, “I just don’twant to beany trouble,” and therefore creates not only unnecessarytrouble, but bad feelings as well. Should you still want to accept her invitations, you should ask whether you should bringyour own things —and if not, askwhy she did. Tell her that you had taken pleasure in providingaccommodations that you thought she would enjoy,and were disappointed to find that she did not consider them adequate

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave been the same weight my whole adult life, and Iamvery uncomfortable with comments aboutmy body.Ihave several relatives

Gentle reader: Really?You thinknobody wouldever insult anyoneabout gaining weight? So-called fat shaming is practically anational sport. Askanyonewho is not super-thin. Butyou are rightthat there is some difference in thematter of losingweight. Unless aloss is so dramatic that your relatives are worried about your health, they probablybelieve that this is some sort of compliment. It is not. Miss Manners recommends simply replying, “No, I’ve beenthissame weight my whole adult life.”

Dear Miss Manners: Ifeel unwell whenIhear graphic descriptions of medical and dental problems. Is there apolite way to stop these stories from being told before they cross theline for me? This hasbeen quite achallenge for me over theyears.

Gentle reader: If you blurt out, “Sorry —I’m terribly squeamish!”and thenclap your hand over yourmouth,Miss Manners believesthat the subject will be changed in ahurry

Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www. missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@ gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO64106.

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday,July 22, the 203rd day of 2025. There are 162 days left in the year Todayinhistory

On July 22, 1933, Aviator Wiley Post landed at Floyd Bennett Field in New York City, completing the first solo flight around the worldin7 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes.

Also on this date:

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln presented to hisCabinet apreliminary draft of the Emancipation Proclamation.

In 1934, bank robberJohn Dillinger was shot to death by federal agents outside Chicago’sBiograph Theater, where he had just seenthe Clark Gable movie “Manhattan Melodrama.”

In 1937, the U.S. Senate rejected President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s proposal to add more justices to the Supreme Court.

In 1942, the Nazis began transporting Jewsfrom the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka concentration camp.

In 1943, American forces led by Gen. George S. Patton captured Palermo, Sicily,during World WarII.

In 1975, the House of Representativesjoined the Senatein voting to restore the American citizenshipofConfederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

In 1991, police in Milwaukee arrested Jeffrey Dahmer,who laterconfessed to murdering 17 men and boys.

In 1992, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar escaped from his luxury prison near Medellin. (He was slain by security forces in December 1993.)

In 2011, Anders Breivik, a

‘TRAITORS’

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“First, it just seemed more fun to have amystery to solve. Second, being atraitor is an overdog position: If you mess up, you end up looking very foolish.Third, I saw that ‘Big Brother’ traitors in past seasons got alot of hate online —much of which seemed

self-described “militant nationalist,” massacred 69 people at aNorwegian island youth retreat afterdetonating abomb in nearby Oslothat killed eight others in the nation’sworst violence since WorldWar II. In 2015, afederal grand jury indictment charged Dylann Roof,the young man accused of killingnineBlack church members in Charleston, South Carolina, with 33 countsincluding hate crimes that madehim eligible for thedeath penalty (Roof wouldbecome the first person sentenced to death for afederal hatecrime;heison death row at afederalprisonin Indiana.)

In 2022, Steve Bannon, alongtime ally offormer President Donald Trump, was convicted of contempt chargesfor defying acongressional subpoena from the House committeeinvestigating the Jan. 6insurrection at theU.S. Capitol. Today’sbirthdays: Actor Terence Stamp is 87. Singer George Clintonis84. FormerSen. Kay BaileyHutchison, R-Texas, is 82. Movie writer-director Paul Schrader is 79. ActorDanny Glover is 79. Singer Mireille Mathieu is 79. Actor-comediandirector Albert Brooks is 78. Rock singerDon Henley is 78. AuthorS.E. Hinton is 77. Film composer AlanMenken is 76. Jazz musician Al DiMeola is 71. ActorWillemDafoe is 70. ActorJohn Leguizamo is 65. R&B singer Keith Sweat is 64. Folk singer Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls) is 62. Actor-comedian David Spade is 61. Actor Rhys Ifans is 58. Actor/singer Jaime Camil is 52. SingerRufus Wainwright is 52. ActorFranka Potente is 51. ActorSelena Gomez is 33. NFL running back Ezekiel Elliott is 30.

unwarranted and uncouth.” Though he’swon acompetition TV show before, Terrysaid “this was awhole differentball game —acompletely new game that (he) knew basically zeroabout.” The fourthseason will air on Peacock in early 2026. Terry hasnot been back to New Orleans since 2016, but said he has plans for atrip back in September “Ilove thecityand the years that Ispent there,” he said.

Thecommon denominator between her auxiliaryjobs, she says, “is the ability to plug in when and where Iamable”versusthe hourly requirements of holding two traditional jobs.

For some, aside hustle provides aready-made pivot when primary jobschange according to an employer’sneeds or seasonally

Lind and her sister, Claire Sanchez Dilzell, aset decorator in the film industry,kick-startedtheir first side hustle— atie-dye business —during thepandemic shutdown to staycreative and busy, andthey quickly turned aprofit For the last severalyears, they’ve made fanciful floral headpieces for Mardi Gras and other special events. They’ve sold so well thatDilzell, who markets them through Etsy,has made the production partofthe businessher focuswhenfilm jobs are in short supply

Staying within the artistic realm has felt familiar but also, she says, allows her to flex creative muscles not used on atypical film job

Addthe job, lose thestress

Patricia RichardsonSchoenbrun owns and runs Maison Perrier Bed &Breakfastwithher husband. When her second career as afreelance journalist proved stressful in combination with her daily B&B duties, she began walking dogs for an additional source of income instead.

Schoenbrun works for Lucky and Lenny,which provides dog grooming, dog sitting and dog walking andposts endearing videos and portraits on Instagram. The rewards have been morethan economic.

In exchange forthe professionalism and training that shebrings to thetask, shegetstoexercise,

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his entire ticket. So he paid an extra $800 to gettoLos Angelesso he could rescue his vacation. He tried to file aclaim withhis travel insurance, but it would not cover a missed flight

“It was areal ordeal,” he says. Anyone canmissa flight

Even themost experienced travelerscan miss aflight. Often, it’s because airportsare confusing places.

Nick Brennan recently missed a flight from Rome to London.

“I was at thewrong gate,”says Brennan, the CEO of atelecommunicationscompany in London “There were twoflightstoGatwick leaving at the same time —one with Vueling, onewithWizzAir.I saw theright destination and time on thedeparture board, but Ididn’t notice theairline. By the time Irealized my mistake, it was too late.”

Another leading cause of missed flights: underestimating how long it will take to gettothe airport.

Amrita Bhasin missed her flight from New York to San Francisco because she underestimated New York traffic andthenhad to stand in along security line.

“I’m used to SFO, where security takes two minutes,” says Bhasin, who runs asoftware company in SanFrancisco. “At JFK, it took forever.I’ll never make that mistakeagain.”

I’ve missed afew flights, too.

OnceIforgot my passport at home, andbythe timeI made it to the airport,the plane had left.

Another time, Igot stuck in along securityline. In both cases, Igot lucky.The airline rebooked meon thenext available flight at no extra charge. Butitwas embarrassing, and Ishould have known better Earlybirds

The cardinalrule of airtravel used to be:arrivetwo hoursearly for domestic flights, three hours forinternational. Not this summer

You’ll want to add an hour to that, especially during peak travel times, which is pretty much theentiremonth of August

Iknow what you’re thinking.

interact withdogsand enjoy New Orleansscenery,all things she enjoyed recreationally,but now gets paid to do —for several hours a day

She found the job on the hyperlocal social media site Nextdoor and uses adigital app that enables her to send clients amap of where she walkswitheach of hercanine charges

“It’s theopposite of when Iwas awriter,” said Schoenbrun. “It’s added years to my life.”

‘Working waymore’

Pursuing acombination of jobs can be challenging. For the last threeyears, Tracee Dundas has juggled her work as founderand producer of NewOrleansFashion Week, with afull-time job as programs director for Dress for Success. With an estimated 60 hours of work aweek,she says digitalmodes of communication have helped her meet the many demands. But dual employment makes it difficult to step away from work.

“People think asidehustle is a way to be self-employed and an entrepreneur,but sometimes you are working way more than you work for acompany,” saidDundas, whose dedication brings visibility and support to both of her endeavors.

Blaustone points out that having multiple short-term jobs requires “working ahead to secure the next gig,” financial literacy andnavigating things like permits and licenses. Andshe adds that employment

Threehours? Once you factor in the trip to the airport, it might be faster to just drive to your destination instead of flying. Goodpoint Youmight want to consider ditching your flight during the busy summertravelperiodand justdriving —unless you’re headed abroad. Butifyou must fly,here’show to avoid missing your flight: Book smarter flights

A30-minute connection might work in theory, but it’sa gamble.

Flightshaveminimum connection times,which are set by ajoint airport and airline commission, but they are guidelines, and they can sometimes be inaccurate. Choose aflight that givesyou at least an hour to connect, andlongerifyou have to change terminals.

Baggagecutofftimes

That’s whereReidwentwrong

Mostairlines require checked bags to be dropped off at least 30 to 60 minutes before departure. Some budget carriers, like Frontierand Spirit, haveevenstricter rules.

Usetechtoyouradvantage

Download your airline’sapp and enable push notifications. The app willalert you to gate changes,delays and boarding times.Always double-check your gateonthe app, notjust the departure board. Otherwise, you could end up like Brennan —going to the wrong gate.

Protip: Pack aportablecharger in your carry-on, not in your checked bag. Adead phone means no boarding pass, no flight alerts and no way to rebook if something goes wrong.

Applyfor thefastlane

If you’re afrequent traveler, consider applying forTSA PreCheck or CLEAR. PreCheck lets youbreeze through security without removing your shoes, belt, or laptop. CLEAR skips the ID check line altogether Know your rights

If you miss aflight andit’sthe airline’sfault (for example, insufficientconnectiontime), the airline must book you on the next available flight. Even if it’syourfault, youcan ask for consideration under the“flat tire” rule, an informal

lawand laborlaw don’tnecessarily support nonstandard labor Still, for the ambitious and driven,aside hustlecan lead to the realization of having one’sown self-supporting business and the autonomy that allows.

For15years, Marrero resident Benjamin Kast hastraveledacross the U.S. as an experienced pipe fitter.Then, five years ago, feeling the urge to step out on his own, he started asidelineasa handyman His LLC, Handyman At Your Command, handles atop-to-bottom range of jobs forresidential properties.

Kastestablished aseparate contracting division and is working toward hisgeneralcontractor’slicense —all with the ultimate goal of having two robust companies that may one day becomehis main bread and butter Flyers, word of mouth, signage and business cards have helped advertisehis side hustle. Kast also usesFacebook to post entertaining reels that show projects in progress anddrawclientele. His camera-friendly appearance andAlabama-native voice— a dead ringerfor Matthew McConaughey’sTexas accent, makehim anatural forthe medium

“My experience withsocial media has been good,” said Kast. He is not alone. Asked what adviceshe’d offer to someoneinterested in startinga side hustle, Dilzell doesn’tmiss abeat.

“The main adviceI’d give is Instagramisyourfriend,”saidDilzell. “Social media is how people find out about stuff.”

guideline that says if youmade a good-faith effort to gettothe airport on time, you’ll get on the next flight at no extra charge. What if youmissyour flight?

Missing aflight isn’tthe end of the world, even though it feels that way.Ifyou’re at thegate, ask an agent about your options. (Don’t forgetthe flat tire rule, which couldsave you hundreds of dollars on anew flight.)

Whether your delayisthe airline’sfault or your fault, your best course of action is always to use good manners. Don’tdemand. Don’tsnap your platinum card on the counter and declare, “Do you know who Iam!”Instead, calmly askifyourairline can accommodate you on the next flight.

Before you book another flight yourself, make sure you’ve exhausted all of your options. That includes asking your travel agency —inReid’scase, Expedia —or your travel insurancecompany forhelp. While it’strue that travel insurancegenerally doesn’tcover missedflights, your insurance company’s24/7concierge might be able to help you get to your destination with aminimum of headache and hassle.

Iasked Expedia about Reid’s missedflight. “Weare always available to advocate forour travelers andstrive to findthe best possible resolution, including speaking with the airline and requesting flexibility in such cases,” arepresentative told me.Italso reiteratedthe advice to arrive extra early foryour flight, especially this summer Missing your flight is the ultimatetravel faux pas this summer It’scostly and stressful. But use my tips and it’salmost completely avoidable.

Christopher Elliott is an author,consumeradvocate, and journalist.Hefounded Elliott Advocacy,a nonprofit organizationthat helpssolve consumerproblems. He publishesElliott Confidential, atravel newsletter,and the Elliott Report, anewssiteabout customer service. If you need helpwithaconsumer problem, you canreach him here or email himatchris@elliott.org.

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Jill Sanchez Lind credits her mother and grandmother with instilling awork ethic thatinspiresher to have creative, moneymaking ventures outside of the 9-to-5 workday.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Emotions will be difficult to control. Refuse to let outside influences tempt you into something bad or costly. Arguing over what you cannot change is useless; instead, focus on what you can do to enhance your life.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Jump into action and take charge. Your leadership skills will help you win favors and make allies. Don't expect everyone to agree with you Prepare to offer incentives. Love and personal improvements are favored.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Refuse to let the little things get to you. Select your destination and strive to achieve your dreams. Don't give in to someone trying to bait or intimidate you. Consider how to reach your goal and focus on what matters most.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Think before you speak or act. You'll tend to let your emotions take the lead if you are too quick to respond. Discipline, courtesy and seekingoutpeoplewhoshareyourbeliefsand goals will pay off.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Avoid risky ventures and environments that can affect your physical or emotional well-being. Focus on your accomplishments, and don't hesitate to move forward.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Knowing what you want and being able to act fast are important, but not all deals are equal. Hit the reset button if something doesn't feel right. Think before you act to avoid unnecessary loss.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Charismatic individuals will draw your attention. Lis-

ten, ask questions and determine what has value and what doesn't. Opportunity is within reach, along with the promise of emotional stability.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Get the ball rolling. Pick up the pace and take steps toward positive change. Looking and doing your best will help you present or market yourself and your skills. Rely on your native charm.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Attendfunctions or events that excite you. An open mind will allow you free rein when dealing with possibilities; however, before you jump into someone else's gig, consider doing your own thing.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Be careful what youwishfor.Domesticproblemsrequire restraint. It's best to set your emotions aside and focus on positive ways to address any issues that surface. Overreacting will only make matters worse.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Explore the possibilities. Travel, seek knowledge and information, and update your skills. Make positive domestic changes. Be cautious regarding joint ventures and shared expenses.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Participate in events that shed light on your goals. The information you gather will push you down an enlightening and educational path. New beginnings look gratifying.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

TODAy'S CLUE: B EQUALS W

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

FrAnK And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of thesudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

IvetaRadicova, aformer prime ministerofSlovakia, said, “In some countries, we have had the right to vote for less than 100 years, so the entry of women into political leadership has caused a tsunami.” That sounds melodramatic; surely it is nothing more thanavery choppy sea.

This week we are looking at the handling of trump suits. In today’s deal, South is in four hearts. West leads the club king. When East encourages enthusiastically with his nine, West continues with theclubqueen and his last club. East winswith his ace and shifts to the diamond 10. How should South steer from there?

On thesecond round of the auction, Northbid what he thought wouldbethe best contract.Yes, herethree no-trump is easy, but it is never easy to reach that contractwithassurancewhenholdingan eight-card major-suit fit.

If Southjust assumes everything will be favorable, he will draw trumps, take hisspade king, play aspade to the ace, and cash the spade queen. Here, though, he will loseone diamond and three clubs to sink withouta trace.

AlthoughSouth is aslight favorite to gain five spadetricks, he needsonly four. He shoulddraw onlytwo rounds of trumps, leaving an honor on the board,

cashhis spade king, play aspade to dummy’sace, and ruff aspade in hishand. Then he can lead atrump to the dummy and cash the last twospades,discarding his diamond losers. South sails his ship triumphantlyinto port. Think through the play when the dummy comes down, not later.

©2025 by nEa,inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAY’s WoRD EPIsoDEs: EP-ih-sodes:Events that aredistinctive and separate parts of aseries

Average mark12words

Timelimit 30 minutes

Can you find 24 or morewords in EPISODES?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD —DEMAGoGY

dame demo dogma dome edgy made mead mega mode aged agog gage game gamy goad omega yoga

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

Thewhole daynot justanhour. G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Puzzle Answer ken ken

InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a

WiShinG Well

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble

Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

StuApt, 1BR, Util Incl,Kit w/appl CH/A, w/d$950/m$500/d504-858-2492

lookingcourtyard.Dbl.walk-in closets. JettedTub +sep shower SandyWard* 504-259-2616. Re/Max Living *504-475-1011. Ea ofcindpntlyowned &operated.

AudubonCommissionin‐vitesbidsfromvendors forthe purchase of fertil‐izersand

forAudubon

Course.Bidsmustbe

August

at 1:00 p.m. Bids

firstdate of

from

https://www.bidnetdirec t.com/louisiana/audubon natureinstitute. Bids may be submittedelectroni‐callyat https://www.bid netdirect.com/louisiana/ audubonnatureinstitute or in asealedenvelope marked “Fertilizers and Turf Chemicals”.Itisthe vendors’ responsibility to contactBidNetDirect well in advanceofthe bidopening date if the bidissubmitted elec‐tronically to establishan account that will allow forsecurebidding.Bids notsubmitted electroni‐callyshall be delivered to:Audubon Nature Insti‐tute,Procurement and Risk Management De‐partment Attn:Denise LeBlanc, 6500 Magazine Street,New Orleans, LA 70118. Bids will be opened andreadaloud at theplace andtime that thebidsare to be re‐ceived.Bids, andamend‐mentstobidsreceived after theday andtime specified abovewillbe rejected as non-respon‐sive andreturnedtothe bidder unopened.All questionsregarding this bidinvitation shallbead‐dressedinwriting or by meansofemail to dle‐blanc@auduboninstitute org, seventy-twohours priortobid opening. 150673-JUL22-29-2T $66.22

vitesbidsfromvendors forthe purchase of Jani‐torial Chemicalsand PaperProducts. Bids must be submittedator before Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. Bids maybesecured on the firstdateofthe adver‐tisement from BidNet Di‐rect at https://www.bid netdirect.com/louisiana/ audubonnatureinstitute Bids maybesubmitted electronicallyathttps:// www.bidnetdirect.com/ louisiana/audubonnatu reinstituteorina sealed envelope marked “Janito‐rial Chemicalsand Paper Products”. It is theven‐dors’responsibilityto

and Risk ManagementDe‐i

g zation

2. Organization History Charteredin1888, the LASPCA theLouisiana SPCA is theoldestand most comprehensiveani‐mal welfareorganization in thestate andservesto protectthe well-beingof OrleansParishanimals Ourcurrent facility erectedafter Hurricane Katrina, serves thou‐sandsofanimals annu‐ally.The facilityisthe only open admissions shelterinOrleans Parish andprovidesnumerous services includingen‐forcementofcityordi‐nances,adoptions,fos‐ter, low-cost medical care,community vacci‐nation events,a commu‐nity food petpantryand more Learnmoreat: www.louisianaspca.org https://www.instagram com/laspca/ https://www.facebook com/thelaspca

3. ScopeofWork Theselectedvendorwill be responsiblefor pro‐viding anddeliveringve‐hicles that meet thefol‐lowing specifications: oTypeand Quantity of Vehicles:4 New(four) ¾ Ton Pick Up Chassis Trucks,Commercialuse and/or 4SWABunits for Animal Transportation Thevendormay bidon either thetrucks, the swab unit,

Dual fan installedinside blower hood on topof thebodywithCFM air delivery Power driven freshair deliveredtoeachcom‐partment,NOT circulated to each compartment. oCompliance: Vehicles must comply with allrel‐evantfederal,state,and localregulations,includ‐ingthose relatedto envi‐ronmentalstandards safety,and accessibility. oWarrantyand Mainte‐nance: Providedetails on thewarrantyand main‐tenanceservicesoffered oDeliverySchedule: Ve‐hicle, fully wrapped, needstobedelivered andfully paid forbyDec 31st,2025 or unwrapped vehicleneedstobedeliv‐ered andfully paid forby Dec31st ,2025. 5. FederalFundingRe‐quirements Thepurchaseofthese vehicles is funded by fed‐eral grants.Assuch, the selected vendor must ad‐here to thefollowing fed‐eral requirements: oBuy AmericaRequire‐ments: Allvehiclesmust comply with theBuy AmericaAct,which man‐datesthatall manufac‐turedproductsare pro‐ducedinthe United States oDisadvantaged Busi‐ness Enterprise (DBE)Re‐quirements:Vendors are encouragedtoengage with DBEs.Provide infor‐mation on howyourpro‐posalsupportsDBE par‐ticipation oDavis-Bacon Act: If ap‐plicable,ensurecompli‐ance with wage rate re‐quirements as perthe Davis-BaconAct oAdministrativeRequire‐ments: Adherencetofed‐eral grantadministrative requirements,including procurementstandards andrecord-keeping. oSam.gov:Mustnot be debarred from doing business with thefederal government andorgani‐zation canbefound as such whensearchedon Sam.gov oConflictofInterest: must disclose anyactual or perceivedconflictof interest with theLASPCA or anyofLASPCAboard members, executive leadership,orpersons employed by LASPCA in‐volved in procurementof this vehicle.

o 6. Proposal Submission Requirements Proposalsmustinclude: oCover Letter: Include a briefintroductionand summaryofthe vendor’s qualifications. oTechnical Proposal:De‐tailed description of how thevehicle specifications andrequirementswillbe met. oCostProposal: Detailed pricinginformation,in‐cludingany applicable taxes, fees,and delivery costs. oComplianceDocumen‐tation:Evidenceof com‐pliancewithfederal re‐quirements,including certifications, non-de‐

itytomeet thespecified deliverytimeline. 8. Submission Instruc‐tions Allproposals must be submittedbyAugust 10th, 2025, 2pmCST,to Anne Chapmanachap‐man@laspca.org.Late submissionswillnot be considered 8. Additional Information Forany questionsorre‐quests forclarification regardingthisRFP, please contactAnne Chapmanatachapma@ laspca.org by July 31st ,2025. 9. RighttoReject TheLASPCAreservesthe righttorejectany or all proposals, to waiveany informalitiesorirregular‐itiesinthe proposal process, andtonegotiate with anyorall qualified vendorstoensurethe best possibleoutcome forthe procurement process. LASPCA 1700 MardiGrasBlvd

ORDINANCE

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS CITY HALL: March 13, 2025

CALENDAR NO. 35,031

NO. 30285 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES

BY:COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize the execution and delivery by the New OrleansBuilding Corporation(“NOBC”) of the Second Amendment to Sublease by and between NOBC,as Landlord, and New Orleans Pelicans NBA, LLC (the “Pelicans”), as Lessee, which amendment is attached hereto as Exhibit “A” (the “Amendment”), and which amends the sublease between NOBC and the Pelicans, (the “Lease”), pursuant to which NOBC subleases to the Pelicans asurface parking lot located at or near the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana (the “Leased Premises”), for the Pelicans’ parking operations, and to provide for related matters; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

WHEREAS, the Leased Premises is comprised of aportion of property subject to alease between the City of New Orleans and NOBC; and WHEREAS, NOBC and the Pelicans now desiretoamendthe Leaseinthe manner set forth in the Amendment; and WHEREAS,inorder to fostergrowth and economic development in the City,itisinthe best interest of the City to authorize NOBC’sexecution and deliveryofthe Amendment; and WHEREAS, the proposed rent and other terms of the Amendment provide afair and equitable returntothe City and NOBC; NOWTHEREFORE

SECTION 1. THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS HEREBY

ORDAINS, That the Second Amendment to Sublease by and between the New Orleans Building Corporation, as Landlord, and New Orleans Pelicans NBA, LLC, as Teant, which amendment is attached hereto as Exhibit “A”, is hereby approved.

SECTION 2. That NOBC ishereby authorized to execute and deliver the Amendment and such other documents or instruments necessary or appropriate to effectuate the foregoing.

SECTION 3. That all actions taken by NOBC and the City in furtherance of the matters set forth herein arehereby ratified.

SECTION 4. That the City Attorney is hereby authorized to make any technical changes and modificationstothis Ordinance and other documents to conform the Ordinance and other documents to the action and intent of theCity Council as recorded during the City Council meeting(s) at which action relative to this matter may be taken by the City Council.

SECTION 5. That said Amendment is attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and incorporated and made apart hereof.

ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS APRIL 10, 2025 JP MORRELL PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON APRIL 11, 2025

APPROVED: APRIL 21, 2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M. AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno -5

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:Morrell, Thomas -2

RECUSED: 0 **Copies of the attachment may be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E09, City Hall.

ORDINANCE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS CITY HALL: March 13, 2025

CALENDAR NO. 35,032 NO. 30286 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES BY:COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) AN ORDINANCE to authorize the execution and delivery by the New OrleansBuilding Corporation (“NOBC”) of the Sublease Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit “A” (the “Agreement”) by and between NOBC as Sublessor, and FlixBus,Inc. (“FlixBus”), as Sublessee, pursuant to whichNOBC will sublease to FlixBus abus bay and related space located at Union Passenger Terminal (the “Leased Premises”) for FlixBus’s passenger bus operations, and to provide for related matters; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

WHEREAS, the Leased Premises is comprised of aportion of property subject to alease between the City of New Orleans and NOBC; and WHEREAS,NOBC and FlixBus now desiretoenter into the Agreement; and WHEREAS, in order to fostergrowth and economic development in the City,itisinthe best interest of the City to authorize NOBC’sexecution and deliveryofthe Agreement; and WHEREAS, the proposed rent and other terms of the Agreement provide a fair and equitable returntothe City and NOBC; NOW THEREFORE

SECTION 1. THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWORLEANS HEREBY ORDAINS, That the Sublease Agreement by and between the New Orleans Building Corporation, as Sublessor,and FlixBus, Inc. as Sublessee, which Sublease Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit “A” is hereby approved.

SECTION 2. That NOBC is hereby authorized to execute and deliver the Agreement and such other documents or instruments necessary or appropriate to effectuate the foregoing.

SECTION 3. That all actions taken by NOBC and the City in furtherance of the matters set forth herein areherebyratified.

SECTION 4. That the City Attorney is hereby authorized to make any technical changes and modifications to this Ordinance and other documents to conform the Ordinance and other documentstothe action and intent of theCity Council as recordedduring the City Council meeting(s) at which action relative to this matter may be taken by the City Council. SECTION 5. That said Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and incorporated and made apart hereof.

ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWORLEANS APRIL 10, 2025 JP MORRELL PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON APRIL 11, 2025

APPROVED: APRIL 21, 2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR

RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLL CALL VOTE:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Thomas -6

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:Morrell -1

RECUSED: 0 **Copies of the attachment may be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E09, City Hall.

ORDINANCE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS CITY HALL: March 13, 2025

CALENDAR NO. 35,033 NO. 30287 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES BY:COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) AN ORDINANCE to authorize the execution and delivery by the New OrleansBuilding Corporation(“NOBC”) of the Amended and Restated Lease Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit “A” (the “Agreement”) by and between NOBC, as sublessor,and Greyhound Lines, Inc. (“Greyhound”), as sublessee, pursuant to which NOBC subleases to Greyhound Lines, Inc. certain bus bays and related space at Union Passenger Terminal(the “Leased Premises”) for Greyhound’spassenger bus operations, and to provide for related matters; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

WHEREAS, the Leased Premises is comprised of aportion of property subject to alease between the City of New Orleans and NOBC; and WHEREAS, NOBC and Greyhound now desiretoenter into the Agreement; and WHEREAS, in order to foster growth and economic development in the City,itisinthe best interest of the City to authorize NOBC’sexecution and deliveryofthe Agreement; and WHEREAS, the proposed rent and other terms of the Agreement provide a fair and equitable returntothe City and NOBC; NOW THEREFORE

SECTION 1. THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS HEREBY ORDAINS, That the Amended and Restated Lease Agreement by and between the New Orleans Building Corporation, as sublessor,and Greyhound Lines, Inc. as sublessee, which Amended and Restated Lease Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit “A” is hereby approved.

SECTION 2. That NOBC is hereby authorized to execute and deliver the Agreement and such other documents or instruments necessary or appropriate to effectuate the foregoing.

SECTION 3. That all actions taken by NOBC and the City in furtherance of the matters set forth herein arehereby ratified.

SECTION4.That the City Attorney is hereby authorized to make any technical changes and modificationstothis Ordinance and other documents to conform the Ordinance and other documents to the action and intent of the City Council as recorded during the City Council meeting(s) at which action relative to this matter may be taken by the City Council. SECTION 5. That said Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and incorporated and made apart hereof.

LATOYACANTRELL MAYOR RETURNED BY THEMAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHAR.COLLIER ASSISTANTCLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLL CALL VOTE: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green, Harris,King, Moreno, Thomas -6

NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Morrell -1

RECUSED: 0 **Copies of the attachment may be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E09, City Hall.

ORDINANCE CITYOFNEW ORLEANS

CITYHALL: March13, 2025

CALENDAR NO.35,034

NO.30288 MAYOR COUNCILSERIES

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

AN ORDINANCE to establish aconditional use to permit aprincipal bedand breakfast and outdoor live entertainment (secondary use) in conjunction with areception facility in an MU-1 Medium Intensity MixedUseDistrict, on Square2,Lot 4-A, St. ClaireGarden, in the Fifth Municipal District, bounded by Patterson Drive, General Collins Road, Richland Road, and Socrates Street (Municipal Address: 3819 Patterson Drive); and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

WHEREAS, Zoning Docket Number 103/24 was initiated by Laissez Faire Manor,LLC and referred to the City Planning Commission; and WHEREAS, the City Planning Commission heldapublic hearing on this zoning petition and recommended approval of aconditional use in its report to the City Council dated January 3, 2025, presented in Zoning Docket Number 103/24; and WHEREAS, the changes weredeemed necessary and in the best interest of the City of NewOrleans and weregranted approval, subject to seven (7) provisos as stated in Motion Number M-25-50 of the Council of the City of NewOrleans on January 30, 2025; and WHEREAS, following the adoptionofMotionNumber M-25-50 on January 30, 2025, the applicant recognized that this project would requirecertain zoning variances; and WHEREAS, Article4,Section 4.3.E(4) of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (CZO) provides that the City Council may grant avariance from specificzoning standards otherwise applicabletoa conditional use by the CZOtosecureits general objectives, provided however that any such shall be based on a finding that the case meets the approval standards of Article4,Section 4.6.F; and WHEREAS, Article4,Section 4.6.F establishes nine approval standards that must be met in order to authorizea zoning variance; and WHEREAS, in considering the approval of the applicant’srequested variances, the Council finds that the approval standards of Article 4, Section 4.6.F have been met.

SECTION 1. THECOUNCIL OF THECITY OF NEWORLEANSHEREBY

ORDAINS, That aconditional use to permit aprincipal bed and breakfast and outdoor live entertainment (secondary use) in conjunctionwith areception facility in an MU-1 Medium Intensity Mixed-Use District, on Square2,Lot 4-A, St. ClaireGarden, in the Fifth Municipal District, bounded by Patterson Drive, General Collins Road, Richland Road, and Socrates Street (Municipal Address: 3819 Patterson Drive); is hereby authorized and approved, subject to the following two (2) variances and five (5) provisos, as specifically set forth herein:

VARIANCES:

1. The developer shallbegranted avariance from the electricvehicle charging station requirements and electricvehiclecharging ready space requirements as established in Article 22.4.A.

2. The developer shallbegranted avariance from landscaping requirements as established in Article 23.

PROVISOS:

1. The Department of Safety and Permits shallissue no building permits or licenses for this project until final development plans areapproved by the City Planning Commission and recorded with the Office of Conveyances. Failuretocomplete the conditional use process by properly recording plans withina one year timeperiod or failure to request an administrative extension as provided for in Article 4, Section 4.3.H.2ofthe Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance will void the conditional use approval.

2. The developer shallcomply with the applicable use standards of Article 20, Section 20.3.I.2:

a. Proof of operator occupancy shallbeestablished by submission of at least three (3) pieces of proof of residence to the Department of Safety and Permits b. All signs shallcomply with applicable sign regulations for the zoning district.

c. The bed and breakfast is limited to amaximum of nine (9) units for overnight accommodation.

d. Cooking facilities areprohibited in individual guest rooms.

e. If the zoning district allows restaurants, meals may be served to guests other than those registered with the bed and breakfast, provided the facility meetsall other applicable city and state codes for food service.

f. Leasing of common areas for social events shallbeallowed, provided the facility meetsall applicable off-street parking requirements and complies with the noise ordinance and all other provisions of the City Code.

g. In residential districts and HU-B1A Neighborhood Business District, HU-B1Neighborhood Business District, HU-MU Neighborhood Mixed-

Use District, S-LM Lake Area Marina District, MU-1 Medium Intensity Mixed-Use District, and MU-2 High Intensity Mixed-Use District, only one (1) AccessoryBed and Breakfast, one (1) Principal Bed and Breakfast, or one (1) Non-Commercial Short Term Rental is permitted within each city block, inclusive of all lots fronting any exterior boundary of said block and allinterior lots not fronting the public right-of- way

3. The developer shall complywith the applicable use standards of Article 20, Section 20.3.WWW:

a. Outdoor live entertainment –secondary use may onlybeestablished when allowed within azoning district and in conjunction with abar,standard restaurant, indoor or outdoor amusement facility,winery,micro-distillery, distillery,micro-brewery,brewery,reception facility,cultural facility,orfor the common outdoor areas of ahotel. All outdoor live entertainment at these establishments requires an outdoor live entertainment-secondary use approval. The establishment serving as the primary use must remain open whileany live entertainment takes place. b. Outdoor live entertainment –secondary use establishments shall submit anoise abatement plan, to be reviewed by the Director of Safetyand Permits,and all other appropriate City agencies, which shall address the intended use of amplification, noise levels, and need for soundproofing.

c. Because outdoor live entertainment –secondary use is only allowed with abar,standardrestaurant, indoor or outdoor amusement facility winery,micro-distillery,distillery,micro-brewery,brewery,reception facility,cultural facility, and the common outdoor areas of ahotel, when the submittal requirements of live entertainment –secondary use and the underlying primary use of the establishment areduplicated, only one (1) set of submittal requirements is required to be submitted and updated.

d. For alluses except ahotel, public market,and outdoor amphitheater, outdoor live entertainment is limited to the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday,and from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.For ahotel, outdoor live entertainment is limited to the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday; from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and 11:00 a.m. to 9:00p.m. on Sunday.For apublic market and outdoor amphitheater,no outdoor live entertainment -secondary use approval is required; outdoor live entertainment is ancillarytothese uses, with restrictions provided in therespective use standards.

e. Outdoor live entertainment shallbelimited to three (3) days per week, unless otherwise specified in the conditional use. f. Outdoor speakers and instruments shall be directed away from adjacent residences to the greatest extent possible.

g. Compliance with the New Orleans Sound/NoiseOrdinance is required. h. A30-foot buffer area shall be maintained between the outdoor live entertainment area as indicated on asite plan and aresidential district or use. i. In the Vieux CarréDistricts, outdoor live entertainment –second use shall be prohibited. j. No outdoor live entertainment is permitted upon balconies or galleries. k. Allgranted Outdoor Live Entertainment conditional uses shall be published on adedicated City website/URLbymunicipal address with accompanying provisions or any other addendums.

4. The plans submitted to the City Planning Commission for final approval shall indicate that alloff-street parking spaces areconstructed of permeable paving, in accordance with Article 22, Section 22.2.Dofthe Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

5. The plans submitted to the City Planning Commission for final approval shall indicate that two (2) bicycle parking spaces areprovided, in accordance with Article 22, Section 22.4.A of

10, 2025 JP MORRELL PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON APRIL 11, 2025

APPROVED: APRIL 21, 2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLLCALL VOTE:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Morrell, Thomas -6

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:Moreno-1

RECUSED: 0 ORDINANCE (AS AMENDED) CITY OF NEWORLEANS

CITY HALL: March 13, 2025

CALENDAR NO. 35,037 NO. 30289 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES BY:COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS AN ORDINANCE calling for an election on October 11, 2025, at which the electors of the City of NewOrleanswill be asked to approve an amendment to the Home Rule Charter’sBill of Rights (Article II, Section 2-202(6))toprohibit laws thatdiscriminatebased

3. That the official ballot to be used at said election andinserted in allvoting machines shall have printed thereon the following:

CHARTER PROPOSITION Shall Article II, Section 2-202(6) of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans be amended to provide thatnolaw shall arbitrarily and unreasonably discriminate against apersonbased on conviction history?

SECTION 4. In the eventthe ballot proposition containedinSection 3is approved by voters on October 11, 2025, Section 2-202 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of NewOrleans, as amended, shall read as follows effective January 1, 2026: “ARTICLE II. –POWERS ** * CHAPTER 2. –BILLOFRIGHTS

** * Section 2-202. -Bill of Rights.

(1)All persons arebornfreeand equal in dignity andrights. They are endowed with reasonand conscience andshould act toward one another with respect.

(2)All government, of right, originates with the people, is foundedontheir will along, andisinstitutedtoprotect the rights of the individualand to provide for the general welfare of the people.

(3)The people have the righttoa government responsive to their will andthe righttotake part in the government of the City,eitherdirectly or through freelychosenrepresentatives.

(4)The people have the righttolawful andpeaceful assembly,topetition the government for redress of grievance, andtoequal access to public services.

(5)The people have the righttolife,liberty,and security of person, the right to live free from fear or violence, andthe righttosafeneighborhoods conducive to the enjoyment of liberty

(6)Nolaw shall deprive anypersonofany rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution andlawsofthe UnitedStatesorthe State of Louisiana,nor shall anylaw discriminateagainst anypersonbecause of race, color,religion, or nationalorigin.Nolaw shall arbitrarily and capriciously or unreasonably discriminate against apersonbecause of birth, disability,sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, culture language social origin, conviction history, or political affiliations.

(7)The people have the righttofreedomofopinion andexpression. No lawshall restrain freedomofspeech or freedomofthe press.

(8)The people have the righttofreedomofthought, conscience, and religion. No lawshall be enacted respecting an establishment of religion.

(9)The people have the righttoa government of the highest ethical standards, free from corruption, untaintedbygraft, andconducted in accordance with sound fiscal planning andadministration.

(10) The natural resources of the City andthe healthful, scenic, historic andaesthetic quality of the municipalenvironment shall be protected, conserved, andreplenishedinsofaraspossible consistent with the health, safety,and welfare of the people.

(11) The people have the righttolive in economic prosperity andto receive fair living wages for their labor,equal pay,comprehensive healthcarecoverage andpaidleave for the purposes of medical, family, bereavement, andvacation time

(12) The people have the righttoa safe workplace whichcomplies with all Federal, state, andlocal workplace laws andregulations including wage andhour laws, as well as the righttoorganizeand to associatefreelyin pursuit of workplace andeconomic justice.

(13) This Bill of Rights shall not createany enforceablerights, duties, obligations or causes of action underthis Charter beyondthose guaranteed by the Constitution of the UnitedStatesorthe Constitution of the State of Louisiana.”

SECTION 5. That allofficialsofthe State of Louisiana andCity of New Orleans who arecharged with the execution of laws andthe dischargeof duties relative to said election aredirected to perform the duties required of thembysuchlawswith regardtosaid election.

SECTION 6. That the Council andothermunicipaland parochial officers shall by proper proceedings provide:

a) the takingofall necessary steps for the holding of said election; and

b) the supplying of voting machines andfurnishing of the official absentee ballots, tally sheets, andothernecessary election supplies; and c) the selecting andpublishingofthe location of the respective polling places; and d) the issuing of anyproclamation andthe giving of allnotices concerning said election as maybenecessary; and e) the takingofall proper andnecessary steps to cause the election to be held, the votes compiled, andthe results promulgated, as provided by existing laws andthe Home Rule Charter of the City of NewOrleans.

SECTION 7. That the Mayor of the City of NewOrleansand the New Orleans City Council arehereby authorized andempowered to issue any proclamation andtogive allnotices concerning said election as may be necessary,and to take allsteps necessary andproper to cause said election to be held as herein ordered.

Notice of said election in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit “A” andincorporated herein by referenceasifset forth in full, shall be published in the official journalofthe City of NewOrleansonceaweek for four consecutive weeks, with the first publication being not less than 45 days, nor morethan90days prior to the date of the election; said noticeshall state thatthe Council of the City of NewOrleanswill meet in open session to examine andcanvass the results of said election during its regular

21, 2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLL CALL VOTE:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno,Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0

RECUSED: 0 **Copies of the attachment may be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E09, City Hall.

ORDINANCE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS

CITY HALL: March 13, 2025

CALENDAR NO. 35,038 NO. 30290 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

AN ORDINANCE to establish aconditional use to permit ahotel over 10,000 squarefeet in floor area in the HMC-2 Historic Marigny/Tremé/ Bywater Commercial District, on Square152, Lot 93-A, in the Third Municipal District, bounded by Elysian Fields Avenue, Chartres Street, Royal Street, and Marigny Street (Municipal Addresses: 613-621 Elysian Fields Avenue, 2221 Chartres Street, and 2210 Royal Street); and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

WHEREAS, Zoning Docket Number 105/24 was initiated by 621 Elysian Fields Group, LLC and referred to the City Planning Commission; and

WHEREAS, the City Planning Commission held apublic hearing on this zoning petition and recommended denial of aconditional use in its report to the City Council dated January 3, 2025, presented in Zoning Docket Number 105/24; and WHEREAS, the recommendation of the City Planning Commission was overruled and the changes weredeemed necessary and in the best interest of the City of New Orleans and weregranted modified approval, subject to one (1) waiver and three (3) provisos, as stated in Motion Number M-25-150 of the Council of the City of New Orleans on February 27, 2025; and WHEREAS, MotionNumber M-25-150 contained atechnical error in referencing only three (3) provisos recommended in the CPC staffreport and intended instead to reference all four(4) provisosrecommended in the staffreport.

SECTION 1. THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS HEREBY ORDAINS, That aconditional use to permit ahotel over 10,000 squarefeet in floor area in the HMC-2 Historic Marigny/Tremé/Bywater Commercial District, on Square152, Lot 93-A, in the ThirdMunicipal District, bounded by Elysian Fields Avenue, Chartres Street, Royal Street, and MarignyStreet (Municipal Addresses: 613-621 Elysian Fields Avenue, 2221 Chartres Street, and 2210 Royal Street); is hereby authorized and approved, subject to one (1) waiver and four (4) provisos, as specifically set forth herein:

WAIVER:

1. The developer shall be granted waiver of Article 10, Section 10.3.A (Maximum Total Floor Area) of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, whichrequiresamaximum total floor area of 2.2, to allow the addition of 0.65 to the maximum total floor area for atotal allowance of 2.85.

PROVISOS:

1. ADA accessible ramps and lifts shall be visually unobtrusive, preferably through internalized ramps or sloped walkways, in accordance with Article 10, Section10.7.A.

2. The developer shall provide off-street vehicular parking spaces as required by Article 22, Section 22.4 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. In accordance with Article 22, Section 22.8.B.2 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, the off-street parking spaces shall be located either on-site or on aseparate lot that is within three-hundred (300) feet of the site and in anon-residential zoning district. For any offsite parking spaces, arecorded parking covenant or agreement shall be filed with the Department of Safety and Permits and the Office of Conveyances. Such encumbrance shall be valid for the total period that the use for which the parking is needed areinexistence. If theoff-site parking is no longer available, the use has one-hundred eighty (180) days from that date to accommodate all required off-street parking or to apply for avariance. If the use is unable to accommodate the parking or fails to apply for avariance, then the certificate of occupancy will be revoked. The certificate of occupancy may be reinstated when the required parking is provided, avariance is approved, or anew parking agreement is filed with the Department of Safety and Permits and the Office of Conveyances

3. The developer shall provide bicycle parking spaces as required by Article 22, Section 22.4.A and 22.6.A of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

4. The Department of Safety and Permits shall issue no building permits or licenses for this project until final development plans areapproved by the City Planning Commission and recorded with the Office of Conveyances. Failuretocomplete the conditional use process by properly recording plans within one year or failuretorequest an administrative extension as provided for in Article 4, Section 4.3.H.2 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance will void the conditional use. SECTION 2. Whoever does anything prohibited by this Ordinance or fails to do anything required to be done by this Ordinance shall be guilty of amisdemeanor.Upon conviction of such amisdemeanor,the individual shall be subject to a fine, imprisonment, or both, in accordance with Section 1-13 of the Code of the City of New Orleans. Such aconviction shall be cause for immediate cancellation of the Use and Occupancy Permit for the premises. Alternatively,the individual shall be subject to whatever civil liabilities, penalties, or remedies thelaw prescribes. SECTION 3. This Ordinance shall have the legal forceand effect of authorizing this conditional use after: (1) all proviso(s) listed in Section 1, whichimpose aone-time obligation have been completely fulfilled and complied with; and (2) all proviso(s) listed in Section 1, which impose a continuingorongoing obligation have begun to be fulfilled. Fulfilment of acontinuing or ongoing obligation is based on the City Planning Commission’sapproval of the final site plan, which shall be submitted within one year of adoption of this Ordinance by the City Council, unless extended as authorized by the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. The Executive Director of the City Planning Commission shall verify that the development plan incorporate all conditions set forth in this Ordinance andshall sign the plan to indicate final plan approval. The final approved plan shall be recorded in the Office of the Clerk of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, within 30 days of the date of final approval, and evidence of such recordation shall be submitted to the City Planning Commission. No use or occupancy certificates or permits, other than the building permits needed to fulfill the proviso(s), shall be issued until the finalapproved plan is recorded and evidence of recordation is submitted to the City Planning Commission. If the development plan is not approved and recorded, within the timeframes provided in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, then this Ordinance shall be null and void with no legal force or binding effect. Furthermore,ifthe requirements of Section 4.3.H.1 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance arenot satisfied within the

10, 2025 JP MORRELL PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL

TO THE MAYOR ON APRIL 11, 2025

APRIL 21, 2025

RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE: YEAS: Green, Harris, King,Morrell, Thomas -5 NAYS: 0

Moreno -2

fees on behalf of the StateofLouisiana or any public office, department or boardnot subject to the provisions of the HomeRuleCharter,and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. WHEREAS, Section 4-1301(b) of the HomeRuleCharter provides that the Department of Finance shall “[c]ollect, when directed or authorized by law,all taxes, license and permitfees, and other moneys which may be receivable by the Stateorany public office, department or boardnot subject to the provisions of this Charter”; and WHEREAS, Section 3-101 of the HomeRuleCharter provides that all legislative power in the city is vested in the City Council and authorizes the Council to impose “any and all ...fees necessary for the proper operation and maintenance of the municipality”; and WHEREAS, the imposition of administrative fees and charges by the city in connection with tax collection has generated significant and costly litigation and exposed the public fisc to substantial potential liability; and WHEREAS, the Council,consistent with its plenary authority to establish administrative fees, believes it is necessary to bring transparency predictability,and public oversight to the imposition of fees by the Department of Finance; NOWTHEREFORE

SECTION 1. THECOUNCIL OF THECITY OF NEWORLEANSHEREBY

ORDAINS, That Section 70-565 of the Code of the City of NewOrleans, Louisiana is established and ordained to read follows: “Sec. 70-565. –Fees for collection of taxes and charges on behalf of other agencies.

(a) The Department of Finance shall not impose or collect any fee or service charge in connection with the collection of any taxes, license and permitfees, and other moneys which may be receivable by the Stateor any publicoffice, department or boardnot established by the HomeRule Charter, except in accordance with this section and unless expressly authorized and established by this section, by state legislation, or by majority vote of the qualified electors voting thereon in an election held for that purpose.

(b) No fee or service charge may be imposed by the Department of Finance for the collection of any taxes, license and permit fees, or other moneys described in subsection (a) unless, and only during such times as, thereisa mult -year cooperative endeavor agreement in effect between the city and the recipient body,approved by ordinance in accordance with Section 9-314 of the Charter,that provides for the collection and sets forth the amount of the fee or service charge.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the Orleans Parish School Boardelects not to collect for itself ad valorem and sales and use taxes, the Department of Finance shall collect ad valorem and sales and use taxes dedicated to the Orleans Parish School Boardwithout fees or charge through tax year 2026. It is the policy of the city,and the express finding of the Council, that the foregoing collection activities arenot a gratuitous donation of services, but areinstead supported by the valuable consideration and benefits associated withresolving costlyongoing litigation and preventing futurelitigation,aswell as the direct and indirect fiscal and social benefits to the city that come from maximizing funds availabletoprovide educational programming for city youth.”

SECTION 2. THECOUNCILOFTHE CITYOFNEW ORLEANSHEREBY

ORDAINS, That the provisions of this ordinance areintended to apply prospectively, but shall cover any and all collections for tax year 2025 received and collected on or after the date this ordinance becomes law andare further intended to supersede any previouslyenacted ordinance, rule, or contract authorizing or ratifying the collection of fees or service charges by the city in connectionwith any collection authorized pursuant to HomeRuleCharter Sec. 41303(1)(b). The Department of Finance shall immediately discontinue the imposition of charges and fees not authorized by this ordinance and shall remitall collected taxes, as received and without offset for charges and fees inconsistent with this ordinance, to the appropriate taxrecipient bodies.

ADOPTED BY THECOUNCIL OF THECITY OF NEWORLEANSAPRIL 10, 2025 JP MORRELL PRESIDENT OF THECOUNCIL DELIVERED TO THEMAYOR ON APRIL11, 2025 APPROVED: DISAPPROVED: MAYOR RETURNED BY THEMAYOR ON APRIL21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHAR.COLLIER ASSISTANTCLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLL CALL VOTE:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green, Harris,Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -6

NAYS: 0 ABSENT: King -1 RECUSED: 0 THIS ORDINANCE WASRETURNED BY THEMAYOR ON APRIL21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M. ANDTHE SAME WASNEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED BY THEMAYOR. THEREFORE, SAIDORDINANCE

BECAME LAWAT12:00 NOON ON APRIL20, 2025 AS REQUIRED BY LAW.

ORDINANCE

CITYOFNEW ORLEANS

CITYHALL: March27, 2025

CALENDAR NO.35,040 NO.30292 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES

BY:COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELL ANDHARRIS

AN ORDINANCE to extend the effectiveness of Ordinance No.29,701

M.C.S., which established the Commercial Short-Term Rental Interim Zoning District to prohibit the use of Short-Term Rental, Commercial and Hostels as allowable uses within all areas of the city,and to limit the development of Timeshares with certain specified considerations, for a period of 180 days; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. SECTION 1. THECOUNCILOFTHE CITYOFNEW ORLEANSHEREBY

ORDAINS, That in accordance with Sec. 3-126 of the HomeRule Charter, the Commercial Short-Term Rental InterimZoning District established by Ordinance No.29,701 and codified at Section 19.4.A.20 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance of the City of NewOrleans be and hereby is extended for aperiod of 180 days, from May8,2025 to November 4, 2025.

ADOPTED BY THECOUNCIL OF THECITY OF NEWORLEANSAPRIL 10, 2025 JP MORRELL

PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THEMAYOR ON APRIL11, 2025

APPROVED: APRIL 21, 2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR RETURNED BY THEMAYOR ON APRIL21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHAR.COLLIER ASSISTANTCLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLL CALL VOTE:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green, Harris,King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0

ORDINANCE (ASCORRECTED)

CITYOFNEW ORLEANS

CITYHALL: March27, 2025

CALENDAR NO.35,041

NO.30293 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES

BY:COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS(BY REQUEST)

AN ORDINANCE authorizing the Mayor of the City of NewOrleans to enter into aCooperative Endeavor Agreement between the City of New Orleans (the “City”) and Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College on behalf of its Louisiana StateUniversity Health Sciences Center,New Orleans (LSU), with aterm greater than one year,for the public purpose of the valued public purpose of improving caretosick and injured persons in New Orleans while providing access to amedical and clinical education program for LSUmedical residents as well as providing the City with hospital trained staffoncalls to assist NOEMS, as morefully detailed in the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement form attached hereto as Exhibit “A”; and otherwise, to provide with respect thereto.

WHEREAS, pursuant to the authority contained in Article 7, Section (14)(C) of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, and statutory authority supplemental thereto, the StateofLouisiana and its political subdivisions, including the City, may enter into cooperative endeavors with each other or with any publicorprivate corporation or individual;and further pursuant to Section 9-314 of the HomeRuleCharter of the City of NewOrleans, the City may enter into cooperative endeavors with any public or private association, corporation, or individual for activities in support of economic growth and other publicpurposes; and WHEREAS, the City and Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College on behalf of its Louisiana StateUniversity Health Sciences Center,New Orleans desire to enter into acooperative endeavor agreement in order to accomplish the valued public purpose of the valued public purpose of improving caretosick and injured persons in NewOrleans while providing access to amedical and clinical education program for LSUmedical residents; and WHEREAS, Section 9-314 of the HomeRuleCharter of the City of New Orleans ordains that cooperative endeavor agreements having aterm of morethan one year must be reviewed and approved by the New Orleans City Council (“Council”); NOWTHEREFORE SECTION I. THECOUNCILOFTHE CITYOFNEW ORLEANSHEREBY ORDAINS, That the Mayor,onbehalfofthe City of NewOrleans, is hereby authorized to enter into the attached cooperative endeavor agreement (“CEA”)with

SECTION

ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLLCALL VOTE: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0 **Copies of the attachmentmay be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street,Room 1E09, City Hall.

ORDINANCE CITY OF NEWORLEANS CITY HALL: March 27, 2025

CALENDAR NO. 35,054 NO. 30294 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES

BY:COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN, THOMAS, MORRELL, HARRIS AND KING AN ORDINANCE to amendOrdinanceNo. 30,139 M.C.S., as amended, entitled“An Ordinanceproviding an OperatingBudgetofRevenuesfor the City of NewOrleansfor the Year 2025” to appropriate unassigned fund balance to the ChiefAdministrative Office to provide for asecond payment to the OrleansParish School Board;and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. WHEREAS the City Council desires to appropriate funding to support the Orleans Parish School Boardasagreed upon during the 2025 budget process; and WHEREAS the City Council desires to appropriate

DISAPPROVED: MAYOR RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLLCALL VOTE: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0 THIS ORDINANCE WASRETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M. AND THE SAME WASNEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED BY THE MAYOR. THEREFORE, SAID ORDINANCE BECAME LAWAT12:00 NOON ON APRIL 20, 2025 AS REQUIRED BY LAW.

ORDINANCE CITY OF NEWORLEANS CITY HALL: March 27, 2025 CALENDAR NO. 35,055 NO. 30295 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES BY:COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN, THOMAS, MORRELL, HARRIS AND KING AN ORDINANCE to amendOrdinanceNo. 30,140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled“An Ordinanceproviding an OperatingBudgetofExpenditures for the City of NewOrleansfor the Year 2025” to appropriate funds to the to appropriate unassigned fund balance to the ChiefAdministrative Office to provide for asecond payment to the OrleansParish School Board;and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. WHEREAS the City Council desires to appropriate funding to support the Orleans Parish School Boardasagreed upon during the 2025 budget process; and WHEREAS the City Council desires to appropriate funding so thatthe City Council may financially support the efforts of the OrleansParish School Boardfor the benefitofthe citizensand children of Orleans Parish; NOW THEREFORE SECTION 1. THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWORLEANSHEREBY ORDAINS, That Ordinance No. 30,140 M.C.S., as amended, be amended to authorizeand direct the Director of Finance, notwithstanding any provision therein containedtothe contrary,totransfer funds allocated therein as follows: FROM: INTERGOVERNMENTAL TRANSFERS OPERATING BUDGET –FUND 6699

7998 –IntergovernmentalTransfers 600 –Grants, Contrib.,& Fund Transfers $10,000,000

TOTAL $10,000,000

TO: GENERAL FUND OPERATING BUDGET –FUND 1000 CHIEF ADMINSTRATIVE OFFICE –FUND 2215

200 –Operating $10,000,000

TOTAL $10,000,000

ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWORLEANSAPRIL 10, 2025 JP MORRELL PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON APRIL 11, 2025

APPROVED: DISAPPROVED: MAYOR RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLLCALL VOTE: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0 THIS ORDINANCE WASRETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M. AND THE SAME WASNEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED BY THE MAYOR. THEREFORE, SAID ORDINANCE BECAME LAWAT12:00 NOON ON APRIL 20, 2025 AS REQUIRED BY LAW.

ORDINANCE

CITY OF NEWORLEANS

CITY HALL: March 27, 2025 CALENDAR NO. 35,056 NO. 30296 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES BY:COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS (BY REQUEST) AN ORDINANCE authorizing the Mayor of the City of NewOrleanstoenter into aCooperative Endeavor Agreement(“CEA”) between the City of New Orleans (the“City”) andOrleansParish CriminalJusticeDataSharing Program Users’ Group (the“DSPUG”), comprisedofthe

State of Louisiana; and WHEREAS, the City and DSPUG desiretoenter into aCooperative Endeavor Agreement in order to accomplish the valuable public purpose of improving the management, quality,speed, and consistency by which criminal justice data is processed, promoted and protected; and WHEREAS, Section 9-314 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleansordains that cooperative endeavor agreements having aterm of morethan one year must be review and approved by the New Orleans City Council (“Council”); NOW THEREFORE

SECTION I. THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS HEREBY

ORDAINS, That the Mayor,onbehalf of the City of New Orleans (“City), is hereby authorized to enter into the attached Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (“CEA”) with DSPUG, comprised of the New Orleans Police Department, Orleans Parish Sheriff’sOffice, Municipal and TrafficCourt of New Orleans, Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, Orleans Parish Criminal Clerk, Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice, Orleans Publ c Defenders, Orleans Parish Communication District, and such other similarly involved criminal justice agencies as maybeincorporated by amendment, for aterm of five (5) years, for the public purpose of improving the management, quality,speed, priority,standardization, veracity,and consistency by which criminal justice data is processed and public safety and justice proceeds, as morefully detailed in the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement.

SECTION II. That, for the purpose of executing the CEAbetween the City and DSPUG, Louisiana, Rule 57 of the Rules and Regulations of the Councilofthe City of New Orleans is suspended.

SECTION III. That said CEA is attached to this ordinance as “ExhibitA and incorporated and made apart hereof.

ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS APRIL 10, 2025

JP MORRELL

PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON APRIL 11, 2025

APPROVED: APRIL 21, 2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLL CALL VOTE:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King,Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0

RECUSED: 0 **Copies of the attachment may be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E09, City Hall.

ORDINANCE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS CITY HALL: March 27, 2025

CALENDAR NO. 35,057 NO. 30297 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES

BY:COUNCILMEMBER GREEN (BY REQUEST)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enterinto Amendment No. 1tothe Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (“CEA”) between the Mosquito, Termite, &Rodent Control Boardand The University of Florida’sBoardofTrustees(“UniversityofFlorida”) to extend the CEA’s term for four (4) years, to increase the CEA’s compensation, and to modify certain terms and conditions, as morefully set forth in the form attached hereto as Exhibit “1” and made apart hereof; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

WHEREAS, pursuant to the authority contained in Article 7, Section (14)(C) of the Louisiana Constitutionof1974, and statutory authority supplemental thereto, the State of Louisiana and its political subdivisions, including the City of New Orleans (“City”), may enter into agreements with each other or with any publicorprivate corporation or individual; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9-314 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans, the City may enter into agreements with any public or private association, corporation, or individual for activities in support of economic growth or other public purposes; and WHEREAS, the University of Florida is apublic university in the State of Florida, with aDivision of Sponsored Programs, located at 207 Grinter Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611-5500; and

WHEREAS,the City and University of Florida desiretoenter into the attached Amendment No. 1tothe CEArelative to the valued public purpose of creating astrong, comprehensive, multi-sectoral Gulf South regional network that combats the effects of inadequate staffing, gapsin mosquito surveillance, and controls corecompetencies within Mosquito Control Abatement Districts; and WHEREAS, the City and University of Florida desiretoenter into this Amendment No. 1that will extend the term of the CEA for four (4) years, increase the CEA’s compensation, and modify certain terms and conditions, and to set forth certain other matters in connection therewith; NOW, THEREFORE SECTION 1. THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS HEREBY ORDAINS, That the Mayor,onbehalf of the City and the Mosquito, Termite, &Rodent Control Board, is hereby authorized to enter into Amendment No. 1toits CEA with The University of Florida’sBoardofTrustees (“University of Florida”), relative to the valued public purpose of creating astrong, comprehensive, multi-sectoral Gulf South regional network that combats the effects of inadequate staffing, gaps in mosquito surveillance, and controls corecompetencies within Mosquito Control Abatement Districts, to extend the CEA’s term for four (4) years, to increase the CEA’s compensation, and to modify certain termsand conditions, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit “1”. SECTION 2. That said Amendment No. 1isattached hereto as Exhibit “1” and incorporated and made apart hereof.

ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS APRIL 10, 2025 JP MORRELL

PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON APRIL 11, 2025

APPROVED: APRIL 21, 2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR

RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLL CALL VOTE:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0

RECUSED: 0 **Copies of the attachment may be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E09, City Hall.

ORDINANCE

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS

CITY HALL: March 27, 2025

CALENDAR NO. 35,058 NO. 30298 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES BY:COUNCILMEMBER GREEN (BY REQUEST)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enterinto Amendment No. 1tothe Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (“CEA”) between the Mosquito, Termite, &Rodent Control Board and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans (“LSUHSC”) to extend the CEA’sterm for four (4) years, to increase the CEA’s compensation, and to modifycertain terms and conditions, as more fully set forth in the form attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and made apart hereof; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

WHEREAS, pursuant to the authority contained in Article 7, Section (14)(C) of the LouisianaConstitution of 1974, and statutory authority supplemental thereto, the State of Louisiana and its political subdivisions, including the City of New Orleans (“City”), may enter into agreements with each other or with any publicorprivate corporation or individual; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9-314 of the HomeRule Charter of the CityofNew Orleans, the City may enter into agreements with any public or private association, corporation, or individual for activities in support of economic growth or other public purposes; and WHEREAS, LSUHSC is apublic university in the State of Louisiana, located at 433 Bolivar Street,Room 619, New Orleans, LA70122; and WHEREAS, the City and LSUHSC desiretoenter into the attached Amendment No. 1tothe CEA relative to the valued public purpose of creating astrong, comprehensive, multi-sectoralGulfSouthregional network that combats the effects of inadequate staffing, gaps in mosquito surveillance, and controls corecompetencies within Mosquito Control Abatement Districts; and WHEREAS, theCity and LSUHSC desiretoenter into this Amendment No 1that will extend the term of the CEA for four (4) years, increase the CEA’s compensation, and modify certain terms and conditions, and to set forth certain other matters in connection therewith; NOW,THEREFORE

SECTION 1. THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS HEREBY

ORDAINS, That the Mayor,on behalf of the City and the Mosquito, Termite, &Rodent Control Board, is hereby authorized to enter into Amendment No. 1toits CEA with Louisiana State University Health Sciences CenterNew Orleans (“LSUHSC”), relative to the valued public purpose of creating astrong, comprehensive, multi-sectoral Gulf South regional network that combats the effects of inadequate staffing, gaps in mosquito surveillance, and controls corecompetencies within Mosquito Control Abatement Districts, to extend the CEA’s term for four (4) years, to increase the CEA’s compensation, and to modify certain termsand conditions, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit “A”. SECTION 2. That said Amendment No. 1isattached hereto as Exhibit “A” and

DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON APRIL11, 2025

APPROVED: APRIL21, 2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR RETURNED BY THEMAYOR ON APRIL21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHAR.COLLIER ASSISTANTCLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLL CALL VOTE: YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0

RECUSED: 0 **Copies of the attachment may be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E09, City Hall.

ORDINANCE

CITYOFNEW ORLEANS

CITYHALL: March27, 2025

CALENDAR NO.35,060

NO.30299 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES

BY:COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS

AN ORDINANCE to amend and re-ordain Section146-762 of the Code of the City of New Orleans to limit the number of honorary intersections that may be designated per year; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. SECTION 1. THE COUNCIL OF THECITYOFNEW ORLEANSHEREBY

ORDAINS, That section 146-762 of the Code of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana is amended to read as follows: “Sec. 146-762. -Dedication of honoraryintersections.

(a) The city council may,bymotion, designate any intersectioninthe city to honorany natural person or non-profitorganization or association that has made significant contributions to the historical or cultural landscape of the city.The naming of an intersection for aprivate company or political organization is prohibited.

(b) The designationofanhonorary intersection shall be denoted by the installation of distinct signage at one or moreprominent locationswithin or adjacent to the intersectioninamanner that does not impair trafficor pedestrian safety or create confusion between the honorary dedication and the names of the intersecting streets.

(c) The city council may,bymotion, revoke the dedication of an honorary

intersection or directthe removal any related signage.

(d) The dedication of honorary intersectionsinthe Vieux Carréis prohibited.

(e) No councilmember may serve as the lead sponsor of morethan two honorary dedications pursuant to this section in acalendar year.”

ADOPTED BY THECOUNCIL OF THECITYOFNEW ORLEANSAPRIL 10, 2025 JP MORRELL

PRESIDENTOFCOUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THEMAYOR ON APRIL11, 2025

APPROVED: APRIL21, 2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR RETURNED BY THEMAYOR ON APRIL21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHAR.COLLIER ASSISTANTCLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLL CALL VOTE:

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0 REDLINE VERSION: “Sec. 146-762. -Dedication of honoraryintersections.

(a) The city council may,bymotion, designate any intersectioninthe city to honorany natural person or non-profitorganization or association that has made significant contributions to the historical or cultural landscape of the city.The naming of an intersection for aprivate company or political organization is prohibited.

(b) The designationofanhonorary intersection shall be denoted by the installation of distinct signage at one or moreprominent locationswithin or adjacent to the intersectioninamanner that does not impair trafficor pedestrian safety or create confusion between the honorary dedication and the names of the intersecting streets.

(c) The city council may,bymotion, revoke the dedication of an honorary intersectionordirectthe removal any related signage.

(d) The dedicationofhonorary intersections in theVieux Carréis prohibited.

(e) No councilmember may serve as the lead sponsor of morethan two honorary dedications pursuant to this section in acalendar year.”

ORDINANCE

CITYOFNEW ORLEANS

CITYHALL: March27, 2025

CALENDAR NO.35,061

NO.30300 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES

BY:COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL

AN ORDINANCE to amend and reordainSection 26-622 of the City Code to clarify when short term rental platforms must electronicallyverify a listing;and otherwise to provide thereto.

WHEREAS, the City of New Orleans amended this City Code section 26266 in October 2024 to requirethat platforms verify the legal eligibility of a booking transactionatcertain specified times; and WHEREAS, the City desires to remove any confusion about the natureof this requirement for platforms; NOWTHEREFORE, SECTION 1. THE COUNCILOFTHE CITYOFNEW ORLEANSHEREBY ORDAINS, That Section26-622 of the Code of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana is amended to read as follows: “Sec. 26-622. Legal duties of short-term rental platform permit holders. (a) Any person possessing ashort-term rental platform permitshall comply at all times with the following requirements: (1) No platform may collect afee or anything of value in exchange for conducting, facilitating, or completing any booking transactionfor ashortterm rental of adwelling unit in Orleans Parish thatisnot in compliance with this article. Ashort-term rental is not in compliance with this article if (i) the owner of the dwellingunit does not possess avalid short-term rental owner permit for that dwelling unit; (ii) the dwellingunit is not operated by an operator with avalid short-term rental operator permit, or (iii) use of the dwellingunit for short-term rentals would contravene the Code of the City of New Orleans, the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, or any other municipal, state, or federal law

(2) Each platform shall have aduty to obtaincommercial general liability insurance, with limits of not less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence, for bodily injury,personal injury (if commercially available) and property damage arising in any way from the issuance of the short-term rental platform permit or activities conducted pursuant to that permit. Each policy of insurance shall: (i) be issued by an insurer authorized to insurein the StateofLouisiana; (ii) namethe City of New Orleans as an additional insured on aprimary,noncontributory basis for any liabilityarising directly or indirectly from the issuance of the permit (if commercially available); (iii) be maintained in full forceand effect for the duration of the permit period; and (iv) include aprovision requiring 30 calendar days’ advance notice to thedepartment prior to cancellation or lapse of the policy

(3) Aplatform shall ensurethat any portal, listing service, or website under its ownershiporcontrolthat facilitates booking transactions in Orleans Parish complies with the termsand requirementsofthis article.

(4) Aplatform must verify the legal eligibilityofeach booking transaction they facilitate through the city’selectronic verification system. Verifications shall be made as follows:

(i) Each listing must be verified beforeany booking transaction is facilitated.

(ii) Each listing must be reverified at least every 30 days of the prior verification in order to facilitate subsequent booking transactions.

(iii) Each listing must be reverified whenever averifying entity knows or should know that any dataitused to complete the most recent verification has changed, including but not limited to the host’s name and the address of the listing

(5) The short term rental owner or operator must report the address, operator name, owner name, and other detailscontained on apermit exactly as it appears on the permit to the platform for the listing to be verified through the city’selectronicverification system. Deviations in spelling or other information may result in afailed verification and are solely the responsibilityofthe owner and operator (6) Platformsmust submita monthlyreport to the department, in aform approved by the department, that contains the following information about each of the booking transactions facilitated through the platform during the applicable reporting period: (i) The total number of short-term rental properties for which booking transactions werefacilitated by the platform during the applicable reporting period; (ii) The total number of

(ii) Each listing must be reverified at least every 30 days of the prior verification in ordertofacilitate subsequent booking transactions. (iii) Each listing must be reverified whenever averifying entity knowsor should know thatany data it usedtocomplete the most recentverification haschanged, including but not limitedtothe host’snameand the address of the listing.

(5)The short term rentalowneroroperator must report the address operator name,ownername, andotherdetails containedona permit exactly as it appears on the permit to the platform for the listing to be verified through the city’selectronic verification system. Deviationsin spelling or other information mayresult in afailedverification andare solely the responsibility of the ownerand operator

(6)Platforms must submit amonthly report to the department, in aform approvedbythe department, thatcontains the following information about each of the booking transactions facilitatedthrough the platform during the applicablereporting period:

(i) The totalnumberofshort-term rentalproperties for whichbooking transactions were facilitatedbythe platform during the applicable reporting period;

(ii) The totalnumberofexempt lodging business properties for which booking transactionswerefacilitatedbythe platform during the applicable reporting period;

(iii) The Universal ResourceLocator (URL)links of each short-term rentaland exempt lodging business for whichbooking transactionswere facilitatedbythe platform during the applicable reporting period;

(iv) The confirmation code verifying eligibility for rentalfor each booking transaction facilitatedbythe platform during the applicable reporting period;

(v) The numberofbooking transactionsfacilitatedfor each short-term rentalduring the applicablereportingperiod;

(vi) Whethereach booking transaction facilitatedbythe platform wasfor an entireunit or apartialunit;

(vii) Alisting of datesduring whichthe short-term rentalwas rentedaspart of abooking transaction facilitatedbythe platform during the applicable reporting period;

(viii) The amount of rent paid as part of each booking transaction facilitatedbythe platform for ashort-term rental; and

(ix) An accounting of taxes andfees collected andpaidbythe platform as part of each booking transaction facilitatedbythe platform.

(7)Upon issuanceofa subpoena from the city,provide the following information as specified in the subpoena:

(i) The address of anyshort-term rentalorexempt lodging business listed on the platform for rental;

(ii) The name of the person or entity listing anyshort-term rentalorexempt lodging business on the platform for rental;

(iii) The datesand durations of stays booked through the platform at any short-term rentalorexempt lodging business;

(iv) The numberofguests andbedrooms specified in the listing at the time of rental;

(v) The numberofguests includedinthe rental, as specified by the renter. (b) The provisions of Division 4shall be interpreted in accordance with other applicable state andfederal law(s).

ORDINANCE CITY OF NEWORLEANS CITY HALL: March 27, 2025 CALENDAR NO. 35,063 NO. 30301 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES BY:COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN AND THOMAS (BY REQUEST)

AN ORDINANCE to amendOrdinanceNo. 30139 M.C.S., as amended,

entitled“An Ordinance Providing an OperatingBudgetofRevenues for the City of NewOrleansfor the Year 2025”,toappropriate unspent funds from the FY22 BJAG- Strengtheningthe Forensic Response Granttothe NewOrleansPoliceDepartment for travel andsuppliesexpenses; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. SECTION 1. THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANSHEREBY ORDAINS, That Ordinance No. 30139 M.C.S., as amended, be amended to authorizeand direct the Director of Finance, notwithstanding any provision therein containedtothe contrary,totransfer funds allocated therein as follows: FROM: INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUES– FUND 6699

IntergovernmentalRevenues Grants, Contributions, andFund Transfers $28,500

TOTAL $28,500 TO: LOUISIANA COMMISSION ON LAWENFORCEMENT– FUND 4411 TotalCommission on LawEnforcement$28,500

TOTAL $28,500 ADOPTEDBYTHE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWORLEANSAPRIL 10, 2025 JP MORRELL PRESIDENTOFCOUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON APRIL 11, 2025

APPROVED: APRIL 21, 2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON APRIL 21, 2025 AT 4:25 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLLCALL VOTE: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell-6 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:Thomas-1 RECUSED: 0 ORDINANCE CITY OF NEWORLEANS

CITY HALL: March 27, 2025

CALENDAR NO. 35,064 NO. 30302 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES

BY:COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN AND THOMAS (BY REQUEST)

AN ORDINANCE to amendOrdinanceNo. 30140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled“An Ordinance Providing an OperatingBudgetofExpenditures for

Greater New Orleans, Inc. and the Warehouse District Neighborhood Association memberships shall expireJune 30, 2026; (3) The Preservation Resource Center and the Lafayette Square Association memberships shall expireJune 30, 2027; (4) The Chamber of Commerce membership shallexpire July 30, 2028; and (5) The four at-large memberships shallexpire June 30, 2029. Successors shall serve four-year termsthereafter.A chairman and vicechairman shall be elected annuallyfromthe members of the commission. (d) Vacancies. Vacancies on the commission shall be filled forthe remainder of the unexpiredterms. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment in the same manner as original appointments.

(e) Compensation. Allmembers shall serve without compensation.” SECTION 2. That, in accordance with Home RuleCharter section 9-308, the member chosen from the list of recommendationssubmitted by the New Orleans Business Alliance and appointed as amember of the commission pursuant to Ord. No.27,925 M.C.S. shall continue to serve until his or her successor is appointed and qualified. ADOPTED BY THECOUNCIL OF THECITYOFNEW ORLEANSAPRIL 10, 2025 JP MORRELL PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL

TO THE MAYOR ON APRIL 11, 2025

APRIL 21, 2025

MAYOR RETURNED BY THE

OFFI CIAL PROCEE DIN GS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS

REGULAR SESSION

CITY HALL: APRIL 10, 2025

The Council of the City of New Orleans met this day in Regular Session,

at 10:29A.M., in the Council Chamber,City Hall, Council President, JP Morrell, presiding.

On callingthe roll, the following members answered to their names:

PRESENT: MORENO (VICE PRESIDENT) MORRELL (PRESIDENT) GIARRUSSO HARRIS GREEN THOMAS ABSENT:

KING SIX MEMBERS PRESENT,CONSTITUTING AQUORUM.

ROLL CALL

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

INVOCATION

BISHOP BRANDON BOUTIN UNITED FELLOWSHIP FULL GOSPEL BAPTIST CHURCH

PLEDGEOFALLEGIANCE

JOSEPH I. GIARRUSSO III

COUNCILMEMBER DISTRICT“A”

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES March 13, 2025 and March 27, 2025

APPROVED.

AMENDMENT

AMENDMENT TO ORD. CAL. NO.35,037

BY:COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS

An amendment to establish the effective date, the cost of the election, and the date of the canvassing of votes.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0

RECUSED: 0 AND THE AMENDENT WASADOPTED.

ORDINANCES ON FINAL PASSAGE

CAL. NO. 34,987 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER KING -AnOrdinance to establish aconditional use to permit aprincipalbed and breakfast and outdoor live entertainment (secondary use) in conjunction with areception facility in an MU-1 Medium Intensity Mixed-Use District, on Square2 Lot 4-A, St. ClaireGarden, in the Fifth Municipal District, bounded by PattersonDrive, General Collins Road, Richland Road, and Socrates Street (Municipal Address: 3819 Patterson Drive); and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. (ZONING DOCKET NO. 103/24)

WITHDRAWN.

CAL. NO. 35,031 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERHARRIS(BY REQUEST)-An

Ordinance to authorize the execution and delivery by the New Orleans Building Corporation (“NOBC”) of the Second Amendment to Sublease by and between NOBC, as Landlord, and New Orleans Pelicans NBA, LLC (the “Pelicans”), as Lessee, which amendment Exhibit “A” (the “Amendment”), and which amends the sublease between NOBC and the Pelicans, (the “Lease”),pursuant to which NOBC subleases to the Pelicans asurface parking lot located at or near the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana(the “Leased Premises”), for the Pelicans’ parking operations, and to provide for related matters.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno -5

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:Morrell, Thomas -2

RECUSED: 0 AND THE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO. 35,032 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) -An

Ordinance to authorize the execution and delivery by the New Orleans Building Corporation (“NOBC”) of the Sublease Agreement as Exhibit “A” (the “Agreement”) by and between NOBC, as Sublessor,and FlixBus, Inc. (“FlixBus”), as Sublessee, pursuant to which NOBC will sublease to FlixBus abus bay and related space located at Union Passenger Terminal (the “Leased Premises”) for FlixBus’spassenger bus operations, and to provide for related matters; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Thomas -6

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:Morrell -1

RECUSED: 0 AND THE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.

35,033 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERHARRIS(BY REQUEST) -An Ordinance to authorize the execution and delivery by the New Orleans Building Corporation (“NOBC”) of the Amended and Restated Lease Agreement as Exhibit “A”(the “Agreement”) by and between NOBC, as sublessor,and Greyhound Lines, Inc. (“Greyhound”), as sublessee, pursuant to which NOBC subleases to Greyhound Lines, Inc. certain bus bays and related space at Union Passenger Terminal(the “Leased Premises”) for Greyhound’spassenger bus operations, and to provide for related matters; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Thomas -6

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:Morrell -1

RECUSED: 0 AND THE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO. 35,034 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERKING -AnOrdinance to establish aconditional use to permit aprincipalbed and breakfast and outdoor live entertainment (secondary use) in conjunctionwith areception facility in an MU-1 Medium Intensity Mixed-Use District, on Square2 Lot 4-A, St. ClaireGarden, in the Fifth Municipal District, bounded by PattersonDrive, General Collins Road, Richland Road, and Socrates Street (Municipal Address: 3819 Patterson Drive); and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. (ZONING DOCKET NO.103/24)

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Morrell, Thomas -6

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:Moreno -1

RECUSED: 0 AND THE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO. 35,037 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS -AnOrdinance callingfor an election on October 11, 2025, at which the electors of the City of New Orleans will be asked to approve an amendment to the Home Rule Charter’sBill of Rights (Article II, Section 2-202(6)) to prohibit laws thatdiscriminate based on conviction history; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris,King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0

RECUSED: 0 AND THE ORDINANCE, AS AMENDED,WAS ADOPTED.

CAL. NO. 35,038 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER KING -AnOrdinance to establish aconditional use to permit ahotel over 10,000 squarefeet in floor area in the HMC-2 Historic Marigny/Tremé/Bywater Commercial District, on Square152, Lot 93-A, in the ThirdMunicipal District, bounded by Elysian Fields Avenue, Chartres Street, Royal Street, and Marigny Street (Municipal Addresses: 613-621 Elysian Fields Avenue, 2221 Chartres Street, and 2210 Royal Street); and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. (ZONING DOCKET NO.105/24)

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Green, Harris, King,Morrell, Thomas -5

NAYS: 0 ABSENT:Giarrusso, Moreno -2

RECUSED: 0 AND THE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO. 35,039 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERMORRELL -AnOrdinance to establish and ordain Section 70-565 of the Code of the City of New Orleansrelative to the impositionand collection of fees andservice charges for the collectionoftaxes, and license and permit fees on behalf of the State of Louisianaorany public office, department or boardnot subject to the provisions of the Home Rule Charter,and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, Moreno, Morrell,Thomas -6

NAYS: 0 ABSENT:King -1

RECUSED: 0 AND THE ORDINANCE, AS AMENDED,WAS ADOPTED. CAL. NO. 35,040 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELL AND HARRIS -An Ordinance to extend the effectiveness of Ordinance No. 29,701 M.C.S. whichestablished the Commercial Short-TermRental Interim Zoning District to prohibit the use of Short-Term Rental, Commercial, and Hostels as allowable uses within all areas of the city,and to limit the development of Timeshareswith certain specified considerations, for aperiod of 180 days; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris,King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0 AND THE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED. CAL. NO. 35,041- BY:COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST)-An

Ordinance authorizing the Mayorofthe City of New Orleans to enter into aCooperative Endeavor Agreement between the City of New Orleans (the “City”) and Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical Collegeonbehalfofits Louisiana StateUniversity HealthSciences Center, New Orleans (LSU), with aterm greater than one year,for the public purpose of the valued public purpose of improving caretosick and injured persons in New Orleans while providing access to amedical and clinical education program forLSU medical residents as well as providing the City with hospital trained staffoncalls to assist NOEMS, as morefully detailed in the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement as Exhibit “A”; and otherwise, to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL: YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0 ABSENT:0

RECUSED: 0

ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.35,054 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN,THOMAS, MORRELL, HARRISAND KING -AnOrdinance to amend Ordinance No.30,139 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “AnOrdinance providing an Operating Budget of Revenues forthe City of New Orleans for the Year 2025” to appropriate unassigned fund balance to the Chief Administrative Office to provide for asecond payment to the Orleans Parish School Board; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0

RECUSED: 0

ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.35,055 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN,THOMAS, MORRELL, HARRISAND KING -AnOrdinance to amend Ordinance No.30,140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance providing an Operating Budget of Expendituresfor the City of New Orleans forthe Year 2025” to appropriate funds to the to appropriate unassigned fund balance to the Chief Administrative Office to provide for asecond payment to the Orleans Parish School Board; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT: 0

RECUSED: 0

ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.35,056 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS (BYREQUEST) -

An Ordinance authorizing the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into aCooperative Endeavor Agreement (“CEA”)between the City of New Orleans (the “City”) and Orleans Parish Criminal Justice Data¬ Sharing Program Users’ Group (the “DSPUG”), comprised of the New Orleans Police Department, Orleans Parish Sheriff’sOffice, Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans, Orleans ParishCriminal DistrictCourt,Orleans Parish Criminal Clerk, Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice, Orleans Public Defenders, Orleans Parish CommunicationDistrict, and such other similarlyinvolved criminal justice agencies as may be incorporated by amendment, with aterm of five years, forthe public purpose of improving the management,quality, speed, and consistency by which criminal justice data is processed and shared, as morefully detailed in the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement as Exhibit “A”; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0

RECUSED: 0 ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.35,057 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER GREEN (BYREQUEST) -An

Ordinance to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into Amendment No.1tothe Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (“CEA”) between the Mosquito, Termite, &Rodent Control Boardand The University of Florida’sBoardofTrustees (“University of Florida”)toextend the CEA’s term forfour (4) years, to increase the CEA’s compensation,and to modifycertain terms and conditions, as morefully set forth as Exhibit “1”; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT: 0

RECUSED: 0 ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.35,058 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER GREEN (BYREQUEST) -An

Ordinance to authorize the Mayorofthe City of New Orleans to enter into Amendment No.1tothe Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (“CEA”) between the Mosquito, Termite, &Rodent Control Boardand Louisiana StateUniversity Health Sciences Center-New Orleans (“LSUHSC”) to extend the CEA’s term forfour (4) years, to increase the CEA’s compensation, and to modifycertain terms and conditions, as morefully as Exhibit “A”; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL: YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0 ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.35,060 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS- An Ordinance to amend and re-ordain Section146-762 of the Code of the City of New Orleans to limit the number of honorary intersectionsthat may be designated per year; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0 ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.35,061 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL -AnOrdinance to amend and reordainSection 26-622 of the City Code to clarify when short term rental platforms must electronicallyverify alisting;and otherwise to provide thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0 ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.35,063 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN ANDTHOMAS(BY REQUEST) -AnOrdinance to amend

Ordinance No.30139 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “AnOrdinance

Providing an Operating Budget of Revenues for the City of New Orleans forthe Year 2025”, to appropriate unspent funds from the FY22 BJAGStrengthening the ForensicResponse Grant to the New Orleans Police Department fortravel and supplies expenses; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell -6

NAYS: 0

ABSENT: Thomas -1

RECUSED: 0 ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.35,064 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN ANDTHOMAS(BY REQUEST) -AnOrdinance to amend

Ordinance No.30140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “AnOrdinance Providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025”, to appropriate unspent funds from the FY22 BJAG- Strengthening the ForensicResponse Grant to the New Orleans Police Department fortravel and supplies expenses; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell -6

NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Thomas -1

RECUSED: 0 ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.35,065 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN ANDTHOMAS (BYREQUEST) -AnOrdinance to amend Ordinance No.29736 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “AnOrdinance Providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures forthe City of New Orleans for the Year 2024”, to transfer funds within the Health Department from appropriation 200 –Other Operating to 100 –Personal Services forthe City Readiness Initiative to deliver medication and medical supplies during alarge-scale public health emergency; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell -6

NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Thomas -1

RECUSED: 0 ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO.35,066 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS-AnOrdinance to amend and reordainSection 84-157 of the Code of the City of New Orleans to update the nominating entities for membership to the Central Business District Historic District Landmarks Commission; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell -6

NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Thomas -1

RECUSED: 0 ANDTHE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

MOTIONS/RESOLUTIONS NO. R- 25-210 BY:COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELLAND MORENO WHEREAS, in response to the white-only Pontchartrain Beach amusement park thatBlack NewOrleansresidents could not accessduring the segregated Jim Crow era, City officialsopened aseparate, although far from equal,Lincoln Beach along Hayne Boulevardinthe Little Woods neighborhood of NewOrleansEast,toprovide Black NewOrleanians accesstoswimming pools, abathhouse,the Carver House restaurant, picnic shelters, amusement park rides, andotheramenities; and WHEREAS, the lakefront parcel wasacquired by the OrleansParish Levee Boardin1939, andunderthe administration of Earl K. Long, the Levee Boardunveiledplans for a$1million renovation of Lincoln Beach with construction beginning in spring of 1953; on May 8, 1954, social worker union activist andcivil rights leader Ernest Wright chairedthe newLincoln Beach dedication ceremoniesalongside Rev.Avery Alexander,Rev.A.L Davis, Dillard University President Albert W. Dent, OrleansLevee Board President Louis Roussel andotherstate andcity leaders,with Lincoln Beach officially opening on May 28, 1954; and WHEREAS, the beach’sshores were alive with engagements likeDance UnderThe Stars on Fridaynights; live entertainment includedthe likes of the Bob OgdenOrchestra, the Hawkettes, pianist Walter“Fats” Pichon, the InkSpots, Earl King andFatsDomino; WMRYRadio’sLarry McKinley hostedfreemidwaydances; andLincoln Beach became home to day campers andRed Cross swimming safety lessons; and WHEREAS, Lincoln Beach also hostedevents including aMiss Lincoln competition, where McDonogh No. 35 High School student June Foster celebrated hervictory alongside masterofceremonies, NatKing Cole andin1958, Ernest Wright organized aNegro State Fair at Lincoln Beach; and WHEREAS, with the passage of the Civil Rights Actof1964, outlawing segregation andprohibiting racial discrimination on public property,Black NewOrleanians were finally abletoaccessPontchartrain Beach,and Lincoln Beach closedinthe fall of 1964; and WHEREAS, although Lincoln Beach haseroded andfallentoover six decades of disrepairand neglect,the memoriesstemming from the Orleans Parish shoreline live on in the heartsand minds of so many New Orleans families; and WHEREAS, in 2020, Michael Pellet, better known as Sage,yearned to revitalize this long-neglected beach, noting not only the venue’s importancetothe Black community but recognizing its historic,economic andecological value; other passionate residents like Tricia “Blyss” Wallace andReggie Fordjoinedthis grassroots pursuit andchampioned restoration of the space to reflect the needs andwants of the community it would serve; and WHEREAS, supporters of the project prioritize the need for safety and accessibility,aswellasproviding jobs, opportunities, andrecreation; with the leadershipofNew Orleansfor Lincoln Beach,clean-up efforts attracted scores of volunteers, beautifying ahistoric

in 2024, a$1.5million Environmental Protection Agencyaward for abeach nourishment park, andState Capital Outlay funding for $500,000, Lincoln Beach is well-positionedtoberestored; and WHEREAS, DigitalEngineering &Imaging, Inc. (DEI) wasselected by the City to perform acomprehensive site assessment thatevaluates existing conditions of structures, parking lots, andanaccesstunnel, as well as facility access,utilities, andwaterfront andcoastalstructures to assistin the futuremaster planning of the site andtoensuresafe, ADA-compliant accessfor allvisitors; and WHEREAS, the DEI team began workin2020 andultimately determined thatredevelopment of the site is feasible andrecommendedfor the Lincoln Beach Master Planning process; DEI’scomprehensive assessment includeddetermining if utility services, cutbythe Army Corps of Engineers during reconstruction of the flood wall afterHurricaneKatrina, could viably be returnedtothe site, as well as an environmental review for potential contamination andwetland identification; and WHEREAS, the initialinvestment of $5 million allowedDEI to identify minimum improvements andsubsequent investment hasalloweddesign workfor moreextensive improvements; at present, DEI is undercontract for those advanced design elements andaproposed DEI contract amendment would allow DEI to continue workingand provide coordination with the forthcomingconstruction contract to ensureeverything is built according to plan; and WHEREAS, the project currently sits in the Master Planning stage, with aRequest for Proposals (RFP) drafted for construction efforts to include tunnelimprovements, drainage, andsite-ready elements; the RFP originally set for release in December 2024 but delayed due to federal and state funding approvals, is now projected for release in April 2025; and WHEREAS, in apublic meeting held on March 24, 2025, Cantrell Administration officialsoutlinedaspects of the draft RFP to adopt community engagement working group recommendationsinto the scope, with emphasis on ensuring disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) have an opportunity to bid; and WHEREAS, the City pledged to “debundle”the scope of the RFP,tobring costs below $5 million, to allow smaller DBEs to compete,and to ensure bids thatinclude workforce development andlocal hirecomponentscan be scored higherupon evaluation; and WHEREAS, also at the March 24, 2025 meeting, the Administration announced thatthe April 2025 RFP release will include an industry outreach andnetworkingevent for businesses andcontractors, as well as asite visit for interested businesses to inspect site conditions firsthand to better equip entitieswhendraftingbid proposals; and WHEREAS, the Master Planfor the site is being executedbythe Sasaki firm—responsible for the community engagement component of the project—and during the March 24, 2025 public meeting, Sasaki staff announced the plan is roughly 95% complete;and WHEREAS, the Master Planwill be ready for public review at the next Lincoln Beach Redevelopment Master Planmeeting on May 6, 2025 at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church; andatthatmeeting, Sasaki will outline whatwork can be executedwith the $24.6million allocated for Phase I, whichmay include waterfront elements with bathrooms andconcessions adaptation of existing structures, expansion of beach space, and sustainability features to preventerosion; in addition, Sasaki will identify anyadditional priorities raised in prior community engagement events that could be undertaken with additionalfunding allocations; and WHEREAS, the Administration haspublicly announced atentative date of October 2025 for groundbreaking, andopening targeted for Summer 2026; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANS, That the City Council prioritizes transparency, public engagement,and an effort thatrestores Lincoln Beach in amannerdriven by community-based decision-makingtoensurethe site is agenuine sourceofpride for New Orleanians, with respect given to the Black familieswho brought Lincoln Beach to life decades ago. THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION WASREADINFULL, THE ROLL WASCALLEDONTHE ADOPTION OF THEREOF,AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green,Harris, King, Morrell, Thomas-5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:Giarrusso, Moreno-2 AND THE RESOLUTION WASADOPTED. NO. M-25-211 BY:COUNCILMEMBERS THOMAS, MORENO, MORRELLAND KING (BY REQUEST) WHEREAS, Section 70-10 of the Code of the City of NewOrleansrequires thatcertaincontractsproviding for the aggregateexpenditureofmore than$1,000,000.00incity funds during the initialterm andall allowable renewaltermsorhaving an initialterm of morethanone year or providing for legalservices must be signedbythe President of the City Council; and WHEREAS, Section 70-10 furtherprovides thatthe President of the City Council shall not execute anysuchcontract unless authorized to do so by Council motion; and WHEREAS, The City of NewOrleans, the LawDepartment, and Phelps Dunbar, L.L.P.,desire to enterinto acontract to continue legal representation in the litigation pertaining to the OrleansParish Sheriff’s Office consent decree, to whichthe City is aparty, for an additionaltwo years or until the litigation is resolved, the totalcompensation being $725,000.00; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANS, That the President of the Council shall be added as asignatory to Amendment No. 12 to the professional services agreementbetween the City of New Orleans andPhelps Dunbar, L.L.P.;and BE IT FURTHER MOVED, Thatthe President of the Council is hereby authorized to sign Amendment No. 12 to the professional services agreementbetween the City of NewOrleansand Phelps Dunbar, L.L.P. as attached hereto as Exhibit A*; and BE IT FURTHER MOVED, Thatthe Clerk of Council shall forward copies of this motion, including Exhibit A, to the City Attorney’sOffice to effectuate this request. THE FOREGOING MOTION WASREADINFULL, THE ROLLWAS CALLEDONTHE ADOPTION THEREOF,AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green,Harris, King, Morrell, Thomas-5

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:Giarrusso, Moreno-2 AND THE MOTION WASADOPTED *Copies of the attachment may be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street,Room 1E09, City Hall. NO. M-25-212

CALENDAR NO. 35,073 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER GIARRUSSO (BY REQUEST) -ANORDINANCE to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleanstoenter into an Amendment No. 2toa Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the City of New Orleans (“City”) and the Sewerage and Water BoardofNew Orleans (“Board”), to extend the term through January 1, 2027, and to increase the City’sparticipation by $14,000,000.00 as apartial local funds match requirement for the Louisiana Hubs for EnergyResilient Operations (HERO) program, administered by the state of Louisiana and funded by agrant from theDepartment of Energy,as morefully detailed in the Amendment No. 2tothe Cooperative Endeavor Agreement form attached hereto as Exhibit “A”*; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. *Copies of the attachment may be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E09, City Hall.

CALENDAR NO. 35,074 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERMORRELL -AN

ORDINANCE to extend and modify the prohibitions in Ordinance No 30,239 M.C.S.; and otherwisetoprovide with respect thereto.

CALENDARNO. 35,075 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, MORRELL, HARRIS, THOMAS, KING AND GREEN -AN

ORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No. 30,139 M.C.S., as amended,

entitled “An Ordinance providing an Operating Budget of Revenues for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025” to appropriate unassigned fundbalance to the Chief Administrative Office to provide for the 2025 payment to Youth Force NOLA for programming; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDARNO. 35,076 BY:COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, MORRELL, HARRIS, THOMAS, KING ANDGREEN-AN

ORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No. 30,140 M.C.S., as amended,

entitled “An Ordinance providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025” to appropriate funds to the to appropriate unassigned fund balance to the Chief Administrative Office to provide for the 2025 payment to Youth Force NOLA for programming;and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDARNO. 35,077 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, MORRELL, HARRIS, THOMAS, KING AND GREEN -AN

ORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No. 30,139 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance providing an Operating Budget of Revenues for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025” to appropriate unassigned fundbalance to the Health Department to provide for the 2025 payment to Thrive Kids for continued programming;and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDARNO. 35,078 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, MORRELL, HARRIS, THOMAS, KING AND GREEN -AN

ORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No. 30,140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025” to appropriate funds to the unassigned fund balance to the Health Department to provide for the 2025 payment to Thrive Kids for programming; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDARNO. 35,079 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERMORRELL -AN

ORDINANCE to establish Section 2-15 of the Code of the City of New Orleans to prohibit the use of acity credit cardbypersons with outstanding financial obligations to the City; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDARNO. 35,080 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN AND THOMAS (BY REQUEST) -ANORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No. 30139 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance Providing an Operating Budget of Revenues for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025”, to appropriate funds to the Law Department for the Federal Judgment payment in the Hainey v. City of New Orleans matter -USDC-LAED #21-407; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDAR NO. 35,081 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN AND THOMAS (BY REQUEST)-ANORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No. 30140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance Providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of New Orleansfor the Year 2025”, to appropriate funds to the Law Department for the Federal Judgement payment in the Hainey v. City of New Orleans matter, -USDC-LAED #21-407; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDAR NO. 35,082 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN AND THOMAS (BY REQUEST)- AN ORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No. 30139M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance

Providing an Operating Budget of Revenues for the City of NewOrleans for the Year 2025”, to appropriate funds to the Department of Parksand Parkways towards afull roof replacement for the Joseph M. Bartholomew Golf Course clubhouse; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDAR NO.35,083 -BY:

COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN ANDTHOMAS (BYREQUEST) -ANORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No.30140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “AnOrdinance

Providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of NewOrleans for the Year 2025”, to appropriate funds to the Department of Parksand Parkways towards afull roof replacement for the Joseph M. Bartholomew Golf Course clubhouse; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDAR NO.35,084 -BY:

COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN ANDTHOMAS (BYREQUEST) -ANORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No.30139 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “AnOrdinance Providing an Operating Budget of Revenues for the City of NewOrleans for the Year 2025”, to appropriate unspent grant funds from the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) FY 21 to the Office of the Mayor for the purchase of telecommunication equipment;and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDAR NO.35,085 -BY:

COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN ANDTHOMAS (BYREQUEST) -ANORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No.30140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “AnOrdinance

Providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025”, to appropriate unspent grant funds from the StateHomeland Security Program (SHSP) FY 21 to the Office of the Mayor for the purchase of telecommunication equipment;and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDAR NO.35,086 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN ANDTHOMAS (BYREQUEST) -ANORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No.30139 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “AnOrdinance Providing an Operating Budget of Revenues for the City of NewOrleans for the Year 2025”, to appropriate Private Grant funds to the New Orleans Health Department to support the advancement of the Healthy Food Delivery to Pregnant and Postpartum Families Program and serve as a

foundation for attracting additional investment for other programs; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDAR NO.35,087 -BY:

COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN ANDTHOMAS (BYREQUEST) -ANORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No.30140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “AnOrdinance Providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025”, to appropriate Private Grant funds to the New Orleans Health Department to support the advancement of the Healthy Food Delivery to Pregnant and Postpartum Families Program and serve as afoundation for attracting additional investment for other programs; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL -AN

in exchange for NORA’sdatasets; to extendthe term thereof for an additionalthree (3)years; andtomodify or reaffirm certainconditions, as morefully set forth in the Amendment attached hereto as Exhibit “A”* andincorporated andmade apart hereof; andotherwise to provide with respect thereto. *Copies of the attachment maybeseen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street,Room 1E09, City Hall.

CALENDAR NO. 35,092 -BY: COUNCILMEMBER KING (BY REQUEST) -ANORDINANCE to authorizethe Mayor of the City of NewOrleansto enterinto aCooperative Endeavor Agreementbetween the City of New Orleans (“City”), andEMDRC Partners, LLC (“EMDRC” or “EMDRC Partners”) for morethanone (1)year, for the public purpose of securing andstabilizing Building 601 to ensurethe entiretyofthe Naval Activity Support (the“NSA”) site is asafeand attractive space for residents, businesses, andvisitors (including Building 601) during Phase 1ofthe NSA Development, as morefully detailed in the Cooperative Endeavor Agreementform attached hereto as Exhibit “A”*; andotherwise to provide with respect thereto. *Copies of the attachmentmay be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street,Room 1E09, City Hall.

CALENDAR NO. 35,093 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS THOMAS, GIARRUSSO, GREEN, KING AND HARRIS (BY REQUEST) -AN ORDINANCE to ordain Chapter 82, Article XV,Sections 82-718 –82-723 of the Code of the City of

CALENDAR NO.35,088 -BY:

ORDINANCE to establish section 70-13 of the Code of the City of New Orleans relative to arequirement that allcontracts and professional services agreements identify all parties performing work thereunder; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDAR NO.34,989 -BY:

COUNCILMEMBERS HARRISAND

THOMAS (BYREQUEST) -ANORDINANCE to amend and reordain Sections 106-211 through 106-229 of the Code of the City of New Orleans, relative to the protection of trees and other vegetation under the purview of the Department of Parks and Parkways; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDAR NO.35,090 -BY:

COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN ANDTHOMAS (BYREQUEST) -ANORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No.30140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An

Ordinance Providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of NewOrleans for the Year 2025”, to appropriate grant funds from the NewOrleans Business Alliance to the Office of Workforce Development to expand opportunities for entry-level positions, support skill-building, and highlight potential career pathways; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

CALENDAR NO.35,091 -BY:

COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS(BY REQUEST) -ANORDINANCE authorizingthe Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into aSecond Amendment to the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the City of NewOrleans (the “City”) and New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (“NORA”) relative to the City’sDepartment of InformationTechnology and Innovation (“ITI” or “ITI Department”) providing basic operational and disaster recovery support to NORA