The Advocate 07-25-2025 by The Advocate

Trump exempts plants in La. from pollution rule

Regulation was aimed at reducing cancer risks

BY DAVID J MITCHELL and JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writers

Twelve petrochemical companies in Louisiana have received two-year exemptions from President Donald Trump from complying with a 2024 rule aimed at cutting pollution and cancer risks for communities near industrial plants, a regulation they had labeled unnecessarily costly but which environmental activists had lauded as long overdue.

The new proclamation cites technologi-

cal limits, concerns over cost and national security impacts from supply chain disruptions to put off compliance until 2028 for major petrochemical companies operating in the Mississippi River region and Lake Charles area. Some advocates said they see the new exemptions as an interim move to delay implementation while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency undoes or lessens the requirements permanently

Last year environmental advocates hailed the rule as a major step in improv-

ing air quality for minority and poor communities that often bear the brunt of industrial pollution, though industry groups opposed them as too costly and unsupported by science.

Trump’s proclamation issued July 17 grants the two-year exemptions to Shell, BASF, Dow, Union Carbide, Denka, Sasol, Westlake and a handful of other companies in Louisiana.

The proclamation doesn’t always make clear to which facilities it applies for

ä See PLANTS, page 6A

Baton Rouge Christmas parade canceled

Organizers cite costs related to security concerns

BY QUINN COFFMAN and ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writers

The

ä See PARADE, page 7A

Reports detail robberies that didn’t happen

BY JOSEPH CRANNEY Staff writer

During the ﬁrst half of 2024, Tebo Onishea, then the police chief of Glenmora, in Rapides Parish, wrote up a series of reports that documented a jarring number of armed robberies for his town of about 1,000.

Visitors hailing from as far as Charleston, South Carolina, or Flushing, New York, reported passing through town late at night, stopping to rest or change a tire, when they were accosted by masked or hooded men carrying guns, Onishea wrote in six reports from incidents he said he handled himself.

The men demanded money and jewelry from victims who “feared for their life,” he wrote. Some were shoved to the ground and kicked, his reports stated. The men then escaped into the dark woods. Federal prosecutors say Onishea made all of it up, and that he wasn’t the only one.

The newly-obtained Glenmora police reports provide the ﬁrst look at what federal prosecutors allege was a bribes-for-visas scheme in a 62-count indictment unsealed last week. The alleged immigration fraud conspiracy centers around Onishea and police chiefs in neighboring Oakdale and Forest Hill, along with an Oakdale marshal and a businessman in town, Chandrakant “La La” Patel.

Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Louisiana allege that Patel bribed the four lawmen to draft fake police reports, which could then be used to help foreign

Former Glenmora police chief accused of involvement in visa scheme ä See REPORTS, page 6A

Governor spars with insurance chief again

Officials diverge on how insurer entered La. market

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

They still aren’t on the same page.

Gov Jeff Landry and Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple are offering sharply contrasting views over how and why General Motors Insurance entered the Louisiana market a continuation of a battle between the two Republicans during the regular legislative session over how best to hold down rising insurance rates and who is responsible if that doesn’t happen.

Much of their earlier dispute centered on the

Landry Temple

passage of House Bill 148, which gives whoever is the insurance commissioner the right to reject excessive rate increases without backing up the decision with hard data.

Landry pushed HB148 through the Legislature over Temple’s objections, saying that if rates keep rising, the public should then blame the insurance commissioner

The latest disagreement began Wednesday when

See SPAR, page 7A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Santa Claus rides on the Coca-Cola train during the 2024 Cortana Kiwanis Christmas Parade.

STAFF FILE PHOTO

The BASF facility in Geismar is one of the plants to receive a two-year exemption from complying with a rule aimed at cutting pollution and cancer risks.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Iran says it’s ready for nuke talks with U.S TEHRAN, Iran Iran is ready to engage in talks on its nuclear program with the United States, but only if Washington takes meaningful steps to rebuild trust, a senior Iranian diplomat said Thursday, ahead of a key meeting with European ofﬁcials.

That meeting will be the ﬁrst since a ceaseﬁre was reached after a 12-day war waged by Israel against Iran in June, which also saw U.S. B-52 bombers strike nuclear-related facilities in the Islamic Republic.

The discussions will bring Iranian ofﬁcials together with officials from Britain, France and Germany known as the E3 nations — and will include the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. A similar meeting had been held in the Turkish city in May In a social media post, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Thursday that for talks with the Unites States, Tehran would seek that “several key principles” be upheld.

These include “rebuilding Iran’s trust as Iran has absolutely no trust in the United States,” he said, adding there could be no room “for hidden agendas such as military action, though Iran remains fully prepared for any scenario.”

Washington would have to respect and recognize Iran’s rights under the international agreement known as the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty, including the right to enrich uranium “in line with its legitimate needs” and the lifting of crippling economic sanctions on Iran.

Supreme Court blocks N.D. redistricting ruling

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a lower-court ruling in a redistricting dispute in North Dakota that would gut a landmark federal civil rights law for millions of people.

The justices indicated in an unsigned order that they are likely to take up a federal appeals court ruling that would eliminate the most common path people and civil rights groups use to sue under a key provision of the 60-year-old Voting Rights Act.

The case could be argued as early as 2026 and decided by next summer

Three conservative justices, Samuel Alito Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas, would have rejected the appeal.

The court also has a separate redistricting case over a second majority Black congressional district in Louisiana. The justices heard arguments in March, but took the rare step of calling for a new round of arguments in their term that begins in October. They have yet to spell out what issues they want discussed.

In the North Dakota case the Spirit Lake Tribe and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, with reservations 60 miles apart, argued that the state’s 2021 legislative map violated the act by diluting their voting strength and ability to elect their own candidates.

Ammo depot explosion in Syria kills at least 7 DAMASCUS, Syria An explosion at an ammunition depot in northern Syria on Thursday killed at least seven people and wounded scores, rescuers and monitors said.

There was no official statement as to what has caused the blast in Idlib province. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the explosion took place at an ammunition depot

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, also said the blast in Idlib, in the town of Maarat Misrin, struck an ammunition depot.

“Our teams are working to recover the bodies of the dead, treat the injured, and extinguish ﬁres at the site of the massive explosion of an ammunition depot,” the White Helmets said in a statement.

The state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV referred to the explosion as involving “remnants from the war,” likely shorthand for arms and ammunition left over from Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war The TV report did not give more details.

U.S. cuts short Gaza ceasefire talks

Envoy accuses Hamas of lacking ‘good faith’

BY MICHELLE L PRICE and JOSEPH KRAUSS Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The United States is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and bringing its negotiating team home from Qatar to discuss next steps after Hamas’ latest response “shows a lack of desire” to reach a truce, President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday.

“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,” Wi tk of f said in a statement.

“We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.”

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott would not offer details on what “alternative options” the U.S. is considering to free hostages held by the militant group.

A breakthrough on a ceaseﬁre deal between Israel and Hamas following 21 months of war has eluded the Trump administration as humanitarian conditions worsen in Gaza. Thursday’s

move is the latest setback as Trump has tried to position himself as peacemaker and vowed to broker agreements in conflicts from Ukraine to Gaza.

When pressed on whether and how the U.S. would proceed on seeking a truce in Gaza, Pigott did not offer clarity and told reporters that “this is a very dynamic situation.”

He said there’s never been a question of the U.S. commitment to reaching a ceasefire and faulted Hamas.

The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs.

Ofﬁcials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops after any ceasefire takes place.

Witkoff said the U.S. is “resolute” in seeking an end

PHOTO PROVIDED By RUSSIAN INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE

Debris is scattered Thursday after a Russian An-24 passenger plane crashed 9 miles south of Tynda in the Far Eastern Amur region of Russia.

Passenger plane crashes in Russia’s Far East, killing 48

By The Associated Press

MOSCOW A passenger plane crashed Thursday in Russia’s Far East, killing all 48 passengers and crew on board, of-

ﬁcials said.

The Angara Airlines ﬂight disappeared from radar and searchers later found the burning wreckage of the plane on a hillside south of its planned destination in Tynda, more than 4,350 miles east of Moscow, Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said.

Regional Gov Vasily Orlov said in a statement that all 48 people aboard were dead, and announced three days of mourning in the Amur region over what he called a “terrible tragedy.” It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crash

Russia’s Interfax news agency said there were adverse weather conditions at the time of the crash, citing unnamed sources in the emergency services. Several Russian news outlets also reported that the aircraft was almost 50 years old, citing data taken from the plane’s tail number

The Soviet-designed twin turbo prop plane had initially departed from Khabarovsk be-

fore making its way to Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese border and onward to Tynda.

Images of the reported crash site circulated by Russian state media show debris scattered among dense forest, surrounded by plumes of smoke.

Orlov said rescuers had struggled to reach the site due to its remote location, 9 miles south of Tynda.

An earlier statement from the governor said that 49 people had been onboard the flight, but that number later was updated to 48. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear

The transport prosecutor’s ofﬁce in the Far East said in an online statement that the plane was attempting to land for a second time when it lost contact with air trafﬁc control and disappeared from radars.

The authorities launched a probe on the charge of flight safety violations that resulted in multiple deaths, a standard procedure in aviation accidents.

Aviation incidents have been frequent in Russia, especially in recent years as international sanctions have squeezed the country’s aviation sector

to the conﬂict in Gaza and it was “a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way.”

The White House and representatives for Hamas had no immediate comment

Earlier Thursday, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu’s ofﬁce recalled his negotiating team in light of Hamas’ response. In a brief statement, Netanyahu’s ofﬁce expressed appreciation for the efforts of Witkoff and other mediators Qatar and Egypt but gave no further details.

The deal under discussion was expected to include an initial 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up, and the two sides would hold negotia-

tions on a lasting ceaseﬁre.

The talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the war Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and end to the war Israel says it will not agree to end the conﬂict until Hamas gives up power and disarms. The militant group says it is prepared to leave power but not surrender its weapons.

Hamas is believed to be holding the hostages in different locations, including tunnels, and says it has ordered its guards to kill them if Israeli forces approach.

Trump has made little secret of the fact he wants to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. For instance, he has promised to quickly negotiate an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, but little progress has been made.

On the war in Gaza, Trump met with Netanyahu at the White House this month, putting his weight behind a push to reach a deal. But despite a partnership further solidified by their countries’ joint strikes on Iran, the Israeli leader left Washington without any breakthrough.

The State Department had said earlier in the week that Witkoff would be traveling to the Middle East for talks, but U.S. ofﬁcials later said that Witkoff would instead travel to Europe. It was unclear if he held meetings there Thursday

The apparent derailing of the talks comes as Israel’s blockade and military offensive have driven Gaza to the brink of famine, according to aid groups. The U.N. food agency says nearly 100,000 women and children are suffering from severe, acute malnutrition, and the Gaza Health Ministry has reported a rise in hunger-related deaths.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an emergency call Friday with ofﬁcials from Germany and France to discuss how to urgently get food to people in need and launch steps to build a lasting peace.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France would recognize Palestine as a state, saying, “The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved.”

DOJ official meets with Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell

BY ERIC TUCKER, KATE PAYNE and COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Justice Department’s No. 2 ofﬁcial met Thursday with Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned former girlfriend of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The meeting in Florida, which Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Tuesday he was working to arrange, is part of an ongoing Justice Department effort to cast itself as transparent following ﬁerce backlash from parts of President Donald Trump’s base over an earlier refusal to release additional records in the Epstein investigation.

“Ms. Maxwell answered every single question. She never stopped, she never invoked a privilege, she never declined to answer She answered all the questions truthfully, honestly and to the best of her ability,” attorney David Oscar Markus told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Tallahassee, where Maxwell met with Blanche.

In a social media post Tuesday Blanche said that Trump “has told us to release all credible evidence” and that if Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the Justice Department “will hear what she has to say.”

Markus said his team was “thankful” the deputy attorney general came to question Maxwell, calling it a “good day.”

Asked if his client could potentially receive a pardon or see her prison term reduced, Markus said: “There’s no promises yet. So she’s just answering questions for now.”

The House Committee on Oversight issued a subpoena Wednesday for Maxwell to testify before committee ofﬁcials in August Maxwell is serving a 20year sentence and is housed at a low-security federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida. She was sentenced three years ago after being convicted of helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.

Ofﬁcials have said Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell while awaiting trial in 2019, but his case has generated endless attention and conspiracy theories because of his and Maxwell’s links to famous people, including royals, presidents and billionaires.

Earlier this month, the Justice Department said it would not release more ﬁles related to the Epstein investigation, despite promises that claimed otherwise from At-

torney General Pam Bondi. The department also said an Epstein client list does not exist.

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Bondi told Trump in May that his name was among high-proﬁle people mentioned in government ﬁles of Epstein, though the mention does not imply wrongdoing.

Trump has said that he once thought Epstein was a “terriﬁc guy” but that they later had a falling out.

Witkoff

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ARIEL SCHALIT

People attend a rally Thursday in Tel Aviv Israel, calling for the end of the war and the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Trump, Powell bicker over Fedbuildingrenovations

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, JOSH BOAK and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON After months of criticizing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, President Donald Trump took the fight to the Fed’s front door on Thursday,publicly scorning the centralbank chiefover the ballooning costs of a long-plannedbuilding project. Powell pushed back, challenging the president’slatest price tag as incorrect.

the president’spressure on Powell to lowerborrowing costs, which Trump says would accelerate economic growth and reduce the government’sborrowing costs.

Presidents rarely visit the Fed’soffices, though they arejusta fewblocksfrom theWhite House, an example of thecentralbank’s independence from day-to-day politics.

“Wehave to getthe interest rates down,”

We aring hard hats and grim faces, standing in the middle of the construction project, Trump and Powell addressed the cameras. Trump charged that the renovation would cost $3.1 billion, much higher than the Fed’s$2.5 billion ﬁgure. Powell, standing next to him, shook his head.

The Fed chair,after looking at apaper presented to him by Trump, said the president was including the cost of renovating aseparate Fed building, known as the Martin building, that was finished five years ago. The visit representeda significant ratcheting up of

Trump said later after ashort tour, addressing the cameras this time without Powell. “People are pretty much unable to buy houses.”

Trumpislikely to be disappointed next week,however, when Fed officials will meet to decide its next steps on interest rates. Powell and other ofﬁcials have signaled they will likely keep their keyrateunchanged at about 4.3%. However, economists and Wall Street investors expect the Fed may start cuttingrates in September

Trump did step backa bit from someof hisrecent threatstoﬁre Powellbefore his term ends May 26.Asked if therising costsofthe Fed’s renovation,estimated in 2022 to cost $1.9 billion, was a“ﬁreable offense,” Trump

Ukraine’sleadermoves to restoreindependence of anti-graft agencies

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday submitted anew bill that would restore the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies in an effort to defuse tensions following his approval earlier this week of acontroversial law that weakened their autonomy

The previous bill was seen as undermining the agencies’ independence and sparked apublic outcry and protests, the ﬁrst major demonstrations since the war began, as well as sharp criticism from theEuropean Union.

Zelenskyy said parliament would review the new bill, which “guarantees real strengthening of Ukraine’s law enforcement system, the independence of anticorruption bodies, and reliable protection of the legal system from any Russian interference.” Ukraine’s twomain anti-graft agencies —the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’sOffice —quickly welcomed Zelenskyy’snew proposal, saying it restores alltheir procedural powers and guarantees their independence.

The agencies said they helped draft thenew bill

and urged lawmakers to adoptit“as soon as possible” toprevent threats to ongoing criminalcases.

The bill would replace the contentious lawpassed by lawmakers andapproved by Zelenskyy earlier this week. Criticssaidit strippedUkraine’santi-corruptionagencies of their independence by granting the government more oversight of their work.

Zelenskyyinitially argued the law was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictionsand remove Russianmeddling.

After Thursday’s U-turn, Zelenskyy said thenew bill reverses the earlier changes andalso introducedadditional measures aimedat “combating Russian influence,” including mandatory polygraph tests for law enforcement ofﬁcers.

“The text is balanced,” Zelenskyy said.“Themost important thingisreal tools, no Russiantiesand theindependence” of the antigraft agencies.

Thenew draft underlines that theprosecutor general and his deputies cannot give orders to anti-graft agencies or interfere in their work

The controversy surrounding the initial bill has threatened to undermine public trust in Ukraine’s leadershipafter more than threeyearsofﬁghting Russia’sfull-scaleinvasion.

said, “I don’twant to put this in thatcategory.”

“Todothat is abig move, and Idon’tthink that’snecessary,” Trump added. “I just wanttosee onething happen, very simple: Interestrates come down.”

TheFed allowed reporters to tour thebuilding before the visit by Trump, who, in his real estate career,has bragged about his lavish spending on architectural accoutrements thatgave a Versailles-like goldenﬂair to his buildings.

On Thursday, reporters wound through cement mixers, frontloaders, andplastic pipesastheygot aclose-up view of theactiveconstruction sitethat encompasses

theFed’shistoricheadquarters, known as the Marriner S. Eccles building, anda secondbuilding across20th Street in Washington.

Fed staff, who declined to be identified,saidthat greater security requirements, rising materials costs and tariffs, and the need to comply with historic preservation measures droveup the costofthe project,which wasbudgeted in 2022 at $1.9 billion.

Thestaff pointed outnew blast-resistantwindows and seismic walls that were needed to comply with modernbuilding codes and security standards set outbythe Department of Homeland Security.The Fed hastobuild

Trumpsigns bill to cancel foreignaid,public broadcasting funding

BY KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump signedabill Thursdaycanceling about $9 billionthathad been approvedfor public broadcasting and foreign aid as Republicanslook to lock in cuts to programstargeted by the White House’sDepartment of Government Efﬁciency Thebulkofthe spending being clawed back is for foreign assistance programs. About $1.1 billion was destinedfor the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances NPR andPBS, though most of thatmoney is distributed to morethan 1,500 local public radio and television stations around thecountry

TheWhite Househad billed thelegislation as atest case for Congress and said more such rescission packages would be on the way Some Republicanswere uncomfortable withthe cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsettinghis agenda. Democrats unanimously rejected thecutsbut were powerless to stop them.

TheWhiteHouse says the public media system is politically biasedand an unnecessary expense. Conservatives particularly directed theirire at NPR and PBS. Lawmakerswith large rural constituencies voiced grave concern about what the cuts

with the highest level of security in mind, Fed staff said, including something called “progressive collapse,” in which only parts of the building would fall if hit with explosives.

Sensitivity to the president’s pending visit among Fedstaff washigh during the tour.Reporters were ushered into asmall room outside the Fed’sboardroom, where 19 officials meet eight times ayear to decide whether to change short-term interest rates. The room, whichwill have asecurity booth, is oval-shaped, and someone hadwritten “ovalofﬁce” on plywood walls.

TheFed staffdownplayed the inscription as ajoke. When reporters returned to the room later,ithad been painted over During the tour, Fed staff also showed theelevator shaft that congressional criticshavesaidisfor “VIPs”

only.Powell has since said it will be open to all Fed staff. The renovation includes an 18-inch extension so the elevator reaches aslightly elevated area that is now accessible only by steps or aramp. Aplanning documentthat said the elevator will only be for the Fed’sseven governors was erroneous and later amended, staff said. Plansfor therenovation were first approved by the Fed’sgoverning board in 2017. The project then wended itsway through several local commissions for approval, at least one of which, the Commission for Fine Arts, included several Trump appointees. The commission pushed formoremarblein the second of the two buildings the Fed is renovating, known as 1951 Constitution Avenue, specifically in a mostlyglass extension that someofTrump’sappointees derided as a“glass box.”

to public broadcasting could mean for some local public stationsintheir state. Some stations will have to close, they warned.

Sen. LisaMurkowski, RAlaska, said thestationsare “notjust your news —itis your tsunamialert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert.”

Trump Powell

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDREWHARNI

Aworker stands in the windowofthe 1951 Constitution Avenue buildingonThursday as renovations continue on the Federal Reserve in Washington.

Officials: Dozens of kids,adultsinGazastarved in July

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, SARAH EL DEEB and LEE KEATH Associated Press

DEIRAL-BALAH,Gaza Strip Five

starving children at aGaza City hospital were wasting away,and nothing the doctors tried was working. The basic treatments for malnourishment that could save them had run out under Israel’sblockade. Thealternatives were ineffective. One after another,the babies and toddlers died over four days In greaternumbersthan ever, children hollowedup by hunger are overwhelming the Patient’sFriends Hospital, the main emergency center for malnourished kids in northern Gaza.

The deaths last weekend also marked achange: the firstseen by the centerin children who had no preexisting conditions.Symptoms are getting worse, with children too weak to cry or move, said Dr.Rana Soboh, a nutritionist. In past months, most improved, despite supply shortages, but now patients stay longer and don’t get better,she said.

“There are no words in the face of the disaster we are in. Kids are dying before the world There is no uglier and more horrible phase than this,” said Soboh, who works with the U.S.-based aid organization Medglobal, which supportsthe hospital

This month, the hunger thathas been building among Gaza’smore than 2million Palestinians passed atipping point into acceleratingdeath, aidworkers and health staff say. Not only children usuallythe mostvulnerable —are falling victim under Israel’s blockade since March, but also adults. In the past three weeks, at least 48 peopledied of causes related to malnutrition,including 28 adults and 20 children,the Gaza Health Ministry saidThursday. That’supfrom 10 children who died in theﬁve previous months of 2025, according to the ministry.

TheU.N.reports similar numbers. The World Health

Organization saidWednesday it has documented 21 children under 5who died of causes related to malnutritionin2025. TheU.N. humanitarian ofﬁce, OCHA, said Thursday at least 13 children’sdeaths were reported in July,withthe number growing daily “Humans arewell developed to live withcaloric deﬁcits, but only so far,” said Dr John Kahler,Medglobal’scofounder and apediatrician who volunteered twice in Gazaduring the war.“It appears thatwehave crossed thelinewhere asegment of thepopulation has reached their limits”

“This is the beginning of a population death spiral,” he

said.

The U.N.’sWorld Food Program says nearly 100,000 women andchildren urgently need treatment for malnutrition.Medical workers say they have run outofmany key treatments andmedicines Israel, which began letting in only atrickle of supplies the past two months, has blamed Hamas for disrupting food distribution. The U.N. countersthat Israel, which hasrestricted aid sincethe war began, simply has to allow it to enter freely

The Patient’sFriends Hospitaloverﬂows withparents bringing in scrawny children —200 to 300 cases aday,said Soboh.

On Wednesday,staff laid toddlers on adesk to measure thecircumference of their upper arms —the quickest waytodetermine malnutrition. In the summer heat, mothers huddled around specialists, asking for supplements. Babies with emaciated limbs screamed in agony.Otherslay totally silent.

The worst casesare kept for up to two weeks at the center’s 10-bedward, which this monthhas hadupto19 childrenata time.Itusually treats only children under 5, but began taking some as old as 11 or 12 because of worsening starvation among older children.

Hunger gnaws at staff as well. Sobohsaidtwo nurses put themselves on IV drips to keep themselvesgoing. “We are exhausted. We are dead in the shape of the living,” she said.

The five children died in succession last Thursday, Saturday and Sunday Fourofthem, aged 4 months to 2years, hadsuffered gastric arrest: Their stomachsshut down. The hospitalnolonger hadthe right nutrition supplies for them.

The fifth —4½-year-old Siwar —had alarmingly low potassium levels, agrowing problem. She was so weak she could barely move her body.Medicine forpotassium deficiencyhas largely run out across Gaza, Soboh said. Thecenter hadonlya low-concentration potassium drip. The little girl didn’trespond. After three days in the ICU, she died Saturday “Ifwedon’thave potassium (supplies),wewill see more deaths,” she said. In the Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza city,2-year-old Yazan AbuFul’smother,Naima, pulled off his clothes to show his emaciated body.His vertebrae, ribs and shoulderblades jutted out. His buttocks were shriveled. His face was expressionless. Hisfather Mahmoud, who wasalso skinny,said they took him to thehospital several times. Doctors just say they should feed him. “I tell the doctors, ‘You see for yourself, thereisnofood,’” he said, Naima,who is pregnant, prepared ameal:Two eggplants they bought for $9 cut up and boiled in water. They will stretch out the pot of eggplant-water —not even areal soup —tolast them a few days, they said. Several of Yazan’sfour older siblings also looked thin and drained. Holding him in his lap, Mahmoud Abu Ful lifted Yazan’slimp arms. The boy lies on thefloor mostofthe day, too weak to play with his brothers. “If we leave him, he might just slip away from between our fingers, and we can’tdoanything.”

Federalregulatorsapprove Paramount’s$8B deal with Skydance

BY WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS and MICHAEL LIEDTKE Associated Press

NEW YORK Federal regulators on Thursday approved Paramount’s$8billion merger with Skydance, clearing the way to close adeal that combined Hollywood glitz with political intrigue. The stamp of approval from the Federal CommunicationsCommissioncomes after monthsofturmoil revolving around President Donald Trump’slegal battle with “60 Minutes,” the crown jewelofParamountowned broadcast network CBS. With the specter of the Trump administration potentially blocking the hardfought deal with Skydance, Paramount earlier this monthagreedtopay a$16 millionsettlement with the president. Critics of the settlement lambasted itasaveiled bribe to appease Trump, amid rising alarm over editorial independence overall. Furtheroutrage also emerged afterCBS saidit was cancelingStephen Colbert’s “Late Show”just days afterthe co-

median sharply criticized the parent company’ssettlement on air. Paramount cited ﬁnancial reasons, but big names both within and outside the company have questioned those motives In astatement accompanying the deal’sapproval, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr hailedthe merger as an opportunity to bring morebalance to “once-storied” CBS.

“Americans no longer trust the legacy national news mediatoreportfully,accurately,and fairly.Itistimefor a change,” Carrsaid.

While seeking approval,

Court rulesagainst Calif. lawrequiring background checks to buyammo

By The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. AvoterbackedCalifornia law requiring background checks forpeoplewho buybullets is unconstitutional, afederal appeals court ruledThursday in ablow to the state’s efforts to combat gun violence.

In upholding a2024 ruling by alower court, the 9th Circuit Court of Appealsfound that the state law violates the SecondAmendment. Voters passed the law in 2016 andit took effect in 2019 Manystates, including California, make people pass abackground check before they can buy agun. Cali-

fornia went astepfurther by requiring abackground check, which costs either $1 or $19 depending on eligibility,every timesomeone buys buy bullets. Last year,U.S. District Judge RogerBenitez decided thatthe law was unconstitutional because if people can’t buy bullets, theycan’t use their guns for self-defense.

The9th Circuit agreed. Writing for two of the three judgesonthe appellate panel, JudgeSandra Segal Ikuta said the state law “meaningfully constrains”the constitutionalright to keep arms by forcing gun ownersto get recheckedbefore each

purchase of bullets.

“The righttokeep and bear arms incorporates the right to operate them, which requiresammunition,” the judge wrote.

Democratic Gov.Gavin Newsom, who supported the background checks, decried thecourt’sdecision.

“Strong gun laws save lives —and today’sdecision is aslapinthe face to the progress California has made in recent years to keep its communities safer from gun violence,” Newsom said in astatement. “Californians voted to require background checks on ammunitionand their voices should matter.”

Skydance management assured regulators that it will carefully watch forany perceived biased at CBSNews andhire an ombudsman to reviewany complaintsabout fairness. In aTuesdayﬁling, the company’sgeneral counsel maintained that New Paramount will embody “a diversity of viewpoints acrossthe political and ideological spectrum” —and also

noted that it plans to take a “comprehensive review” of CBS to make “any necessary changes.”

The FCCapprovedthe merger by a2-1 vote, and the regulator who opposed it expressed disdain for how it all cametogether

“After months of cowardly capitulationtothis administration,Paramount ﬁnally gotwhatitwanted,” FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez said in astatement. “Unfortunately,itisthe American public who will ultimately pay the price for its actions.” Gomezwas appointed by formerPresident Joe Biden. Paramount and Skydance have said they wanted to seal the deal by this September,and now appear to be on apath to makeithappen by then, if not sooner

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

MigrantsenttoElSalvadorprisonsaysguardsbeathim

Manwas there afterbeing deported by U.S.

BY SUDHIN THANAWALA and GARYFIELDS Associated Press

WASHINGTON Amigrant from Venezuela deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador has taken the first step toward suing the U.S. government,saying he was wrongly sent to anotorious prison in the Central American country wherehe wasbeatenbyguardsand kept from contacting his family or an attorney

Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel, 27, has ﬁled aclaim for $1.3 million with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,his attorneys with Democracy Defenders Fundsaid Thursday.Rengel is among more than 250 migrants from Venezuelasent to El Salvador in March, out of the jurisdiction of U.S courts, after President Donald Trump invoked the Alien

EnemiesAct of 1798 against members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

Immigration agentstook Rengel into custody on March 13 in the parking lot of hisapartmentinIrving, Texas, wrongly claiming his tattoos reflected an affiliationwith Tren de Aragua, accordingto his claim. He hadentered theU.S.in 2023. He workedasa barber and was scheduled to appear before an immigrationjudge in 2028

Homeland Security said in an email that Rengelwas a“confirmedassociate” of the Tren de Aragua gang though it did notspecifyhow it reached that conclusion who had entered the country illegally.Itcalledhis claims a fake“sob story.

“President Trump and Secretary Noem will not allow foreign terrorist enemiesto operateinour country and endanger Americans,” the emailsaid. It added, “We hear far too much about gang membersand criminals’ false sob stories and not enough about their victims.”

Jazz legend Chuck Mangione dies at 84

BY MARK KENNEDY Associated Press

NEW YORK Two-time Gram-

my Award-winning musician Chuck Mangione, who achieved international success in 1977 with hisjazz-ﬂavored single “Feels So Good” and later became avoice actor on the animated TV comedy“Kingofthe Hill,”has died. He was 84. Mangione died at his home in Rochester,New York, on Tuesday in his sleep, saidhis attorney,Peter S. Matorin of Beldock Levine &Hoffman LLP.The musician had been retired since 2015. Perhaps his biggest hit “Feels So Good” —isastaple on most smooth-jazz radio stations and has been called one of the most recognized melodies since “Michelle” by the Beatles. It hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top of the Billboard adult contemporary chart.

“It identified for alot of people asong with an artist, even though Ihad apretty strong base audience that kept us out there touringas often as we wanted to, that songjust topped out thereand took it to awhole other level,” Mangione told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2008. He followed that hit with “Give ItAll YouGot,”commissioned for the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, andheperformed it at the closingceremony Mangione, aﬂugelhorn and trumpetplayerand jazz composer,released morethan30 albums duringa career in which he built afollowing after recordingseveral albums, doing allthe writing. He won his ﬁrst Grammy Award in 1977 for his album “Bellavia,”which wasnamed in honorofhis mother.Another album, “Friends and Love,” was also Grammynominated, and he earned a

the migrants sent to the prison in El Salvadora chance to challenge their deportations.

U.S. DistrictCourt Judge James Boasberg saidthe people hadn’tbeen able to formally contest the removals or allegations thatthey were members of Tren de Aragua. He ordered the administration to work toward giving them away to file those challenges. The judge wrote that “signiﬁcant evidence” had surfaced indicating that many of the migrants were not connected to the gang “and thus were languishing in aforeign prisononflimsy, even frivolous, accusations.”

Trumpofﬁcials planned to awaitthe outcome of other court cases before deciding whethertoallow the migrants to return, U.S. Department of Justiceattorney Tiberius Davis said. Boasberg had ordered the administration to turn planes carrying the accused gang membersaround, but thedemandwas ignored. Rengel’sattorneys say he was on one of those planes. The judge has found probable cause that the administration committed contempt of court.

At El Salvador’sTerrorism ConﬁnementCenter,orCECOT, Rengel said guards hit him with ﬁstsand batons and, on one occasion, viciously beat him after taking him to an area of the prison without cameras

Rengelwas sent to Venezuela earlier this monthaspart of aprisoner exchange deal His attorneys say he is living withhis mother and is “terri-

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Two-timeGrammy Awardwinning musicianChuck Mangione, known for his jazz-flavored single ‘Feels So Good,’ has died at 84.

best original score Golden Globenomination anda secondGrammy for the movie “The ChildrenofSanchez.” Mangione introduced himself to anew audiencewhen he appeared on the ﬁrst several seasons of “King of the Hill,” appearing as acommercial spokespersonfor Mega Lo Mart, where“shopping feels so good.”

Mangione, brother of jazz pianist Gap Mangione, with whom he partneredinThe Jazz Brothers, started his career as abebop jazz musicianheavily inspired by Dizzy Gillespie.

ﬁed” to return to the United States. Theyare seeking compensationfor emotional and psychological injuries

Afederal judgeruled in June that the Trump administration must give someof

At ahearing on Thursday, an attorney forthe Trump administration toldBoasberg it would notimmediately bring the migrants sent from El Salvador to Venezuela as part of the prisoner exchange back to the U.S.

Boasberg said Thursday he plannedtoexpand his contemptprobetoinclude arecent whistleblower complaint that claims atop JusticeDepartmentofficial suggested the Trump administration might have to ignore court orders as it prepared to deport Venezuelan migrants it accused of being gang members.

By The Associated Press

DAMASCUS,Syria An explosionatanammunition depot in northern Syriaon Thursday killed at least seven people and wounded scores, rescuers and monitors said There wasnoofficial statement as to what has caused the blast in Idlib province.The Britainbased Syrian Observatory forHuman Rights,awar monitor,said the explosion took place at an ammunition depot. The Syrian Civil Defense,

also known as the White Helmets,also said the blast in Idlib, in thetownofMaarat Misrin, struck anammunition depot

“Our teams are working to recover thebodiesofthe dead, treat theinjured, and extinguishfires at thesite of the massive explosion of an ammunitiondepot,” theWhiteHelmets said in a statement.

The state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV referred to theexplosion as involving “remnants from the war,” likely shorthand for armsand ammuni-

tion left over fromSyria’s nearly14-year civil war.The TV report did not give more details.

Syrian Minister of Emergencyand Disaster ManagementRaed al-Saleh said in a postonX that teams were transporting the wounded and dead despite “continued recurring explosions in the area, whichare hampering response efforts.”

The state-run news agency,SANA, reported that along with the seven killed, 157 people were injured, citing health ofﬁcials.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ARIANA CUBILLOS

Migrants deported months agobythe United States to El Salvador under the Trumpadministration’simmigration crackdown arriveonJuly 18 at SimonBolívar International AirportinMaiquetia, Venezuela.

PLANTS

thosecompanies.Italso doesn’tapply to all 51 Louisiana operations affected by the Biden-era pollution requirements, even though some companies that didn’tget exemptions in Louisiana received them in other states, including Phillips 66 and Ineos.

State regulators said theyknew some companies had sought the exemptions—the Trump administration had previously sought requestsfrom companies in March —and have been monitoring their status.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’ssecretary promised to enforce the rules on companies that have notreceived theexemptions “with no changes in how the agency oversees their operations.”

“I appreciate the administration carefully reviewing theLouisiana facilitiesmentioned and ensuring that companies hereare following proper regulations,”DEQ Secretary Courtney Burdette said in a statement.

‘Start to live again’

Sharon Lavigne, who runsthe local community group RISE St. James, which advocated forthe regulatory changes known as the HONrule, alleged the exemptions would lead to more death for people in communities in theMississippi River industrialcorridor Lavigne had attended theceremony in Washington to introducethe new rule.

“When we signed thatHON rule, we had hope that our community would be able to start to live again,” she said. “Why would they take away this HON rule? It doesn’tmake sense forusto go backwards instead of forward.”

One Louisiana industry group said, however,that theexemp-

Continued from page1A

nationals —most, if not all, from India —obtain special visas

The “majority” of them weren’tliving in Louisiana, prosecutors said. All the reports penned by Onishea identiﬁed the victims as being from out of state.

The so-called Uvisas, created in 2000,are largely designed to grant temporary statustoimmigrants who are victims of violent crimes in the U.S. At an arraignment in Alexandria on Wednesday, Patel pleaded not guilty to charges that include aconspiracy,bribery,fraud and illegal money transactions, said his attorney,David Rozas.Patel was ordered detained until trial, Rozas said, declining further comment. Onishea pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and fraud chargeslast week On Wednesday,his attorney didn’treturn amessage seeking comment on details of the police reports that Onishea wrote. The three other lawmen Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, Oakdale Marshal MichaelSlaney and former Forest Hill Chief Glynn Dixon —also have pleaded

tionssimply offered companies time to complywithout forcing shutdowns, supply disruptions and job impacts.

The rules, they said, poseddifficult technical challengesand didn’t offerrealistic timelines to accomplish them when “there are simplynot enough contractors or equipmentcurrently availableto facilitate this nationwide manufacturingeffort.”

“And while our membersare making strides to meet theserequirements,time is needed for facilities to implement solutions safely and effectively without jeopardizing public safety,” said David Cresson, president of the Louisiana Chemical Association.

Twonational industry trade groups had asked the White House for ablanketexemption forall their members, documents show, which Trump hasn’tgranted. But some companies also filed their own individual exemptions,including Dow Chemicaland itssubsidiary Union Carbide Corp., in Texas andLouisiana.

At Dow in Plaquemine, for example, thecompanytoldthe EPAthat it would takeuptothree yearsto design and build new controls for small emissionsofethyleneoxide from wastewater at its Glycol II unit.

In aMarch 31 exemption request, Dow ofﬁcials said the unit makesethylene oxide, which is used as amedical sterilizer but also an importantadditive in U.S. government jet fueland aircraft deicing ﬂuids. The company said it wouldhave to shut the unit to meet the current deadline in the second halfof2026.

In astatement, Dow ofﬁcials said thenew exemptionsfor Dowand Union Carbide, which they termed deadline “extensions,” are “appropriateand necessarytoaddress technical challengesand to ensure the continued safeand efﬁcient operation of these facilities.”

“Safetyand integrity areatthe

not guilty.Dixon resigned Friday;the status of the other two is apparentlyunchanged Prosecutors allege Patel offered police $5,000 for each visa seeker included in their reports. The newly released records show Onishealistedasmany as ﬁve victims perincident, in reportsthatdescribecarloads of people being held up at gunpoint That wouldhavebeen extremelyunusualfor the area, according to records and interviews. In Oakdale,armed robbery was virtually nonexistent, accordingto thelatest city crimedata reported to the state in 2022 and 2023. Policein Oakdale andForest Hill declined areporter’s request for armed robbery reports drafted by the chiefs of those departments.The Times-Picayune obtained Onishea’sreports through a public records request Theyshow Onishea listed 22 victimsinhis sixreports Theyranged from 25 to 46 years oldand hailed from Lithonia, Georgia; Frankfort, Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; several towns in Tennessee; and Flushing, aneighborhood in Queens, N.Y

Nineteen of the 22 had thesurname Patel, which is amongthe most common on theplanet, andparticularly in East Asia.Alawyer for

core of bothcompanies’operations, and theyremain dedicated to reducing ethylene oxide emissions to levels that meet or exceed federal andstate regulations,” said Glynna Mayers, aDow spokeswoman.

Officials with Denka PerformanceElastomer,which ceased operations in Maydue to market conditions, escalating costs and theburden of complying with new regulations, welcomed the exemption but said they were continuing their shutdown process.

“Wecontinue to safelytransition the facility to amothball status while exploring allavailable optionsfor thefuture of thesite, including asale of the facility,” ofﬁcials said in astatement.

Biden’sthen-EPAadministrator, Michael Regan, had formally proposedthe rulesa littlemorethan twoyearsago in front of the then still-operating Denka complex near LaPlace.

At the time, theBidenadministrationwas making apush to rein in pollutionfor fence-line communities and raise the proﬁle of environmentaljustice questions thathave swirledfor years around those areas with alargely minority makeup.

Leadinguptothat effort, over the past 15 years, EPAscientists had learned that ethylene oxide andchloroprene, an emission tied to neoprene production at Denka, were far more potent than earlier understood.Ethylene oxide has been classified as acarcinogen and chloroprene as likely carcinogenic.

The newrequirements Regan adopted wouldcut combined emissions of more than 100 toxic chemicals, includingethylene oxide and chloroprene, by 6,200 tons per year.Those changes alone were expected to reduce long-term cancer risk from toxic emissions by 96% for fence-line communities theEPA said last year

The rule would have also cut a

Patel declined to say whether he hadany familytiesto the listed victims, as did a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney. The other threeothers were namedPrajapati, according to records.

Onishea’sreports portray atown under siege.

In aJune 17 report last year,hewrotethat he came upon agroup standing on theside of the highway “in a panic.”They told him they’d pulled over toﬁxaﬂat.

Just before midnight, threemen approached with “whatappeared to be asilver gun and pointed it at all thesubject(s) and demanded thatthey give themmoney andany valuables(they) had on them,” Onishea wrote.

“I patrolled the area of interest looking forthe suspects. Iconducted several stop(s) on people walking in

different class of emissions that contribute to smog, known as volatile organic compounds, by 23,000 tons per year,generating an estimated $767 millioninsavings through 2038 fromreduced healthimpacts due to short- and long-term exposure, EPAdocuments say Coming into office this year after hammering the former administration over what he called economically disruptive regulatory overreach, Trump, through hisEPA head, has already made sweeping moves. He has aimed to eliminate the consideration of the environmental justice in regulatory decisionsand taken steps to cut EPA’sscience and environmental justice arms.

Along with the push to roll back regulations, his administration hopes to spur what it calls the “Great American Comeback.”

‘Buyingenoughtime’

Nicholas Bryner,anLSU environmental law professor,said Trumphas the power under the Clean Air Act to issuethe two-year exemptions. Butarguingthat the technology doesn’texist andthat U.S. national security interests are implicated is a“pretty tough standard” to meet, he said. He said he expected the exemptions to face lawsuits.

Adam Kron, supervising senior attorney with environmental group Earthjustice, said he sees theexemptions as an interim step in eventually doing away with the regulations, pointing to similar moves related to coal-ﬁred power plants.

“It’sbasically the same goal, which is, you know,buying enough time to roll back these rules,”Kron said.

The Biden EPAestimated the HON rule’ssuite of control improvements andfence-line monitoring requirements would have cost industries $1.8 billionthrough 2038, regulatory ﬁlings say.The

theareaand could not establishprobable cause to pinpoint (their) involvement. Case will be continued to bee(sic) investigated at this time.”

In areport 10 days earlier Onishea wrotethathewas on patrol near aGlenmora park around 2:30 a.m. when

LOUISIANA PLANTS

RECEIVING TWO-YEAR BREAK ON NEW AIR CONTROLS

n BASF Corp. —Geismar and North Geismarfacilities.

n CITGO Petroleum Corp. —refinery in LakeCharles.

n Denka Performance Elastomer LLC —closedneoprene production plant in LaPlace n DuPont Specialty ProductsUSA LLC —Pontchartrain chemicals sitein LaPlace

n The DowChemicalCo. —Glycol II unit in Plaquemine.

n Formosa Plastics Corp. Louisiana operations.

n Rubicon LLC —Geismar chemical complex.

n Sasol Chemicals LLC —chemical complexinLakeCharles.

n ShellChemicalLP— Geismar chemicalplant.

n Total EnergiesPetrochemicals & Refining USA —Polystyreneplant in Carville

n Union Carbide Corp./TheDow Chemical Co.— Hahnville complex. n WestlakeVinylsLLC/Westlake Corp. —Fivefacilities, at least some of which are in the LakeCharlesarea Unclear if Geismaroperation affected.

EPAargued that wouldn’tpose abig impact to company bottom lines or supply chains.

The agency estimated in regulatoryﬁlings then that thechanges would have boosted thecostof key productsfromthose industries by one-tenth to one-half of apercent and caused generally minimal supply disruptions due to costs representing less than 1% of themultinationals’ annual sales.

he spotted avehicle with four menstandingoutside who looked“in apanicand scared.”

Thegroup of travelers had stopped to “stretch out” and“getsome bloodmoving,”before two men with guns shoved them to the ground, “pointing thegun at them and kickedthemin the torso area,” according to Onishea’sreport, dated June 7, 2024.

“After receiving the statements, Iconducted asearch of the area and the woods beside the park but no suspects (were) found at the time,” he wrote.

PARADE

Continued from page 1A

of Baton Rouge organizes the parade each year, and 2025’s was originally scheduled for Dec 13.

Organizers said rising production costs and a “drop in commitment of underwriting support” from partners, including the city-parish, led to the decision.

“We have assessed the rising costs for producing this year’s parade and have forecast that the parade will not generate the funds to successfully operate the parade and meet the needs of our beneﬁciaries,” which in recent years have included the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition and Baton Rouge Children’s Advocacy Center, according to the Kiwanis group.

Danny Fields, a spokesperson for Kiwanis, elaborated that the underwritten support they had expected from the city-parish was related to providing security during

the event. Without security, the parade can’t recruit other sponsors, organizers said, which in turn limits how much revenue the club passes on to its charities.

Criminal acts occurred after the parades in both 2023 and 2024 according to the organization After last year’s parade, a bystander was injured by gunﬁre that erupted between two groups of teens on the levee, according to police.

“Cortana Kiwanis has not yet been able to secure inkind or underwriting commitments from the CityParish or other security sponsors that provided conﬁdence for a safe parade environment for attendees and volunteers,” Fields said in an email. “As that is a requirement for recruiting sponsor participation, Cortana Kiwanis anticipated that these additional costs would prevent the organization from achieving its mission of delivering a safe, familyfriendly holiday event and

generating philanthropic support for local children’s charities.”

Since March, the MayorPresident’s Office and the Baton Rouge Police Department have talked about making parades “more sustainable” for BRPD by ending the practice of providing police to secure the event at no cost to organizers.

That’s how large community events have been organized in the parish for decades — police have set up barricades, diverted trafﬁc and kept residents safe, all at no cost to the organizers of the event.

In conversations with BRPD Chief Thomas Morse earlier this year he made clear that the burden of overtime pay for ofﬁcers to staff parades has become onerous for the department.

“I don’t have a lot of wiggle room to provide ofﬁcers for free,” Morse said at the time.

BRPD’s budget was reduced by more than $9 million following the incorpora-

tion of the city of St. George and the loss of that portion of Baton Rouge’s tax base. Since the start of the year, the budget deﬁcit has cost the department their Mounted Patrol Division and gunviolence prevention overtime patrols.

Morse suggested that parade organizers could pay BRPD ofﬁcers directly for their day’s work, in the same way that apartments or businesses pay to have an ofﬁcer detail outside their buildings overnight.

Parade organizers said at the time of those discussions that those labor costs would total in the tens of thousands of dollars and could hurt their events.

To establish a clear and transparent process for parade planning and security,

the Mayor’s Ofﬁce began a parades committee in April, which meets monthly with organizers. So far no uniform policy has been decided on cityparish security for events.

A spokesperson for Mayor Sid Edwards’ administration said that if any policy changes are proposed, there will be a grace period, and the public will be informed well in advance. “The Kiwanis Christmas Parade is a cherished Baton Rouge tradition, and we remain committed to ﬁnding a way to keep it alive for our community. The Office of the Mayor-President is actively engaged with the Kiwanis Club to explore solutions,” a statement from the administration says. Christmas Parade organiz-

ers said it generates revenue by selling sponsorships and charging entry fees for participants. Expenses, which didn’t historically include paid security, are then taken out of those revenues with the resulting profit being distributed to local charities.

“While the future of the parade is uncertain, Cortana Kiwanis is currently exploring alternative communitywide and philanthropic events to continue to create substantial impact for the citizens of Baton Rouge,” Fields said in an email. The Kiwanis haven’t ruled out a Christmas Parade 2026, either, according to the organization.

Email Quinn Coffman at quinn.coffman@ theadvocate.com.

Landry touted General Motors’ move as proof his approach is working.

“This announcement is a testament to the work accomplished during the legislative session to bring about real insurance reform,” Landry posted on social media. “Today marks a new milestone in affordable auto coverage. This is just the beginning of a more consumer friendly insurance market.”

Not so fast, countered Temple, providing a timeline showing that General Motors made its decision before the Legislature passed pro-insurance industry bills favored by the governor and the insurance commissioner in June. On top of that, Temple said those measures don’t go far enough in making insurance companies want to invest in Louisiana and keep down rates.

“I look forward to working with the Legislature to continue identifying the areas of our legal system that make us an outlier and addressing those distinctions to align our legal system with best state practices, thereby enacting the meaningful legal reforms that our citizens deserve,” Temple said. “If we want to see change in our market, it starts with meaningful change in our legal environment.” Landry then responded to Temple.

“General Motors is expanding to Louisiana,” Landry posted. “Period. End of question.”

But he went on.

“It’s unfortunate that the Department of Insurance feels the need to distort the facts that bring our citizens relief,” Landry added. “Collectively we should celebrate good news! The Legislature and I worked hard to get us to this point, and we will continue to open the door to any insurance companies that want to do busi-

ness in our state.”

Landry gave no credit to Temple for his role in passing the pro-industry measures.

On Thursday, Temple sought to lower political temperatures. He said he was simply trying to set the record straight the day before, adding “I want to emphasize that I have no interest in entering into a public disagreement” with Landry That was not the approach taken by Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, who saw Landry veto his pro-insurance industry bill in June and then accuse him of pushing legislation to beneﬁt his pocketbook. Seabaugh, an attorney represents insurance companies that have been sued

“Jeff’s post was clearly untrue,” Seabaugh said, referring to Wednesday’s post “It’s hard not to call it a lie. Jeff was clearly trying to spin something into something it’s not Thankfully, Tim corrected the record.”

State Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, who chairs the Senate Insurance Committee, wanted no part of the Landry-Temple dustup, saying only: “I’m glad GM Insurance has decided to come to Louisiana. We need more competition to drive rates down.”

Rep Gabe Firment, R-Pollock, who chairs the House Insurance Committee, also lauded GM’s decision, adding: “We need to be worrying less about who is going to get the credit and more about how this is going to impact the people of Louisiana.”

While Temple said he didn’t want to continue the quarrel with Landry on Thursday over GM Insurance, he showed on a podcast last week that he will still decry the passage of HB148.

“It introduced the notion that the reason rates are high in Louisiana today is because the commissioner doesn’t have the authority to hold down excessive rates,” he said on the “State

of Freedom” podcast “That is further from the truth. I have denied rates more than 20 times. This introduces a subjectivity that I can wave a magic wand and reduce rates.”

Temple then referred to a news story which reported that 16 of the 17 spending projects killed by Landry through the line-item veto were sponsored by Republicans who voted against HB148.

“I came into this ofﬁce, not to be political but to bring my experienced background and knowledge to try and shape Louisiana into a more competitive marketplace,” Temple said. “This has introduced a sticking point in our marketplace that we did not have to have.”

Jim Donelon, the previous insurance commissioner, said he believes Temple has his facts right on when General Motors Insurance came to Louisiana, noting that it usually takes months from when a company submits its initial review until it can begin operating.

The larger issue, though, is that the fight between Landry and Temple harms Louisiana, Donelon said.

“It sends a message to the market nationwide that we’re not going to get our act together to do real reform, unlike what was done in Florida with a Republican governor and Legislature when they addressed their crisis,” Donelon said.

Sen. Royce Duplessis, DNew Orleans, said during the legislative session that Temple sides too often with insurance companies.

On Thursday, he said the fact that GM Insurance decided to come to Louisiana before the legislative session began “is probably indicative that insurance companies are making big proﬁts in Louisiana. Those savings are not being passed on to consumers. We’re not seeing lower rates.”

Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com.

CONSTITUTIONAVE.•BATON ROUGE Tickets$50 each •Group tables available To purchase tickets, contact RichardFlicker at ﬂicker@premier.net or 225-931-1626

Mail nominationletters to The Advocate attn: Ellen Ducote P.O.

Baton Rouge mom will

BY QUINN COFFMAN

Staff writer

A Baton Rouge mother of two, who has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Monroe for months, will not be deported after a ruling by a California judge.

The move comes after two Iranian-born LSU doctoral students and a 47-year-old New Orleans mother, also originally from Iran, were all freed from their own ICE detentions earlier this month.

Adrian Clouatre, a Marine veteran, has been fighting to get his wife, Paola, 25, out of ICE detention after she was detained in May at

what the couple thought was a routine citizenship appointment for their green card application. As the couple waited in New Orleans after the appointment for a set of paperwork, Paola Clouatre was taken into custody by three

ICE agents. Since then, Adrian Clouatre has made the four-hour drive from Baton Rouge to Monroe twice a week in order for the couple’s 10-monthold to nurse and their 1-year-old to see his mom. Paola Clouatre had a deportation order out for her since she was a teenager, the result of her mother having missed an asylum appointment in 2018. The Clouatres were

unaware of the order, and the mother and daughter are no longer in contact.

But as of Friday, a judge in the case’s original jurisdiction of Southern California has stayed that order of removal.

“Well it moves the ball forward,” said Carey Holliday, the Clouatres’ attorney and former immigration judge. “We still got some movement to make.”

The stay of removal and

Having a field day

ABOVE: Passengers take a ride through sugar cane fields in an open-air trailer during the 42nd annual Sugarcane Field Day in St Gabriel on July 16. The event featured presentations from experts in various agricultural disciplines in addition to field tours, demonstrations and exhibits.

RIGHT: Attendees of a field tour listen to a presentation on sugar cane irrigation during the 42nd annual Sugarcane Field Day in St. Gabriel.

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Medical transport driver arrested in Medicaid fraud

Man accused of falsely logging rides

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

A Baton Rouge man billed Medicaid for transporting patients to hospitals over a sixmonth period, but investigators now say those rides never happened. In fact, they report some of those claims involved people whose death certiﬁcates had already been signed Johnny Richardson, 38, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish prison on Friday on four counts of Medicaid fraud, a felony Richardson is the owner and sole driver for Xpress Medical

Transportation, a nonemergency medical transporter, according to a probable cause statement for his arrest.

Transporters like Xpress are considered covered by Medicaid when they are delivering a patient to or from a Medicaidcovered treatment and when no other means of transportation is available.

Longtime head of BR General dies at 84

Tom Sawyer left a ‘lasting legacy’ at hospital

BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer

Thomas “Tom” Sawyer the longtime chief executive ofﬁcer of Baton Rouge General Medical Center, died Sunday at 84. A native of Oak Grove, Sawyer began his career in hospital administration while he was a student at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, working parttime at Lincoln General Hospital there. After graduation Sawyer joined the hospital full-time. He came to Baton Rouge General in 1970, and in 1981, he succeeded Claude Kirkpatrick as chief executive ofﬁcer Sawyer served as CEO and president

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

However, these patients were already either dead or hospitalized during the dates of some of

Between December 2021 and May 2022, Richardson fraudulently billed Medicaid for trips involving four patients who had contracts for routine transportation to the hospital with Xpress, according to investigators with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard has been found guilty of simple battery against political opponent Chuck Spillman. It’s the most recent chapter in a yearslong feud between the two that has involved Spillman openly questioning the parish president’s ethics.

According to both Spillman and Havard, the incident took place before a Dec. 9 Parish Council meeting, where a deal to bring a $2.5 billion data

A. Clouatre P. Clouatre

Director defends East Feliciana training exercise

Social media was critical of road operations

BY JAMES MINTON

Contributing writer

Countering negative comments on social media, East Feliciana Parish police jurors complimented parish public works employees for a recent training session.

Juror Chrissie O’Quin said “Facebook warriors were full of themselves” a week earlier for claiming that the jury wasted time and money by assembling “10 trucks, 20 employees and a woman with a clipboard” for an extended period of time on a parish road.

O’Quin invited Public Works Director Derrick Hill to explain the activity, and he said the employ-

ees were participating in a training session offered through LSU’s Transportation Research Center

The center’s Local Technical Assistance Program session featured an on-site inspection of an asphalt road where employees learned what causes certain types of road failures and the best way to repair them.

The jury also takes LTAP training to qualify as bridge inspectors governed by state and federal regulations, Hill added.

O’Quin said that when she and Juror Kyle Fleniken attempted to answer the Facebook criticism, the “commenters turned on us.”

O’Quin and other jurors complimented Hill and the DPW employees for taking the initiative to acquire professional training.

Juror Keith Mills said employees should take advantage of every opportunity for training that is

offered, and said parish residents who have questions about operations in the ﬁeld should call the Police Jury ofﬁce for information.

On another matter, jury President Louis Kent urged jurors to start campaigning for an Oct. 11 ballot measure that would correct how revenue from a property tax already on the books is divided.

“This is not a new tax,” Kent said, adding that jurors must emphasize as they discuss the proposition with their constituents. “It’s a renewal.”

But because of technical reasons embodied in state law, the ballot proposition is titled, “In-Lieu Millage,” rather than a renewal.

Facing a general fund shortage, jurors voted May 5 to call the election to change how revenues from a 3-mill tax are divided.

A 3-mill tax renewed for 10 years in November 2023 supports

Plumber pleads not guilty in New Orleans jailbreak

Man among five arraigned on Thursday

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

A jail plumber pleaded not guilty Thursday after being accused of turning off the water to help 10 detainees flee the New Orleans lockup through a hole behind a ripped-out cell toilet in May

Sterling Williams, 33, appeared by Zoom from the Plaquemines Parish jail His attorney, Michael Kennedy, entered his plea.

Williams was among five suspects arraigned Thursday for allegedly helping the escapees. Each pleaded not guilty over a video feed before Criminal District Judge Leon Roche for their alleged roles following the May 16 jailbreak, which has consumed Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson’s ofﬁce.

Williams is charged with 10 counts of being a principal to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in ofﬁce. Au-

MOM

Continued from page 1B

reopening of Paola Clouatre’s case is not the end of things. She is still detained in Monroe, although the case’s venue has been transferred to a Louisiana court in Jena. Holliday said he plans to make immediate motions to ﬁle bond for Clouatre as soon as the court administratively closes her notice to appear He said he also believes Cl-

SAWYER

Continued from page 1B

until 1997. Under his leadership, Baton Rouge General became the ﬁrst hospital in the city to be approved by the American College of Surgeons as a Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program, according to the hospital’s website.

In 1991, with Sawyer as CEO, the hospital founded the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance, a not-for-profit organization that develops and promotes the growth and revitalization of Mid City Baton Rouge.

“We are saddened by the passing of Tom Sawyer, a longtime leader and friend of Baton Rouge General,” the hospital said in an online statement. “Tom was instrumental in shaping the hospital system we know today His leadership guided the expansion of the Mid City campus as well as the Mid City community “He championed the development of the Bluebonnet hospital, in addition to the School of Nursing and BRG’s medical education program.

We are grateful for his insight, wisdom, and service, and proud of the lasting legacy he leaves behind.”

In May, as part of the hospi-

thorities have said that an inmate instructed Williams to turn off the water before the detainees tore a toilet from the wall, jumped over a fence, and ran across Interstate 10. The lone remaining fugitive, Derrick Groves, remains on the lam from one of the largest jailbreaks in recent U.S. history He faces two life prison sentences from a murder conviction last year Kennedy maintained that the inmates clogged the toilet to force the shut-off, and that Williams was unaware of the breakout scheme. “He was not part of any conspiracy,” Kennedy said after Thursday’s arraignment. “If he had any indirect role in aiding the escapees, it was unknowing.” Also appearing by Zoom to plead not guilty on Thursday were Angel McKey, 42; Lenton Vanburen Sr., 48; Patricia Vanburen, 18; and Tyshanea Randolph, 27. Each is charged as an accessory after the fact to simple escape. Roche set an Aug. 19 date for hearings in those cases, including requests to reduce their million-

ouatre is entitled to “parole in place” as the wife of a Marine veteran. This discretionary immigration beneﬁt allows some family of veterans to remain in the U.S. legally in one-year increments during their trials, even if they lack legal status.

Meanwhile, Holliday is working to get the Clouatre’s green card process back on track He says that while U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have already ruled that the couple has a valid

tal’s 75th anniversary, Sawyer was named as one of seven Baton Rouge General Medical Center “History Makers.”

“To me, personally, he was my hero,” said Paul Sawyer, younger son of Tom Sawyer

“He was the gold standard for everything in my life.”

His father also played a big role in the Baton Rouge community

“We use the term ‘Mid City’ like it’s been around forever, but he effectively coined that phrase,” Sawyer said.

When the growth of Baton Rouge began to shift to the south, his father was determined to keep the hospital’s original location on Florida Boulevard open.

“He knew if it left, there would be a horrible vacuum in health care there,” Sawyer said. “So he created the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance to promote the area, for the growth of businesses and housing, including housing for medical staff.”

Elizabeth “Boo” Thomas, who served as the ﬁrst executive director of the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance, said that Sawyer “would identify a need, small or large, investigate the possible solutions and then figure out how to make them happen.

“I think he was a risk-taker, but he did it with great compassion and care for everyone involved,” she said.

dollar bonds.

Meanwhile, the nine escapees who were recaptured have each been charged with simple escape, on top of the pending counts that had kept them jailed Several are now being housed at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Pleading not guilty this week to the escape counts were Corey Boyd, Leo Tate Sr., Lenton Vanburen Jr., Kendell Myles, Jermaine Donald, Dkenan Davis, Robert Moody, Gary Price and Antoine Massey. Simple escape carries a maximum 5-year prison sentence upon a conviction.

An arrest warrant affidavit states that Williams the plumber, told police that Massey threatened to shank him if he didn’t turn off the water Williams disputes that account, as does Massey A police afﬁdavit for Williams’ arrest makes no mention of a clogged toilet. It says Williams was “initially very evasive and untruthful” during an interview. Williams could have reported Massey’s alleged threat and the escape plan, authorities have said.

marriage and that she’s entitled to an immediate visa, the process is held up while the immigration court still has jurisdiction over her case.

Holliday described the situation as a “catch-22.”

“I’d implore ICE to rethink their strategy on this case,” Holliday said “They’re just sucking everybody up and not paying any attention to the facts of the case. You know everybody that’s not here with a visa is not a bad person, and that’s been their attitude at the moment.”

George Bell, a former administrator of Baton Rouge General Mid-City, who is now CEO of the Capital Area United Way, said, “I have always felt that the true mark of a beloved leader like Tom, after they’ve left an organization, is the deep regard people had for their leadership and also on the personal level.”

Bell said he joined Baton Rouge General after Sawyer’s time there, but he found that “so many people had fond memories and that deep regard for him.”

“He was quite a visionary,” Bell said.

The hospital’s Bluebonnet campus, which opened in 1994, started with Sawyer, Bell said.

“He knew how the area would grow,” Bell said.

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the parish Health Unit’s operations, but the proposition allows revenues above the Health Unit’s annual needs to be divided between the jury’s General Fund and Road and Bridge Fund.

At one time, the surplus was divided 50-50 between the two funds, but, for some reason that current jurors say they cannot explain, an earlier renewal proposition changed the split to 90% to roads and bridges and 10% to the general fund.

This year, the Road and Bridge Fund has had enough money to operate in the black, while the general fund is struggling to meet its obligations.

If approved by the voters, the proposition would allow the jury to allocate surplus funds as it sees ﬁt, rather than on a strict 90-10 basis, through 2035.

Because no statewide issues or

CONVICTED

Continued from page 1B

controversy this spring after several members of the Port Commission accused him of orchestrating a deal where the parish undersold the land to a local ﬁrm, which they claim then sold the property for 20 times the original price to Hut 8, an energy infrastructure and Bitcoin mining company. Those claims have not been corroborated. Spillman says he was chatting with a TV reporter minutes before the December meeting when Havard arrived in his Jeep, got out and approached the two. Spillman says that Havard told the reporter, “If you have any questions you need to ask me.”

local or state candidates will be on the ballot, the jury must pay for the entire cost, now estimated at $38,700. Earlier, the parish School Board proposed several tax renewal propositions for an Oct. 11 vote that would have lowered the jury’s cost, but Kent said the School Board recently canceled their election.

The jurors also endorsed a resolution memorializing former jury President James Francis Hunt, who died July 16. Jury records show Hunt, a retired educator and entrepreneur, represented a district southeast of Clinton from January 1984 through January 2008.

“He was a good Christian man, and one of the greatest police jurors I’ve ever known,” Kent said in calling for the resolution. “When I got elected, he taught me a lot.”

questions,” Spillman recalls saying. “Then he got up in my face and said, ‘Don’t you ever accuse me of stealing,’ and then he poked me in my face.”

“I threatened to whoop your ass before, and I’ll whoop your ass now,” Spillman says Havard told him.

Havard’s account of the incident is virtually identical to Spillman’s, with the exception of the severity of his ﬁnger placement.

“He was telling the reporter I stole this, stole that,” Havard told The Advocate.

“I walked up to him, put a finger in his face and told him if he called me a thief again I was going to whoop his ass. I never hit the guy, not that he doesn’t deserve it.”

according to the Mayor’s Court, which typically handles low-level misdemeanors and trafﬁc violations, and are not courts of record. Havard says there is a video of the incident, which he plans to release publicly The incident is not the ﬁrst time the two have butted heads, nor is it likely the last. In 2023, Spillman ran for parish president but lost in a landslide during Havard’s reelection bid.

“So I said, ‘What about the land deal? Are you going to talk about that too? Why did ya’ll sell it so cheap?’” Spillman said. Havard then asked if Spillman was accusing him of stealing.

“No, I’m not accusing you of stealing. I’m just asking

FRAUD

Continued from page 1B

their planned trips to the hospital. Even though the trips never happened, Richardson billed Medicaid as if they did, investigators say

The alleged fraud was uncovered by comparing the dates on medical records and death certiﬁcates for these patients with the dates on Richardson’s transportation claims.

One patient was admitted to the hospital for a period of time on a mental health diagnosis. Xpress fraudulently billed Medicaid $2,625 for trips that would have happened during the woman’s inpatient stay at the hospital.

Another patient was admitted to the hospital for sepsis and eventually died.

Spillman says he then called his lawyer and ﬁled a police report with St. Francisville, after which Havard was issued a court summons for simple battery Simple battery, deﬁned as physical contact committed without the victim’s consent, is a misdemeanor offense.

On Monday, Havard was ordered to pay a $125 penalty, plus $30 in court fees to the city of St. Francisville,

Xpress billed Medicaid over $200 for trips that overlapped with the patient’s hospital stay then continued to charge Medicaid for trips to and from the hospital after the patient was already dead

For a third patient, Xpress again continued to bill Medicaid for trips that would have occurred after the patient’s death.

In total, Richardson made claims in a sum of $5,718.94 to Medicaid for trips that would have occurred after the person’s death certiﬁcates had already been signed.

Another $2,902.24 was allegedly billed to Medicaid for trips that would have occurred when those patients were already hospitalized.

Normally, for Xpress or other transporters to bill Medicaid, the transporter

“It’s not about me losing to him. Nobody ran against him so I said yeah I’ll do it,” Spillman said. “What happened is that all this corruption started. We want answers for the land deal, the data center.” Spillman also says he ﬁled a complaint with the state Ethics Board in the fall of 2023, alleging Havard benefited from cruise lines docking in St Francisville, because the ships stop at an oyster bar owned by the parish president. In December 2024, Havard filed a protective order against Spillman, after which Spillman responded by filing his own against Havard, according to court records. After the two were brought to court the next month, both dropped their orders.

must get forms signed by the treatment facility documenting that the trip took place and that the patient was successfully delivered. However, the only exception to getting these confirmation forms signed is when a patient has a series of routine appointments at the same medical facility For these “standing order trips,” a transport provider is assigned to the same patient for a period of six to 12 months for their routine appointments. During that time, the traditional forms confirming that a patient was delivered are not necessary, which allowed Richardson to make fraudulent claims. Richardson’s bail was set at $4,000 and paid the day of his arrest. He has an arrest history that includes drug possession and distribution, theft and home invasion

Havard

European Central Bank holds off on rate cuts

FRANKFURT Germany The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday, hitting pause on rate cuts amid uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff moves and high-stakes trade talks marked by threats of drastically higher import taxes on European goods.

Bank President Christine Lagarde said the current economic environment and the potential impact of higher tariffs was “exceptionally uncertain.”

Higher tariffs could slow investment, growth and inﬂation — or they could be inﬂationary by disrupting existing supply chains for parts and raw materials.

“The sooner this trade uncertainty is resolved the less uncertainty we will have to deal with,” she said. “And that would be welcome by any economic actors, including ourselves.”

“You could argue that we are on hold, we are in this wait and watch situation.”

The central bank for the 20 countries that use the euro is facing the same dilemma that has led the U.S. Federal Reserve to hold off on cutting rates further: It’s hard to tell how high the tariffs will end up after fraught negotiations, and what the ultimate impact will be on the economy

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has been harshly criticized by the Trump for delaying rate cuts. For his part, Powell has said the Fed wants to see the impact of the duties on prices and the economy before making any rate changes.

The ECB has already cut rates eight times since June of last year

Jobless applications fall for sixth week

WASHINGTON The number of Americans ﬁling for jobless aid fell for the sixth straight week, hitting the lowest level since mid-April.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending July 19 fell by 4,000 to 217,000. That’s fewer than the 227,000 new applications analysts were expecting.

Applications for unemployment aid are viewed as representative of layoffs

Earlier in July, the Labor Department reported that U.S employers added 147,000 jobs in June, adding to evidence that the American labor market continues to show resilience despite uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s economic policies. The job gains were much more than expected and the unemployment rate ticked down 4.1% from 4.2% in May Chocolate makers hike prices, blame costs

Here’s the good news: The Hershey Co. says it’s not raising prices for Halloween candy this year

But here’s the bad news: Hershey and other chocolate makers are continuing to hike prices, saying a volatile cocoa market gives them no choice.

Hershey, the maker of Reese’s, Whoppers, barkThins and other chocolate candies, said Wednesday that it will be raising U.S. retail prices later this fall. In some cases, pack sizes will get smaller; in others, list prices will rise. The average price increase will be in the low double-digit percentages.

“This change is not related to tariffs or trade policies. It reflects the reality of rising ingredient costs including the unprecedented cost of cocoa,” Hershey said in a statement Hershey stressed that the price increases won’t apply to products for Halloween.

The average unit price of a chocolate bar in the U.S. in July 2021 was $2.43, according to Nielsen IQ, a market research company As of last week, it was $3.45, a 41% increase.

That’s hurting customer demand. Nielsen said unit sales of chocolate fell 1.2% in the year ending July 12.

UnitedHealth says it is under investigation

BY TOM MURPHY AP health writer

UnitedHealth Group says it is cooperating with federal criminal and civil investigations involving its market-leading Medicare business.

The health care giant said Thursday that it had contacted the Department of Justice after reviewing media reports about investigations into certain elements of its business.

“(UnitedHealth) has a long record of responsible conduct and

effective compliance,” the company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission ﬁling.

Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal said federal ofﬁcials had launched a civil fraud investigation into how the company records diagnoses that lead to extra payments for its Medicare Advantage plans. Those are privately run versions of the government’s Medicare coverage program mostly for people ages 65 and over

The company’s UnitedHealthcare business covers more than 8 million people as the nation’s

largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans. The business has been under pressure in recent quarters due to rising care use and rate cuts.

The Journal said in February, citing anonymous sources, that the probe focused on billing practices in recent months. The paper has since said that a federal criminal health care-fraud unit was investigating how the company used doctors and nurses to gather diagnoses that bolster payments.

UnitedHealth said in the ﬁling

Thursday that it “has full confidence in its practices and is committed to working cooperatively with the Department throughout this process.”

UnitedHealth Group Inc. runs one of the nation’s largest health insurance and pharmacy beneﬁts management businesses. It also operates a growing Optum business that provides care and technology support.

UnitedHealth raked in more than $400 billion in revenue last year to come in third in the Fortune 500 list of biggest U.S. companies.

How data centers could affect U.S. energy use

BY ALEXA ST JOHN Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s plan to boost artiﬁcial intelligence and build data centers across the U.S. could speed up a building boom that was already expected to strain the nation’s ability to power it.

The White House released the “AI Action Plan” Wednesday, vowing to expedite permitting for construction of energy-intensive data centers as it looks to make the country a leader in a business that tech companies and others are pouring billions of dollars into.

The plan says to combat “radical climate dogma,” a number of restrictions — including clean air and water laws — could be lifted, aligning with Trump’s “American energy dominance” agenda and his efforts to undercut clean energy

Massive amounts of electricity are needed to support the complex servers, equipment and more for AI. Electricity demand from data centers worldwide is set to more than double by 2030, to slightly more than the entire electricity consumption of Japan today the International Energy Agency said earlier this year

In many cases, that electricity may come from burning coal or natural gas. These fossil fuels emit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide and methane. This in turn is tied to extreme weather events that are becoming more severe, frequent and costly

The data centers used to fuel AI also need a tremendous amount of water to keep cool. That means they can strain water sources in areas that may have little to spare.

What Big Tech is saying

Typically, tech giants, up-and-comers and other developers try to keep an existing power plant online to meet demand, experts say and most existing power plants in the U.S are still producing electricity using fossil fuels — most often natural gas.

In certain areas of the U.S., a combination of renewables and energy storage in the form of batteries are coming online.

But tapping into nuclear power is especially of interest as a way to reduce data center-induced emissions while still meeting demand and staying competitive.

Amazon said last month it would spend $20 billion on data center sites in Pennsylvania, including one alongside a nuclear power plant. The investment allows Amazon to plug

Alphabet, AI

stocks

data center needs entirely with renewables by 2030. It’s necessary to use fewer fossil fuels, he said.

Experts say it’s possible for developers, investors and the tech industry to decarbonize

However though industry can do a lot with clean energy, the emerging demands are so big that it can’t be clean energy alone, said University of Pennsylvania engineering professor Benjamin Lee.

More generative AI, ChatGPT and massive data centers means “relying on wind and solar alone with batteries becomes really, really expensive,” Lee added, hence the attention on natural gas, but also nuclear What about electricity bills?

Regardless of what powers AI, the simple law of supply and demand makes it all but certain that costs for consumers will rise.

right into the plant, a scrutinized but faster approach for the company’s development timeline.

Meta recently signed a deal to secure nuclear power to meet its computing needs. Microsoft plans to buy energy from the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, and Google previously signed a contract to purchase it from multiple small modular reactors in the works.

What’s at stake

Data centers are often built where electricity is cheapest, and often, that’s not from renewables. And sometimes data centers are cited as a reason to extend the lives of traditional, fossil-fuel-burning power plants. But just this week, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on the world’s largest tech players to fuel their

New data center projects might require both new energy generation and existing generation. Developers might also invest in batteries or other infrastructure like transmission lines.

All of this costs money, and it needs to be paid for from somewhere.

“In a lot of places in the U.S., they are seeing that rates are going up because utilities are making these moves to try to plan,” said Amanda Smith, a senior scientist at research organization Project Drawdown.

“They’re planning transmission infrastructure, new power plants for the growth and the load that’s projected, which is what we want them to do,” she added. “But we as ratepayers will wind up seeing rates go up to cover that.”

rise on Wall Street, neutralize Tesla’s steep drop S&P 500, Nasdaq hit all-time highs

STAN CHOE

AP business writer

NEW YORK Wall Street inched to more records on Thursday as gains for Alphabet and artificialintelligence stocks helped make up for Tesla‘s steep tumble. The S&P 500 added 0.1% to its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 316 points, or 0.7%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2% to its own record Alphabet climbed 1% after the company behind Google and YouTube delivered a fatter profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It’s leaning more into artificial-intelligence technology

and said it’s increasing its budget to spend on AI chips and other investments this year by $10 billion to $85 billion. That helped push up other stocks in the AI industry, including a 1.7% rise for Nvidia. The chip company was the strongest single force lifting the S&P 500 because it’s the largest on Wall Street in terms of value. But an 8.2% drop for Tesla kept the market in check Elon Musk’s electric-vehicle company reported results for the spring that were roughly in line with or above analysts’ expectations, and Musk is highlighting Tesla’s moves into AI and robotaxis.

The focus, though, remains on how Musk’s foray into politics is turning off potential customers, and he said several rough quarters may be ahead as “we’re in this

weird transition period where we’ll lose a lot of incentives in the U.S.” Stocks have broadly been rallying for weeks on hopes that President Donald Trump will reach trade deals with other countries that will lower his stiff proposed tariffs. The record-setting gains have been so strong that concern is rising about how expensive stock prices have become. That in turn puts pressure on companies to deliver solid growth in proﬁts to justify their gains. Chipotle Mexican Grill also helped weigh on the market despite delivering a profit for the spring that topped analysts’ expectations. The restaurant chain’s growth in revenue was short of expectations, and its stock fell 13.3%. IBM dropped 7.6% even though it likewise reported a stronger profit than expected Analysts

pointed to slowing growth in its software business, among other things underneath the surface. American Airlines lost 9.6% despite reporting a stronger proﬁt than expected. The company said it expects to report a loss for the summer quarter It also gave a forecast for full-year results that had a wide range: between a loss of 20 cents per share and a proﬁt of 80 cents per share, depending on how the economy performs.

Reactions in the stock market have generally been stronger than usual when companies beat or miss their profit targets by a wide margin, according to Julian Emanuel at Evercore.

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady following the latest signals that the U.S. economy seems to be holding up ﬁne.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JENNy KANE

An Amazon Web Services data center is seen on Aug. 22, 2024, in Boardman, Ore.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order after speaking during an AI summit Wednesday at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington.

HamiltonSr.,David Rose Hill Church,3213 GroomRd. at 11am

Hunt Sr., James FirstBaptist Church of Clinton, 12329 JacksonStreet,Clinton, LA at 11am

Scott, Julia Mount PilgrimFamily Life Center 9700 Scenic Highway,atnoon.

Obituaries

Ash, JosephMichaelMike

Joseph Michael "Mike" Ash entered eternal rest on Saturday July 5, 2025 at the VA Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, after alengthy battle with cancer. Mike is preceded in death by his parents CJ and Pearline W. Ash, Brother James "Jimmy" Ash and wife Peggy,brother in law John Durham. He leaves behind his wife, Cynthia of Long Town, Mississippi,daughters Kim Frodge (Eric)of Melbourne Beach, Flordia; Haley McMullen (Devon) of Senatoba, Mississippi and son, Matthew Ash(Holly) of Hessmer, LA. Grandchildren: Ashley Vanskyhawk of Palm Bay, Flordia,Lisa Reed of Georgia, Lawrence Parker of Georgia, Harlee Ash and Mason Ash of Hessmer, LA, HudsonMcMullen and Maddox McMullen of Senatoba, Mississippi; Great Grandchildren: Gage Harper, Mckinze Vanskyhawk, Dylan Reed, Nathan Reed, KalliParker, and one Great Great Grandchild, Kennedy Harper. Sister, Frances Durham, brother, Bobby Ash (Ruth). He also leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Acelebration of life will be held at 10 am on August 02, 2025 at the Ash Family Cemetery in Clinton. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Nana's Children's Home, 3492 Gods Way, West Melbourne FL, 32904 in memory of Mike.

Banks, Annette 'NettieBoo'

Annette “NettieBoo” Banks departed this life on Thursday,July17, 2025, at her residenceinHouma LA. Shewas 63, anativeof New Orleans, LA.Memorial Service on Saturday,July 26, 2025, at PTRMinistries, 223 StovallSt.,Houma,LA at11:00 am.Arrangements byWilliams& Southall Fu‐neral Home,1204 Cleveland St.,Thibodaux,LA, (985) 447-2513. To sign theguest book andoffercondo‐lences,visit ourwebsite at

BrownJr.,Oliver'June'

Oliver “June” Brown, Jr departedthislifeonFriday, July11, 2025, at OurLadyof the Lake Regional Medical CenterinBaton Rouge, LA Hewas 82, anativeand residentofDonaldsonville. VisitationonFriday, July 25, 2025, at Williams & SouthallFuneral Home,101 Loop 945, Donaldsonville, LA3:00pmto5:00pm. Visi‐tationonSaturday, July 26, 2025, at St.Catherine of Si‐enna Catholic Church from 9:00amtoMassofChrist‐ian Burial at 11:00 am.In‐terment in Ascensionof Our Lord Cemetery ArrangementsbyWilliams & Southall FuneralHome, 101 Loop 945, Donald‐sonville, LA 70346,(225) 473-1900. To sign theguest book or offercondolences, visit ourwebsite at www williamsandsouthallfune ralhome.com.

Vincent

It is with heavy hearts and the deepest of love that we announce the passing of Vincent Anthony Cannatella at age91on Tuesday,July 22nd, 2025, with his wifeofnearly 68 years, Marie Pepe Cannatella,his devotedchildren, and several grandchildrenbyhis side. He was born in Melville, Louisiana on December 27, 1933.After his father's death when he was 6years old,the family movedto Baton Rouge, wherehe grew up attending Sacred HeartSchool andCatholic High School. He met Marie in 1955 marryingher in 1957,and by the following year their expansive family began. During theirdating and earlymarriage,Vince was amemberofthe 769th Engineering Battalionfor theLouisiana Army National Guard, servingasMasterSargent. In the 60s, he moved his familytoMaryland,where he was Vice President of amechanical contracting corporation calledAtchison-Keller in WashingtonDC. Longing for more time with family and the Louisiana culture once again, he retiredfrom

thecorporationand relocated back to Baton Rouge in 1973, where he opened thefirst Dunkin Donuts in thecity. By 1976, he envisioneda café au laitand beignet shop where communitycouldcometogether, and he opened his dreamshop, CoffeeCall, which has been astaple and an integral part of BatonRouge residentsand vacationers these 49 years. He was an activemember of St. JudeCatholicChurch, servingontheir school board and servingas chairman of their annual fairfor two years. Survivednot onlybyhis devotedwife,Vince Cannatella also leaves behind five children, Debbie Cannatella (Fernando), Annette Beauvais(Jay), Claire Cannatella (Steve), Vincent "Vince" Cannatella II (Kristi), and John Cannatella (Robin); eight grandchildren,Brandi Catoire (David), Tarah Gregg (Michial), Kristel Watson (Chris), Travis LeBlanc, Rachel (Tyson), Megan White(Nathan),Vincent "Trey" Cannatella III(Kayla), and KyleCannatella (Laura); 10 great-grandchildren (withan11thon theway); and twogreatgreatgrandchildren (with twomoreonthe way). Also included in this large and loving Sicilian family are dozens of step-grandchildrenand their offspring. He has one surviving sister, Mary Ann Raudales (Marco) and asisterin-law,Florence Pepe.Preceded in death by his parents, Antonio"Tony"and Antonina "Annie" DiBenedetto Cannatella; his brothers, Joe Cannatella (Grace), Nick Cannatella (Rita); and sisters Phenie Jerome (Sam), Catherine Lushute(Mike), and Verna Gerace (Ciro). Services willbeheldonSaturday, July26thwithvisitation 10:00 am followedbya Mass of ChristianBurial at 12:00 pm at St.Jude Catholic Church, 9150 Highland Road in BatonRouge. Interment willbeat Resthaven Gardens of Memory and Funeral Home,11817 Jefferson Hwy. In lieu of flowers, the family asks fordonations to theAmerican Heart Associationand theAmerican CancerSociety.Our family wouldliketoextend our thanks to Home Instead and themany caregivers that haveassisted over these past years, as well as thePinnaclePalliative Care and Hospice Care. Family and friends may sign theonline guestbook or leave apersonal note to thefamily at www.resthavenbatonroug e.com.

Carlin,Sherman

Sherman Carlinentered eternal rest at theclarity Hospice of BatonRougeon July15, 2025 after ashort illness. He was 87 years old and aMaster Mechanic. Visitationwillbeheld FridayJuly 25 from 5-7PMat RoscoeMortuary 58635 Meriam Street Plaquemine. Saturday July26visitation willcontinue 9until Religious Service at 11AM at

theStMatthew's B. C. 22910 Warren Street Plaquemine. Interment in Grace Memorial Park Plaquemine. He is survivedbyhis loving wife, Linda Carlin, a daughter Debra Carlinfive sons Gary Carlin, Carlton Carlin,Bryan(Katherine) Walker Sr., Gill(Shalonda) Walker Sr., and Sherman R. Carlin, threebrothers Nolan(Elouise)Carlin, Aldridge(Beverly)Gordan and ShaversGordan. Four sisters JuanitaButler, Elnora Watkins,Neomi Fair, and Althea(Rod)Odom. Grandchildren of which he raised Shermal, Shermod and shermyriaand ahost of greatgrandchildren nieces and nephews cousins and friendswho lovedand willmiss him dearly. RoscoeMortuary in chargeofService

threebrothers, Elmore CauseyJr., AlbertCausey Sr., andDarrell Causey. Mr Robert Causey served in theU.S. Marinesfrom19681972. He is truly lovedand will forever be missed.

childrenand 21 greatgrandchildren. Shewas very close to hernieces andnephews, whoincluded Johnnie SueLarguier Creel, Melissa Larguier Bouygues, Becky Larguier BuddyLarguier, Fee Hamilton,MarthaHamilton Weaver,the Spahts and Fabres Visitation will be at First Presbyterian on Monday July 28th 10:00am and service at 11:00am Broussard,Rose

Fabre, Margery Larguier'Margie'

John HenryCastello, 65, a lifelong resident of Ethel, La.,passedpeacefully sur‐rounded by hislovingfam‐ily on July 22, 2025. Visita‐tionwillbeatCharlet Fu‐neral Home,Inc., Zachary onMonday, July 28, 2025 from9:00amuntil memor‐ial serviceat11:00 am.A private familyburialwillbe heldlater.Henry is sur‐vived by hislovingchil‐dren, Matthew Hunter Castello,Holly Castello Whiteand son-in-law GeorgeWhite II. He is pre‐ceded in deathbyhis wife, Edith QuinnCastelloand parents,HoraceHunter Castello andSallieLigon Castello.Henry wasa dairy farmer, cattleman, master carpenter andMobile No‐tary. He spentmanyyears working with theBoy Scoutsasanassistant troop leader forTroop 60 in Clinton,LAand aDistrict Commissionerwiththe IstroumaAreaCouncil. In retirement, he became a beekeeper andstained glass artist.Hewas an avid gardenerwho lovedcamp‐ing andtraveling.Special thankstoMissy Martin for her love andcompanion‐shipwithour father for several years. Also,the staff of AcadianAmbu‐lance andthe MICU at Our Ladyofthe Lake forall the special love andcare shown to ourfamilyinour timeofneed

Causey, Robert'Chuck' Robert MCausey ("Chuck"),a nativeand resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana entered eternal rest on July13, 2025 at the ageof76athis residence. He was born on November 5, 1948 to Robertine Russell Causey and Elmore Causey Sr. He is survivedbyhis dedicatedwife of 25 years, Mrs. Maxie Banks Causey. He is also survivedbyone sisterBarbera Causey,and

Margery Larguier "Margie" Fabrewenthome to herLordonJuly19, 2025, at the age of 95, surrounded by thelove of herfamily in herlongtime College Drive home in Baton Rouge,Louisiana. Born on February 16, 1930, Margie wasa lifelongresident of Baton Rouge Herfinal years were marked with sacrificial care coordinatedbyher daughter, Farin. The family extends itsgratitude to caregivers Doris, Denise, Tramesya, and Alberta. Margie was preceded in death by herdevoted husband, Clifton "Clif" Frank Fabre, with whom she shared alovingand faithfulmarriage.Together, they created ahomefilled with warmth andhospitality. Herparents also predeceased her, as didher brothers, Calvin and Isidore "Buddy" Larguier, andher sisters, Sue Larguier Spahtand Billy Larguier Hamilton.

Educated at Grand Coteau andBaton Rouge High School, followed by Business College, Margie wasa woman of diverse talents. Shebuilta successful career as aRealtor yet hergreatest achievementwas herfamilyrole alongside herbeloved husband, Clif. As cherished patriarchand matriarch,they offered guidance, comfort, andhome-cookedmeals. Their CollegeDrivehome, known as "TheKool-Aid House,"was avibranthub of acceptance,counsel, care,and community, leavinga lastinglegacyfor familyand friends.

Margie's zest for life wasmatchedbyher love forentertainment. An avid singer, she nevermissed an opportunity to share hermusical gifts. Whether leading askit with hersisteratFirst Presbyterian Church or entertaining at parties-anywherea microphonecould be found.

Margie wasa member of theArt Leage, Circle group and theLiterary Club.

Margie's legacy endures through herfivedevoted children, Clifton II "Kip," John Bradford (wife, Sandy), David Larguier (wife, Lauren),Farin (husband, MartinWare), and Calvin Isidore (wife, Melissa ), and twocherished "chosen daughters,"Anna "Banana" BabinNealand Jill Bressler. Her life lessons and unending support shaped themintothe individuals they are today. Thefamilycircleextends to herseventeen grand-

Foster,James Funeralservicesfor James Foster will be held SaturdayJuly26, 2025 at Allen Chapel AME, 6175 ScenicHwy.A public visita‐tionwillbeheldfrom9:00 a.m.until 11:00 a.m. with religious services begin‐ningat11:00

Freeman,Terrance

Castello,JohnHenry

GrimmerSr., Ray Michael 'Dooley'

Ray (Dooley) Michael GrimmerSr. Born Nov. 30,

Cannatella,

Anthony

1944 and went to heaven on July 2, 2025. He wasa lifelong resident of Livonia and Beloved husband and father. Survived by his 5 children, Melondey Friddle, Michelle(Gary)Andre, Dana(Allen) Barbay, RayDoboy(Manda)Grimmer Jr., Brien(Kimberly) Grimmer Many Grand and Great grand children. Proceeded in death by his wife Dorothy Ann Barker Grimmer and parents Wilbur Lee and Mildred Grimmer. Acelebration of life will be held from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM on 2025-07-26atFaith Baptist Church, 4060 Richfield Drive. Receptionfollowed at Dorothy and Dooley's house.

Clerice M. "Clo" Lacy, a native and resident of Port Allen, Louisiana entered eternal rest on July 5, 2025 at the age of 49. She was born on October31, 1975 to Audrey Lacy and the late Freddie McKinley. Clerice, aformer at-large councilwoman for the city of Port Allen, worked tireless advocating on behalf of those whose cries go unheard. She was coined a"battle ax" by Attorney Benjamin Crump. Clerice was the mother of Angel Veal, the late Darrell Carter, Jr. and L'Bella Carter. She is survived by her daughters, Angel and L'Bella; her mother, Audrey Lacy;a brother, Dedrick (Rachel) Broussard; and asignificant other, Joseph Stewart. Clerice willbegreatly missed by her bonus daughters, nephews, nieces, other family membersand friends. Visitation will be held on Friday, July 25, 2025 at Hall Davis and Son of Port Allen, 1160 LouisianaAvenue, Port Allen, Louisiana from 3:00pm -6:00pm. Viewing will continue at Hall's Celebration Center, 9348 Scenic Highway,BatonRouge,

Louisiana on Saturday, July 26, 2025 from 8:00am10:00am until her Celebration of LifeService at 10:00am conducted by PastorJames MorriseofKingdom LifeChurchofPort Allen, Louisiana.Entombment at Heavenly Gates Cemetery of Baton Rouge. Arrangements entrustedto Hall Davisand SonFuneral Service.

LawsonHarrison, Jacqueline Faye

Jacqueline Faye Lawson Harrison, anative of Port Allen, LA passedaway peacefully on July16, 2025, at the ageof74. Born on July 18, 1950, Jacqueline affectionatelyknown as "Jackie", liveda life markedbydevotiontoher family, her faith, and her community.Jackie worked and retiredfromthe EBR City Parish Head Start. Jackie leaves to cherish her beautiful memory;two children, Adryll Terrell Harrison (Natasha) andShafrita (Lekendrick Sr.)Self; threesisters, Madeline (Kerry) Taylor of Port Allen, LA, Debra DavisHossleyofBaton Rouge, LA, and Lisa Y. Lawsonof Port Allen, LA; one brother, WilliamJ.LawsonofPort Allen, LA; ninegrandchildren, two great-grandchildrenand ahost of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Shewas preceded in death by her lovingparents,Wilbert and Alice Ealy Lawson; two brothers, Countie Mack and Guy WayneLawson, with whom she is now joyfullyreunited. Visitationwillbeheldon Friday, July 25, 2025,from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Her celebrationoflifeservice will be held on Saturday,July 26, 2025, at 1:00 PM and will be conductedbyReverend Ricky E. Carter. Both the visitation and service will be held at HallDavis and Son, 9348ScenicHighway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Interment willfollow at the United Benevolent Society Cemetery.

EliMiles, Jr.departed thislifeonWednesday, July16, 2025, at Audubon Healthand RehabinThibo‐daux, LA.Hewas 78, ana‐tiveofKlotzville, LA and residentofDonaldsonville, LA. Visitation on Thursday, July24, 2025, at Williams & SouthallFuneralHome, 101 Loop 945, Donaldsonville, LA4:00pmto6:00pm. Visi‐tationonSaturday, July 26, 2025, at GreaterMt. Pilgrim Baptist Church from 11:00 amtoreligious services at 1:00pm. IntermentinSt. Augustine Catholic Church Cemetery. Arrangements byWilliams& Southall Fu‐neral Home,101 Loop 945, Donaldsonville, LA 70346 (225) 473-1900. To sign the guest book or offercondo‐lences, visitour websiteat www.williamsandsouthall funeralhome.com.

Anative& resident of Morganza, La passed away July14, 2025 at theage of 53. Visitation services FridayJuly 25, 2025 at A. Wesley'sFaith Center 152 Hwy 3050 Morganza, La from 3 to 6pm. Religious services SaturdayJuly 26 2025 at Bright Morning Star Baptist Church. 12812 Fordoche Bayou Rd Morganza, La at 11am.ConductedbyPastor

Cleveland Richard,Officiating.Interment Church Cemetery.

BettyRuthWilliams

Riner passed away peacefully in her art studio in BatonRouge on July15atthe ageof85. In her last days, she was visitedbyher friends and surrounded by her paintings. BorninBastrop, LA,she was a1957 graduateofBatonRouge HighSchool and a1961 graduateofLSU, where she was amember of Delta Gamma sorority.

At 42, she graduatedfrom theOur Lady of the Lake School of Nursing After livingand working in Louisiana, California, Taiwan,and Texas, she retiredfromhome health psychiatricnursing and becameanaccomplished artist. Herpaintings broughtjoy to herlifeand to thepeople forwhom she paintedportraits of theirloved ones and pets. Herlove of landscapes is demonstrated through her recent work depictingnature,swamp scenes, and forests.

Sheispreceded in death by hermother, Birdie Lee Williams anddevoted husband George A. Stuart. She is survived by herson, StevenR.Boutwell, daughter-in-law,Mary Hunt Boutwell, and granddaughter, RosemaryRuth Boutwell, whom she adored andadmired.

Acelebration of herart andher life willbeheld in herhomeand studio on July 26 from 5-7 pm. In lieu of flowers, please considera donation to CancerServicesofGreater Baton Rouge or to theBaton Rouge General Hospital's ArtinMedicine Program.

Williams,Debra DebraWilliamspassed awaySaturday, July 19, 2025. Visitation on Friday July25, 2025 from 5:00-6:30 p.m.and religiousservice willbeonSaturday, July 26 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the New St.JohnBaptist Church,58075 Barrow Street,Plaquemine, LA Rev.Marques Braggs,Pas‐tor.Arrangementsen‐trusted to Pugh’s Mortu‐ary,Plaquemine, LA (225) 687-2860.

Interested in Print? Sign up forhome delivery of thenewspaper in addition to full digital access on your phone,tabletorcomputer Access to thedaily e-replica of thenewspaper is also included

Riner, Betty Ruth Williams

Lacy,Clerice Michelle'Clo'

OPINION

It’s time to push forwardonearly cancer detection

With acombined population of less than 400,000, the ShreveportBossier metro areaisonly slightly larger than New Orleans, but its impact on the national stage cannot be denied. Twoofthe most prominent men everborninthis area are not hard to ﬁnd on television. Youcan see Dak Prescott, agraduate of Haughton High School, quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys in the fall, while Captain Shreve High School alum Mike Johnson isnever far from the C-SPAN cameras as he oversees the U.S. House of Representatives. Thoughbothare widely visible in public life, the arenas they occupy and the audiences they engage could hardly be more different. However,weall share another bond, which is tragicallyall too common. We have all lostparents to cancer —Prescott’smother passedaway in 2013, Johnson lost his father just three days before he was ﬁrst elected to Congress in 2016, and Ilost my dad to lung cancerin1979, the secondyear of what was to be an eight-year

NFL career with theNew Orleans Saintsand theWashington Redskins.

Rich

Mauti GUEST COLUMNIST

And now we’re all ﬁghting in ourown ways to reduce cancer’simpact on our lives. In cancer treatment, the critical factor that often separates survival from deathisearly detection. Identifyingcancer at an early stageenables more effectiveand less invasive treatments and greatly decreases theburden of cancer

Arecentpersonal milestone for me was a$500,000 donation from the Rich Mauti Cancer Fund to St.TammanyHealth System to fundthe purchase of amobile lung screening unit, bringing vital early detection services to underserved communities across Louisiana.Webelieve this step can make areal difference in the lives of those battling cancer Ourefforts must also include newinnovations like multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood tests. These tests can check for dozens oftypes of cancer simultaneouslyfroma simple blood

draw.This is acomplement and vast improvement toour current cancer screening infrastructure, which can only test for asmall handful of cancers,one at atime.

The burden of cancer is alarmingly high in Louisiana, with rates approximately 40% higher than thenational average, according to thefederal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

This disparity has manyroot causes. Butbarriers to access for healthscreenings and specialty care compound the challenges. MCED technology,which can be deployed in nearly any care setting, can help address this burden.

Seven of every 10 cancer deaths come from cancer types for which there haven’tbeen available screening tools —such as pancreatic, ovarian or stomach cancer.Puttingthese multicancer early detection tools in morehands can save lives and signiﬁcantly reduce the$210 billion spent annually in the U.S.on cancer treatment.

Prescott andJohnson can advance early cancer detection through their own outside-inside

Medicare cuts will hitindependent doctorshard, whichimpacts patients

Sixty of Louisiana’s64parishes are classiﬁed as “health professional shortage areas” by the federal government, meaning there are over3,500 people for everyone provider.The shortages are particularly severe in specialties such as geriatric and preventive medicine that serve the most vulnerable Louisianans.

less personal. Nearly one-third of Louisianans live in rural areas. These patients may have to travel hours to ahospital to getthe care they once receivedlocally

game. Prescott worked to arrange MCED tests forthe Dallas Cowboys front ofﬁce employees and it may well have saved the lifeof acolleague whose cancer would likely have otherwise gone undiagnosed.

Working on theinside, Johnson, as Speaker of the House, has the power to advance legislation that can deliver that samebenefit to millionsofMedicare beneficiaries and findmore cancers earlier while saving Medicare and its recipientsmoney Medicare cannot easily cover new preventive services, which is problematic since seniors make up themajority of all cancer cases in the country.The bipartisan Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act would enable Medicare coverage of these game-changing blood tests.

This legislation has momentum behind it.Ithas enjoyed rare bipartisan support from nearly 400 lawmakers in the House, as well as strong support from Johnson’s committees that oversee Medicare. It has the backing of more than 550 organizations across the

country.Unsurprisingly,people wantpublic policy that aligns with evolving science and uses that science to makeour lives better.Speaker Johnson has fought forthe bill and taken it within inches of the goal line. It also recently becamethe ﬁrst health care bill in Congress to secure majority support in both chambers, making it the mostpopular health policy proposal on Capitol Hill.

I’mproud to join Prescott and Johnson on this common purpose of turning loss into mission and using our respective positions to help others. Giving morepeople access to early cancer detection is atremendous waytohonor our loved ones.

As aformer NFLplayer,I’m glad to see Prescott be aleader in his community.It’stimefor Congress to ﬁnish the job and get this legislation into the end zone.

RichMauti is aformer NFL player and afounder of the MautiCancer Fund workingto educatethe public on cancer prevention,detection and treatment.

Unleashing U.S. energy results in thebestenvironmental data

The Gulf of America is one of themost strategic energy assets the United States has. Its vast reserves of oil and natural gas power our homes, fuel our economy and support Louisiana’scoastal communities Formore than80years, offshore energy production in the Gulf has been essential to our shared prosperityasAmericans

meansAmericansget affordableand reliable energy withfewer emissions.

Casey

Chapman

Our state’spowerful congressional delegation has the chance to address this state of affairs in the months to come. Louisiana patients should hope they takeit. The problem is straightforward.It’sincreasingly difﬁcult for doctors to practice medicinein Louisiana, especially in rural areas, due to repeated cuts in Medicare reimbursement. Earlier this year,Medicare reduced physician reimbursement by 2.8% —the ﬁfth cut in as many years.

Doctors in private practice were the only providers to receive apay cut from Medicare. Hospitals,ambulatory surgical centers and hospice providers all got boosts in reimbursement to keep pace with inflation. That’ssadly been arepeat pattern.Since 2001, the federal governmenthas steadily increased payments for hospitals and other large health care providers. Yetover this same period, Medicarephysician reimbursement has fallen roughly30% when adjusted for inflation. Without meaningful Medicare payment reform, it will become increasingly difficult formyfellow independent doctors —the ones whosepractices are unaffiliated with hospitals —tokeep serving their communities.

We can’tpass on increased costs to patients or demand higher paymentsfrom private insurers. Our only options areto cutstaff, reduce servicesorsell ourpractices to hospitals.

Many have already doneso. Nearly 75,000 doctorsnationwide joined ahospital or health system between 2019 and2024. Hospitals now own nearly 70,000 physician practices nationwide —a 12% increase in just ﬁve years. When independent practices disappear, the cost of care goesup.

Research from Blue Cross Blue Shield found that routine procedures cost signiﬁcantly more in hospital outpatientdepartments. Women paid 32% more for mammograms in ahospital outpatientdepartment than women who went to adoctor’sofﬁce. Colonoscopies were double thecost in the hospital setting. Care also becomes less accessible and

Taxpayers take ahit,too. Research across five specialties shows that when adoctor movesfrom an unaffiliated private practice to ahospital-affiliated one, Medicare spending goes up by an averageof$1,300 per beneficiary in the 12 monthsthatfollow. It’stime for lawmakers to pump the brakesonhospital-driven consolidationand ensure patients can getaffordable care in their own communities Congress took an importantfirst step this month by schedulinga 2.5% increasein physicianreimbursement underMedicare for next year as part of thebudgetreconciliation package.

But there’smoreworktobedone. Aonetime hike in reimbursement does notoffset more than two decades of decliningMedicare reimbursement. Nor does it offer private physician practices thesecurity that hospitals andother providers have against the risk that inﬂation can pose to their operational viability

The House versionofthe budgetreconciliation bill —which two Louisianans, SpeakerMike Johnsonand Majority LeaderSteve Scalise, shepherded through the lower chamber —would have partially indexed Medicare physician reimbursement to inﬂation in the costofoperating amedical practice. It didnot become law. But it shows that House leadersunderstand what’sneeded.

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy has alsobeen actively engaged on efforts to address physicianreimbursement underMedicare. Last year, he formally askeddoctorsfor information on howto“better support and improve pay for high-qualityprimary care providers.”

Fixing Medicarephysician reimbursement —and ensuring that independent physicianpractices cannotjust survive but thrive —has historically attracted bipartisan support. More than 175 membersof the House co-sponsored abill introduced earlier this year that would undo this year’s Medicare paycuts andindexreimbursement to inﬂation permanently. Lawmakers should revisit that bill thisfall. The clock is ticking. Absent action,many physicians could be forced to close their doors or sell their practices to hospitalsystems. That’sbad for doctorsand taxpayers —but even worse for patients in ourstate.

Casey Chapman is apracticing gastroenterologist in Baton Rouge and chief medical ofﬁcer at GI Alliance.

Tommy Faucheux GUEST COLUMNIST

That is why the recent biological opinion issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service is so concerning. Forced to redothe original opinion by court order and rushed to meet an artiﬁcial deadline duetoBiden administration scheduling promises, theNMFSrecently issued a677-page opinion thatincludes aso-called “jeopardy ﬁnding,” which has been seized on by misguided environmental activists to suggest thatthe oil and gasindustry presents arisk to the Rice’swhale

These opinions are important because the NMFS’sbiological opinionisanimportant document thatcan require actionsby industry to reduce thatrisk. Maintaining an up-to-date, informed biological opinion is key to safely supporting theenergysectorinthe Gulf.

Unfortunately,the new opinion fails to reﬂect the real data we know aboutoffshore operations and marine life in the Gulf. In fact,there is no proven evidence thatany oil and gas vessel haseverstruck aRice’swhale.

Ratherthan relying on decades of records of oil and gas operations in theGulf withnoevidence of interaction between the industry and the Rice’swhale,NMFS utilizes speculation through predictive modeling to conclude industry activity could be allegedly harmingRice’swhales. It would be inaccurateand irresponsible for this claim to be considered as fact.

If left uncorrected, the ﬂawedbiological opinion maydisrupt critical permitting processes and delay or block responsible energy development,severely restricting exploration and production in theGulf.

The consequences will be felt farbeyond Louisiana. Energy production in theGulf accountsfor roughly 97% of allU.S.offshore oil and gas output. These resources are not just aregional asset. Theyare a national strength.

Offshore development meetsenergy demand with some of the lowest-emission barrels produced anywhere in theworld.

The carbon intensityofoil from the Gulf is 46% lower thanthe global average outside of the United States and Canada. That

The Bureau of Ocean EnergyManagement foundthatstopping offshore leasing would not reduce demandfor oiland gas andwould result in an increase in greenhousegas emissions by shifting production to places withweaker environmental protections. Offshore energyprojects in theUnited States are subject to someofthe most rigorousenvironmental standardsinthe world. These reviews are designed to ensure safety,minimizeenvironmental impact and protect sensitive habitats.

The newbiological opinionignores the energyindustry’s decades of experience operating responsibly andinnovating continuouslytoimprovesafety andsustainability. Its conclusionsabout theendangered Rice’swhale are notbased on the best availablescience.

According to the National Ocean Industries Association,the decision is driven by speculation andworst-case scenarios instead of fact-based data. The result is aregulatory document that threatensto slow or block responsible activityinthe Gulf based on fear rather than facts

Thatslowdown wouldhit Louisiana especially hard.Our state’soil and gasindustry supports morethan306,000 jobs, making up 15% of thestate’stotal employment. It generates morethan$25.5 billioninwages andcontributes over $77.7 billiontoour economy

Butthis is about morethaneconomics. When we allowﬂawed regulationsto block development,wemakeAmerica moredependent on foreign powers. That meansgivingleveragetonations likeRussia, Venezuelaand the membersofOPEC, countries that do notshare our values or ourenvironmental standards.

PresidentDonaldTrumphas madeit clear that his energyagenda is aboutunleashing American energy, notholdingit back.The Louisiana Mid-Continent Oiland GasAssociation supports theadministration’s effort. We believe theUnited States shouldlead theworldinenergyproduction andenvironmental stewardship.

The Gulf of America is too important to be sidelinedbymisguidedpolicy. Offshore energyproduction strengthens our economy,protects ourcoast andprovides theenergysecurity every American family depends on. Let’sdefendit. Let’sgrow it.And let’skeep theGulfstrong.

Tommy Faucheux is the president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil andGas Association.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

Commuterswalk past abus stop with aposter showing President Donald Trump and JeffreyEpsteinnearthe U.S. Embassy in London last week.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK THEEPSTEIN FILES COMMENTARY

The case of JeffreyEpstein, whodied in prison 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, continues to fascinate asegment of the American public whobelieve there is awider conspiracy behind Epstein’scrimes.While campaigning,President Donald Trump vowed to his supporters to release more information about the government’sinvestigation into Epstein.But recently,AttorneyGeneral PamBondi said there wasnothing more to be released, and Trump urgedhis supporters to move on. But some have refused to do so, fracturing the MAGA base.Arethe questionssurrounding the Epstein case valid, and is this adefining moment for Trump’spolitical movement? Here are twoperspectives.

JefferyEpstein’s rumored Mossad linksjusta canard

It’salmost conventionalwisdom in certain quarters that Jeffrey Epstein must have been working for the Israeli intelligence service Mossad.

“It’sextremely obvious to anyone who watches that this guy,” Tucker Carlson said of Epstein the other day,“had direct connections to aforeign government. No one is allowed to say that that foreign governmentisIsrael because we’ve been somehow cowed into thinking that that’snaughty.”

Acosta,rather an unnamed source told the story to areporter.Acosta denieshe ever said it.

Asked about the matter at anews conferenceaslabor secretarywhenthe Epstein story reemerged, Acosta seemed to deny it,although, admittedly,ina halting andindirect fashion

Steve Bannon, coveringall his bases, says Epstein was working forMossad, MI6, Saudi intelligence and the CIA, while Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA only says that Epstein may have been working for Mossad.

The ﬁrst question to askabout this purported relationship is, Why would Mossad want to associate itself with Epstein? He was under investigationfor his sexual crimes going backto2005and convicted of afew of them (as partofa sweetheart plea deal) in 2008,and would be under federal investigationagain about adecadelater

Clearly,itwould risk an enormous black eye for the State ofIsrael to connect itself to aknown sex offender whose lifestyle was ﬂamboyant and anongoing crime scene.

What would be thesupposed upside? Compromisinginformationonthe rich and powerful? Presumably,there’d be mucheasier ways to honey-trap men with untoward sexual appetitesthan hope they become friendly with Jeffrey Epstein and compromisethemselves on hisprivate island

If the notion of Epstein asanIsraeli spy seems implausible, if not farcical, it’s gotten some superﬁcial plausibility from parts of the record that have beenexaggerated or misinterpreted.

Perhaps most important, the U.S. attorney for the Southern DistrictofFlorida who worked out the plea dealwith Epstein, Alex Acosta, supposedly said that he was told to go easy on Epstein by higher-ups in the Bush administration at the time because Epstein was with intelligence. Acosta allegedly said this aspart of his vettingprocess to become Trump’s ﬁrst secretary of labor in the ﬁrst term. But this didn’t come directly from

As part of an extensive 2020 JusticeDepartmentOfﬁce of Professional Responsibilityreport into the handling of thecasebyAcosta andthe Southern District, Acosta told theinvestigators that he had no information about Epstein beingan intelligence asset and that his answer at the news conference was meant to be a“no.”

The report related that “OPR found no evidencesuggestingthatEpstein was such acooperating witness or ‘intelligenceasset,’ or that anyone —including any of the subjects of OPR’sinvestigation— believed that to be the case.”

Whatabout Epstein’swell-documented relationshipwithformer Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak? One assumes that aMossadasset wouldn’tspend inordinate time with aformer high-ranking Israeli ofﬁcial.

AlanDershowitz, whorepresented Epstein,maintains that he asked his client if he had contacts with intelligence agencies, and Epstein said “no,” even though it would have been in his legal interest to disclose any relationships.

Regarding Epstein’sdeath,which many believe wasreallya murder,the Mossad accusationsget morefantastic: Israeli intelligence hadtoclean up after itself by killing an American citizen on U.S.soil in fact, while he was held in aU.S. jail? By the way,ifMossad killed Epstein, and wascapable of pulling off ano-fingerprints operation in extremely difficult circumstances on U.S. soil,surely they would have killed hiscloseassociate GhislaineMaxwell beforeshe wentto trial with an incentive to spill herguts. All of this so beggars beliefthatit’s almost not worth addressing, exceptthat influentialvoices on theright believe Israel might be behind oneofthe most hideous scandalsinrecentAmerican life.

Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry

Don’tbet that theEpstein scandalisbehindus

When areporter asked Attorney General Pam Bondi about theJeffrey Epstein investigation, President Donald Trumpcould not contain himself amomentlonger

“Are you still talking aboutJeffrey Epstein?” he said, pushing back against the question. “This guy’sbeen talked about for years. Arepeople still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable.”

the “Epstein ﬁles” in what he implied would be aday of comeuppance forhis political enemies.

It was aday after the Justice Department concluded the convicted sex offender died by an unassisted suicide —not by foul play,ascountless rumor-mongers and conspiracy theorists had alleged. Epstein was accused of trafﬁcking and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls.

He pleaded guiltytoprocuring achild for prostitution and soliciting in aFlorida statecourt in 2008 as part of adeal to avoid federal charges

He later was charged with sex trafﬁcking in New York federal court but died in jail while awaiting trial.

Yetthis case, like any other “heater,” as prosecutors often call an attentiongrabbing case like this one,isnot about to slip far out of therumor mills and conspiracy theorists across party lines. Whether they exist or not, “the Epstein ﬁles” becameastoryinthemselves, unfettered by anything as mundane as a lack of evidence, and easily available to be weaponized by various factions.

The ﬁles found their way into the news morerecently as Trump’sfeud with his former ally Elon Musk heated up. The billionaire entrepreneur claimed that theTrumpadministration had withheld the“ﬁles” because thepresident was named in them.

Well, who wasn’tnamed in the “ﬁles,” if you believe the rumors? Idon’tbelieve them, but in theage of social media, the never-ending cascade of information and misinformation at least offers some entertainment value if you don’ttake it too seriously

Yetit’sironic that the reporter’s question about Epstein provoked the president of the United States into an oncamera hissy ﬁt. Ialso detect ameasure of cosmic justice. After all, it wasTrump who made acampaign promise to open

In the annals of American politics, you would strain to find afigure who mademore effective use of innuendo than Trump, whofirst becameadarling of right-wing conspiratorialists around 2010 by promoting lies about Barack Obama’sbirth in the United States.

Since the salad days of “birtherism,” we have witnessed aﬂowering of outlandishly paranoid politics as social media platforms prioritized audience engagement over such antiquated notions as accuracy in the design of their algorithms. This era saw the launch of a new generation of media stars liberated from any editorial authority that might submit their assertions to afact check.

Unsurprisingly,the rising conspiracy media elite loved Donald Trump, and he loved them right back.

Trumpdepended on their loyalty when he promoted the Big Lie of the stolen election in 2020, which in turn led to an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and the gravest threat to constitutional rule in the United States since the Civil War.

Is this asignificant turn in the political firmament, or is it merely an indication that Trump’stactical use of conspiracy theories is having unintended consequences? It’s hard to say,but it may not bode wellthat his administration is stuffedwith conspiracy theorists, including two—FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino —who have pushed the “Epstein files” narrative.

Idon’texpect much in the wayofreliable further revelations, but newsisa business that tries to prepare forthe unexpected —with healthy skepticism More likely,wemight ﬁnd out whoare the grifters, the shills and the suckers in this con game.

As an old-school journo, Istill rely on the advice of the old Chicago City News Bureau slogan: If your mother says she loves you, check it out —especially if it arrives in atweet.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@gmail.com

Clarence Page

Rich Lowry

Baton RougeWeather

MIND CONTROL

BY LUKE JOHNSON

Staff writer

Late in Thursday’spractice during a red zone period, Spencer Rattler rolled to his right, saw nothing there and decided to heave the ball out of the back of the end zone.

The problem is theball didn’t getthere.

“Gottaput more on it,” Rattlersaid. “Just missed it. Bad decision. The ball hungupand stayed inbounds, allowing Saints rookie cornerQuincy Rileytopluck it outofthe airfor an interception. It was anotable lowlightthat landed in reporters’ notebooks andmade the rounds on social media.

And then, on theverynextsnap, Rattler saw the defense parting in front of himand scrambledthrough thegap for atouchdown.

As the Saints let athree-man race play out for the starting quarterback job, the players competing forthe spot arefocusing on doing exactly what Rattlerdid in that moment:Not letting onebad snap turn into several badsnaps

They’replaying ahigh-stakes game

BY CURT ANDERSON and ED WHITE

The Associated Press

CLEARWATER,Fla. Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing, bicep-busting icon of professional wrestling who turned the sport into amassivebusinessand stretched his inﬂuenceintoTV, popculture and conservative politics duringa long and scandal-plagued second act, died Thursday in Florida at age 71.

Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospitalless than 90 minutes after medics in Clearwaterarrivedat his home to answer amorning call about acardiac arrest, police said “There were no signs of foul play or suspicious activity,”Maj. Nate Burnside told reporters.

Hogan, whose real namewas Terry Bollea, was perhaps thebiggest star in WWE’slonghistory

He was the main draw for theﬁrst WrestleMania in1985and was a ﬁxture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant andRandy Savage to The Rockand even WWE co-founder Vince McMahon. But outside the the ring, Hogan also found trouble. WWEin2015 cut ties with him for three years, even removing him from its Hall of Fame, afteritwas reported that he was recorded using racial slurs about Blacks. He apologizedand said hiswords were “unacceptable.” Hogan won at least six WWE championships andwas inducted

where mistakes can feel magniﬁed. That requiresmental focus and the ability to not only ﬂush apoor moment,but correct it in the aftermath.

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Chris Olave washappy to see the New York Jets pay Garrett Wilson. Thetwo were teammates at Ohio State, and the NewOrleansSaints wide receiversaid he couldtellalmostinstantly that Wilson would be “destined forgreatness.” AndWilson’s newcontract reflects that journey —four years, $130 million. With an average of $32.5 million per year,the Jets madeWilson the ﬁfthhighest-paid wide receiver.Itwas the kind of deal that could set the market forOlave,who wasdraftedthe same year as his former teammate.

Buttalks of his own contract extension will have to wait, Olave said.

“Coming off the season Ihad, Iwas out for the year,I’m not really looking at it rightnow,” Olavesaid. “I feel like I’ve got to prove myself to be able to get that type of money or to get that type

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

threw

interception today in ared

period, which he’d donesomany good thingsdown there. Those moments

“It’s alwaysabout howyou respond to adversity,”saidcoach Kellen Moore “Guys are going tomake mistakes, Spen-

into theHall of Fame in 2005 and reinstated there in 2018. WWE matches are now held in professional sports stadiums, and millions of fans have watched the company’sweekly live television program, “Raw,” which debuted in JanuaryonNetﬂix “He was atrailblazer,the ﬁrst performer who transitioned from beingawrestling star into aglobal phenomenon,”McMahon saidof Hogan. Hogan’sbrand of passion “Hulkamania,” as the energyhe

created was called, startedrunning wild in the mid-1980s and pushed professional wrestling into themainstream.Hewas a ﬂag-waving American hero with the horseshoemustache, red and yellowgear andmassive arms he called his “24-inch pythons.” Crowds were hysterical when he ripped off his T-shirt in thering atrademark move —revealinga tan,sculpted body Hogan was also acelebrity outside the wrestling world,

The ear-splitting noise emanating from the speakers in Tiger Stadium’sSouth Stadium Club at Wednesday’s jam-packed Rotary Club luncheon sounded like an ocean liner’sfoghorn being melted in ablast furnace. LSU coach Brian Kelly,the reason hundreds of people were there and willing to endure the metallic rending sound, decided he didn’twanttodeal with it.

“I don’t need amicrophone,” LSUfootball’shead man said as he took the podium Kelly took charge, then in a loud voice that carried easily above the rapt room he spent mostofthe next 20 minutes basically describing how he is in charge of atalented, promising, well-supported and well-funded football program.Ateam that he said is comprised of players who understandattention to detail and are following the right leaders within the team (he ticked off three: quarterback Garrett Nussmeier,linebacker Whit Weeks and offensive lineman Bo Bordelon) to help them get there. “LSU football and LSU athletics is about being elite,” Kelly

said. “It’sabout a standard, aTiger standard, that is ahigh bar,that we expect you to meet and exceed every day That’scalled accountability That’smyjob as the head coach, to create the culture and maintain it on aday-to-day basis.

“What’simportant to our guys? Those traits of excellence: Being on time, having good habits, having attention to detail, having agood attitude, showing some grit. That’sthe mostimportant thing to us when we talk about thinking the right way. That standard is high at LSU. That’s whyI love being here, because that standard has been set.”

Then Kelly asked and answered the question that wason everyone’smind in attendance, and perhaps millions more minds of LSU fans everywhere.

“So asking, ‘Will we winanational championship?’ is not the question,” he said. “It’s‘When are we going to winanational championship?’ Because we will. We have the players, the standards, the support. We have 75,000 season ticket holders

ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

Scott Rabalais

STAFF FILE PHOTOBySOPHIA GERMER Saints wide receiverChrisOlave catches apass during minicamp practice at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on June 10.

STAFF PHOTOSByBRETT DUKE

Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler throwsthe ball during training camp in Metairie on Thursday.

Saints quarterbacks, from left, Hunter Dekkers, Spencer Rattler,JakeHaener and Tyler Shough gather during Wednesday’spractice.

ä See HOGAN, page 2C

ä See QB, page 4C

5:25

2:05 p.m. NASCAR Trucks: practiceFS1

3p.m. IndyNXT: practice FS2

3:10 p.m. NASCAR Trucks: qualifyingFS1

4p.m. NTT IndyCar:practice FS2

4:30 p.m. ARCA: LiUNA! 150 FS1

5:30 p.m. IndyNXT: practice FS2

7p.m. NASCAR Trucks: TSport200 FS1

9p.m. NHRA: qualifyingFS1

4:55 a.m. Formula 1: Sprint race ESPN CYCLING

6a.m. Tour de France: Stage 19 PEACOCK

7a.m. LIV Golf League: first round FS1

7:30 a.m. PGAChampions: Senior Open Golf

11 a.m.LIV Golf League: second round FS2

3p.m. PGATour:3MOpen Golf HORSE RACING

Noon NyRA: SaratogaLiveFS2

3:30 p.m. NyRA: SaratogaLiveFS2

LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL

9a.m. Southeast regional:TBD ESPN

11 a.m.New England regional:TBD ESPN

12:45 p.m.Central regional: TBD ESPN

2:30 p.m. Southwest regional: TBD ESPN

4:15 p.m. Northwest regional ESPN

6p.m. Mid-Atlantic regional: TBD ESPN

7:45 p.m. West regional: TBD ESPN

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

3:10 p.m.Miami at MilwaukeeMLB

6:05 p.m.Philadelphia at yankees APPLETV+

7p.m.Atlanta at Texas MLB

7:10 p.m.Cleveland at Kansas City APPLETV+

9:15 p.m.N.y.Mets at SanFrancisco MLB

MEN’S SOCCER

9p.m.Valour FC at Vancouver FC FS2

WOMEN’S SOCCER

6:50 p.m.Brazil vs.Colombia FS2 TENNIS

6a.m.Kitzbuhel-ATP,Prague-WTATennis

11 a.m. Kitzbuhel-ATP,Prague-WTATennis WNBA

6:30 p.m.PhoenixatNew york ION

9p.m.DallasatGoldenState ION

England, Spaintomeetfor Euro title

Europeanpowers facedoff in WorldCup finaltwo yearsago

BY DANIELLA MATAR AP sportswriter

ZURICH Here we go again

There’sasense of déjà vu about the Women’sEuropean Championship ﬁnal that pits reigningchampion England against World Cup winner Spain.

The two nations faced off in the World Cup ﬁnal two years ago with Spain edging an open match 1-0.

“I think obviously that was a massive disappointment and Ifeel like from acollective we probably feel like we didn’thave our best performancethat day,but Ithink …ifyou’re trying to pull on that too much then you’re going to be too emotional with too many things going on,” England midﬁelder Keira Walsh said Thursday

“Obviously you thinkabout it a little bit butIthink for us, put it to thesideand focus on the game on Sunday.We’ve got so many new players in this team whoare really conﬁdent and bring so many things to this team, so it’sexciting and we can just focus on the positives.”

Both teams needed 120 minutes to get through their gruellng semiﬁnals. England’ssuper-subs had their part to play again Tuesdaywithlate goals ﬁrst taking the match to extra time and then securing alast-gasp 2-1 victory over Italy

Spain neededa moment of magic from two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí to get pasta resilient Germanside 1-0 on Wednesday It will be aﬁrst Euros ﬁnal for Spain but even before the tournament it had beenthe favorite to add theEuropean title toits collection after winning theWorld

HOGAN

Continued from page1C

appearing in numerousmovies andtelevision shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.”

In recent years, Hogan added his celebrity to politics. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, he merged classic WWE maneuvers with then-candidate Donald Trump’srhetoric to passionately endorse him for president.

“Let Trumpamania runwild brother! Let Trumpamania rule again! Let Trumpamania make America great again!” Hogan shouted into the raucous crowd He ripped off aT-shirt emblazoned with apicture of himself on amotorcycle to reveala bright red Trump-Vancecampaignshirt underneath. Trump stood to applaud the move.

“Welost agreat friend today,the ‘Hulkster,’ “Trump said Thursday on Truth Social.

“Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way —Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart.” Hogan lately began to invest in alternatives to theatrical, professional wrestling, announcing plansinApril to serve as thefirst commissionerfor the Real American Freestyle organization,which describes itself as “the first unscripted pro wrestling” leagues in the world. The first event is Aug. 30 at Cleveland StateUniversity

“The idea was so exciting that I get achance to be involved with all these young people and help guide them in any way,especially to make them huge stars andcreate afuture for them,” Hogan said. “People might be surprised, but wrestling is wrestling, brother.” Broken leg, newattitude

Hogan was born in Georgia but lived much of his life in the Tam-

England’sKeira Walsh, left,vies for theball withSpain’sMariona Caldentey during the Women’sWorld Cup final on Aug. 20, 2023, in Sydney,Australia.The twoteams meet again SundayinBasel, Switzerland.

Cup and Nations League in the past two years.

The two teams havefaced off twice since theWorld Cup ﬁnal, garnering awin apiece in the Nations League this year.Jess Park scored the only goal when England beat Spain 1-0 in February and Clàudia Pina grabbed asecond-half double to help Spain to a 2-1 victory in June.

“Ourpastmeetingsmean nothing because each gameisaquestion of moments, the style of play changes, thesquads change, Bonmatí said

“They have alot of players that we have faced alot of times, in the 2023 World Cup too. We knowthem, they know us. So we wanttoprepare the best for the game, to win it.” Spain’striumph at the World

Cupwas marred by the Luis Rubiales scandal, afterthe-thenhead of theSpanish soccer federation kissed player Jenni Hermoso during the awards ceremony Rubialeswas subsequently charged withsexual assault and convicted afew months beforethe start of Euro2025, bringing an end to one of the worst chapters in the history of Spanish soccer Walsh, whomade100 appearances for Barcelona over 21/2 seasons, was playing in Spain at the time and witnessed the falloutﬁrst hand. “I think the most important thingfor them is that they can enjoy this final, there’snot the

controversy surrounding it,” she said. “I think just forthe girls this time andasa friend andanother football player,for them just to go and enjoy it. “They play incredible football and they deserve to be there, so as ahuman being Ijust want them to go out and enjoy thegameoffootball.”

Walshdoesn’tfeel Spain’sstarpacked squad received enough credit after theWorld Cup triumph.

“Obviously after the game there was alot of controversy and Idon’tthinkfor them there was enough spotlight on how incredible they played and how incredible some of their players were, it was all about the other stuff that had gone on,” she said.

used to draw fans into matches. He often would playoff his interviewer,“Mean”GeneOkerlund, starting his interviewsoff with, “Well, lemme tell ya something, Mean Gene!” Outsidethe ring

No timetable setfor return of Indianapolis star Clark

INDIANAPOLIS Indiana Fever coach Stephanie Whitetook a deep breath when she heard Caitlin Clark’sinjury update Thursday No further injuries werediscovered during this week’sevaluations on her injured leftgroin. Andwithnotimetable forClark’s return, theFever will be relegated to playing the waiting game as they move forwardwithout the two-time All-Star

“I thinkthat’sbig forthe mindset of our group to know that we’vegot to continue to grow and connected in those waysand not is she available, will she, will she not practice?” White said during her pregamenews conference. “It’s one of the disruptionsthatcomes with someofthat.

“So there’sclarity and Ithink that’sgood for everyone, Ithink that’sgood forCaitlin, too.”

NewJerseyLittle Leaguer clearedafter suspension

WOODBURY,N.J.— The 12-year-old LittleLeaguer whofaced suspensionfromhis team’s first state tournament gamefor ﬂipping his bat after hitting agame-winning home run was allowed to play Thursday night.

Marco Rocco of Haddonfield, New Jersey, tossedhis batinthe aironJuly 16 after his sixth-inning, two-run homer in the ﬁnal of the sectional tournament. Marco was ejected andsuspended fora game over what the family was told wereactions deemed “unsportsmanlike” and “horseplay.”

The family sought an emergency temporary restraining order to allow himtoplay in the New Jersey state tournament that started Thursday

Raducanu beats Osaka at D.C. Open in firstmatchup WASHINGTON Emma Raducanu dominated her first career matchup against Naomi Osaka, winning the showdownatthe D.C. Open on Thursday between past U.S. Open champions 6-4, 6-2. “I didfeel it had abit of extra,” Raducanu said. “It’samatch that Ifeel alot of people were talking aboutbeforehand. Iknewthat ahead of thematch,but Iactually quite like these kind of matchups, whereyou’replaying agreat opponent. Alot of people have eyes on the match. They’re into it.” Raducanu, the first qualifier to claim aGrand Slam titlewhen she did that in NewYork in 2021, saved the only two break points shefaced and managed to break the big-servingOsaka three times.

DC council setfor Aug. 1 vote on stadium plan

pa, Florida,area. He recalledskipping school to watch wrestlers at theSportatorium, aprofessional wrestlingstudio in Tampa.

“I had been running my mouth, telling everybody I’mgoingtobe awrestler,and in asmall town, theword gets out,” Hogan told the Tampa BayTimes in 2021.

“And so when Iwent down there, they were laying lowfor me. They exercised me till Iwas ready to faint.”

The result: abroken leg and asubsequent warning from his dad.

“Don’tyou ever let anybody hurt you again,” Hoganrecalled his father saying. “So Iwent back four or five months later with awhole newattitude. The rest is history.” Hoganﬁrst became champion in what was then the WorldWrestling Federation in 1984,and pro wrestling took off from there. His popularity helpedleadtothe creation of the annual WrestleMania eventin1985, when he teamed up with Mr.T to beat“Rowdy” Roddy Piperand “Mr. Wonderful” Paul

Orndorff in themain event. He slammed andbeat Andre the Giant at WrestleManiaIII in 1987, and the WWF gained momentum. His feud withthe late“Macho Man” Randy Savage —perhaps his greatest rival —carried pro wrestling even further Hogan was acentral figure in what is known as theMonday Night Wars. The WWE and World Championship Wrestling were battling for ratings supremacy in 1996. Hogan tiltedthings in WCW’sfavor with the birth of the Hollywood Hogancharacter and the formation of theNew World Order,avillainous stable that put WCW ahead in theratings. He returned to theWWE in 2002 andbecame achampion again. Hismatch with TheRockatWrestleMania X8, alossduring which fans cheered for his “bad guy” character,was seen as apassing of the torch. Hogan was perhaps as well known forhis larger-than-life personalityashewas his in-ring exploits. He was belovedfor his “promos” —hypesessionshe

He crossed over into moviesand television as well. He was Thunderlips in themovie “RockyIII” in 1982. In 2016, aFlorida jury awarded Hogan $115 millioninalawsuit against Gawker Media and then added$25 million in punitive damages. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 obtained and posted video of him havingsex with his former best friend’swife.Hesaidthe post violated his privacy Hoganended up settling the case for millions less after Gawker ﬁled for bankruptcy There was other fallout. The litigation led to the discovery that Hogan had usedracial slursonthe tape.

“Itwas unacceptablefor me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and Iapologize forhaving done it,”Hogan said in awritten statement.

After Hogan was booed at the premiere of Netﬂix’snew WWE show in January,former WWE wrestler Mark Henry, who is Black,said that the scandal was a “dark cloud” over Hogan’scareer Henry saidhebelieves in second chances but that Hogan “never wanted to go forward and ﬁx it.”

Outside Hogan’sHangout, his restaurant in Clearwater Beach, people talked about theiradmiration for Hogan as news of his death spread. Rich Null of St. Louis said thetwo men worked out together

“Thirtyminutes into ourworkout in the gym, he said, ‘cut the Hulk Hogan crap, call me Terry,’ ” Null said. “He wasareally superniceguy,and we’re going to miss him.”

ASHBURN,Va.— The D.C. Council is set to vote Aug. 1onrevised legislation that could allow the Washington Commanders to return to the site of their formerhome at RFK Stadium,chairman Phil Mendelson announced Thursday, describing the updated proposal as awin forthe city and its residents. The updated plan would support a$3.7 billion redevelopment project featuring anew stadium,6,000 housingunits —including1,800 designated as affordable —and retail space and parkland across the 174-acre RFK campus. Mendelson’sstatementcomes days after President Donald Trumpthreatened to block federal support forthe stadium project unless the team reverted to its former name, “Redskins.”

Kansas basketball coach has two stents put in heart

LAWRENCE, Kan. Kansas basketball coach Bill Self had twostents inserted into his heart to treat blocked arteries Thursday at LawrenceMemorialHospitalafterhe “felt unwell and experienced some concerning symptoms.”

“The procedure went very well, andheisexpected to make afull recovery,” the Kansas athletic department said in astatement. “He is in good spirits and expects to be released from the hospital soon.”

The 62-year-old Self directed the ﬁnalpractice of the summer session Thursday morning as he prepares for his 23rdseason as head coach of the Jayhawks. He missed the 2023 Big 12 and NCAA tournaments becauseofaheart condition, getting astandard catheterization andhaving two stents inserted to help treat blocked arteries. ä Euro 2025 championship. NOON SUNDAy,FOX

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JASON DECROW

Hulk Hogan poses during the MTV Video Music AwardsForum at Radio City Music Hall on Aug. 30,2006, in Newyork

Mystics rookies become WNBA All-Stars

BY NOAH TRISTER AP sportswriter

WASHINGTON — When So-

nia Citron and Kiki Iriafen were drafted by a rebuilding Washington team, it was clear they’d have a chance to make a quick impact. It turned out to be a historic one. Citron and Iriafen were both WNBA All-Stars last weekend, becoming the ﬁrst pair of rookie teammates to achieve that since 1999. Their inclusion was an acknowledgement of how quickly they’ve established themselves in the league — and the way they’ve helped improve the Mystics’ outlook.

“From the beginning, Slim (guard Brittney Sykes) told me like, ‘You’re not a rookie. We drafted you for a reason, we drafted Kiki for a reason, so you guys just go out and do what you do,’” Citron said.

That’s not something rookies — even ﬁrst-round picks like Citron and Iriafen — can take for granted. The WNBA is a famously tough league to break into. For every immediate rookie star like Paige Bueckers, there’s another high pick facing a slower adjustment timeline.

Bueckers, Citron and Iriafen were all All-Stars the ﬁrst time three rookies made it since 2011. But they’re the only rookies averaging over 10 points per game this year

Some of that comes down to opportunity After finishing 14-26 last year, Washington brought in Jamila Wideman as its general manager and Sydney Johnson as its coach. Then the Mystics took Citron out of Notre Dame with the third pick in the draft and Iriafen out of Southern California with the next pick. Having both become All-Stars was pretty much the best-case scenario. Especially since both had a chance to go to Indiana and spend time with some of the game’s biggest stars.

“I think there’s another couple of jumps that they’re looking to take, and I think they were rubbing elbows with some of those players that they aspire to be like, to outperform,” Johnson said.

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C

— no one has more in the entire country It allows us to get a clearer picture of what the ﬁrst game is going to look like.” Kelly talks a good game. He’s always talked a good game. That take-charge voice, those words preaching attention to detail and commitment to a highminded goal of developing players as people and trying to win LSU’s ﬁfth national title along the way is heady, convincing stuff.

Coming from a person who has been in this head coaching business for over 30 years, it carries even more of a visceral impact in a very Nick Saban-like manner

But there could be no clearer delineation of the transition now facing Kelly and his program than his annual appearance at the Rotary Club luncheon, always his ﬁnal preseason speaking engagement. The time for talking is over The time for doing is at hand.

It’s why Kelly also talked about doing something for the ﬁrst time in his career: creating an atmosphere

UNC’s Belichick heads NFL’s sideline influence

BY AARON BEARD AP sportswriter

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The group of roughly 60 reporters had crowded around the table

Thursday long before Bill Belichick arrived to take questions in his first run through Atlantic Coast Conference preseason media days as North Carolina’s football coach.

Some massed at each end, multiple rows deep. Others ﬁlled rows of chairs positioned in the middle, in front of a platform ﬁlled with video cameras on tripods to capture the words of the man who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles.

“I mean, it’s Bill Belichick, like of course everybody’s going to circle him up and try to ask him as many questions as possible,” UNC linebacker Thaddeus Dixon said with a chuckle from his own nearby table, adding: “He’s got so much aura.”

It was a sign of how Belichick sure draws a watch-his-every-step crowd as he gears up for his freshman season as a college coach. Yet he’s also the headliner for a larger pro inﬂuence that has arrived in the ACC, with the league boasting three former NFL head coaches the most of any conference — just as the dawn of the revenuesharing era making the college ranks look more like the pros than ever before.

He joins Boston College’s Bill O’Brien, the former Houston Texans head coach who also worked as a Belichick assistant in the NFL. And there’s former Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers head coach

within the football complex to have his Tigers tunnel in on their Aug. 30 season opener at Clemson It will likely be the most highly ranked opener for LSU since 2011, when No. 4 LSU beat No. 3 Oregon 40-27 at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium.

He talked about the Clemson paw prints all over the weight room and Clemson videos on all the TV monitors. He even poked the bear (or, in this case, the other Tiger) by taking the schools’ Death Valley ri-

Frank Reich, who is leading Stanford as an interim coach this season.

O’Brien is in his second year with the Eagles and also previously was head coach at Penn State. Reich took over in the spring after the ﬁring of Troy Taylor for off-ﬁeld concerns, coming after a call from former player-turned-Stanford general manager Andrew Luck for what he has described as a one-year move.

And then there’s the 73-year-old Belichick, the NFL lifer who had said he “always wanted” to give college coaching a try yet never seemed likely to do so — until he missed out on NFL openings, took a year off and UNC hired him in December Belichick said he has talked with numerous coaches who had coached at both levels, mentioning people like Jim Harbaugh and Nick Saban.

“Each situation is a little bit different,” Belichick said earlier Thursday before the packed afternoon interview session. “But it’s a great game and I love being a part of it. Those people all talked about the great experiences they had, Coach O’Brien went to Penn State. it’s different, but it’s still football. It’s fun.”

The Big Ten is the only other league with multiple former NFL head coaches in Nebraska’s Matt Rhule (previously with the Panthers) and Rutgers’ Greg Schiano (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). The Southeastern Conference has Mississippi’s Lane Kifﬁn (the former Oakland Raiders) while UConn coach Jim Mora Jr previously coached in Atlanta and Seattle.

valry up a notch.

“You want attention to detail on fourth-and-goal,” Kelly said. “You want great habits when they’re needed when you’re on the road and playing at Death Valley Junior — not the real Death Valley Within that, it’s our job to prepare our players totally

“When they say ‘Coach is really conﬁdent about his team,’ it’s because I see those traits in action.”

So, take Kelly at his word. This is a committed, focused team, the most tal-

Trump signs order to clarify athletes’ employment status

BY WILL WEISSERT The Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for in an attempt to create clearer national standards in the NCAA’s name, image and likeness era.

Trump directed the secretary of labor and the National Labor Relations Board to clarify the status of collegiate athletes through guidance or rules

“that will maximize the educational benefits and opportunities provided by higher education institutions through athletics.”

cision from the Supreme Court that found the NCAA cannot impose caps on education-related beneﬁts schools provide to their athletes because such limits violate antitrust law

New Wake Forest coach

Jake Dickert said the ACC trio has brought “notoriety” to the league, along with a challenge for coaches of the ACC’s other 14 footballplaying members.

“Obviously Coach Belichick is one of the best coaches in our profession,” Dickert said. “But you know, this isn’t professional football. You know college football is a unique and different challenge From the schematics to the tempo to the recruiting, there’s a whole different world.”

Still, the arrival of revenue sharing with schools now allowed to pay athletes directly following the $2.8 billion House antitrust settlement — in college has at least some parallels to NFL business. The settlement allows schools to share up to about $20.5 million with athletes, divided among sports with football positioned to get the biggest cut due to its role as the revenue-driver in college athletics.

That has made college football look closer to a pro model than ever, even as Reich noted Tuesday: “Football is football.”

Meanwhile, O’Brien can see value in his NFL experience in handling what amounts to the college version of a salary cap.

“I embrace it, I think it’s great that these guys can make money,” O’Brien said. “I’m not ﬁghting it at all. But at the same time, it’s ‘Here’s what it is, and here’s why it is.’ I’m not uncomfortable in those conversations.

“I think my experience in pro football has helped me a lot with those types of conversations.”

ented one on paper, he says, in his four seasons at LSU. None of that is guarantee of victory at Clemson, nor enough victories to get the Tigers back in the College Football Playoff for the

The order does not provide or suggest speciﬁcs on the controversial topic of college athlete employment.

The move comes after months of speculation about whether Trump will establish a college sports commission to tackle some of the thorny issues facing what is now a multibilliondollar industry He instead issued an order intended to add some controls to “an out-of-control, rudderless system in which competing university donors engage in bidding wars for the best players, who can change teams each season.”

“Absent guardrails to stop the madness and ensure a reasonable, balanced use of resources across collegiate athletic programs that preserves their educational and developmental beneﬁts, many college sports will soon cease to exist,” Trump’s order says. “It is common sense that college sports are not, and should not be, professional sports, and my administration will take action accordingly.”

There has been a dramatic increase in money ﬂowing into and around college athletics and a sense of chaos. Key court victories won by athletes angry that they were barred for decades from earning income based on their celebrity and from sharing in the billions of revenue they helped generate have gutted the amateurism model long at the heart of college sports.

Facing a growing number of state laws undercutting its authority, the NCAA in July 2021 cleared the way for athletes to cash in with NIL deals with brands and sponsors — deals now worth millions. That came mere days after a 9-0 de-

The NCAA’s embrace of NIL deals set the stage for another massive change that took effect July 1: The ability of schools to begin paying millions of dollars to their own athletes, up to $20.5 million per school over the next year The $2.8 billion House settlement shifts even more power to athletes, who have also won the ability to transfer from school to school without waiting to play At Big Ten Conference football media days in Las Vegas, Purdue coach Barry Odom was asked about the Trump order

“We’ve gotten to the point where government is involved. Obviously there’s belief it needs to be involved,” he said.

“We’ll get it all worked out. The game’s been around for a hundred years and it’s going to be around 100 more.”

The NCAA has been lobbying for several years for limited antitrust protection to keep some kind of control over this new landscape and avoid more crippling lawsuits — but a handful of bills have gone nowhere in Congress. Trump’s order makes no mention of that, nor does it refer to any of the current bills in Congress aimed at addressing issues in college sports.

NCAA president Charlie Baker and the nation’s largest conferences both issued statements saying there is a clear need for federal legislation.

“The association appreciates the Trump administration’s focus on the lifechanging opportunities college sports provides millions of young people and we look forward to working with student-athletes, a bipartisan coalition in Congress and the Trump administration,” said Baker while the conferences said it was important to pass a law with national standards for athletes’ NIL rights as soon as possible.

The 1,100 universities that comprise the NCAA have insisted for decades that athletes are students who cannot be considered anything like a school employee. Still, some coaches have recently suggested collective bargaining as a potential solution to the chaos they see.

ﬁrst time since they won it all six seasons ago. But it seems to move the odds in LSU’s favor Kelly makes it all sound very good. It simply has to be good on the ﬁeld, in a season that has so much riding on it. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate. com/lsunewsletter

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

LSU football coach Brian Kelly speaks during his annual preseason stop at the Baton Rouge Rotary Club meeting held at the South Stadium Club in Tiger Stadium on Wednesday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AARON BEARD

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick speaks with reporters during the Atlantic Coast Conference’s media days on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C.

Saints QBsrunning into earlyspeed bumps

Falcons’ QB Penixmore conﬁdent headinginto ﬁrst full season as starter

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

“has acannon” as apasser

Oldnews

Tyler Shough’s best throw of Thursday’spractice was his last. Before the snap, just outside the end zone, the New Orleans Saints quarterback saw thatthe defense was in acover-0,all-out blitz. So he changed the play.Shough relayed theprotection change and after the snap,the 25-year-olddrifted away from theoncoming pressure to ﬁnd Rashid Shaheed foratouchdown

“It was agood rep to go through in the installs and kind of what we’re trying to get done,” Shough said. Shough’scompletion was the right note to end on, particularly becausethe earlier reps were very much awork in progress. And he wasn’talone in that regard. On the second day of Saints training camp, the quarterbacks kept running into speed bumps —the kindsthat areperhaps expected in the ﬁrst few daysof camp withanew schemeand new coaching staff in place.

Coach Kellen Moore has said he wants his quarterbacks to learn from their mistakes. And through twopractices, the trio in competition for the starting job —Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener —have shownthey’re up for the task. The most illustrative moment of that on Thursday was when Spencer Rattler followed an end-zone interceptionwitha touchdown on a quarterback scramble.

Moore saidheliked the bounce back from Rattler,callingthe scramble a“great decision”by “parting the Red Sea alittle bit there.”

But there have been plenty of areas to study.And sometimes the results haven’tbeen pretty.Just look at the completion numbers forDay 2from all threequarterbacks during 11-on-11:

Shough: 2-5 (5-10 overall)

Rattler: 5-7 with one INT (9-11)

Haener: 1-2 (3-5)

As promised, Moore rotated the quarterbacks so that Shough got afull practice with theﬁrst team after Rattler took reps withthe 1’saday earlier.But in atwist, Rattler worked with the second team, while Haener stayed with thethird. Moore said the plan wasfor Haener to likely receive ﬁrst-team reps on Friday,but that they would review it laterinthe afternoon.

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

Thursday’sfocuswas in the red zone.Mooresaid he wanted to focus on shorter distances for the practice after havinghis players runall over the ﬁeld aday earlier Not including special teams, the Saints conducted three periods of 11-on-11 work andone period of 7-on-7, with each quarterback receivingfourreps. (The passers looked much sharper in these drills, as you’d expect without an actual pass rush.)

But in tightspaces,the operation —arguably Moore’smain emphasis —was farfrom clean. With Rattler in at quarterback, the Saints had back-to-back false start penalties —which perhaps took away achance for Rattler to getafourth rep because of the time it took for to get set again after the delays.

Then, following aRattler incompletion,Haener came in andguard EastonKilty committed another false start penaltywhen the Saints sent awidereceiver in motion.

Because of theerror,the Saints took Kilty off the ﬁeld and inserted Dillon Radunz into the lineup.

“There are consequences with it,” Moore said. “If you makea mistake onthe ﬁeldpre-snap, you just switch that guy out. There are consequences related to that.” Those consequences,ofcourse,

next week.

don’talways fall on the quarterback. It wasn’tHaener’sfault, for instance, that Kilty twitched at theline to cause adelay.But at thesame time, Moore wants his quarterbacks torun atight ship. Andthere’sstill along way to go before that’sthe case.

Here’swhat else stood out in practice:

Fracas ensues

It took twodays for apunch to be thrown, and wide receiver Brandin Cooks was the ﬁrst Saintsplayer this year to get involved in ascrap. After an incompletion, Cooks seemed totake exception to jawing by Rejzhon Wright and Alontae Taylor

The wide receiver then threw a punch at Wright,and askirmish developed before quickly being broken up.

“Those things are going to come up andyou want to eliminate them as much as you can,” Mooresaid “Sometimes it’sgood to get guys to rally together andwe’ll be just ﬁne.” Irishtroubles

If Charlie Smyth wants to unseat BlakeGrupe forthe Saints’ kicking job,he’ll have to be alot more consistent than he was Thursday The Northern Ireland native madeonly two of his ﬁve kicks, missing distances of 40, 47 and 49 yards.

FLOWERYBRANCH, Ga. The Atlanta Falcons may be better positioned for awinning season with second-year coach Raheem Morris becausethe offensewill be led by aquarterback,Michael Penix Jr., who won’tfeel like afirst-year starter Penix saidafter Thursday’s opening practiceoftraining camp he feels moreconfident enteringhis second season because he was given his first three starts to close the 2024 season after Kirk Cousins wasbenched.

“Yeah,it’svery important,” Penix said. “Just knowing, just being able to go out there and get those games withfull-speed reps. It instills conﬁdence,knowing I can go out there and do the same thingthat you saw in college and all my life. So, youknow,just I wouldsay biggestthingisconﬁdence.”

TheFalcons were 1-2 with Penix as thestarter to ﬁnish 8-9 for their seventh consecutive losing season.Though the switch to the rookie didn’tproduceaplayoff berth, Penix said the experience was important forhis 2025 outlook and his chemistry with the offense.

“So Week 1this year won’tbe the first time I’m on the field withthe starters in agametimesituation,” Penix said. “I feel likethatwas good as well. So the guys around me as well know what they’regoing to get out of me.”

Penixspoke with confidence when he was askedabout the potentialfor an offensethat returns running back Bijan Robinson,wide receiver Drake London, tight endKyle Pitts and an experienced offensive line.

“Weshould be the best in the leaguewith the guys we’ve got around us,”Penix said. “We shouldbeunstoppable. So that’s that’sour goal. We want to be No 1inall categories.”

Penixspent extra timethrowing to Pitts andLondonthis offseason and hadPitts on his mind when he spoke withreporters Thursday

“You seewegot KP the ball today,” Penix said to open the interviewsession. “There’sgoing to be alot of that.”

Penix has the conﬁdence of his teammates as the new leader of theoffense.

“He’sjust that guy and he goes out there and he does the same thing every day and that’swork hard,” London said, adding Penix

Cousins returns in abackup role after disclosingonthe Netflix docuseries “Quarterback” that he played through pain in hisrightarm in thesecond half of the season, in part to avoid losing his jobtoPenix. Cousins threw eight interceptions with no touchdowns in a stretch of four straight losses following a6-3 startand insisted through the streak he was healthy

Morris said Thursday the comment by Cousins in theNetflix show was“kind of old news” and added“we addressedthatwhen it washappening. Nothing was ashocker.”

Cousins, 36, signed afour-year, $180 millioncontract last March that included $100 millionguaranteed.General manager Terry Fontenot has said the team is comfortable with Cousins as the backup to Penix. Morris said in the offseason “wewon’thold him back if the opportunitypresents himself”tobetraded to ateam looking forastarter

Morris more at ease

Morris said “it feels more settling, more at ease” as he begins his second season as coach.

“I think it feels even more familiarthan it had felt before,” he said. “Being back the second time, being back with the same people. I’ll comebackwiththe entire offensive staff coming back.”

Health update

Morris said all players reported on Wednesday and all are on schedule to be available forthe season. Some players, including linebacker Troy Anderson (knee), won’tbeexposed to all contact at thestart of camp.The team’s ﬁrst practice in pads will be on Tuesday

Right tackle KalebMcGary showed off anew short haircut andsaidheis“allgood”after having bone spurs removed from his ankle in an arthroscopic procedure.

Fans firedup

Fans wereinvited to the opening practice, producing along line at the gate surrounding the practice facilityanhour before the session.

Morris said he is “really ﬁred up about this team, really ﬁred up about this organization, really fired up about the fan base.”

Continuedfrom page 1C of deal.”

Olave’sinjury history,ofcourse, explains why the wide receiver —and the Saints —would take a wait-and-seeapproachbefore negotiating over such aheavyﬁnancial commitment.

Olave has had four concussions throughout his ﬁrst three seasons, andtwo last year caused him to miss nine games. Despite getting medical clearance to continue playing, and despite two straight 1,000-yard seasons to beginhis career,Olave likely doesn’thave the leverage to seek atop-of-market contract. And fromthe Saints’ perspective, it would make sense if the team wants to see if Olave can make it through another year before beginning talks.

Olave said he wants to “make it easy” on the Saints to offer such a deal. But nothing about Olave’slast season was easy

“I’m justtrying to make it obvious,” Olave said.

It was obvious, at times, that Olave was arguably the best player on the ﬁeld when the Saints started training camp. He made aleaping catch over the middle of the ﬁeld on asoaring pass from Spencer Rattler.And he was precise with his route running, even on passes that didn’tgohis way The Saints, it seems, have no reservations about using Olave in away that maximizes hisskill set. If that involves targeting the 25-year-old across the middle where wide receivers canbepunished —then the quarterbackswill go to him.

Both general managerMickey Loomis and coach Kellen Moore said Olave was cleared to practice without restrictions, adding he’d be in the mix when the pads come on

“He’sfull go,” Loomis said. Olave,too, saidhis mindset hasn’t changed even after his concussions.He’snot scared of getting hit, he said. Nor will he avoid going over the middle, whichhesaid was astrength of his game.

Instead, Olave said he will prioritize gettingdown fastertoavoid taking unnecessaryhits. And he added that he haschanged his diet, whichhehopeswill keep him healthier over thecourseofthe season.

Asked about the possibility of wearing aguardiancap,Olavesaid he considered the idea, but toldreporters that helmets have beenso “updated” thathedoesn’tfeel it’s necessary.Hesaidhe’sconsulted with trainers so that he’s wearing the “No. 1” helmet available, though said he doesn’tknow the brand of helmetthat he nowdons.

“I feel good,” Olave said. “I’m excited about the year.” Olave also wants to stick with the Saintsfor the long haul. He made that clear in June when he laughed offtrade rumorsand told reporters that he wanted to be with theSaints “forever.”Hereiterated asimilar message Wednesday when he said thathewanted to stay for “a long time.”

The Saints, too, have expressed adesire to keep Olave. Even without an extension, the Saints picked up Olave’s fifth-year optionthis offseason that guarantees Olave aprojected $16million in 2026 Without it, Olave would have been entering acontract year in which he could have hit free agency after the season. Regardless, next season ﬁgures to be pivotal for Olave.

“It’s going to be easy on them to make that(contract) decision when we get to the table,” Olavesaid EmailMatthewParasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com

change games, so he gets to evaluateitand learn from it and Ithought he responded really well.”

Rattler,TylerShough and Jake Haener have allbeeninthese spots plentyoftimes before. All of them were involved in competitionswhile in college, and Rattler andHaener spent alloflast training camp duking it out to be Derek Carr’sprimary backup on game day.

Those experiences have helped form their mental approach as they go into thistraining camp vying for QB1 status.

“Thebiggest thing youcan tell yourself is these competitions aren’t won with onerep,” Haenersaid. “… Number 1, it’salong camp,and No. 2, I’vejust gottodo everything Ican to focusonwhat Ican control.”

In the past, Haener hasworked with mental coach Brett Sandwick, whose clients also include U.S.military special forces. And forHaener, that meansdialing in his mindset—how will he respond when things don’tgohis way? And how will he respond when things aregoing well?

At least from theoutside lookingin, Haener appears to have the longest odds of winning the battle. After struggling in his lone starting opportunitylastseason, he then missed almost allofthe summer program becauseofan oblique injury.Hewill also be the last of thethree to getacrack at operating the ﬁrst-team offense.

But Haener uses all of thatto fuel the mental side of his approach. He said he’s always considered himself an underdog, and while he doesn’t necessarily seek out evidence of people doubting

on Wednesday. QB

him,hewill add it to the ﬁrewhen he sees it.

“I’ve always gotachiponmy shoulder,” Haener said. “I want my teammates to feel my energy and my passion in my command of thehuddle, because when those things happen we tend to be more crisp, moreupbeat, and when those things happen we execute.”

Like Haener,Shough is doing his best to remind himself not to place any added signiﬁcance on oneplay— good or bad, by either himselforsomeone he’scompeting against. Practices, he said, arescripted by scenario. It’snot quite like the regular ﬂow of agame. “Soalot of times, athrowaway

or not taking asack …are sometimes good plays,” Shough said.

“They may not look good in comparisontoifIhaveagood throw or if Spencer has agood throw or if Jake has agood throw.Ijust try to go out and win that rep, that’s the whole goal.

“I’ve been in abunch of differentcompetitions,sohuman nature is, ‘Oh this guy threw it deep, Iwant to throw it deep.’ But the biggest thing thatcoach is looking forand what Iwanttodois execute it to thebest of my ability and then the good things will happen.”

EmailLuke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE Saints quarterback JakeHaener throws apass during training camp

STAFF PHOTO By DAVIDGRUNFELD

Saints quarterbacksfrom left, Spencer Rattler, Hunter Dekkers and Tyler Shough watchadrill during the first dayoftraining camp on Wednesday at the team’spractice facility

Matthew Paras

Worst to first: Which teams can do it?

Saints, Niners among teams that could improve in division

BY JOSH DUBOW Associated Press

A team going from worst to ﬁrst in the division is nearly an annual occurrence in the NFL.

With last-place teams getting advantages like favorable schedules and higher draft picks, there have been 25 teams since the 2002 realignment that followed up a lastplace ﬁnish with a division title the following year

While no team pulled off the trick last season, it had happened least once in each of the previous four seasons. Perhaps no team is better positioned to do it this season than the San Francisco 49ers, who followed up a Super Bowl loss in the 2023 season with a 6-11 lastplace ﬁnish in 2024.

The Niners were done in by a string of injuries to key players and now head into the 2025 season with the weakest projected schedule thanks in part to three games against fellow last-place teams Chicago, the New York Giants and Cleveland.

Here’s a look at the contenders: San Francisco 49ers

Reason for optimism: The 49ers still have star power with players like Fred Warner, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams and one of the top offensive coaches in the game in Kyle Shanahan With the lastplace schedule and a rotation that includes eight games against the weaker South divisions, the Niners are favored to win the NFC West

Reason for pessimism: San Francisco let several defensive starters leave in the offseason as part of a movement to get cheaper and younger But if their rookie class can’t step in and contribute immediately the defense could have some holes even with the return of coordinator Robert Saleh New England Patriots

Reason for optimism: QB Drake Maye showed flashes as a rookie and should get a boost in Year 2 with a better coaching staff led by Mike Vrabel and coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Reason for pessimism: Maye still has very little support even after the offseason acquisitions of rookie lineman Will Campbell and veteran receiver Stefon Diggs.

Chicago Bears

Reason for optimism: The Bears brought in the most highly sought after coaching candidate when Ben Johnson was hired after a strong run as offensive coordinator in Detroit They also upgraded the interior of the offensive line by acquiring Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman and Jonah Jackson in the offseason to help second-year QB Caleb Williams.

Reason for pessimism: Chicago is in a division with three returning playoff teams and has one of the more difficult schedules in the NFL. If Williams’ struggles as a rookie were more about holding onto the ball too long instead of the surrounding environment, the upgrades might not be enough.

Tennessee Titans

Reason for optimism: Last year’s struggles delivered Tennessee the No. 1 overall pick. QB Cam Ward brings his playmaking ability to Tennessee and should be helped by an improved offensive line following the additions of Dan Moore and Kevin Zeitler and anticipated improvement from recent firstrounders JC Latham and Peter Skoronski. Reason for pessimism: Ward doesn’t have a strong group of pass catchers even after the signing of veteran Tyler Lockett, and Tennessee hasn’t done much to upgrade a defense that allowed 27.1 points per game last season.

New Orleans Saints

Reason for optimism: The offense could get a boost if first-round tackle Kelvin Banks can step in immediately and receivers Chris Olave and Rasheed Shaheed are healthy

Reason for pessimism: New Orleans has uncertainty at quarterback after Derek Carr’s retirement and is counting on either second-

offensive line in the offseason to help protect Williams.

round rookie Tyler Shough or 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler to perform at a high enough level to compete.

Las Vegas Raiders

Reason for optimism: Perhaps no team upgraded at quarterback and head coach as much as the Raiders with Pete Carroll replacing Antonio Pierce at coach and Geno Smith coming in at quarterback after a platoon of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. The offense

Nabers approves of Giants’ moves

BY STEPHEN WHYNO Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J Like what the New York Giants did this offseason? Thank Malik Nabers. No, the wide receiver coming off an impressive rookie year didn’t add co-general manager with Joe Schoen to his responsibilities. But the former LSU star did give coach Brian Daboll some input during a busy spring that included signing quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, trading up to take Jaxson Dart late in the ﬁrst round and also drafting running back Cam Skattebo.

“I think Dabes did a great job of asking me questions about making moves, and me and him were in contact about moves to be made,” Nabers said. “That was a great job of him reaching out to the players about things that we were missing that we want.” On defense, New York got a potential difference maker in edge rusher Abdul Carter with the third pick and filled some holes in the secondary in free agency by signing cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland

Daboll mentioned Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence among the other players he talks to about additions. Nabers did not have much to say for the other side of the ball Offensively where the Giants ranked third-worst in the league last season, he was happy to share his thoughts.

“He was really telling me: ‘How do you like this decision? How do you like this decision?’ ” Nabers

said. “He was able to ask me questions like that because he knew I was going to give great feedback. Having that as a head coach to come to a rookie player to decide on what decisions to be made with the team next year I feel like it shows the conﬁdence that he has in me, the conﬁdence that the organization has in me, and I’m hoping that we made some of the great decisions to be made.”

While Nabers turns 22 next week and is just one season into his professional career, having Daboll’s ear did not happen by accident. The two started building a relationship at their ﬁrst training

camp together last year when Nabers wasn’t shy about speaking up despite his lack of experience.

“He’s a smart player,” Daboll said. “I’m close with him. And I think those relationships with all your players are important and particularly ones that play like Malik.”

Nabers caught 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns from four different quarterbacks — as a rookie. Only one (now fourth-stringer Tommy DeVito) is back, with Wilson opening as the starter, Dart waiting in the wings and Winston around as a reliable backup.

under new coordinator Chip Kelly could be intriguing with recordsetting second-year tight end Brock Bowers and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty

Reason for pessimism: Las Vegas is in a division that had three playoff teams last season, making it a difﬁcult proposition to climb too high in the standings. There are major questions in the secondary that could prove fatal in a division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix.

New York Giants

Reason for optimism: The Giants should have one of the top defensive lines with No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter joining Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The return of left tackle Andrew Thomas after he missed 11 games last season should help boost the offense under new quarterback Russell Wilson. Reason for pessimism: Although Wilson may be an upgrade at quarterback, his play has fallen signiﬁcantly since leaving Seattle following the 2021 season. New York traded up to draft Jaxson Dart in the ﬁrst round, but he might not be ready to take over as a rookie on a team that still has many holes on offense.

Cleveland Browns

Reason for optimism: The Browns feature one of the game’s top defensive players in four-time AllPro Myles Garrett after he got a new contract last season, and Kevin Stefanski has won AP Coach of the Year twice in ﬁve seasons with Cleveland.

Reason for pessimism: Cleveland is still searching for a QB three years after trading for Deshaun Watson. Veteran Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are all in the mix, but none provides immediate hope for success.

Jets QB Fields dislocates toe, is being evaluated

BY DENNIS WASZAK JR. Associated Press

FLORHAM PARK, N.J New York

Jets quarterback Justin Fields has a dislocated toe on his right foot and will be evaluated by the team on a daily basis.

The team announced the diagnosis a few hours after Fields limped off the practice field Thursday morning and was carted into the facility It eased some initial concerns that the quarterback, in his ﬁrst season with the Jets, could miss signiﬁcant practice time.

Fields threw an incomplete pass to Jeremy Ruckert on his ﬁfth play of team drills when he went down. The quarterback sat on the grass for a few moments before getting up and limping to the sideline while helped by a trainer

“I know it was a quick throw, so I’m assuming someone stepped on his toe,” coach Aaron Glenn said after the Jets’ second practice of training camp. “It had to be because of the nature of the call that we had as far as offensive play call. I want to look at the tape and be sure.” Fields spent a few minutes in the injury tent on the sideline as trainers examined him before a cart came out to transport him into the facility Fields sat in the passenger seat next to the driver in the cart and then got up under his own power before stepping inside to be further evaluated.

Glenn stopped the team period after Fields was hurt, and the Jets ran special teams drills.

“When anybody goes down, there’s a lump in my throat,” Glenn said. “Listen, I hate injuries for any player, but the thing is I want to make sure that I understand exactly what the injury is before I move forward on my thought process.” Fields signed a two-year, $40 million contract as a free agent in March after playing last season in Pittsburgh and is expected to be New York’s starter this season. Veteran Tyrod Taylor, the team’s oldest player who turns 36 next month, is the backup and replaced Fields in team drills.

“I think the most important part is, if anything does happen to Justin, I don’t think there’s any drop-off as far as what we want to do when it comes to play calls,” Glenn said. “Very similar when you talk about skill set, so that was like enticing for us. And then the leadership ability you could just tell the players really gravitate to him. When he says something, everybody really listens, even the coaching staff. He’s been around this league a long time. He knows what it takes to win, and he’s a really good person. So, we’re all excited to have that guy here.

“Listen, Justin is who he is and if something happens to him, we’ve got Tyrod and we’re ready to go.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, middle, and running back Velus Jones run through drills during training camp in Metairie, La. on Thursday. The team is counting on Shough and 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler to perform at a high enough level to compete in the NFC South.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIN HOOLEy

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams stretches during practice Wednesday in Lake Forest, Ill. The team upgraded the interior of its

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

New york Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, right, talks with coach Brian Daboll during a practice Thursday in East Rutherford, N.J. The former LSU standout says Daboll sought his opinion during a busy offseason.

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

JOIN THE KREWE

Halloween isn’t just aholiday, it’sa season, acommunity and acause. Join the 10/31 Consortium as amember (three levels available) at the group’s annual meeting at 6:30 p.m. Friday at 5935 Castile Drive.Help provide costumes for kids and other community outreach. 1031consortium.com.

STATE OF THE ART

Theater, planetarium shows fill localartsscene

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Just becauseAugust is super hotdoesn’tmeanBaton Rouge’s artsscene is lagging. From an abundance of theater productions to art exhibits to the cool escape of planetarium shows, there areplenty of artsy things to do and see in thecapital city Here are afew suggestions: Endlesssummer

The Gallery at the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center of the Arts, 100 Lafayette St., is celebrating the laid-back freedom of summertime with NewOrleans artist James Michalopoulos’ exhibit, “Michalopoulos:Happy Times, Summer in The City.”

The show runs through Oct. 10, and admission is free. Hoursare

9a.m. to 4p.m. Monday,9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 9a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5p.m. Sunday Call(225) 344-0334 or visit manshiptheatre.org.

CREATIVITY +CALM

The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge will present His& Hers,a curated evening forcouples, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the ACGBR office, 233 St. Ferdinand St. The two-hour event includes aguided painting session and couples yoga flow $25.61. eventbrite.com/e/his-herstickets-1448836491949.

JUST FOR LAUGHS Family Dinner ImprovTroupe and Butterr

STAFF PHOTO By ROBINMILLER James Michalopoulos’ painting ‘Nifty Nash,’isfeatured in asolo exhibit of his works, ‘Michalopoulos: HappyTimes, Summer inThe City,’ at the Manship Theatre.

TheaterinAugust

Looking for live theater? Well, you’reinluck.

Tickets are on sale forChristianYouth Theatre Baton Rouge’sproduction of the musical, “Singin’ in the Rain,”openingat7 p.m. Thursday, July31, in the Shaver Theatre in LSU’s Music and Dramatic Arts Building on Dalrymple Drive.Other showtimes are 7p.m. Friday Aug. 1; 2p.m.and 7p.m.Saturday,Aug.2,and 3p.m.Sunday, Aug. 3. Tickets are $19-$25.Visit https://www.cytbatonrouge.org/.

Tickets also are on sale for Sullivan Theater’sproduction of thecomedy,“Noises Off!,” opening Friday,Aug. 15,atthe theater,8849 Sullivan Road, Central.Tickets are$23-$29 Visit sullivantheater.com.

ä See ART, page 2D

BY HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writer

‘That’sasgoodas it’s

N.O. danceteamdazzles on ‘America’s GotTalent’

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

Alittle danceteam from NewOrleans madea big splash on July 8’s episode of ”America’s Got Talent.”

Positive comments and astanding ovationfrom thejudgesand thestudio audience brought the 15 membersofEyrie Danceand Tumbling to tears. The team, better known as EDT,had just performed high-flying flips, deathdrops and adynamic routine set to Ciara’s “Level Up” and “APT” by Rose and Bruno Mars. But first, Journee Patterson, 10, stepped ontocenter stage in her hot pink and silver,sparkly costume. Judge Simon Cowell asked the team spokesman what she’d do if they won the $1 million grand prize “I would buy me anew wardrobe and …, “she replied as laughter erupted. “Mydream is to have my own dance studio, and Iwant abig star on the Walk of Fame.”

The music began and the dancers did their thing to the amazementofthe audience.

“Usually,you endthe routine withadeath drop. Youwere death dropping all over theplace,” judge Mel Bsaid.

Thedeath dropstarts with the performer leapinginto theair,arching their back and thenfalling backward onto the ground, often extending one leg upward. It’s meant to be ashowstopper

“I always hope every year that we’regoing to see an act whereyou go,‘That’sasgood as it’sgoing to get,’ and that is one of those auditionsnow,genuinely,” judge Simon Cowell told thegirls. “A lot of the younger actsare coming in here with realdetermination, which is fantasticfor your life, by the way If youreallywantsomething and areprepared to put thehours in to try and win, youwill win, that’s it AndIlove that.”

Four “yesses” fromthe judges and EDT advances on in the competition. In thenextcouple of weeks, those samejudges (which also include Howie Mandel and Soﬁa Vergara) will decide if they’re one of the 44 acts movingontothe live showsbeginning Aug. 19. Behind every successfuldance team,there’s a coach, and for EDT, that’s Eyrie Toliver Toliver has been dancing since she was 3years old —middleschool, high school and college at Howard University.She hadher sightsset on becominga surgeon.Then COVIDhappened, andshe returnedtoNew Orleans with timeonher hands.

“So Istarted like offering somedance clinics, somedance camps, between times,and then before youknewit, Ihad a full-timedance team,” the med

Tulane grad,‘BigBrother’winnertocompete on ‘The

Ian Terry,aTulane University graduate and “Big Brother” winner,isback on his reality TV grind —this time, on the castof“The Traitors.” Terry,who graduated from Tulane in New Orleans with achemical engineering degree in 2013, currently works inHouston as a senior consultant for the Peloton ConsultingGroup. Terry shared he receiveda call from the show’sproducers to join thecast over Memorial Day weekend.Although he competed on two seasons of “Big Brother,” he said Thursday he had neverseen “The Traitors” before getting the offer to be onthe cast

In “Big Brother,” agroup of people lives together in ahouse with morethan 200 cameras and microphones; each week, someone is voted out Before leaving to play, he watched Season 3and read analysesofthe ﬁrst twoU.S.seasons, as well as the U.K. version of the show “It basically felt like the dream whereyou are late to the final exam for aclass you skipped all semester,” he said. Joined by amix of reality TV stars, actors andeven Olympic ﬁgure skaters, the reality star veteran will compete foracash prize in aScottish castle,where contestants partake in the ultimate game of deception. Actor Alan Cumming hoststhe show

Members are chosen to be “traitors” or “faithfuls,” all trying to eliminate members of the other group. “My friends andfamily,almost unanimously,toldmethatI’d be better off as atraitor,” Terry said, adding he hada slight preference toward being afaithful.

See 'TRAITORS', page 2D

PROVIDED PHOTOByTRAE PATTON/NBC

Fifteen girls makeupthe EDTdance team from NewOrleans whoauditioned for‘America’sGot Talent.’

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday, July 25, the 206th day of 2025. There are 159 days left in the year

Today in history

On July 25, 1972, the notorious Tuskegee syphilis experiment came to light as The Associated Press reported that for the previous four decades, the U.S. Public Health Service, in conjunction with the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, had been allowing poor rural Black male patients with syphilis to go without treatment, even allowing more than 100 of them to die, as a way of studying the disease.

Also on this date:

In 1943, Benito Mussolini was dismissed as premier of Italy by King Victor Emmanuel III, and placed under arrest. (He was later rescued by the Nazis and reasserted his authority.)

In 1946, the United States detonated an atomic bomb near Bikini Atoll in the Paciﬁc in the ﬁrst underwater test of the device.

In 1956, the Italian liner SS Andrea Doria collided with the Swedish passenger ship Stockholm off the New England coast late at night and began sinking; 51 people — 46 from the Andrea Doria, ﬁve from the Stockholm were killed. (The Andrea Doria capsized and sank the following morning.)

In 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the ﬁrst “test tube baby,” was born in Oldham, England; she’d been conceived through the technique of in vitro fertilization.

In 2000, a New York-bound Air France Concorde crashed outside Paris shortly after takeoff, killing all 109 people on board and four people on the ground; it was the ﬁrst-ever crash of the supersonic jet.

DANCE

Continued from page 1D

student-turned-coach said of her 130 students ages 4 through 17.

Now an established dance team, EDT has grown a pretty big following on Instagram, Toliver explained, with one of their videos amassing more than 200,000 views. A producer from “America’s Got Talent” saw the clip, loved it and reached out and asked the team to audition for Season 20 of the all-ages talent competition series

“And at that moment, I didn’t think we’d make it all the way through to, you know, the end of the audition process but we did,” Toliver said.

The 15 girls who traveled to Los Angeles for auditions were chosen by the coach, as well as a few by the show Toliver said she looked at leadership, consistency and skill level. “AGT” producers, meanwhile, watched several videos of the dance team performing

Continued from page 1D

First, it just seemed more fun to have a mystery to solve. Second, being a traitor 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 a lot of hate online much of which seemed

In 2010, the online whistleblower WikiLeaks posted some 90,000 leaked U.S military records that amounted to a blowby-blow account of the Afghanistan war, including unreported incidents of Afghan civilian killings as well as covert operations against Taliban ﬁgures.

In 2019, President Donald Trump had a second phone call with the new Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which he solicited Zelenskyy’s help in gathering potentially damaging information about former Vice President Joe Biden; that night, a staff member at the White House Ofﬁce of Management and Budget signed a document that ofﬁcially put military aid for Ukraine on hold.

In 2022, on a visit to Canada, Pope Francis issued a historic apology for the Catholic Church’s cooperation with the country’s “catastrophic” policy of Indigenous residential schools, saying the forced assimilation of Native peoples into Christian society destroyed their cultures, severed families and marginalized generations.

Today’s birthdays: Folk-pop singermusician Bruce Woodley (The Seekers) is 83. Rock musician Jim McCarty (The Yardbirds) is 82. Reggae singer Rita Marley is 79. Musician Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire) is 74. Model-actor Iman is 70. Rock musician Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) is 67. Celebrity chef/TV personality Geoffrey Zakarian is 66. Actor Matt LeBlanc is 58. Actor Wendy Raquel Robinson is 58. Actor David Denman is 52. Actor Jay R Ferguson is 51. Actor James Lafferty (TV: “One Tree Hill”) is 40. Actor Meg Donnelly (TV: “American Housewife”) is 25.

and chose three that caught their eye, Journee among them. Also picked was the youngest member of EDT Kylee Vann, 6.

The style of dance Toliver teaches is called majorette dance

“But what makes EDT different is that we incorporate a lot of tumbling and gymnastics; most dance teams don’t incorporate that,” she said. “But I have a lot of (experience in the other elements) because I used to do cheer as well.”

Toliver said she’s pretty much a one-woman band, also choreographing all the routines and designing all the performance attire. A seamstress makes the outﬁts, and makeup is done by one of the dance parents.

“We have a really, really big support system,” she said. “When we went to California, we had at least 30 supporters out there.”

“America’s Got Talent” airs at 7 p.m. Tuesdays on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.

For more info, visit https://www nbc.com/americas-got-talent.

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.

unwarranted and uncouth.”

Though he’s won a competition

TV show before, Terry said “this was a whole different ball game a completely new game that (he) knew basically zero about.”

Season 4 will air on Peacock in early 2026.

Terry has not been back to New Orleans since 2016, but said he has plans for a trip back in September.

“I love the city and the years that I spent there,” he said.

FRIDAY

ISSY: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 6 p.m.

BRYAN ROMANO: T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m.

CAITLYN RENEE: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 6 p.m.

DON POURCIAU & KON-

SPIRACY: Pedro’s-Siegen, 6 p.m.

KAITLYN WALLACE DUO: La Carreta-Bluebonnet, 6 p.m.

KASEY BALL: Tallulah at the Renaissance, 6 p.m

KEEPIN’ TIME BAND: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6 p.m.

RACHAEL HALLACK DUO: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 6 p.m.

STUDIO4: Ahuuas Mexican, 6 p.m.

EDDIE SMITH: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

SHAUN MILEY: Le Chien Brewing Co., Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

FLORIDA STREET BLOW-

HARDS: Curbside Burgers, 7 p.m.

JOEY HOLAWAY: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

CAKE MIXX: Bin 77, 7 p.m.

RHODES, MAURER & FRIENDS: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

TERRELL GRIFFIN: Crowne Plaza, 7 p.m.

JOEY HOLAWAY: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge, 8 p.m.

THE LEE SERIO BAND: Charlie’s Lounge, Addis, 8 p.m.

THE PRODUCERS: Mid City Ballroom, 8 p.m.

DON RICH: Cousins’ Bar, Port Allen, 8:30 p.m.

PEYTON FALGOUST: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 9 p.m.

CHRIS LEBLANC BAND: Icehouse Tap Room, 9 p.m.

CHRIS PRYOR & THE MAIN

EVENT: Locals, Central, 9 p.m.

DEE BREW: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St. Amant, 9 p.m.

JOEL COOPER & SCOTT

JORDAN: The Vineyard, 9 p.m.

ORY VEILLON: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

SECONDHAND BAND: Phil Brady’s, 9 p.m.

SUBFLUENCE: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

RACHAEL & ERIC: Leola’s Café, 11 a.m.

BRITTON MAJOR: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 5:30 p.m.

EDDIE SMITH: T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m.

PAPO Y SON MANDAO: Pedro’s, Denham Springs, 6 p.m.

FLOYD BROWN BAND

FEATURING JODY MAYEUX: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

ART

Continued from page 1D

MELISSA SINGS: Le Chien Brewing Co., Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

HOT TUNICA: Curbside Burgers, 7 p.m.

BUBBA PLAUCHÉ: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

MICHAEL FOSTER PROJECT: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

TAYLOR RAE: Bin 77, 7 p.m.

THE REMNANTS: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

WILL WESLEY: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge, 8 p.m.

CHRIS LEBLANC BAND & ZYDECO MIKE: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

DERRICK LEMON: The Vineyard, 9 p.m.

JUSTIN CORNETT BAND: Southern Rhythm, Denham Springs, 9 p.m.

TITANIUM RAIN: Crazy Dave’s, Livingston, 9 p.m.

TRUE SPIN: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St. Amant, 9:30 p.m.

SUNDAY

ASHLEY ORLANDO: The Watermark Hotel, 10 a.m.

JUSTIN BURDETTE TRIO: Superior Grill MidCity 11 a.m.

ROBERT CALMES: Cocha, 11 a.m.

JOVIN WEBB: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 11 a.m.

CHRIS ALLEN & DAKOTA

CIVELLO: Red Stick Social, noon FORET TRADITION: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 3 p.m.

HEATH RANSONNET: Icehouse Tap Room, 4 p.m.

SONGWRITER SUNDAYS: La Divina Italian Café, 5 p.m.

JAZZ NIGHT WITH THE FLORIDA STREET BLOWHARDS: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 6 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

MONDAY

ACOUSTICRATS: Phil Brady’s, 6 p.m.

But it doesn’t stop there Now is the time to order tickets for Playmakers of Baton Rouge’s production of the musical, “Footloose,” opening Friday, Aug. 15, in the Reilly Theatre, Tower Drive, LSU campus. Tickets are $20-$30. Visit playmakersbr.org.

Finally, UpStage Theatre’s July production of “The Old Settler” was so popular that the company will stage an encore performance at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, on its stage at 1713 Wooddale Blvd. Tickets are $25. Call (225) 924-3774 or

KATIE KENNEY DUO: Superior Grill MidCity, 6 p.m.

MIKE ESNEAULT: Stab’s Restaurant, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY

TREY MORGAN: Superior Grill MidCity, 6 p.m.

EDDIE SMITH: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

OPEN MIC: Crazy Dave’s, Livingston, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

ASHTON GILL: BLDG 5, 5:30 p.m.

SHANE MADERE & LAURIE

GRIMES: Mason’s Grill, 5:30 p.m.

TAYLOR RAE: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 5:30 p.m.

BRANDON NICHOLSON: Superior Grill MidCity, 6 p.m.

TOBY TOMPLAY: Tallulah at the Renaissance, 6 p.m.

KIRK HOLDER: Bin 77, 6:30 p.m.

JOEY HOLAWAY: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC

W/HEATH RANSONNET: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 7 p.m.

ANDY PIZZO TRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7:30 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

JOHN RUIZ JR./DOMINICK MICHAEL: Southern Rhythm, Denham Springs, 5:30 p.m.

KYBALION: El Paso-Sherwood, 6 p.m. 2 DOMESTIC 1 IMPORT: Thai Kitchen, 6 p.m.

BRANDON VEACH: Zilantro’s, Central, 6 p.m.

BRENT ARMSTRONG: T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m. CAM PYLE: Tallulah at the Renaissance, 6 p.m.

RACHAEL HALLACK & ERIC CANTRELLE: Superior Grill MidCity, 6 p.m.

STEVE JUDICE, RYAN HARRIS & JASON HARRINGTON: La Divina Italian Café, 6 p.m.

visit upstagetheatre.biz.

At Baton Rouge Gallery

Baton Rouge Gallery center for contemporary art, 1515 Dalrymple Drive, will show work by artist members April Hammock, Mary Ann Caffery, Jessica Sharpe, Michaelene Walsh and Beth Welch during August.

Hours are noon to 6 p.m Tuesday through Saturday Admission is free. For more information, call (225) 383-1470 or visit batonrougegallery.org.

Planetarium shows

Looking for fun indoor family activities to beat the late summer

IAN & JARRETT: Bin 77, 6:30 p.m.

JEFF BAJON PROJECT: The Station, 6:30 p.m.

Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s music listed? Email info/photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper.

heat? Try taking in one or all of the Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s planetarium daily shows in August. The Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, 100 S. River Road, will be showing “Ted’s Space Adventure” at 10 a.m., “T Rex” at 11 a.m., “Cosmic Colors: An Adventure Along the Spectrum” at noon, “Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs” at 1 p.m. and “The Dark Matter Mystery” at 2 p.m. Museum hours are 10 a.m.3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m.5 p.m. Sunday Tickets are $15, adults, and $12 for children 3-12 and seniors age 65 and older Call (225) 344- 5272.

FILE PHOTO By SONyA GOSS Catch Foret Tradition at 3 p.m. Sunday at Fred’s on the River in Prairieville.

applies. lasm.org. SOLAR VIEWING: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Highland Road Park Observatory,13800 Highland Road. Through devices, see the motions of clouds in front of the solar disk, sunspots, ﬂares, prominencesand plage. Weather permitting, viewing of the sun’s image in threedifferent manners. Ages 6and older. brec.org. JUST IN THE FEMUR

IMPROVSHOW: 2p.m., 225 Theatre Collective, 7338 Highland Road.$15. 225theatrecollective. com.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY BASF’SKIDS’ LAB: 11 a.m., 1p.m. and3 p.m.Saturdayand 1:30p.m.and 3p.m. Sunday, Louisiana Art &Science Museum, 100 S. River Road.Explore thescience of chemistry during 45-minutehandson workshopsfor scientists ages 6-12 and their accompanying adults. This month, kids will explorepolymers,the pH scale, andmaketheir ownhair gel. Included withpaid admission. lasm.org.

TUESDAY RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 3p.m.-6 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Farm-fresh produce, goods,cooking demonstrations.breada. org. PRESSED&PRESERVED:

ATWO-PARTFLOWER PRESSING WORKSHOP:

6p.m.-8 p.m., LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road. Forage the HilltopMeadowfor seasonal blooms and foliage and learn howtoassemble aflower press to preserveyourgathered finds. Second sessionis Aug. 12. Limited space. $60, students, Friends of Hilltop and Louisiana Master Naturalist Members; $75, general public. https://www.lsu.edu/ hilltop/. TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m. Burgersmith, 18303 Perkins Road. Collect your team and jockey for first place. loom.ly/y-CKtQ4.

WEDNESDAY RED STICK FARMERS

MARKET: 9a.m.tonoon

ExxonMobil YMCA,7711 Howell Blvd. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more. www.facebook. com/redstickfarmersmarket. SUMMER ARTRECEPTION AND ARTISTS PAINT OUT:

2p.m.-6

p.m.,Elizabethan Gallery, 680 Jefferson Highway. Severalartists will be part of thepaint out. Also, caricatures, a watercolor demonstration, and “HappyHours” with refreshments from 4p.m.to6 p.m. Free.

COSMIC CRAFTS: MUSIC &NATURE EDITION:

1p.m.-2 p.m.,Irene W. Pennington Planetarium Louisiana Art&Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Watch a planetarium show, then do athemed hands-on craft activity.Part of the LASM’s Beat the Heat Summer Series. Included in paid admission. lasm. org. TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m., Burgersmith,27350 Crossing Circle, Suite 150, Denham Springs. Collect your team and jockey for ﬁrst place. loom.ly/yCKtQ4.

“THE PHOENICIAN

SCHEME”: 7:30 p.m. Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.Presented by Films at Manship the WesAnderson ﬁlm

tells the story of wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Kordaappoints his only daughter, anun, as sole heir to his estate. Rated PG-13. $11.50. manshiptheatre.org.

THURSDAY RED STICK FARMERS

MARKET: 8a.m.tonoon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more. facebook.com/ redstickfarmersmarket.

WEEKLY SOCIAL BIKE RIDE: 7p.m., Geaux Ride, 521 N. ThirdSt.,SuiteA Free. https://fareharbor. com.

TRIVIA NIGHT: 7p.m., BayesOyster Bar, 315 North Blvd. Test your trivia skills with your friends and family.Free.

ONGOING ARTGUILD OF LOUISIANA: Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. “55th Annual River Road Show,” anational, juried show,

Louisiana State Archives, 3851 Essen Lane, Aug. 4-Sept. 23. Reception from 5p.m. to 7p.m. Aug. 21. (225) 773-8020 or artguildlouisiana.org.

BATONROUGE GALLERY CENTER FORCONTEMPORARYART: 1515 Dalrymple Drive.Group exhibit by April Hammock, MarcusMcAllister HyeYeonNam and NonneyOddlokken,through Sunday.batonrougegallery.org.

CAPITOL PARK MUSEUM: 660 N. FourthSt. “Billy Cannon: They CalledHim Legend,” through Jan. 10. (225) 342-5428 or louisianastatemuseum.org.

CARY SAURAGE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER SHELL GALLERY: 233 St. Ferdinand St. BigBuddy’s SummerArt Collective: “Expressions of Me,” a studentexhibition showcasing artwork from 40 local middleschool students, through Aug. 3. Hours arefrom9a.m. to 4p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. Saturday.artsbr.org.

ELIZABETHAN GALLERY: 680 Jefferson Highway. Group show.Call (225) 924-6437 or followthe gallery’s Facebook page

LOUISIANAART &SCIENCE MUSEUM: 100 S. River Road. “Threads of Evolution: Engineering aCommunityThat Sparkles,” engineering meets imagination through thework of Jaime Glas Odom, founder and creative director of fashion brand Queen of Sparkles, through Nov. 9. “Discoverieson theNile:Exploring King Tut’s Tomb and theAmin Egyptian Collection,” through Oct. 31. (225) 344-5272 or lasm.org.

LSU MUSEUM OF ART: Shaw Center for theArts, 100 Lafayette St. “Carved and Crafted: The Art of Letterpress,” through Sept. 21. “InFocus: Artwork by LSU Faculty,” through Aug. 3. (225) 3897200 or lsumoa.org.

MANSHIP THEATRE GALLERY: 100 Lafayette St. “Michalopoulos:Happy Times, Summerinthe City,”through Oct.10. Hours are9 a.m.-4 p.m Monday, 9a.m.-10 p.m Tuesday-Thursday, 9a.m.-11 p.m.Friday,

10 a.m.-11 p.m.Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m Sunday

LSU TEXTILE &COSTUME MUSEUM: Human Ecology Building, TowerDrive, LSU campus. “Color Me Fashion,”morethan 45 looks withrelated accessories spanning approximately100 years of fashion history from c. 1890 to 1990. Exhibit runs through Aug. 15. (225) 578-5992 or email textile@lsu.edu

MAGNOLIA MOUNDMUSEUM +HISTORIC SITE: 2161 Nicholson Drive Guided and self-guided tours.Hours arefrom 10 a.m. to 4p.m. MondaySaturday and from 1p.m. to 4p.m. Sunday.brec. org/facility/MagnoliaMound OLD GOVERNOR’SMANSION: 502 NorthBlvd. Open for tours.Hours arefrom9 a.m. to 4p.m. Monday-Friday.Free admission. oldgovernorsmansion.com.

OLD STATECAPITOL: 100 NorthBlvd. “Water/ Ways,” traveling Smithsonian exhibit exploring thecritical role water playsinall our lives and howtopreserve it, through Aug. 9. “America’s Sacred Freedoms in theFirstAmendment,” yearlong exhibit.Free. louisianaoldstatecapitol. org. USS KIDD VETERANS MUSEUM: 305 S. River Road. Displaysofavariety of artifacts that celebrate veteran and navalmilitaryhistory.Note: Vessel is in Houma for drydock repairs.usskidd.com.

WEST BATONROUGE MUSEUM: 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen. “Radbwa êtiretik-layé:The Art of Jonathan Mayers,” through Oct. 12. (225) 336-2422 or westbatonrougemuseum.org. CompiledbyJudy Bergeron. Have an open-to-thepublic eventyou’d liketopromote? Email details to red@theadvocate. com. Deadline is 5p.m.Friday forthe following Friday’s paper

LEo(July23-Aug. 22) Surround yourself with competent people and pursue your goals. Embrace change with apositive attitude and input, and youwill have a lasting impact.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Initiate change, keepbusy and ignore what others do Remaining calm will helpyou make the most of your day. Letting someone goad you into an argument will leave you at a loss. Seize the moment.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Speak up; sharing your thoughts and feelings will attract interesting people and lead to conversationsthatwillcontributetoyourpersonal growth. Take what you receive and turn it into aperfect fit.

scoRPIo (oct.24-nov. 22) You'llwanttoget involved in in something that can put you in harm's way. Broadeningyour awareness and taking better careofyourself andyourfinanceswillbeworthwhileand give you areason to be grateful

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Refuse to waste time. Focus on what you can achieve and get moving. Align yourself withpeople whoare upbeat and offer insightthatyoucanincorporateintoyour daily routine.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan.19) Give yourself plenty of time to developand nourish what you want to grow. Consider what's necessary andwhat isn't. Declutter your home, resolve any pressing issues and then relax.

AQuARIus(Jan. 20-Feb.19) You're on the right track, so what are you waiting for? Speak up, share your intentions and

make sure everything runs smoothly. Change is brewing. Romance and physical improvements are favored.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) You won't get ahead if you don'tact. Be aware of what others are doing or saying, but don'tfollow suit. Attend an event that offers food for thought and shows youpossibilities that can lead to aricher life.

ARIEs (March 21-April19) Plantohavesome fun. Mix business with pleasure, and you'll discover you have more in common with an associatethan you thought. Developing relationships lets you gain insight into who you can count on for support.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Rethink your strategy before you begin. You'll face oppositionifyou haven'tthought your intentions through from beginning to end. Size down, stick to your budget and be willingtodothe work yourself.

GEMInI(May 21-June 20) Embrace change with vigor and enthusiastically lead the way forward. Set the pace and plan your route. Your compassion and understanding, will catapult you into aleadership position. Trust your instincts.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Pay attention to your finances. Maintaining astrict budget will helpyou save for something worthwhile. Say no to temptation and peoplewanting to lead you astray.

ToDAy'scLuE: oEQuALs P

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, pastand present. Each letter in the cipher stands foranother.

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squaressothat each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontainsthe samenumber only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increasesfromMonday to Sunday.

Yesterday’sPuzzleAnswer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIPALDER

Taylor Swift said, “I write songs that arelike diary entries. Ihave to do it in order to feel sane.”

If successisproportional to sanity, Swiftmust be the mostgrounded person on the planet.

Abridge expertoften has acareful order in which he must play the tricks to enter aplusscore onto his card. In this deal, forexample,how must South play in four spades after Westleads the club king?

South’sthree-spaderebidinvitedgame while promising at least asix-card suit. (With only five, he would have rebid two no-trump or made ahelp-suit game-try.) North,witha potential source of tricksin his heart suit, raised to game.

South first countshis losers by lookingathis hand and taking dummy’s high cardsintoaccount.Here, he should see four: twodiamonds and two clubs. Then he counts winners, finding only nine: six spades, two hearts and one club.

Since theloser count is too high and the winnercount too low, declarer should realizethat he must establish dummy’s heart suit.

This is the safest line: Win thefirst trick withthe club ace, cash thespade ace, take dummy’stop hearts, and ruff a heart high in hand. (South ruffs high for tworeasons:Hedoesn’t want to riskan

wuzzles

overruff by West and he needs the two low spades to lead to dummy’s nine and 10 for entries.) Now declarer plays the spade three to dummy’s nine and ruffs anotherheart high. Back to dummy with atrumptothe 10, South cashes the heart eight,givinghimsixspades,threehearts and one club.

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

ToDAy’s WoRD cELIBATE: SEL-ih-bet: Onewho abstains from marriage because of areligious vow

Average mark 28 words

Time limit 40 minutes

Canyou find 37 or morewords in CELIBATE?

yEsTERDAy’sWoRD —LoGIsTIcs