The Acadiana Advocate 07-29-2025

Second Harvest cuts 14%ofworkforce

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

Second Harvest Food Bank, the largest anti-hunger organization in Louisiana, laid off several employees Thursday and has eliminated numerous positionsasthey

became vacant over the past few months.

The organization as awhole has eliminated around 25 positions, or 14% of its workforce, including eightpositionsinLafayette and Lake Charles, Second Harvest’s Chief Regional Officer PaulScelfo

said. The positions include truck drivers, warehouse workers and managers.

The job cuts reflect asignificant decreaseinfunding for the organization since President Donald Trump tookoffice. Those federal spending cutshave translated to a

9.3 million-pound reduction in food for theorganization. In March, theTrump administration cut about $1 billion from U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture programs that helped organizations like Second Harvestpurchase food. To makeupfor the shortfall, the nonprofit has approved emergency spending to buy morefood.

Texasfirmrenews push forwater from Toledo Bend

Agency facesrenewed opposition from thosewho live near lake

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

The agency overseeingthe state’sshareofthe huge Toledo Bend Reservoir in centralwestern Louisiana is looking again at whether to sell water to private Texasinvestors andisfacing renewed opposition from people who live alongside orotherwise count on thelake’swaters. Built as ajoint projectby

Texas and Louisiana in the 1960s for hydroelectric power water supply andrecreation, the186,000-acre reservoir created from damming the Sabine River isthe fifth largestmanmade lake in the nation, accordingtoagency materials.

Straddling theLouisianaTexas border,the jagged-edged reservoir has become aboating, fishing and camping spot rimmed with lakeside homes, butalso remains an ample

source of water in an increasingly water-thirsty world.

The controversyled Gov. Jeff Landrytoweigh in last week in an attempt to offer assurances that any deal would getthe close local andstate scrutiny that’s been in thelaw for more than adecade.

“There’sbeensomefalse reports on social media about selling Louisianawater outof

Israelistrikekills

DEIR AL-BALAH,

Those cuts come at atime when demand across the 23 parishes the organization hasremainedconstant, forcing the organization to reorganize or scale back services, Scelfosaid.

“The decisionweare making is like ‘Dowekeep ourmobile pantry?’ ”Scelfo said, “Dowekeep

ä See CUTS, page 4A

Council eyes next step for new library

Boulet wouldneed authoritytonegotiate property lease

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

The Lafayette Parish Council is expected to consider giving Mayor-President Monique Bouletthe authority to negotiate alease for property on Louisiana Avenue for the proposed Northeast Regional Library

An ordinance is expected to go to the council for preliminary approval on Aug. 5, Boulet said recently.Itwould be up for final council approval on Aug. 19. In April, Bouletannounced she wasinterested in leasing land from Societyofthe Holy Family,anonprofit religious organization based in New Orleans which owns the site of the former historicBlack girls’ school,HolyRosaryInstitute on Carmel Drive in Lafayette.

The announcement took many by surprise. Lafayette Parish government in June 2024 bought 10 acres of land on Shadow Bluff Drive near Louisiana Avenuefor $339,000 on which to build the new public library in an underserved part of north Lafayette. The decisiononwhere to build the library and how large it should be was largely in the hands of the LafayettePublic Library Boarduntil April, when Boulet advised the board that it was an advisory panel whose approval wasnot needed.Her rebuke was prompted when the boardvoted to indefinitely delay a decision on the size of the library

See LIBRARY, page 4A ä

dozens in Gaza as aiddeliveryremains chaotic

ä TwoIsraeli rights groups say Israelcommittinggenocidein Gaza. PAGE 6A

across the Gaza

on Monday,including apregnant woman whose baby was delivered after her death but also died,local

health officialssaid. Dozenswere killedwhile seeking food,evenas Israel moved to ease restrictions on theentryofaid. Under mountingpressure over the spiraling hunger crisis in Gaza, Israel said over theweekend that themilitarywould pause operationsinGaza City,Deir al-Balah and Muwasi for 10 hours aday and designate secure routesfor aid delivery.International airdrops of aid havealso resumed. Aid agencies saythe newmea-

sures arenot enough to counter worsening starvation in the territory. Martin Penner,a spokesperson for theU.N. food agency,told The Associated Pressthat all 55 of its aid trucks that entered on Sunday

ä See GAZA, page 4A

Agencies warn of worsening starvation Palestinians inspectthe site struck by an Israeli bombardment in Muwasi, Khan younis, GazaStrip, on Monday.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By JILL PICKETT

Toledo Bend Reservoir,built in the 1960s as ajoint project by Texas and Louisiana, is the fifthlargest manmadelakeinthe nation.

PHOTOBy MARIAM DAGGA

Trump moves to lift visa restrictions for Argentina BUENOS AIRES Argentina The United States and Argentina on Monday announced that they are working on a plan to allow Argentine tourists to again travel to the U.S. without a visa.

It will likely take two to three years before visa-free travel becomes a reality for Argentine passport holders, but the Trump administration’s move to kickstart the process marked a show of support for President Javier Milei, its staunchest ally in South America and a darling of conservatives around the world.

The gesture coincided with a visit by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to Buenos Aires for closed-door meetings with Milei and his officials. Noem signed the statement of intent alongside Security Minister Patricia Bullrich in Milei’s office.

The Department of Homeland Security praised Milei for reshaping Argentina’s foreign policy in line with the U.S “Under President Javier Milei’s leadership, Argentina is becoming an even stronger friend to the United States — more committed than ever to border security for both of our nations,” the statement quoted Noem as saying.

This first step toward Argentina’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program, it added, “highlights our strong partnership with Argentina and our mutual desire to promote lawful travel while deterring threats.”

The department cited Argentina as having the lowest visa overstay rate in the U.S. of any Latin American country County votes to release Uvalde shooting records

HOUSTON Leaders of the county where 19 students and two teachers were killed in the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, voted Monday to release records related to the massacre, ending a yearslong legal battle over disclosure of the information.

Uvalde County commissioners voted 2-1 to release the records and to stop appealing a 2022 lawsuit that a group of media organizations including The Associated Press, had filed seeking to make the information public.

The decision by commissioners came a week after the Uvalde district’s school board voted to release its records related to the deadly rampage, one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history

The group of media organizations had sued both the county and the school district for the release of the records.

County commissioners and the school district voted to release the records after a Texas appeals court on July 16 upheld a judge’s ruling that had ordered the information be made public.

Both the county and the school district have not said when the records will be released.

Michigan university has moo-ving day for cattle

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Dozens of dairy cattle were on the moo-ve Monday at Michigan State University

About 80 cows hoofed it to their new home, the Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center, a $75 million facility the East Lansing school says will allow agriculture, veterinary and other students to learn on a modern farm that’s equipped to replicate the most high-tech operations in the world.

George Smith, who heads up Michigan State’s AgBioResearch department, called it a “21st century cattle drive.” Crews erected a fence between the two buildings and herded the animals via claps, calls and whistles.

The remaining 180 cows are expected to be herded to the new building on Tuesday

Michigan’s dairy industry leads the nation in milk production per cow, according to Smith, adding dairy also is the No. 1 contributor to the state’s agricultural economy

The new complex is significantly larger than the existing dairy farm, which was constructed in the 1960s and was so limited in space and equipment that researchers have a backlog of up to two years on funded projects.

Shooter opens fire at Reno casino

Authorities say 2 killed, 3 hurt; suspect in custody

BY ANDY BARRON and RIO YAMAT Associated Press

RENO, Nev A gunman opened fire Monday outside the largest casino in Reno, Nevada, killing two people and wounding three others before being taken into custody officials said.

The suspected shooter at the Grand Sierra Resort was among those transported to a hospital, said Dr Chad Kingsley district health officer for the Northern Nevada Public Health Department.

Officers arrived less than three minutes after the first shots rang out and fired at the suspect, police said in a statement. Authorities did not release the conditions of the suspect or the three others who were injured.

The resort is one of Reno’s most prominent venues, hosting concerts, sporting events and a campaign rally by President Donald Trump before the 2024 election.

Near the California border and just northeast of Lake

and wounded three others before being taken into custody.

Tahoe, the town is a popular summer tourist destination.

Hotel guests heard several shots coming from the resort’s valet area around 7:30 a.m.

Michael Sisco, 60, said he was in his room and about to head to the valet for his car when he heard popping sounds. He looked out his window and saw people screaming and running from the valet area.

He said he saw a man holding his stomach and staggering before falling motionless next to a car

Sisco moved away from the window as the gunshots continued.

“A half-hour after the incident I started shaking because I realized I could’ve been there,” he said. “That’s exactly where I was going.”

Christina Martinez heard the shots just as she was stepping onto an elevator in the lobby and they were still going off when she stepped out onto the 18th floor

Someone in a neighboring room told her there was a gunman right outside the

Trump says he’s shortening deadline for Russia to end war

President giving Putin 10 to 12 days to end killing in Ukraine

BY WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

EDINBURGH, Scotland

President Donald Trump said Monday he is giving Russian President Vladimir Putin 10 to 12 days to stop the killing in Ukraine, shortening a 50-day deadline he had given the Russian leader two weeks ago.

Russia fired an overnight barrage of more than 300 drones, four cruise missiles and three ballistic missiles, the Ukrainian air force said, as the Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities continued despite Trump’s pressure for it to end. U.S.-led peace efforts have also failed to gain momentum.

Trump had said on July 14 that he would implement “severe tariffs” on Russia unless a peace deal is reached by early September On Monday, Trump said he would now give Putin 10 to 12 days, meaning he wants peace efforts to make progress by Aug. 7-9.

The plan includes possible sanctions and secondary tariffs targeting Russia’s trading partners.

The formal announcement would come later Monday or on Tuesday, Trump said.

“No reason in waiting,” Trump said of the shorter timeline. “We just don’t see

any progress being made.”

Putin has “got to make a deal. Too many people are dying,” Trump said during a visit to Scotland.

There was no immediate response from Russia.

Trump repeated his criticism of Putin for talking about ending the war but continuing to bombard Ukrainian civilians.

“And I say, that’s not the way to do it,” Trump said.

He added, “I’m disappointed in President Putin.”

Asked at a news conference about a potential meeting with the Russian leader, Trump said: “I’m not so interested in talking anymore.”

Still, he voiced some reluctance about imposing penalties on the Kremlin, saying that he loves the Russian people. “I don’t want to do that to Russia,” he said, but he noted how many Russians, along with Ukrainians, are dying in the war

Ukraine has urged Western countries to take a tougher line with Putin

Andrii Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, thanked Trump for shortening the deadline.

“Putin understands only strength — and that has been conveyed clearly and loudly,” Yermak said on Telegram, adding that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared the sentiment

A Russian drone blew out the windows of a 25-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv, the head of the city’s military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, wrote on Telegram. Eight people were injured, including a 4-year-old girl, he said.

The attack also started a fire in Kropyvnytskyi, in central Ukraine, local officials said, but no injuries were reported.

The main target of the Russian attack was Starokostiantyniv, in the Khmelnytskyi region of western Ukraine, the air force said. Regional authorities reported no damage or casualties.

Suspect in Mich. Walmart stabbings charged with state terrorism count

BY ED WHITE Associated Press

DETROIT A Michigan prosecutor filed a terrorism charge Monday against a man accused of stabbing 11 people at a Walmart store. The charge has been rarely used in the state’s courts since it was adopted more than 20 years ago during the national outrage over the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack. Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle

Moeggenberg said she believes the charge fits because the weekend attack was intended to “put fear in the entire community and to change how maybe we operate on a daily basis.” But proving that could be difficult. Bradford Gille, 42, has a history of mental health problems. A judge signed an order Friday, the day before the attack, telling police to find him and take him to a hospital because he was considered a risk to himself or others.

Police said they were unable to find him. Moeggenberg also filed attempted murder charges, one for each Walmart stabbing victim. A notguilty plea was entered for Gille, and bail was set at $100,000. Tobacco companies are “selling cigarettes with Fiberglas and chemicals in ’em just to kill off the population You can’t really accuse me of anything if you’re doing that,” Gille said in court

were killed and the people taken to the hospital, three more were treated for minor injuries at the resort, according to Devon Reese, chair of the Board of Health in northern Nevada. One person was grazed by a bullet on their pinky finger, one was treated for severe anxiety and one was injured while running, he said. More than a year ago, two men were charged with fatally shooting another man who was staying at the resort in January 2024. The Grand Sierra claims to have the biggest casino floor in northern Nevada and sits just a few blocks from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. It’s also one of the tallest buildings in the city, with nearly 2,000 hotel rooms.

main entrance, near where Martinez said she was getting coffee just moments before.

“I feel very blessed, but that’s kind of why I had a panic attack,” she said. “I was like, oh my God I was just there.”

Hours after the shooting, the entrance inside the casino leading to the valet area was roped off to guests and privacy screens were placed in front of the glass doors to block the view outside.

In addition to those who

“My heart breaks for the victims, their families, and our entire community Reno is strong — but we are not immune to the epidemic of gun violence gripping this nation,” Reese said in a social media post. Yamat reported from Las Vegas, Nevada. Associated Press reporters Beatrice Dupuy in New York; Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Julie Watson in San Diego contributed.

2 kids killed in Miami after barge collides with boat, officials say

BY JESSE BEDAYN Associated Press

Two kids were killed and two more are in critical condition after a barge struck their boat and sent them overboard during a sailing camp in Miami on Monday, authorities said. All six people on the sailing boat were pulled from the water by responders, and four kids were rushed to a nearby hospital where two were pronounced dead upon arrival, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard. The six one adult and

five children — were in their last week of the sailing camp for kids from 7 to 15 years old, according to the Miami Yacht Club.

“The entire MYC family is devastated by this terrible tragedy,” said Emily Copeland, the commodore of the yacht club, in a statement. Two of the six who were rescued were in “good condition,” Strasburg said. Last year, there were over 550 deaths in recreational boating, of which 43 were caused by vessels crashing into each other, according to Coast Guard statistics.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDy BARRON

Police respond Monday to a shooting outside the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev. Authorities say a gunman killed two people

PHOTO PROVIDED By UKRAINIAN EMERGENCy SERVICE Firefighters put out a blaze Monday in a fire department school after a Russian attack in Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine.

Thailand, Cambodia agree to ceasefire

BY EILEEN NG, JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI and SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia Thailand and Cambodia agreed Monday to an unconditional ceasefire during a meeting in Malaysia, in a significant breakthrough to resolve five days of deadly border clashes that have killed dozens and displaced tens of thousands.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai agreed to a halt in fighting, starting at midnight, while appearing with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during a meeting held under U.S. pressure in the Malaysian administrative capital of Putrajaya. The Cambodian and Thai leaders hailed the meeting’s outcome and shook hands at the end of a brief news conference.

An Associated Press journalist in Cambodia reporting from close to the border with Thailand where artillery duels had been taking place said the sounds of shelling stopped about 10 minutes before the ceasefire came into effect Reports from

Trump

other fronts in the fighting were not immediately available.

The fighting began Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes, that have killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 260,000 people on both sides.

Anwar, who hosted the talks as annual chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc, said both sides have reached a common understanding to take steps to return to normalcy following what he called frank discussions.

“This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,” Anwar said.

The Malaysian meeting followed direct pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned that the U.S. might not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continue, giving both sides a facesaving justification for backing away from the fighting.

In a statement later Monday on social media, Trump said the two sides had “reached a CEASEFIRE and PEACE... I am proud to be the President

of PEACE!”

As part of the ceasefire deal, military commanders from both sides will hold talks Tuesday to defuse tensions while Cambodia will host a border committee meeting on Aug. 4 Anwar said. The foreign and defense ministers of Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand have also been instructed to “develop a detailed mechanism” to implement and monitor the ceasefire to ensure sustained peace he added.

Hun Manet said he hoped that bilateral ties could return to normal soon so that almost 300,000 villagers evacuated on both sides could return home. It is “time to start rebuilding trust, confidence and cooperation going forward between Thailand and Cambodia,” he said.

Phumtham said the outcome reflected “Thailand’s desire for a peaceful resolution.”

The joint statement on the agreement said that the United States was a coorganizer of the talks, with participation from China. The Chinese and American ambassadors to Malaysia attended the meeting that lasted over two hours.

says he ended friendship with Epstein over stealing workers

President says disgraced financier ‘stole people that worked for me’

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Monday that he ended his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and threw the now-disgraced financier out of his private club in Florida after Epstein betrayed him more than once by hiring people who had worked for him. Trump did not say what his employees did or where they worked, and the White House declined further comment. But the White House had previously offered a different explanation for the falling-out. Steven Cheung, the White House communications director said in a statement last week: “The fact is that the President

By The Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they will target merchant ships belonging to any company that does business with Israeli ports, regardless of nationality, as part of what they say is a new phase of their operations against Israel.

kicked him out of his club for being a creep.” Epstein killed himself, authorities say, in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Trump and his top allies stoked conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death before Trump returned to power and are now struggling to manage the fallout after the Justice Department said Epstein did in fact die by suicide and that it would not release additional documents about the case.

The president and his allies, some of whom are now in the administration, had promised to release the files. The case has dogged Trump at home and abroad and even followed Vice President JD Vance during an appearance in his home state of Ohio on Monday A small group of protesters assembled outside a factory in Canton that Vance toured, holding signs that spelled out “JD Protects Pe-

dophiles” and indicating that “GOP” stands for “Guardians Of Pedophiles.”

The Republican president spoke at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland, as he sat with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the leaders had met and were answering questions from U.S. and U.K. journalists. Asked to explain why the relationship had faltered, Trump said, “That’s such old history, very easy to explain, but I don’t want to waste your time by explaining it.”

He then explained, saying he stopped talking to Epstein after “he did something that was inappropriate.”

“He hired help and I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again,’” Trump said. “He stole people that worked for me. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again, and I threw him out of the place, persona non grata.”

“I threw him out and that was it. I’m glad I did, if you want to know the truth,” Trump added.

Judge blocks Trump’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press

A federal judge on Monday ruled Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding as the nation’s largest abortion provider fights President Donald Trump’s administration over efforts to defund the organization in his signature tax legislation. The new order replaces a previous edict handed down by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston last week. Talwani initially granted a preliminary injunction specifically blocking the government from cutting Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood members that didn’t provide abortion care or didn’t meet a threshold of at least $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements in a given year “Patients are likely to suffer adverse health consequences where care is disrupted or unavailable,” Talwani wrote in her Monday order “In particular, re-

stricting Members’ ability to provide health care services threatens an increase in unintended pregnancies and attendant complications because of reduced access to effective contraceptives, and an increase in undiagnosed and untreated STIs.”

A provision in Trump’s tax bill instructed the federal government to end Medicaid payments for one year to abortion providers that received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023, even to those like Planned Parenthood that also offer medical services like contraception, pregnancy tests and STD testing.

Although Planned Parenthood is not specifically named in the statute, which went into effect July 4, the organization’s leaders say it was meant to affect their nearly 600 centers in 48 states However, a major medical provider in Maine and likely others have also been hit.

In her Monday order, Talwani said that the court was “not enjoining the federal

government from regulating abortion and is not directing the federal government to fund elective abortions or any health care service not otherwise eligible for Medicaid coverage.” Instead, Talwani said that her decision would block the federal government from excluding groups like Planned Parenthood from Medicaid reimbursements when they have demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success in their legal challenge. In its lawsuit, Planned Parenthood had argued that they would be at risk of closing nearly 200 clinics in 24 states if they are cut off from Medicaid funds They estimated this would result in more than 1 million patients losing care.

“We’re suing the Trump administration over this targeted attack on Planned Parenthood health centers and the patients who rely on them for care,” said Planned Parenthood’s president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson in a statement on Monday

U.N. report reveals alarming rise in Africa’s food insecurity

BY RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda Food insecurity is rising in many parts of Africa, with the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet surpassing 1 billion — some two-thirds of the continent’s population — in 2024, according to a United Nations report published Monday The prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in Africa is more than double the global average of 28%, whereas figures from

Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Oceania don’t reach that mark, the report said. The annual report, produced by five U.N. agencies, analyzes trends in efforts to achieve the goal of zero hunger around the world by 2030 Those agencies include the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program.

An estimated 8.2% of the global population may have faced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5% in 2023 and 8.7%

in 2022, a positive trend that “contrasts with the steady rise in hunger in most subregions of Africa” and in western Asia, or parts of the Middle East and South Asia, the report said. The prevalence of undernourishment, a key measure of progress, surpassed 20% in Africa and rose to 12.7% in western Asia, it said. The report is the latest to suggest that eliminating food insecurity universally remains a serious challenge. Africa remains the most vulnerable continent.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MOHD RASFAN

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet left and Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, right, shake hands Monday as Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim gestures after talks on a possible ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia in Putrajaya Malaysia.

CUTS

Continued from page 1A

that program working or do we make these cuts someplace else and make our organization more efficient?”

The decision was also to maintain future projects like the recently announced Makin’ Groceries, a nonprofit grocery store aimed at addressing food deserts on the north side of Lafayette.

“Those things are continuing to happen. We’re just reassigning how we pay for those,” Scelfo said Scelfo said that future layoffs are not expected at this time

According to Feeding America’s 2023 Map the Meal Gap map, 16.1% of Lafayette Parish’s population faces food insecurity, with surrounding parishes seeing even higher numbers. Evangeline Parish ranked the highest in Acadiana with over 20.7% of its population

being food insecure.

In Baton Rouge, the food bank recently reduced the amount of food it provides because of the threat of cuts in federal aid.

It was the second cutback in rations in the past year, the organization said

The reduction was announced as the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank reports a steady increase in the number of clients seeking help each month due to ongoing inflation, rising food costs and a 40% reduction in federal food support since 2024.

In addition to cuts in funding for food banks to buy from small local farms, food banks are also anticipating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food benefits to low-income families.

Legislation recently approved by Congress is expected to cut $186 billion from SNAP over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Customers shop at the Second Harvest Food Bank’s

Catholic Church in Lafayette. The

underserved locations throughout Acadiana.

children in Gaza “terrible.”

were unloaded by crowds before reaching their destination. Another U.N. official said nothing on the ground has changed and no alternative routes were allowed Israel said it would continue military operations alongside the new humanitarian measures.

A baby girl died hours after being delivered in a complex emergency caesarean. She had been placed in an incubator and was breathing with assistance from a ventilator, according to AP footage. Her mother, Soad al-Shaer, who had been seven months pregnant with her was among 12 Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house and neighboring tents in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.

WATER

Continued from page 1A

state,” he wrote on social media. “I’d like to let you all know these reports have no merit — there have been no changes to this process!”

Some of the same Texas investors approached the agency the Sabine River Authority of Louisiana, nearly 15 years ago for 600,000 acre-feet annually for 50 years — three times the amount of water being sought now — but couldn’t win approval from then-Gov Bobby Jindal. Over the past three years, they renewed talks on a new proposal that would have gradually increased withdrawals over 30 years to 600,000 acre-feet, according to agency documents, but an earlier letter of intent for that deal expired last fall. Now the company Aqueduct Partners LP of Dallas, is offering to seek one-third of the final withdrawal total from the previous request, authority officials said. Henry Goodeaux II, the authority board chairman, appointed a six-member board committee last week to eventually recommend whether to engage in renewed discussions with Aqueduct Partners.

Some residents question the wisdom of selling Louisiana water to another state, whether the amount agreed upon would eventually expand and if the price would be worth it. They also ask if the already well-funded agency needs the new revenue and, most of all, are concerned water levels could be lowered too much and harm the lake and the recreation on it.

“Once that valve opens, it will never close again because it’s being used for human consumption,” said Shane Sloane, 54, a Lafayette insurance agent whose

LIBRARY

Continued from page 1A

after months of community input. That’s when talks began about leasing land near Holy Rosary

The option had been considered early on but was rejected by a citizens advi-

Another strike hit a two-story house in Khan Younis, killing at least 11 people, more than half of them women and children, according to the hospital. At least five others were killed in strikes elsewhere in Gaza, according to other hospitals.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on most of the strikes. It said it was not aware of one strike in Gaza City during the pause that health officials said killed one person.

Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas.

The daily airstrikes across the territory frequently kill women and children

Images of emaciated children have sparked outrage around the world, including from Israel’s close allies. President Donald Trump on Sunday called the images of emaciated and malnourished

family has a longtime lake home.

The self-funded agency ended fiscal 2024 with a nearly $110 million surplus about $35.4 million of which hasn’t been set aside for specific needs, according to an audit.

Agency officials said the pipeline that the company is proposing could take eight to 10 years to build before the first drop of water is withdrawn and that would come after a potentially lengthy review and state approval process.

“When it comes down to it, they may say, ‘We can’t do that,’” Goodeaux said Calls to the listed agent for the company weren’t returned.

‘That’s the difference’

Officials with the state authority say the 200,000 acrefeet per year being sought amounts to a small percentage that flows downstream through the reservoir for power generation or the overflow spillway

They argue water sales would be many times more lucrative than using the same volume for hydropower They also note it could provide a financial hedge against an aging hydroelectric system in a more competitive electricity market that has the authority down to one power buyer

In a recent presentation on the proposal, Warren Founds III, executive director of the authority explained that Louisiana’s share of the water sales would generate $7.2 million per year Water sales, already about half of the authority’s annual revenue, would go up by 80%, according to audits.

The same volume of water currently generates $225,000 for the authority’s share of electrical sales.

“So that’s the difference that we’re talking about when we look at our operations and why the river

sory committee because the lease offered was for only 30 years. In the latest option, Lafayette Parish would sign a 90-year lease for $1 a year with an option for another 90-year lease, Boulet said recently

The parish would pay to construct the new library on property facing Louisiana Avenue.

Trump on Monday expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and urged Israel to get people food seemingly recalibrating his stance on Gaza as images of emaciated children have sparked renewed worries about hunger in the wartorn territory

Trump, speaking in Scotland on Monday, said that the U.S. and other nations are giving money and food to Gaza but that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “got to sort of like run it.”

“I want him to make sure they get the food,” Trump said. “I want to make sure they get the food.”

His remarks marked a new divergence from Netanyahu after the two leaders had become closer following their nations’ join strikes in Iran.

The U.S. president was asked if he agreed with Netanyahu’s comments on Sunday in which the Israeli leader said, “There is no poli-

authority and past boards would have ever directed whoever was in my place right here to, ‘You ought to be looking at water sales towards your future,’” Founds said.

The full volume of the water sales would be worth $14.4 million per year, authority officials said, split with the authority’s companion agency, the Sabine River Authority of Texas, as the electricity fees currently are.

The Louisiana and Texas authorities split the reservoir water 50-50. Each has the right to sell about 1 million acre-feet of water from behind the dam but must divide the revenues, authority officials said.

The Louisiana authority sells around 36,000 acre-feet per year from its allocation to Louisiana users, International Paper and small local water systems, including for Many Logansport and Mansfield. The agency also sells water once it leaves the reservoir through a diversion canal to industrial plants and communities in the Lake Charles area.

The reservoir can hold nearly 4.5 million acre-feet of water and has, on average, another 4 million acrefeet pass through the system each year About 80% of that additional amount is used for electrical generation, according to authority documents.

Goodeaux explained that if the full year’s worth of proposed withdrawals for Texas were taken all at once, this 200,000 acre-feet would lower the reservoir levels by 13 inches, or about an inch per month.

“I will lose more than that in evaporation this time of year,” he said. “This amount is kind of trivial on the lake.”

At the same time, the reservoir has experienced droughts where flow through the lake was about a quarter of the 4 million acre-

Community input gathered by 720 Design Consultants of Dallas via meetings and surveys will be used in the design of the library, Boulet said.

Maureen Arndt, founding principal of 720 Design Consultants, will be the lead architect, she said.

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

cy of starvation in Gaza and there is no starvation in Gaza.”

“I don’t know,” Trump replied Monday “I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry.”

Israel has restricted aid to varying degrees throughout the war In March, it cut off the entry of all goods, including fuel, food and medicine, to pressure Hamas to free hostages.

Israel partially lifted those restrictions in May but also pushed ahead on a new U.S.-backed aid delivery system that has been wracked by chaos and violence.

Traditional aid providers have encountered a breakdown in law and order surrounding their deliveries.

COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid shipments, said U.N. agencies collected 120 trucks for distribution on Sunday and that another 180 trucks had been allowed into Gaza.

The United Nations and aid groups say the territory needs 500-600 trucks a day to meet its needs. Israel’s blockade and military operations have destroyed nearly all food production in the territory of roughly 2 million Palestinians.

Also on Monday, two air force planes from Jordan and the United Arab Emirates airdropped 17 tons of humanitarian aid in Gaza — an amount that would fill less than a single aid truck.

Aid groups say airdrops are often ineffective and dangerous, with falling parcels landing on people or in combat zones or other dangerous areas.

“At the moment, 2 million people are trapped in a tiny piece of land, which makes up just 12% of the whole strip if anything lands in this area, people will inevitably be injured,” said Jean Guy Vataux, emergency coordinator in Gaza for Doctors Without Borders.

foot average.

During the 2011 drought, reservoir water levels dropped more than 12 feet from the operational peak. Those reductions were exacerbated, however, because the lake was lowered by 3 feet for previously planned reservoir repairs, authority officials said.

Under state law and federal licensing requirements, the authority must maintain relative stability in lake levels following legislative and other changes in the 2000s.

The reservoir’s operational range for electrical power generation has been narrowed from the designed 10 feet of play to 4 feet during typical conditions.

Exceptions exist for power and other emergencies.

A statewide plan?

Toledo Bend isn’t the only place where tensions have emerged over sharing water among people, business and agriculture.

In Baton Rouge, concerns about saltwater intrusion into the region’s primary drinking water aquifer have spurred years of debate over whether big industrial users should continue to use the underground resource when the Mississippi River is nearby The Chicot and Sparta aquifers in southwest and northeast Louisiana

have had their own stresses over heavy use.

In 2020, seeing those problems and the potential for water-needy states to pursue Louisiana water, the state Legislative Auditor’s Office recommended the state develop a water management plan, in part, to determine what Louisiana’s needs would be in the future and the value of its water

The report specifically cited the failed 2011 proposal to ship a piece of Louisiana’s share of Toledo Bend Reservoir water to Texas.

The state never created that recommended plan, state natural resource officials said, but the Legislature added layers of approval for any future out-of-state deal from Toledo Bend.

In addition to the authority board, two-thirds of the six parishes that border the reservoir must back the deal, along with the House and Senate natural resource committees and the governor The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must also weigh in if the volume ever exceeds 1 million acre-feet per year

As news of renewed interest in the deal spread, state officials reiterated that law in an attempt to address false rumors that recently adopted legislation, Act 458, vested total authority over

such a sale with the state Department of Energy and Natural Resources secretary

“The law does not weaken or eliminate any of the multiple safeguards or approval steps required by law,” the agency statement says. Goodeaux, the authority chairman, said it will probably be five to six months before the committee and full board even decide whether to restart talks on a letter of intent with Aqueduct Partners. The 78-year-old, who has been on the board for 19 years and lives along Toledo Bend, says he’s as interested as anyone in ensuring the lake remains as it is for his grandchildren.

“They come up now, but I want them to come up even after I’m gone and still have it just like it is now,” Goodeaux said.

Those assurances aren’t enough for some residents. Bernie Sloane, 77, who is Shane Sloane’s father and has owned the family home on Toledo Bend for 27 years, said he can’t understand why authority officials haven’t already gotten the message that residents don’t want out-of-state sales.

“What has to happen to stop this once and for all is that we need to pass legislation,” he said.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Makin’ Groceries mobile market on April 15 at St. Anthony

mobile pantry offers low-cost fresh produce, protein and dairy items at

TwoIsraeli groups sayIsrael committing genocide in Gaza

BY SAM MEDNICK

Associated Press

TEL AVIV,Israel Twoprominent Israeli rights groups on Monday said their countryiscommitting genocide in Gaza, the first time that local Jewish-led organizations have made such accusations against Israelduring nearly 22 months of war

The claims by B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel add to an explosive debate over whether Israel’smilitary offensive in Gaza —launched in response to Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack that killed some 1,200 people and took morethan 250 hostage —amounts to genocide.

ThePalestinians, theirsupporters andinternational human rights groups makethat claim, and the International CourtofJustice is hearing agenocide case filed by South Africa against Israel.

But in Israel, founded in the wake of the Holocaust, even the government’sstrongest criticshave largelyrefrained from making such accusations due to the deep sensitivities andstrong memories of the Nazi genocide of Europe’s Jews.ManyinIsrael also view the war in Gaza as ajustifiedresponsetothe deadliest attack in the country’shistory and not an attempt at extermination.

Therights groups,while prominent and respected internationally,are consideredin Israel to be on the political fringe, and their views are not representative ofthe vast majority of Israelis. Buthavingthe allegationof genocide come from Israeli voices shatters ataboo in asociety that has been reticent to criticize Israel’sconduct in Gaza.

GuyShalev,director of Physicians for HumanRights-Israel, said theJewish-Israeli public often dismisses accusations of genocide as antisemitic or biased against Israel.

“Perhapshumanrights groups based in Israel. comingtothisconclusionisa way to confront that accusation andget people to acknowledge the reality,”hesaid.

Israel asserts that it is fighting an existential warand abidesbyinternational law. It has rejected genocide allegations as antisemitic.

It is challenging such allegations at the International Court of Justice, and it has rejected theInternational Criminal Court’sallegations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant committed war crimes in Gaza. Both face international arrest warrants

Attorneys: ‘Alligator Alcatraz’detainees held withoutcharges,barredfromlegal access

BY MIKESCHNEIDER

that “Alligator Alcatraz” detaineeshave been barred from meeting attorneys, are being held without any charges and that afederal immigrationcourt has canceled bond hearings. Theimmigration attorneys argued Monday during avirtual hearing thatthe detainees’constitutional rights were being violated and that 100 detainees already had been deported from “Alligator Alcatraz.” Lawyers who have shown up for bond hearings for “Alligator Alcatraz” detainees have been told that the immigrationcourt doesn’t have jurisdiction over theirclients,

and thecivil rights attorneysdemanded that federal and state officials identify an immigrationcourt that has jurisdiction over the detainees so it can start accepting petitions for bond.

“Thisisanemergency situation,”Eunice Cho, an attorney for theAmerican Civil Liberties Union Foundation, said during the hearing in federal court in Miami. “Officers at ‘AlligatorAlcatraz’are going around trying to force people to sign deportation orders withoutthe ability to speak to counsel.”

ButNicholas Meros, an attorney representing Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis,said the situationhad evolved since thecivil rights groups’ lawsuit was filed July 16. Videoconference rooms had been set up so detainees can talk to attorneys, andin-personmeetings between detainees andattorneys had started.

JanRisher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Paddling ‘forest primeval’

As Henry W. Longfellowsaid, “This is the forest primeval.”

Those words have stuck with me since Imemorized partof “Evangeline” in ninth grade, but they’ve rung truer since Ifirst paddled through one of Acadiana’sancient cypress forests.

In late fall, winter and spring, canoeing on St. Martin Parish’s Lake Martin is one of my favorite things to do. Last week, against my better judgment, the forest primeval was calling. David D’Aquin, an old friend,was visiting, and Iconvinced him to join me on the adventure despite the July temps.

We met at Lake Martin at 10:15 a.m. It was already warm, but we set out in ared canoe. Most friends prefer kayaks, but I’m an old-school canoegirl. We rented one from Champagne’s on Lake Martin —$20 per person, per hour,with alicense held as deposit.

We paddled from the dock straight into the cypress forest. Once there, we glided in asilence that’s hard to find when wearen’t surrounded by towering, knobbykneed cypress. The forestdidn’t feel as full as it once did, but it was still majestic. David and Iare both talkers, but the beauty there is so overwhelming that, without aword, we both chose to be quiet and take it in.

Remarkably,inthe cypress forest, the temperature wasn’tso bad.

‘Perpetual summer’

As we quietly paddled through the trees, Itried to remember Longfellow’slines Ihad memorized longago —words on the tip of my tongue, but Icouldn’tbring them to mind

Ilooked them up —and was surprised howwell they fit a steamy July morning.

“Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight, Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic They were approachingthe region where reigns perpetual summer Over their heads the towering and tenebrousboughsofthe cypress Met in adusky arch, and trailing mosses in midair

Waved like banners that hang on the walls of ancientcathedrals.

Deathlike the silence seemed, and unbroken,save by the herons Home to their roosts. …”

Gliding through the water, I realized Longfellow did apretty good job of capturing Louisiana He wrote the poem in 1847

Apparently,Longfellow never came to Louisiana. According to Maria Hebert-Leiter’s“Becoming Cajun,Becoming American: The Acadian in American Literature from Longfellow to James Lee Burke,” the poet reliedon

“William Darby’s Geographical Description of theState of

Fire-related deaths rising Officialsurgepeople

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Fire-related fatalities are on the rise this year in Louisiana, and public safety officials are urging residents to get free smokealarmsthrough astate initiative called Operation Save-

A-Life.

to getsmokealarms

As of Friday,52people have died in Louisiana fires in 2025, said Bryan J. Adams, principal assistant chief of the DepartmentofPublic Safety andCorrections. That’supfrom 41 fatalities at thistime last year,he said.

Adams spoke at the end of a particularly challenging week: Over seven days in July,the state hadeight deaths related to five separate fires. At least four of the sites lacked working smoke alarms, Adamssaid. Those four fires each involved one death.They occurred in New Iberia on July 18, in Denham Springs on July 20, in Winnfield on July21and in West Monroe on Thursday,according to the State Fire Marshal’sOffice. Also on Thursday,three children and one woman died in a housefire in Raceland. TheState Fire Marshal’sOffice is still investigating whether thehome’s

Basketball players brave the sweltering heat on Monday to shoot some

Lafayette.

REACHING 100

Heat advisory issued forTuesday

BY JA’KORIMADISON Staff writer

TheNational Weather Service issuedaheatadvisoryfor Lafayette on Tuesday,with some areas expected to see the first triple digits of the year,forecasterssay The heat advisory is for10a.m.

to 7p.m., witha 20% chanceof temperatures greater than 100 degrees. The heat index values are expected to reach up to 110, accordingtothe advisory.Tuesdaynight’s forecast includes a 40% chance of showersand thunderstorms.

BY ASHLEYWHITE Staff writer

The excitement of potential partnerships buzzed through the air recently at theLoveOur Schools CAFE Launch. Themeeting broughttogether leaders from 21 Lafayette Parish public schools and the community focused on teaming up to support students through the Community and Family Engagement, or CAFE, model. More than 250people wereatthe Downtown Convention Center for the Thursday event, aturnout Love Our Schools Director Millicent Nugent said sheand her team were grateful for beyond words.

It’simportant to take action

Hot temperaturesand high humidity can cause heat illnesses, according to the weather service advisory,which recommends taking extra precautions when outside. When outside, officials recommend wearing lightweight and loose-fitting clothing, drinking plenty of fluidsand checkingup on relatives and neighbors. While inside, it’sbesttosay in an airconditioned room and limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening.

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

The Swig storeplanned for Lafayette, whichwill be the first of its kind in Louisiana, is set to

Aug. 18, franchiseeChase Herbert said. Hours will be from

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

hoops on the courtatGirard Park in

La.courts cannot accept needless delays in justice

The agony of losing someoneclose to violent crime is unimaginable. Butitbecomes even worse when, afteranarrest is made,the justice system is slow,halting and oftenunpredictable

The loved ones of hundreds of victims in two of the state’sbiggest court systems, New Orleans and East Baton Rouge, knowitall too well. Repeatedly,their questsfor closure through the criminal justice system have faced lengthy delays, repeated continuances andtrials scheduled and then postponed.It’sled manyto despair

That’sthe conclusion of an exhaustive analysis of the justice systems in thosetwo parishes by this newspaper’sJillian Kramer andJeff Adelson. Their study,which looked at yearsof homicide case data, found that, in both places, murder cases move far slower thanwhatexperts recommend and similar cases in other cities with ahigh number of murders. Kramer and Adelson concluded that there was no single cause of the dysfunction: Staffing shortages, inadequate funding,forensic testingdelays, repeated continuances and heavy workloads forcourt staffall contribute to the morass More thanjust abstract terms, these have real-world effects.Taj Sullen spent years attending court hearings in New Orleansfor the men accused of killing her son, Sabastian,in February 2022. The trial has been resetmultiple times, andnow won’thappenuntil at leastSeptember Paulette Odom’s49-year-old son Keith was shot at atruck stop in East Baton Rouge Parishin2017. His case remains pending. Paulette Odom’s husband, Kenneth,died sixyearsafter their son was shot, still waitingfor justice. Sometimes the delays become serious or fatal to prosecutions.Witnesses’ memoriesfade, evidence is lost or misplaced, other cases pile up and turnover among prosecutors andjudges mean some casesend up fizzling outoropting for reduced charges.

These problems are starkly laidout in the opening stories of the Longingfor Justiceseries, an in-depthlook at problems in thejustice system.

It’sworth noting that the loved ones of victims arenot the only ones suffering.Defendants, too, sometimesare forced to spend years in jail just waiting for their day in court

Thestate’s“tough on crime” policiesare often justified by adesiretodoright by crime victims’ families. But as these storiesshow, all the punishment in the world can’tmake up for delaysinadjudicating crime.

We believe some systemic reforms arecalled for, including perhaps dedicatingmoremoney to prosecutors, forensic testing andpublic defenders.Increased funding forstrappedoffices would stabilize and speed investigationsinways that will benefit the entire system.

In addition, the state should study waysto make the court systems more efficient, even if that includes accountability andefficiency standards for elected judges.

These arebut small steps, but they could make abig difference. Crime victims’ families deserve at least the effort

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

OPINION

More moneywelcome for thecoast,but afew caveats

Mike Smithand his colleagues are doing agreat job covering environmental news, nicely filling thehuge shoes left behind when the great Mark Schleifstein retired. Loudkudos to you all. Icould not be happier that we are gettingmoremoney for coastal restoration. I’ve been working in that field for years, and we need all thehelp we can get. Acouple of points on this issue need to be made, however.Innoway should this increase in resources for our coastal issues be perceived as agift, considering the federal government and the petrochemical industry share responsibilityfor our current land loss

In anation that prides itself on freedom and democracy,one group often fades intothe background after giving everything to protect those ideals: the U.S. veteran. These menand women endureunimaginable hardship and make tremendous sacrifices to serve their country.Yet when they hang up their uniformsfor the lasttime, too many areforgottenbythe very society they swore to protect After the parades endand theapplause fades,veterans often face a silent battle:mental health struggles, unemployment and even homelessness. Thousands sleep on the streets each night. How can anation that calls them heroes allow them to be discarded so easily?

The wounds many veterans carry are invisible. PTSD, anxiety and depression affect alarge portion of this community,but care is often inadequate, and the stigmaaround mental healthmakes it

crisis.

Also, thenew $650 million annual cap (likethe former $500million cap) is not nearly enough tomakesignificant improvements to our coast as demonstrated by decades of scientific studies and data analysis and multiple Coastal Master Plans. Finally,since the current administration has accelerated oil and gas activity and reduced regulations and enforcement, the increased activity, pollution and physical damage will require even more resources forcoastal restoration going forward This is indeed good news. Sort of. ALVIN DUVERNAYIII NewOrleans

worse.Veterans areoften passed over for jobs because their military skills aren’t“relevant.” We wait months for careatoverwhelmed VA hospitals. Our pain is ignored, except on Memorial Day or Veterans Day,when they are briefly remembered before slipping back into the shadows.

Being forgotten doesn’tmean being erased from history.Itmeans being excluded from the present. Veterans don’t want pity; we want dignity.Wewant fair access to healthcare, education, housing, and meaningful work. Veterans want to be part of the communities theysacrificed to protect not pushed aside and forgotten. Yellow ribbons and patriotic slogans mean nothing without action. If we truly value their service, we must show it everyday,not justwhen it’sconvenient to wave aflag.

MARK BIRDEN Army veteran 2000-2011

As alicensed social worker,I can confidently say,most of the time, people do not makeachoice to hurt someone without first being hurt by someone. When someone is hurt in a traumatic waybefore the age of 18, it alters the structure of the brain and therefore changes the behavior of the person. Iamnot at all defending the action of murder,asitiswrong and violent. Iamsaying adjustments to the incarceration system need to be made. In America, 80% of those released from jail are rearrested, and the likelihood of that rearrest increases when there is alack of stable housing available to that person. Prisons are violent, unsafeand have unhealthy living conditions. We have twooptions: to believe people are overwhelmingly inherently bad or to believe that the system is ineffective and needs to be changed. The current prison system does little for the well-being of the person.

I’dlike to challenge the perception that people in prison deserve nothing. Prison should be aplace for healing, not just punishment. The wayinmates are currently treated in prisons further traumatizes individuals and does not teach them to learn how to manage their bodies, causing them to be in the same, or worse, place when they are released, hence the 80% recidivism rates.

KATIE BOUDREAUX

Iread with interest the guest column: “The Metaproject is hugefor northeast Louisiana. Let’skeep the momentumgoing.”

Independent of concerns about big dataand AI, Iamconcerned about the fossil fuel footprint. The article acknowledges thehigh electricity demand. However,itdoes not mention that, in addition to asolar farm, according to multiple sources, thefacility will install three gas-turbine power plants. In atime of climate crisis, construction of any new fossil fuel power is counterproductive. “Natural gas” is methane. Methane often leaks unburned intothe atmosphere, where it is amore potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. When burned for fuel (oxidized), it is converted to carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas responsible for global heating andextremeweather events. We need to stop burning fossil fuels andtransition to clean energy exclusively

MARION FREISTADT NewOrleans

Remember whopushed to pass The One Big Beautiful Bill. Afront-page headline on July 4 read “Johnson, Scalise push bill to finish” with aphoto of the giddy two celebrating. They madeitfinal by hook or by crook. Remember them when you find out whether the results of the bill are truly beautiful foryou and the people and services that affect you. Or not beautiful. You’ll know whom to thank.

FAYE LIEDER NewOrleans

Gonzales

VeritasgetsarebootatHarvard

While it still has aDivinity School, that too is liberal in its theology and more aligned with aliberal political agenda.

It took threats to cut off itsfederal funding following anti-Semitic, antiIsrael and pro-Palestinian demonstrations for Harvard Universitytoconsider again pursuing what used to be the foundation of its motto “Veritas,” or truth The Wall Street Journal reports that leaders of the university are discussing whether to create acenter for conservative scholarship. It would mirror the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California. That thediscussion is taking place is atacit admission that Harvard has been excluding conservative thought from itscurriculum, not to mention most of itsprofessors who toe the liberal line and teach their students to do the same.

Like the other old Ivy League schools, Harvard once had areligious and conservative foundation.Founded by Puritans in 1636, Harvard had its roots in the Puritan worldviewand way of life. Its stated purpose was to train ministers and prepare students forcommunity and civic leadership

By the mid-18th century,Harvard had evolved into an increasingly secular institution, broadening itscurriculum to include amore liberal artseducation and establishing aresearch branch

Whenhewas president of Harvard (1953-1971), Nathan Pusey said: “The finestfruit of serious learning should be theability to speak theword God without reserve or embarrassment.”

Given what we’veseen in recent months on their and other campuses it would appear that God has become an embarrassment, unless Hisname is used as ablasphemy

The idea that there should be a separate institution to “study” conservatism will be an affront tosome conservatives.Itsounds like aform of “separate but equal.”

Are conservatives considered such a rare species at Harvard that their way of thinking must be studied in order to be understood? Arethey alife form from another planet that could infect others if not kept away from “normal” people? Will students who study conservatism be required to wear identification badges or arm bands to identify them to liberal students and liberal professors so as to avoid possible “contamination”?Will this new branch of studies produceaconservative commencement speaker instead of the continuing stream of liberal speakers at graduation?

Over theyears there have been

manyconservative intellectuals whose ideas and policies have demonstrated far more positive results than secular liberalism. Such thoughts and history should be incorporated into mainstream learning and not put at the “back of the bus.”

Oneofthe toweringconservative intellectuals of the 20th century was thelate William F. Buckley Jr.While he graduated from Yale and wrote abook “God and Man at Yale,” he famously said this about Harvard: “Iwould rather be governed by thefirst 2,000 people in thetelephone directory than by theHarvard University faculty.”

Imagine what he might say now given all that has transpired at the university in recent months.

Better to have aplace where conservative thought can be studied and studentsexposed to adifferent way of thinking than to have nothing at all, but even better to have that line of thinking taught alongside liberal thought. That would give conservative thought and conservative thinkers the recognition they deserve, along with examination of why conservative economic, social and foreign policy ideas have produced mostly better resultsthan secular liberalism.

Email Cal Thomasattcaeditorstribpub.com

Areex-presidents ahelpora hindrance?

For ageneration, Americans have had ahistorically large number of expresidents around, apossible source of counsel from one of only 45 people who have exercised the broad powers conferred by Article II of the Constitution

ZohranMamdani’sideas are Bernie.But his political maneuvers areDonald.

The similaritiesbetween the Democratic Socialist running forNew York City mayor and President Donald Trump —as well as their respective bases— arefascinating.

Like Trump, Mamdani’splaybook is heavyonculture and grievancesthathave little to do with the offices theyare seeking. Like Trump during his first campaign, Mamdani is acharismatic figure with no relevant experience running amassive government.

Both said extreme things thatwereperfume to their far-right or far-left bases, the voters who can dominate primaries. But once they faced abroader electorate, they had to clean up their messages.

Trump reposted QAnonmemes on his Truth Social site in 2022.

But during the 2024 campaign, he avoided mentioning the lunatic conspiracy theory while refusing to disavow it.

That’sMamdani’sapproach to his controversialrhetoric against Israel. He refuses to disavowthe slogan, “Globalize the Intifada.” “Globalize” suggests the battle should notbelimited to conflicts in the Middle East but spread to the streets of Paris andNew York City

Youmight expect former presidents to supply elements of personal comity and institutional norms to current politics, and sometimes they do. Certainly,the few periods with no living former presidentshave been times of stress when incumbents might have called on seasoned predecessors for advice. Presidents in those periods faced threatened war with France (17991801), violent resistance toReconstruction(1875-77), the Great Depression (1933) and Watergate(1973-74) During the only quiet ex-presidentless period (1908-09), Theodore Roosevelt witnessed the return of theWhite Fleet’svoyage around the world. But having alot of ex-presidents around hasn’talways helped. The only period before the 1990s withfive living former presidents was between March 1861 and January 1862, when Abraham Lincoln faced secession of the Confederate states. None were Lincoln voters, and none gave him much support.

Americans didnot have five living ex-presidents again until Bill Clinton was inaugurated in January 1993, and we’ve had at least four,except for 25 months in 2006-09. Clinton, presumably aware of voters’ continued respect for the men he succeeded, seemed to carefully refrain from blaming them for his woes. George W. Bush, aware of his father’s respectfor Clinton,behaved similarly This was astark contrast of the hostility and noncommunication between the onetime confreres but thenrivals —Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower On the surface, that comity has continued. Five presidents, including the incomingand outgoing incumbents, attended the Trump inaugurations in 2017 and 2025.

But none had endorsedhim —not entirely surprising givenhis vitriolic attacks, going back to the 1980s, on the immigration and trade policies of both parties.

Barack Obama, taking office after the financial crisis of 2008 and the successful execution of the stillunopposed Iraq conflict he had long opposed, did notleave off his criticism of his immediate predecessor after his victory speech.

Nor did he deal with his party’sdefeat in the 2010 midterm elections by engaging with Congress successfully,

LETTERS TO

as Clinton had with then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s Republicans after 1994, and Bush didwiththen-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’sDemocrats after 2006.

Instead, his administration responded, as conservative lawyer Cleta Mitchell recalls, with IRS persecution of TeaPartyactivists. AndObama himself, nettled by repeated charges by Trump and others that he was born in Kenya, after finally releasing his long-form Hawaii birth certificate, days later launched alengthy attack on Trump, seated in theaudience, at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.Some reporters believe that attack prompted Trump’s candidacy

Thenthere is thefact, underlined by documentsreleased by Director of National Intelligence TulsiGabbard last week, that inDecember 2016, after Trump’ssurprisevictoryover Hillary Clinton, the intelligence community “prepared to produce an assessment per the President’srequest” —italicsadded —“that pulls together the information we have on the tools Moscow used and the actions it took to influence the 2016 election.”

Within days, newspapersprinted leaked accounts of the bogus Steele dossier,paid for by theClinton campaign —critical fuel for theRussia collusion hoax.

Whether and how much the outgoing president was involved in theproject of delegitimizing theincoming president, based on fake documentation, is aquestion that the press has shown little or no interest in addressing, justasithas shown little interest in why he is the first president since the invalidedWoodrow Wilson to stay in Washington, in ahouse bought for $8 million, after his time in office.

Blaming your party’selection loss on foreign interference or collusion was once known as “red baiting” and “McCarthyism.” The norm in the past, observed by Bill Clinton in 2000, was for apresident to acceptthe result, however disputed, and not to cast a pall of illegitimacy over his successor. Obama, at the least, failed to fulfill what was arguably his duty to prevent that from happening.

Onemight reply that Trump failed much more grievously to uphold that normbychallenging theresult of the 2020 election and inspiring the proTrump crowd’s assault on the Capitol. Iagreed at the time and agree today “While Trump’sexact words to the crowd on the Ellipse didn’tconstitute acriminal incitement,” Iwrote then, “they were uttered with areckless disregard for the possibility they’d provoke violence that anyreasonable person could find impeachable.”

Reversing this spiral may turnout to be atask for the next generation.

This has happened before. The five ex-presidents in 1993 were among the seven from the GI Generation (born 1908-24) who served over the preceding 32 years. The five presidents elected to servethe 36 yearsupto 2029 include three leading-edge baby boomers(all born in 1946), one late boomer (1961), andone pre-boomer (1942).

After electing 77- and 78-year-old candidates in 2020 and 2024, Americans are surelyready to choose someone from alater generation in 2028. Will that president, with several expresidentsintheir 80s plus one over 65, reverse the negative spiral?

Michael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarone.

Not long ago, Mamdani called the New York City Police Department “a rogue agency” and“wicked andcorrupt.” He vowedtocut policefunding “annually towards zero.” (That 13 lawenforcementunions have endorsed his opponent, current Mayor Eric Adams, is no surprise.)

Many Democrats believe this defund-the-policebusiness, popularonly in the fringiest left precincts, was responsible for the Democrats’ losing controlofthe House in 2022. It notably causedlossofsupport among needed moderates, especially in “communities of color.”

“’Defund the police’ almost cost me my race because of an attack ad,” former Virginia Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger said. “Don’tsay socialism ever again,” she added. Mamdani hassince executed aU-turn on the matter —ortomakeitseem that way. He told arecentbusiness group that no, “I will not defund the police. Iwill work with the policebecause Ibelieve the police have acritical role.” Good thathenoticed.

To put furtherspace between this andpast statements, Mamdani said thatifelected mayor,hemight keep Adams’ popular police commissioner,JessicaTisch, in that job. “I believe thatit’spremature to make anypersonnel commitments at this time,” he said, “but it’sa considerationthatisreal? —and it’sinkeeping with the city that we’re fighting for.” Considerthe word “consider.” That’swhat Trump usestomakepeople think he’s going to do something he has absolutely no intention of doing. Exhibit A: his previous promises to “consider” releasing the Epstein files. One thing the MAGA right and MAGA left have in common is avague understanding of economics,specifically the lawofsupply and demand.

Trump frequently blamed Joe Biden for rising energy costs, when the price of gas was simply recovering fromthe COVID-era crash. Workplaces hadclosed, and Americans did far less driving.

Mamdani vows to freeze rents on approximately 1millionrent-stabilized apartments. Doing thatwould cause the opposite to happen. Landlords don’twin anypopularity contests, but history shows rent controlgreatly discourages the building of new apartments and maintenanceofolderones.

Rents arehigh because supply has not kept up with demand. Atlanta used to be amagnet for urbanAmericans seeking more affordable housing.

Thatinflux hasstalledasthe demand for housing causedAtlanta’s prices to skyrocket Home prices in Atlanta have doubledsince 2012, according to the S&P/Case-ShillerHome PriceIndex. Cult-like followings canget drowned out when the normiesshow up for the general election. Thathappened to Trump in 2020. Let’ssee what happens in New York’supcoming mayoral race

Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Former President Bill Clinton speaks during the Democratic National Convention in 2024.

Michael Barone

Froma Harrop

Mamdani

Cal Thomas

three fire alarms were working, the agency said in arelease.

The state is urging participation in Operation Save-A-Life,which gets smoke alarms into Louisiana homes. This year,the

HEAT

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when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Early signs of heat exhaustion include profuse

RISHER

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Louisiana” to provide insight to the flora and fauna of the Bayou State.

On Jan. 7, 1847, Longfellow journaled: “Went to the library and got Watson’s Annals of Philadelphia, and theHistorical Collections of Pennsylvania. Also, Darby’sGeographical Description of Louisiana Thesebooks musthelp me through the last part of Evangeline, so far as facts and local coloring go. But for the form and the poetry —they must come from my own brain.”

Minutes after passing through the first

“grand cathedral” of cypress, D’Aquin and Ifloated by a giant egret —nearly eye to eye. Unbothered by our presence, the elegantwhite bird stood still, waiting for us to pass before resuming its hunt.

“This is so pretty,” D’Aquin said. “Now,Isee why people like to do this.” We paddled across a clearing to atree with a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries sign saying the area beyond was restricted: “No boat

CAFE

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“Everyone who walked through those doors is at least willing and ready to work with us, even if they don’tyet know how,” she said. “Having the opportunity to intentionallyconnect builds relationships.It’s the relationship piecethat makes the biggestimpact in our schools.”

The CAFEs help support the specific needs of each school. At Comeaux High, it was talking with students about how they felt on campus and then working to create asense of place they could be proud of. At another school, it might mean helping with lunch duty so teachers canenjoy their own meals. It may include mentorship opportunities or connecting students with alocal author after they read their work.

The CAFE Launch created aspace where community members could match their skills andresources specificallywitha school that needs that support The schools with CAFEs are:

n Carencro “Bob Lilly”Elementary

n Carencro High n Carencro Middle

program, which is funded through an annual grant, has 25,000 alarms to give out,Adams said. “A smoke alarm is a firstsign for youtoget out,” he said. “(It) goes offway,way early. You’ll know that there’ssmoke and there’ssomethinggoingoninyour home. You’ll have an opportunitytoget out of the house.”

sweating, pale or moist skin, rapid or weak pulse, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, muscle cramps, fatigue andheadaches Heat stroke, which is considered amoredangerousmedical emergency,ischaracterized by hot, dry skin, confusion,

Louisianans may requestanalarm online at lasfm.org or by contacting theirlocal fire department. Adams also urgedresidents to testtheir alarms at least twice ayear to ensure they are operational. He estimated that about 65%ofLouisiana homes don’thaveworking smoke alarms.

slurred speech, agitation and arising core temperature

Heading into Wednesday,the chances of temperatures reaching 100degrees decrease with showers anda thunderstorm possibly occurring.

SWIG

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10 a.m. to 8p.m.weekdays and 11 a.m. to 7p.m. until the grand opening, when the hours will change, he said.

Swig is aUtah-based drink shop that is home to the viral dirty soda trend that has taken TikTok by storm.

Itsmore popular options include theDrSpice, which includes Dr Pepper,cinnamon, coconut, cinnamon stick,and half andhalf; the Cinnamon Cider,which features gingerale,lemonade, cinnamon, appleand cinnamonstick; and the Autumn Blush, whichfeaturesa blend of water,mango puree, apple, raspberry and vanilla

entry:Feb.15to July 31 ” Iwas glad to see the sign andhopefulitcouldprotect the rookery area. As we turned back, Itold my friend about my first springinLouisianain2002 —about how Ihad come outtoLakeMartin that Marchand had seenhundreds, maybe thousands, of roseate spoonbills roosting. They returned each spring for the first several years we livedinLouisiana. Then,around 2006, something happened andtheystopped coming for anumberofyears. I understand that they’ve returned in smaller numbers in recent years, but they’re still notthere like they usedtobe.

All the birding talk reminded D’Aquin to tell me abouthis recenttrip to Las Vegas.

“The strangest thing I’veeverseen in my life, which apparentlyiscommon, but there was this

PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Hundreds gatherfor CAFELaunch, hosted by Love Our Schools on Thursdayatthe Downtown Convention Center in Lafayette.Educators andstaff from across the parish were invited to learnmore about supporting Lafayette Parish schools at theevent.

n Duson Elementary n L. LeoJudice Elementary n LiveOak Elementary n Scott Middle n Dr.Raphael Baranco Elementary n Alice Boucher Elementary n Evangeline Elementary n J.W.Faulk Elementary n Katharine Drexel Pre-K n Lafayette High n MiltonElementary-Middle n NorthsideHigh n Paul Breaux Middle n ComeauxHigh n Cpl. Michael MiddlebrookElementary

n Lafayette Elementary n W.D. &MaryBaker Career Center n LeRosen Prep CAFEs are always looking for helping hands, Nugent said. Anyone interestedin joining can visit www.loveourschoolsfoundation.org.

And for those interested in supporting Love Our Schoolsbut don’thavethe capacity to help aCAFE, the nonprofit’s annual giveaway fundraiser is selling tickets through Sept.22.

Email Ashley Whiteat ashley.white@theadvocate. com.

cream Herbert, whose Swig locations are all in the Orlando area,signeda deal to open alocation in Youngsville at the roundabout of Bonin Road and Milton Avenue. Construction has not begun on that location, which is expected to open next year

woman who looked like aparkrangerout by the pool,” he said. “She hadon aleatherglove.And Iwas like,‘Whatisthis lady doing?’ Then, Irealizedshe also hada hawk. She kept releasing thehawk above the pool to chaseawayall the otherbirds.”

The hawk repeated the processtime andagain, returning to herglovedhand between rounds.

Our conversation wanderedaswepaddledback onto the dock.Wewere sweatierbut lighter somehow. Ithought againof Longfellow’s“forest primeval” andwonderedhow he hadgotten it so right, even fromfar away Some places speak for themselves. Youjust have to be still long enough to hear them.

Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY

SUNDAY,JULY27, 2025

PICK 3: 8-1-9

PICK 4: 8-8-0-8

PICK 5: 2-6-6-6-0

Unofficial notification, keep your tickets

STAFF

STAFF PHOTO By JANRISHER

David D’Aquin, of Atlanta, and Jan Rishercanoe at LakeMartin in St.Martin Parish.

MILLER’S TIME?

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

On his 30th birthday,Alvin Kamara watched from under the brim of abucket hat as his New Orleans Saintswent through atraining camp practice.

That it was his birthday wasbeside the point,but theearly rest day was telling. Under coach Kellen Moore,the Saints are factoring load management intothe equationwith their veteran players.For Kamara in particular,thatideamay leak into the regular season as well

As he’sentering his ninth NFL season, Kamara hastallied three of hisfourhighest carry totals in thelast four seasons 228 last year,223 in 2022 and 240 in 2021. Those seasons also largely havecorrelated with Kamara’sleast explosive years in terms of yards per carry

Which makes comments like thesefrom Kamara even more interesting.

“I think balance is important,”Kamara said. “So, efficiency withhow I’m getting the ball and when I’m getting the ball. And we’ve got dogsonthe team, so hopefully those guys getsome spin and get the ball and loosen things up for me

“I’m abig believer in hustle smart, not hard. So the best way Ican get theball

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

NEW YORK Baseball’s biggest spenders are stumbling, slowed by injuries and scrambling to patch rosters with help for batteredbullpens and other positions aheadof Thursday’strade deadline.

Opening the season with atop payroll of $326 million, the New York Mets have a11/2-game NL East lead entering Monday butare 17-20 since mid-June.

Just $200,000 behind them in spending, according to Major League Baseball’sfigures, the World Series champion Los AngelesDodgers are four games ahead in the NL West but are 5-13 since July 3. Third at $294 million, the reigningALchampionNew York Yankees blew aseven-game division lead andtrail AL East-leadingToronto by 51/2 games aftera 22-28 skid that started in late May

“Itisina lotofwaysagameof survival,” New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

While all three are in playoff positions, they have not had the seasons they hoped for to begin 2025. Allthree teams wereconsidered “winners” of the offseason. The

andthe mostproductive Ican be in the most efficient ways, that’swhatI’m looking for and Ithink Kellen’s gotthat.” In an ideal world, Kamara’srole might look more like it did early in his career

Mets luredJuanSotofromthe Yankees for arecord $765 million, 15-year contract. The Dodgers added prized pitcher RokiSasaki andleft-hander Blake Snell along withreliever Tanner Scott, outfielder MichaelConfortoand secondbaseman HyeseongKim.The Yankees brought in MaxFried, Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt andDevin Williams. Projected lineups and the ones in boxscores havebeen markedly different.

TheMetshave used 13 starting pitchers, losing Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning for significant stretches

“We’re notgoing to sit here and feel sorry forourselves. Nobody will,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We’re facinga lot of adversity, but every team goes through it.”

LosAngeles had 14 pitchers on the injured list in earlyJune and hasused 16 different starters.

“It was very important to have thedepth. We went through alot lastyear,and Ididn’t think that we would kindof match what we didlast year,but sure enough we have,” Dodgers managerDave Robertssaid. “Tokind of manage

From 2017-20, Kamaraaveraged 249.5

touches per season, and in that span he averaged 6.2 yardsevery time he touched

Chris Olave knowsit’scoming. He’swaited nine months to get hit again on the football field. Nine months of waiting and wondering. No one was moreexcited to don pads Monday forthe New Orleans Saints’ first day of full-contact practice than Olave, the team’s supremely talented fourth-year receiver After nine months of meetings, doctor’svisits, and consultation about his health and football future, Olave wasinhis element and back on the field, the place he feels mostathome.

“I’m excited, man,excited to get back on that field,” Olave said recently when asked about his anticipation for the first day of fully padded practice. The Monday practice wasOlave’sfirst live action in football pads since being knocked unconscious from a hit by Xavier Woods during a23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 3. The vicious head shot left Olave sprawled motionless on the field while teammates rushed to his side. He was transported from the field on a cart and did not play again last season, missing the remaining eight games The concussion was Olave’ssecond of the season, fourth of his NFL career and sixth since his playing days at Ohio State. Olave’sconcussion issues had becomecareer-threatening. But after getting cleared by specialists earlier this year,Olave said he’sexcited to resume his career.And Monday was abig step in his comeback, albeit one that was more mental than physical, as he largely avoided any major contact during the 90-minute workout. “It’sbeen along time, man,” he said. “It’sbeen just watching from the sideline, watching from the stands. It feels like along time, but it’sonly been like nine months. But just with me wanting to get back on that field, it was tough for me.” Olave is not running from his health issues. He’sfacing them,for lack of abetter term,head on. He’schanged his diet to, as he said, improve his “brain health” and changed his helmet. He is wearing the Riddell Axiom 3D, the NFL’s top-rated helmet for reducing head impact severity.And like the rest of

it hasn’tbeen easy,but we re doingit.” The Yankees lost ace Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt to torn UCLs, andLuis Gil to alat strain. They arenow without two-time AL MVP Aaron Judge for at least10days because of aflexor injury Los Angeles leads themajor

leagues with 1,495 player days on the IL, the Mets arefifth at 1,095 andthe Yankees sixth at 1,022. Philadelphia, 11/2 games back of the Mets in the NL East, hasthe fewest IL days at 214. In addition to relievers, the Mets could use acenter fielder and an upgrade at third. The Yankees add-

ed infielders

the

just

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints runningback Kendre Miller,left,and quarterbackJakeHaener practice during training camp in Metairie on Sunday.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE Saints running back Alvin Kamara, left, looks on during training camp in Metairieon Friday. The Saints gave Kamara arest dayonFriday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By COLIN HUBBARD

Newyork yankees manager Aaron Boone reacts during the third inning of agameagainst the Atlanta BravesonJuly 18 in Atlanta.

Olave

Jeff Duncan

Eligibility battles rage on for athletes

Wave of lawsuits over more eligibility seems to be slowing down

BY TERESA M. WALKER Associated Press

The stream of lawsuits across the country from college athletes trying to grab another season of eligibility appears ready to fizzle out for a bit With preseason football practice cranking up this week, players still hoping for a judge allowing them to take the field may be left waiting for a ruling that likely won’t help them compete again.

“We’re at a point in the summer where I think any athlete out there is going to know that it’s probably too late to file a case and be able to get relief on it,” said Sam Ehrlich, a professor of legal studies at Boise State studying the 2021 Alston ruling’s effect on college athletics.

Relief on a larger question surrounding eligibility may be a while coming, too: In cases from California to Wisconsin, judges have provided inconsistent results for players seeking legal help for another season, and it may very well be a topic settled for good by a higher court.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is perhaps the highest-profile athlete to win his court fight. The New Mexico State transfer

sued the NCAA last fall, arguing his junior college years should not count against his eligibility, citing the potential losses in earnings from name, image and likeness deals.

U.S. District Judge William Campbell Jr in Tennessee granted a preliminary injunction, ordering the NCAA to allow Pavia to play

The NCAA is appealing Campbell’s decision but granted a blanket waiver that will allow an extra year of eligibility for Pavia and other athletes who played at nonNCAA Division I schools before enrollment if they were going to exhaust their eligibility this year Pavia won. Others, such as Wisconsin cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean, have lost or are in limbo.

Practice starts Wednesday for Southeastern Conference members Vanderbilt and Tennessee. Chris Bellamy and Targhee Lambson are among four football players waiting on the same federal judge who gave Pavia another season of football last December

Some schools have helped by filing waivers. Others wait and hold a spot, letting the athlete fight the legal battle.

“They’re just kind of in limbo in the transfer portal because schools don’t really know whether they’re going to have eligibility,” Ehrlich said. “It’s a really weird situation right now.”

The NCAA would like Congress to grant limited liability protection to help address all the law-

suits over eligibility NCAA President Charlie Baker noted in June that athletes had five years to play four seasons for about a century, a situation that changed recently Baker told The Associated Press then that the NCAA has won more of these cases than the association lost.

“But the uncertainty it creates, the consequences of this for the next generation of young people if you play this thing out, are enormous,” Baker said. “Moving away from an academic calendar to sort of no calendar for college sports is hugely problematic.”

Duke coach Manny Diaz thought such eligibility issues would be addressed after the House settlement, which took effect July 1.

“All I have been told is once they got House out of the way they are going to double back on a lot of these oddities and make sure eligibility is tied into a college career,” Diaz said at ACC media days. “We don’t want nine-year guys playing the sport.”

Thanks to the extra season added to careers for the coronavirus pandemic, the college eligibility calendar has been scrambled a bit. Pavia will be playing his sixth season after starting with two at New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college, then two more at New Mexico State.

Fullback Hayden Large played three NAIA seasons at Dordt before transferring to Iowa, where he will be playing his sixth season

this fall after being granted another year Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz sees a simple solution in giving players five years to play five seasons. He’s also in favor of players who start in junior college having an extra year, although he sees the need for a limit, even if he doesn’t know what that should be.

“If a guy during his first year ends up being able to play five or six games, why not let him play?” Ferentz said. “It’s all about creating opportunity, in my mind. I’ve never understood the rationale for not doing that.”

Ehrlich is attempting to track all lawsuits against the NCAA, ranging from the House settlement; name, image and likeness litigation; college athletes as employees; and Title IX lawsuits, along with other cases. Ehrlich has tracked more than a dozen lawsuits involving eligibility, and common factors are hard to come by He saw three very different rulings from judges appointed by President Donald Trump. Standards of evidence for a preliminary injunction also have varied from judge to judge. Three cases have been appealed, with other motions helping delay some waiver requests.

Ehrlich said there remains the chance a case lands before the U.S. Supreme Court.

“I don’t see these cases drying up anytime soon,” Ehrlich said.

Clase on leave as part of MLB betting probe

BY JAY COHEN Associated Press

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting Clase, a three-time All-Star, becomes the second Guardians pitcher to be placed on leave in connection with a sports gambling probe. Luis Ortiz also is on non-disciplinary leave through Aug. 31. It was unclear if the cases were related. The Guardians said in a statement that the organization “(has) been informed that no additional players or club personnel are expected to be impacted.”

The 27-year-old Clase is 5-3 with 24 saves in 48 games this year, but he also has a career-high 3.23 ERA. The right-hander led the AL in saves in each of the previous three years and was believed to be on the market ahead of this week’s MLB trade deadline.

“I’m not happy This stinks,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said before Monday night’s game against visiting Colorado. “It’s a different part of our game now because it’s legal. Two of our guys are being investigated — and it hurts It’s an unfortunate situation.” Major League Baseball has been monitoring sports gambling

DAVID DERMER

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By

Cleveland relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase reacts after the Guardians defeated the Athletics on July 18 in Cleveland. Clase is on paid leave as part of an MLB investigation into sports betting

more closely since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in May 2018 struck down a federal law that had barred betting on football, basketball, baseball and other sports in most states.

ond place in the AL Central. Vogt

said the plan is to go with a closerby-committee approach for now

“He’s a part of the team,” reliever Cade Smith said “It sucks for him to be not here today.”

The Ortiz investigation is related to in-game prop bets on two pitches thrown by the righthander that received higher activity than usual during his starts at Seattle on June 15 and against St. Louis on June 27. The gambling activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting-integrity firm and forwarded to MLB.

Reports: LSU admin to become Rutgers AD

Rutgers reportedly is close to hiring a top-level LSU administrator as its next athletic director

According to multiple reports Sunday, LSU executive deputy athletic director Keli Zinn is on the verge of following former LSU president William F. Tate IV to Rutgers.

Zinn, a West Virginia native, has worked at LSU since 2022. She has directly overseen the school’s football and gymnastics programs, while also helping its athletic department craft an athlete revenuesharing plan and plot the early stages of a potential construction project for a new arena.

Tate’s tenure as LSU president started in 2021 and ended in May, when he left the university to take the same job at Rutgers. Vice president for agriculture Matt Lee is LSU’s interim president.

Titans waive former first-round pick Burks

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans waived injured receiver Treylon Burks on Monday, two days after the former first-round draft pick injured his right shoulder while making a diving catch in practice.

Burks was the Titans’ first-round draft pick at No 18 overall in 2022, a selection acquired by trading Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J Brown to Philadelphia. Burks was hurt more often than not in his first three seasons out of Arkansas.

He’s considered the third consecutive first-round bust for the Titans, joining offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson (2020) and cornerback Caleb Farley (2021).

Burks spent the offseason recovering from a partially torn knee ligament. He had his best season in 2022, catching 33 passes for 444 yards and a score. If he clears waivers, he will revert to the team’s injured reserve.

Source: Sutton, Broncos agree to four-year deal

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton has reached agreement on a four-year, $92 million extension, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Monday

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the details of the deal that runs through the 2029 season and averages $23 million and includes $41 million in guarantees. Sutton has had his best two seasons of his eight-year NFL career under coach Sean Payton, who arrived in Denver in 2023. Sutton caught a career-best 81 passes for 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns last season, his first 1,000-yard campaign since 2019. He had a career-high 10 TD catches the year before.

Tigers acquire Paddack from division rival Twins

MINNEAPOLIS The AL Centralleading Detroit Tigers acquired starting pitcher Chris Paddack from the division rival Minnesota Twins in a three-player trade on Monday to plug another injurycreated vacancy in their rotation. The Tigers announced righthander Reese Olson will miss the remainder of the regular season with a strained shoulder suffered during his most recent bullpen session, joining right-hander Jackson Jobe on the shelf. The Twins packaged Paddack and right-hander Randy Dobnak for catcher Enrique Jimenez, who was the Tigers’ 14th-best prospect in MLB’s preseason rankings.

Pitcher Lugo gets $46M guaranteed from Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Right-hander Seth Lugo and the Kansas City Royals agreed Monday to a $46 million, two-year contract for 2026 and ’27, a signal the team intends to push for a second consecutive playoff appearance rather than sell ahead of this week’s trade deadline.

MLB said in a statement that Clase — per an agreement with the players’ association — had been placed on leave while the league “continues its sports betting investigation.” It declined further comment. A spokeswoman for the Major League Baseball Players Association declined comment Monday Chris Antonetti, the president of baseball operations for the Guardians, said he was informed of the situation with Clase on Sunday

He met with his coaching staff and the players before the series opener against the Rockies Cleveland began the day in sec-

The pair of Cleveland pitchers on leave comes after MLB suspended five players for gambling in June 2024, including a lifetime ban for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 with a legal sportsbook in 2022 and 2023. Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly and three minor leaguers — San Diego pitcher Jay Groome, Arizona pitcher Andrew Saalfrank and Philadelphia infielder José Rodríguez — received one-year suspensions. Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by MLB in February for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games, and for intentionally deleting electronic messages pertinent to the league’s investigation.

Lugo, 35, could have become a free agent after this year’s World Series; he is in the second year of a two-year, $20 million deal that included a player option for next

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By AARON GASH

Wisconsin cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean’s eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA is in limbo.

QB Shough uneven as physicalityramps up

CAMP OBSERVATIONS

There is no denying Shough’s

Monday was abig opportunity for New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough,who operated the first-team offense as the team donned pads for the first time in training camp. While there were some positives, Shough still is lacking abreakthrough performance through fivedaysin Saints camp. The rookie effectively communicated andcommanded the offense,but he was often inaccurate and sometimes indecisive. His peers, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener,had better high moments but didn’texactly assert themselves in the competition for the starting job, either “These guys will grow every day,” coach Kellen Moore said. “Everyopportunity,especially for Tyler as afirst-time rookieintraining camp, every day there’snew install, new material that maybe is afirst time for him. So he’s going through that process. Ithink he’sdoing an excellent job.”

New Orleans ran two full-team periods, one of which focused on the rushing attack. Again,the Saints split the squads between two practice fields at one point as away to maximizethe snaps. Here is how the quarterbacks performed in Monday’spractice:

n Tyler Shough: 6of9 (17 of 30 overall)

n Spencer Rattler: 4of9 (24 of 37)

n Jake Haener: 2of3(13 of 18)

talent. He isa fluid athlete in a 6-foot-5, 219-pound frame, and he again showedoff his scrambling ability during Monday’s practice. It is always impressive when Shough lets the ball ripon time and with confidence. His pure throwing ability is probably the best on the team. The question for Shough has beenhow hewould holdup once real pressure is addedto the equation. The earlyreturns were not promising Monday when thepadscameonand the offensive and defensive linemen played with something approaching regular speed and physicality

Shough completed his first two passes during 11-on-11 drills during aperiod meant to simulate third downs. Both of those passes movedthe chains as Shough navigated pressureinthe pocket, but both of them werealso low throws, requiringhim to be bailed out by Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed

Shough’snext three passes fell incomplete —anoverthrow on an outbreaker, another low throw he skipped at Shaheed’s feet as he was falling away in the face of pressure, and what appeared to be abad overthrow on ascreen.Shough’s drill ended when Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders split asack on him.

There also wasasomewhat strange sequence in the sevenon-seven period, when Shough

decided to hold onto theballand runout of bounds on consecutive plays. It’snot entirely an indictmentofShough —the coverage was gluedtothe receivers, and quarterbacks don’talways throw theball during seven-on-

seven drills— but it was odd to see it happen on consecutive plays. Moore didnot seem concerned about it after practice.

“Obviously, we’dlove to be on time and all that good stuff,”

Moore said. “On acouple of those, the defense did anice job. We do really encourage the scramble drill because it comes up so much in our league. That is the second part of aplay,and we really emphasize that is alive action, we’re trying to makeanexplosive play on offense and our defense has to plaster and match everyone out.”

If there’sone area where Rattler has been ahead of Shough during camp, it has been decisiveness. Now in his second season, Rattler clearly benefited from his experience ayear ago. The ball is coming out quickly and when he sees an opportunity for abig play he pulls the trigger —ashedid when he hit Shaheed for abig gain down the sideline on agoroute.

While Shough operated the offense on the main field, Rattler worked with the second team on aside field. He completed only one of his four passes in that setting, connecting with Mason Tipton Haener again saw limitedpractice snaps with the third-team offense. His lone incompletion in team drills came on athrowaway after he was flushed out of the pocket to his right. He had an opportunity to connect with rookie tight end Moliki Matavao forabig play during seven-on-sevens, but he lefthis throw downfield just a bit short, allowing linebacker Isaiah Stalbird to jumpand get ahand on it.

Email Luke Johnsonat ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

Rixresigns as Northsideboysbasketballcoach

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Oneyearafterreturning to the school, Ross Rix has resigned as the Northside High boysbasketball coach.

Rix

Rix, who was in his second stint leading the Vikings, enjoyed a successful return last season. Rix led Northside to a24-6 record, a shareofthe district championship along with St. Thomas Moreand David Thibodaux, and aplayoff berth. In the playoffs, theVikings who earned afirst-round bye as a No. 7seed —weredefeated in the regional round of theDivisionII select playoffs 43-37 by Vandebilt Catholic. Rix, whopreviouslyhad coached the Vikings from 2014-18, returned to the Vikings lastsummerafter spending two years as the basketball coach andathletic director at JS Clark In his final year with theBulldogs, Rix —who was named the

Saints running back Cam Akers runs a drill during training camp at the team’s facility in Metairie on Monday.

STAFF PHOTO

By DAVID GRUNFELD

camp to steadily rotate running backs in the lineup, getting alook at just about everyone moving behindthe first- and second-team offensive line.

contests.

the ball. That number has jumped to an average of 279.5 thelast four seasons, including acareer-high 296 last season. His average yards pertouch in those seasons dipped to 4.8.

Workload clearly is not the only factor.Kamara is older now,and early in his career he split work with quality running backssuch as Mark Ingram and Latavius Murray,meaning the team didnot have to rely on him as much to carry the load.

But the Saints hope this year that they have someone who can alleviate the burden, allowing them to be more selective with how they deploy Kamara.

“When he (Kamara) is touchingthe ball, he’s playing at ahigh level, so as acoach, you’re like, ‘I want him to touchthe ball more,’ ” running backs coach Joel Thomas said. “We’ve got to find thathappy medium.” Finding arunning mate for Kamara in 2025 is in its “infancy stages,” Thomas said. New Orleans has used theopening daysoftraining

MLB

Continued from page1C

That shouldstart to crystallize soon.

“That’sgoing to be goingonhere for acouple more days,and then we’ll let the thing start fallingin placeonhow guys have played howthey’veprotected,how they’ve caught the ball and howtheytook care of the ball in traffic,” Thomas said.

TheSaints have amix of proven veterans and mostlyunproven youth vying to become Kamara’s No.2.Cam Akersand ClydeEdwards-Helaire were both top-60 picks in the 2020 NFLDraft who bothhavea750-yard rushing season undertheir belt. TheSaints added Devin Neal in the sixth round this yearand signed Marcus Yarns as an undrafted free agent. But the biggest wild card is KendreMiller Entering his third season, Miller is eager to prove his worth. Injuries have limitedhim to just 14 of a possible 34 gamessincethe Saints selected himinthe third round of the 2022 draft, and he’sgained just 304career yards rushinginthose

Finallyhealthy this offseason, Miller changed somethingsup. He plans to playbetween 215-218 pounds this offseason,slightlyless than his listed220, but he’s noticeably leaner.Healsoditched hisold No. 25 jersey in favor of No. 5.

“I was injuredin(No.) 25, and I just wanted something new,”Miller said. “I feel good finally,and I want to leavethatold mojointhe past andmoveon.”

Millerhas had an uneven start to training camp —during Sunday’spractice, he slipped on one play and was penalized for afalse start on another.But if the Saints can gethim to realizehis talent, he may prove tobethe complement for Kamara that hasbeen missing. Whether it’sMiller or someone else, the mostimportant role is getting Kamara in position to be as productive as possible.

“Whether it’s10rushesand five catches, or 10 catches andfive rushes —ifthose spotsare good, we’re rolling and it putsmeinthe best position to help thenthat’s what I’m looking for,” Kamara said.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

Acadiana Advocate’s2024 AllMetro BoysCoach of theYear,led both the JS Clark boys and girls basketball teams to the state finals, with thegirls winning the Division Vselect state championship. Between his first stint with the Vikings and taking the JS Clark job, Rix was an assistantmen’sbasketball coach at Bethune-Cookman under former NBAplayerReggie

OLAVE

Continued from page1C

histeammates, he is wearing a Guardian cap during practice, although he said he doesn’tplan to wear one during games. What won’tchange, he said, is his mindset and playing style. Olavesaid he plans to run every patterninthe route tree, including crossers, seamsand posts that take him into harm’s way. The only concession to his injury history,hesaid, will be to avoid unnecessary contact by getting down quicker after receptions.

“If Igoout there nervous or go out there alittle scared, it’s going to makemeplay alittle slower andmakemeplay worse, so I’m not really scared to get hit,” he said. “I’m not scared to go over themiddle. I’mnot scared to do none of that.”

So far,Olave has lived up to his word. Earlyincamp, he went up high to snare apass from Spencer Rattler on acrossing route over the middle of the field during seven-on-seven drills. Safety Justin Reid zeroed in on him but slid past at the last instant without making contact. Olave knows things would have been differentinfull-contact work. During team drills afew days later,Olave took ahandoff on a jet sweep andraced lefttothe sideline with amob of defenders in hot pursuit. As he turned upfield, linebacker Pete Werner leveled him with amassive hit that smashed him to the ground. Several of his offensive teammates took exception to the hit, which came during non-contact drills.

This is how it’sgoing to be for Olave. Every big hit or violent tackle is going to be ahold-yourbreathmoment forteammates, coaches, fans and maybe even Olavehimself

“Obviously, no one wants to get abig hit, but it comes with thegame,” said veteran receiver Brandin Cooks, whoendured concussion issues of his own early in his career.“Instead of having that anxiety about it, just knowingand accepting that it’s going to come with the gameand then everything else will take care of itself.”

Theus. During the 2020-21 season, he was an assistant coach at Louisiana College. From 2018-20, Rix was agraduate assistant at Western Kentucky underformer Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury He also served as the boys basketball coach at Jennings, Catholic High of NewIberia andAcadiana Prep.

“If Igoout there nervous or go out therea littlescared, it’s going to makemeplay alittle slower and makeme playworse, so I’m notreally scared to gethit. I’m not scared to go overthe middle. I’m not scared to do none of that.”

CHRISOLAVE, Saintswide receiver

ers. Before missing nine games last season, Olave wasenjoying one of the strongest starts of any receiver in Saints history.With atotal of 159 receptions and 2,165 yards in 2022 and 2023, he becameonly the third Saints receiver to surpass 1,000 yards receiving in his first twoseasons, joining Michael Thomas and Marques Colston.

The Saints picked up the fifthyear option on his contract this offseason, so, barring atrade, he’ll be with the club foratleast twomore seasons. But alifechanging, long-term extension like the four-year,$130 million deal his former Ohio State teammate, Garrett Wilson, signed with the New York Jets this year is on hold. Olave knowsheneeds to produce and stay injury-free to score asimilar payday

“It’skind of obvious, just with my injury history (and) all the concussions, Imean, of course they’re going to be questionable about my future and all that stuff,” he said. “So (I’m)just trying to makeitobvious on the field every day,just trying to dominate everybody,bethe best player on the field and go into the season and try to play every game, really play 17 games so it’sgoing to be easy on them to makethat decision when we get to the table.”

His teammates and coaches say Olave is in agood space right now,and his mindset has been impressive. He’sfocused on making the mostofhis comeback and is facing the future with eyes wide open.

Getting through his first fullcontact practice was asignificant milestone. There will be morehurdles to clear along the way, but after nine months on the sideline, Olave knowssmall steps are better than no steps at all.

have to,” Cohen said. “I wantto win.”

It’sa big year forOlave. He needs aproductive, injury-free season to re-establish himself among the premier NFLreceiv-

Email JeffDuncan at jduncan@ theadvocate.com.

STAFFPHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, left, gets past strong safety Terrell Burgess during aplayattraining camp at the team’sfacility in Metairie on Monday.

Luke Johnson

Stepstogiving your treesa checkup before peak hurricane season arrives

Hurricane season is ramping up In Louisiana, we know the drill: It’stime to pick up some extra canned goods and batteries, make sure the generator cranks and think over evacuation plans. But your checklist may be missing one important item: the trees in your yard Trees, especiallyifthey are unhealthy,can cause alot of damage during ahurricane —or even astrong summer thunderstorm. High winds can ripoff weakened limbs and turn them into projectiles. Sickly trees may topple in stormy conditions, smashing anything in their path. Identifying and addressing risks now can protect property and lives. Youcan perform a basic evaluation of your trees to decide if you need aprofessional to fix problems. Here is an easy,four-step guide from Hallie Dozier, an associate professor of forestry with the LSU AgCenter,that will help you do apreliminary assessment of trees’health and potentialrisks.

OLIVIA McCLURE

Mowerdamagetoroots can lead to decayand aweakened tree.

Step 1: Targets

Dozier suggests startingby looking around for targets anything that could be damaged if abranch or entire tree falls. Move these items out of harm’sway if possible, especially if they are economically or sentimentallyvaluable. For example, if you normally park your car in adriveway beneath alarge tree, plan on moving the vehicle elsewhere if a storm is approaching.

But some targets —likeyour home and powerlines—can’t be moved. That’swherethe next steps come in.

Step 2: Canopy

Atree’scanopy is agoodindicator of its health.

“You want really dense

ä See TREES, page 6C

WRITTEN IN STONE

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Harleigh Jones knows thenext rule in thecreative process would be to let the paintdry on therock.

But on this day,the 9-year-old is arulebreaker in the bestway,becauseshe alsoknows if sheapplies two or three wet layers of different color paints, she can swirl them around with her paintbrush.

In the end, she’ll have amulticolor background on whichto writeher messages of hope,love and positivity

TheEast Baton RougeParish Library’s“Kindness Rocks” program is allaboutthose uplifting messages —spreading goodwill throughout thecommunity by way of colorfully painted rocks.

An ongoingproject

The ongoing project is being hosted at allofthe library’sbranches throughout July.During arecent summer Saturday,the eventwas happening in the MainLibrary on Goodwood Boulevard, where patrons sit at tables using library-supplied acrylic paints, Sharpie mark-

flat-surfaced rock at the ‘Kindness Rocks’ program at the Main Library. The program’s rocks will be randomly placed at East Baton RougeParish Library branches and throughout the community to promote goodwill and positivity

ers andbrushestoslather small, flat creek rocks in goodwill. Color schemes, designs and added messages are their choice. The library’sonly request is theaddition of the hashtag #ebrpl and email address programs@ebrpl.com.

Once done, patrons are given the option of bringing their rocks home

or leaving them withlibrary staff forrandom placement around the grounds and surrounding areas.

Theidea is forpassersbytodiscover the rocks, take aphoto of it andpostitwhile tagging thelibrary on social media. If they don’t use social media, theycan send a photo of their find to the email address on the back of the rock.

If thefinderalso appearsinthe photo, that is an added bonus. The finder is also free to keep the rock, pass it on to afriendorleaveitin place for another person to discover

Connecting thecommunity

“It’sjust apositive way to connect to the community,” said Megan Pugh, whoworks in the library’sDepartmentofCommunity Programming. “We’ve seen this done on various social media platforms, and it’sreally inspiring. So, we wanted to give alittle piece of inspirationtothe worldfromthe library.” Age is only anumber in this creative process. Eighty-somethings paint at the same tables as teens and children, and their enthusiasm

Ataleofapolarized America,

BYJAKE COYLE

APost-it note sat near Ari Aster while he wrote “Eddington”: “Rememberthe phones.”

“Eddington” may be setduring the pandemic,but the onset of COVID-19 isn’tits inciting incident. Outside the fictional New Mexico town, adatacenter is being built. Inside Eddington, its residents —their brains increasingly addled by the internet, social media, smartphones and whatever is ominously emanating from that data center —are growing increasingly detached from one another,and from each other’ssense of reality

“We’re living in such aweird timeand we forget how weird it is,” Aster says. “Things have been weirdever since we were able to carry the internet on our person. Eversincewebegan livinginthe internet, things have gotten weirder and weirder.” “It’s important to keep reminding ourselves: This is weird.” Moviegoers have grown accustomed to expectinga lack of normalcy in Aster’s movies.His

STAFFPHOTOSByROBIN MILLER

Johnette Roberts Ballard, left, of Baton Rouge, and her 9-year-old niece, Harleigh Jones of Baker prepare to paint rocks in the ‘Kindness Rocks’program at the Main Library.

Karen Fritz paints apositive message on a

Joaquin Phoenix, left and Pedro Pascalstar in AriAster’s film ‘Eddington.’

Proper dishwasher use

Dear Heloise: After reading the letter from Pat D. in Irvine, California, about not putting dishesin the dishwasher with dried food on them, Iwould like to share my thoughts: Idon’thesitate to do this very thing. With the newer dishwasher detergent pods, they have enough enzymes in them to take care of dried-on food. Most newerdishwashersalso have soft food disposals in them, which easily takes care of whatever food particles are removed from dishes. One of the biggest problems with getting dishes clean in the dishwasher is that the water is not hot enough. Another thing is not loading it properlyoroverloading it. However,itisalways best to read the use and care manual of any dishwasher to be certain thatyou are usingit properly —John S.,inBelton,Texas Dustinglampshades

Hints from Heloise

to dust lampshades. Thebest thing to usetodust asmooth lampshade is alintroller.Itpicks up the dust, whereas a paint brush will allow the dust to drop ontothe floor or on the furniture.All it does is move thedust from oneplace to another Alint roller also works well on upholstery. It picks up any grit or dust on thesofas, chairs, etc.

Debbie, in NorthCarolina

Bitterness in coffee

Dear Heloise: Recently you suggested using asmall paintbrush

By The Associated Press

Dear Heloise: Iused to be acoffee salesman, andI found that complaints about bitterness were due to using too littlecoffee for the amountofwater used. Coffee has alimited amount of solubles, which are the source of flavor.Once the hot water removes the solubles,what comes next is oil and acid, which gives abitter taste and often leaves a filmofoil on top. —Ed, via email Send ahint to heloise@heloise. com.

TODAYINHISTORY

Today is Tuesday,July 29, the 210th day of 2025. There are155 days left in the year

Todayinhistory

On July 29, 1967, an accidental rocket launch on the deck of the supercarrier USS Forrestal in the Gulf of Tonkin resulted in afire and explosions thatkilled 134 service members.

Also on this date:

In 1836, the newly completed Arc de Triomphe was inaugurated in Paris.

In 1858, the UnitedStates and Japan signed the Harris Treaty, formalizing diplomatic relations and trading rights between the two countries.

In 1890, artist Vincent van Gogh, 37, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot woundin Auvers-sur-Oise, France

In 1914, transcontinental telephone service in the U.S.became operational with the first test conversation between New York and San Francisco.

In 1921, Adolf Hitler became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’(Nazi) Party In 1954, the first volume of JRR Tolkien’snovel “TheLord of theRings” (“The Fellowship of the Ring”) was published In 1957, the International Atomic Energy Agency was established.

In 1958, President DwightD Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act,creating NASA.

In 1981, Britain’sPrince Charles married Lady Diana Spencerinaglittering ceremony at St. Paul’sCathedral in London (They divorced in 1996.) In 1986, afederal jury in New York found that the National Football League had committed an an-

TREES

Continued from page5C

foliage and good color,” Dozier said. “You want to see leaves. Youdon’twant to see alot of branches. Youdon’twanttosee a lot of sky through the canopy.” Sparseleaves on atree that typically has afull canopy may hintathealthconcerns —raising questions about how it will fare during astorm.

Do you see any large, dead limbs in the canopy? Alsolook for branches that crossand rub against each other,which can cause wounds, decay and branchweakness. Overextended branches that reach way beyond the overall canopy may pose hazards, too. Dozier advises removingthese branches.

Step 3: Trunk Look for cracks in the trunk —theymay run horizontally or vertically. Do yousee anymissing patchesof bark or oozing sap? Also check for the presence of fungi such as mushroomsor conks. These symptoms can be signs of disease, decay,tree decline and overall structural weakness.

Step 4: Root zone

Inspect the roots for mower damage,which can cause them to decay,aswell as girdling, which happens when roots cross over one another or encircle the base of the tree. “As the crossed roots getbigger and bigger,they can choke

STONES

Continuedfrom page5C

titrust violation against the rival UnitedStatesFootball League, but the juryordered the NFL to pay token damages of just $3.

In 1994, abortion opponent Paul Hill shot andkilled Dr.John Bayard Britton and Britton’sescort, James H. Barrett, outside theLadies Center clinic in Pensacola, Florida.

In 1999, aformer day trader, apparently upsetover stock losses, opened fire in two Atlanta brokerage offices, killing nine peopleand wounding 13 before shootinghimself; authorities said Mark O. Barton had also killed hiswife andtwo children.

In 2016, former suburban Chicagopolice officer Drew Peterson was given an additional 40 years in prison fortrying to hire someone to kill the prosecutor whoput him behind bars for killing his third wife.

In 2021, American Sunisa Lee won the gold medal in women’s all-aroundgymnastics at the Tokyo Games; shewas the fifth straight American womanto claim theOlympic title in the event.

Today’sbirthdays: Former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum-Baker is 93. Former Sen.Elizabeth H. Dole is 89. Artist Jenny Holzer is 75. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns is 72. Style guru TimGunn is 72. Rock singermusician Geddy Lee (Rush) is 72. Rock singer Patti Scialfa (Bruce Springsteenand the E StreetBand) is72. Actor Alexandra Paulis 62. Country singer Martina McBrideis59. Actor WilWheaton is 53. R&Bsinger WanyaMorris (Boyz II Men) is 52.Actor Stephen Dorff is 52. Actor Josh Radnor is 51. Hiphop DJ/musicproducer Danger Mouse is 48. NFL quarterback Dak Prescott is 32.

off thewater source to the tree,”

Dozier said Mushroomsgrowing directly from thetrunk or roots can signal aweakened tree.

“If you’ve gotmushrooms coming out of the roots of your tree, that spells trouble,” she said. What next?

Once you’ve completed these steps, you may decide to call an arborist for help.Dozier said it’simportant to hireone who is licensed in Louisiana

Getting aprofessional opinion is never abad idea. Even if your trees have weathered past hurricanes, that’snot aguarantee that they are still sound and ready for thenextstorm.

“If you don’tsee signs of problemsand it’sayoung enough tree, youcan probably get by,” Dozier said. “But if it’sanolder, mature tree in the landscape that’sbeen there avery long time, Idon’t care howmany storms it’ssurvived. It might be worth getting aprofessional, licensed arborist tohavea look at it.”

is off the scales.

Which is why Harleigh feels no constraintswhile swirling her paints. She sits beside her aunt, Johnette Roberts Ballard, whois already planningthe messages she’ll write on each rock.

“I’m thinking about putting ‘Love Life’ on the first one, ‘God is Great’ on the second and ‘You are OK’ on the third,” Ballard said. “I attended aclass taught by aspecial lady and elderly dancer,who would often say to us at theend of class, ‘You areOK, you areenough.’ We need to spread that message.”

Ballard livesinBaton Rouge, where she is aconsultant in aprogram she’sdeveloped using music to teach math. Herniece is aresident of Baker

Meanwhile, at anearbytable, adults CindeeMcKneely andMary Stewart workside-by-side on their rocks.

“This is my first time doing this program,” Stewart said.

“I’ve attended other programs at the library,where I’ve listened to speakers, but Ihaven’t done anything like this program,” McKneely added.

Stewart has already covered several rocksinbright green, turquoise, orange and pink paint

“I like painting, and Ialso crochet,” she said, covering another rock in light blue. “This is agood

‘EDDINGTON’

Continuedfrom page5C

firstthree films— “Hereditary,” “Midsommar,” “BeauIsAfraid” have vividly charted strange new pathways of dread and deep-rooted anxiety.Those fixations make Aster,amaster of nightmare and farce, uniquely suitedtocapturing thecurrent American moment.

“Eddington,”which A24released in theatersFriday,may be the most prominent American movie yet to explicitly wrestle with social and political division in theU.S. In a showdown between Joaquin Phoenix’sbumbling right-wing sheriff andPedro Pascal’s elitistliberal mayor,arguments over maskmandates, Black Lives Matter protests and elections spiral into ademented Western fever dream At atimewhenour movie screensare filledwithescapism andnostalgia,“Eddington” dares to diagnose something frightfully contemporary.Aster,ina recent interview at an East Village coffee shop he frequents, said he couldn’t imagine avoiding it. “Tonot be talking about it is insane,”hesaid.

“I’m desperate forworkthat’s wrestling with this moment because Idon’tknow where we are. I’ve never been here before,” says Aster.“Ihaveprojects that I’ve been planningfor alongtime. They make lesssensetomeright now. Idon’t know why Iwould makethose right now.”

Predictablypolarizing “Eddington,” appropriately enough,has been divisive. Sinceits premiere at the Cannes Film FestivalinMay,Aster’sfilm hashad one of themostpolarizing receptions of the year among critics.Even in Cannes, Asterseemed to grasp its mixed response. “I don’tknow what you think,”hetold the crowd. Some critics have suggested Aster’sfilm is too satirical of the left. “Despite apose of satirical neutrality,hemainlyseemsto want to score points off maskwearers,young progressives, anti-

bright colors. Across theroomata back table, friends Karen Fritz and Marie Williamssteadily work on their creations. Both of them attend programsoffered at different library branches.

“The library is agreat resource forlow-income people,” Fritz said. “We’ve done crochet, book challenges, summerBingo andreading challenges.”

Nowthey’re workingonkindness rocks.

“And this is awesome,” Williams said. “I wrote, ‘BlessYou Marie’ on one of my rocks, andI’m going to write ‘Good times’ on another.”

Sealed andwaterproofed

Once rocks are completed, Pugh will seal and waterproof them with the water-based, glue sealer Modge Podge. But patrons arenever required to leave their rocks behind.

way to encourage kindness.”

So, what are Stewart’splanned messages?

“Oh, I’mthinking about ‘Be happy’ and ‘You’re doing agood job and ‘Smile all day,’”she said.

“And I’m going to put ‘Blessed’ on mine,” McKneely added. McKneely andStewart sitnear ateen whoisalso participating in the “Kindness Rocks” programfor thefirst time.

Grandmotherhelps And at theend of thetable,a grandmother supervises as her grandsons cover theirrocks in

racists and other targets beloved of reactionaries,”wrote TheNew Yorker’sJustin Chang. For The New York Times,Manohla Dargis wrote: “Aster knows howtograb your attention, but if he thinks he’s sayingsomething aboutAmerica, thejoke is on him.”

Aster was expecting adivisive reaction. But he disputes someof thediscourse around “Eddington.”

“I heard one person say it was harderonthe left than the right, and Ithink that’spretty disingenuous,” he says. “In thefilm, oneside is kind of annoyingand frustrating and hypocritical, andthe other side is killing people and destroying lives.” For Aster,satirizing the left doesn’tmean he doesn’tshare their beliefs. “Ifthere’snoselfreflection,” he says, “how are we ever goingtoget out of this?”

Capturing‘what wasinthe air’

Aster began writing “Eddington” in June 2020. He set it in NewMexico, where his family moved when he was10. Asterwanted to try to capture the disconnect that didn’tstart withthe pandemicbut then reached asurreal crescendo. He styled“Eddington” as aWestern with smartphonesinplace of guns —though there are definitelyguns,too.

“The dread Iwas living with suddenly intensified. And to be honest, I’ve been living with that level of dread ever since,” Aster says. “I just wanted to see if Icould capture what was in the air.”

Scriptsthat dive headlong into politicsare far fromregularin today’s corporate Hollywood. Most studios would be unlikely to distribute afilm like “Eddington,” though A24, the indie powerhouse, hasstood behind Asterevenafter 2023’s$35 million-budgeted “Beau Is Afraid” struggled at the box office. A24 hasshown awillingness to engage with politicaldiscord, backing last year’sspeculative war drama, “Civil War.” And Aster’sscreenplayresonated withPhoenix, who had starred in “Beau Is Afraid,” and with Pascal. In Cannes, Pascal noted that “it’svery scary to participate in amovie that speaks to issues like

“They cantake them home,but we hope that if they do, they’ll put them out in the community,where they’ll spread goodwill,” Pugh said. “But we do encourage them to leave their rocks so we can put them around our different branches. Iwould say we’ve placed hundreds of rocksinthe communityat this point.”

Pugh hopes “KindnessRocks” will be an ongoing programinthe libraries.

“I can see us doing this again,” she said. “It’sbeen successful, and it’sa great way to spread kindness throughout the community.”

this.” For Phoenix, “Eddington” offered clarity andempathy forthe pandemic experience.

“Wewere all terrified and we didn’tfully understand it. And instead of reaching outtoeach other in those moments, we kind of became antagonistic toward each other and self-righteousand certain of our position,” Phoenix earlier told The AP.“And in some ways it’s so obvious:Well, that’s not going to be helpful.”

‘A time of totalobscenity’

Since Aster made “Eddington” —itwas shot in 2024 —the second administration of President Donald Trump has usheredina new political reality that Aster acknowledges would have reshaped his film

“I would have made the movie moreobscene,” he says. “And I would have made it angrier. Ithink the film is angry.But Ithink we’re livinginatimeoftotal obscenity, beyond anything I’ve seen.”

“Eddington” is designed to be argued over.Even those whofind its first half well-observed may recoil at the violent absurdism of its second half. The movie, Aster says, pivots midway and, itself, becomes paranoid and gripped by differing world views. Youcan almost feel Asterstruggling to bring anycoherence to his, and our,modernday Western. But whatever you make of “Eddington,” youmight grant it’svitally importantthatwehavemore films like it —movies that don’ttiptoe around today in period-film metaphor or avoid it like the plague. Aster,atleast, doesn’tsound finished with whathestarted.

“I’m feeling very heartbroken about where we are, and totally lost, so I’mlooking forwaystogo into those feelings but also to challenge them. What can be done?” Astersays.“Because this is a movie about people who are unreachable to each other and completely siloed off, or fortressedoff, aquestionthatkept coming to me was: What would an olive branch look like? How do we find away to reengage with each other?”

STAFFPHOTOSByROBIN MILLER

Cindee McKneely and MaryStewart participate in the ‘Kindness Rocks’program at the Main Library. The duo painted flat-surfaced rocks then wrote positivemessages on them.

LSU AGCENTER PHOTO By OLIVIA McCLURE

Girdled roots can threaten tree health.

Ayoung patron, Liam, puts his paintbrush in aspot of purple painttoapplytohis rock, which he planned to coverinLSU colors during the ‘Kindness Rocks’ program at the MainLibrary.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Take the initiative, explain your intentions and act with clarity and precision. A friendly gesture or kind word will help you get the response you need to advance.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A change may entice you, but first, ensure you have the necessary funds, time and energy to accommodate what's required to achieve your goal. Not everyone will play fair. Take the safe route.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-oct. 23) Avoid excess and indulgent behavior, as well as taking on responsibilities that don't belong to you. Map out your schedule and stick to it. Choose self-improvement over criticizing others.

ScoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Look for an opportunity to discover what others have to offer that you can incorporate into your plans. Scrutiny is necessary to avoid mistakes. Watch, transform and conclude.

SAGIttARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Refuse to let the little things upset you or hold you back. Embrace what life has to offer; apply your skills, and the impact you have will help you move in a positive direction.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Stop pondering over what to do next; do what's necessary and keep moving. The point is to stay busy and avoid criticism It's up to you to build your opportunities on solid ground.

AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Share your thoughts and feelings with those who affect your life emotionally or finan-

cially. A change will provide a unique blend of learning and financial assistance.

PIScES (Feb. 20-March 20) Seekoutopportunities, and you can find them today. Put your energy and discipline behind your dreams, and you'll discover something or someone that extends your vision. Avoid taking physical risks. ARIES (March 21-April 19) It's up to you to take the lead in the conversation if you want to have a significant impact on how things unfold. Refuse to let emotions interfere with what's important to you.

tAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Be careful what you share with associates. Personal information can put you in a vulnerable spot if you are too revealing. The best change you can make is in how you approach your responsibilities.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Learn from experience, and it will help you avoid confusion and uncertainty. Discipline and hard work will pave the way to a brighter future.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Overreacting will cost you. When in doubt, sit tight, say little, observe and consider how to utilize your energy to move forward. Do as much work as you can on your own to save money.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy'S cLuE: R EQuALS V

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

FrAnK And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

DenisDiderot,an18th-centuryFrench art critic, philosopher and writer, said, “There arethree principal means of acquiring knowledge: observation of nature, reflection andexperimentation. Observation collects facts; reflection combines them;experimentation verifiesthe result of that combination.”

At thebridge table, declarer, after observing thedummy, collects facts winners and losers —and reflects by combining them. Then he tries to find the best lineofplay without experimentation.

In today’s deal, how should South play insixno-trumpafterWestleadstheclub jack?

As soon as North opened the bidding, Southknewitwas either asix or seven deal. But he started quietly with atwodiamond response. However, when Northraised diamonds, South launched Blackwood to learn that the diamond king wasmissing. South can afford one diamond loser, not two. If thesuit is splitting 2-1, there are no problems. So declarer should assumea3-0 break.

If South first cashes his ace, he loses two tricks when West discards.Similarly, if declarer starts by calling for dummy’squeen, he fails when East has the void. The guaranteed line is to take

thefirst trick on the board and play the diamond three. If East pitches, South winswithhis ace and leads back toward dummy’s queen. But when Eastplays the two, declarer covers with his four! Here,thatwinsthetrickandthecontract is safe. But if West takes the trick, the suit must be 2-1.

©2025 by NEA,Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InStRuctIonS: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAy’S WoRD toMcAtS: TOM-kats:Male domestic cats

Average mark14words

Time limit 25 minutes

yEStERDAy’S WoRD —ScAPuLAS

Can you find 19 or morewords in TOMCATS? salsa scalp scapula scaup scup slap casual causal clap clasp class cusp alas pass plus puss lass

thought

acknowledge my sin to you, and my iniquity have Inot hid.

Bridge

loCKhorNs This

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street ends

Monday nearly flat U.S. stock indexes drifted througha quietMonday after the United States agreed to tax cars and other products coming from the European Union at a15% rate, lower than President Donald Trump had earlier threatened. Many details of the trade dealare still to be worked out, andWall Street is heading intoaweekfullofpotential flashpoints that could shake markets.

The S&P 500 was nearly flat and edged up by less than 0.1% to setanall-time high fora sixth straight day.The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 64 points, or 0.1%,while theNasdaq composite added 0.3% to its ownrecord.

Tesla rose 3% after its CEO, Elon Musk, said it signed adeal with Samsung Electronics that couldbeworth more than$16.5 billion to providechips for the electric-vehicle company.Samsung’sstock in South Korea jumped 6.8%.

Other companies in the chip and artificial-intelligenceindustries were strong, continuing their run from last week after Alphabet said it wasincreasing itsspendingonAI chips and other investments to $85 billion this year.Chipcompany AdvancedMicro Devices rose4.3%, and server-maker Super Micro Computer climbed 10.2% But an 8.3% drop forRevvity helped to keep the market in check.The companyinthe life sciencesand diagnostics businesses reported astronger profit for the latest quarter than Wall Street expected, but its forecast for full-yearprofit disappointed analysts. Russian airline victim of cyberattack

Acyberattack on Russian airline Aeroflot has causeda major outage, leading to more than 100 flight cancellations and delays.

On Monday,Russia’s prosecutor’soffice confirmed the incident. Ukrainian hacker group SilentCrow and Belarusian group Belarus Cyber-Partisans claimed responsibility.The attack is one of the most disruptive since Russia’sinvasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Images showed crowded scenes at Moscow’sSheremetyevo airport. Most affected flights were domestic,but some internationalflightswerealso canceled.

Silent Crow claims to have accessed Aeroflot’snetwork for a year,copying sensitive data. Russia has opened acriminal investigation.

Tariffs threaten Asian beauty product boom

South Korea is one ofthe countries that hopes to secure atrade deal beforethe Aug. 1 datePresidentDonald Trump setfor enforcingnation-specific tariffs. Anot-insignificant sliceofthe U.S. populationhas skin in thegamewhen it comes to Seoul avoiding a25% dutyon its exports.

Asian skin care has been a booming global business for a more than adecade, with consumers in Europe,North and South America, and increasingly the Middle East, snapping up creams, serums and balms from South Korea, Japan and China

In the United States and elsewhere, Korean cosmetics, or K-beauty for short, have dominated the trend. Acraze for all-in-one “BB creams” acombination of moisturizer, foundation and sunscreen morphed into afascinationwith 10-step rituals and ingredients like snail mucin, heartleaf and rice water. Vehicles and electronics may be South Korea’stop exportsto the U.S. by value, but the countryshipped more skincare andcosmetics to the U.S. than any other last year,according to data from market research company Euromonitor.France, with storied beauty brandslike L’Oreal and Chanel, wassecond, Euromonitorsaid.

U.S.-EUtrade deal wards offescalation

BY DAVID MCHUGH, SAMMCNEIL and SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press

FRANKFURT,Germany— U.S. President DonaldTrump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have announced a sweeping trade deal that imposes 15%tariffsonmost European goods, warding off Trump’sthreat of a30% rate if no deal had been reached by Aug. 1.

The tariffs, or import taxes, paid when Americans buyEuropean productscouldraise prices for U.S. consumers and dent profits for European companies and their

partners whobring goods intothe country Trump andvon derLeyen’s announcement,made during Trump’s visit to one of his golf courses in Scotland, leaves many crucial details to be filled in.

The headline figure is a15% tariff rate on about 70% of European goodsbrought intothe U.S., including cars, computer chips and pharmaceuticals. It’slower than the 20%thatTrump initiallyproposed, andlower than his threats of 50% and then 30%. The remaining 30% of goods are stillopen to further decisions and negotiations.

Vonder Leyensaidthatthe two sidesagreed on zero tariffs on both sides for arange of “strategic” goods: Aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, semicon-

ductor equipment, certain agricultural productsand some natural resources andcritical raw materials. Specifics were lacking. Shesaidthat thetwo sides “would keep working” to add more productstothe list. Additionally,companies in the European Union would purchase what Trump said was $750 billion worth of natural gas, oil and nuclear fuel over three years to replace Russianenergy supplies that Europe is seeking to exit anyway Meanwhile,European companieswould invest an additional $600 billion in the U.S. under a politicalcommitment that isn’tlegally binding, officials said. Brussels and Washington will shortly issueajoint statementthat frames the deal but isn’tyet le-

gallybinding,according to senior officials whoweren’tauthorized to be publicly named, according to European Commission policy

The joint statement will have “somevery precise commitments andotherswhich will need to be spelledout in different ways,” a senior European Commission official said.

EU officialssaidthat the zero tarifflistcould include nuts, pet food, dairy products and seafood. Trump said that the 50% U.S. tariff on imported steel would remain. Vonder Leyen said that the two sides agreed to further negotiations to fight aglobal steel glut, reduce tariffs and establish import quotas—thatis, setamountsthat can be imported, often at alower rate or tariff-free.

BY DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press

WASHINGTON— The phone rings. It’sthe secretary of state calling. Or is it?

ForWashington insiders, seeing and hearingisnolonger believing, thanks to aspate of recent incidents involving deepfakes impersonatingtop officials in President Donald Trump’sadministration.

Digital fakes are coming for corporate America, too, as criminal gangsand hackersassociated withadversaries including North Korea use synthetic video and audio to impersonate CEOs andlow-level jobcandidatestogain access to critical systems or business secrets

Thanks to advancesinartificialintelligence,creating realistic deepfakes is easier than ever,causing security problems for governments, businesses andprivateindividuals and making trust the most valuable currency of thedigital age.

Responding to the challenge will require laws,betterdigital literacy andtechnical solutions that fight AI with moreAI.

“As humans, we are remarkably susceptible to deception,” saidVijay Balasubramaniyan, CEOand founderofthe tech firm Pindrop Security

But hebelievessolutionstothe challenge of deepfakes may be within reach: “Weare going to fight back.”

This summer,someone used AI to createa

deepfake of Secretary of StateMarco Rubio in an attempt to reach out to foreign ministers, aU.S. senator andagovernor over text, voice mail andthe Signal messaging app. In May,someone impersonated Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles.

Another phony Rubio had popped up in a deepfake earlier this year,saying he wanted to cutoff Ukraine’saccesstoElonMusk’s Starlink internet service. Ukraine’sgovernmentlater rebutted thefalse claim.

Thenationalsecurityimplications are huge: People who think they’re chatting with Rubio or Wiles, for instance, might discuss sensitive information about diplomaticnegotiationsormilitary strategy

“You’re either trying to extract sensitive secrets or competitive information or you’re going after access, to an email server or other sensitive network,” Kinny Chan, CEO of the cybersecurity firm QiD, saidofthe possible motivations.

Synthetic media can alsoaim to alter behavior.Last year,Democratic voters in New Hampshire received arobocall urgingthem nottovoteinthe state’supcomingprimary The voice on thecall sounded suspiciously likethen-President Joe Biden butwas actually created using AI. Their ability to deceive makes AI deepfakes apotent weapon for foreign actors. Both Russiaand China have useddisinformation andpropaganda directed at Americans as away of undermining trust in democratic alliances and institutions.

Steven Kramer,the politicalconsultant whoadmittedsending thefake Bidenrobocalls, said he wanted to send amessage of thedangers deepfakes pose to theAmerican

political system.Kramer was acquitted last month of charges of voter suppression and impersonating acandidate.

“I did whatIdid for $500,” Kramer said. “Can you imagine what would happen if the Chinese government decided to do this?”

The greater availability and sophistication of the programsmean deepfakes are increasingly usedfor corporate espionage and garden-variety fraud.

“The financial industry is right in the crosshairs,” said Jennifer Ewbank, aformer deputy director of the CIAwho worked on cybersecurity and digital threats. “Even individuals whoknow each other have been convinced to transfer vast sumsofmoney.”

In thecontextofcorporate espionage,they can be usedtoimpersonate CEOsasking employeestohandoverpasswords or routing numbers.

Deepfakes can also allow scammerstoapply forjobs —and even do them —under an assumed or fake identity.For somethis is away to access sensitivenetworks, to steal secrets or to install ransomware.Others just want thework and may be working a fewsimilarjobsatdifferent companiesat the sametime.

Authorities in the U.S. have said that thousands of North Koreans with information technology skills have been dispatched to live abroad, using stolen identities to obtain jobs at tech firmsinthe U.S. and elsewhere. Theworkers getaccess to companynetworks as well as apaycheck. In somecases, the workers install ransomware that can be later used to extort even moremoney

Theschemes have generated billionsof dollars forthe North Korean government.

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

Venture Global haswrapped up financing and made afinalinvestment decisionfor itssecond liquefied natural gasfacilityin CameronParish. The company said it closed on $15.1 billion in financing for Calcasieu Pass 2, or CP2, from leading banks in the U.S., Europe and Asia such as Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, J.P.Morgan, Bar-

clays and Mizuho.

“Thisproject,fully ownedby Venture Global and our shareholders, is expected to deliver reliable AmericanLNG to the world beginning in 2027,” Mike Sabel, Venture Global CEO, said in astatement. Lastmonth, Venture Global startedconstruction on CP2. The facility is expected to employ around 400 direct, permanent workers and approximately 7,500 temporary construction workers.

Venture Global said it has purchaseagreementswithcompanies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron and China Gas forthe LNGproduced at the plant. The LNGexport business has beenboominginLouisiana since at least 2010, when Cheniere Energy firstapplied to ship the fuel from itsthen-planned Sabine Pass terminalinsouthwest Louisiana Three other LNG terminals have opened in thestate sincethen, most recently Venture Global’s

Plaquemines LNG, whichstarted production in December.Venture Global announcedplans in March foran$18 billionexpansionof Plaquemines LNG, which would make it the largest exporter in North America. In April, Woodside Energy made afinal investment decision to go ahead with the Louisiana LNG production andexportfacilityin Calcasieu Parish.The $17.5 billion facilityisexpected to start production in 2029