The Advocate 08-05-2025

Edwards to allow ambulance competition

Baton Rouge General enters market despite objections

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

For decades, Acadian Ambulance has provided the lion’s share of ambulance services not handled by East Baton Rouge’s own Emergency Medical Services, transporting patients from facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living centers and more in the parish.

But now, Mayor-President Sid Edwards has opened the door for a competitor, allowing Baton Rouge General to enter the market.

“We are excited about the opportunity to better support patients in Baton Rouge and help ensure they get where they need to go quickly,” said Meghan Parrish, vice president of marketing and communications.

Edwards made the decision over protests from Acadian, which argues cityparish ordinances require the mayor to consider “whether the public convenience and necessity require” a new ambulance service.

“We definitely did not like the way it was done, because it did not follow the ordinance,” said Acadian Director of Operations Porter Taylor

Still, Taylor added that the company is “not interested in making it messy.”

Officials in Edwards’ administration have acknowledged potential problems with how the new service was approved. They point out that an initial approval was granted before he took office.

“Based on the information that was discovered from the previous adminis-

tration, the city’s ordinances were not followed,” said city-parish spokesperson Falon Brown.

Yet Edwards ultimately granted the hospital’s request, citing “the purpose of competition.” Edwards’ team declined to comment

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Texas Democrats prevent state map vote

Gov. Abbott orders troopers to arrest lawmakers

BY BILL BARROW and NADIA LATHAN Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Democrats on Monday prevented their state’s House of Representatives from moving forward, at least for now, with a redrawn congressional map sought by President Donald Trump to shore up Republicans’ 2026 midterm prospects as his political stand-

ing falters. After dozens of Democrats left the state, the Republicandominated House was unable to establish the quorum of lawmakers required to do business. Texas Gov Greg Abbott has made threats about removing members who are absent from their seats. Democrats counter that Abbott is using “smoke and mirrors” to assert legal authority he does not have.

The Republican-dominated

House quickly issued civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats and Abbott ordered state troopers to help find and arrest them but lawmakers physically outside Texas are beyond the jurisdiction of state authorities.

“If you continue to go down this road, there will be consequences,” House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows said from the chamber floor, later telling reporters that includes fines.

The Democratic revolt and Abbott’s threats ratcheted up a fight over congressional maps that began in Texas but now includes Democratic governors who have floated the possibil-

ä Is nation’s long history of partisan gerrymandering legal? PAGE 3A

ity of redrawing their own state maps in retaliation, even if their options are limited The dispute also reflects Trump’s aggressive view of presidential power and his grip on the Republican Party nationally, while testing the longstanding balance of powers between the federal government and individual states.

At the center of the impasse is Trump’s hope of adding five

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7 killed in violent weekend in BR area

BY AIDAN MCCAHILL Staff writer

At least seven people were killed in a surge of violence across the Baton Rouge area over the weekend, including one murder-suicide and another attempted murdersuicide.

Here is what authorities know about one of the bloodiest stretch of days the region has seen so far this year: The bloodshed began around noon Friday with an argument between two men on Geronimo Street Police said the dispute escalated when Montrell Green, 35, fired a gun in the direction of the person. The man then got in his vehicle and attempted to leave, but Green reportedly stood in front of the car holding the weapon, according to a spokesperson for the Baton Rouge Police Department. The driver struck Green, who was transported to a hospital and died the following day

The next day in Ascension Parish, a group of ATV riders got into an argument Saturday evening over parking fees at a trail-riding event. According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, members of a group had become angry for having to pay to park outside a residence along La. 405, near the event in Modeste. Police said things turned deadly when Anwar McKenney, 43, of Zachary, whose family owned the property pulled out a firearm and shot Brandon Cayette, 40, of Donaldsonville, multiple times. Cayette was pronounced dead at the scene. {span} McKenney was booked into Ascension Parish jail early Sunday

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Planned Parenthood to close in Louisiana

Nonprofit faces lack of access to federal money

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

Planned Parenthood is ceasing operations in Louisiana and shutting down its reproductive health clinics in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, part of a wave of closures of the organization’s clinics across the U.S. due to funding issues and moves by the Trump administration to cut off access to federal money

The nonprofit, which has operated in Louisiana for more than 40 years, said in a statement that it informed its staff on Friday of the closures that will take effect Sept. 30.

Abbott

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

A pair of Baton Rouge General ambulances are lined up Monday near the Baton Rouge General Bluebonnet campus in Baton Rouge.

East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards has allowed Baton Rouge General to compete in the ambulance market over the objection of Acadian Ambulance.

Edwards

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Israeli AG dismissed; standoff builds

JERUSALEM The Israeli Cabinet on Monday voted unanimously to fire the attorney general, escalating a long-running standoff between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the judiciary that critics see as a threat to the country’s democratic institutions.

The Supreme Court froze the move while it considers the legality Netanyahu and his supporters accuse Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of exceeding her powers by blocking decisions by the elected government, including a move to fire the head of Israel’s domestic security agency, another ostensibly apolitical office. She has said there is a conflict of interest because Netanyahu and several former aides face a series of criminal investigations.

Critics accuse Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, of undermining judicial independence and seeking to concentrate power in the hands of his coalition government, the most nationalist and religious in Israel’s history Netanyahu denies the allegations and says he is the victim of a witch hunt by hostile judicial officials egged on by the media.

3rd accused of helping Tenn. fugitive

JACKSON, Tenn. — Police in Tennessee have charged a 23-yearold woman with assisting a man wanted in the murders of the parents, grandmother and uncle of an infant found alive miles away from the crime scene.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Dearrah Sanders, of Jackson, Tennessee, was arrested on Monday and charged with being an accessory after the killings Investigators have also arrested two men on similar charges, alleging they helped 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond after the July 29 killings Drummond remained on the run on Monday afternoon, the TBI said in a news release.

Over the weekend, police in Jackson warned that they didn’t know Drummond’s whereabouts and advised residents to lock their doors and “remain alert.” The U.S. Marshals Service said recently that Drummond could have fled the state. Authorities have left many questions unanswered, including how the three people allegedly helped Drummond, the manner in which the victims were killed and how the baby ended up in a car seat in the Tigrett area, roughly 40 miles from the bodies.

Henriette forms; Dexter churns in Atlantic

MIAMI A tropical storm formed in the Pacific Ocean on Monday at the same time a different tropical storm was churning in the Atlantic Ocean but moving away from land, forecasters said.

Tropical Storm Henriette was announced by the Miamibased National Hurricane Center The storm was centered in the eastern Pacific about 895 miles southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

Henriette had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving to the west-northwest at 15 mph. Forecasters said there were no threats to land and no watches or warnings in effect, but Henriette was expected to strengthen over the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Dexter was churning in the Atlantic Ocean about 275 miles north-northwest of Bermuda. It also had maximum sustained winds at 45 mph on Monday, the hurricane center said Dexter was moving northeast at 15 mph and was expected to continue in that direction, however forecasters expect the tropical storm to weaken into a post-tropical cyclone by the middle to latter part of the week No watches or warnings were associated with Dexter, and forecasters said there were no hazards affecting land

Video adds pressure for Gaza ceasefire

Father of hostage distraught as group releases images of emaciated son

BY MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press

JERUSALEM Ofir Braslavski

watched as his emaciated son Rom writhed in anguish on a dirty mattress somewhere inside the Gaza Strip in video footage released by Palestinian militants in recent days showing the agony of Israeli hostages.

“You see your child dying before your eyes, and you can’t do anything,” he said Monday from his home. “It drives you crazy, it’s unbearable.”

New images of two skeletal hostages have horrified Israelis and added pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire with Hamas, even as his government considers another expansion of the war, which has already destroyed much of Gaza and pushed it toward famine.

In the video released by the Islamic Jihad militant group, Rom Braslavski says injuries in his foot prevent him from being able to stand In another video, released by Hamas, Evyatar David says he is digging his own grave and speaks of days without food.

The Associated Press does not normally publish videos of hostages filmed under duress, but is publishing brief excerpts after receiving consent from their families.

The videos led tens of thousands of Israelis to take to the streets on Saturday night and demand a ceasefire deal, in one of the largest turnouts for the weekly protests in recent months.

Braslavski said Rom looks much worse than he did in a video released four months ago.

“There, he also looks terrible, but he had this hope in his eyes where he felt he was still going to get out and it would be OK,” Braslavski said. “Now, in the last video, he looks completely turned off, it’s as if he’s waiting for death His eyes are turned off, he probably doesn’t

a

Ofir

Monday from militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, published last week of his son Rom gaunt and emaciated in captivity in Gaza, in Almon, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

want to endure this suffering anymore.”

Braslavski said his son, who was working as a security guard at a music festival in southern Israel during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the war, is usually a strong happy-go-lucky kid

The video released last week, in which his son sobs and begs for his life, is the first time he’s seen his son cry Netanyahu said Monday that he will convene the Cabinet this week to discuss how Israel can meet the three goals he has set for the war: defeating Hamas, returning the hostages and ensuring Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.

But his plans to potentially increase military operations are meeting staunch opposition from within Israel, including letters of protest from leading security leaders and cultural figures.

The footage of the Israeli hostages has stirred condemnation. U.N Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “very shocked” by the videos and “this unacceptable violation of human dignity,” U.N. deputy

spokesman Farhan Haq said.

The videos were released as international experts say a “worst-case scenario of famine” is unfolding in the coastal territory, where Israel’s offensive has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and made it nearly impossible to safely deliver food and other humanitarian aid. Images of starving Palestinians have drawn international condemnation of Israel’s conduct.

Families of the hostages fear that the lack of food threatens the remaining hostages, too. Fewer than half of the 50 remaining hostages are believed to be alive, the rest either killed during the October 2023 attack or while in captivity

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was “appalled by the harrowing videos” and called for access to the hostages. Israel has requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the hostages, which will take place on Tuesday Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he will travel to New York for the meeting.

Floris’ winds batter Scotland, disrupt travel and festivals

By The Associated Press

LONDON — Authorities in Scotland canceled trains, closed parks and warned people to tie down backyard trampolines as an unusually strong summer storm toppled trees, felled power lines and disrupted travel across northern Britain.

The U.K.’s Meteorological Office on Monday issued an “amber” wind warning in Scotland for Storm Floris, meaning there is potential risk to lives and property, especially from large waves in coastal areas.

Network Rail Scotland said wind gusts of up to 90 mph had brought down trees across lines and damaged overhead wires. More than 22,000 properties were without electricity, operator Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said

After reports of mobile homes being blown over on the Isle of Skye off Scotland’s northwest coast, police Scotland said that “anyone with campervans should remain parked in sheltered areas until the wind speed reduces.”

The wind and heavy rain hit at the busiest time of year for tourism, with hundreds of thousands of

Members of the public battle against the wind as they walk along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Monday Storm Floris is expected to cause severe travel disruption to road, air and ferry services, and close bridges.

people flocking to the Edinburgh Fringe and other arts festivals. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, one of the city’s biggest tourist draws, canceled Monday’s scheduled outdoor performance by massed ranks of bagpipers and drummers at Edinburgh Castle.

Train companies canceled services across much of Scotland and some ferry crossings were also scrapped. Floris, named by weather authorities, also hit parts of Northern Ireland, Wales and northern England, the Met Office said.

Scottish government minister Angela Constance urged people to be careful if traveling and “consider this a winter journey as opposed to a summer journey.”

“Please make sure you’ve got warm clothes, food, water, plenty of fuel and that your mobile phone is charged up,” she said.

Train operator ScotRail urged “anyone with garden equipment, such as tents, trampolines or furniture, to secure items so that they don’t blow onto the tracks and interfere with lineside equipment.”

High court puts Brazil’s former president on house arrest

BY MAURICIO SAVARESE Associated Press

SAOPAULO Brazil’sSupremeCourtonMonday

ordered the house arrest for the country’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, on trial for allegedly masterminding a coup plot to remain in office despite his defeat in the 2022 election a case that has gripped the South American country as it faces a trade war with the Trump administration.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the case against Bolsonaro before the top court, said in his decision that the 70-year-old former president had violated precautionary measures imposed on him by posting content on the social media channels of his three lawmaker sons. On Sunday, Bolsonaro addressed supporters in Rio de Janeiro through the phone of one of his sons, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro.

Thetrialofthefar-rightleaderisreceivingrenewed attention after President Donald Trump directly tied a 50% tariff on imported Brazilian goods to the judicial situation of Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally Trump has called the proceedings a “witch hunt,” triggering nationalist reactions from leaders of all branches of power in Brazil, including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Following news of the arrest order, a staffer with Brazil’s federal police told The Associated Press that federal agents were at Bolsonaro’s residence in the capital of Brasilia to seize cellphones,asorderedbydeMoraesinhisdecision. The staffer spoke on condition of anonymity due to their lack of authorization to speak about the matter publicly Bolsonaro is expected to remain in Brasilia for his house arrest as he is not allowed to travel. He also has a house in Rio de Janeiro, where he held his electoral base as a lawmaker for three decades. Brazil’s prosecutors accuse Bolsonaro of heading a criminal organization that plotted to overturn the election, including plans to kill Lula and de Moraes after the far-right leader narrowly lost his reelection bid in 2022. Monday’s order followed one from the top court last month that ordered Bolsonaro wear an electronic ankle monitor and imposed a curfew on his activities while the proceedings are underway De Moraes added in his ruling that Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil between 2019 and 2022, has spread messages with “a clear content of encouragement and instigation to attacks against the Supreme Court and a blatant support for foreign intervention in the Brazilian Judiciary.”

Bolsonaro

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By OHAD ZWIGENBERG

Braslavski shows

video

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JANE BARLOW

Cassidy, rivals for Senate seat laud firing

Trump axed commissioner after unfavorable jobs report

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, and the three Republicans challenging his reelection support President Donald Trump’s decision to fire the person who oversees the federal government office that collects jobs figures. Trump sacked Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on Friday after her office reported feeble job growth in July and revised figures that nearly erased the job gains previously given in May and June.

Together, the job figures indicate that the U.S economy is slowing down, the exact opposite of what Trump has been claiming The job numbers, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and

Sean Combs denied release on bail ahead of sentencing

BY JENNIFER PELTZ

Associated Press

NEW YORK Sean “Diddy”

Combs can’t go home from jail to await sentencing on his prostitution-related conviction, a judge said Monday, denying the rap and style mogul’s latest bid for bail.

Combs has been behind bars since his September arrest. He faced federal charges of coercing girlfriends into having drugfueled sex marathons with male sex workers while he watched and filmed them He was acquitted last month of the top charges racketeering and sex trafficking — while being convicted of two counts of a prostitution-related offense. The conviction carries the potential for up to 10 years in prison. But there are complicated federal guidelines for calculating sentences in any given case, and prosecutors and Combs’ lawyers disagree substantially on how the guidelines come out for his case In any event, the guidelines aren’t mandatory, and Judge Arun Subramanian will have wide latitude in deciding Combs’ punishment.

The Bad Boy Records founder, now 55, was for decades a protean figure in pop culture.

A Grammy-winning hip hop artist and entrepreneur with a flair for finding and launching big talents, he presided over a business empire that ranged from fashion to reality TV

ME, look bad.”

Trump’s decision to fire McEntarfer has prompted strong condemnation from economists, former government officials and Democratic lawmakers. They say his move calls into question the reliability of the Labor Department’s future reporting and seems reminiscent of how authoritarian leaders try to squash bad news.

That’s not the view of Cassidy and his three opponents: state Treasurer John Fleming, state Sen. Blake Miguez and Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta. They will compete in a Republican primary in April, and each one wants

Trump’s endorsement

“McEntarfer’s removal is understandable,” Cassidy said in a statement. “Jobs reports have always required revisions, but the initial reports have become significantly less accurate under McEntarfer’s leadership. As the lead Republican on the Senate HELP Committee, I sent her a letter last year during the Biden administration asking why the revisions were so large Now, the initial reports are even less accurate and the revisions even greater.”

Skrmetta offered a more pro-

nounced statement than Cassidy

“President Trump’s decision to terminate Commissioner McEntarfer from the Bureau of Labor Statistics was a solid, bold and justified move to safeguard the integrity of economic data against prior administration partisan manipulation,” Skrmetta, who represents suburban New Orleans, said in a text. “It’s the right decision for President Trump to question a pattern of BLS reports under Commissioner McEntarfer’s tenure—one of consistently over-reporting job gains during the Biden era, only to

regularly revise them downward later.”

Miguez, of New Iberia, also applauded Trump’s move, writing in a text that “the American people elected President Trump because they trust he will make decisions that always put America first. The president has a right to fire her, and he was right to fire her He knows what he is doing. I don’t fault him one bit for not trusting this Biden appointee.”

Fleming, who served in the U.S. House from 2009-17, said he has been concerned about the statistics agency’s revisions.

“She never seems to get it right,” Fleming said. “President Trump feels like she was manipulating the numbers to make Biden look good and now it’s the opposite. It seems appropriate to replace her at this time.”

Trump, in his Truth Social post on Friday claimed McEntarfer’s office had revised jobs figures downward for several months at one point last year — but only after the November election, to boost the candidacy of then-Vice President Kamala Harris Trump’s statement was false In fact, the statistics agency revised the figures downward in August,

before the election.

McEntarfer was nominated by then-President Joe Biden last year and confirmed by the Senate, with then-senators Marco Rubio and JD Vance among those who voted yes. Rubio is now Trump’s secretary of state, while Vance is vice president. William Beach, who was appointed by Trump and served as McEntarfer’s predecessor, called the reasons behind Trump’s move “totally groundless,” writing it “sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the statistical mission of the Bureau.”

Stephen Sheffrin, a veteran economics professor at Tulane University, dismisses complaints that the statistics agency under McEntarfer has tilted toward Democrats.

But he believes that the office could do a better job of compiling and reporting its numbers.

“From time to time, it’s worth looking at this,” Sheffrin said. “A better thing might have been to say it was ridiculous, and we’ll take a look at the BLS or to have the Labor Department do an overall review of their procedures.”

Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@ theadvocate.com.

Dispute highlights nation’s long partisan history

BY DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press

When Democratic lawmakers left Texas to try to prevent the Republican-led Legislature from redrawing the state’s congressional districts, it marked the latest episode in a long national history of gerrymandering.

The word “gerrymander” was coined in America more than 200 years ago as an unflattering means of describing political manipulation in legislative map-making.

The word has stood the test of time, in part, because American politics has remained fiercely competitive

Who is responsible for gerrymandering?

In many states like Texas, the state legislature is responsible for drawing congressional districts, subject to the approval of the governor District maps must be redrawn every 10 years, after each census, to balance the population in districts.

But in some states, nothing prevents legislatures from conducting redistricting more often.

In an effort to limit gerrymandering, some states have entrusted redistricting to special commissions composed of citizens or bipartisan panels of politicians Democratic officials in some states with commissions are now talking of trying to sidestep them to counter Republican redistricting in Texas. How does a gerrymander work?

If a political party controls both the legislature

and governor’s office — or has such a large legislative majority that it can override vetoes — it can effectively draw districts to its advantage.

One common method of gerrymandering is for a majority party to draw maps that pack voters who support the opposing party into a few districts, thus allowing the majority party to win a greater number of surrounding districts.

Another common method is for the majority party to dilute the power of an opposing party’s voters by spreading them among multiple districts.

Why is it called gerrymandering?

The term dates to 1812, when Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed a bill redrawing state Senate districts to benefit the Democratic-Republican Party Some thought an oddly shaped district looked like a salamander A newspaper illustration dubbed it “The Gerry-mander” a term that later came to describe any district drawn for political advantage. Gerry lost reelection as governor in 1812 but won election that same year as vice president with President James Madison.

Is political gerrymandering illegal?

Not under the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court, in a 2019 case originating from North Carolina, ruled that federal courts have no authority to decide whether partisan gerrymandering goes too far Chief Justice John Roberts wrote: “The Constitution supplies no objective measure for assessing whether a districting map treats a political party fairly.

The Supreme Court noted that partisan gerryman-

dering claims could continue to be decided in state courts under their own constitutions and laws. But some state courts, including North Carolina’s highest court, have ruled that they also have no authority to decide partisan gerrymandering claims.

Are there any limits on redistricting?

Yes. Though it’s difficult to challenge legislative districts on political grounds, the Supreme Court has upheld challenges on racial grounds. In a 2023 case from Alabama, the high court said the congressional districts drawn by the state’s Republican-led Legislature likely violated the

Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting strength of Black residents. The court let a similar claim proceed in Louisiana. Both states subsequently redrew their districts.

What does data show about gerrymandering?

Statisticians and political scientists have developed a variety of ways to try to quantify the partisan advantage that may be attributable to gerrymandering.

Republicans, who control redistricting in more states than Democrats, used the 2010 census data to create a strong gerrymander

An Associated Press analysis of that decade’s redistricting found that Repub-

licans enjoyed a greater political advantage in more states than either party had in the past 50 years. But Democrats responded to match Republican gerrymandering after the 2020 census. The adoption of redistricting commissions also limited gerrymandering in some states. An AP analysis of the 2022 elections — the first under new maps — found that Republicans won just one more U.S. House seat than would have been expected based on the average share of the vote they received nationwide. That was one of the most politically balanced outcomes in years.

Cassidy Miguez Fleming Skrmetta

GOP-leaning congressional seats in Texas before the upcoming midterms. That would bolster his party’s chances of preserving its U.S. House majority, something Republicans were unable to do in the 2018 midterms during Trump’s first presidency Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas’ 38 seats. That’s nearly a 2-to-1 advantage and already a wider partisan gap than in the 2024 presidential election, when Trump won 56.1% of Texas ballots, while Democrat Kamala Harris received 42.5%.

Speaking Monday on the Fox News show “America’s Newsroom,” Abbott essentially admitted to the partisan power play, noting the U.S. Supreme Court has determined “there is nothing illegal” about shaping districts to a majority party’s advantage. He even acknowledged it as “gerrymandering” before correcting himself to say Texas is “drawing lines.”

More than 1,800 miles away from Austin, New York Gov

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morning, and faces charges of second-degree murder and illegal use of weapons.

{/span}

Between Sunday morning and early Monday at least

five more people were killed in East Baton Rouge Par-

ish. Frank Johnson, 41, was shot in the 3200 block of Byron Avenue about 6:30 a.m.

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Planned Parenthood’s Louisiana clinics provide birth control, tests for sexually transmitted diseases, cancer screenings and other health care services. Over the past year, the organization provided care to more than 10,600 patients. They have never been licensed to provide abortions in the state

“This is not a decision we wanted to make,” said Melaney Linton, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, adding that “political warfare” on the nonprofit by its opponents forced the closures.

The closures come as the organization’s national affiliate, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, wages a legal battle against efforts by the Trump administration to end Medicaid payments to its clinics. More than half of Planned Parenthood patients rely on Medicaid, the federal health care program that serves millions of low-income and disabled Americans A federal judge has temporarily blocked the administration’s efforts

Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast announced last month that it would also shutter two of its six clinics in Houston and hand over the remaining four clinics to Planned Par-

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on whether a need for another operator existed or how that might be determined

Concerns about process

The change began last year, under former MayorPresident Sharon Weston Broome’s administration.

On Dec. 26, days before she left office, Broome sent a letter to the hospital allowing it to provide ambulance service, writing that “a need exists within the parish,” according to documents.

About a month later, after Edwards moved into City Hall, Deputy Parish Attorney Courtney Humphrey sent a Jan. 28 letter to the hospital’s leaders saying Broome’s decision didn’t follow the rules.

Emails obtained through a public records request show hospital officials urg-

Kathy Hochul appeared with Texas Democrats and argued that their cause should be national.

“We’re not going to tolerate our democracy being stolen in a modern-day stagecoach heist by a bunch of law breaking cowboys,” Hochul said Monday flanked by several of the lawmakers who left Texas. “If Republicans are willing to rewrite rules to give themselves an advantage, then they’re leaving us with no choice: We must do the same You have to fight fire with fire.”

Abbott insisted ahead of Monday’s scheduled session that lawmakers have “absconded” in violation of their sworn duties to the state.

“I believe they have forfeited their seats in the state Legislature because they are not doing the job they were elected to do,” he said in the Fox News interview, invoking his state’s hallmark machismo to call the lawmakers “un-Texan.”

“Texans don’t run from a fight,” he said.

Democrats said they had no plans to heed the governor’s demands

“He has no legal mechanism,” said Texas Rep. Jolanda Jones, one of the lawmak-

Sunday, Baton Rouge police said. Johnson was transported to a hospital, where he died of his wounds. No suspect or motive are known at this time.

At some point early Sunday, a man with a history of domestic violence is believed to have killed his girlfriend in a trailer in Central before turning the gun on himself. Neighbors called the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office to the residence, near the inter-

enthood of Greater Texas.

Planned Parenthood began serving Louisiana in 1984, when the organization’s New Orleans affiliate opened a clinic on Magazine Street.

In 2016, the organization moved into a 7,000-squarefoot clinic on South Claiborne Avenue, following a drawnout battle with the Archdiocese of New Orleans, which opposed the project.

The facility was built to provide abortions but the state Department of Health refused to approve the licenses needed to do so That led to a yearslong legal battle, which continued up until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and Louisiana enacted a neartotal ban on the procedures. Unable to provide abortions, Planned Parenthood continued to provide other services while helping Louisianans access out-of-state abortion care, covering costs including airfare lodging and child care.

The legal battle over funding for Planned Parenthood centers around a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald Trump in July which instructed the federal government to end Medicaid payments for one year to abortion providers that received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023

Although Planned Parenthood is not specifically

ing Edwards’ administration to reject the attorney’s interpretation. But they also show Acadian Ambulance pressing to stand by it

“I urge you to ensure that all relevant written ordinances and processes to determine whether in fact a need for additional services exists, are followed,” Taylor wrote to Edwards’ chief of staff, Lon Vicknair on July 2. According to Taylor and Acadian, no need for an additional provider exists.

“It appears that Baton Rouge General’s intentions are self-serving,” he wrote. “To my knowledge, there have been no other health care entities in this parish that have expressed a need for additional ambulance services, including your own municipal EMS.”

On July 14, Edwards issued a letter to the hospital granting a request to apply for an ambulance service for nonemergency calls and emergencies when request-

ers who was in New York on Monday “Subpoenas from Texas don’t work in New York, so he can’t come and get us. Subpoenas in Texas don’t work in Chicago He’s putting up smoke and mirrors.”

A refusal by Texas lawmakers to show up is a civil violation of legislative rules. As for his threat to remove the lawmakers, Abbott cited a nonbinding legal opinion issued by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton amid an partisan quorum dispute in 2021. Paxton suggested a court could determine that a legislator had forfeited their office.

Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate, said on X that Democrats who “try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately.”

University of Houston law professor David Froomkin cast doubt on Abbott’s and Paxton’s interpretation, saying it’s “baseless” to claim the lawmakers in question have abandoned their seats when their absence is clearly tied to the current legislative debate.

Still, the Republican response is accelerated com-

section of Arleen Avenue and Watson, about 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Authorities found Paul Varnardo and Alanna Singleton, both 54, dead from gunshot wounds. Authorities say preliminary evidence suggests the case is a murder-suicide, and neighbors later reported hearing gunshots the night before. Varnardo had twice been convicted of domestic abuse battery — from an incident in 2022 with his then-wife of 15 years, and in

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.

Federal law already bars taxpayer money from covering most abortions, but some conservatives argue abortion providers use Medicaid money for other health services to subsidize abortion.

Lawyers for the government argued in court documents that the bill “stops federal subsidies for Big Abortion.”

“All three democratically elected components of the Federal Government collaborated to enact that provision consistent with their electoral mandates from the American people as to how they want their hard-earned taxpayer dollars spent,” the government wrote in court filings.

In her statement, Linton blamed the political push against the nonprofit for the closure of the clinics in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

“Anti-reproductive health lawmakers obsessed with power and control have spent decades fighting the concept that people deserve to control their own bodies,” Linton said. “These extremists have done everything they can to ‘defund’ Planned Parenthood, dismantle public health infrastructure, and block patients from the care

ed by city-parish EMS. Avoiding ‘something messy

On Monday, Porter called the hosptial “friends” of Acadian Ambulance and said leadership from both will meet soon to figure out how to coexist.

He said he understands why Edwards made the decision he did, though he still said it was “tough to swallow.”

“He’s going to work with Baton Rouge General because he has to,” he said.

Porter said he thinks Edwards had to honor the Broome administration’s decision from December to avoid “something messy” from the hospital.

“Because of the conflict of how things went down between the two administrations, you know, Mayor Edwards said, ‘Look, what the previous administration did, I can’t really undo without causing a mess,’” Porter said.

pared with the 2021 dispute, when weeks passed before the GOP majority opted for civil arrest warrants. Froomkin said Abbott could be using the mere possibility of legal wrangling over their jobs to intimidate lawmakers into returning to Austin.

The lawmakers who left declined to say how long they will hold out

“The magic of a quorum break is you never telegraph the how long or what you’re going to do,” said Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, who has served in the Legislature since 2001. “We recognized when we got on the plane

July for throwing Singleton down a flight of stairs.

After the July incident, an order of protective custody was filed against Varnardo, prohibiting him from coming within 100 yards of Singleton. But on Sunday, neighbors told investigators they had spotted Varnardo staying with Singleton for at least a few days before the deadly incident, according to Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office.

they rely on This cruelty and failed leadership are the reasons we are here today.”

It’s unclear what will happen to Planned Parenthood’s South Claiborne property, which was funded by millions of dollars in donations.

that we’re in this for the long haul.”

Texas House Democratic Caucus leader Gene Wu said his members “will do whatever it takes” but added, “What that looks like, we don’t know.”

Legislative walkouts often only delay passage of a bill, including in 2021, when many of the same Texas House Democrats left the state for 38 days to protest new voting restrictions. Once they returned, Republicans still passed that measure.

Lawmakers cannot pass bills in the 150-member Texas House without at least

Hours later, 23-year-old Zachary Lewis was shot shortly before 5 p.m in the 8000 block of Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge police said. Lewis was transported to a hospital, where he died of his injuries, and police have not released any information on a motive or suspect.

The most recent killing occurred in Baker about 6:30 a.m. Monday, and is believed to be an attempted murder-suicide. The shoot-

In July, a group of longtime donors sent a letter to Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast arguing that efforts to sell the building would interfere with the conditions of their donations and that legal action could follow

two-thirds of them present. Democrats hold 62 of the seats in the majority-Republican chamber, and at least 51 left the state, said Josh Rush Nisenson, spokesperson for the House Democratic Caucus. The Texas Supreme Court held in 2021 that House leaders had the authority to “physically compel the attendance” of missing members, but no Democrats were forcibly brought back to the state after warrants were served. Republicans answered by adopting $500 daily fines for lawmakers who don’t show up for work as punishment. The governor, meanwhile, continues to make unsubstantiated claims that some lawmakers have committed felonies by soliciting money to pay for fines they could face for leaving the state to deny a quorum. The lack of a quorum will delay votes on disaster assistance and new warning systems in the wake of last month’s catastrophic floods in Texas that killed at least 136 people. Democrats had called for votes on the flooding response

ing happened in the 5100 block of Tristian Avenue, an Emergency Medical Services official said. A woman was found dead at the scene from a gunshot wound, and a man was transported to a hospital in critical condition. Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn said the two were partners, and that investigators believe the incident was an attempted murder-suicide. He added officials are unsure of who pulled the trigger

Planned Parenthood, which also has a clinic on Government Street in Baton Rouge, will continue to keep its doors open in Louisiana until the end of September The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Diplomacy tests friendship of Modi, Trump

BY SHEIKH SAALIQ and RAJESH ROY Associated Press

NEW DELHI The men shared bear hugs, showered praise on each other and made appearances side by side at stadium rallies — a big optics boost for two populist leaders with ideological similarities. Each called the other a good friend.

In India, the bonhomie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump was seen as a relationship like no other That is, until a series of events gummed up the works

From Trump’s tariffs and India’s purchase of oil from Russia to a U.S. tilt toward Pakistan, friction between New Delhi and Washington has been hard to miss. And much of it has happened far from the corridors of power and, unsurprisingly, through Trump’s posts on social media.

It has left policy experts wondering whether the camaraderie the two leaders shared may be a thing of the past, even though Trump has stopped short of referring to Modi directly on social media. The dip in rapport, some say, puts a strategic bilateral relationship built over decades at risk.

“This is a testing time for the relationship,” said Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India’s Foreign Ministry

The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Simmering tensions

The latest hiccup between India and the U.S. emerged last week when Trump announced that he was slapping 25% tariffs on India as well as an unspecified penalty because of India’s purchasing of Russian oil. For New Delhi, such a move from its largest trading partner is expected to be felt across sectors, but it also led to a sense of unease in India — even more so when Trump, on social media, called India’s economy “dead.”

Trump’s recent statements reflect his frustration with the pace of trade talks with India, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal administration thinking. The Republican president has not been pursuing any strategic realignment with Pakistan, accord-

ing to the official, but is instead trying to play hardball in negotiations.

Trump doubled down on the pressure Monday with a fresh post on Truth Social, in which he accused India of buying “massive amounts” of oil from Russia and then “selling it on the Open Market for big profits.”

“They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,” he said.

The messaging appears to have stung Modi’s administration, which has been hard-selling negotiations with Trump’s team over a trade deal by balancing between India’s protectionist system while also opening up the country’s market to more American goods.

Many expected India to react strongly considering Modi’s carefully crafted reputation of strength. Instead, the announcement prompted a rather careful response from India’s commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, who said the two countries are working toward a “fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement.” India’s Foreign Ministry also played down sugges-

tions of any strain.

However, experts in New Delhi wonder “Strenuous, uninterrupted and bipartisan efforts in both capitals over the past 25 years are being put at risk by not just the tariffs but by fast and loose statements and social media posts,” said Malik, who now heads the India chapter of The Asia Group, a U.S. advisory firm Malik also said the trade deal the Indian side has offered to the U.S. is the “most expansive in this country’s history,” referring to reports that India was willing to open up to some American agricultural products. That is a politically sensitive issue for Modi, who faced a yearlong farmers’ protest a few years ago. A tilt toward Pakistan?

The unraveling may have gained momentum over tariffs, but tensions have been palpable for a while. Much of it has to do with Trump growing closer to Pakistan, India’s nuclear rival in the neighborhood.

In May India and Pakistan traded a series of military strikes over a gun massacre in disputed Kashmir that New Delhi blamed Islamabad

Faced with hardships, Ethiopians risk perils at seas for a better life elsewhere Immigration challenges underscored after ship overturns, killing dozens

BY AMANUEL GEBREMEDHIN

BIRHANE and SAMUEL

GITACHEW Associated Press

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia The deadly shipwreck in waters off Yemen’s coast over the weekend is weighing heavily on the hearts of many in Ethiopia. Twelve migrants on the boat that carried 154 Ethiopians survived the tragedy — at least 68 died and 74 remain missing.

When Solomon Gebremichael heard about Sunday’s disaster, it brought back heartbreaking memories — he had lost a close friend and a brother to illegal migration years ago.

“I understand the pain all too well,” Gebremichael said at his home in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. Although Ethiopia has been relatively stable since the war in the country’s Tigray region ended in 2022, youth unemployment is over 20%, leading many to risk dangerous waters trying to reach the wealthy Gulf Arab countries, seeking a better life elsewhere.

Mesel Kindeya made the crossing in 2016 via the same sea route as the boat that capsized on Sunday, traveling without papers on harrowing journeys arranged by smugglers from Ethiopia to Saudi Arabia. “We could barely breathe,” she said of her own sea crossing. “Speaking up could get us thrown overboard by smugglers. I deeply regret risking my life, thinking it would improve my situation.” Kindeya made it to Saudi

for Pakistan denied the accusations.

The four-day conflict made the possibility of a nuclear conflagration between the two sides seem real and the fighting only stopped when global powers intervened

But it was Trump’s claims of mediation and an offer to work to provide a “solution” regarding the dispute over Kashmir that made Modi’s administration uneasy Since then Trump has repeated nearly two dozen times that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan

For Modi, that is a risky — even nervy territory Domestically he has positioned himself as a leader who is tough on Pakistan. Internationally, he has made huge diplomatic efforts to isolate the country So Trump’s claims cut a deep wound, prompting a sense in India that the U.S. may no longer be its strategic partner India insists that Kashmir is India’s internal issue and had opposed any third-party intervention. Last week Modi appeared to dismiss Trump’s claims after India’s Opposition began demanding answers from him. Modi said that “no country in the world stopped” the fight-

ing between India and Pakistan, but he did not name Trump.

Trump has also appeared to be warming up to Pakistan, even praising its counterterrorism efforts Hours after levying tariffs on India, Trump announced a “massive” oil exploration deal with Pakistan, saying that some day, India might have to buy oil from Islamabad Earlier, he also hosted one of Pakistan’s top military officials at a private lunch Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, an expert at New Delhi’s Jindal School of International Affairs, said Trump’s sudden admiration for Pakistan as a great partner in counterterrorism has “definitely soured” the mood in India.

Chaulia said “the best-case scenario is that this is just a passing Trump whim,” but he also warned that “if financial and energy deals are indeed being struck between the U.S. and Pakistan, it will dent the U.S.-India strategic partnership and lead to loss of confidence in the U.S. in Indian eyes.”

Oil from Russia

The strain in relations has also to do with oil.

India had faced strong pressure from the Biden administration to cut back its oil purchases from Moscow during the early months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Instead, India bought more, making it the second-biggest buyer of Russian oil after China. That pressure sputtered over time and the U.S. focused more on building strategic ties with India, which is seen as a bulwark against a rising China.

Trump’s threat to penalize India over oil, however, brought back those issues.

On Sunday, the Trump administration made its frustrations over ties between India and Russia ever more public. Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House, accused India of financing Russia’s war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, saying it was “not acceptable.”

Some experts, though, suspect Trump’s remarks are mere pressure tactics. “Given the wild fluctuations in Trump’s policies,” Chaulia said, “it may return to high fives and hugs again.”

Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed reporting.

Arabia and worked as a maid for six months before she was captured by authorities and imprisoned for eight months By the time she was deported back to Ethiopia, she had barely managed to earn back the initial cost of her journey

“Despite the hardships of life, illegal immigration is just not a solution,” she said.

Over the past years, hundreds of migrants have died in shipwrecks off Yemen, the Arab world’s most impoverished country that has been engulfed in a civil war since September 2014.

“This shows the desperation of the situation in Ethiopia for many people,” said Teklemichael Ab Sahlemariam, a human rights lawyer practicing in Addis Ababa.

“They are pushed to head to a war-torn nation like Yemen and onward to Saudi Arabia or Europe,” he said “I know of many who have perished.”

And many of those who get caught and are sent back to Ethiopia try and make the crossing again.

“People keep going back, even when they are deported, facing financial extortion and subjected to sexual exploitation,” the lawyer said.

Ethiopia’s foreign ministry in a statement on Monday urged Ethiopians “to use legal avenues in securing opportunities.”

“We warn citizens not to take the illegal route in finding such opportunities and avoid the services of traffickers at all cost,” the statement said.

African Union spokesperson Nuur Mohamud Sheek called for urgent collective action in a post on social media “to tackle the root causes of irregular migration and the upholding of migrant rights and to prevent further loss of life.”

Yemen is a major route for migrants from East Africa and the Horn of Africa countries.

About 60,000 migrants arrived in Yemen last year, down from 97,200 in 2023 — a drop that has been attributed to greater patrolling of the waters, according to a March report by the U.N.’s migration agency, the International Organization for Migration.

In March, at least two migrants died and 186 others were missing after four boats capsized off Yemen and Djibouti, according to the IOM.

SmoothOut the Journey

ASSCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RAJANISH KAKADE

A student of Gurukul School of Art completes artwork of President Donald Trump and Prime Minister of India

Narendra Modi on Friday in Mumbai, India.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By NARIMAN EL-MOFTy

Ethiopian migrants walk on the shores of Ras al-Ara, Lahj, yemen, after disembarking from a boat in 2019. At least 68 people were killed and 74 remain missing after a boat carrying migrants wrecked off the coast of yemen over the weekend.

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

OPEC+ countries to boost oil production

NEWYORK—

A group of countries

that are part of the OPEC+ alliance of oil-exporting countries has agreed to boost oil production, a move some believe could lower oil and gasoline prices, citing a steady global economic outlook and low oil inventories.

The group met virtually on Sunday and announced that eight of its member countries would increase oil production by 547,000 barrels per day in September

The countries boosting output, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman, had been participating in voluntary production cuts, initially made in November 2023, which were scheduled to be phased out by September 2026. The announcement means the voluntary production cuts will end ahead of schedule.

The move follows an OPEC+ decision in July to boost production by 548,000 barrels per day in August. OPEC said the production adjustments may be paused or reversed as market conditions evolve.

When production increases, oil and gasoline prices may fall.

But Brent crude oil, which is considered a global benchmark, has been trading near $70 per barrel, which could be due to a potential loss of Russian oil on the market and a large rise in crude inventories in China, according to research firm Clearview Energy Partners.

China pushes back at oil demands by U.S.

WASHINGTON U.S. and Chinese officials may be able to settle many of their differences to reach a trade deal and avert punishing tariffs, but they remain far apart on one issue: the U.S. demand that China stop purchasing oil from Iran and Russia.

“China will always ensure its energy supply in ways that serve our national interests,” China’s Foreign Ministry posted on X on Wednesday following two days of trade negotiations in Stockholm, responding to the U.S. threat of a 100% tariff.

“Coercion and pressuring will not achieve anything. China will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests,” the ministry said The response is notable at a time when both Beijing and Washington are signaling optimism and goodwill about reaching a deal to keep commercial ties between the world’s two largest economies stable — after climbing down from skyhigh tariffs and harsh trade restrictions.

It underscores China’s confidence in playing hardball when dealing with the Trump administration, especially when trade is linked to its energy and foreign policies.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, emerging from the talks, told reporters that when it comes to Russian oil purchases, the “Chinese take their sovereignty very seriously.

Thousands of Boeing workers go on strike

NEW YORK — Several thousand workers at three Midwest manufacturing plants where Boeing develops military aircraft and weapons are on strike early

The strike started early Monday at Boeing facilities in St. Louis; St. Charles, Missouri; and Mascoutah, Illinois, after about 3,200 local members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted to reject a modified labor agreement.

It included a 20% wage increase over four years and $5,000 ratification bonuses. The walkout potentially complicates Boeing’s progress in regaining its financial footing following a bruising 2024. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told analysts last week that the impact would be much less than a walkout last year by 33,000 workers who assemble the company’s commercial jetliners

Tesla gives Musk $29B in stock

The 96 million shares a reward for growth, company says

BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN Associated Press

Tesla gave Elon Musk a stock grant of $29 billion on Monday as a reward for years of “transformative and unprecedented” growth despite a recent foray into rightwing politics that has hurt its sales, profits and its stock price.

In giving its billionaire CEO 96 million in restricted shares, the electric car company noted that Musk hasn’t been paid in years because his 2018 compensation package has been rejected by a Delaware court. The award comes eight months after a judge revoked the 2018 pay package a second time. Tesla has appealed the ruling.

Tesla on Monday called the grant a “first step, good faith” way of retaining Musk and keeping him focused, citing his leadership of SpaceX, xAI and other companies.

Musk said recently that he needed more shares and control so he couldn’t be ousted by shareholder activists.

“Rewarding Elon for what he has done and continues to do for Tesla is the right thing to do,” the company said in a regulatory filing, citing an increase of $735 billion in Tesla’s value on the stock market since 2018.

Tesla shares have plunged 25% this year largely due to blowback over Musk’s affiliation with President Donald Trump. But Tesla also faces intensifying competition

from both the big Detroit automakers, and from China.

In its most recent quarter, Tesla reported that quarterly profits plunged from $1.39 billion to $409 million. Revenue also fell and the company fell short of even the lowered expectations on Wall Street. Investors have grown increasingly worried about the trajectory of the company after Musk had spent so much time in Washington this year, becoming one of the most prominent officials in the Trump administration in its bid to slash the size of the U.S. government.

BETTING ON THE UNION

All major Las Vegas Strip casinos are unionized, defying national trend

BY RIO YAMAT Associated Press

LASVEGAS When Susana Pacheco accepted a housekeeping job 16 years ago at a casino on the Las Vegas Strip, she believed it was a step toward stability for her and her 2-yearold daughter

But the single mom found herself exhausted, falling behind on bills and without access to stable health insurance, caught in a cycle of low pay and little support. For years, she said, there was no safety net in sight until now

For 25 years, her employer, the Venetian, had resisted organizing efforts as one of the last holdouts on the Strip, locked in a prolonged standoff with the Culinary Workers Union. But a recent change in ownership opened the Venetian’s doors to union representation just as the Strip’s newest casino, the Fontainebleau, was also inking its first labor contract

The historic deals finalized late last year mark a major turning point: For the first time in the Culinary Union’s 90-year history, all major casinos on the Strip are unionized. Backed by 60,000 members, most of them in Las Vegas, it is the largest labor union in Nevada. The union’s success on the Strip is a notable exception in a national landscape where

union membership overall is declining. And this summer contracts have provided workers with added security as the city’s tourism dips. Visitation was down 11% in June compared with a year earlier, and the Strip’s occupancy rate also fell from 88% last June to 82%, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

“Together, we’ve shown that change can be a positive force, and I’m confident that this partnership will continue to benefit us all in the years to come,” Patrick Nichols, president and CEO of the Venetian, said shortly after workers approved the deal.

Pacheco says their new contract has already reshaped her day-to-day life. The housekeeper no longer races against the clock to clean an unmanageable number of hotel suites, and she’s spending more quality time with her children because of the better pay and guaranteed days off.

“Now with the union, we have a voice,” Pacheco said.

The Culinary Union is also seeing gains despite Republican-led efforts to curb union power

About 10% of U.S. workers belonged to a union in 2024, down from 20% in 1983, the first year for which data is available, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.

President Donald Trump in March signed an executive order seeking to end collective bargaining for certain federal employees that led to union leaders suing the administration. Nevada and more than two dozen other states now have so-called “right to work” laws that let workers opt out of union membership and dues.

GOP lawmakers have also supported changes to the National Labor Relations Board and other regulatory bodies, seeking to reduce what they view as overly burdensome rules on businesses.

Ruben Garcia, professor and director of the workplace program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas law school, said the Culinary Union’s resilience stems from its deep roots in Las Vegas, its ability to adapt to the growth and corporatization of the casino industry, and its long history of navigating complex power dynamics with casino owners and operators.

He said the consolidation of casinos on the Las Vegas Strip mirrors the dominance of the Big Three automakers in Detroit. A few powerful companies — MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts now control most of the dozens of casinos along Las Vegas Boulevard.

“That consolidation can make things harder for workers in some ways, but it also gives unions one large target,” Garcia said. That dynamic worked in the union’s favor in 2023, when the threat of a major strike by 35,000 hospitality workers with expired contracts loomed over the Strip. But a lastminute deal with Caesars narrowly averted the walkout, and it triggered a domino effect across the Strip, with the union quickly finalizing similar deals for workers at MGM Resorts and Wynn properties.

The latest contracts secured a historic 32% bump in pay over the life of the fiveyear contract. Union casino workers will earn an average $35 hourly, including benefits, by the end of it.

Dow leaps 585 points as stocks win back most of Friday’s loss

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK U.S. stocks rallied on Monday and won back most of their sharp loss from last week, when worries about how President Donald Trump’s tariffs may be punishing the economy sent a shudder through Wall Street. The S&P 500 jumped 1.5% to follow up its worst day since May with its best since May The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 585 points, or 1.3%, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 2%. Idexx Laboratories helped lead the way and soared 27.5% after the seller of veterinary instruments and other health care prod-

ucts reported a stronger profit for the spring than analysts expected. It also raised its forecast for profit over the full year

Tyson Foods likewise delivered a bigger-than-expected profit for the latest quarter, and the company behind the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farms brands rose 2.4%.

They helped make up for a nearly 3% loss for Berkshire Hathaway after Warren Buffett’s company reported a drop in profit for its latest quarter from a year earlier The drop-off was due in part to the falling value of its investment in Kraft Heinz.

Stocks are coming off their worst week since May not so much because of that criticism but because of worries that Trump’s tariffs may be hitting the U.S. economy following a longer wait than some economists had expected. Job growth slowed sharply last month, and the unemployment rate worsened to 4.2%.

The pressure is on U.S. companies to deliver bigger profits after their stock prices shot to record after record recently The jump in stock prices from a low point in April raised criticism that the broad market had become too expensive.

The Fed has instead been keeping rates steady this year, in part because lower rates can send inflation higher, and Trump’s tariffs may be set to increase prices for U.S. households.

Friday’s stunningly weak jobs report did raise expectations on Wall Street that the Fed will cut interest rates at its next meeting in September That caused Treasury yields to slump in the bond market, and they eased a bit more on Monday The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.19% from 4.23% late Friday

Trump reacted to Friday’s disappointing jobs numbers by firing the person in charge of compiling them. He also continued his criticism of the Federal Reserve, which could lower interest rates in order to pump adrenaline into the economy

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN LOCHER

Tenn. set to execute inmate with defibrillator

BY JONATHAN MATTISE Associated Press

NASHVILLE,Tenn.— Tennessee is set to execute an inmate Tuesday without deactivating his implanted defibrillator, as uncertainty lingers about whether the device will shock his heart when a lethal drug takes effect.

Barring a late reprieve requested from the governor, Byron Black’s execution will go forward after a legal back-and-forth over whether the state would need to turn off his implantable cardioverter-defibrillator The nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center said it’s unaware of any other cases in which an inmate was making similar claims to Black’s about ICDs or pacemakers.

Black’s attorneys said they haven’t found a comparable case, either.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected several appeals by Black. The execution would be Tennessee’s second since May, after a pause for five years, first because of COVID-19 and then because of missteps by the Tennessee Department of Correction.

Twenty-seven men have died by

court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., and nine other people are scheduled to be put to death in seven states during the remainder of 2025. The number of executions this year exceeds the 25 carried out last year and in 2018 It is the highest total since 2015, when 28 people were put to death.

Black’s condition

Black, 69, is in a wheelchair, suffering from dementia, brain damage, kidney failure, congestive heart failure and other conditions, his attorneys have said.

In mid-July, a trial court judge agreed with Black’s attorneys that officials must have the instrument deactivated to avert the risk that it could cause unnecessary pain and prolong the execution. But the state Supreme Court intervened July 31 to overturn that decision, saying the other judge lacked the authority to order the change The state has disputed that the lethal injection would cause Black’s defibrillator to shock him. Even if shocks were triggered, Black wouldn’t feel them, the state has added.

N.Y. Post plans a Calif. newspaper

BY JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK The New York Post is launching a California tabloid newspaper and news site next year, the company announced Monday, bringing an assertive, irreverent and conservative-friendly fixture of the Big Apple media landscape to the Golden State. In the process, it is creating a 21st-century rarity: a new American newspaper with a robust print edition. Adding another title to Rupert Murdoch‘s media empire, The California Post is setting out to cover politics, local news, business, entertainment and sports in the nation’s most populous state, while drawing and building on the venerable New York paper’s national coverage. Plans for the Los Angeles-based paper call for a print edition seven days a week plus a website, social media accounts and video and audio pieces.

“There is no doubt that the Post will play a crucial role in engaging and enlightening readers, who are starved of serious reporting and puckish wit,” Robert Thomson, chief executive of Post corporate parent News Corp., said in a statement. In typically brash and punchy Post fashion, he portrayed California as plagued by ”jaundiced, jaded journalism.” California, with a population of nearly 40 million, still has hundreds of newspapers, including dailies in and around Los Angeles and other major cities. But the nation’s second-mostpopulous city hasn’t had a dedicated tabloid focused on regional issues in recent memory according to Dan-

ny Bakewell, president of the Los Angeles Press Club.

“It’s really an untested market here,” said Bakewell, who is editor-inchief of the Los Angeles Sentinel, a weekly focused on the city’s Black population. “L.A. is always ready for good-quality news reporting, and particularly in this moment when so many other papers are shrinking and disappearing, it could be a really unique opportunity.”

The 224-year-old New York Post was founded by no less a luminary than Alexander Hamilton, the country’s first treasury secretary, an author of the Federalist Papers, the victim of a duel at the hands of the vice president and the inspiration for the Broadway smash “Hamilton.” Murdoch, News Corp.s founder and now its chairman emeritus, bought the Post in 1976, sold it a dozen years later then repurchased it in 1993. The Post is known for its relentless and skewering approach to reporting, its facility with sensational or racy subject matter, its Page Six gossip column and the paper’s huge and often memorable frontpage headlines see, for example, 1983’s “Headless Body in Topless Bar.” At the same time, the Post is a player in both local and national politics It routinely pushes, from the right, on “wokeness” and other culture-war pressure points, and it has broken such political stories as the Hunter Biden laptop saga. The Post has an avid reader in President Donald Trump, who gave its “Pod Force One” podcast an interview as recently as last month

Black’s attorneys have countered that even if the lethal drug being used, pentobarbital, renders someone unresponsive, they aren’t necessarily unaware or unable to feel pain.

Black’s case

Black was convicted in the 1988 shooting deaths of his girlfriend Angela Clay, 29, and her two daughters, Latoya Clay, 9, and Lakeisha Clay, 6. Prosecutors said he was in a jealous rage when he shot the three at their home At the time, Black was on work-release while serving time for shooting Clay’s estranged husband.

Linette Bell whose sister and two nieces were killed, recently told WKRN-TV: “He didn’t have mercy on them, so why should we have mercy on him?”

“It feels like it is never-ending,” Bell told the news outlet. “They aren’t even resting in their own grave.”

Medical considerations

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is a small, battery-powered electronic device that is surgically implanted in the chest, typically

BY CORA LEWIS and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press

NEW YORK The vast majority of U.S. adults are at least somewhat stressed about the cost of groceries, a new poll finds, as prices continue to rise and concerns about the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs remain widespread.

About half of all Americans say the cost of groceries is a “major” source of stress in their life right now, while 33% say it’s a “minor” source of stress, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Only 14% say it’s not a source of stress, underscoring the pervasive anxiety most Americans continue to feel about the cost of everyday essentials.

Other financial stressors

— like the cost of housing or the amount of money in their bank accounts — are also broadly felt, but they weigh more heavily on younger Americans, who are less likely than older adults to have significant savings or own property

The survey also found that about 4 in 10 Americans under age 45 say they’ve used what are known as “buy now, pay later” services when spending on entertainment or restaurant meals or when paying for essentials like groceries or medical care.

Adam Bush, 19, based in Portland, New York, is one of those younger Americans who has used pay-later services for things like groceries or entertainment. Bush works as a welder fabricating parts for trucks for Toyota, and makes under $50,000 per year

“I just keep watching the prices go up, so I’m looking for the cheapest possible stuff,” he said. “Hot pockets and TV dinners.”

near the left collarbone. It serves as a pacemaker and an emergency defibrillator. Black’s attorneys say the only way to be sure it’s off is for a doctor to place a programming device over the implant site, sending it a deactivation command, with no surgery required.

The legal case also spurred a reminder that most medical professionals consider participation in executions a violation of health care ethics.

While the judge’s order to deactivate the device was in place, state officials said Nashville General Hospital practitioners would do the procedure the day before at the hospital, but wouldn’t travel to the prison on execution day as the court required. The judge offered some leeway, allowing the procedure at the hospital on the morning of the execution.

But Nashville General then released a statement saying the state’s contractor didn’t reach out to proper hospital leadership and that there had been no agreement to do the work.

Intellectual disability claim

In recent years, Black’s legal

team has also tried and failed to get a new hearing over whether he is intellectually disabled and ineligible for the death penalty under U.S. Supreme Court precedent. His attorneys have said that if they had delayed a prior attempt to seek his intellectual disability claim, he would have been spared under a 2021 state law

Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk contended in 2022 that Black is intellectually disabled and deserves a hearing under that 2021 law, but the judge denied it. That is because an inmate can’t get an intellectual disability hearing under the 2021 law if they have already filed a similar request and a court has ruled on it “on the merits.” In Funk’s attempt, he focused on input from an expert for the state in 2004 who determined back then that Black didn’t meet the criteria for what was then called “mental retardation.” But she concluded that Black met the new law’s criteria for a diagnosis of intellectual disability

Black also sought a determination by the courts that he is incompetent to be executed.

finds. While Americans over age 60 are less likely than younger people to feel major financial anxiety about housing, their savings, child care, or credit card debt, they are just as worried about the cost of groceries.

if I lost that, groceries would absolutely be a major source of stress.” Bland’s monthly income mainly goes toward her electric, water and cable bills, she said, as well as care of her dogs and other household needs.

Stressed about groceries

Groceries are one of the most far-reaching financial stressors, affecting the young and old alike, the poll

Esther Bland, 78, who lives in Buckley Washington, said groceries are a “minor” source of stress — but only because her local food banks fill the gap. Bland relies on her Social Security and disability payments each month to cover her rent and other expenses such as veterinary care for her dogs — in retirement, after decades working in an office processing product orders.

“I have no savings,” she said. “I’m not sure what’s going on politically when it comes to the food banks, but

“Soap, paper towels, toilet paper I buy gas at Costco, but we haven’t seen $3 a gallon here in a long time,” she said. “I stay home a lot I only put about 50 miles on my car a week.” According to the poll, 64% of the lowest-income Americans — those who have a household income of less than $30,000 a year — say the cost of groceries is a “major” stressor That’s compared

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LOUISIANA AT LARGE

La.summer in ashanty boat

WesModes emailed in the spring about his plan to spendthe summer in ashanty boatonthe rivers of south Louisiana.

My first question was obvious: Why plan this trip for the summer?

On Thursday night, in anair-conditioned, upstairs bar overlooking amarina and campgroundonthe Inner Harbor Navigation Canal near Lake Pontchartrain, Ilearned the answer: He’sa teacherand has the summer off Technically,he’sanart professor,and Dotty,his shanty boat —built over two years usingthe remains of a100-year-old chicken coop —looks like something Disney might design if asked to build ashanty boat. Modes will hatethat comparison, but it’strue.

With clothes hanging to dry from the small back porch,wallslined with books and rusted signs, avase of flowers on the table, the boat is beautifuland rustic all at once. His attention to detail and use of space are amaster class for tiny house construction.

Cleansheets?

Aboard his shanty boat, Modes is the director of “A Secret History of American River People,” a decadelong participatory project documentingoverlooked river communities. Since his first trip, he andhis crew have collected 175 oral histories and traveled3,000 rivermiles and 30,000 miles on land. He’straversed the Upper Mississippi River,the Tennessee, the Sacramento, theHudson, the Ohio and now the Atchafalaya River system. Along the way this summer, Modes has had friendsjoinhim, includingAdrian Nankivell forthe last leg of the trip. Nankivell came from acold New Zealand winter for ariver trip that was sure to heat things up.

When Iasked how comfortable or uncomfortable the weather was this summer,Nankivell saidthe rain had helped, but still.

Nankivell slept in ahammock diagonallystretched from one corner of the living quarters to another.Modes slept in the “captain’s quarters,” aloft abovethe living quarters with about 16 inches of clearance.

“You know when you have clean sheets and they’re all dry and slightly warm and they have that really crisp feel?” Modes asked me. “And then you like feel like you don’tdeservethose sheets, so you go and you take ahot shower —and you’re all completely new.You’relikeanew person?”

Isaid, “Yes, Ilove that feeling.I know it well.” He continued.

“And then you get into your sheets and it’slike perfect,and all is right with the world? The sheets are dry and smooth,”hesaid.

His clean-sheet description was so nicely done that it had me smiling and nodding along.

He paused.

“This summer was 100% notlike that,” Modes said.

Alongthe river

But other than the hot nights above the shanty boat, the summer was full of adventures, problems and searches for solutions.

Over the years on rivers, Modes has noticed how many towns exist because of rivers —but now have little to do with them.

On June 21, Modes put the shanty boat in the Red River in Colfax to start his 2025 river journey

“Wecame down throughthe locks and Alexandria. Alexandria’s like one of those towns that now has no river culture,” Modessaid. “Like there’snothingthere along

ä See RISHER, page 2B

Teachervacancies trending lower Superintendent detailsbuses,tech

BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer

As schools preparetoreopen

Thursdayafter summer break, East Baton RougeParish Superintendent LaMont Cole saidheis still looking for teachers, but vacancies are downcompared with ayear ago.

“We’re in amuch better position,” said Cole, whospoke Mondaytothe Baton Rouge Press Club.

He saidthe school systemhad 72 teaching vacancies as of Saturday, downfromclose to 200 ayear ago. Andoverall vacancies stood at 103, downfrommore than 300 ayear ago.

Cole said the vacancy situation would look better if not for the roughly 200 district employees whoretiredinmid-July

The currentnumber of vacancies was reducedthanks to the displacement of about 700 school employees due to the April 29 approval of amonths-in-the-making realignment plan that closed nine schools, relocated four,gave seven newgrade configurations andredrew attendance zones for 12. The changes arealongtimecoming for aschool district with almost 40,000 students, but space for about 60,000.

“Wemade some difficult decisions, but they were necessary,” Cole said.

He said about 98% of thosehundreds of displacedemployees have been placed in new positions.

The transition process, however,took months, delaying when schools wereallowed to hire from outside thatdisplaced pool.

The realignment planalso included aseriesofadditional changes,including newstart times at six schools. Capitol and Glen Oaks high schools are the most affected, starting 100 minuteslater at 8:50 a.m. Theschool system may expand the start time pilottomore schools as soon as January

“Wesee students standingon corners at 5o’clock in the morning beforethe sun comes up,” Cole said. “That is unconscionable in my opinion.” The start time changesare connected to alargerset of changes to the system’sbeleaguered transportation system. That system cratered in August 2023 when it beganthe 2023-24 school year with asevere shortage of drivers and working buses, leading to many children stranded or delayed in getting to and from school.

When school starts Thursday, nearly allofthe 500 buses that will take the roads will

UPLIFTINGUPDATE

ABOVE: Agreat egret stands near amanmade land structureas progressisseen on Monday during theongoing University Lakes renovation project in Baton Rouge. RIGHT: Aturtle basks in thesun nearby

Court hearsAngolachallenge

Stateappeals heat protection ruling

BYMATTBRUCE Staff writer

Apanel of appellate judges listened to arguments Monday challenging the injunction afederal district judge imposed earlier this year to improve heat protections on the “Farm Line”atthe LouisianaState Penitentiary at Angola. Afterlistening to days of testimony earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson issued aMay 23 order thatdirectedprison officials to lower the “heat alert” threshold that triggers precautions for men working in theprison’s fields. The ruling came witha 90-day tem-

porary restraining order that mandated heat alerts when the heat index at the prison metorexceeded 88 degrees —3degrees cooler than what had been the prison’sthreshold. Jackson also required prison staff to check the heat indexonAngola’sfarmline every30minutes,asopposed to once an hour,toensure thattemperatures had not reached dangerous levels.

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections appealed theorder arguing it wasnot narrowly defined anddidn’taddress a necessary need for relief in a way that was least intrusive to prison officials. Those are parameters in the Prison Litigation Reform Act, afederal law that imposes requirements for prisoner condition lawsuits. In its filings for arever-

sal, the Attorney General’s Office described Jackson’s directive to check heatindex at 30-minute intervals as “micromanagement” and saidhis decision doesn’t comport with the PLRA,callingit overly broad. “The May 23 order quite literally is amatter of degrees and minutes —simply because the district courtdisagrees with where Louisiana prison officialsdrew certain lines,” the argument stated, citing a2020 opinion fromthe 5thCircuit. “But theConstitution charges federal judges withdeciding cases and controversies, notwith running state prisons.…The district court’s attempted control of LSP’sFarm Line —down to the degree and minute fundamentallyviolatesthat principle.”

ä See COURT, page 2B

Couple arrested in Medicaid fraud

Denham Springsduo accused of hiding marriage in scheme

BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer

ADenham Springs couple who hid their marriagetofraudulently getmorethan$133,000 in Medicaid benefits has been arrested, according to the state Attorney General’sOffice. Thearrest was made by the Attorney General’s Bureau of Investigation, after the casewas referred to investigators by the state DepartmentofHealth. Keith and Sheryl Duncan, of Columbia Avenue in Denham Springs,bothMedicaidrecipients, “intentionally underreportedtheir income for purposes to receive Medicaid benefits,” the Attorney General’sOffice stated.

Agents learned that between Nov.1,2021, and Oct. 31, 2024, the Duncans presented false information by failing to accurately report their

See FRAUD, page 2B

STAFF PHOTO By CHARLES LUSSIER

East Baton RougeParish Superintendent LaMont Cole speakstothe Baton RougePress Club on Monday.

ä See TEACHER, page 2B

STAFF PHOTOSByHILARy SCHEINUK

Parishes, charities to pay $60M in church bankruptcy

Many local congregations are already struggling financially

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

In 2023, Archbishop Gregory Aymond told New Orleans’ 500,000 Roman Catholics in a letter that they would eventually be asked to contribute to a settlement in the archdiocese’s long-running bankruptcy case.

Now, that number — and what it would mean to the church’s parishes and charitable organizations — is coming into greater focus.

Court documents filed last week show that the archdiocese’s 104 parishes and 19 of its charitable organizations will be required to pay $60 million toward a financial settlement that will eventually total around $180 million. That does not include $45 million or so from the anticipated sale of Christopher Homes, a portfolio of elderly senior housing.

The settlement funds, to be placed in a trust, would benefit hundreds of survivors of clergy sex abuse and be distributed over several years, provided the plan is approved by two-thirds of abuse survivors and confirmed by U.S.

Bankruptcy Court Judge Meredith Grabill.

Grabill has set a Dec. 30 deadline for ending the bankruptcy case, which at more than five years and $50 million in legal fees, is now the longest-running and second-most expensive of the 40 or so church

TEACHER

Continued from page 1B

that number had air conditioning two years ago — and they will be running routes that have been reworked to be more efficient with the help of Prismatic, a transportation consulting firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Cole said the new school start times are helping bus routing by allowing for more direct routes. Cole said there are high school students whose afternoon commute is shrinking from as much as two hours to more like 15 minutes.

The school system also recently started a Transportation Opt-Out Program that allows families to decline bus service if not needed. District buses this year are also rolling with new security cameras that have live remote access, GPS tracking and motion-sensor activation, as well as clouded and on-bus video data backup

The district is adding technology to help in other ways. Cole noted a new digital customer service platform called “Let’s Talk” that employs artificial intelligence to expedite complaints.

“We’ve only seen it in effect for a short few weeks. We have seen drastic improvements in the way we provide customer service, and we are really excited,” he said. Looking forward Cole noted that another consulting firm, Huntsville, Alabama-based LEAN Frog, is reviewing how the district pays its employees, with planned pay raises for the 2026-27 school year He said LEAN Frog indicates some school employees can earn more simply by merging salary schedules.

“We have a very complex salary schedule,” Cole said “We have probably the most complex salary schedule in the state of Louisiana.”

The superintendent said he would like to see Baton Rouge schoolteachers paid on a par with, and perhaps higher, than their peers across the region.

“We’re going to work extremely hard to pay them what they deserve,” Cole said.

bankruptcy cases filed over the past two decades.

If Grabill sticks to that timeline and the settlement is accepted and confirmed by the end of the year the parishes and charities would be required to come up with their portion of the $60 million in less than six months.

Court documents do not say how much each parish and organization would be assessed individually or what would happen if they cannot come up with the money by the time the plan goes into effect

The archdiocese declined to comment because the parties in the case are not legally allowed to discuss the proposed settlement until the judge approves certain documents and financial information that will go out to survivors and other creditors ahead of a vote on the plan.

In his 2023 letter, Aymond said he prayed that through the bankruptcy settlement process, “ and by the grace of God, we will emerge better prepared for the future and be an even stronger Catholic family.”

Many pots

While much of the focus of the church bankruptcy in recent years has centered on how much survivors stand to receive from the settlement, court documents filed last week explain more clearly where the money will come from According to the documents, $65 million in cash will come from the archdiocese and $60 million from the 124 parishes and charities that are participating in the bankruptcy process. Another $20 million will be paid over four years following property sales, and $5 million in cash will come from certain

COURT

Voice of the Experienced, a reform group that represents people who were formerly incarcerated, filed the lawsuit in May 2023, alleging work conditions on the Farm Line during extreme heat violate Eighth Amendment constitutional protections that prohibit “cruel and unusual punishment” of prisoners.

Attorneys for the two sides argued before U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit judges Carl Stewart, Edith Brown Clement and Cory Wilson during a hearing Monday in New Orleans.

Inmates assigned to work on Angola’s so-called Farm Line plant and cultivate produce for the prison population. They put in intensive hours of labor on the prison’s sprawling fields, and VOTE claims Angola’s policies pose a substantial risk of heat-related injury for workers toiling in Louisiana’s sweltering summertime humidity

church-owned entities that are not participating in the bankruptcy because they do not have any legal exposure in the case.

The remaining $30 million would come from a tentative settlement with church insurers, court documents show

Additionally, proceeds from the sale of Christopher Homes, estimated to generate around $44 million, would be added to the settlement sometime in mid-2026, for a total of somewhere around $225 million, court documents show

“The plan provides an efficient and speedy means for allocating compensation to each survivor,” members of the court-appointed committee that negotiated the proposed settlement said in a letter to abuse victims in the case. “The committee believes that the plan is in the best interest of all creditors and urges you to accept the plan.”

Operating at a loss

When Aymond first told local Catholics that they would be asked to contribute to the settlement, reactions across the diocese ranged from anger to sadness to a willingness to do whatever it takes to bring healing to the church and closure to the case.

Two years later faced with a specific ask from their pastors in the pulpit, it’s unclear how willing the faithful will be to open their pocketbooks.

One thing is apparent: Many local parishes are struggling financially In a bankruptcy court hearing last week that delved into the value of church assets, financial consultant Chris Linscott testified that “roughly two-thirds of the parishes do not break even. They do

Jackson’s ruling earlier this year was the second time he had issued an injunction in the case that imposed more heat protections for inmates. In July 2024, he ordered prison officials to address problems with lack of shade, availability of sunscreen and heat relief on the Farm Line.

Three months after that preliminary injunction expired last year corrections officials altered the prison’s heat pathology policy Heat alerts trigger protective measures, such as bringing heat-sensitive workers inside, and offering other workers scheduled rest breaks in shaded areas to offset when the heat index reaches dangerous levels. The heat index trigger was 88 degrees until Angola approved policy revisions in October and April that raised the threshold index for heat alerts to 91. Jackson in May ordered Angola to return the trigger point to 88 degrees.

Appellate Judge Wilson questioned Solicitor General Jorge Benjamin Aguinaga about the prison’s

not generate enough to pay their expenses.”

That means they have to tap into reserves or some other source of funds to pay their bills.

Financial documents filed in the case show that nearly 20% of the parishes that will be asked to contribute to the settlement finished the year in the red, with losses ranging from $20,000 to $10 million, not including real estate assets owned by those parishes.

Other parishes have sizable surpluses.

Holy Name of Jesus on St. Charles Avenue had net assets of more than $6.7 million at the end of 2024, not including several pieces of parish-owned real estate with an insured replacement value of more than $26 million and an estimated liquidation value meaning what it would sell for in a fire sale — of at least $6.5 million.

St Peter Claver in Treme, on the other hand, finished the year more than $220,000 in the red. Its church, school and other buildings have an insured replacement value of about $5.6 million, with a liquidation value of $150,000, court records show

Sources familiar with the case and other church bankruptcies say each parish and charitable organization will be assessed according to its financial situation and will not be asked to pay more than it is able.

The parishes and charities will contribute to the settlement to protect against future abuse lawsuits.

To do so, legally they will file a socalled “pre-packaged” bankruptcy that would last no more than 48 hours, attorneys have said, ahead of the plan confirmation process.

policy shift during Monday’s hearing. “What the district court does here is hone in on the state’s decision to raise the threshold by 3 degrees. It doesn’t seem like we’re starting from ground zero,” he said. “So does the district court, then, need to go through the incantation from the PRLA every order it enters after the first one?”

Aguinaga cited an October ruling the 5th Circuit made affirming unconstitutional conditions at the Raymond Detention Center in Hinds County, Mississippi. The appeals court upheld a federal consent decree and the appointment of a receiver to oversee that the jail remains compliant with the consent order. But the review panel struck down portions of an injunction as overly broad. Aguinaga argued Jackson’s order cited no provisions of the PLR, and federal law required he outline specific requirements for his findings before granting “any entry of prospective relief” such as the injunction.

Anna Stapleton, a San Francisco

“This will help preserve the assets of parishes, schools and ministries against past claims of abuse,” Aymond said in his 2023 letter ‘Catastrophic’

The archdiocese is following the playbook of other recent church bankruptcy cases. In the Diocese of Rockville Center, New York, which was settled in December after more than four years, the 136 parishes and ministries were required to contribute $53 million toward a $323 million settlement.

Some parishes were tapped for as much as $1 million. Others were asked for less than $100,000 Catholics learned how much of the settlement would come out of their coffers in piecemeal fashion, according to national media reports earlier this year

In June, the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, announced that its parishes would be required to pay up to 80% of their “unrestricted cash” by July 15 to help fund a $150 million settlement for abuse victims.

The amount each parish was required to pay was based on its cash reserves, according to Catholic News Agency Parishes with less than $250,000 in unrestricted cash were told they must pay 10% of that amount, while parishes with more than $3 million will be required to pay 75%.

Several parishes in the diocese already facing closure filed suit, arguing that the payments would be “catastrophic and likely would fatally destroy the parishes.” In late July, the New York Supreme Court granted them a temporary reprieve while the case makes its way through court.

attorney arguing as part of VOTE’s legal team, countered that Jackson’s order crafted relief for the Farm Line workers that was “narrow, necessary and nonintrusive” as required by law She noted 88 degrees is the scientifically established threshold for heat protections.

“This court has previously acknowledged that exposure to extreme heat on LSP’s farm line likely poses a substantial risk of serious harm,” Stapleton said. “The appellants cannot contest that they are well-aware of that risk, yet the heatprotective policies implemented since the outset of this litigation are inadequate to protect the health and lives of men required to labor on the Farm Line.”

The appeals panel did not make a decision after listening to Monday’s arguments from attorneys. The preliminary injunction that Jackson issued expires Aug. 21. State attorneys pushed to have a decision from the circuit before that expiration date so the court can weigh in before its appeal possibly becomes moot

RISHER

Continued from page 1B

the river, other than a weak attempt at a dock. There’s no way to like stop there when you’re, you know, so it’s just like, ‘Alright, you just move on by.’” They came down the Red River, which becomes the Atchafalaya River near Simmesport — specifically where the Red River joins with water flowing from an outflow channel of the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya

The shanty boat stopped in Sim-

mesport, where they had a bit of excitement by docking on the river’s edge, walking into town and meeting, by chance, a nice young man who drove them back to their boat. Shortly thereafter, Modes said that two other young men dressed in full militia gear, with sidearms and patches that said, “Always be ready,” and locked and loaded AR-15s. “And so they were They were like, ‘Hey, this is private property.’ We’re like, ‘That’s fine. We’ll get out of here.’” The situation, as they say, escalated from there with trips to the police station, citations issued,

threats made and more. Things became friendlier once they were south of Interstate 10. By the time they reached the bayous near Houma and Dulac, the heat hadn’t let up, but Modes says they had found their groove and the way that even tenuous connections in Louisiana can open doors. The stories had gotten deeper, and the river and its people, for the most part, gentler Modes is spending a few more days in New Orleans. He’s simultaneously still processing the trip, getting ready for the next semester of teaching and already looking forward to his next river adventure. History doesn’t live in comfort — it lives in stories. And rivers still have plenty to tell. Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Adrian Nankivell and Wes Modes remove a shanty boat from the side of the Almonaster Avenue Bridge in New Orleans after they were pushed onto it by a storm while waiting for the bridge to open on Wednesday.

Marquette, Elizabeth Cheveallier 'Denise'

Denise passed away peacefully on July 18, 2025, surrounded by hersons. She was alifelong resident of Baton Rouge. She is survived by her sons, Michael (Belinda) Marquette, and Daniel Marquette; grandchildren, Cameron Marquette, Mackenzye Marquette, Theodore "Teddy" Marquette, and Daniel John "DJ" Marquette; brother Greg (Beverly)Cheveallier; and lifelong friend Whitney Burnette. Denise is preceded in death by herhusband Teddy Marquette; her parents, Charles Edward and Bobbie Jean Cheveallier; and her brothers Darrell Cheveallier and Robert Cheveallier.

Though it is difficultto saygoodbye, we are grateful for the time we had together. We take solacein knowing that she is finally reunited with Teddy. Her story does not end hereshelives on in us, in every laugh, every memory, and everythingwedothat is inspired by her. Your memory is ablessing, and your life was agift that willnever be forgotten. There will be agathering of the immediate family at alater date.

GabrielMartinborn December 9, 1953inNew Roads, LA to Augustand Josephine Martin, tranisitioned on Monday July 28, 2025inBaton Rouge,LA. A visitation willbeheld from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on 202508-06atA.Hamilton Platinum Funeral Service, 2055 Wooddale Blvd. Baton Rouge,LA. 70806

Jerry Mendozawas born on December 6, 1949, in BayouSorrell to Jamesand DaisyAshleyMendoza,of BayouChene,Louisiana.He passedawayonSunday, August 3, 2025. Jerry was thetenth of twelve chil‐dren andwas raised in part by hisbeloved Aunt Mame Voisin.Froma young age, Jerry showed astrong drivetobetterhimself,be‐coming both an accom‐plishedathlete andanavid learner. Aftergraduation, Jerry worked as asurveyor offshore in theGulfofMex‐ico andthroughoutthe country. He lovedtoshare many storiesabout his travelsand offshore work He eventually builta suc‐cessfulcareer in thechem‐ical industry where hiscu‐riosityand deep mechani‐calknowledge sethim apart. He became known as an expert in predictive maintenanceand went on to starthis own company, employingseveral people from thecommunity for

over 20 years. In retire‐ment,Jerry took on the role of RangeMasteratthe newlyestablished Iberville Parish Firing Range. He waspassionateabout cre‐atinga safe,welcoming environmentfor thecom‐munity to learnabout and enjoyshootingsports. He wasknown forhis work ethic, loyalty, andgenuine care forthe rangeand its patrons. More than any‐thing, Jerry wasa family man. He lovedhis wife of 54 years, Doris, andtheir daughtersHayleyand Ash‐ley, andconsideredthem hisgreatestaccomplish‐ments. He shared with them hisloveofthe out‐doors, animals, music, reading, andsoftball. He wasimmenselyproud of hisgrandsons,Clayton Brown, ChristianBrown, andReidMendoza Whetherteachingthem golf, hunting, fishing, base‐ball or life lessons, Jerry wasalwayspresent,al‐ways guidingwithhumor heart, andwisdom. He also gave them the“ok”totest boundariesand breaka fewrules,all in thename of funand experience Jerry leaves behind a legacy of honor, hard work andquiet strength.Heled by example, loveddeeply andwecould nothave askedfor abetterhus‐band,father, and grandfa‐ther.While we aregrateful forthe time we hadwith him, ourlives areforever changedbyhis loss, and hisabsence will be felt daily. He is survived by his wife,Doris DayMendoza, hisdaughters,HayleyMen‐doza Brown(Chad), and Ashley Mendoza(Bobby Messenger);and his grandsonsClayton Brown, ChristianBrown, andReid Mendoza. He is also sur‐vivedbyhis brothers Gary Dean (JoAnn),and Mark (Sylvia) Mendoza; hissis‐ters BeverlyRay andRuth Pence(Gary); anda large extended familyofnieces andnephews.Hewas pre‐cededindeath by hispar‐ents,James andDaisy Mendoza, hisAunt Mame; hisbrothersOrie, Hubert, Charles, Calvin andIvan Mendoza; andhis sister Lil‐lieAlexander.Visitation will be at WilbertFuneral Home in Plaquemine on Wednesday, August 6th, from 6to9 p.m. andon Thursday,August7th,atSt. John theEvangelist

Catholic Church in Plaque‐

mine from 9a.m.until Rite of ChristianBurialat11 a.m.,celebratedbyRev Martin Lawrence.Entomb‐ment will follow in Grace Memorial Park.Pallbearers will be Claytonand Christ‐ianBrown, Reid andJustin Mendoza, DavidPence, Barry Alexander, Thad Doss,Kevin Kolder and DwainElliott.Honorary pallbearerswillbeChad Brown, BobbyMessenger Dean,Mark, Gary andBran‐donMendoza,Gabeand ShaneDoss. Thefamily wouldliketothank all thosewho have reached outwithloveand support during Jerry’s briefillness. We areespeciallygrateful to theOchsner staff in both Plaquemine andNew Orleansfor theircompas‐sionatecareand the Iberville Parish Govern‐ment andSheriff’sOffice fortheir support. Please sharememoriesatwww wilbertservices.com.

Ramoin, Alfred Joseph'A.J.' Alfred Joseph"A.J. Ramoinpassed away at our Ladyofthe LakeHospitalonJuly 29, 2025, at the ageof97withhis wife, Nita,athis side.A.J. liveda long life enjoying his family,bass fishing, hunting and "shaking"a legatthe American Legion and tea dances with his wife of 66 years. A.J. servedhis country with theArmyinGermany during theKorean War. He was an expert mechanicand jack-of-all trades. He is survived by hiswife,Nita Territo Ramoin. He was preceded in death by his father, JosephBarthel Ramoin; mother, Lena Sanchez Ramoinand sisters,Ruth Cascio and Evelyn Altazin. Amemorial gathering will be heldonWednesday, August 6, 2025, at St.Aloysius CatholicChurch starting at 10:00 am until Mass begins at 11:00 am. Rabenhorst Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

JamesSimpson Ritchie, Jr affectionately referred to as Jimmy, Bimmy, Brother, Jim, Ritchie, Uncle, Daddy,Paw Paw, Rambo, J Dog, andRaceCar Ritchie, died on Friday,August1 2025, at theage of 85. Jimmyloved hishometown of St.Francisville, Louisiana,and couldalways be relied upon foranaccu‐rate oral historyofthe area anda keen abilityfor rememberingbirthdays of many of hisfriends.Jimmy attended school in St.Fran‐cisville andlater joined the United States Marine Corps where he wasstationed in California from 1956 to 1959. Upon return to St Francisville,hebegan a long career as apaper ma‐chinetenderand supervi‐sorfor thepaper mill knownatthattimeas CrownZellerbach. He and hislifelongbestfriend, WayneHarvey, also did otherworktogether as needed foradditional in‐come.After retiring from thepaper mill,heenjoyed arewarding career with theWestFeliciana Sheriff’s Office assistingwithel‐derlyservicesand serving as acourt bailiff. He wasa longtime deer hunter spending time at theWest FelicianaHuntingClubin CatIslandwithfriends and familyinanorangeschool busliftedhighinthe air becauseofperiodicMissis‐sippi River flooding. Jimmy’sgreatestjoy was spending time with his family. He wasdelighted whenhewas blessedwith grandchildrenAlicia Goulette Brumfieldand husband Josh,Stephen Goulette andwifeAndi, Maggie Ritchie, andBuck Ritchieand laterwithgreat grandchildrenAmelia, Scarlett, Jude,and Jack Brumfield; Karliand Kolbi Goulette;and Kennedi and

Jace Fletcher.Lefttocher‐ish hismemoryare his children,RhondaRitchie Repetowski,and husband Mike,ofSt. Francisville and Vesuvi Timeauxof Chicago, IL;brothersButch Ritchie, andwifeFaye, and RandyRitchie,and wife Linda, of St.Francisville; grandchildrenand great grandchildren. He waspre‐cededindeath by hispar‐ents,James “Jim”Ritchie Sr.and wife Shirley; son Sean DavidRitchie;sisters Nadine Tanner,and hus‐band Steve, andIrene Gre‐sham,and husband Boo; andnephewThomasGre‐sham.Pallbearers will be hisnephews BobbyTanner, Jerry Tanner,Patrick Tan‐ner, JoeD.Gresham,and John Ritchie; andson-inlawMikeRepetowski. Therewillbea visitation on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at theFeliciana MethodistChurch,4740 Prosperity Street,St. Fran‐cisville,from9:00a.m.until funeralservicesconducted by theRev.Dr. RandyRuss at 11:00 a.m. Burial will fol‐lowatFeliciana Cemetery in St.Francisville. Share sympathies,memories, andcondolences at www CharletFuneralHome.com.

Mendoza, Jerry

Martin, Gabriel 'Mr. G'

OUR VIEWS

Give LA DOGE a chance

There’slikely little disagreement that government at all levels should operateefficiently.All taxpayers surely want their dollars to be spent wisely and frugally

That’swhy we are cautiously optimistic about Gov. JeffLandry’sLouisiana Department of Government Efficiency,orLADOGE. Approached correctly,this initiative has the potentialto benefit both state workersand the residentswho interact with government.

The reason for our caution should be obvious to anyone whofollows nationalnews. Landry’s interest in reexaminingstate government dates back to his days as attorneygeneral,but he rebranded the initiative “LA DOGE” to piggyback on the Trump administration’scontroversialeffort, headed initially by ElonMusk.

We are hardly the first to criticizehow DOGE in Washington has carriedout its mission. Under Musk, the initiative —itwas never aformal department, as Louisiana’s is not— belittled government workers and slashed jobs and programs without fully understanding orappreciating the value they provide. The wreckageand hard feelings have been widespread, somelayoffsand programcutswerechaotically reversed, and so far, there’slittle evidence ofactual savings

It doesn’thave to be that way.Wefervently hopethat, in Louisiana, it won’t be

We’re glad to hear Landry and his appointed “fiscal responsibility czar” Steve Orlando say LA DOGE’sgoal is not to cut government jobs or services for the sake of cutting, but to useabusiness-mindedapproach to help agenciesspend taxpayer dollars wisely

We believe any largeorganizationcan benefit from such periodic review.Bureaucraciescan become stuck on the way things have always been done, even if there are betterapproaches For those who work within the system, attemptingchange can pose frustrating institutional obstacles.

That doesn’tmean we have no concerns.A major one is that LA DOGEdoesn’tplan to follow public meetings laws thatrequire government actions take place in public. We urge it notto adopt aculture of secrecy in doing what is clearly the people’sbusiness.

But we are encouraged that it’sstarting off by lookingatthe perennially troubledDepartment of Children and Family Servicesand atthe sprawling Health Department, which will face major challenges once Medicaid cuts outlined in theOne Big Beautiful Bill kick in.

If LA DOGE effectively modernizes operations,eliminatesunnecessary contracts and ensures thatonlythose whodeserveservices are gettingthem without hurting those whoqualify, that’d be awin for everyone

So as it undertakes its work, weurgeLADOGE to approach it with humility,anopenmind and respectfor thosewho work in government. And we encourage state employeesand citizens to receive itsrecommendationsinthe same spirit. Done right,thisinitiative doesn’thave to be divisive.

In the coming years, Louisiana government will have to dig deep to fulfill its citizens’ many needs. We hopethis new effort will make that challenge easier

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

YOUR VIEWS

StudyonMississippi bridge projectneeds to startover

The editorial published on July 9on theMississippi River bridge project ended with the statement, “Commuters and travelers,from Louisianaand everywhere, deserve to know when their long traffic nightmare will finally be over ” The short answer is never,based on thethree location alternatives currently being proposed. Far removed from theexisting bridge and the Interstate 10 and Interstate12travel corridor and likely to be atoll facility,any such new bridge will not solve thetraffic congestion prob-

lem on the existing I-10 bridge. Only alocation close to the existing bridge that serves theI-10/I-12 corridor traffic would substantially relieve the traffic congestion that currently exists. New Orleansused the parallel bridge concept when the Crescent City Connection bridge was expanded, and it was implemented successfully.The ongoing study should be refocused on abridge location that would truly address the I-10/I-12 corridor traffic congestion problem.

KENNETH A. PERRET Baton Rouge

Cassidyshouldbequestioned abouthis vote

Icalled U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy’s Washington office withthe following question, however,Iwas rebuffed by thestaffer on the phone and instructed to fill out an online form instead. In apress release on June 27, explaining his opposition to the war powers resolution introduced by U.S. Sen. TimKaine of Virginia after President Donald Trumpunilaterally decided to bombIran, Cassidy wrote, “In thetime in which Congress would debate, the nuclear weapons could be deployed or moved andhidden.”

Cassidy seems to be referring here to nuclear weapons allegedly in Iran’s possession; however,nocredible source has claimed that Iran had or aspires to have nuclear weapons. Rather, in its latest Annual Threat Assessment issued in March, the Office of theDi-

rector of National Intelligence wrote that “we continue to assess Iran is not building anuclear weapon.” Why,then, did Cassidy refer to nonexistent nuclear weapons to justify his decision to votenoonS.J. Res. 59? What information does Cassidy have that contradicts the assessment of the U.S. intelligence community? If there is no such countervailing information, why is Cassidy basing his voting decisions on false premises? We have been told these sortsofWMD lies before, to disastrous effect Ironically,Congress taking the time to debateand authorize awar is meant to forestall thekind of dangerously fallible decision-making Cassidy seems to have employed in this case.

JOHN C. O’DAY NewOrleans

Does Mike Johnsonknowanythingabout hisstate?

There is an incorrect assumption by thepeople of Louisiana that one of their representatives is third in line for thepresidency.But based on how Mike Johnson pushed through theBig BeautifulBill, Iamforced to conclude that not only does he not represent the people of Louisiana, but also that he’s never actually been to this state. Louisianaisroutinely ranked in the top five of most impoverished states, with apopulation that is either aging, unemployed or underemployed. The entire state of Louisiana is held aloft by millionsoffederal dollars that fund our health care and hurricane recovery.And yet Johnson is behaving as if

no one in Louisiana’s4th District has even heard of the federal government and that the rest of the state has goldplated rimsontheir tires. Johnson put up almost no fight against abill that will strip Louisiana of its health care while enriching this country’sbillionaire class. That’s because Johnson’sreal constituency is madeupofonly this country’sbillionaires, and only three of those live in Louisiana. All threeofLouisiana’s billionaires live in NewOrleans, by theway,which is 325 miles away from Mike Johnson’soffice in Bossier City DANGALLO Metairie

Fine businesses who employ undocumented workerstopay forICE

At atimewhen the U.S. Immigration and CustomsEnforcement budget has tripled, and we are spending billions on new detention facilities, Ifind myself wondering if someof this additional expense could be recouped by fining businesses and labor contractors that hire immigrants without workpermits.

Ibelieve that if the twopolitical parties could stop politicizing immigration and craft legislation that would allow in only the number of immigrants needed to supplement the American workforce, impose tight controls on the issuing of immigrant work permits and penalize any employer whohires undocumented workers, illegal immigration would slow dramatically

Our country must enforce its laws and its borders, but to engage in wholesale roundups using masked ICEagents wearing no identification is undermining the civil liberties of every American. Iwould rather see our health care budget tripled.

MARCIA B. COOKE NewOrleans

Scalise’said in case to be lauded,but more is required

U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise wasinstrumental in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’srelease of Mandonna Kashanian from ICE custody.I’m sure the congressman agrees that ICEseizing this person was atravesty of justice. The fact that acongressman had to “pull strings” to secure her release is but asymptom of the dangers we faceinour republic.

While Scalise certainly gains political credit forhis role in her release, as an experienced Washington politician whoiswell-versed in public policy and the use of power,I would hope that he would recognize that this wasnot an isolated incident and makeastatement to that effect. Of course, such an action would require him to moveoutside of his political comfort zone. However,itwould be the moral and ethical thing to do.

PHILIP FRADY NewOrleans

COMMENTARY

KATRINA YEARS 20 THEESSAYS

Dr.Michael G. White on improvisation

ArtbyChandra McCormick and KeithCalhoun

Clarinetist Dr.Michael White, left,plays withthe Tuxedo Brass Band withmusicians JosephTerregano, also on clarinet, and LucienBarber on tuba, during an UptownNew Orleansprocessioninthe 1990s. The imagefrom the photography archiveofKeith Calhoun and Chandra McCormick was waterlogged in Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters, rescued and then restored by the artists in 2010.

What ourmusic teaches us aboutrecovery

WhenHurricane Katrina arrived in late August 2005, it was awarning to the entire worldthatclimate change andits results, likecoastal erosion,risingtides and more devastatingsuperstormsand tsunamis, wouldbethe new order forthe planet.

To this nation and state, Katrina andits aftermath revealedthe need for anew approach to disaster preparation andaid, levee reconstruction andcoastal restoration, damage cleanup and reparation, financial assistance anda widerange of necessary social services. Forthe citizens of New Orleans, Katrina’sfierce winds blew the roof off our celebratory lives. Its lingering flood waters drowned our innocence and indifference. There would be no return to normal for many of us. Life as we had known it would neverbethe same.

In some ways, the storm washed up surprising revelations and questions about government agencies, ourfalsely imagined safety,response time,responsibility and accountability. Many ofus have lived nearly twodecades through the lingering effectsofstorm-related trauma, stress and devastating losses of loved ones, property, valuables and lifestyles.

In some ways, Hurricane Katrina was achance to use —orconsider —the lessons found in our traditional jazz culture Amain musical characteristic of New Orleans-style jazz is improvisation

To play jazz, you useyour hearing and knowledge of asong’smelodyand chord structure to spontaneously give your personal take on atune, itsfeeling and its meaning. That individual aspect, used in ensemble playing andfeatured solos, teaches us to dig down deep inside ourselves to make the best of ourpresent surroundings, whether it bethe song form, conditions under which we are playing or the quality of accompanying musicians.

In many aspects of Katrinarecovery, anew level of improvisation became a necessary part of life thatweused to repair homes, find lodging, cope with illness and death, seek assistance and deal with the complexities of our altered daily lives.

Katrina forced us to playa new tune, to

begina newlife song. We had to replace our characteristic resistance to change by embracing new and different ways of existingand going about daily activities. That is like what happens in jazzimprovisation.

New Orleans jazz is characterized by its more communal nature. Our authentic Black community parade tradition of social club members, brass bands and endless second-lines achieves aspiritually powerful spectacle of sight,sound and movement created by mutually inspired layers of improvisation.

While individual improvisation is important in all jazz, our original jazz style also emphasizes collective improvisation. Each instrument of thetypical horn section of trumpet,trombone and clarinet is free within its specific roleto improvisetogether in call-and-response musical conversations above asteady rhythm section pulse to create ahigher, more powerful and moreexciting sonic patinathan any one individualcould.

Thelesson here is that unityisimportant in gaining the strength to overcome and rebound from tragedy.Many witnessed the samekind of comingtogether found in our jazztradition in thepeople of New Orleanshelping and inspiring each other to rebound from Hurricane Katrina’saftermath.

The spirit of our old Sunday church parade tradition,inwhich brass bands played up-tempojazz versions of hymns as well-dressed proud congregations paradedthroughcommunity streets, added the elements of religious faithand prayer to theidea of unityand strength to overcome tragedy.Iwroteand recorded thesong “Sunday Morning” shortly after Katrina with those parades and our long recovery in mind, combining faith, unity andprayer: “Come together,Sunday morning When thelight moves darkness from thesky Sunday morning, when Isee you

We shall march together bye and bye.”

The traditional New Orleansjazzfuneral offersa psychologically healthy way of viewing and dealing with existence-altering disasters, like Katrina.

Thefirst part of the funeral is aprocession that acknowledges and embraces

loss and grief, reflected by theslow, sad hymns of abrass band. After burial or “cutting thebody loose,” there is a second-line withup-tempo music and dancing by family,friends, social club membersand acrowd of anonymous followers. The faster music and joyous dancing symbolize thehappiness that we should feel for thedeceased person, who is now free of life’stroubles and earthly burdens. We celebrate their transition to anew and better existence in union with theCreator.Katrina was adeath, an end of life as we knew it. Butitwas also a transition into anew life, an opportunity to begin again.

As the20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’sdevastating visit to our area approaches, it is atime to reflect on all that has happened since that fateful Monday,Aug. 29, 2005. It is atimeto honor thedead and remember all our suffering and losses. It is atimetoappreciatewhat is right about ourcommunity, and seek positive ways to fix what isn’tright. Ourtransition from pre- to post-Katrina life, our survival,recovery and renewal have been —like in the jazz funeral —away of transitioning closer to theCreator

For many, theKatrina experience taught us to be stronger,tobethankful for what we had and have.

It is areminder that we must remain strong and prepare ourselves to lessen losses and grief in the future, as the truthabout our geographic location and climate conditions remains afrightening reality.

It is atime for us to uniteinprayer, encourage strong leadership and find positive ways toteach our young. It is also atime to reflect upon the unique cultural traditions that make New Orleans amagical and special place; their true meaning and purpose, their authentic noncommercial forms,theirvalue to our community,and theways in which they continue to define, inspire, challenge, uniteand free us.

Avaluable resource for how we can deal withdisasters like Katrina, the COVID epidemic and personal tragedy is found through prayer and something as close and personal as our authentic jazz tradition.

Dr.MichaelG.White is an accomplished clarinetist, composer, historian, producer and songwriter. He graduated from St.Augustine High School and Xavier University of Louisiana, and he has a master’sand adoctoratefrom Tulane University.Heisthe founderofthe Original Liberty Jazz Band. He lost nearly everything to Hurricane Katrina, and he’s been building anew life since

Chandra McCormick and Keith Calhoun are artists bornand raisedinNew Orleans’ Lower 9thWard.Amarriedcouple, theyhavebeen documenting the culture of Louisiana and its people formore than four decades and have received numerous awards fortheir work.

STAFF FILE PHOTO

STAFF FILE PHOTO

SPORTS

Graves:‘He’s gottobealeader’

Nussmeier commands another sharpday of offense

LSULBPerkins continuesto shineatpreseasoncamp

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Once he used ahard count to fool apairof overeager edgerushers, Garrett Nussmeier’seyes lit up. The veteran LSUquarterback knew he had earnedhis offense afree play,sochoosing his nextmove was easy. Nussmeier would snap the balland throw to Trey’Dez Green —the 6-foot-7 tight end running afade pattern down the right sideline. Once Green snatched the pass in tight coverage and tapped his foot in bounds, he had completed aplay representativeofthe preseason practice the Tigers’ offenseheld on Monday morning —a smoother session thanthe uneven one it turnedinonSaturday Nussmeier fit afew impressive throws into tightwindows.Running back Caden Durham broke off along run.The offensive line —alargely unsettled unit with four new starters —showed signs that it was improving in pass protection.

The defense still made plays, such as an interception by Harold Perkins orpass break-ups by cornerbacksPJWoodland andDJPickett.But thefirst-team offense controlled the day —justlike it did in the Tigers’first practice of the preseason Nussmeier completed fiveofthe eight passes he threw in 7on7repsthat simulated third-and-medium situations. Then hewent 6for 9inteam drills, work that included completions withfive different receivers. On one notable play, Nussmeier evaded

ä See LSU, page 5C

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier STAFF FILE PHOTO

By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Despitehaving clear candidates,Southern’s starting QB role stillopen

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

Southern football didn’t promiseJalen Woods anything. His first career startatquarterback as a redshirt freshman came Nov.16, 2024, after thetwo players ahead of him each played the vast majority of the first 10 games.

Woods received his chance andwon both of thetwo games he startedbeforeaconcussion led to him being ruled outfor the Southwestern AthleticConference title gameagainst Jackson State. Now aredshirt sophomore and Southern’s

lone returner,hestill doesn’thave astarting job guaranteed after two weeks in preseason camp. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Woods is instead engaged in aquarterback battle with junior Jackson State transfer Cam’Ron McCoy and freshman Dillon Compton. The Jaguars had afourthquarterbackinjuniorcollege transfer JamariJones,but he left theprogram for personal reasons.

Coach Terrence Graves and offensive coordinator Mark Frederick both said during the preseason that Woodsisthe favorite to start. However,giving him the job doesn’t align with the culture the second-year staff is cultivating.

“I’m very excitedabout (the quarterback room),”Frederick said in the first week of practice. “I thinkcoach Graves has already said, ‘It’sJalen Woods’ job to lose.’ He’sthe only returner,but there’ssome competition

and Ithink competition brings out the best in you.”

Competition is arguably theone thing Graves loves morethan players with game experience. When asked about the process of naming astarter on Thursday,hekept it simple.Southern’squarterback will be the player who“manages the offense the best.” McCoy is likely Woods’ biggest competition, although Gravescalled Compton a“tremendous talent” at SWAC media day.McCoy has gameexperience and wassomeone Southern recruited last year when he transferred from Eastern Michigan. In eight game appearancesatJackson State,hecompleted 18 of 38 passesfor 310 passing yards and four touchdowns. He’s best knownfor his speed, gaining 163 rushing yards andtwo touchdowns on 24 carries.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

BY MATTHEWPARAS Staff writer

Erik McCoy is surrounded by firstrounders. On his left,there’sTrevor Penningand Kelvin Banks —the New Orleans Saints’ first-round picks from 2022 and 2025, respectively.Then, to his right,there’sCesarRuiz and Taliese Fuaga—from the 2020 and 2024 classes. Not many centers —let alone teams can say thesame. The Saintsare one of just two teams projected to have four starting offensive linemen whowere taken in the first round. TheLos Angeles Chargers are the other,but in that case, oneofthe four playersisn’t homegrown. Mekhi Becton, picked 11th overall in 2020 by the Jets, joinedLos AngelesinMarch after asuccessful year withthe Philadelphia Eagles. Does it matter?

Sincearriving to coach the Saints, Kellen Moore has consistently vowed to build his team through thetrenches. But he isn’talone in that trainofthought

coaches across the NFL love to tout the importance of offensive (and defensive) line play.And New Orleans is coming off aseason in whichits line playwas relatively poor,despite having three firstrounders.

The difference, it seems, might be the distinction between general platitudes andwhether ateam actually continues to makeaninvestment in the position year after year.And to start the Moore era, the Saints drafted Banks ninth overall, switched Fuaga back to right tackle and moved Penning inside to play leftguard.

The Saints are banking on their changes up front suddenly turning one of their biggest weaknesses into oneoftheir biggest strengths.

“You can havethat statusand you canhaveall that, butyou’vegot to go outthere andplay football at the same time,” Banks said. “The guys on our line, we were picked in the first round. They believedinusfor areason andobviously, we have talent. Andthey believe we have thetalent to go out there and do it.

Youcan have that status and you can have allthat, but you’ve gottogoout there and play football at the same time. The guys on our line, we werepicked in the first round. They believed in us for areason and obviously,wehave talent. And they believe we have the talent to go out there and do it.”

KELVIN BANKS, Saints tackle

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

The Saints offensiveline prepares for asnap in team drills during training camp on Wednesday.The line is projected to have four starters whowere drafted in the first round.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Southernquarterback Jalen Woods rolls out of the pocket during apractice on July 28.

NASCAR pivots after MLB Speedway

BY TERESA M. WALKER

AP sportswriter

BRISTOL, Tenn. — The instant the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds cleared the baseball diamond inside the infield at Bristol Motor Speedway, a new clock started.

“The Last Great Colosseum” has to switch from hosting the MLB Speedway Classic and be ready for NASCAR’s return to the historic racetrack hosting a playoff chase race Sept. 13.

“As soon as the last pitch is thrown, the last hit’s hit, teams do their thing, postgame’s taken care of, pads will start coming off the wall, and they’ll work through the night to basically start disassembling so we can reassemble for the NASCAR race,” said Steve Swift, Speedway Motorsports’ senior vice president of operations. Major League Baseball used BaAM Productions, a creative

production company, for everything from clubhouses complete with showers strength and conditioning rooms, and coaches’ and trainers’ offices to batting cages, grandstands and broadcast booths.

Pit walls taken down to keep the Reds and Braves from crashing into them have to be rebuilt. Swift said pouring concrete walls does take time and then more time to cure properly. Additives can help concrete cure faster, but that’s just one of the reconstruction issues causing obstacles.

Swift said Bristol has had great partners planning for all the details of making this happen. Now it’s time for Bristol Motor Speedway to go from hosting the first MLB regular-season game in the state of Tennessee and setting a record with a paid attendance of 91,032 back to its racing roots.

“It is difficult, but it’s things that we like,” Swift said “It gives us a challenge and we like challenges.”

The transformation to a baseball diamond in the infield required 17,500 tons of gravel to level the infield, then 340 tons of Pennsylvania clay for the playing surface.

Braves first baseman Matt Olson said Saturday that he couldn’t believe Bristol was transformed all for one game. Well, everything that can be recycled will be used somewhere after the baseball diamond is removed.

Some of the gravel will be used in Bristol Motor Speedway’s parking lots. Swift said they have found groups to help use some of the materials to help people still recovering from the damages left by Hurricane Helene. That includes 2x4s and plywood used for the grandstands.

“A lot of stuff is going to go to good use as far as the rebuild portion,” Swift said. “We just need to get it out of the way so we can put back asphalt and concrete.”

This new renovation schedule has a couple of days built in for

protection. The target date for being finished is Sept. 7.

“There may still be some paint drying whenever they roll in with the Goodyear haulers, but we’ll definitely shoot for that (Sept. 7) day,” Swift said “And at the latest, we’re looking at Tuesday.”

Bristol hosted a college football game in 2016 that drew 156,990. Now the NHL might be in Bristol’s future after Sportico reported Friday that league officials would be checking out how the racetrack handled Major League Baseball.

When asked about possibly hosting an outdoor hockey game, Swift only said a hockey rink would be similar to a football field and that Speedway Motorsports has big dreams for what is possible at places like Bristol.

“We’ve shown with football and now baseball being here, that things can take place and we can do the the things that nobody would even think about,” Swift said.

Byron looks to build momentum for playoffs

BY JOHN BOHNENKAMP Associated Press

NEWTON,Iowa William Byron was already locked into the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs and was second in the regular-season point standings heading into Sunday’s race at Iowa Speedway

Still, Byron didn’t like how things were going heading into the closing stretch of the regular season.

Byron had five finishes of 27th or worse in the last eight races, and coming to a track where he has had success in the past, he wanted to regain some confidence with the playoffs approaching “I think we’ve been fast every weekend,” Byron said. “I mean, I can’t think of a week when we’ve been slow, it’s just the results haven’t come together And it was starting to wear on us a little bit and starting to create some kind of, ‘What’s going to happen next?’” What happened next, though, was Byron getting his second win of the season on Sunday, gambling on fuel mileage for a win that he thought had changed the momentum of his season. Byron went the last 144 laps of the 350-lap race without a stop, and a third stage filled with caution flags helped him conserve enough fuel to get to the finish. He left Iowa Speedway, where he has now won in all three of NASCAR’s series, with an 18-point lead over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott for the regular-season title. “This is going to kind of put the pendulum the other way,” Byron said. Byron won the season-opening Daytona 500, and has eight top10 finishes this season, including three second-place finishes. But he had a 37th-place finish at Atlanta, a 40th-place finish at the Chicago street race, and 31stplace finish at Dover He was 16th last week at Indianapolis, when he had to make a late pit stop for fuel Surviving to win this one is something that crew chief Rudy

Fugle expected. “He’s an awesome driver,” Fugle said. “I think he’s the best driver, all-around, in the field right now He’s mine, and I should say that. But I really think he’s maturing and getting the experience to show that off. He’s very welldiversified, and then he’s a fighter He’s got a hard line and fights through anything. There’s no quit in him.” Byron had fuel-mileage issues late at Michigan, and again last week at Indianapolis. Even with that, Fugle knew he could still

Astros’ Paredes will avoid season-ending surgery

MIAMI Astros third baseman

Isaac Paredes will rehab his right hamstring injury instead of undergoing surgery in hopes of returning before the season is over, general manager Dana Brown said Monday Paredes suffered what Brown described as a “severe” right hamstring strain in a loss to the Seattle Mariners on July 19. He’s had multiple rounds of imaging done since then and received a second opinion last week from a doctor, who told him his two choices were to rehab the injury or undergo season-ending surgery Paredes received a platelet-rich plasma injection for his hamstring and will begin rehab, which will mostly take place in Houston, Brown said. He added that the immediate course of action will be a “long period” of resting the hamstring.

Spurs, Fox agree to $228M, four-year deal

SAN ANTONIO San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox has agreed to a four-year, $228 million maximum contract extension, a person with knowledge of the situation said Monday

Fox is under contract this season for the final year of his five year, $163 million deal. The extension starts in 2026-27, said the person, who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Spurs have yet to announce the agreement. ESPN first reported the deal.

The move was expected after the Spurs made a big splash at the trade deadline last season by getting Fox from the Sacramento Kings. Fox has career averages of 21.5 points and 6.1 assists in eight NBA seasons. He averaged 19.7 points with the Spurs last season.

Cowboys DT Smith leaves practice early with injury

OXNARD, Calif. Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith left practice early on Monday because of an apparent lower-body injury Smith, a 2023 first-round draft pick who has struggled to live up to expectations in his first two seasons in the NFL, appeared to be favoring his right leg as he walked down the sideline midway through the workout. He was examined in the trainer’s tent for several minutes before leaving the field under his own power Smith is entering his third season in the league, and cannot afford to miss time. He’s been struggling to hold down a starting spot and enters the preseason in danger of losing his job.

Djokovic withdraws from Cincinnati Open

CINCINNATI — Novak Djokovic pulled out of the Cincinnati Open on Monday for what officially was listed as a “non-medical” reason, meaning he will head to the U.S Open without having played a match in about 1 1/2 months.

gamble with his driver

“Those are things that he’s gotten better as well over the years, rolling with the punches and what happens next,” Fugle said. “And next thing you know you’re leading and you get a chance to win.”

Byron admitted he was nervous as the laps dwindled on Sunday

“I knew what to expect,” he said.

“I knew what to look for and all that in terms of if I ran out of fuel. But I was just thinking about preserving as much as I could, doing a lot of different things in the car, lifting early and just not using a lot of throttle percentage. So just the guys did a really good job coaching me on what to do.”

Byron thought there was a little fuel left in the tank at the end.

“I felt like if I could get off of (turn) four, come into the white (flag) I could win the race,” he said. “So that’s kind of what was in my head. And that was mostly true. When I did the burnout, at the tail end of the burnout, I had the fuel pressure come up So I don’t know how many laps that would have been.”

Now, Byron said, he has new fuel to get to the playoffs.

“I really feel like we needed to win a race like this, we deserve to win a race based on how we’ve grown all year and it just wasn’t happening,” Byron said. “It’s is just a big relief for us to have one kind of go our way We’ve just been running so well this year, I feel like this is going to be a big momentum boost for our team.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t competed since losing in the Wimbledon semifinals to eventual champion Jannik Sinner on July 11.

That straight-set defeat against Sinner at the All England Club came two days after the 38-yearold Djokovic took what he described as a “nasty” fall in the last game of his quarterfinal victory Djokovic was clearly compromised against Sinner and unable to move at his best.

Star RB Barkley declined Trump sports council

PHILADELPHIA Saquon Barkley has declines President Donald Trump’s invitation to serve on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, which was part of an executive order he signed on Thursday The All-Pro running back said Monday that given his busy schedule with the NFL season impending, he and his family decided it would be in his best interest to decline the position.

Barkley said that the White House approached his management team “a couple months ago” to discuss the opportunity but that he isn’t “too familiar” with it. “Was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned, but I’m assuming it’s something great,” Barkley said. “So, I appreciate it. But was a little shocked when my name was mentioned.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BRyON HOULGRAVE William Byron takes a bite out of a sweet corn in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday at Iowa Speedway in Newton Iowa.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV

Fans cheer during a flyover before the MLB Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday in Bristol, Tenn. The track is being transformed back into a racetrack ahead of a race Sept. 13.

Former Southern softball coach Garris dies

Garris also was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech

BY RASHAD MILLIGAN

Staff writer

John Garris, the former Southern head softball coach and Louisiana Tech assistant, has died, Bay College announced on Saturday Garris, who received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama in 1984, died in a single-car accident, according to the Lincoln Parish Journal. Known as “Coach G” or simply “G,” Garris was the coach at Southern Univer-

sity from 2014-2020.

“Southern University mourns the loss of former head softball coach John Garris,” the Jaguars softball program posted on social media on Monday morning.

“Thank you for the impact you’ve made on this program, and in the lives of others.”

The messages came from the Louisiana Tech community, as well.

“He coached under coach Mark Montgomery at LA Tech and Maryland,” a Louisiana Tech softball fan page posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “John was a true gentleman who cared for his players.”

Montgomery then sent a tribute of his own.

“Yesterday, I couldn’t believe he was gone!” Montgomery posted on X. “Coach John Garris was a great man who was loved by all! He was genuine, loyal to a fault and maybe the best storyteller of all time! The softball world lost a great coach, and I lost an amazing friend! #RIP.” Garris’ last social media posts were discussing a Bible verse – 1 Peter 5:7.

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you,” Garries quoted the passage before going into his own interpretation.

“This verse encourages believers to relinquish their worries and concerns to God, emphasizing His care and concern for them. The verse follows the instruction

Cal

a home

against

Raleigh’s ‘staggering’ season leads an offensive surge by MLB catchers

BY DAVID BRANDT Associated Press

Seattle’s Cal Raleigh — better known by the catchy nickname “Big Dumper” has lived up to the moniker, dropping baseballs into the outfield seats all over the big leagues this season.

Manager Dan Wilson has been in awe of his talents.

“That’s what you get from Cal,” Wilson said. “Night in, night out, blocking balls, calling the game, leading a pitching staff, throwing runners out that’s what Cal does, and he does it very well.”

Oh wait a second. Wilson obviously wasn’t taking about Raleigh’s prodigious power — he’s talking about how the 28-year-old handles the most demanding defensive position on the baseball field: catcher Raleigh has smashed 42 homers this season, putting him on pace for 60, with a chance to catch Aaron Judge’s American League record of 62 That would be fun to watch under any circumstance. The fact that the All-Star and Home Run Derby champion is also responsible for guiding the Mariners’ pitching staff on most nights makes it even more impressive. Seattle (60-53) is in the thick of the American League playoff race, and the Mariners are relying on Raleigh’s bat and his brain to try and make the playoffs for just the third time since 2001.

There’s the mental side of the job meetings, film study, calling pitches — but there’s also the wear and tear of the physical side. The 2024 Gold Glove winner is also squatting, handling the run game, taking painful foul tips off all parts of his body, putting his 6-foot-2, 235-pound frame through the ringer four or five nights a week All while hitting those homers.

The fact that it took Raleigh a few years in the big leagues to emerge as a true superstar — this is his fourth full season with the Mariners — isn’t surprising. The learning curve for young catchers can be severe, and the defensive part of the job takes precedence. There’s a long list of backstops who couldn’t hit a lick yet carved out long MLB careers. Raleigh is a man of many talents, and his power was always evident. He hit 27 homers in 2022, 30 in 2023 and 34 last season. Now he’s on pace for 50 long balls and maybe more.

There are only five other players in big league history who have hit

Toronto’s Joey Loperfido hits an RBI single in front of Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez on Sunday in Toronto. Perez, who hit 48 homers in 2021, crouches in the one-knee down defensive stance that has become popular with MLB catchers.

at least 40 homers while primarily playing catcher: Salvador Perez, Johnny Bench (twice), Roy Campanella, Todd Hundley and Mike Piazza (twice). Bench, Campanella and Piazza are Hall of Famers.

It’s evidence of a player at the top of his game — and one who has come through plenty of experience.

“I don’t think I’m trying any harder or doing any more than I have in the past,” Raleigh said.

“Maybe a little more focused on the right things and not constantly trying to tweak or change something that I have been in the past.

So, I think that’s been the biggest part to the success, and just trying to keep that consistent and steady.”

Wilson was more direct, putting into perspective what Raleigh has accomplished through the first four months of the season.

“It’s pretty staggering,” Wilson said.

Raleigh’s big numbers are part of an offensive surge for catchers: Will Smith, Hunter Goodman, Logan O’Hoppe, Shea Langeliers, Alejandro Kirk, Salvador Perez and William Contreras are among roughly a dozen at the position who are more than holding their own at the plate.

Veteran catcher Carson Kelly is on pace to have his best offensive season in the big leagues at 31, batting .272 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs for the Chicago Cubs. He’s been in the big leagues for 10 years and said the balance between offense and defense is

to humble oneself under God’s might hand, and anticipate God’s exaltation at the right time It is a call to trust in God’s provision and sovereignty “Rest. Relinquish. Humble. Trust. The right time is coming!” Garris was raised in the Mobile, Alabama, area and also received his Master of Arts degree from Alabama. He coached softball for 30 years. Garris had been serving as softball coach and compliance director at Bay College, a community college in Escanaba, Michigan, since November

Email Rashad Milligan at rashad.milligan@theadvocate. com.

Tempers flare at U.S. championships as sprinters feud

Lyles wins 200 final, gets shoved by Bednarek after jawing

BY EDDIE PELLS AND PAT GRAHAM Associated Press

Noah Lyles landed the day’s biggest blow on the track, passing Kenny Bednarek for the win, then looking his way to talk some trash.

Bednarek’s answer was a twohanded shove in the back after the finish line, some more heated words and a challenge for a rematch.

U.S. track championships turned physical Sunday, with Lyles and Bednarek getting involved in a shoving and shouting match as they crossed the finish line of a hotly contested 200-meter final at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. “Like I’ve said before, Noah’s going be Noah,” Bednarek said.

“If he wants to stare me down, that’s fine.” Lyles reeled in Bednarek and crossed in 19.63 seconds for a .04-second victory that sets up a rematch at world championships on Sept. 19 in Tokyo. The best action in Round 1 came after the finish line. There was jawing, the shove and, then, Lyles turning around, backpedaling, reaching his arms out and bouncing up and down like a boxer before lobbing a few more choice words at Bednarek.

Their argument bled into the start of what is normally a celebratory NBC winner’s interview

“I tell ya, if you’ve got a problem, I expect a call,” Bednarek said, as the network’s Lewis Johnson moved the mic between the runners.

Lyles replied: “You know what, you’re right. You’re right. Let’s talk after this.”

Though they shook hands during that tense post-race, Bednarek was fired up well after the sprinters had left the track.

his favorite distance.

“What he said didn’t matter, it’s just what he did,” Bednarek said. “Unsportsmanlike (expletive) and I don’t deal with that. It’s a respect factor He’s fresh. Last time we lined it up, I beat him, that’s all I can say Next time we line up, I’m going to win. That’s all that matters.”

Asked to expand on his role in the tiff, Lyles was less forthcoming: “On coach’s orders, no comment.”

Bednarek has won silver and beaten Lyles the past two times they’ve lined up in the 200 at the Olympics, even though Lyles has had issues at both — in Tokyo with his mental health, then in Paris with COVID.

Bednarek referenced some long-simmering issues between the two.

“Just some personal stuff we’ve got to handle,” he said.

The 200 final was Bednarek’s fifth race of the week, counting the three heats of the 100 meters, where he won the final Friday Lyles, who has an automatic spot at worlds in that event as the defending champion, only ran one heat of the 100.

“We’ll go fresh and we’ll see what happens,” Bednarek said. “Because I’m very confident I can beat him. That’s all I can say.” Elsewhere around the track Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the 200 in a personal-best time of 21.84 seconds, while Olympic champion Gabby Thomas placed third.

It was a winning weekend for Jefferson-Wooden, who also captured the 100 on Friday Jefferson-Wooden will be joined in the 100 at worlds by former LSU standout Sha’Carri Richardson, who has an automatic spot as the defending champion. Richardson didn’t advance to the final in the 200.

tough for young players.

“It’s almost like you’re drinking from a firehose with how much information you have,” Kelly said.

“And I think, as you see catchers, as the years go on, you get smarter.”

One major factor for the increased offensive production for catchers could be the one-knee down defensive stance that’s been adopted by nearly every MLB catcher over the past five years.

The argument for the stance is it’s helpful for defensive reasons, including framing pitches on the corners. But there’s also the added benefit that it’s a little easier on the knees than squatting a couple hundred times per game.

“A hundred percent,” said Goodman, the Rockies primary catcher who is hitting .279 with 20 homers.

“You think about back in the day when everybody was squatting being in a squat for that long can be hard on your legs.”

Statistical trends suggest he has a point. Catchers have accounted for 12.2% of all MLB homers this season, making a slow climb from 10% in 2018.

Raleigh’s been the best of the bunch, and fans along with his catching peers — are noticing.

“It just seems like on both sides of the ball, when he’s behind the plate he’s really focused on his pitchers and calling a good game and all the things that a catching position entails, and then when he comes up to the plate, he can do damage,” Kelly said.

“The summary is, don’t do that to me,” he said. “I don’t do any of that stuff. It’s not good character right there. That’s pretty much it.

“At the end of the day he won the race. I’ve got to give him props. He was the better man today.”

The win itself was no big surprise for Lyles, the three-time defending world champion who will have to get past Bednarek to make it four in Tokyo. Bednarek was asked what Lyles said as he turned around and gloated after securing his fifth national title at

The women’s 400 hurdles was wide open with Olympic champion and world-record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone electing to focus on the open 400 (she won the event Saturday). Dalilah Muhammad, 35, took control and cruised to the win.

One of the afternoon’s most exciting finishes was in the men’s 800 meters, where 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier used a strong kick to hold off 16-yearold Cooper Lutkenhaus and Bryce Hoppel.

In the 5,000 meters, Shelby Houlihan held off Elise Cranny by less than a second to win the title. Houlihan returned to track this year after serving a fouryear doping ban.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHRIS yOUNG

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By WILLIAM LIANG

Mariners catcher

Raleigh is greeted by teammates after hitting

run

the Los Angeles Angels on July 27 in Anaheim, Calif. Raleigh has hit 42 home runs this season.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS

Kenny Bednarek pushes Noah Lyles after the men’s 200-meter finals during the U.S Championships meet in Eugene, Ore., on Sunday

PROVIDED PHOTO

Former Southern University softball coach John Garris has died, Bay College announced on Saturday.

49ers’ Saleh leads list of new coordinators for contenders

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers went back to a familiar face when coach Kyle Shanahan looked to revive a defensive unit that had gone from dominant to mediocre in recent years.

The Niners brought back Robert Saleh for a second stint as coordinator in hopes that he could once again build back the defense in similar fashion to what he did in 2019 when San Francisco’s stingy defense helped carry the team to the Super Bowl.

“His commanding presence in defensive meetings is what we needed,” star defensive end Nick Bosa said.

The 49ers aren’t the only contender that made a change at playcaller on offense or defense headed into 2025. How all of those work out will go a long way to determining which teams are playing deep into January

Some teams were forced to make changes they didn’t want to with Detroit needing to replace both coordinators after Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn got head coaching jobs and Super Bowl champion Philadelphia needing to replace offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after he became Saints head coach. Tampa Bay is in a similar boat for a second straight season after losing an offensive coordinator to a head coaching job with Liam Coen leaving for Jacksonville one year after Dave Canales left for Carolina.

Other teams such as Houston, Cincinnati and Seattle made changes in hopes of finding a spark

Here’s a look at some of the key new coordinators around the NFL: 49ers DC Robert Saleh

The 49ers ranked 29th in the league in scoring defense last season, allowing 25.6 points per game, and were tied for the seventh-fewest takeaways with 17 as the unit looked nothing like the dominant ones under Saleh and DeMeco Ryans from 2019-22

That led to Shanahan making another change at coordinator, bringing back Saleh after he was fired as head coach of the New York Jets to replace the fired Nick Sorensen.

During Saleh’s last two full seasons with the Jets in 2022-23 New York ranked first in yards passing allowed per game (178.9) and yards per play allowed (4.7), and second in total defense (301.7 yards per game).

Lions OC John Morton and DC Kelvin Sheppard

Detroit became the third team in the past 15 seasons to lose both

coordinators to NFL head coaching jobs in the same offseason with it also happening to Philadelphia following the 2022 season and Cincinnati after 2013. Both those teams went back to the playoffs the following season, losing in the wildcard round.

The Lions have their sights set higher after making it to the NFC title game in 2023 and losing in the divisional round as the top seed last season. Whether that happens will depend heavily on if Morton can keep the offense in the top five in scoring for a fourth straight season after Johnson helped make it one of the most dynamic in the league with his trick plays and schemes.

Morton has only one year of playcalling experience in the NFL in 2017 with the Jets, finishing in the bottom 10 in scoring with an offense that lacked the playmakers he has in Detroit.

Eagles OC Kevin Patullo

QB Jalen Hurts will have a fourth play-caller in as many years with Patullo getting promoted from passing game coordinator following Moore’s departure.

The offense improved under Moore in 2024 after stagnating the previous season when Brian Johnson replaced Shane Steichen as OC.

Buccaneers OC Josh Grizzard

Tampa Bay’s offense got even better last season when Coen replaced Canales with both the running game and screen passing showing major improvement.

Grizzard will try to build on that as he moves from passing game coordinator to OC. He was heavily involved with the third down offense

last season when the Bucs led the NFL by converting 50.9%.

Texans OC Nick Caley

Coach DeMeco Ryans made a change after last season even though Houston made it back to the divisional round. That came in spite of the offense taking a big step back thanks in large part to shoddy line play that hindered the growth of QB C.J. Stroud.

Caley comes over after spending the past two seasons on Sean McVay’s staff with the Rams and is being counted on to bring some of Los Angeles’ successful wrinkles to Houston to help make Stroud’s job at quarterback easier He will need to do it with an overhauled offensive line that lost stalwart Laremy Tunsil in the offseason.

Bengals DC AL Golden

The Bengals went to the college ranks to hire Golden away from Notre Dame to replace Lou Anarumo. Cincinnati reached the Super Bowl with Anarumo leading the defense in the 2021 season but regressed the past few years and were ranked in the bottom 10 in most categories last season. Golden spent the 2020-21 seasons as linebackers coach for the Bengals and brings a man-heavy scheme to the NFL.

Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak

Seattle hired Kubiak to replace Ryan Grubb in hopes that his scheme heavy on zone blocking and play-action passing can help the Seahawks offensive line. Kubiak was OC in New Orleans last season when the Saints got off to a fast start before injuries led to a downfall.

Falcons rookie Walker returns and hopes to play in preseason opener

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

FLOWERY

BRANCH,

Ga. — After missing much of the first week of training camp with a minor hamstring injury, Atlanta Falcons first-round pick Jalon Walker returned to practice on Monday Walker said he hopes to play in Friday night’s first preseason game against the Detroit Lions.

“I feel good,” Walker said. “I’m feeling so happy to be back out here Happy for the week It’s a big week of this first preseason game and excited to get things going.”

The Falcons selected Walker from Georgia with the No. 15 overall pick in the draft. Walker won the 2024 Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker and has the potential to play a hybrid role in the NFL as a linebacker and edge rusher

For now, the Falcons want Walker to focus on edge rusher but plan to utilize his versatility Coach Raheem Morris said Monday the opportunities at linebacker will come “pretty quickly, you know, as soon as he gets more comfortable out there moving around.”

Morris said Walker (6-2, 245) is “already starting to pick some of those things up, cross training on some of those things already He’s very smart, very sharp, very detailed guy So nothing you worry about from that standpoint. But I just want to give him a chance to be comfortable doing something first, see that happen, come to life.”

Morris said the Falcons were careful to protect Walker from aggravating the injury last week even though the rookie was impatient to join his teammates The caution continued on Monday as Walker’s exposure to practice was limited.

After drafting Walker, the Falcons traded with the Los Angeles Rams to add Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr at No. 26.

Penix, Cousins to sit out opener Morris said starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr and backup Kirk Cousins will not play in the preseason opener against Detroit. Easton Stick and Emory Jones will share the snaps. Penix said he might be considered for preseason games if not for his starts in the final three games of his 2024 rookie season.

“He feels confident in what I can do on game day,” said Penix of Morris. “So he didn’t feel like I needed to play this week. I’m going to be ready Week 1.”

Morris said other decisions will be made following the team’s scrimmage on Wednesday Morris takes a tumble Morris lined up as a defensive back against wide receiver Drake London during practice. The coach didn’t fare well, as he was pushed back and landed on his backside.

Penix, who threw the pass to London on the play, paused when asked about Morris as a player

“He’s a coach now,” Penix said with a smile. “He’s got to leave the DB stuff back from when he was playing.”

Pearce lands in another scuffle Pearce continued to build on his reputation for aggressive play by landing in another practice scuffle, this time with offensive lineman Tyrone Wheatley Jr The rookie had encounters with right tackle Kaleb McGary and right guard Matthew Bergeron last week.

“It’s just the competitor in him,” said Walker of Pearce. “You get after it. And like I said, we’ve got that one speed and once we click it on, it’s on.”

Asked about Pearce’s early impact in practice, Penix said “I notice his love for the game. He works extremely hard each and every day Whatever happens after the play, we definitely want to clean that stuff up. But at the same time he’s a competitor and he wants to compete at a high level. That’s what he does each and every day and that’s what we appreciate and that’s what we’re going to love come game day.”

Former LSU tight end Taylor misses Jets practice with an ankle injury

BY DENNIS WASZAK JR.

AP pro football writer

FLORHAM PARK, N.J New York

Jets rookie tight end and former

LSU standout Mason Taylor sat out practice Monday with an ankle injury and backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor didn’t participate due to a knee ailment.

Coach Aaron Glenn spoke to reporters before the session, and neither player’s injury was mentioned. Glenn is expected to provide updates after practice Tuesday.

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

“Now we’ve got to put it all together.” Draft status, as Banks said, isn’t everything. It could be said the reason the Saints have taken so many offensive linemen over the past few years is because they haven’t hit on enough of those picks. Penning was taken to be a star left tackle, but the 26-year-old has had a tumultuous pro journey that has included several benchings, a move to right tackle and now a kick to the inside. As well as Fuaga played at times last year, his struggles in pass protection — his pass block win rate of 84% ranked 57th out of 66 qualifying tackles, according to ESPN — perhaps explain why the Saints’ new coaching staff wanted to move him back to right tackle, the position he played in college. But the Saints’ tendency to build their line through the draft is also a philosophy — a through-

Taylor has been one of the Jets’ standout performers during training camp, with the second-round draft pick expected to play a major role in the offense with quarterback Justin Fields.

Tyrod Taylor was on the field and in uniform throughout the session, but didn’t take any snaps as Brady Cook and Adrian Martinez worked behind Fields during team drills.

Glenn said wide receiver Xavier Gipson and cornerback/special teams ace Kris Boyd will be out this week after they both injured

line that has existed during all of general manager Mickey Loomis’ 23-year tenure. Loomis strongly believes in homegrown talent, and indeed, the Saints are one of seven teams projected to have a starting offensive line that does not include a player who has played elsewhere in the NFL. The other six? Atlanta, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Dallas, Detroit and Seattle. Because the Saints have invested so many draft picks in the line of late, the unit isn’t that expensive for 2025. McCoy and Ruiz are the team’s only starting linemen who are on their second contracts, and according to Over The Cap, the Saints have the eighthsmallest number of cap dollars allocated toward the offensive line this season. Consider this: Ryan Ramczyk — who retired in June and hasn’t played since 2023 — has a higher cap number this coming season than any other lineman on the roster Still, plenty of concerns exist. Take a glance at any annual offensive line ranking, and the

a shoulder during the Jets’ scrimmage Saturday. Neither will play in New York’s preseason opener at Green Bay on Saturday night.

“We will re-evaluate those guys going into next week,” Glenn said.

Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (calf) and left guard John Simpson (back) will also sit out this week.

Rookie safety Malachi Moore, who has been sidelined with an oblique issue, will be worked back into practice this week.

It’s unclear how Glenn will approach the preseason opener, as

a

Saints tend to fall in the No. 2225 range Offensive line expert Brandon Thorn, one of those rankers who had the Saints

far as who might play, after he declined to provide details on his thinking.

“I will answer that question later on in the week,” Glenn said. The Jets’ passing offense has struggled in the past few practices, with Fields looking out of sync at times with his receivers.

It hasn’t all been on Fields, who dislocated a toe on his right foot early in camp. There have been drops, bad routes and mental errors. But it hasn’t been smooth lately for Fields, who was unofficially 4 of 16 in team drills Monday

ranked 22nd for Establish The Run, said that while there’s promise at all five spots along the line, he thinks that New Orleans’ line is better suited for run blocking than pass protection.

He said he thought Fuaga was “pretty shaky” in the pass game as a rookie, but believes the switch to right tackle will help raise the 23-year-old’s floor Thorn was also “a little bit skeptical” on the Banks selection — not because he disliked him as a player, but because he’s concerned about the rookie’s play strength and whether he can sustain blocks. And then there’s Penning — whom Thorn called one of the sport’s five best run blockers before citing the “very stark” disparity in pass protection. Thorn said he’s “cautiously optimistic” on Penning’s move to guard.

“If all three hit, then yeah, I mean maybe the Saints could be top 10,” Thorn said, later adding, “For me, it was easier to poke holes and ask questions than actually have solid answers. That’s why I’m going into the year with them as a below-average unit.”

“I think he’s really improving, I really do,” Glenn insisted. “I’m excited about that player I’m excited about the things that he is going to be able to create for us. And every day, man, he’s just got to continue to keep chopping wood. And the type of person that he is, he’s going to continue to do that.”

Second-year cornerback

Qwant’ez Stiggers echoed his coach’s sentiments — and took it a step further

“He’s very athletic, he’s very fast,” Stiggers said, “and he’s going to take us to the playoffs.”

Health, of course, will also be an important factor Last year’s line was decimated by injuries, none more impactful than McCoy’s groin and elbow injuries that caused him to miss nine games. The Saints’ depth up front appears to remain a huge problem, and training camp hasn’t eased those concerns. Both backup centers, Will Clapp and Kyle Hergel, have had consistent snapping issues, while guard Nick Saldiveri, a 2023 fourthrounder, is already lost for the season with a knee injury

But as much as the Saints were hurt last year, New Orleans hasn’t deviated from the Banks-PenningMcCoy-Ruiz-Fuaga lineup in camp — at least in a practice setting. The Saints’ goal, for now, is to establish as much continuity as possible. Consider the plan another way Moore is trying to invest in the unit.

“It’s about building inside-out, ultimately,” Moore said.

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

AP PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT

Saints tackle Kelvin Banks lines up for

drill during preseason camp on July 27 at the team’s practice facility

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF CHIU

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, left, talks with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, middle, and head coach Kyle Shanahan during practice at the team’s training camp on July 23 in Santa Clara, Calif.

AP PHOTO By MIKE STEWART Atlanta Falcons linebacker Jalon Walker works out during practice at minicamp on June 11 in Flowery Branch, Ga.

MICHAEL JOHNSON

Kellyimpressed by transfer DT Gooden

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Aweekintopreseasonpractice, LSU coach Brian Kelly has been impressed by one of the new transfers.

Kelly said Monday that senior defensive tackle Bernard Gooden “has really flashed” in his first practices since transferring from South Florida.

“He’sdoing alot of good things,” Kelly said. “You know,hebrings a high motor.He’saguy that brings energy to the group, intensity to the group. Ithink that’sbringing up everybody in terms of the competition level.”

Gooden, anative of Montgomery, Alabama, has consistently gotten first-team reps and made several playsduring 11-on-11periods. He disrupted two inside runs Saturday,and when LSU practiced again Monday,Gooden stuffed sophomore running back Caden Durham in the backfield at one point

Though listed at 6-foot-1 and 268 pounds, Gooden has impressed LSU’scoaches with his twitchiness

LSU

Continued from page1C

the rush, stepped up in thepocket, adjusted his arm angle and fired to receiver Chris Hilton, afifth-year senior who had run into athrowing window in the middle of the field. On another,Nussmeier found Hilton again, this time dropping aperfectly thrownballover his shoulder,along the sideline and in between two defenders

Here’swhat else stood out from the hour-long viewing window that LSU opened to reportersatits fifth preseasonpractice—thelastsession before the Tigers put on the pads. Perkinsdisruptiveagain

On one of Monday’s7-on-7 reps, Perkins floated into coverage and locked his eyes onto Nussmeier, positioning himself to dashbackward and undercut apass over the middle intended forfreshman receiver TaRonFrancis Nussmeier thought he had a throwing window But Perkins was leaving it open, only so he could slam it shut once the ball was out and come down with an interception.

“He baited Nussmeier into it,” coach Brian Kellysaid. Through fivepractices, Perkins is disrupting the LSUoffense. All indications are that he’snot only recoveredfromthe ACLinjury that cut his junior season short,but also comfortable in his Star position —the do-it-all role assigned to him in defensive coordinator Blake Baker’sscheme.

By all accounts, the inside linebackerexperiment is over Perkins is now free to use his freakish speed and athleticism all over the field.

“I think it’safamiliar role for him,” Kelly said, “one that now he has acomplete knowledge of the linebacker position. He’snot justa guy outthere running around making plays. He’ssomuch more intentional. He knows the game.He knows the nuances of it.”

On Monday,afterPerkinsintercepted Nussmeierinthe secondary,helined up on the edge in team drills, crashed the pocket and

LSUrankedNo. 9in preseasoncoaches

Texasholdstop spot in USAToday preseason coachespoll

From staff and wire reports

USAToday released the preseason coaches poll forthe 2025 season on Monday,and the LSU football team has earned aspot in theTop 10. Coaches voted LSU at No.9in this year’spreseason poll after theTigers finished the 2024 season unranked in the final coaches poll. Texas holds the top spot,receiving 28 of the67first-place votes.Defending national champion Ohio StateisNo.2 after receiving 20 first-place votes, followed by No. 3Penn State, No. 4Georgia and No.5 NotreDame.

Texasleads nine Southeastern Conference teamsinthe poll.

Clemson is the top team from theAtlantic CoastConference at No. 6, with No. 7Oregon, No. 8 Alabama, No.9LSU and No.10 Miami (Fla.) following theTigers.

yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Tulane didnot make the preseasonTop 25 butdid receive 31 votes.

andexplosiveness as an interior pass rusher.When he transferred in April, they believed those traits would match defensive coordinator BlakeBaker‘s aggressive style.

“His abilities fit the defensive structure that Blake likestorun,”

Kelly said. “Hejust has agreat sense interms of gettingoff blocks. Sometimes, that’sahard trait to teach. Youjust can or you can’t, and he’svery difficult to block.”

After beginning his career at Wake Forest, Gooden transferred to USFfor the past two seasons. While starting 11 games last season, he recorded 35 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 11/2 sacks toreceivehonorablemention all-AAC honors fromthe league coaches.

LSU also has fifth-year senior JacobianGuillory and sophomores Ahmad Breaux and Dominick McKinley at the front of its defensive tackle rotation

“Heliterally does notget tired,” Guillory said of Gooden. “Even though he looks tired, he doesn’t gettired.Thatman has atremendous get-off.I can’twait to see

what he does in Week 1.”

What to do with Ju’Juan?

LSU is open to using aredshirt season on sophomore Ju’Juan Johnson this year,Kelly said Monday Johnson—who hasplayedina variety of roles on both sidesofthe ball in his short time at LSU —had seven carries for 14 yards and five receptions for 22 yards as arunning back last season. He appeared in everygame, not using his redshirt as afreshman.

“He’sgoing to playfourgames,” Kelly said. “The questioniswhether he plays five, andthatwill be dictated as he performs andasthe offense kind of works around him.”

Johnson arrived at LSUasa defensive back after playing quarterbackatLafayette Christian for four years. He then returned to theoffensivesideofthe ball andplayed running back starting in Week 2.

This preseason,Johnsonhas worked at quarterback, running back and wide receiver

“He’sgiven everything we’ve askedhim (and) probablymore,” Kelly said. “He’sa specialkid.”

knocked the LSU quarterback off balance, forcing him into an errant throw.Onanother 11-on-11 rep, he recognized apass to theflat sprinted toward the line of scrimmage, duckedunder ablock from Green and dropped transfer tight end Bauer Sharp —all before he could turn upfield to pick up positiveyards.

“He just knows that this is his year,” Kelly said, “and allthose things have allowed him to be really,reallyfocused andnot distracted by anything.”

Interior offensiveline

VirginiaTech transferBraelin

Moore has solidified LSU’sstarting center position, Kelly saidMonday and four players are still competing for the two guard spots next to him on the first-team offensive line. So far,returningstarter DJ Chester has taken most of thetop reps at left guard, with Northwestern transfer Josh Thompson receiving the bulk of the same snaps at right guard. Kelly said, however, that they’reeach competing with returners such as redshirt sopho-

more Paul Mubenga and redshirt

freshman Coen Echols. Mubenga took first-team reps at left guard on Mondaywhile Chester worked as the Tigers’ secondteam center “It’safour-manrotation right now withthose guys,”Kelly said. Thetackleshaven’t changed. Redshirtsophomore Tyree Adams is stillliningupasLSU’s topleft tackle. Weston Davis, aredshirt freshman, is still thefirst-team right tackle.

Attendance

Neither receiver AaronAnderson(knee),nor transfer safety TamarcusCooleypracticed on Monday. Kelly said that LSU is hoping to have Anderson —a redshirt junior whorecentlyhad work done to address inflammation in his knee— back on thefield by Wednesday

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

Arizona State is the highestranked Big12team at No. 11. Boise State, at No. 25, is the only Group of Five team in the poll. LSU opensthe season on Aug. 30 at Clemson in abattle of Tigers. LSU is led by senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier,who is tied forthe second-highest odds to win theHeismanTrophy this year,according to FanDuel. In 2024, Nussmeier completed 337 of 525 pass attempts for 4,052

The coaches poll is aweekly ranking published throughout theregular seasonthatuses a panel of head coaches at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. Each coach sends in a Top25, with afirst-place vote receiving 25 pointsand going down one point each ranking on the list.

The Associated Press preseason Top25poll will be released Monday

LSUfootballfeaturedin newSEC documentary

BY SCOTTRABALAIS Staff writer

The Southeastern Conference is going Hollywood this week, and LSU football will have astarring role.

“Any Given Saturday,” asevenpartdocumentaryonSEC football, debuts Tuesday on Netflix. Conferenceofficials provided apreview screening of the first episode in July during SEC Media Days in Atlanta,anepisode that focuses on this past season’s wild 36-33 LSU victory at South Carolina. Unlike “SEC Storied”documentaries that appear on the SEC Network, “Any Given Saturday” takes an unvarnished look behind the scenes in the first episode as the Tigers and Gamecocks prepare forand play in this past September’s crucial earlyseason contest Thelanguage gets salty at times, but the emotions and intensity are real.

LSU coach Brian Kelly said this pastweek he had not seen the finished series, but that he liked

SOUTHERN

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The 6-foot-1, 195-pound McCoy is different than Woods, whoprefers to pick defenses apart in the pocket. In six appearances, he completed 38 of 66 passes for541 passing yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. He also had 19 rushes for 48 rushing yards.

Graves doesn’tprefer one style over the other

“I like ‘emboth,”Graves said.

“I’m notsocaught up (with) ‘I got to have adual-threat guy or I want apocket passer.’ Iwant the guy that’sefficient. Aguy that can execute and he can moveand put points on the board for our offense.”

The Jaguars’ staff proved itself capable of using three quarterbacks alarge amount and still winningthe SWAC West.Two quarterbacks, not named Woods, each threw over 125 passes in at least nine games. While it can be done, their offensive coordinator doesn’twanttorepeat last season.

“Wewant to layour head on one guy,” Frederick said. Raw talentisn’tthe most importantaspect in choosing Southern’squarterback. Graves needs aleader whodoesn’thurt theteam with many mistakes.

“He’sgot to be aleader,” he said. “He’sgot to be able to lead

the reality of the documentary’s style.

“Wesaid, ‘Let’sbewho we are,’ ”Kelly said.

“Thereare narratives that people have that are based upon what they see on the sideline They don’t get areallygood sense of what your program is about. Howyou operate. We thought this would be agood waytochange those narratives about how people perceive the wayitisand the wayitreally is.” Theseries is produced by a company called Box to Box Films. It has produced anumber of other sports documentaries forNetflix, including the popular “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” “Full Swing” on pro golf, and“Sprint” on the world of professionaltrack that includes LSU Olympic gold medalist Sha’Carri Richardson. Netflix also debuted an NFL documentary seriesinJuly called “Quarterback: Season 2” that features former LSU Heisman-winningquarterback Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals.

that offense.He’sgot to be able to get thoseguysgoing.A guy that canmanagethe game and notturn the ball over andmake thekey plays when he can.And then, you know,get them excited and fired up when it’stime to go because that’simportant.”

Graves is also expecting his quarterback to handle adversity well.

“A defense is going to throw everything and the kitchen sink, so he’sgot to be prepared, strong enough andbeabletoreact to what they’rethrowing at him,” Graves said. “Those guys that can do that tend to havesuccess.” Graves has been nothing but complimentary about Woods’ demeanor since playinglastseason. He wasreminded of the quarterback’smental makeup during the offseason.

Woods told his coach to bring quarterbacks who would fight him forthe starting job.

“He said, ‘Coach Ican’tget better if youdon’t bring any better quarterbacks, Graves said. “The thing thatwas most pleasing when Camcommitted to us, Jalen Woodswas thefirst guy to post and reach out to Cam and say,‘Hey bro, let’sgo to work.’”

“You got to compete at the end of the day,you respect and love oneanother,because iron sharpens iron.”

EmailToyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU linebackerHarold Perkins takes abreak during practice on Aug. 17. Perkinsshowedflashes of his speed and athleticism during Monday’s practice

STAFF FILEPHOTO By

LSU coach Brian Kelly blowsthe whistle to enddrills during spring practice on April 12. Kelly wasimpressed with South Florida transfer Bernard Gooden’sperformance in Monday’s preseasonpractice

El Niño desert orchid is aunique hybrid

New woody ornamentals don’tcome along as often as annual bedding plants. So when El Niño desert orchid hit the market, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg was excited to see the flowering shrub’spotential for Louisiana gardens. Something else about this new plant intrigued Stagg.ElNiño is ahybrid of an unusual pairofnative plants: catalpa, atree we are familiar with here in Louisiana and desert willow,aplant that’s common in Western states. Why is this significant?

“Creating ahybrid out of plants from two different generaisoften verydifficult,” Stagg said. El Niño has been given the scientific name Chitalpa —a mashup of Chilopsis,the genus to which desert willow belongs, and Catalpa

This plant from Proven Winners is more than just abreeding success, though. It’satoughas-nails, easy-care shrub that bursts with frilly,pink-to-violet blooms in late spring and summer.Atthe AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden in Baton Rouge, El Niño started flowering in May,and the blooms have kept coming ever since.

“They’re incredibly fragrant,” Stagg said. “They’re also drawing in alot of pollinators, and that’ssomethingwe love to have in our garden.” El Niño’sopposite-arranged, pointed leaveshave interesting visual qualities, too.

“They’re very architectural,” Stagg said. “It’salmost likethe shrub was sculpted, and Ithink that creates areally neat shape in the garden.”

The El Niño at Burden has been in the ground for only acouple of years, and it has already reached about 10 feet tall. Stagg expects it to top out alittle taller than that witha spread of 4to6feet.

DEEP DIVE

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By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday,Aug. 5, the 217thday of 2025. There are 148 days left in the year

Todayinhistory On Aug. 5, 1962, South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was arrested on charges of leaving the country without avalid passport and inciting workers to strike; it was the beginning of 27 years of imprisonment.

Also on this date:

In 1861, AbrahamLincoln signed the Revenue Act of 1861, which levied the firstincome tax on Americans (a flat tax of 3% on those making over $800/year) to help fund the Union’sCivil War effort.

In 1864, during the Civil War, Union Adm. David G. Farragut led his fleet to victory in theBattle of Mobile Bay,Alabama.

In 1884, the cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty’spedestal was laid onBedloe’sIslandin New York Harbor

In 1914, what’sbelieved to be the first electric traffic lightsystem was installed in Cleveland, Ohio, at the intersection of East 105th Street and EuclidAvenue

In 1936, Jesse Owens of the UnitedStateswon the200-meter dash at the Berlin Olympics, collecting the third of his four gold medals.

In 1953, Operation Big Switch began as remaining prisoners taken during the Korean War were exchanged at Panmunjom.

In 1957, the music and dance show “American Bandstand ” hosted by DickClark, made its nationalnetwork debut, beginning a30-year run on ABC-TV

In 1962, Marilyn Monroe, 36, wasfounddead in herLos Angeles home;her death was ruled aprobable suicide from “acute barbiturate poisoning.”

In 1964, U.S. Navypilot Everett Alvarez Jr.became the first American flyer to beshot down andcaptured byNorth Vietnam; he washeldprisoneruntil February 1973. In 1974, the White House released transcripts of subpoenaed taperecordingsshowing that President Richard Nixon and his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, haddiscussed aplan in June 1972 to use theCIA to thwart the FBI’s Watergate investigation; revelation of the tape sparked Nixon’sresignation

In 2010, 33 workers were trapped inacopper mine in northern Chile after atunnel caved in (all were rescued after beingentombed for 69 days)

In 2011, the sun-powered robotic explorer Junorocketed toward Jupiter on afive-year quest to discoverthe secret recipe for making planets.(Juno reached Jupiter on July 4, 2016.)

Today’sBirthdays: Countrymusic songwriter Bobby Braddock is 85. Actor LoniAnderson is 80. Pop singer SamanthaSang is 74. Actor-singer Maureen McCormick is 69. Rock musician Pat Smearis66. Author David Baldacci is 65. Actor Janet McTeer is 64. Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing is 63. ActorMark Strongis62. Directorscreenwriter James Gunn is 59. Actor Jonathan Silverman is 59. Actor Jesse Williams is 44. Actor/singer Olivia Holt is 28. NBA guardAnthony Edwards is 24. Actor Albert Tsai is 21.

LSU AGCENTER PHOTO By OLIVIA McCLURE

El Niño desertorchid hasopposite-arranged, pointed leavesthat create visualinterest in the garden.

ORCHID

Continued from page1D

El Niño has the most flower power in full sun but can do just fine in partial sun. It isdeciduous, meaning it willlose its leaves in the winter El Niño grows and establishes quickly and is low maintenance. It can handle droughts,heavy rain and everything in between It even survived Louisiana’srecord freezing temperatures this past winter

NADER

Continued from page1D

Naders are the paternal granddaughters of Sam Nader,LSU’s assistant athletic director for football operations since2000, and his wife, Ann. They are the maternal granddaughters of thelate TomGreene, aveterinarian andformerstate senator,and his wife, Cathy. The four Baton Rouge girls’

EXPO

Continued from page1D

succulents, begonias, carnivorous plants, staghorn fernsand

more. Need some horticultural help? Members of different area plant

Nice try: It’s stillrudeto

stareatsomeone’s chest

Dear Miss Manners: Increasingly these days, both men and women wear T-shirtswith messages, mottos andinsultsemblazoned on them. Presumably,atleast part of the intent is to communicatesomething. Ienjoy looking at them and trying to decipher themessages. However,todosowith women may involve a prolonged and possibly unwanted stare at their chests, especially since Iamaslow reader.What would Miss Manners recommend in such situations?

It also appears to be deer resistant. Researchers have observed little deer damage in trials in North Carolina—where the plant wasdeveloped —aswell as locally at Burden and the AgCenter Hammond Research Station. Likemost shrubs, El Niño should be planted in thecooler months. If you’relooking to add something unique to your garden, be sure to put it on your list of plants to try “This plant is oneofthe most interesting new introductions that we’ve seeninyears,” Stagg said.

modeling careers started when Brooks Nader,agraduate of EpiscopalHighSchool,won aSports IllustratedSwimsuit casting search in 2019and appearedin every year since, including being acover model in 2023. Theshow will focus on the Naders’success as they juggle the social scene of Manhattan’selite and theincreased attention on their romantic lives.

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

societiesand vendors will be available to answer questions and discuss selecting, growing and maintaining the plants that they are selling

All sale proceeds will benefit the Botanical Gardens. The event is sponsored by theBotanic GardenFoundation,Friends of the Botanic Garden and BREC.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Gentlereader: Miss Manners agrees that people who turn themselves into billboards must expect to be read. Butshe finds it disingenuous of you to suggest that T-shirt messages aresolong or dense as to require thereader to give them prolonged attention. Youare allowed one glance and no leaning in closely,even if you are nearsighted. Then move on.

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave atwin sister who lives in the sametown that Ido. We look reasonably similar,especially tothose who don’t know us well. We share some social circles, but of course we also have many separate acquain-

tances, co-workers and friends. My dilemma is that often, when someoneinpublic greets me or begins aconversation with me, I either don’tknow them at all or Ivaguely recognize them as an acquaintance of my sister’s(say,amember of her church or extended family). There’salways theslight chance (and fear) that this is someone I do know and have failed to recall, but chances are that this person has mistaken me formysister Ican never think of a politeway to clarify the situation. Occasionally an easy solution will present itself,such as them asking about my twin’shusband or child, but mostoften Iwind up giving short, awkward answers and exiting the situation as quickly as possible. I’msure this leaves people thinking I(or rather,my twin sister) wasrather rude.

On theoccasions that Ihave helped them realize their mistake, they usually feel really embarrassed and upset. Iknow she must have the same problem;I often will have people tell me, “I ran into you at the grocery store last weekand you acted as if you didn’teven know me!”

Is there apolite way to handle a case of mistaken identity without making others feel flustered or uncomfortable fortheir mistake?

Gentle reader: No doubt you have to put up with countless tedious remarks and jokes, forwhich Miss Manners offers her your sympathy

But these are honest mistakes. Youneed only say,“No, that must have been my sister.” Or,ifyou have somedoubt, an ambiguous but good-natured, “Sorry —I’m so often mistaken formytwin sister.”

Besides, can you honestly tell Miss Manners that you have never enjoyed playing tricks on people by switching identities? Even as children? (But not, she trusts, by taking each other’sexams in whichever subject each of you happened to be stronger.Just harmless fooling.)

She is only suggesting that there may be charms, as well as nuisances, to twinship.

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

Preparingfor theend of lovedone’s life

Dear Heloise: Both my wife and I are in our 80s, so I’ve created a detailed list of things that need to get done once we pass. My list includes all of my insurances (home, earthquake, car,life, etc.) with names and phone numbers. In my list, Ialso include my latest will along with things like my checking and savings account numbers. In addition, I have my social securitynumber and the phone numbers needed to contact them to stop payments. My sons will have to pay our stateand federal taxes, so Ihave my accountant’s number avail-

POOL

Continuedfrom page1D

Hints from Heloise

able. Included are the names and numbers of allmyhomeexpenses, suchasthe housekeeper,gardener andpool man,along with the reverse mortgage company.Plus, my list includes all my doctors, and Ieven have my list of passwordstoget into my computer and cellphone. Iread your columnevery day and find the items very useful. Keep them coming! —Howard Zeff, in Mission Viejo, California

Openingplastic caps

Dear Heloise: Ithink Iprobably read this hint in your column before, but it is worth repeating:

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Iwas trying to twist the smooth, plastic cap off asmallbottle and just couldn’topen it. Ifinally grabbed arubber band and wrapped it around the lid, and I wasimmediately able to grip it and twist it off! —Debra V.,via email Cold butter pats

Dear Heloise: Ihad to smile when I read the hint about holding refrigerated pats of butter in your hand to soften them.I learned this (as well as manyother things) at our church lunches. Others assumed that Iwas praying! —Jo, in Little Rock,Arkansas

Email heloise@heloise.com.

The outdoor spaceat17835 E. Augusta Drive, Baton Rouge, features acustom gunite mineral saltwater pool.

The outdoor space at 4966 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge, features agunite pool and cabana.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Your high energy will meet with resistance and competition. Time is on your side, and patience will be necessary to outmaneuver any opponent you encounter.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Networking events will alter your perspective on professional progress. An interesting turn of events will allow you to utilize your skills in more ways than you thought possible.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Participate in events that offer insight into how you can best contribute and make a difference. Establish yourself as a frontrunner, but don't jeopardize your physical or emotional well-being.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Avoid letting someone take advantage of you. Don't sell yourself short. What you sacrifice will lead to other limitations on your time, skills and ability to move forward.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Keep tabs on job postings and career options. Domestic problems will arise if there is no compromise. If you can't meet in the middle, you may have to rethink your long-term plans.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Emotions will overflow if you let others drag you into their drama. You'll gain more ground if you focus on money, contracts and partnerships with people who share your agenda

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Emphasize your talents and utilize them to get the best results. Direct talks are preferable when dealing with information that comes from unfamiliar sources.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Get in the game. Stand tall and refuse to let anyone steal your thunder Opportunity knocks; let your charm lead the way.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Dedication meets innovation, and the sky's the limit. Refuse to let anyone step in and disrupt your plans. Expect someone to be jealous of your accomplishments.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Engage in topics of interest. Take precautions to maintain your rights while standing up for your beliefs. Refuse to let a stubborn attitude get in the way of common sense.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Go where the action is, learn all you can and choose to experience life. What you do will make a difference. Set high standards and leave no room for error. Take charge.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Proceed with caution, and when in doubt, sit tight and watch. Timing is crucial if you want to maintain your reputation and effectively address the concerns you have.

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: c EQuALs V

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

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. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

Herbert Beerbohm Tree, an English actor and theater manager who died in 1917, said, “A committee should consist of three men, two of whom are absent.”

So, a male bridge declarer is a committee. In this deal, how should the committee play in three no-trump after West leads the heart jack?

Most authorities recommend not using Stayman when responder has 4-3-3-3 distribution with a four-card major. And that will be right most of the time. However, when there is a 4-4 fit and opener has 4-4-3-2 distribution, the suit in which the partnership has only five cards could prove to be a fatal weakness. (Note that in this deal four spades has no chance, but if West had a second spade, it would be makable.)

South starts with eight top tricks: one spade, three hearts, two diamonds and two clubs. His order of business is to collect a second spade trick. And there is a guaranteed line of play. After taking the first trick, declarer should cash his spade ace. Here, the queen drops from West, so South continues with a spade to dummy’s jack. But if the ace collects only low cards, declarer still plays another spade and must eventually establish that second winner.

Note that initially playing a spade to the 10 is fatal here. The tempting finesse must be deleted from the agenda. Finally, here is another question: Suppose

InstRuctIons:

Average

Time

loCKhorNs

Don’t fret. God is the final bookkeeper — G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles