The Advocate 08-11-2025

Louisiana Democrats working to rebuild theparty

Butasolidly Republican voterbasemeans some crossing theaisle

BYTYLER BRIDGES |Staff writer

Beto O’Rourke was fired upwhen he appeared before an enthusiastic crowd of more than 1,000 people in NewOrleans on Thursday night, telling themthat Democrats canbegin turning around their fortunes in Louisiana

The path, said O’Rourke, aformer congressman who lost highly publicized races for the U.S. Senate and governor in Texas, requires“finding and fielding the candidates whoare going to show up and authentically and honestly engage with the people they want to serve, learn from them, reflect what they are hearing, campaign like there is no tomorrow.” It’sapath lined with obstacles.

ä See DEMOCRATS, page 4A O’Rourke

Work continues on myriad of BatonRouge road projects

Some construction completed, othermajor sitesforge ahead

BY ELLYN COUVILLION |Staff writer

When East Baton Rouge Parish voters in 2018 approved ahalf-centsales tax, it was for 71 badly needed road projects, in an effort named MovEBR by the city-parish government

It’sbeen seven years, but drivers in the parish are still seeing the impact of MovEBR, including fourupcoming road improvements

The sales tax went into effect on April 1, 2019, and will remain on the books until March 31,2049. Proceeds of the tax can be spent only on the approvedlist of projects.

ä See PROJECTS, page 4A

Motorcycle officer hitinJunedies

BY AIDAN McCAHILL |Staff writer

Hundreds of first responders formed a procession through Baton Rouge on Sunday afternoon, paying tribute to Sgt. Caleb Eisworth, adecorated police officer who died in the morning from injuries suffered in June when apickup truck rammed his motorcycle in whatauthoritiessay was an intentional attack.

Reflecting on Eisworth, BatonRouge PoliceChief Thomas Morse quoted an engravingonthe National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.: “It’snot how these officers died that made them heroes, but how they lived their lives. Ithink that sumsupCaleb.” Eisworth served on the force for 23 years, joining the motorcycle division in 2008. He received multiple awards forheroism in the line of duty,including the Medal of Valor —the highest honor bestowed by the Baton Rouge Police Department —for having pulled amotoristfroma burningvehicle while off-duty He is survived by awife and daughter His death also marks the 20th anniversary

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Police say N.Y. tourist killed in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico A tourist who was visiting Puerto Rico for Bad Bunny’s residency was fatally shot early Sunday at La Perla, a popular seaside shantytown, police said.

The victim was identified as Kevin Mares, a 25-year-old who lived in New York according to a police statement.

The shooting happened in the predawn hours at a nightspot called Refuge for Mistreated Men in La Perla, a coastal community that has struggled to shed its dark reputation.

Homicide detective Sgt Arnaldo Ruiz said in a phone interview that the shooting took place when several people near Mares began arguing and one pulled out a gun and shot at least three people, including Mares A brother and a sister in their mid-40s who live in La Perla were injured and remain hospitalized.

Ruiz said Mares was an innocent bystander He was with three other friends who told police they were in Puerto Rico for one of Bad Bunny’s 30 concerts, which have attracted tens of thousands of visitors to the U.S. territory Mares was shot on the left side of his abdomen and was taken to Puerto Rico’s largest public hospital, where he died, authorities said.

Ruiz said police don’t yet know what the people were arguing about and don’t have a description of the shooter “We have very little information,” he said. Ruiz added that Mares’ three friends also were from New York. He didn’t have their hometowns.

One killed, buildings collapse in Turkey quake

ISTANBUL A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Turkey’s northwestern province of Balikesir on Sunday, killing at least one person and causing more than a dozen buildings to collapse, officials said. At least 29 people were injured.

The earthquake, with an epicenter in the town of Sindirgi, sent shocks that were felt some 125 miles to the north in Istanbul — a city of more than 16 million people. An elderly woman died shortly after being pulled out alive from the debris of a collapsed building in Sindirgi, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters Four other people were rescued from the building.

Yerlikaya said a total of 16 buildings collapsed in the region most of them derelict and unused. Two mosque minarets also tumbled down, he said None of the injured were in serious condition, the minister said.

Television footage showed rescue teams asking for silence so they can listen for signs of life beneath the rubble.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency said the earthquake was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 4.6, and urged citizens not to enter damaged buildings.

$7K worth of Labubu dolls stolen in California

LOSANGELES A group of masked thieves stole about $7,000 worth of Labubu dolls from a Los Angeles-area store this week, authorities said.

The incident took place early Wednesday morning at a store in La Puente, a city about 18 miles east of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. The department said the suspects used a stolen Toyota Tacoma in the incident, which was recovered shortly afterward The agency said it was investigating the case and did not have additional information.

Labubu dolls, created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, have become a popular collectible item a decade after the toothy monsters were first introduced.

Toy vendor One Stop Shop said in an Instagram post that the thieves took all of the store’s inventory and trashed the establishment. The store posted surveillance footage showing a group of people wearing hoodies and face coverings breaking in. The suspects are seen shuffling through items and carrying boxes out of the shop.

Netanyahu defends Gaza offensive

Israeli leader says operation will be wider than announced

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, SAM METZ and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

JERUSALEM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday defended a new military offensive in Gaza that’s more sweeping than previously announced, declaring in the face of growing condemnation at home and abroad that Israel “has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas.”

Even as more Israelis express concern over the 22-month war, Netanyahu said the security Cabinet last week instructed the dismantling of Hamas strongholds not only in Gaza City but also in the “central camps” and Muwasi. A source familiar with the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, confirmed that Israel plans it in both areas

The camps sheltering well over a half-million displaced people, according to the U.N. — had not been part of Israel’s announcement Friday It was not clear why, though Netanyahu faced criticism this weekend within his ruling coalition that targeting

Gaza City was not enough. Netanyahu said there would be “safe zones,” but such designated areas have been bombed in the past

Late Sunday, heavy bombardment was reported in Gaza City Shortly before midnight local time, broadcaster Al Jazeera said correspondent Anas al-Sharif was killed in a strike. Rami Mohanna, administrative director at the nearby Shifa Hospital, said the strike hit a tent for Al Jazeera journalists outside the hospital’s walls. Along with al-Sharif, three other journalists and a driver were killed.

Israel’s military confirmed it, asserting al-Sharif had “posed as a journalist” and alleging he was with Hamas. Al-Sharif had denied having any political affiliations. The Committee

to Protect Journalists last month said it was gravely concerned for his safety and said he was a “targeted by an Israeli military smear campaign.”

Netanyahu’s office late Sunday said he had spoken with President Donald Trump about the plan and thanked him for his “steadfast support.”

Rejecting starvation in Gaza as well as a “global campaign of lies,” Netanyahu spoke to foreign media just before an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, a platform for outrage but little action on the war

“Our goal is not to occupy Gaza, our goal is to free Gaza,” Netanyahu asserted. The goals, he said, include demilitarizing the territory the Israeli military hav-

ing “overriding security control” and a non-Israeli civilian administration in charge.

Israel wants to increase the number of aid distribution sites in Gaza, he said, but in a later briefing to local media, he asserted: “There is no hunger There was no hunger There was a shortage, and there was certainly no policy of starvation.”

Netanyahu also said he has directed Israel’s military to “bring in more foreign journalists” which would be a striking development, as they haven’t been allowed into Gaza beyond military embeds during the war He again blamed many of Gaza’s problems on the Hamas militant group, including civilian deaths, destruction and aid shortages.

“Hamas still has thousands of armed terrorists,” he asserted, adding that Palestinians are “begging” to be freed from them.

Hamas responded with a lengthy statement that summed up Netanyahu’s remarks as “blatant lies.”

The United States defended Israel, saying it has the right to decide what’s best for its security It called allegations of genocide in Gaza false. The U.S. has veto power at the council and can block proposed actions there. Other council members, and U.N. officials, expressed alarm. China called the “collective punishment” of people in Gaza unacceptable. Russia warned against a “reckless intensification of hostilities.”

“This is no longer a looming hunger crisis; this is starvation,” said Ramesh Rajasingham with the U.N. humanitarian office. “Humanitarian conditions are beyond horrific. We have frankly run out of words to describe it.” Israel faces growing action even by its closest allies. Netanyahu said Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany had “buckled under” the growing international criticism by stopping exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza. Merz, for his part, told public broadcaster ARD that Germany and Israel were talking “very critically” but Berlin’s overall policies of friendship haven’t changed.

U.K. police: Over 500 arrested in pro-Palestinian events

BY DANICA KIRKA Associated Press

LONDON London police said Sunday that 532 people were arrested the previous day when supporters of a pro-Palestinian group recently outlawed as a terrorist organization intentionally broke the law to test the government’s ability to enforce the ban.

The Metropolitan Police Service released the updated figures as protesters demanding the immediate release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza held their own march through central London on Sunday afternoon.

Action was banned after committing serious attacks involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage.

“The right to protest is one we protect fiercely but this is very different from displaying support for this one specific and narrow, proscribed organization,” Cooper said in a statement.

“Many people may not yet know the reality of this organization, but the assessments are very clear this is not a nonviolent organization,” she added.

Police released updated

information on the Palestine Action protest after the front pages of Sunday newspapers featured photos of elderly protesters being carted off by officers.

One of those was La Pethick, an 89-year-old retired psychotherapist, who told the Times of London that she had the support of her five grandchildren. “We are having our right to peaceful protest being taken away,” she said.

Almost half of those arrested were over the age of 60, according to figures released by the Met.

The vast majority of those detained on Saturday were arrested for displaying placards declaring their support for the group known as Palestine Action Police updated their earlier totals and said 522 people were arrested for supporting a proscribed organization in violation of anti-terror laws. Another 10 people were arrested on a variety of charges, including assaulting and obstructing police officers.

that the government is illegally restricting freedom of expression by banning a direct action organization that has challenged its policies.

Backers of Palestine Action staged the protest to underscore their belief

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who oversees law enforcement in Britain, rejected that characterization, saying Palestine

Flash flooding cancels last day of Wisconsin State Fair

By The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE Flash flood-

ing canceled the final day of the Wisconsin State Fair on Sunday as continued heavy rainfall in half a dozen Midwest states forced motorists to abandon their vehicles, cut power to thousands of households and closed busy roadways.

Organizers of the Wisconsin State Fair said they were scrapping the final day of the 11-day event after rains flooded the fairgrounds in West Allis, which is just outside Milwaukee

“We are saddened we cannot deliver this final day of the Wisconsin State Fair, but know that this is the best decision with current conditions and the forecast ahead,” organizers said in a statement

The National Weather Service issued flood watches and warnings for parts of Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois and Wis-

consin. After rainfall began on Saturday in some areas forecasters predicted “repeated rounds of heavy rain,” along with hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes into Monday

Among the worst hit was the Milwaukee area, where as many as 12 inches of rain had fallen in some areas by Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, which also noted river flooding in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. Some motorists left their stranded cars on roads. Nearly 47,000 customers of We Energies lost power in southeast Wisconsin. In the suburban village of Wauwatosa, an overflowing and fastmoving Menomonee River submerged a popular playground.

“Really unfortunately, it’s just a really bad overlap of circumstances in terms of how all this rain fell but then fell over such

a populated area,” said Andrew Quigley, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

Firefighters responded to over 600 calls including for gas leaks, flooded basements, electrical outages and water rescues, according to the Milwaukee Fire Department. Meanwhile, city crews worked overnight to clear surface water

“We’re still in the middle of it,” Fire Chief Aaron Lipski told reporters Sunday “We’re still catching up right now.”

USA Triathlon canceled its Sprint and Paratriathlon National Championships in Milwaukee, where thousands of athletes were expected to participate. Meanwhile, the Sunday afternoon Brewers versus Mets game at American Family Field was expected to continue as scheduled even as the parking lot remained inaccessible to traffic.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

Tents housing displaced Palestinians crowd the beach Sunday in Gaza City as the sun sets over the Mediterranean Sea.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALBERTO PEZZALI

Police officers arrest a demonstrator Saturday during a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza at

Square in London.

European leaders rally behind Ukraine before meeting

Trump to host Putin on Friday in Alaska

BY SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine European nations have rallied behind Ukraine, saying peace in the war-torn nation can’t be resolved without Kyiv ahead of an upcoming meeting between President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Trump said next Friday’s meeting with his Russian counterpart on U.S. soil would focus on ending the war, now in its fourth year

In response, Zelenskyy thanked European allies in a post on X, writing Sunday: “The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people.”

Saturday’s statement by top European leaders came after the White House confirmed the U.S. president was willing to grant Putin the one-onone meeting Russia has long pushed for and suggestions from Trump that a peace deal could include “some swapping of territories.” That raised fears that Kyiv may be pressured into giving up

apart on their conditions for peace.

Saturday’s statement, signed by the president of the European Union and leaders of France, Germany Italy Poland, Finland and the UK, stressed the need for a “just and lasting peace” for Kyiv, including “robust and credible” security guarantees.

“Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the statement said.

said that “you can’t end a war without talking.”

“I do hope that Zelenskyy can be part of the process. I have every confidence in the world that (Trump) is going to go to meet Putin from a position of strength, that he’s going to look out for Europe and Ukrainian needs to end this war honorably,” he said.

land or accepting other curbs on its sovereignty

A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they aren’t allowed to speak publicly, told The Associated Press that Trump remained open to a trilateral summit with both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, but for now, he will have a bilateral meeting requested by Putin.

In an interview with Fox News taped on Thursday but aired on Sunday, Vice President JD Vance said Trump had got Putin to agree to meet with Zelenskyy and it was now only a matter of scheduling before a meeting would take place The Krem-

Trump to crack down on homelessness in D.C. crime reduction push

BY HADRIANA LOWENKRON Bloomberg News (TNS)

President Donald Trump said his push to reduce crime in the nation’s capital will include moving out homeless people who camp along the city streets.

Trump said he will hold a news conference Monday to lay out his ideas for ending violent crime in the nation’s capital, a concept that moved to the forefront of his agenda after the attempted carjacking of a former aide.

Trump said in a social media post Sunday that “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” adding “we will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital.” Trump also suggested he would incarcerate those who have committed crimes.

The news conference will also focus on the “Cleanliness and the General Physical Renovation and Condition of our once beautiful and well maintained Capital,” he said in a second post Sunday, one in which he also slammed the renovation of the Federal Reserve building. The ongoing project — which is funded by the federal government, not D.C. — has been part of Trump’s sustained attack on Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

The president has already signed an executive order that makes it easier for states and cities to remove outdoor encampments on federal lands and get people into mental health or addiction

treatment, a shift in approach from existing policies that have worked to find housing for homeless people first and then seek treatment opportunities for them.

The effort comes amid the Trump administration’s increased show of federal law enforcement around Washington, D.C. A day after a former member of his so-called Department of Government Efficiency was injured during an attempted carjacking in D.C., he called for a federal takeover of the District, which has been seeking to end all federal control of the city for decades.

Violent crime has been dropping in the District for two years, according to local police data. As of Jan. 3, violent crime in D.C. in 2024 was at a 30-year low, according to the US Justice Department Trump’s powers to take over” the capital city are limited.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, in an interview that aired Sunday on MSNBC’s “The Weekend,” said it was the president’s prerogative to call out the D.C National Guard, which he controls. Trump used the California National Guard, which is controlled by that state’s governor, to help quell unrest over immigration raids in Los Angeles in June But “I’m concerned about them not being used efficiently,” said Bowser, who highlighted the drop in violent crime.

lin has previously said that Putin and Zelenskyy should meet only when an agreement negotiated by their delegations is close. A request to the White House for clarification has not immediately been answered.

Trump previously said he would meet with Putin regardless of whether the Russian leader agreed to meet with Zelenskyy

The Trump-Putin meeting may prove pivotal in a war that began when Russia invaded its western neighbor and has led to tens of thousands of deaths, although there’s no guarantee it will stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain far

“The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force,” the Europeans added.

The European statement follows a meeting between Vance and top European and Ukrainian officials at the British Foreign Secretary’s weekend residence to discuss how to end the war

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that a good deal would mean preventing an emboldened Russia, and aggressors elsewhere, from trying to once again redraw borders by force.

A Trump ally and Russia hawk, Graham nevertheless

Colo. prison evacuated amid growing wildfire

By The Associated Press

MEEKER, Colo. — A Colorado prison was evacuated as one of the largest wildfires in state history continued to grow and officials warned residents of remote areas to be ready to leave Sunday as gusty winds and low humidity fed the flames.

Evacuation orders were already in place for mountain communities as the Lee Fire charred more than 167 square miles across Garfield and Rio Blanco counties, with just 6% containment. No injuries or structural damage has been reported.

All 179 incarcerated people were safely removed from the Rifle Correctional Center on Saturday “out of an abundance of caution,” the Colorado Department of Corrections said in a statement. They were temporarily relocated about 150 miles away to the Buena Vista Correctional Complex, the department said.

The Lee Fire, churning through trees and brush about 250 miles west of Denver, is now the sixthlargest single fire in the state’s history, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.

More than a thousand firefighters are battling the blaze, working to keep the flames to the west of Colorado 13 and north of County Road 5, officials said.

Health officials issued air quality warnings related to smoke from the Lee Fire and the 23-square-mile Elk Fire burning just to the east

In Southern California, crews reached 62% containment on the 8-square-mile Canyon Fire that forced evacuations and destroyed seven structures after breaking out Thursday near the Los Angeles County and Ventura County line. Three firefighters have been injured.

He argued that “Ukraine is not going to evict every Russian” soldier but said the West should give Kyiv robust security guarantees, keep some of its forces on the ground “as trip wires,” and keep arming Ukraine “so that Russia will be deterred by the most lethal army on the continent of Europe.”

A monthlong U.S.-led push to achieve a truce in Ukraine has so far proved fruitless, with Kyiv agreeing in principle while the Kremlin has held out for terms more to its liking.

Trump also moved up an ultimatum to impose additional sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil if the Kremlin did not move toward a settlement. The deadline was Fri-

day The White House did not answer questions Saturday about possible sanctions. The Kremlin earlier this week reiterated demands that Ukraine give up territory, abandon its bid to join NATO, and accept limits on its military, in exchange for a withdrawal of Russian troops from the rest of the country Particularly galling for Kyiv is Moscow’s insistence that it cede pockets of eastern and southern Ukraine the Kremlin claims to have annexed, despite lacking full military control.

Mark Galeotti, a British expert in Russian politics who heads the Mayak Intelligence consultancy, says Moscow’s tactic of encircling towns in eastern Ukraine has brought a string of territorial gains for Russia, and Putin “does not appear to feel under pressure.”

For the Kremlin, “further delaying any more serious U.S. action and the optics of a meeting with the U.S. president will already be wins,” Galeotti argued in an analysis published Sunday by the U.K.’s Sunday Times newspaper

Notice is hereby givenpursuant to Article7, Section23(C) of the Louisiana Constitution andR.S. 47:1705(B) thatapublichearingof the City of Baker, LA in East BatonRouge Parishwillbeheldatits regularmeeting place in the CouncilChamberslocated at 3325 GroomRd.,Baker,LAonTuesday, September9,2025 at 6:00 PM to consider levyingadditionalorincreasedmillagerates without furthervoter approval or adopting the adjusted millagerates after reassessment androlling forwardtorates nottoexceed the prioryear’smaximum. Theestimated amount of tax revenues to be collectedin the next year from the increasedmillageis $517,609, andthe amount of increase in taxes attributabletothe millageincrease is $44,030. TheFY2026 adopted budget includes$545,000 in property tax revenues.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAN BASHAKOV

Relatives and soldiers of the Azov Regiment pay their last respects Saturday near the coffin of their comrade, Georgian volunteer Mykhailo Kovaliv during a farewell ceremony on Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine.

In the 2023 elections, RepublicanGov.JeffLandry surprised most observersby cruising to victory in the primary over his Democratic challenger,negating the need fora runoff. Republicans alsoprevailed once again in all of the other statewide offices, and they captured enoughadditional legislative seats to claim atwo-thirds supermajorityinboth the House and theSenate.

sivelyengaged in rebuilding the party from the ground up with local candidates in local races,” said Randal Gaines, who replaced Katie Bernhardt in April 2024 to become theparty chair. Still, Democrats can’tpoint to much success at the ballot box since thefall 2023 elections.

Cleo Fields didwin acongressional seat in 2024 for adistrict that stretches from Baton Rouge to Shreveport, but that wasnosurprise since Landry and state legislators drew thedistrict earlier in the year foraBlack Democrat to win it.

Beto O’Rourkespeaks

Republicans have not held so much power in Louisiana since the post-Civil WarReconstruction era 150years ago. Given the size of the Republican advantageinLouisiana, Democrats in the state Legislature have decided nottomimic the defiant approach of Democrats in Washington and areinstead working with the Republican leadership in Baton Rouge whenever possible to notch small victories for their constituents.

Marshall Simien ousted the Republican mayor of Lake Charles last year,but he switched from Democratto no party for the election.

“They have concludedit’sbesttobeaccommodationist,” said James Carville, the preeminent Democratic strategist who lives in New Orleans. “This is more of an observation than a criticism.”

Trying to find path back

Amonth after the 2023 election, Davante Lewis, aDemocratic member of the Public Service Commission from Baton Rouge, said his party had hit “rock bottom.”

Asked recently for an update, Lewissaid, “Weare trying to find our path back,” and pointed to some successes over the past 18 months. He noted that progressive groupsandDemocratshelped organize the campaign that in Marchresoundingly defeated four constitutional amendments sought by Landry and the Legislature.

“Wehave been aggres-

Meanwhile, in Baton Rouge, football coach Sid Edwards, aRepublican,knocked off Mayor-PresidentSharon Weston Broome, aDemocrat, when sheran forreelection in 2024. In 2024, President Donald Trump carried Louisiana with 60% of the vote, while Republican candidates wonabout 65% of the votecumulatively in the six congressional races.

So far,nomajor Democrat has announced plans to run against U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, aRepublican, who is facing threemajor Republican candidates, with qualifying for theNovember2026general election settooccur in January State Sen. Jay Luneau, DAlexandria, said he is polling to assess hischances, noting that no one from theLouisiana Democratic Party has spoken to him yet about running.

Registrationsebb

There are more registered Democrats than Republicans in Louisiana,but that marginissteadily eroding, said John Couvillon, aBaton Rouge-basedpollster and demographer. Since August 2023, thepercentage of Democratic vot-

ersinLouisiana has shrunk from38.6% of theelectorate to 36.7%.Republicans, meanwhile, have gone from 33.9% to 35.2%,and independent voters have edged up from 27.5% to 28%,Couvillon said.

This means that,compared totwo yearsago, there are 57,263 fewer Democrats, 39,674 more Republicansand 14,762 more independents.

“I would saythere is minimal good news since their overwhelming losses in 2023,” Couvillon said of Democrats. “You still have a solid Republican majority in Louisiana.”

Following the 2023 election results, Republicans hold a28-11 advantage in the state Senate and 73-32 margin in theHouse.

At Landry’sbehest, the Republican-controlled Legislaturehas redrawn Louisiana’scongressional boundaries andlocked up morecriminals, undoing the criminal justiceoverhaul thatwas asignature achievement of Landry’s Democraticpredecessor, John Bel Edwards.Legislatorshave also voted to post theTen Commandments in all classrooms, revamped thestate tax system in ways that he says will generate more investment andpassed legislation to makeitharder for people injured in car accidentstowin big payouts, in the beliefthatthis will lower insurance rates.

‘Accommodationistparty’

Carville hadsaid after the poor 2023 election resultsthat Democrats hadtoact likean opposition partytobegin to reverse theirfortunes at the ballot box.

That would require Democratstoregularlychallenge Landry and the Republican leadership of theLegislature withaconsistent message thatwould scorepoints with the media and the public.

Democratic lawmakers have not done that, however Instead, they oftenwork with Landry andhaveprovidedthe votes needed to pass twomajor pieces of legislation thatthe governor wanted.

House Democrats have agood working relationship with Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, praising him for including them in his visitstoHouse districts throughout thestateand for naming two Democrats to chair House committees.

Senate President Cameron Henry,R-Metairie, has also followed thelead of his twoRepublican predecessors by working closely withDemocratsand naming twoofthemtochair Senate committees.

None of these moves would happen in hyperpartisan Washington.

“They’re an accommodationist party,” Carville said of DemocratsinLouisiana. “That’sanunderstandable choice they’vemade. You’ll

geta left turn lane in your (legislative)district. But you’renever goingtowin elections doing that. They won’teverdefine themselves.”

‘You have to be at thetable’

State Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, of Lafayette, who leads the 11-member Democratic Senate caucus, said Republicans hold so much power that it behooves Democrats to work with them whenever possible, without sacrificing theirprinciples.

“Our votes wouldreflect that we have opposed the things we don’tagree with and don’tmove the state forward,”Boudreauxsaid. “But if youwanttodosomething for your people,you have to be at the table, in the game. We could have made aname for ourselves, and our districts wouldhave no projects, no funds, no bills that would enhance the quality of life that we fight for. We negotiated somethings into the bill that wereinthe bestinterest of thepeople.”

Boudreauxwas referring to how,during aspecial session in November,Democrats helped Landry overcome the opposition of conservative Republicans by voting to pass legislation that flattened state income taxes while increasing thestate sales tax.

In return, Landry agreed to increase spending for Grambling University and for the three Southern University campuses by atotal of $10 millionannuallyfor thenext three years. He also agreed to notcut spending on early childhood education and to ensure that juveniles jailed in adult prisons will have access to education andvo-tech training programs aimed at keeping them from committing morecrimes And because Democrats workedwith Henry,heensured that each one had at leastone project in the annualinfrastructure spending bill.

In April, Democrats came to Landry’s rescue againon hischief legislative priority, House Bill 148, which gives the insurance commissioner greater authoritytoreject

rate increases. If rates continue to rise,Landrysaid, he willblame the current commissioner,Tim Temple, who objected to thelegislation. Republicanswere divided on the bill, but it passed with unanimoussupport from Democrats.

“Onany policythatisbad for theworking families, we makesure to include on therecord why it’s badfor Louisiana,and we make the authors explain why they’re supporting this legislation,” said state Rep. Matthew Willard, of NewOrleans,who heads the 32-memberHouse DemocraticCaucus.

“But we still have to work withthem so we can bring home things forour district,” Willard said. “That’sthe balancing act. Idon’tbelieve we can just stand up and say no to everything. Not everything the governor pushes is bad forLouisiana.”

When it cametime after thesessionfor Landry to exercise his line-item veto, 16 of the 17 spending projects he killed were sponsored by Republicans whohad voted againstHB148.

Boudreauxnoted another benefit of working with Landryand Henry On May 19, twodozen Black Democrats andtwo White Democratstookthe unusual step of standing in solidarity in the front of the House to express their anger with HouseBill685,a measure by Rep. Emily Chenevert, RBaton Rouge,thatwould roll back Louisiana’sdiversity,equityand inclusionprograms.

“Let me be frank. This is an anti-Black bill,” saidstate Rep. Edmund Jordan, DBaton Rouge, whileothersw calledit“divisive.”

Boudreaux andother Democrats askedLandry and Henry to bottle up the bill in theSenate, without givingita hearing. HB685 diedwithout getting ahearing.

“Ifall youdoissay no,when these issues come up, you don’tget any support,” Boudreauxsaid.

Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com.

Carville Fields

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We beganour practice 14 yearsago,and we have helped thousandsofpatientseliminate pain andreclaim theirlives. Dueto thehigh demand,wehave 10 advanced decompression machines at ourBaton Rougeand Kenner locations. Ourstate-of-the-arttechnologyis proventoreverse disc herniationsand relieve nervepaininthe neck,arms, lowbackand legs andwelove what we do!

Disc issuesare common,and patients suffering areusually givenlimited optionsoftreatment Themostcommoninvasivetreatment fordisc herniationsissurgery.Werun thesebig newspaperadvertisementsbecause we want to letpeopleinthe communityknowthere is anotheroptionoftreatment forpain.

IcametoDr. LeBlancbecause Ihad been suffering with severe sciatica.The pain in my lowbackand legs wasso severe that Ibegan stayinghomerather than attendingsportingorsocialevents. Ibegan Spinal Decompression treatmentsand sincethen, Iam70% improved! Iamfeeling well enough andenergetic afterworkingall day to cook,dohousehold chores,attend functions, etc. Ihavemoremobilityand Iamnot exhaustedfromthe pain!The staff andDoctors here arewonderful. Everyone is so kind andfriendly and will do whatever is needed to decrease thepain. What Ilikemostabout my care at LeBlancSpine CenterisTHE RESULTS! Ihighlyrecommend LeBlanc SpineCenterdue to thenon-invasive treatmentand results! As amatterof fact,IhaverecommendedDr. LeBlancto people already.

Sabrina Ruggiero Customer ServiceRepresenative/ InsuranceAgent Hometown-Plaquemine, LA

Forthe next 7days, we are offeringaspecial Decompression Evaluation-atnocosttoyou!

What does this offer include? Everything we normally do in ournew patientevaluations:

•Anin-depthconsultationabout your health andwellbeing wherewewill listen .really listen to thedetails of your case.

•A complete neuromuscularexamination

•Afullset of specialized X-rays (ifclinically necessary) to identify theexact source of pain

•Athorough analysis of your exam andX-rays. Yousit with thedoctorone-on-onetoreviewyour findings in detail

It is importanttonotethatnot everypatient is a candidatefor Spinal Decompression, whichiswhy we prioritize athoroughindividualassessment andX-ray analysis foreachpersonwho walks throughour doors.

At LeBlancSpine Center,

We arehonestwithour patients andour consistently high successratestems from our commitment to only taking on patients whom we confidently believewecan help

If you have seen ourads in thepastand have thoughtabout calling, don’thesitate!

We spendtimeanswering allofyour questionswhenyou come in foryourfree evaluation Thereisnochargeatall andyou don’tneedtobuy anything,soyou have nothingtolose.

We trulyenjoy meetingwithpatients, reviewingX-rayswiththem, andhelping them find outifSpinalDecompressioncould be their pain solution,likeithas been forso many others

Iwas sufferingwithlower back pain for years, anditwas gettingworse andworse It wassopainfulthatIcould notfunction. I couldnot get outthe bed withoutfalling to the floor.

Ihad triedorthopedic doctors, medication, scans, physical therapy- alltonoavail IcametoLeBlancSpine Center,and I startedSpinalDecompression treatments in August…and Inow feel 100% improved! Iamnow sleeping better,driving without pain,walking further–all of theseactivities Ican nowdo, andIhaveenergythatIonly had when Iwas young. Iamtreated wonderfullybythe staff at LeBlancSpine Center.Theyare so polite andcaring. Dr.Scott andDr. Dana are unbelievably helpful. Thetreatment is not painful, andIenjoy themusicwhileIam theretoo! If askedtorecommend LeBlancSpine Center,Iwould saythatIamconvinced that youwillimprove abig amount,ifnot 100% Decompression therapyisthe waytogo!

RonnieHebert (Civil Engineer) hometown- Plaquemine, LA

Ifirst came to LeBlancSpine Centerwithnumbnessinmyarms andlegs. Iwas also experiencing lowerbackpain andneckpain. I hadbeensuffering with this for over 10 years. Ihad previously triedone epidural injectioninmy lowerbackand physical therapy, an Iwas stillsuffering with these symptoms.Since beginningSpinal Decompressiontreatments, Ihave hadconsistentimprovement in my back condition, andIamnow 70% improved!Iamlifting withoutpain, sleeping better,and Inow have the abilitytowalkwithouttiring! Iwould highlyrecommend Dr.LeBlanc and LeBlancSpine Center!

L. J. Dupuy (College Baseball Coach) Hometown-Addis,LA

IcametoLeBlancSpine Center becauseIhad been sufferingwith extreme back pain andleg pain forseveral weeks. Ihad triedother treatments, massage, NSAIDs and Tylenol, butIwas stillinpain. Ibegan Spinal Decompression treatments andnow Ifeel100% improved!WhatIlikemostabout my treatment is that it is non-invasive and it eliminated my pain.Mytreatment appointments arenot long,and thetreatment is pain-free. Since beginningtreatment at LeBlancSpine Center,Iamnow able to do allofmy previous activities andwork without pain.I also have more range of motion.I wouldhighlyrecommend LeBlancSpine Center!

Dr.JohnBarksdale (Dentist) hometown-Baton Rouge, LA

To date,27projectshavebeencompleted.A look at four others that are

PROJECTS

Continuedfrom page1A

of the killing of Detective Terry Lee Melancon Jr., who was fatally shot while executing asearch warrant.

Officials said they will be seeking the death penalty for Gad Black, the man they say is responsible for the crash. His charge will be upgraded to first-degree murder after Eisworth’sdeath. Eisworth was critically injured June 16 in acrashthat happened around 11 a.m.on Joor Road,nearPrescott Road. He was on his way to a work-related escort assignment when adriver,later identified as Black, struck Eisworth’smotorcycle with his pickup truck. Police said Black had followed the officer for ashort distance before the crash.

Minutes later,someone using the name Gad Black posted on social media: “Check Him Out On Joor Rd. Stretched One.”

In theweeks afterEisworth’sinjury,the Baton Rouge communitycame out to support the officer,showing up in large numbers at a jambalaya fundraiser put on by first responders, as well as donating blood.

Last month, surgeons at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center amputated both of Eisworth’s legs above the knee, and his family expressed hope after hisvitals improved, posting on social media to thank the hospital doctors and staff for the care they were giving him. But late Sunday morning, after seven weeks in the hospital, Eisworth died with his loved onesaround him, Morse said.

Shortly after he died, a motorcade bearing Eisworth’sbody left Our Lady of the Lake Hospital around 12:30p.m., arriving alittle over half an hour later at the East BatonRouge Parish Coroner’sOffice, where more than 40 motorcycle officers stood in formation to salute their fallen colleague.

Morse, aclose colleague who graduated from the police academy one year apart from Eisworth and was shot alongside him during a2004 traffic stop, described him

Creek Road from TigerBendto AirlineHighway Widen Old Hammond Highway,from MillervilleRoadto O’Neal Lane, to

The constructionjobsaddressa range of issues,from new roadstoimproving traffic flowonexisting streets to adding sidewalks, andsome of the original 71 projects werebrokenupinto smaller, related projects for atotal list of 139 MovEBRprojects.

To date, 27 projectshave been completed, according to the city-parish. Themost recent project completed, marked with a ribbon-cuttingonAug.1,is anew two-laneroad from Picardy Avenue to Constantin Boulevard.

Four projects that are now under active construction or will be soon: n Theclearingand grub-

as a“family man, asportsman, an LSUfan” and“just awonderful guy.”

District Attorney Hillar Moore, who said he had known Eisworth sincethe officer joined the motorcycle division,remembered himassomeone who was “always smiling.”

“This is an extremely tragic, horrific way to die,” he said. “It’s atough loss for notonlyBaton Rouge policemen, but law enforcement and Baton Rougeitself.”

In the days afterthe attack, Black, 41, of Baton Rouge,was booked on a countofattempted firstdegree murder of apolice officer in thecrash. Counts of hate crimes against law enforcementand resisting an officer were later added.

Black’sgirlfriend,Asia Raby, 40, was also arrested, booked oncountsofobstruction of justice and accessory after the fact to attempted first-degree murder of apolice officer

A19thJudicial District Courtcommissioner appointed asanity commission to examine Black’sfitness to stand trial.

The commissioner,Nicole Robinson, also ordered Black to return to courton Sept.3,toappear before a district judgefor abailreview.

Black’sfamily issueda public apologytoEisworth after the attack.

“On behalf of ourentire family,weextend our deepestand mostheartfelt apologies to you andyourloved ones for the injuries you sustained on June 16, 2025,”the family said, in part. “Please know that ourthoughtsand prayers are with youand your family during this difficult time.”

Blackhas alengthy history of arrests, including incidents involving violence againstpolice officers.

In 2014, Black was arrested for tryingtoram Baton Rougepolicevehiclesduring aJuly 4chase involving Morse, who was an officer at thetime. Now he may face the death penalty.

Discussing next steps, Moore saidheintends to present both Black’sand Raby’scases to agrand jury Then,depending on thewishes of the Eisworth family and the sanity commission’s evaluation of Black’sfitness to stand trial, Moore said he would file an officialnotice of intent to seekthe deathpenalty.HeaddedthatBlack’s mental state wouldlikely be acentralissue in the trial.

“A lot of it will hinge on sanitydefense,” Mooresaid.

AttorneyGeneral Liz Murrill said she would support

Moore’sdecision to seek the death penalty.

“I will offer any support he needsfrommyoffice,” she said Sunday. Walking out of theCoroner’sOffice after theproces-

bing of an area fromTiger Bend Road to JeffersonHighway,anine-month project, is expected to begin in September.It’spart of a$24 million project to extend Jones Creek Road from Tiger Bend to Airline Highway.After utilitiesare relocated,roadway constructionwill begin with aroundabout at Jefferson Highway.

n Under construction now is anew four-lane road from Perkins Road to the Mall of Louisiana, expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2027. As part of the$40 million project, two bridges needed forthe roadwayhave already been built over Dawson’sCreek. The new road “will be another waytoget from the Perkins Road area to the interstate, without having to use Bluebonnet BoulevardorSiegen

Lane,” said Fred Raiford, director of transportation for the city-parish. n Anew,four-lane section of Constantin Boulevard that will pass alongsideOur Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospitaland travelonto Bluebonnet Boulevard, an $8 million project, is also now under construction. It will also provide an alternate routefor drivers, as “a mechanism to get traffic off of Siegen and Essen,” Raiford said. n The city-parish will begin advertising this month forconstruction bids to widen Old Hammond Highway, fromMillerville Road to O’Neal Lane, to four lanes, with amedian and sidewalks. The budget for the project is $18.9million; it’s expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026.

the policeprocession

sion, Mayor-President Sid Edwards expressed amix of despair and anger

“It’sa profound sadness right now.Watching his little girl,seeing his parents and his wife,” he said. “My emotionsare mixed right now between infuriatedand profound sadness. When’sitgoing to stop?”

Edwards described Eisworth as a“warrior” who “meant alot to the city.”

“A normalman couldn’t have made it this long. The grit, the toughness, then you

add the honor,” he added. Edwards askedBaton Rouge residentstoflytheir flags at half-staff in honor of Eisworth.

“Just continue prayers for him andhis family but also forthe entire department,” Morsesaid. “It’sgoing to be a timeofgrieving for all of us as we go through this week to make preparations to honor him.”

Email Aidan McCahill at aidan.mccahill@ theadvocate.com.

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Officials: Ex-deputy raided wrong address

Fired Plaquemines officer was working as a bounty hunter

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

A former Plaquemines Parish sheriff’s deputy now working as a bounty hunter finds himself facing the law rather than enforcing it after he allegedly raided the wrong Baton Rouge address in the middle of the night.

Brian Green, 41, of Belle Chasse, was arrested Friday by Baton Rouge police on a felony count of home invasion and two misdemeanor counts of simple criminal damage to property Two Slidell men, Roderick Larkins, 31 and Jhustyn Garrett, 31, also face the same charges from the incident.

Green was fired from the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office in 2018 for his connections to the far-right group Proud Boys.

His arrest warrant states that around 1:40 a.m. July 21, Baton Rouge police were called to Alight Baton Rouge, an apartment complex on West McKinley Street that caters to LSU students. There, they discovered that Green, Garrett and Larkins had acted as “armed fugitive recovery agents” and forcibly entered a resident’s apartment.

The men searched the home by kicking in all locked doors in a show of force, arrest documents say After discovering the tenant hiding in the bathroom, Green and his colleagues realized they had made a mistake: The person they were looking for no longer lived at the address, Green’s arrest warrant says. The investigator also wrote that neither Green, Larkins nor Garrett attempted to notify local law enforcement of their actions, and did not conduct any sort of surveillance to make sure the apartment was the right address. In Louisiana, state law requires licensed bond recovery agents (bounty hunters) to notify law enforcement before conducting bail enforcement

A Facebook account with Green’s name and information that lines up with court records suggests he was actively seeking to expand his fugitive recovery enterprise. In October, he posted “Hey! Anybody interested in getting started in a career in Fugitive Recover (Bounty Hunting)? Drop me a line for the info!” In May, he indicated he was looking for an apprentice to mentor, writing that he was seeking people interested in “getting into the exciting world” of fugitive recovery Garrett has also posted about bounty hunting on social media, including TikTok videos of him wearing fugitive recovery gear In one caption, he wrote, “Real Mandalorian. A LinkedIn page under Green’s name, with a profile picture that matches his Facebook photos, lists him as a deputy for the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office between 2013 and 2018. In August 2018, there was an uproar on social media after someone discovered Green had listed himself as a “Deputy Sheriff, Father, Proud Boy” in the intro section of his Facebook page. The Proud Boys, originally founded in 2016 by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, is an all-male group whose core tenet is “Western chauvinism.” Its members believe traditional masculinity and Western culture are under siege, and have advocated against “political correctness” and “White guilt.” The Southern Poverty Law Center characterizes them as a hate group, though McInnes and other members have disputed that portrayal After several members were indicted for their involvement in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the group was banned from most social media platforms and has since become much less visible.

In 2018, Green was the administrator of the local chapter’s Facebook page when the Sheriff’s Office launched an internal investigation into his activities. In one video posted to Facebook, Green said, “I’m a proud Western chauvinist who refuses to apologize for creating the modern world.”

When Sheriff Gerald Turlich fired Green, he stopped short of calling the Proud Boys a hate group, stating instead that action was taken for Green’s decision to promote his ties with the group on at least one social media page while wearing his agency uniform.

“Green’s decision to utilize the uniform to promote the views of the Proud Boys, whose values are contradictory to the values and the vision of the (Sheriff’s Office), will not be tolerated,” Turlich said in a statement. Turlich also noted at the time that Green had never been disciplined or received any public complaints during his five years as a deputy

LINE DANCE

Man takes plea deal in son’s death

40-year-old with special needs was beaten, prosecutors say

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

An elderly Baton Rouge man who confessed Friday to beating his mentally handicapped son to death faces 10 years in prison when he returns to court next month.

Ellsworth Hull, 83, plead guilty to manslaughter during a hearing inside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse. The conviction stems from a February 2020 incident where prosecutors said he beat his special needs son, Derrick Christophe, 40, with a wooden mop handle and metal broomstick. Christophe suffered internal bleeding and died from multiple blunt force trauma wounds.

Hull was indicted on seconddegree murder and his trial had been slated to begin Aug. 18. If he’d been convicted of the murder charge, he faced mandatory life in prison without parole

Manslaughter carries a maximum 40-year sentence, according to state law. Prosecutors recommended a 10year sentence for Hull as part of the plea deal. District Judge Colette Greggs set a Sept 8 court date to impose the sentence.

“Your abusive behavior has gone unchecked long

enough and it got out of hand

in this incident for my little brother,” the victim’s older brother Kenneth Christophe, said at Friday’s hearing. “He was an innocent man with a childlike mind. Derrick had mental issues, but he was like a child. He was a beautiful person who wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

According to arrest affidavits in the case, Baton Rouge police were called late the night of Feb. 14, 2020, to the home where Hull and the victim lived together. When officers arrived to the residence in the 5200 block of Shelley Street, they found Derrick Christophe dead in the bathtub. Hull initially told officers he and his son had a physical altercation, then he later found Derrick Christophe dead in the tub. But Hull didn’t report the death to authorities immediately He called his attorney first and the lawyer contacted law enforcement after he arrived at the home.

Detectives noticed bruising, cuts and puncture wounds all over Derrick Christophe’s legs, arms and back. There were also a handful of lacerations on the victim’s head. Some of the wounds were fresh, while others appeared to old, investigators said. Despite all the wounds and bruises, there was no blood coming from Derrick Christophe’s body and minimum blood in the home. Detectives determined that was a sign that the scene had been cleaned

before officers arrived. Several empty bleach bottles they found throughout the house bolstered that belief, reports showed.

A coroner examined Derrick Christophe’s body at the scene and determined he’d been dead about 12 hours before officers arrived. Investigators collected a broken wooden mop handle found on top of the refrigerator and a broken metal broom stick as evidence, according to reports.

After the coroner’s assessment, Hull admitted that he struck his son several times with the wooden mop handle while he was in the tub after Derrick Christophe grabbed his arm. Hull said he may have beaten him on the head with the mop handle.

Hull told detectives after he delivered the blows, Derrick Christophe wasn’t “coming to” like he normally did, the report stated. Hull said he changed the water in the bathtub several times while he tried to figure out what to do. He told officers similar beatings happened in the past, including one that occurred about a week before the fatal incident. An autopsy revealed internal bleeding and medical examiners determined Derrick Christophe died from multiple blunt force trauma wounds, prosecutors said.

“You’re getting what you deserve because it’s gone unchecked long enough,” Kenneth Christophe said

Friday “And I just want you to remember this because you’ve got to own up to what you’ve done for over 50 years.”

The victim’s 54-year-old brother recounted years of childhood abuse he endured at the hands of Hull, his stepfather. Kenneth Christophe said it began when he was 6 and continued until he ran away from home to escape the torment. Kenneth Christophe recollected instances that left him with black eyes, welts on his back and times when Hull forced him to lie to child protective social workers to hide the beatings.

“I’m finally getting an opportunity to tell the truth,” Kenneth Christophe said.

“I’ve been reliving this my whole life. You never forget the abuse. In your mind, you figured you were just whooping me. But that was abuse. This is the hardest thing I’ve had to do since I had to leave my mom because of you.”

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

A worker with Green Seasons landscaping and lawn care works to keep his cutting in line on Tuesday as they mow along Siegen Lane near St. George Drive in Baton Rouge.

They all askfor zookeepers, so be sure to

thank yours

At theend of July,wecelebrated National Zookeeper Week and invited all Louisianans to join us in recognizing the extraordinary dedication and compassion of the animal keepers at Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium,Audubon Insectarium, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center and FreeportMcMoRan Audubon Species SurvivalCenter At Audubon Nature Institute, zookeepers play acentral role in the mission to celebrate thewonders of nature and inspire action to preserve it. They are the unsung heroes of wildlifeconservation. Their work goes far beyond feeding animals and cleaning enclosures, these professionals are caretakers, educators, researchers and advocates They build deep bonds with the animals in their care, monitortheir health and behavior and contribute to global efforts to protect endangered species. Whether hand-rearing awhooping crane chick, training asea lion for medical checkups or helping rescue critically endangered sea turtles, their work is vital and deeply impactful. Their jobs are often physically demanding and emotionally intense, yet they arrive daily withpassion and purpose. They share their knowledge with guests, helping people of all ages understand the importance of biodiversity and conservation. They contribute to programs that have global significance. They arestewards of life, caring for creatures great and small with unwavering dedication.

Join me in showing gratitude to the people who dedicatetheir lives to protecting wildlife and inspiring future generations. Thank them for their tireless work, compassion and commitment to making the world abetterplace for animals and humans alike.

MICHAEL J. SAWAYA president and CEO,L.Ronald Forman chair in conservation leadership, AudubonNature Institute

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

AREWELCOME.HEREARE

YOUR VIEWS

PBMs arenofriendto veterans or ruralresidents

As acancer patient covered by my husband’sTRICARE health insurance, Iread Rob Maness’ July 11 guest column opposing pharmacy benefit manager reform with disappointment. His argument misses the realityfor families like mine. He claims that Louisiana’sproposed ban on PBMs from owning pharmacies would create barriers forveterans to access prescriptions. ButPBMs already create barriers by dictatingultra-low reimbursement rates to local independent pharmacies, preventing them from participating in TRICARE. That means patients like me and my husband, a retired veteran, are forced to use PBMmailorder services whether we want to or not Mail ordermight sound convenient, but it often leadstodelays, lost medications and zero personal care. I’veexperienced this danger firsthand. Maness tries to scare us by saying reform will close pharmacies and displace veterans. What’smore likely is that locally operated pharmacies and non-PBM chains will expand when unfair competition from powerful, vertically integrated PBMs is removed. When PBMs own pharmacies,they set reim-

bursement rates tofavor themselves while underpaying competitors, driving them out of business. Banning PBMsfrom owning pharmacies would end this conflict of interest, keeping locally operated pharmacies open and thriving.

Here in Louisiana, independents have always served ruraland underserved communities where big chains refuse to go. They provide personalized care, deliver medicationsand work hard to ensure no one goes without. The idea that only PBMchains can serve patientsisfalse and insulting to the small-business pharmacistsworking daily to keep Louisianans healthy PBMsuse their ownership of pharmacies to manipulate thesystem.They underpay locally operated pharmacies, force veterans into their mail-order programs andovercharge TRICARE while pocketing the difference. That isn’tabout access andquality care. It’sabout greed.

Banning PBMsfromowning pharmacies would bring affordability,access and better care back to Louisiana.

DONNA WALKER Ball

Hospital execs ignore that reform aims at making Medicaid recipients work

Ibelieve the executives of Ochsner Health and LCMC have different reasons to complain about the Big Beautiful Bill than the rights of the people on Medicaid.

It’s the money,period. Don’t come on with the fake righteous attitude. What the new rules forMedicaid do is makethe layabouts on Medicaid work like everyone else, in order to receive the benefits that the working population provides by paying taxes.

I’ve got to admit that since LCMC took over West Jefferson Hospital, the emergency room and the rest of the services at the hospital have drastically improved. And that’s great; it was terrible before. And Ochsner does agood job, also. Iknow because Iexperienced treatment at Ochsner,and my wife just experienced it at West Jefferson. But that doesn’tgive the executives of those facilities the right to spread misleading information. The reason forthe changes is to get people to go to work to receive free benefits. Before my wife and I retired, we had to purchase health insurance. We didn’tget it forfree. I’mglad they’re changing the rules.

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

U.S. Rep.Clay Higgins called this bill “one big beautiful thing.” U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, aphysician, voted for it despite its cuts to Medicaid. U.S. Sen. John Kennedy,who claims to hate “big government,” helped grow it in all the wrong directions. Each of them had achoice —and they chose politics over people. If we’re going to quotescripture, let’sget it right.Jesus didn’task if we protected profits. He asked: Did you feed me? Didyou clothe me?Did you care for me? (Matthew 25:3536). This bill answers: No. No to the hungry, thesick, the stranger and the least among us.

This isn’tabout party. It’sabout clarity.Our people deserve better than this Bullship Bill. KEITH A. ISTRE NewIberia

I’m from New Iberia. I’ve lived through enoughoil booms and buststoknow that when Baton Rouge or D.C. says we’re gettingsomething “beautiful,” we better look closely.The so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by Congress isn’tbeautiful. It’s not even honest.It’swhat Icall the Big Bullship Bill —and it sells out Acadiana’sfuture in more ways than one. Let’sstart with thefacts: This bill cuts nearly$1trillion from Medicaid over time. That’snot belt-tightening —that’s agut punchtothousands of rural families, seniors andchildren right here in Iberia and the surroundingparishes. Then there’sthe energy betrayal. Just as Iberia Parish lands a$1.1 billion solar project —one ofthe largest in Louisiana history —thisbill strips support for clean energy Over 700 jobs are tied to that project.And instead of securing those jobs and expanding this path forward, our representatives voted to keep us chained tofossil cycles of instability.Weall know what that’slike: One year it’s good pay in thefield; the next year it’slayoffs and waiting.

Have ourleaders made it anysafer yet?

Masked government goons indiscriminately grabpeople off the street and disappear them to prisons or out of the country

Using electronic devices to locate us and listen in on our cellphone calls.

Empowering everyone to carry afirearm concealed,sothat we don’tknow if thatbozo next to us is packing deadly heat.

Policeand self-appointed vigilantes electronically watching us with technology that

can recognize our faces, our clothing, our cars and bicycles,but has difficulty accurately distinguishing one brown face from another Armed militarywith armored vehicles in thestreets. If our leaders are trying to makemefeel safer,they’re doing it all wrong. KENNETH RICHARDS Gretna

In the past 160 days or so in the TrumpIIpresidency,I have witnessed and been concerned about the well-being of my friends, family and colleagues here in Louisiana. I have seen the U.S. News &World Report, which places Louisiana in last place in quality of lifefor the second year in arow.I have seen the Elon Musk DOGE crew chain saw departments (Social Security,National Institutes of Health, Centers forDisease Control and Prevention, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Aviation Administration) and agencies without knowing or caring what function they serve.

The FEMA chief David Richardson is out of his depth, as evidenced by the response to the Texas flooding. We now have the BBB, or Big Beast of aBill, to cut hundreds of billions from Medicaid.

Solutions are at hand, but they require compassion and less actual waste and tax gap tolerance. U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I has proposed Senate Bill 1149 to salvage Medicare and Social Security by scrapping the artificial $200,000 withholding cap.

Ipay 6% on all of my income; others should, too. Then-U.S. Rep. Katie Porter,D-Calif., in committee hearings last year,found the Department of Defense has failed six consecutive audits and cannot account for61% of its assets. The IRS’ 2024 TaxGap of uncollected funds stands at $668 billion. Abudget is an indication of moral priorities. The waste and abuse are not elderly,children, lunch programs, rec centers, primary care and safe, affordable medication. We can do what we should and not induce a$4trillion addition to the debt.

MATTHEW McCANN Marrero

THOMAS LINGONI

Marrero

FILEPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

at Braswell DrugsinCovington.

DOGDAYSOFSUMMER

Hot! We received 727 entries in this week’s Cartoon Caption Contest.With so many hilarious punchlines sent in,these were aton of fun to read through. Luckily, we show lotsof finalistseach week so youcan seefor yourselves howfunnytheyare. Great job, everyone! As always, when we have duplicateentries,and we always do, we pick theearliest sent in. —Walt

MICHELE STARNES,KENNER: “I’doffer himatowel, but I’m allergic to effort!”

JIM BARNETT,BETHESDA,MARYLAND: “yeah, but can he spend all daychasing laser pointers and hidingina cardboard box?”

GISELE PRADOS,METAIRIE: “He hasn’t been this happysince theyinstalled the new fire hydrant at the corner.”

LYNDOUCET,MAURICE: “Well, onegood thing.Theywon’t let him back into the house today!”

LYNN WISMAR, KENNER: “Looks likeit’s only raining Dogs today?!”

FREDDYWAGUESPACKJR., METAIRIE: “Definitely aSprinkler Spaniel.

SUSAN GALE WICKES,RICHMOND,IN: “That’sevenworse than the spraybottle.”

MADYXX CIELENCKI, MANDEVILLE: “Wait until he finds out he’sgoing tothe vetin 15 minutes.”

DAVID DELGADO,NEW ORLEANS: “Whateverittakes to keep him from meddling in our affairs!”

When Gov.Jeff Landry did the expected and killed the state’sfirst river sediment diversion, this truismcame to mind: While it’shard to earn a good reputation, it’seven harder to regain it once it’sbeen lost. Landry’swell-earned reputation as ascience denier was surely enhanced by ditching one of the world’s most respected sciencebased climate adaptation plans. But Louisiana’sgood name may suffer long-lasting harm. That’sbecause the news that agovernor who regards climate change as a hoax has taken politicalcontrolofa scienceagency is likelytoend two decades of unprecedented respect Louisiana had gained from the world’sscientific community Yousee, astate often derided forfinishing at the bottom of lists for literacy, pollution and corruption, whoseuniversities were known as jockfactories with partyschools attached, was finally gaining attention for its brain power,thanks to its coastal science. Within afew years of itscreation, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority was drawing topresearchers away from other states. They were eager to become part of its CoastalMaster Plan, agroundbreakingscientificinitiative. This wasn’tthe old Band-Aid approach featuring alist of singleprojects. It was afirst-of-its-kind, holistic,system-wide approach using scientificresearchto understand the causes for the collapse of the coastal zone, then provide solutions And the guiding rulewas thatprojects couldn’tbetemporary fixes. Theyhad to result in permanent positive changes. The sheer audacity of its scale and

DONNA REUTER, METAIRIE: “This is why we have eight more lives than he has.”

SAMJOHNSON, ZACHARY: “Lookslikethe couch is allours tonight!!”

JAYF.FOX,MADISONVILLE: “Goopen the door.Thatnew white sofahas hisname written alloverit.”

SHERI LINDSEY,BATON ROUGE: “It’snot nearly as funnyaswatching himrun in circles.”

CHARLES SMITH, ST.ROSE: “He’sbeen doingthis sincehegot on that newhigh protein dog food.

NANCE NESOM, BATONROUGE: “yeah, I thinkhehad even more funlast winter with that ‘white stuff!’”

JEFFHARTZHEIM, FUQUAYVARINA, N.C.: “Just think…wehaveeightmore lives of thiscrap?”

GINA VILLAVASO,NEW ORLEANS: “He maybecool,but he has no dignity.”

RONALDCARO, DESTREHAN: “Sometimes Iwish we weren’t so sophisticated and couldenjoyasimplepleasure.”

BETTY BORDELON, KENNER: “He’sbeen sprinklingall overthe lawn anyway!”

KEITHHORCASITAS,BATON ROUGE: “The ‘Cat Days of Summer’ are so much cooler!”

STUART CLARK, LAFAYETTE: “Hotdog!”

LYNN SMITH, NEWORLEANS: “And they can’tget himinto the tub!”

JOE KOVACS,NEW ORLEANS: “Doyou think he knowswehaveair conditioning?”

SUSAN LEE, NEW ORLEANS: “He hasn’thad thismuchfun sincethe toilet overflowed.

KERI STIEGLER, NEWORLEANS: “I hate to break it to you, Morris, but the nextwater bill is sure to cutinto our catnip budget.

SUZANNE LORIO, METAIRIE: “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready foranother nap!”

RICHARD MILLER, BATONROUGE: “Now let’ssee himuse alitter box.”

WANDABRAUD,GONZALES: “Hey, Blue Bayou’sclosed, so Iguess it’sthe next best thing!”

DENNIEWILLIAMS,ALEXANDRIA: “Just another dog dayafternoon in Louisiana.”

In the Middle East, war is conducted not only with bullets andmissiles, but also with pictures.

The latest arepictures of allegedly starving childreninGaza distributed by Hamas andits enablers with the intention of blaming Israel for delaying, even denying entry of food trucks into the strip. Suchpicturesare gobbled up anddistributedtothe world without question by media thatare always critical of Israel andhardly critical at allofforces that seek to destroythe Jewish state

Perhaps no nationinhistory has cared aboutpreserving human life more than modern Israel. It even treats its wounded enemies in Israelihospitals. It releases hundreds of convicted terrorists in exchange fora handful of captured Israeli soldiers.

It distributes leaflets and makes phone calls urging civilians to evacuate areas inhabitedbyHamasterrorists before those areas areattacked. What other nationdoes that?

The NewYorkPost reports, “Col. Abdullah Halabi, from the Coordination of Government Activitiesinthe Territories, told reporters recently that around 1,000 truckloadsofaid remain undelivered ‘due to alack of cooperation from the international community and internationalorganizations.”’ Predictably,othersare blaming Israel, whichplays into Hamas’ hands. The problemfor Israel is that it has defeated Hamas, but Hamas won’tsurrender. The terrorist organization is the main impediment to getting food to those who need it, but the seedsoftoday’s disasterbegan in 2005 when Israel unilaterally disengaged fromthe Gaza Strip by dismantling all21ofits remaining settlements. It didn’ttake aprophet to predict the vacuum would soon be filled by terrorists eager to use Gaza as abasefor attacking Israel

Whatfollowedwas this:

n Gazans stupidly elected Hamas as their government. Theyare nowreaping what theysowed

its commitment to base everything on the evidence unmasked by research was morefamiliar to efforts undertaken by states with acknowledged world-class research institutions, such as California and Massachusetts. Louisiana’shistory caused understandable skepticism, but soon the results proved the doubters wrong. Indeed, as climate change began impacting coastalareasaround theworld, Louisianawas exporting itsscienceand engineering.

Just as importantly,the plan was supportedbythe two preceding governors fromdifferent parties. Republican Bobby Jindaland Democrat John Bel Edwards agreedthat scientific research shouldauthorthe agency’sprojects, from beach restoration to riverdiversions.

And those diversions always were the heart of the plan. Research showed they were themost efficient way to move enough sediment intosinking deltas to meet the demand of accelerating sea levelrise caused by climate warming. Thatpoliticalsupport helped improve the state’sreputation.

Then came Landry’sax.

In canceling the$3billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion —widely considered the linchpin of the coastal plan —heand his team didn’tlist scientificconcerns, suchasthe emerging challenges due to therecordrate of sea level causedbyfossil fuel emissions. Of course,nooil lover like Landrywill ever mention that.

“At theend of the day,it’sjust something that we just could not afford, no way,shape or form,” said Tony Alford,

chair of the Governor’s Advisory CommissiononCoastalProtection. Alford is not ascientist. He was aco-owner and president of aHouma-based oilfield services company.And his math doesn’t work. Money for theBPdisaster was to cover at least$2.26 billion of the cost. Where thatmoney goes now is uncertain. Most of this was predictable when Landry took office. He quickly said he and his new CPRA chair,former Terrebonne ParishPresident Gordy Dove, sharedavision to remake the way the board “oversees theprojects that are necessary to protect our coasts. Why restructure an office thatwas garnering worldwide plaudits? Why kill aproject lauded not onlyfor groundbreaking research and engineering, but for sticking to theessential scientific model of adaptive management —being able to modify as critical influences on the resultsincreased, such as the uncharted changes cascading from climatechange?

The scientific world already has its answer:The program is now being directed by apolitician. And this politician has shown that, like his hero in the White House, he musthave totalcontroleven in areas of which he has no expertise, suchasscience. Which means the reputation our state gained as this project and program grew over the last 20 years was an illusion. It’s still politicsover science in Louisiana BobMarshall, aPulitzer Prizewinning Louisiana environmental journalist, can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com, and followed on X, @BMarshallEnviro.

n Hamas beganpreparing tunnels and placing missilesincivilianareas like schoolsand hospitals so whenIsrael respondedtotheir attacks they would show videoofcivilians being killed or injured to international media n On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamasmurdered Israelicivilians at amusic concertand took hostages, some of whomare dead,a few released andanestimated50remainin their hands.

n Hamas hasstolenfood andprevented suppliesfromreaching the needy.

Picturesand the narrative that accompaniesthemcan be manipulatedto serve the ends of Hamas. Twoexamples: Awidely circulatedphoto shows ayoung boyheldbywhatappearstobehis mother.The child’semaciated condition was initially portrayedasaresult of starvation. Newsweek andThe New York Post investigated anddiscovered that the boy, identifiedonly as Muhammad, also suffers from conditions like cerebralpalsy, hypoxemia andagenetic disorder. His malnutritionmay be exacerbated by the war,but it does notappear to be the sole cause of his condition.

Anotherchild, identified as Osama alRaqab, suffers from cystic fibrosis and was receiving care in Italy after he was evacuated from Gaza. His picture was also widely distributedwith starvation blamedasthe cause.These casesdon’t excuse the food shortages many are experiencing in Gaza,but they add perspective andshould emphasize, if the media were doing their job, where the real blame lies.

Scenarioslike this have been playedout so oftenoverdecades you might think the media andgovernments that always seem to take the side of Israel’senemies would have figureditout by now.Itleadsone to questionwhose side they are on. Given their statements, boycotts and slanted news coverage, it seemsclear they are on the side of Israel’senemies.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub. com.

TO

Bob Marshall

Cal Thomas

SPORTS

Rattler, Shough fail to seize theday in opener

SLOW START

Here’s all you need to know aboutthe importance of NFL preseason football games In 2000 and 2006, the Saintswon only one of their four preseason games, and then went on to put up 10-6 recordsinthe regular season and win their respective divisions. Conversely,inthe Saints inaugural 1967 season,they went 5-1 in thepreseason and finished theyear 3-11 and in last place in theNFL Capitol Division. Keep that in mind as you dissect the Saints’ 27-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. They call these things “exhibitions” for areason. They don’tcount. Andrarelydo they serveasanaccurate diviningrod for therealthing to come. The Saints, after all, held out 12 projected starters, and the Chargers rested even more of theirregulars. First-year coach Kellen Mooreand defensive coordinatorBrandonStaley substituted liberally throughout the game, andthe shuffling lineups contributed to thesloppy play Throw in anew coaching staff andnew schemes on both sides of the ball, andyou had arecipe for asloppy debut performance. And sloppy it was. The teamscombined for 11 penalties, five fumbles and twointerceptions. For every clean play,there were seemingly two folly-filled fire drills. Theplay was so uneven thatitwas difficult to evaluate either side of the ball with any degree of certainty

If, like most Saints fans, you were hoping to see Spencer Rattler andTylerShough light up the Chargers and SoFi Stadium with aerial fireworks, you leftdisappointed. The duo combined to complete22of33 passes for 218 yards

ä See DUNCAN, page 5B

Sunday

Inglewood,Calif.

BY MATTHEWPARAS Staff writer

INGLEWOOD,Calif. This year’spreseason for the New Orleans Saints matters more than usual.

Even if the resultsaren’tindicativeofhow theteamwill perform this coming season, theSaintsstill have to determine astarting quarterback. These games, coaches have said, will play asignificant factor in their evaluation.

And therewas plenty to evaluate in Sunday’s27-13 loss to theLos Angeles Chargers.

TylerShough outperformed Spencer Rattler in New Orleans’ preseason opener,but neitherquarterback deliveredthe kind of statement performance that could put an end to the battle.

Shough wasthe moreaccurateofthe two, leadingthe Saintstotheir two scoring drives and out-throwing Rattler in termsofyards. Thesecond-rounder postedan86.4 quarterback rating to Rattler’s75.2. Shough went 15 of

22 for165 yards, atouchdown and an interception compared to Rattler going 7of11for 53 yards and afumble.

“For allthree (quarterbacks), there’sgoing to be some goodmoments, some moments you want to have back,” coach Kellen Moore said. “Weget to learn from those and get better this week.”

Each performance, of course, comes with caveats. TheChargers restedtheir starters, leaving Rattlerand Shoughtocompete againstbackups. Butthe playing time was relatively even: Shough led the Saints on six drives to Rattler’sfive. Third-stringer Jake Haener (5-of-8 for 41 yards andaninterception)tookoverwithjustunder five minutes left.

Neither quarterback got afull deck to work with. Coach KellenMoore rested center Erik McCoy,running back Alvin Kamaraand wide receivers Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave (ankle) on offense. And guard Cesar Ruiz ä See SAINTS, page 4B

LSUlooks to improverushing attack with freshideas

BYREED DARCEY Staff writer

Garrett Nussmeier triedsomething different on Saturday.Fromthe shotgun, he motioned out to the boundary and lined up as awidereceiver, leavingsophomore quarterback Ju’Juan Johnson in chargeofthe LSU backfield.

What happened next? Johnson took the snap, paused amoment and scampered toward the line of scrimmage.Arunning back led him through ahole in the defense.Itwas awildcat run —aconcept absent from an LSU rushing offense that struggledlast seasonunder first-year coordinator Joe Sloan Now the Tigers are hoping theycan find more production on the ground.It’sunclear exactly how often they’ll run new packages such as wildcatruns this year,but it’sapparent they’re at least experimenting with their rushing offense. LSU spent asizable portion of its ninth preseason practiceon Saturday rehearsing fresh short-yardage

rushing concepts. “You gotta run thefootball in SEC,”Sloan said on Saturday.“Ithink that’scritical.”

LSU never found aconsistent rushing attack last season. No Southeastern Conference team in 2024 averaged fewer rushing attempts(29) or fewer rushing yards(116) than theTigers. Instead, they decided to rely heavily on Nussmeier’sarm. Only oneFBS quarterback (Syracuse’sKyle McCord) threw morepasses than LSU’sfirst-yearstarter, whoalso finishedthe year with 77 more pass attempts than any other SEC signal-caller Nussmeier didn’thave trouble moving the offense down the field.

The problem was that his unit toofrequently sputtered in the redzone. Last season, LSUpunctuated only 57% of its drives with touchdowns —one of the three lowest rates in the league Hadthe Tigers fielded amorefunctional

ä See LSU, page 5B

Jeff Duncan

STAFF FILE PHOTOByMICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU offensivelineman Braelin Moore, center,gets set to snap the ball during the team’s spring practice on April 12 at TigerStadium.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByKyUSUNG GONG

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough runs withthe ball during apreseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers on

in

Shough led the Saints to twoscoring drives in their 27-13 loss to the Chargers.

AP PHOTO By ERIC THAyER

Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler runs against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of their preseason game Sundayin Inglewood, Calif.

9:55

Rose rallies late to win at St. Jude

The Associated Press

MEMPHIS Tenn. — Justin Rose made up a three-shot deficit over the last five holes against hard-luck Tommy Fleetwood, and then made two birdies in a playoff against U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Sunday Rose delivered another sterling performance, closing with a 3-under 67 for his 24th victory worldwide that puts him back into the top 10 in the world at age 45 and secures his spot in another Ryder Cup. He birdied four straight holes, and narrowly missed a 13-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at the TPC Southwind for a win in regulation. Rose wound up making six birdies over the last eight holes he played, the last one a 10-foot putt on the 18th on the third playoff hole.

“An amazing last 90 minutes,” Rose said. “I played unbelievable golf down the stretch. When I bring my best, I know I’m good enough to play and to compete, and to now win against the best players in the world. Very gratifying day for me.” Spaun showed plenty of moxie on his own. He made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to pull into a share of the lead and closed with a 65. He also made a 30-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole with Rose in tight.

“I hung in there the best I could, and he beat me to the hole first Just wasn’t meant to be,” said Spaun, who locked up a spot in his first Ryder Cup.

Lost in his remarkable rally was another setback for Fleetwood, who has become a sympathetic figure in golf for close calls and his graciousness in defeat. This looked to be his time to add a PGA Tour title to his wins around the world, especially when his 35-foot birdie on the 12th was the first of three birdies in a four-hole stretch

that gave him a two-shot lead with three to play

But he hit pitch through the green on the par-5 16th and had to scramble for par He was between clubs on the 17th, hit a poor shot and a worse par attempt from 7 feet for bogey Needing birdie on the 18th to have a chance, he drove into a bunker Fleetwood shot 69 and finished one shot out of the playoff along with Scottie Scheffler, who grazed the edge of so many putts on the back nine and had to settle a 67.

“There’s a lot of positives to take, as much as I won’t feel like that right now I’m just going to look at what I feel like I could have done and how close it was,” Fleetwood said.

“All these experiences and these close calls, like I say, there’s no point in allowing them to have a negative effect on what happens next. What would be the point?” he said. “It was a great week. I did a ton of good stuff, and as disappointed as I am, I have to try to find the strength to make it all a positive experience and hopefully next time go again.”

Scheffler has not finished worse than eighth place in his last 12 tournaments dating to March. He played the final round without his regular caddie, Ted Scott, who had an emergency family situation back home in Louisiana.

Rose wasn’t the only player leaving the TPC Southwind with a big smile. Bud Cauley was on the bubble for finishing in the top 50 in the FedEx Cup when he holed a bunker shot for birdie on the 17th hole and locked up his spot for the second round of the FedEx Cup playoffs next week outside Baltimore.

Rickie Fowler, who missed the postseason last year, shot 69 to tie for sixth and advance to the BMW Championship Others who moved into the top 50 were Kurt Kitayama, Jhonattan Vegas and J.T Poston

Van Gisbergen remains king of road with victory

Rookie takes Watkins Glen for fourth win this year

The Associated Press

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y Shane van

Gisbergen’s latest victory in NASCAR’s premier series was as historical as it was emotional.

With his father, Robert, on hand for the first time this year, the Auckland, New Zealand, native set a Cup Series rookie record with his fourth victory, blowing out the competition again at Watkins Glen International.

“It’s just amazing to have him here,” said van Gisbergen, who last saw his father while visiting home over the Christmas break.

“It’s been a very tough, tough year for dad, and he hasn’t been able to travel, so to have him here for the next three weeks and share this with him, it’s amazing.”

As amazing as van Gisbergen’s rookie season in the Cup series.

The Trackhouse Racing driver joined 2020 champion Chase Elliott and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon as the only drivers to win four consecutive Cup races on road or street courses.

Unlike his prior wins at Mexico City Chicago and Sonoma, van Gisbergen was unable to start from the pole position after being edged by Ryan Blaney. After qualifying second, van Gisbergen bided his time and took his first lead on the 25th of the 90-lap race. He then settled into a typically flawless and smooth rhythm on the 2.45-mile road course.

“I’m just a very lucky guy to get to drive for an amazing bunch of people and just execute,” van Gisbergen said. “The day went flawlessly.”

The 36-year-old rookie made his final pit stop with 27 laps remaining and cycled into first place on Lap 74 of a clean race with only three yellow flags. Cruising to a big lead while leading the final 17 laps, van Gisbergen beat Christopher Bell by 11.116 seconds.

“I’m thrilled because we’ve been struggling a little bit,” Bell said. “Just trying to execute the races has been tough for us, so really awesome to have a good day Frustrated to get our butts kicked by (van Gisbergen). He’s doing such a really good job.”

With five victories in only 38 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series, van Gisbergen

trails only Elliott (seven wins) and Kyle Larson (six) among active drivers on street or road courses. He also is the fastest to five wins in Cup since the legendary Dan Gurney, who won his fifth race in his 13th start in January 1968.

The win validated the decision by Trackhouse to sign van Gisbergen to a multiyear contract extension last week. Tied with Denny Hamlin for the series lead in victories, van Gisbergen holds the No. 2 seed in the playoffs with two races remaining in the regular season.

The first round will be held at three oval tracks, where the inexperienced van Gisbergen, who raced exclusively on road and street courses while winning three championships in the Australia-based Supercars, has an average finish of 26.9 this year

“It ain’t going to be easy, that’s for sure,” van Gisbergen said of his playoff outlook. “The first round, it’s some very difficult left-handed tracks for me, but I’m getting better at it, and I’m enjoying myself, and it’s a challenge. That’s why we’re here, and we’ll have a proper crack at it.”

Playoff watch

Third-place finisher Chris Buescher improved to 34 points ahead of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing teammate Ryan Preece in the battle for the final playoff spot.

Buescher outdueled van Gisbergen on the final lap to win at Watkins Glen last year His team tailored its strategy Sunday toward amassing stage points instead of following the win-oriented strategy used by van Gisbergen.

“Last year, we didn’t have to deal with the points side of things, so we brought a fast race car and made it happen,” Buescher said. “We had a really fast race car again, just definitely took the opportunity to capitalize on some big stage points early.”

Feisty Gibbs

It was another frustrating race for Ty Gibbs, who spun John Hunter Nemechek late in Stage 2 and then complained about the handling and strategy of his No. 54 Toyota. Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Chris Gabehart, who recently began working as a strategist and consultant to Gibbs’ team, radioed the driver to “stay in the game” after the Nemechek wreck and later took issue after Gibbs questioned his team’s strategy

Palou secures fourth IndyCar championship

BY JENNA FRYER AP auto racing writer

Scheffler gets sub after caddie Scott returns home

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Scottie Scheffler has turned to a tour chaplain as his caddie Sunday for the final round of the FedEx St Jude Championship when Lafayette native Ted Scott had to leave due to a family emergency Scheffler began the final round two shots out of the lead.

Brad Payne, a chaplain to several PGA Tour players as president of the College Golf Fellowship, is a close friend of the world’s No. 1 player and has been in this spot before.

Scheffler turned to him as a fill-in caddie for the third round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla because Scott’s daughter was graduating.

The Tour didn’t disclose what led Scott to leave Memphis for Louisiana after the third round.

Liberty’s Stewart targets return by end of month

NEW YORK Breanna Stewart is feeling better after suffering a bone bruise in her right knee late last month and hopes to be back by the end of the month.

The two-time WNBA MVP hurt her knee in the Liberty’s loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on July 26 and talked before New York’s 83-71 loss to Minnesota on Sunday “I feel great. I just finished working out on the court in the back,” Stewart said. “And it’s really just kind of giving my leg — the bone — a little bit of time while we have it.”

Stewart has been rehabbing the injury and Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said she thought her star forward could be back by the end of August.

Yankees’ Boone ejected for fifth time this season

NEW YORK New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected from a game for the fifth time this season in the third inning on Sunday against the Houston Astros. Boone thought Jason Alexander’s sinker to Ryan McMahon was a low called strike. He argued with plate umpire Derek Thomas, who replied: “I’ve heard you enough Aaron,” and tossed him out.

Boone continued the argument for about another minute while third base umpire Jordan Baker interceded and the at-bat continued with McMahon flying out to center field.

Boone was ejected six times last season. His last ejection was by Manny Gonzalez on July 23 in Toronto during the seventh inning for arguing a called third strike on Anthony Volpe.

Gauff eliminates Wang to advance at Cincy Open

Second-seeded Coco Gauff needed just 70 minutes to deliver a 6-3, 6-2 victory over China’s Xinyu Wang in second-round play Sunday at the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio.

Playing for the first time since winning the National Bank Open doubles title with McCartney Kessler in Montreal, Gauff shrugged off eight double faults by rebuffing all five of Wang’s break points.

Alex Palou wrapped up his fourth IndyCar championship in the last five seasons on Sunday at Portland International Raceway when title contender Pato O’Ward lost power early in the race. O’Ward started from the pole and was the only driver mathematically eligible to beat Palou for the championship. Palou went into Sunday with a cozy 121-point lead over O’Ward in the standings and so long as he left Portland up by 108 points, he’d clinch the championship in the first race of a three consecutive weekends to close the season. The Astor Cup became his just 22 laps into the race on the Portland road course when O’Ward had an electronic issue on his Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and had to make an unplanned pit stop He returned to the track down nine laps from the leaders Palou finished third, O’Ward finished 25th and Palou has the title cemented with two races remaining in the IndyCar season and an insurmountable 151-point lead Palou was feisty in the closing portion of the race and raced unnecessarily aggressive at times even driving off course with four laps remaining and drag-racing Christian Lundgaard for position. Palou has won all four of his championships for Chip Ganassi Racing and ran away with this one, his third consecutive, by storming out of the gate with a win in the first two races of the year to set the pace for Ganassi to win its 17th IndyCar title in 30 years. The 17 championships tie Penske Racing. Twelve of Ganassi’s IndyCar titles have come in the last 17 years, starting with Scott Dixon’s brilliant 2008 season in which he put together a run similar to the one Palou had this year Dixon in 2008 won six races, including the Indianapolis 500, six poles and the

first of his six championships. “I couldn’t be happier right now. This has been an amazing season, an amazing five years with CGR,” said Palou. Only A.J. Foyt (seven) and Dixon (six) have more championships than Palou, who broke through this season by winning on ovals to finally show he’s the complete package. That was clear years ago, and he is embroiled in a $30 million breach of contract civil suit with Arrow McLaren for not honoring a deal to join that team.

He’s instead stayed loyal to Ganassi and this year, Palou won five of the first six races, including the Indianapolis 500 that had eluded him in five previous tries. That win at the Brickyard cemented the Spaniard’s path to another championship and he’s been untouchable since.

Palou went into Portland with a series-high eight wins, five poles, 11 top-five finishes in 14 races, 563 laps led and a 1.2 average finish. He padded those number on Sunday Palou joined Dario Franchitti, Sebastien Bourdais and Ted Horn as the only drivers in series history to win three consecutive titles.

“It feels great to be back in Cincinnati,” said Gauff, on court. Gauff came into Cincinnati following a shocking loss to eventual champion Victoria Mboko in the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Gauff will face Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, the No. 32 seed, next. Yastremska was the player who eliminated her in the first round at Wimbledon three weeks after her crown at Roland-Garros.

Zilisch sports an elbow sling a day after nasty fall

Sporting a smile with his left elbow in a black sling draped around his neck, Connor Zilisch was back Sunday at Watkins Glen International and recounting his scary fall in victory lane.

After winning Saturday’s Xfinity race at the road course, Zilisch took a nasty tumble while attempting a celebratory perch on his No 88 Chevrolet in celebration Zilisch, 19, was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken collarbone. Trackhouse Racing withdrew the No. 87 Chevy that he was scheduled to drive Sunday at Watkins Glen.

“Very grateful to be able to walk away from that,” Zilisch said Sunday “I guess I didn’t walk away, but I’m very grateful to be walking today and to just be all right.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy

Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, of Spain, poses with the Borg-Warner Trophy during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26 in Indianapolis.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV

Justin Rose holds the trophy after winning the St. Jude Championship on Sunday in Memphis, Tenn.

‘It’s back to fun’: Banana Ball brings the joy

League returns to Baton Rouge, shows why it’s a sensation

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Drake Toll was on track to live out his dreams in traditional sports media.

Years of experience — including internships as a play-by-play broadcaster in the Cape Cod Baseball League and for the Anchorage Bucs in Alaska led him to become the host of his own ESPN radio show in central Texas named after him, the Drake Toll Show For most young sports-crazed broadcasters, this would be considered a dream job. The problem for Toll was that he was bored

“I thought, ‘There’s gotta be something different out there, something better, something more,’ ” Toll said. “Why am I bored?”

Soon thereafter, a play-by-play broadcasting position opened up for the Party Animals, the rival team of the Savannah Bananas Toll applied for the position and submitted a three-minute video of himself broadcasting over a Party Animals game from the prior season.

“I sang in Spanish. I registered my urine levels on a pee meter for how bad I really had to go. I invented it,” Toll said. “(I was) shirtless with a cowboy hat... I did a minor trivia (game) of who said the quote, George Washington or Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson You’d have to pick which one. Some of them were confusing.”

Toll’s colorful tryout tape eventually got him the job, and the decision to leave his radio show two years ago led him to this past weekend, standing on the field at Alex Box Stadium sporting a mullet and wearing a fur coat with sunglasses that had “PARTY ON” stapled across the bridge.

“I wouldn’t even say this is the cutting edge of broadcast or media,” Toll said. “This is just doing things that are fun for our organization, whether it be players, staff, broadcasters or our marketing team, we’re just having fun.”

Upward trajectory

This past weekend, and for a second consecutive year, Banana Ball returned to Baton Rouge, as fans flooded Alex Box Stadium to watch the Party Animals take on the Texas Tailgaters.

Even though the Savannah Bananas, the headline team in the league, were in Denver to face the Firefighters, Friday and Saturday’s games were sold out.

“We want to do well. We want the players to do well. But it’s really about the show experience,” Party Animals coach Mike Vavasis said “It’s what we can provide to all of our fans, from as soon as they get here to as soon as they leave.” Banana Ball’s popularity goes far beyond Baton Rouge. This year, the Savannah Bananas have sold out football stadiums and major league parks, including Fenway Park and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, the home of the Tampa

ence through a plethora of ways.

Among them are 11 rules that are unique to the games themselves including a two-hour time limit, batters being allowed to steal first base on a wild pitch or passed ball and fans recording outs by catching foul balls in the stands.

In Banana Ball, music blares from the first pitch until the last. Players perform choreographed dances as they walk up to the plate for an at-bat.

Outfielders will do a flip as they catch routine fly balls On Friday, Tailgaters second baseman Jonathan Luders rode a unicycle during an at-bat. The plate appearance ended on a lineout to second base.

Toll said. “So it is kids running a baseball team in the best way possible.”

Quinn Kreller is a member of the team responsible for maximizing the league’s potential online audience. He tracks every post made on the Banana Ball league and team accounts and can calculate each post’s success based on a grading system he devised.

week.

“We all come together We bring ideas to the table. The players bring ideas to the table. Other staff submit ideas,” Joe Meyer, the head of entertainment for the Party Animals, said. “We go through all the ideas, and essentially we take all those ideas, hash them out and then decide what we’re doing in the show that week.”

Bay Buccaneers.

The Party Animals’ next two stops on their college tour, Arkansas’ Baum-Walker Stadium and Mississippi State’s Dudy Noble Field, are already sellouts. Next year Banana Ball will expand to a six-team league. Along with two teams that have yet to be announced, the Firefighters, Bananas, Tailgaters and Animals will play a 60-game schedule culminating in the Banana Bowl Championship in October “I didn’t know the trajectory was angled so high I knew it was an establishment. But I didn’t understand how quickly it was growing,” Toll said. “They were on the precipice of blowing up, and then they did.”

Building an audience

Banana Ball has built its audi-

“I did have a little bit of an idea of what my role would look like here, but also I’ve learned so many things on the go,” Jordan Watson, the head of entertainment for the Tailgaters, said. “You just have to be prepared for basically anything to happen.”

The product itself has dazzled its fans, but much of Banana Ball’s success has been a result of growing its audience through social media and short video clips.

The league doesn’t use traditional media sources to advertise its product. When the entertainment team has an idea for a dance, it’s not enough for it to just please the crowd; it also needs to appeal to their audience online.

Vavasis isn’t afraid to call himself and the players content creators. The vast majority of the league’s employees behind the scenes are under the age of 30, further emphasizing Banana Ball’s understanding of social media.

“Our oldest person upstairs in our entertainment and marketing department is 30. Just turned 30,”

“It basically takes every stat that a social media post can accumulate and assigns it a multiplier value based on how difficult it is to achieve that stat,” Kreller said. Kreller’s goal isn’t just for fans to view their content; he wants them to interact with the posts. He believes it’s the best online measure to track the bond forming between the consumer and their product.

“(Views are) not as valuable as a like or a comment or a share,” Kreller said. “Someone sees the piece of content they enjoy, and they enjoy the piece of content enough to engage with it.”

To ensure the quality of each video, Kreller and the social media team will work closely with the Banana Ball video team. Who wins and who loses on a particular night is never planned ahead of time, but dance sequences, fanoriented activities in between innings and other non-game-related ventures throughout the night are scripted.

Creative process

Deciding which wild performances are inserted into the script is determined by a variety of people throughout the organization, which devises these wacky ideas during weekly Over The Top meetings, also known as OTT meetings, every Tuesday The attendees change depending on the

Determining which ideas make the show is a grueling process. There are weeks when Toll comes up with five unique ideas and none of them get selected.

“We’ll vet every single one of those ideas,” Toll said. “From run celebrations, to a feasible halftime show to add into our game, to player walkups and even hit by pitch celebrations.

“This is the hardest job that I’ve ever had. The vetting process on our ideas and the expectations are so high, and the onus to facilitate an organization catering to millions of people is a pressure cooker.”

For Banana Ball, that pressure has resulted in 10.5 million followers on TikTok for the Savannah Bananas Banana Ball has signed television deals with ESPN and TNT to broadcast games and, in September, the Bananas are set to play at four MLB parks, including Yankees Stadium. Each weekend is a sellout.

“It’s like you let all these young, TikTok-crazed people loose on a broadcast and a field with a bunch of 20-something baseball players and let them just go,” Toll said. “When you unleash that, you create something that’s even past the cutting edge of broadcast or media. It’s back to fun.”

Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.

LSU commitment Rivera wins U.S. gym all-around title

Olympian also wins on floor, balance beam; ties on bars

BY SCOTT RABALAIS

Staff writer Olympic gold medalist. Future LSU Tiger Now, a national champion

Hezly Rivera captured the allaround title Sunday night in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships at the Smoothie King Center, building on the slim lead she had after Friday’s first session to end up dominating the competition by also claiming three of the four individual events. Rivera, at 16 the youngest member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team at the 2024 Paris Games, finished with a two-day total of 112.000, well ahead of Florida’s Leanne Wong (111.200) Joscelyn Roberson of Arkansas, who started the day in second place but was hampered Sunday by an ankle injury, was third at 109.600. Rivera also won on floor (28.200), balance beam (28.350) and shared first on uneven bars with Florida’s Skye Blakely (27.600). Wong got gold on vault (28.175). “It feels amazing,” a beaming Rivera said afterward, wearing

national champion in the state where she plans to compete one day for LSU was not lost on Rivera.

“It definitely adds a lot,” she said. “I’m so excited I got to do it here.” Rivera would not reveal her plans, but she is currently not expected to compete for LSU until after the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Once she does enroll at LSU, Rivera would join current Tiger Konnor McClain as the only LSU gymnasts to win the U.S. allaround title McClain took gold in 2022 in Tampa, Florida.

championships without nine-time winner Simone Biles or Jordan Chiles, both also members of the 2024 U.S. Olympic team. Rivera’s chances were clouded by a rocky showing last month in the U.S. Classics meet where she had falls on uneven bars and beam, considered her two best events. She said her intense training before coming to New Orleans helped her smooth over the rough spots from that meet.

her new blue jacket given to members of the U.S. national team. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed about, like going to the Olympics I accomplished such a big goal (doing that), but I worked for this so long. Now that the day has come, I’m so excited.” The fact that she was crowned

The 2023 U.S. junior all-around champion, Rivera becomes the youngest senior all-around champion since 17-year-old Ragan Smith won eight years ago. The Oradell, New Jersey, native also joins five other gymnasts since 2000 to win Olympic gold and a U.S. all-around title, including Simone Biles, Nastia Liukin and Baton Rouge native Carly Patterson. Rivera started Sunday’s competition in a tight three-way battle for the all-around crown, leading Roberson by only two-10ths (55.600-55.400), with a close third (55.100). It was the second closest the women’s all-around chase has been since 2006 when the current scoring system was implemented.

Because of her gold medal from Paris, Rivera came into New Orleans as one of the favorites to capture the all-around title in a

“I was pretty confident,” Rivera said. “I trusted all my training. I didn’t hold myself back. I let myself go and it paid off really well tonight. It was a good, positive mindset.” Rivera and Wong were able to eye each other all night, competing in the same group in all four rotations. They started on vault, where Wong stuck the landing on her first attempt for a 14.500 (a 14.000 on her second pass was discarded). Rivera attempted just one vault going 14.050 with a hop and step back on her landing. After one rotation, Wong held a slim lead on Rivera, 69.700-69.650, with Roberson in third at 69.100 after a 13.700 on beam. Instead of faltering on bars and beam like in the U.S. Classics meet, Rivera flew She posted scores of 14.150 and 14.000, respectively in those two events, displaying a level of difficulty unmatched by

anyone else in the field. In those two events, Wong recorded backto-back scores of 13.950, restoring Rivera’s two-10ths lead that she started the night with going to the final rotation on floor Wong went first but only got a 13.600, meaning Rivera could win the all-around with a 13.450 or better in elite gymnastics’ open-ended scoring scale. She blew well past that, completing three sure-footed passes for a 14.200 that bettered her Friday floor score by two10ths.

“Winning vault was really exciting,” said Wong, who won the 2022 bars title in this event. “And I was really proud of hitting all four of my events in the all-around.” In the Sunday afternoon session, Caroline Moreau of Keller, Texas, captured the women’s junior allaround title with a combined score of 107.150. She also won gold on floor (26.900). Isabella Anzola of Statham, Georgia, was second in the all-around with a 103.850 and took gold on beam (27.150). Amia Pugh-Banks of Newport News, Virginia, was third in the all-around (103.050) and won on vault (27.375). Charleigh Bullock of Spotsylvania, Virginia, won the bars title with a 28.150 total, the highest score in any of the four events. The 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships will be held in Phoenix.

PHOTO By APRIL BUFFINGTON Texas Tailgaters’ Kollin Stone rides a unicycle before a game against the Party Animals on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Members of the Party Animals cheer on their golden batter a young fan, as he races out of the batter’s box to start Game 1 of the Banana Ball World Tour on Friday at Alex Box Stadium. Banana Ball returned to Baton Rouge last weekend for two sold-out games.

AP PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT LSU commitment Hezly Rivera competes in a floor exercise at the senior women’s finals of the U.S Gymnastics Championships Sunday at the Smoothie King Center

SAINTS PRESEASON

THREE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM SAINTS’ PRESEASON OPENER VS. CHARGERS

1

QUARTERBACK QUESTIONS

The Saints had been waiting for a chance to see their quarterback competition continue in a live-game setting

But the picture remains muddled. Spencer Rattler (7 of 11 53 yards, lost fumble) was unspectacular in five scoreless first-half drives.Tyler Shough (15 of 22, 165 yards) was generally more steady and had by far the biggest play with a 54yard touchdown to Mason Tipton but also an ugly interception returned for a Chargers touchdown.The search for the Week 1 starter continues.

2

DEFENSIVE DEBUT

Our first look at Brandon Staley’s defense was generally positive. Operating without starters such as Demario Davis, Pete Werner Chase young and Carl Granderson, the Saints held the Chargers backups to two offensive touchdowns (one after a third-and-long face-mask penalty prolonged the drive and one against fourth-stringers in the final two minutes) The defense had three sacks, including a near safety by Khristian Boyd, and allowed only 100 yards passing One big negative: The Chargers gained 148 yards rushing at 4.4 yards per carry

3

DOUBTING DEPTH

At least on offense, nothing that happened Sunday will assuage concerns about depth, especially after injuries to starting guard Trevor Penning, second-string center Will Clapp and backup wide receiver Bub Means The result was a makeshift offensive line that allowed five sacks paved the way for a paltry 61 yards rushing and brought back strong memories of last year’s injury-riddled unit. For the Saints to be successful the depth either needs to improve or the starters need to stay on the field.

Zach Ewing

TIPTON’S TIME

Saints WR finally takes explosive skill to the game field

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Calif. — Mason Tipton

INGLEWOOD,

checked an important box in the New Orleans Saints preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers: After a couple of years of showing he could do it in a practice setting, he can now say he’s done it in a game.

Tipton torched the Chargers defense for a 54-yard touchdown in the third quarter of Sunday’s 27-13 loss. The play was reminiscent of something Tipton has routinely done in a Saints training camp practice, setting up a defender with a double move before blazing past him into the open “I’m just glad to get one in the books, you know?” Tipton said. “Last year for me lacked the big play, you know what I mean? So I’m just glad that a year later I could finally get one in the paint and knock it off the list.”

Tipton made the Saints’ 53-man roster last season precisely because he’d shown ability to impact the game the way he did Sunday against Los Angeles. Or, at least the Saints banked on what he’d shown during a small window of training camp translating.

A largely unknown undrafted rookie from Yale, Tipton routinely demanded attention in 2024 training camp with his penchant for making plays deep downfield Then he suffered a hamstring injury, and he missed the entire preseason. New Orleans kept him on its 53-man roster throughout the season, but it never showed up in the games.

In 11 games, Tipton caught 14 passes for 99 yards with a long of 15. Only two of his 14 catches converted a first down.

“For me, it was just a lot of reflection after the year,” Tipton said. “ I wanted to take all the accountability that I could from last year.”

That meant getting bigger and stronger without sacrificing his speed, and that meant refining his technique as a route-runner — getting more proficient at the entire route tree rather than just relying on his deep speed It also meant being honest with himself about his shortcomings during a rookie season.

“You can point fingers all you want, say it didn’t go my way,” Tipton said. “But the only way you’re gonna grow is if you look

SAINTS

Continued from page 1B

and tackle Taliese Fuaga played just two drives before sitting as a precaution. Rookie tackle Kelvin Banks and guard Trevor Penning sat early in the second quarter The piecemeal lineup, however, was nothing new to Rattler The second-year quarterback spent most of his rookie season having to adjust to a decimated lineup, often playing without many of the same players who were rested Sunday.

So it was perhaps fitting then that in Rattler’s first start of the preseason, the quarterback looked much of the same as he did last year Rattler’s arm talent, decisiveness and mobility were positives

On his first drive, the 25-year-old stood calmly in the pocket and found running back Kendre Miller on a checkdown for a 9-yard gain He followed that up with a 21-yard completion to Cedrick Wilson to convert a third down. Rattler

at this situation, say, ‘What I could have done better?’”

It’s still early, but it looks like he achieved the growth he was looking for Shough considered Tipton the team’s “MVP” throughout training camp so far

“The way he runs routes, his work ethic it’s really impressive, and I think that’s why he’s getting some of those balls,” Shough said. “He makes plays and he’s getting open.”

Open doesn’t adequately describe the scene on Tipton’s touchdown catch Sunday It needs a qualifier Wide open is better the kind of separation NFL quarterbacks typically don’t see. It was

also did a nice job of gaining back a good chunk of yards on thirdand-19 on a nice ball to Brandin Cooks.

But Rattler’s worst tendencies popped up again Sunday

He couldn’t convert points on favorable field position including when the Saints started at the Los Angeles 17 after a muffed punt He took three sacks in 28 snaps, one of which resulted in a fumble that the Chargers recovered.

Rattler’s fumble wasn’t all his fault tackle Dillon Radunz got smoked on the play — but it was another turnover for a player who had five fumbles (three lost) and five interceptions in seven games last year Rattler’s three sacks also matched his rookie season average when he was brought down 3.1 times per game in 2024.

“Too much up and down,” Rattler said, later adding, “I thought I left some plays out there. Had some good moments, some bright moments, but I’ve got to be more consistent throughout the game.”

The Saints tried not to let Rattler’s day end on a down note.

just a matter of time.

The Saints could feel the Chargers defenders starting to sit on the underneath routes New Orleans had been attacking them with On the previous drive, a Chargers defensive back had aggressively jumped an out route intended for Dante Pettis on third down, picking off Shough’s pass and returning it for a score.

“Any route we were running, we could tell, ‘Yo, they’re just waiting on us to stop,’” Pettis said.

So coach Kellen Moore had his players stop, and then go. The double moves have been a staple of his offensive attack through-

After his fumble, Rattler trotted out another series that got past midfield, but the drive ultimately stalled before another punt. Shough, meanwhile hurt the Saints with his own turnover — even more so. In the third quarter, the rookie stared down Dante Pettis on a throw that Chargers rookie corner Eric Rogers intercepted and returned for a 43-yard touchdown to give his team a 17-3 lead. Shough said he’d make the same read “nine of 10” times based on the coverage but suggested he could have changed the route concept to the middle of the field to avoid the throw altogether But throughout the Saints’ quarterback battle, Moore has often talked about wanting to see his quarterbacks respond to mistakes — and Shough responded to his pick-6 in a big way He and the rest of the offense recognized the Chargers were sitting on routes, so on the next drive, Shough hit Mason Tipton for a 54-yard touchdown on a deep bomb down the field. The play was a near-perfect se-

out training camp something that doesn’t only take advantage of aggressive defenders, but also allows a platform to build other plays off of.

“You can’t really sit on routes if you have the double moves off of it,” Tipton said. “So I think it just kind of expands the offense, expands play calling and just makes it unpredictable for the defense.”

Tipton deked toward the sideline, then ran right by the crashing defender Shough hit him in stride, and Tipton hung onto the ball through a slight bobble to coast into the end zone. Finally proof that he could be the player he’s shown he can be in practice.

quence of events for the Saints. Running back Clyde EdwardsHelaire picked up the blitz, Tipton beat the defense on a filthy stopand-go and the Saints had a quarterback with the arm strength capable of ripping it.

Elsewhere, Shough played with poise in his first (unofficial) NFL outing. He looked comfortable from the jump as he led the Saints with 1:38 left on a 10-play, 52-yard drive that resulted in a Blake Grupe field goal just before halftime. He scanned the field and warded off pressure, despite being sacked twice.

“I feel like each day I’m getting more and more confident and comfortable,” Shough told The Times-Picayune. “(I’m) just showing what I can do, and I’m gonna try and continue to get better each practice and go out there and perform my best.” Each quarterback did enough to leave Moore with more to think about. But the battle isn’t likely to be over anytime soon.

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Before the Saints made it to halftime of their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, two offensive linemen had to return to the locker room because of apparent injuries.

Trevor Penning, who is in the midst of a transition to guard, went to the locker room during the second quarter A report from the WWL-AM sideline reporter indicated Penning appeared to be walking normally, but he had his shoes off as he made his way back to the locker room.

Will Clapp left the game flanked by athletic trainers after the Saints’ second offensive play from scrimmage. It is not yet clear what Clapp’s injury is, but he returned to the locker room on a cart.

The Saints trotted out four of their five regular starters at offensive line for the preseason opener, with Clapp filling in for Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy in the starting lineup. When Clapp left the game, the Saints inserted undrafted rookie Torriccelli Simpkins at center Starting right tackle Taliese Fuaga and right guard Cesar Ruiz played only the first offensive series before giving way to the backups. The Saints kept both Penning and first-rounder Kelvin Banks in for the first four offensive series.

Joint practices incoming?

The Saints may wind up attending a joint practice on their West Coast trip after all. Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters Sunday that his team is hopeful to conduct a practice with the Saints Thursday which is the Saints’ final day in Southern California. The Rams previously had a joint practice with the Chargers lined up for this coming week, but the Chargers canceled the session after going through numerous injuries.

The Saints have not participated in a joint practice since the 2023 season, when they went against the Chargers in Costa Mesa, California. Their scheduled joint session against the San Francisco 49ers fell through last year after San Francisco went through its own rash of injuries. Not for everyone

While a significant portion of the Saints’ roster participated in pregame warmups with the rest of the team, head coach Kellen Moore rested most of his most experienced starters for Sunday’s preseason opener Chris Olave (ankle) and Alontae Taylor did not go through warmups with the rest of the team and neither did several other players who’d been dealing with nagging injuries, such as Landon Young, Devin Neal and J.T. Gray Several others went through warmups but never left the sideline during the game, including: McCoy, Alvin Kamara, Rashid Shaheed, Davon Godchaux, Chase Young, Carl Granderson, Cam Jordan, Justin Reid, Demario Davis and Pete Werner Odds and ends Wide receiver Bub Means and tight end Mason Pline also left the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC THAyER

Saints wide receiver Mason Tipton, right, celebrates his touchdown catch during the second half of a preseason game against the Chargers on Sunday in Inglewood, Calif.

Southern’s offense

shines in scrimmage

Morris, Hollyelectrify; QB battle continues

BY TOYLOYBROWN III

Staff writer

Darren Morris flipped his hipsin stride so his backfaced the stands as the football dropped softly into his hands, with acornerback too late to stop the highlight

The expected No. 1wide receiver for Southern football looked at home sprinting down the leftsideline against one-on-one coverage and celebrating his touchdown catch. Morris’ lone reception for a51-yard touchdown was all he and fans needed to understand the vision Terrence Graves and his coaching staff have for the redshirt junior “He’sverytalented,” the second-year coach said. “I alwayssay he’sprobably the most talented football player we have on this team and to see him do that was just aconfirmation of the type of guy that we know we have on this team.”

Impressive plays happened throughout Southern’sthirdpreseasonscrimmage, the first available to reporters, on Saturday

The team allowed fans andmedia members to watch only the first half, which lasted about 33 minutes.

The game, which started at 7:40 p.m., didn’tfeature full tackling. With the exceptionof maybe two ground tackles, live play was usually whistled dead after two-hand touches ora charging defender,asGraves prioritized everyone staying healthy ahead of Southern’sseason opener against North Carolina Central at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 23 in Atlanta. Howthe runningbacks played While aquarterback battle is technically still brewing between the favorite redshirt sophomore Jalen Woods and juniorJackson State quarterback Cam’Ron McCoy,the most fascinatingpart of the intrasquad game wasseeing how coaches split playing time in arebuilt running backsroom.

The first offensive series was giventoMcCoy, who hadsenior running back and Jacksonville State transfer Michael Franklin in the backfield with him first. After not receiving any carries in back-to-back plays, LSU transfer running back Trey Holly was next.

An offensive penalty spoiled theredshirtsophomore’s first touch. Twoplays later,Holly’s firstreal moment arrived and he electrified.

He had a24-yard rush, which he set up with asudden jump cut to the middle. Fans marveled at the sneak peek of hisdynamite acceleration untilatwohand touchstopped the5-foot-7, 192-pound halfback at the oppo-

nent’s49-yard line

This was the longest andmost eye-catching carry of the scrimmage as Holly finished withthree carries for 29 yards in one series

The first running back in the backfield with Woods was redshirt freshman Jason Gabriel, one of two returners. Gabriel ran once for seven rushing yards andhad acatch for nine receiving yards.

Louisiana Tech transfer Princeton Cahee, aredshirt sophomore, wasthe next tailback to play alongside Woods. On his first touch, he had an 11-yard carry.He had one more rush with McCoy anditwas for nogain.

The last tailback to get achance in the openpart of practice was

Christian Smith, who played mostly with McCoy.The sophomore Alcorn State transfer had three carries for37yards againstthe non-starting defense. Smith’sbest rush was an outside run to theleft that earned him19yards.

Smith and Holly tied forthe most carries with three. Graves didn’t indicate which of thetailbacksis thefavorite to start.

“It’sstill adeal whereeverybody’sstill learning,” Graves said. “It’sjustamatter of the repetitions.You know,everybody’sdoing agreat job, so we’re excited with what we haveinthe room.”

Otherbrightspots

Woods’ three series leadingthe offense were themost of thequarterbacks. Southern’slone returner looked the most comfortable and that was reinforced by his 51-yard touchdownpasstoMorris, which was his fifth pass of the evening. Woodsalso had completions for 13 and 18 yards. At halftime, he was 5of9on passes for 95 yards andatouchdown.

McCoy had two series and looked best when he executed back-toback 9-yard passes. He completed 3of6passes for 24 yards.Heescaped the pocket on oneplayfor what would have been a5-yard gain,but thatwas erased after a penalty

Freshman quarterback Dillon Compton had three snaps and didn’tcompletehis onepass attempt,whichwas tipped by the defensive line.

Gravessaidthe starting quarterback decision hasn’tbeen made and that he likes how all threeare seeing the field.

The third most exciting moment after Morris’catch and Holly’sbig runcamefromspecial teams. Southern freshman kickerNathan Zimmer displayed hisleg strength when he madea 42-yard field goal to endthe open part of practice.Graves said that his new kicker’srange extends to 49 yards.

TheJaguars’defensive line also stood out as they hadapair of noncontactsacksonWoods andother positive moments of applying pressure

Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com.

Nussmeier’s knee,Lindsey’s legal issues raiseanxiety levels at LSU

For LSUfootball, it was already atense enough preseason camp to have Tiger fans ready to bitethrough glass.

Buttwo things happened this past week that had theanxiety meter pegging theneedle, making an already sweaty August even worse.

Neither seized the day,so to speak.

Other than Rattler’s21-yard strike to Cedrick Wilson in the first quarter and Shough’s54yard touchdown pass to Mason Tipton in the third quarter,there wasn’tmuch to write home about. It was mostly alot of fits and starts and checkdowns. The duo combined to scratch out 14 firstdowns and 10 pointsin11 mostly futile possessions. The Saints didn’tbreak the

end zone until midway through the third quarter.Bythattime, the Chargers had opened a17-3 lead that turned outtobemore than enough cushion against the mistake-filledSaints.

“A lot of learning lessons for us today,”Moore saidafterward

“For all three (quarterbacks), there were some goodmoments and some moments that you would like to have back.”

Rattler completed 7of11passes for 53 yards in five scoreless series. He also ran three times for 22 yards. His lone miscuewas hardly his fault, alost fumbleona blindside sack by Caleb Murphy To be fair, he didn’tget much

contending foranational championship or even making the College Football Playoff. One is left to conclude that this particular issue won’tbewhat sidelines Nussmeier if anything does. But it does raise the question of how LSUdeals with him

First camethe word (rumor) that Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had suffered adevastating knee injury Wednesday in practice. Sources, and finally LSU coach Brian Kelly himself, dispelled thenotion, though something had clearly happened. Then there were thedeveloping legal issues for backup running back JT

Lindsey Kelly said Friday that basically,Nussmeier has been dealing with chronic tendinitis in his knee, and that he tweaked it during practice. Nussmeier was, reporters were told, back out for practice Friday —the practice session was closed to the media at alate hour,adding to themystery. He practiced fully in front of reporters Saturday,though he cameuplimping at one point after ascrambling run.

On ascale of 1to10, with 1 being athigh bruise and 10 being your season is over before it begins, Kelly called Nuss’sknee a“1.5.” Butthe cold tsunamiof anxiety that swept over LSU fandom was a10. Perhaps, as Nigel Tufnel of “Spinal Tap” might have said, theunease may have gone to 11.

LoseNussmeier and you can kiss goodbye LSU’shopes of

LSU

Continuedfrom page1B

rushing attack,maybe more of their driveswould’ve resultedin six points.

So coach Brian Kelly andhis staff spent alarge chunk of their offseason trying to build one.

The first transfer they signed was Oklahoma tight endBauer Sharp, a convertedSoutheastern Louisiana quarterback with amean streak and awillingness to run block. Sloan saidFriday that he brings “violence” to LSU’srushing attack.

“He’sgot physicality,” Kelly said in December,“especially in therun game.”

Then LSU decided to hire arungame coordinator to fillthe role left behind by Slade Nagle,the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator who took aplay-calling gig at Houston. By theend of January Kelly hadsettled on Alex Atkins —a former Tennessee-Martin offensive tackle who had spent the previous three seasonsasFlorida State’soffensive coordinator.He was firedlast November at the end of a2-10seasonaspartofa shakeup to coach Mike Norvell’sstaff.

Atkins’ challenge? Incorporate new concepts into Sloan’soffense,

help from his protection. Injuries to center Will Clapp and left guard Trevor Penning didn’thelp matters along the depth-shy offensive line, and it showed early and often. Rattlerwas sacked three times, including theone that resulted in a lost fumble, and was pressured numerous times.For the mostpart, it looked alot like what we sawa year ago as Rattler was forced to scramble and dodge under duress. Still, Rattler will look back at the game tape and see room for improvement. He threwbehinda couple of receivers andheld the ball for too long on others. The decisiveness we saw throughout training camp was notasevident

Taking off and running more often —not at aJayden Danielslike pace, but morethan Nussmeier didin2024 —has been thought to be part of the gameplan this season. Doeshis knee situation change that? Kelly said they won’tpractice differently with Nussmeier,notrying to protect him beyond the red noncontact jersey he and the other quarterbacksalready wear. But will he be morelikely to stay in thepocket than everyone was led to believe?

As for the whole injury story gone wild, one is left to wonderhow these things happen. Someone watching/working at practice Wednesday told someone who posted an even wilder story on amessage board and the fuse was then lit. But how does it go fromwhatwas clearly aminor ailmenttoafullblownstructuralissue requiring surgery?

Quitesimply,it’sthe age in which we live in. Everyone wants to be “in the know,” but while legitimate news organizationsare unpopular in general, they remainthe best waytofind out if something is serious or fantasy

Here’ssomething serious: the charges against Lindseythat he housedtwo murder suspects in his on-campus apartment, charges thatFriday led Lindsey to turn himself into LSU police. The charge is called accessory

while also making sure that an offensive line with four new starters can execute them.

Through nine preseason practices, LSU is still installing parts of its rushing offense andworking through position battles at both left guard and right guard. But it appears that the Tigers have solidified both of their starting offensive tackles —redshirt sophomore Tyree Adamsand redshirt freshman Weston Davis —and their first-team center,Virginia Tech transfer Braelin Moore.

“I’m pleased with the structure of the run game,” Kelly said, “the way it’sprogressing from direct snap to shotgun to avariety of different looks. We still have alot to installat this point, so right now,Ifeel pretty good. We’ve gottodoabetterjob up front handlingthe movement.”

And Nussmeier,according to both Kelly andSloan,needstodo abetterjob of scrambling. LSU wantshim to use more opportunitiestotuckthe ball andrun, instead of taking asack, risking afumble or potentially forcing apass into too small of athrowing window

“He’sathletic enough to do that,” Kelly said.

LSU is also hoping sophomore running back CadenDurham can stay healthy. Lastyear,he emerged as the Tigers’ top run-

against live opposition.

“There were some good moments, but overall, just too much up anddown,” Rattler said. “Gotta be moreconsistent.” Shough, meanwhile, didn’tfare much better.Hecompleted 15 of 22 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown and showed some good situational awareness in leading the offense to afield goal in 2-minute drill before halftime. However,his lone interception was a doozy that resulted in a43-yard touchdown return by Eric Rogers. It was the kind of play that could shake the confidence of any quarterback, much less arookie seeing his first NFL action. But Shough

afterthe fact Lindsey’sattorney,former LSU football player Kris Perret, told The Advocate his client didn’tknowthe two menwere wanted. PoliceinAlexandria, where the murder of Corey Brookstook place in May,expressedskepticism thatLindseywas unaware of the case consideringhe, Brooksand the twosuspects allwenttoAlexandria SeniorHigh, plus the case’smedia coverage. In any respect, Lindseyissuspended from theLSU team until the chargesagainst him areresolved.

While Lindsey’sfuture with theteam is uncertain, theTigers’ present situation is quite clear.LSU is down to just three scholarship running backs CadenDurham, KalebJackson andfreshmanHarlemBerry —plus Ju’JuanJohnson. He’s listedonLSU’sroster as aquarterback but is amultifaceted playerwho can playavariety of positions. Johnsonmay be pressedinto arunning back role more thananyone could have anticipated.

LSU’sthinning depth at running back —TreyHolly transferred to Southern earlier this summer—isone of the most pressing issuesfacing the Tigers heading into the season LSU must have an effective running game to balance the offense. The Tigers didn’thave thatin2024, when they were last in the SEC with 116.4 rushing yards percontest. Both situations —Nussmeier’s kneeand LSU’srunning back depth —are stark reminders of howtenuous the Tigers’ bid for potentialgreatness is in 2025.

ner,but toe injuries limited his explosiveness. Now he’sleading agroupoftailbacks withsizein 6-foot, 234-pound junior Kaleb Jacksonand speed in five-star freshman Harlem Berry But those threeare the only scholarship tailbacks on LSU’s active roster Trey Holly— theredshirt sophomore who’sspent the last two seasons battling legal troubles transferred to Southern in July Then, freshman JT Lindsey turned himself in to authorities on Friday after awarrant was issued forhis arrest. He’snow facing an accessory after the fact to second-degree murder chargeand hasbeen suspended from team activities.

Inabind,LSUcanturntoJohnson. He began last season as adefensive back,thenmoved to runningback after the veteran John Emery suffered aseason-ending knee injury NowJohnson’s awildcat quarterback who mayrepresent a creative shift taking place in the LSU rushing attack.

“There’ssome schematic things,”Sloan said, “where we’re gonna be able to put someguys in positions to make sure we can create some more explosives in the run game. Ithink that’sthe key

“But Ihave been pleasedwith what we’ve done.”

responded with his best pass of the day on the ensuing series, a beautiful bomb that hit Tipton in stride on his way to the end zone.

“The way these guys respond is really critical for us,” Moore said. “I thought he did agreat job. He’ll learn from that one, and he’ll grow.For him to respond after such an emotional play was huge.”

If you were looking for asilver lining, this play wasit. Aray of hope in an otherwise dreary overall performance.

All in all, as with most preseason games, this one was largely forgettable. There was some good, some bad —and a whole lot of ugly

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Southernrunning back Trey Holly,center, runs theball during ateam scrimmageonSaturdayatA.W.Mumford Stadium.

Graves

Scott Rabalais

STAFF FILE PHOTOByHILARy SCHEINUK

LSU coach Brian Kelly speaks withquarterback Garrett Nussmeier in the second halfofagame against Vanderbilt on Nov. 23 at TigerStadium. Kelly downplayedthe quarterback’sknee injurylast week.

LIVING

CLEAN MACHINES

This companyis flying industrial drones to scrub NewOrleans high-rises.Here’show they do it.

BY HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writer

Inthe reflection of the15-story InterContinentalNew Orleans, adronehoversseveral feet away,dousing the high-rise hotel’sweathered facade as it washes away layers of grime

The robot, piloted from stories below,works quicklytogive the building awell-deserved shine one that happens withoutworkers ever needingtoset foot onrisky scaffolding.

Over thepast decade, thedrone industry has taken offinthe commercialsector,emergingasan auspicious solution to demanding tasks —likecleaning the windows of skyscrapers and high-rises. As of July 2025,the Federal Aviation Administration logged over 822,000 registered drones and 460,375 certified remotepilots.

In New Orleans, drones are already fast at work cleaning the exteriors of buildings across the city.Manyofthemare runbylocal businesswomen Kim Dixon and MulladyVoelker’scompany,Drone Powered Solutions, which launched

Rob Stenger pilots apressurewashing drone to clean amultistoryoffice buildinginthe 100 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie.

in 2024 after the duo lefttheir roles in healthcare to enter the region’s budding drone industry

“Wethought it was aneat concept, and as we sort of peeled the layers back,werealizedthatthis actually has alot of legs and would be areally interesting space to be in —one that’schanging really fast

every day,” Voelker said.

After months of research and planning, DPS opened in New Orleans and Miami. Ayear in, the company has several dozen pilots and four drones.

The duo says the drone services theyoffer are faster,safer and a lessexpensive alternative to traditional window and facade cleaning.

“It’sa mixbetween art and science,” Voelker said.

Howitall works

Wash drones, made specifically for cleaning, are equipped with sensors andcameras that monitor the washing process andassess riskofdamage. They’regrowing popular in areas like automotive care, solarenergyand building maintenance.

At DPS, Voelker said thecompany decided to use drones optimized to carry heavy water loads thatare made by amanufacturer based in Jacksonville, Florida. Washing dronesplus their water equipment, hoses and batteries all vary in size, but must weigh under 55 pounds to

ä See DRONES, page 2C

Lessen stress by including Alzheimer’s patientin care decisions

Howdoyou makethe transitiontoa long-termcare setting less stressful for someone affected by dementia?

The decision to movealoved one into asenior living community is often difficult and challenging.

While the movemay be the right timefor the individual’s health, safety and well-being, the transition can bring about somecomplex emotions, such as fear,grief and uncertainty —not only forthe affected individuals but also forthe entire family

But, before the boxes start getting packed and paperwork is signed, the movetoalongterm care setting can be less stressful if the caregiver can begin the process by first honoring their loved one’sidentity, preserving their autonomy and creating asense of homeand belonging.

First, the caregiver should makeappointments to tour a fewlong-term care settings and take their loved one with them,ifthey are able. The caregiver should take measures to allow the individual to participate in the decisionmaking process. Talking openly with the individual about the moveand their preferences and encouraging questions makes the individual feel empowered and valued, and also eases the stress level of the transition.

Once along-term care setting is selected, the individual’s room in the long-term setting should mimictheir homeenvironment. Re-creating asense of familiarity is very important forthe loved one to feel comfortable and safe. Packing meaningful décor,family photos, favorite artwork and somefamiliar furniture and beddings will remind the individual that they can take the feeling of homewith them

After move-in day,itishelpfulfor the caregiver to know their loved one’sbasic routine, mealtimes, activities, and to be introduced to staff. The affected individual and the caregiver will both have myriad emotions such as sadness, guilt, relief and hope. These emotions should be acknowledged, and the long-term care setting’ssocial worker can offer tips and

ä See DECISIONS, page 2C

Museum artifactsrevealhistory of racism in U.S.

By The Associated Press

man in 1955, and adesk where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.planned voting rights marches.

“What we do hereishelpexplain our story,asacommunity, as aculture,asasociety to those who may not have lived through it, who may not remember it or whomay havea different memory than whatwecollectively understand,” said Amber Mitchell, curatorofBlack history at theHenry Ford Public access to these items at federal sitesmay be restricted or prohibited under Trumpadministrationrulesseeking to

bar what the president calls “divisive” ideology thatacknowledges theoutsizedroleracism has played in American history and culture. The artifacts include: n The Clark Doll, aplastic, dark-skinnedtoy doll usedby psychologists Kennethand MamieClark during the1940s while studying the impact of segregation on Black children.

ä See ARTIFACTS, page 2C

Ford, viewitems from The JacksonHome at The HenryFord in Dearborn, Mich

STAFF PHOTOSByBRETT DUKE

Rob Stenger, from left,Gerrit Warnshuis and Seth Tamayo,ofDrone Powered Solutions, stand with apressurewashing drone in Metairie on July 29.

Amber N. Mitchell, curator of Black History, left,and Patricia Mooradian, president and CEO of The Henry

AP PHOTO By PAUL SANCyA

Vegandietcausesincreased intestinal gas

Dear Doctors: Iama vegan, and after ameal, Ihave uncomfortable and smelly intestinal gas. It has onlyever easedwhenItook an antibiotic and after colonoscopy prep. Iassume that’sbecause these killed my gut bacteria. Is there afast way to reset thegut? Is this problem ahealthrisk?

Dear reader: Thegut microbiome referstothe remarkable and complex ecosystem of trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses andother microorganisms that maketheir home in our gut. While some are found in the small intestine, the vast majority live in the large intestine. Researchcontinues to uncovernew ways that thecomposition, diversity and healthof these colonies of microorganisms affect our health. The microbes we host have adirect influence

Dr.Elizabeth Ko

Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

on diverse processes such as digestion, nutrient absorption, cardiovascular andneural health, immune responseand even brain health and function. Youare correct that aprimary cause of intestinal gas is the metabolic activity of bacteria in the gut. It has to do with dietary fiber, which is acomplex carbohydrate. Unlikesimple carbs, which get absorbed into thebloodstream in

Mixupbrewing method

Dear Heloise: As acoffee professional, I’d like to add to the conversation about bitterness in coffee. The No. 1cause of bitterness is overextraction.The brewing methoddetermines the grind size. This is related to the length of time that the grounds remain in contact with the water If you consistently have bitter coffee, your grind is too fine for your brewing method. —Jennifer S., via email No more liquidsoftener

No matter how often Icleaned outthe machine, this would continue.

thesmall intestine, fiber passes undigested intothe colon, or large intestine. There, the cellulose, pectin, lignin, hemicellulose, mucilageand other cell remnants that survived thedigestive process become food for the resident bacteria.

First,enzymes produced by the bacteria dismantle the complex carbs. Then, through fermentation,the resulting simple sugars get processed intoshort-chain fatty acids the bacteria can absorb. Oneofthe byproductsofthat fermentation is —you guessed it —intestinal gas.

In your case, several considerations come to mind. As a plant-forward vegan, your diet contains asignificant amount of plant-based fiber.Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cab-

bage and cauliflower; foods that contain sulfur such as garlic and onions; and beans and legumes are associated with robust and sometimes smelly gas production. Somevegans whoexperience excessive gas find it useful to subtract, then gradually reintroduce, specific foodstohelp identifyany that may be problematic. Some people then choose to limit or eliminate those foods.

It’struethatantibiotics and colonoscopy prep cansignificantly alter the balance of intestinal flora. Research shows that, when used only occasionally antibiotics don’tcause lasting damage. Gutrecoverycan take anywhere from severalweeks to afew months, so be patient. You can boost your gut recovery by eating dietary fiber froma wide

range of sources.This canalso temporarily increase intestinal gas. Excessive gas production is not ahealth risk. It can sometimes be asymptom of an underlying disease or condition such as Crohn’sdisease, irritable bowel syndrome(IBS), ulcerative colitis or small intestinal bowel overgrowth (SIBO). If changes to your diet don’thave abeneficial effect on gas production, check in with your health care provider for guidance.

Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles CA, 90024.

Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: Several years ago, clothes were coming out of my washing machine with arotted smell. Ialso noticed mold growing inside the area where the liquid fabric softener would go in my washingmachine. It didn’t matter if it was aname-brand fabric softener or alower brand.

Ichose to stop using softener, figuring somethingwas in it that caused this. Istarted to useeither dryersheets or wool balls.The smellhas never come back again. Problem solved! —Elizabeth M. Elizabeth, yes,indeed, using too much softener or not regularly cleaning thedispenser can cause mold growth. Frontloaders are especially prone to this problem. Cold water, which most people use today can also stop thesoftener from completely dissolving, creating aresiduebuildup. Always leave the washer door openfor about an hourtodry out. —Heloise

Send ahint to heloise@heloise. com.

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday,Aug. 11,the 223rd day of 2025. There are142 days left in the year

Todayinhistory

On Aug. 11, 1934, the first federal prisoners arrived at Alcatraz Island, aformer military prison, in San Francisco Bay; the island would be home tomore than 1,500 prisoners overthe next three decades, including gangsters Al Capone and James “Whitey” Bulger,before closing in 1963.

Also on this date:

In 1919, Germany’sWeimar Constitution was signed by President Friedrich Ebert.

In 1929, Babe Ruth became the first baseball player to reach 500 career home runs with ahomer at Cleveland’sLeague Park

In 1949, President Harry S Truman nominatedGeneral Omar N. Bradley to become the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In 1952, Hussein bin Talal was proclaimed King of Jordan, beginning areign lasting nearly 47 years.

In 1956, abstract painter Jackson Pollock died in an automobile accident on Long Island, New York, at age 44.

In 1965, rioting that claimed 34 lives and lasted six days broke out in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles.

In 1972, the last U.S. ground combat troops in South Vietnam left to return to the United States.

In 1973, at ahouse partyin the Bronx, 18-year-oldDJ Kool

DECISIONS

Continued from page1C

strategies to navigate these emotions and make the first few days of living in the new space ones of joy and reminiscing, as well as offering assurance and support As the caregiver builds relationships with the staff, they will feel more comfortable sharing and advocating for their loved one during their stay at thelongtermcare setting. Any concerns about their loved one and their care shouldbeaddressed to the staff so that person-centered care can provide the best quality of life for their loved one. Additionally,the caregiver could assist staff by volunteering in activities or other events, which would help their loved onecre-

Herc began extending the musical breaksofthe records he was playingand speaking over the beat,markingthe (unofficial) birthofhip-hop music.

In 1992, the Mall of America, thenation’s largest shopping and entertainmentcenter,opened in Bloomington,Minnesota.

In 1997, PresidentBill Clinton made the first use ofthe historic line-item veto, rejectingthree items in spending and taxbills.

(The U.S.Supreme Court later struck down the vetoasunconstitutional.)

In 2012, more than 300 people were killed and more than 3,000 injured after earthquakes struck near Tabriz, Iran.

In 2014, AcademyAwardwinningactor and comedian Robin Williams died in Tiburon, California, at age 63.

Today’sBirthdays: Magazine columnist Marilyn VosSavant is 79. Countrymusicsinger John Conlee is 79. Computer scientist and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is 75. Musician Joe Jackson is 71. Playwright DavidHenry Hwang is 68. Journalist/commentator David Brooksis64. Actor Viola Davis is 60. Actor Embeth Davidtzis60. Actor-host Joe Rogan is 58. Actor AnnaGunn is 57. Actor SophieOkonedo is 57. Rock guitaristCharlie Sexton is 57. Hip-hop artist Ali Shaheed Muhammad(ATribe Called Quest) is 55. Actor Will Friedle is 49. Rock singer Ben Gibbard is 49. Actor Merritt Wever is 45. Actor Chris Hemsworth is 42. Rapper Asher Roth is 40. Political commentatorTomiLahren is 33. Actor Alyson Stoner is 32.

ate opportunities to feel more connected andsupported in the environment. From the beginning, the longterm care setting should offer a commitment to purposeful livingfor theaffected individual. Moving into along-termcare setting should be just achange of address, as it should feel just like home, so that thetransition runs smoothlyand thecaregiver and loved one arebothcontent in an environment in which they feel respected and their dignity is always honored.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.”Email her at thememorywhisperer@gmail com.

of Veterans

DRONES

Continuedfrom page1C

comply with FAAregulations.

Before each wash job,the team views thebuilding on Google Earth to develop asiteplanand then launches avideo drone to survey the area, identifying whichspots need additional attention or are damaged

From there, dependingonthe surface andamount of buildup, the team chooses which cleaningsystem is best for the building, such as awater jet or brush.

Voelker said the drones can clean 5,000to7,000 square feet in an hour,though it can take longer depending on other factors likethe building’smaterial and design.

Duringthe washprocess,all buildings are coated in acleaning solution that absorbs mold and dirt beforebeing sprayed withdeionized water,which Voelker said mitigates mineral buildup on windows.

The company’spumping system, which extracts minerals from machine water,ispatent-pending, according to Voelker

Who fliesthe drones?

Manning ahefty drone connected to apressure pumpwhile standingona crowded sidewalk below is no small feat.Ittakes precision andpatience, which is whyDPS pilots are trained to workinhightraffic, high-stress environments.

“They’re doing it onstage, so to speak, becausethere’salways people onlooking and wanting to see what’shappening,” Voelker said.

Split between two cities,the DPS corporate team hirespilotstocom-

ARTIFACTS

Continuedfrom page1C

The doll is on permanent display in the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kansas.

n Shards of stained glassfrom windows at the 16th Street Baptist ChurchinBirmingham, Alabama, are on display at The National MuseumofAfrican American History andCulture, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. White supremacists bombed the church in 1963,killing four Black

left,GerritWarnshuisand Seth

pletejobs across the Gulf South.

All drone operators are required to complete about 20 hours of onsite training,ontop of havingtheir drone pilot license, Voelker said.

To becomecertified under the FAA’sSmall Unmanned Aircraft System Rule, known as Part 107, drone pilots must obtain aRemote Pilot Certificate, which involves taking an FAAaeronautical knowledge test on drone regulations, operating requirements and safety procedures. Drone pilots are also issued an online training course.

DPS candidates spend aday shadowing core pilots —getting familiar with the equipment and ensuring that no onlookers distract the pilot —especially since each drone costs upward of $45,000.

The company recently openeda

girls attending Sunday school.

n Parts of acar owned by NAACPactivist VernonDahmer are on long-term loan to The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, Mississippi. The Ku Klux Klan firebombed and shot at Dahmer’shome in 1966. Dahmer, who hadrecruited Blacks to vote,rescued his family and they escaped in the car,but he died the next day from smoke inhalation.

n Fountain pens usedbyPresident Lyndon B. Johnson to sign the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act are on display at The NationalMuseum of African American History and Culture.

pilottraining academy,Dixonsaid, as part of their “larger plan forpilots to expand into other service lines forthe future at DPS.”

What’s next?

Voelker and Dixon plantogrow New Orleans-born DPSinto a $500 million company.Todothat, they’re expanding into other markets.

“Weconsider ourselves adrone company,” Voelker said. “We’re just expanding into security and surveillance as well, whichisentirely different service line.” And in September,they’re opening anew branch in Spain.

“We’re not content just cleaning New Orleans,” Voelker said. “We’re looking to make this international.”

n Executive Orders 9980 and 9981 that desegregated the U.S. military and the federal government are stored in the National Archives, but copies are on display at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri. Truman issued the orders in 1948 following abeating that left Army Sgt.Isaac Woodard blind. Woodardwas heading home to South Carolina in 1946 afterserving in WWII when aWhite police chief pulled him from aGreyhound bus and beat him.Woodward was stillwearing hisuniform when he was assaulted. An all-White jury acquitted the chief.

STAFF PHOTOSByBRETT DUKE

Workers withDrone Powered Solutions operate apressure-washing drone to clean an office building in the 100 block

RobStenger,from

Tamayo,ofDrone Powered Solutions,prepare apressure-washing drone for flight.

LEO(July 23-Aug. 22) Useyour intelligence along with theenergy and power necessary to get you to your destination. Engage in talks andparticipate in groups that encourageyou to satisfy your needs.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Being part of the solution will bring you closer to others who share your concerns. Play the numbers game and do your parttoensure youmaintain the safety andsecurity thatputs your mind at ease.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Achange will energize you. Review your schedule andcreateatimetable thatmeetsyour needs. Distance yourselffrom anyone interfering in your life choices

SCORPIO(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Live, learn and leave the past behind.Executeplans with passion and engage in eventsthat give you aplatformtopromote and market your skills. Traveland educational pursuits will pave the waytonew beginnings

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stop letting emotions and ego interfere with your domestic responsibilities. Devise plans that you can implement yourself if necessary. Letyour actions lead theway and your resultsspeakfor you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Payattention to shared expenses andjoint ventures. When worry setsin, alter your position to secureyour assets. Someone will try to keep you guessing

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Take careof debt and open adiscussion with someone who can offer expertadvice. An

opportunity to useyour talents, skills and experience in alucrative manner is apparent

PISCES (Feb. 20-March20) Network,broaden your connectionsand gain ground by exploring what's possible withyour skills and experience to improve your life. Take agreater interest in how you look,feel and presentyourself to others. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Walk away from temptation and overindulgent people Utilize intelligence and practical applications to deter othersfrom interfering withyour space, integrity and plans. TAURUS (April 20-May20) Work behind the scenes. Get everythingsorted out before engaging in talks or giving anyone ahint as to your agenda. The less interference you encounter, the better off you'll be GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Adjust, adaptand fine-tune.Leave no roomfor errorand don't give someone elsethe authority to make choices for you. Choose ahealthy lifestyle while avoiding indulgence. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Work to make adifference. Speak on behalf of those who can't speak forthemselves, and engage in functions and events that represent your beliefs andlife goals Personalimprovements will enhance your confidence.

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

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

TODAy'S CLUE:S EQUALS B

CeLebrItY CIpher For better or For WorSe

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object 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. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

All bridge writers make mistakes. But they should workhard to give sound advice to theirreaders, especially in the bidding. Look at the North hand in today’sdiagram. You open one spade, and your partner responds two diamonds. What would you rebid?

Thereisanexcellent generalrule in bidding: Never immediately rebid in a suit, whether amajor or aminor, unless you have at least sixcards in that suit Here, North has an easy two-no-trump rebid. But the columnist who gave this hand had North rebid two spadeswithout one word of comment. In my opinion,eventhreediamondsisabetterrebid than two spades. If you put the North hand opposite my hypothesized Southhand, youwill see that six diamonds is thebest spot. It requires little more than oneoftwo finesses, and makeshere. AfterNorth rebidstwono-trump,apossiblesequence is threeclubs -threediamonds -three spades -four hearts (a control-bid; North’s hand couldhardly be better) -six diamonds -pass. If North rebids two spades, South might well jump straight to four spades. But what happens to six spades? East leads theheart king, whichkills thecontract. Probably North would win withhis ace, play aclub to the ace, and run the spade jack. Eastcalmlyducks. And now, when declarerrepeats the spade finesse, he goes down two, losing one spade and two hearts. Occasionally, youwill have to rebid immediately in afive-card suit,but then everyother alternative must be worse. ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles

EachWuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns,

or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

ToDAY’s WoRD DIALYsIs: dye-AL-ih-sis: The separation of substances by meansoftheir unequal diffusion through membranes.

Averagemark 10 words

Timelimit 20 minutes Can youfind17ormorewords in DIALYSIS?

sATuRDAY’s WoRD —EXcuLPATE

today’s thought

“The fearofthe Lord is thebeginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of theholy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

mallard