The Times-Picayune 08-11-2025

GROUNDBREAKING TREATMENT

La.’s firstsicklecellgenetherapy patientaimsto fly

Daniel Cressy sits onahospital bed as his blood stem cells are harvested as part of the process to

disease at Manning Family Children’sinNew Orleans on July 30.

BY EMILYWOODRUFF |Staff writer

This story is the first in an occasional series following Louisiana’sfirst patients to receive gene therapy for sickle cell disease.

On the third floor of Manning Family Children’shospital in New Orleans recently,aspinning centrifuge wobbledand hummed next to Daniel Cressy’sbed.

From his neck, thin tubessnakedinto the machine spinning his blood, separating out the stem cells doctors hope will help cure his sickle cell disease

Later the same day,the bag of bloodhanging fromthe top of the machinewas on its way to Scotland,where the stem cells were scheduled to be genetically edited to reset his body’s switch for protection from the searing, unpredictable

pain of his chronic disease.

Once those modified stem cells are reintroduced and take root in hisbonemarrow,Cressy hopes to be in the air,too. The gene therapy is his second chance after the Federal Aviation Administration denied his medical clearancetobeapilot. Cressy,22, is the firstperson in Louisiana to receive a groundbreaking gene therapy that could offer afunctional cure for sickle cell. Thousands of people in thestate live withthe samediagnosis, but getting this multimillion-dollar treatment isn’teasy.For Cressy,ittook 18 months of evaluations and insurance approvals. Across thestate, more patients are lining up, but only one other person, a10-year-old in Shreveport, has made it through the approvals process so far

ä See TREATMENT, page 4A

LouisianaDemocrats workingtorebuild theparty

Butasolidly Republican voterbasemeans some crossing theaisle

BY TYLER BRIDGES |Staff writer

Beto O’Rourke was fired up when he appeared before an enthusiastic crowd of morethan 1,000 people in New Orleans on Thursday night, telling them that Democrats can begin turning around theirfor-

tunes inLouisiana. Thepath, saidO’Rourke, aformer congressman who lost highly publicized races for the U.S. Senateand governor in Texas, requires “finding and fielding the candidates who are going to show up and authentically and honestly engage with thepeople they want to serve, learn from them, reflect what they are hearing, campaign like there is no tomorrow.”

It’sapath lined with obstacles. In the 2023 elections, RepublicanGov Jeff Landry surprised most observers by

cruising to victoryinthe primaryoverhis Democratic challenger,negating the need for arunoff. Republicans alsoprevailed once again in all of the other statewide offices, and they captured enough additional legislative seats to claimatwo-thirds supermajority in both the House and the Senate.

Republicanshavenot held so much power in Louisiana since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era 150 years ago.

ä See DEMOCRATS, page 6A

Louisiana is staying outof redistricting melee

BY MARK BALLARD |Staff writer

Trump

But Louisiana will sit out the scrum for the time being while the state litigates its redistricting case before the U.S. SupremeCourt.

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump hasurged Republicanlegislatures to take the rare step of redrawing congressional election maps halfway through the traditional 10-year cycle, launching agerrymanderingarmsrace that has spread to state capitolsacross America. The fight started in Texas, but now Republican-run states of Florida,Indiana, Ohio and maybe Missouri also are gearing up to redraw election maps and send moreGOP members to theHouse In response, Democrats launchedtheir own mid-cycleredistricting efforts in states like California, New York, Illinois, Maryland, NewJersey and Colorado.

Murrill

“Tothe best of my knowledge, thereare no plans to call aspecial sessionbeforeour briefisdue in a few weeks —wewould continue to be stuck between the same rock and ahard place,” said Louisiana Attorney General LizMurrill. “I have said all along, the SupremeCourt needs to give clarity to Legislatures. That’swho has the constitutional duty to draw maps, not federal judges.” As chair of the Louisiana House and Governmental AffairsCommittee, state Rep. Gerald“Beau” BeaullieuIV, R-New Iberia, would be in charge of any

Stateawaiting Supreme Court’sdecisiononits congressional map ä See REDISTRICTING, page 4A Beaullieu

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

remove sicklecell

STAFFPHOTO By BRETTDUKE Beto O’Rourkespeaksduring atownhall meeting at the Howlin’WolfinNew Orleans on Thursday.

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

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-on-one 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 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

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.

it was now only a matter of scheduling before a meeting would take place. The Kremlin 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 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 negotia-

tions can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the statement said.

“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 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.

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 Friday 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 Krem-

Colorado prison evacuated amid 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, including a battalion chief who was seriously hurt when his pickup truck rolled over in steep terrain.

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.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ Firefighters battle the Canyon Fire on Thursday in Hasley Canyon,

REDISTRICTING

Continued from page1A

effort to draw new election maps in Louisiana

“Weare leaning on the attorneygeneral to lead us in these discussions, since there is an ongoing lawsuit,” he said Thursday

While the LouisianaConstitutionand related laws include redistricting instructions for lower-level offices, it remains ambiguous on the rules for drawing the maps to elect membersofCongressevery two years

But the biggest holdupis the Louisiana v. Callais lawsuit, in which the U.S. Supreme Court is settohear arguments next year.The case challenges the congressional maps drafted by theLouisianaLegislature’s

Republican supermajority in 2024,which created asecondmajority-Black district. “Theywould be ethically stupid to tryand do something in Louisiana, given that thesecondBlack district wascreated by court order and is the subject of aSupremeCourt case,” said MichaelLi, aredistricting expert with the Brennan Center for Justice in New York. “Until the currentlitigationis resolved, (mid-cycleredistricting) wouldbe like themother of allfights.”

Ahigh-stakes clash

If states do change their maps mid-cycle, it could change the balance of power in Congress. With 219 Republicans, 212 Democrats and four vacant seats, the GOP has held a narrow majority since the 2022 midtermelections.That

majority hasput two LSU alumniintwo of thenation’s most powerful positions: Speaker of the HouseMikeJohnson, aRepublican from theShreveport suburb of Benton, andHouse Majority Leader Steve Scalise, aRepublican from the New Orleans suburb of Jefferson. Historically,voters tendtoelect anew majority in Congress midway through a president’sfour-year term if both branches aredominated by the same party.

in districts won by the other party’spresidential candidate. Adding more partisan voters to those districts could mean moreideological candidatesonthe ballot

Larry Sabato’s Center for Politics at the University of Virginia surmised in areport this week that the redistricting seems to focus on seats won by more moderatecandidates

“It’spossiblethat themedian House seat could move further right of the nation if Republicans come out of this looming redistrictingfightahead,” the report stated Drawing election maps was once done by hand and made morebrutal by the raw politics of electoral survival.The hardball politics remain, but progress in technology anddatabasing allows map makers to more quickly identify howvoters probably will casttheir bal-

lots, then organize precincts to create asafe seat for one party or the other The U.S. Constitution mandatesthatevery personis counted every10years to determine howmanymembers of the House each state will send to Washington. The next national census is not scheduled until 2030.

Apolitical brawl

Trump began the bareknuckled political melee by pressing Texastotinker with its congressionaldistricts to add enough GOP voters to ensure five moreRepublicanswill go to Washington in 2017.

About 50 Texas Democrats fled the state to keep the Legislature from having atwothirds quorum necessary to conductbusiness. But they are subject to a$500-a-day fine.

Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday asked an Illinois court to send the Texans back to Austin. And in an interview Friday with NBC, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott saidhewould keep calling special sessions until the congressionalredistricting wascompleted.The current special session is set to adjourn Aug. 19.But qualifying for the midterms is in December andthe primary election in Texas is March 3. Florida officially announced Thursday that Republicanshopetoredraw three districts in their favor California Gov.Gavin Newsom has aplan to redistrict that populous blue state, as do the governors of New York and Illinois. Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate. com.

The hardest part for the patient, which includes chemotherapy and amonthof isolation, is still ahead. But after that, if all goes well,it’s likely Cressy will be able to live free from sickle cell’s debilitating pain episodes —and reapply for medical clearance.

“There’snofreedom like flying. It’sanescape from everything else,” he said, asmile breakingacross his face in his hospital bed. “When you’reupinthe clouds, it’sjust you and the plane.”

Harvesting thestemcells

In thefirstyear of life, babies with sickle cell disease often appear completely healthy.Mostparentsonly learn theirchildhas the condition after aroutine heel prick in the hospital.

That’s because, duringinfancy,the body stillrelies on fetal hemoglobin, atype of oxygen-carrying protein that’sproduced in the womb.

But the gene that makes fetal hemoglobin is turned off shortly after infancy.Sickle cell patients have amutation in thehemoglobin gene that makes blood cellsstiffen and curve into acrescent shape that easily clots and gets jammed up in their joints, causing intensepain.

ForCressy, whogrewup in New Orleans and Kenner, sickle cell pain episodes felt like arubber bandtightening around his entire body He had them more often as a kid, but as ateenager mostly got them under control with amedicationcalled hydroxyurea.

Last Wednesday,his blood was causing trouble for the centrifuge. He has received regular transfusions to replace his sickled blood for months as part of the protocol for the gene therapy,but his blood was still thickand prone to clotting, making it harder for the machine to separatethe stem cells.

Nurse Angel Haydel adjusted the anticoagulantin the machine and fluids running througha port in his chest to keep themachine

moving. The setup requires one-on-one supervision —if one nurse leaves the room, another steps in —and it chirps with alarms everyfew minutes.

Themachine will cycle for around six hours for three days.Cressy will return in September foranother stem cell harvesting. Twoofthe stem cell collections will go to Scotland, and one will stay in New Orleans as abackup, in case thetreatment doesn’t work and he needs his original cells again. On average, patients need 2.2collectionsfor thetherapy, said Rob Clark, chiefcommunications officer at Vertex.

Flipping theswitch

In Scotland, astrand of “guide RNA” —a genetic bloodhound designedto sniff out acertain sequence of DNA —will join withthe Cas9enzyme. TheRNA will scan Cressy’sgenome like a GPSuntil it finds its mark: a control switch that keeps the fetal hemoglobin gene turned off.

Cas9 will thensnip the DNA at that precise spot,unlocking the gene so it canswitch back on. Theapproach, called CRISPR, enables scientists to edit genes withpinpoint accuracy,and has been used for everything from boosting the nutrition in vegetables

to reprogramming immune cells to fighting treatmentresistant cancers.

Theeditedstem cells are then frozen, shipped back andinfusedintoCressy’s bloodstream. They travel to thebone marrow,which has been cleared of other cells by chemotherapy,and once established, theyrebuild the blood supply with healthyred blood cells.

“His cells, once they’re changed, effectively become thedrug,” said Dr.Zachary LeBlanc, apediatric hematologist andoncologist at Manning Family Children’s. The goal is thatCressy’sown body will keep sickling at bay withoutany othertreatment —“acure,” said LeBlanc.

Acureinsight

There are risks. Any treatment thatchanges apatient’s stem cells can carryasmall risk of cancer,especially blood cancers, if the inserted genesaccidentally affect cancer-related genes or if the transplant puts lasting stress on the bone marrow

In 2021, Bluebird Bio, the companybehind asecond recently approved type of gene therapy for sickle cell, announced that two of seven patients previously treated with their product in aclinical trial developedacute myeloid leukemia. An investigation

found the cancer was likely unrelated to the gene therapy itself.Bluebird usesadifferent approach to gene therapy thanVertex, relying on adeactivated virus to delivera healthy gene into apatient’s own stem cells.

Both therapies come with all the familiar side effects of cancer treatment: hair loss, nausea, fatigue,dangerously lowimmunity and infertility.For afew weeks, patients are extremelyvulnerable, often confined to isolation rooms where every visitor is maskedand gloved.

But the trial results are promising. In onestudy,all but two of 31 patients were free fromsevere pain crises for at least ayear after treatment with Casgevy, theVertexproduct. In another,all 44 patients ages 12 to 35 avoided hospitalization for ayear aftertherapy

Still, it’snew

“You’restill probably only talking about in thehistory of the planet, 150 maybe 200 people nowthat have ever done this,”LeBlanc said. “The vast majority of them have been in the last two or threeyears.

Just 29 patients have had Casgevy infused into their bone marrow since its launch in December 2023. Eightysix more, like Cressy,have had theirfirstcell collection,

according to Vertex’s second quarterfinancialresults for 2025.

An insurancebattle

Convincing doctorswas just thebeginning. Despite drug approval ayear and a half ago, progress in getting the treatment to patients has been slow.That’smainly for onereason,saidDr. Julie Kanter,president of the National Alliance of Sickle Cell Centers. Kanter wasthe head of the Sickle Cell Center of Southern Louisiana before leaving forAlabama.

“It’sexpensive,” said Kanter.“Andit’sjustcomplicated. Who puts the money out? Where does it go? When do youget reimbursed?”

Casgevy,the product made by Vertex, is a$2.2 million therapy.That doesn’tinclude the hospitalstays, chemotherapyand other costs.The other product, Lyfgenia made by Bluebird, is $3.1 million Dr.LeBlanc andhis team have joked: What if someonewitha bagofmoney just showed up,willing to pay?

That hasn’thappened yet. Instead,Lynn Winfield, the director of patient services forcancer andhematology at Children’s, has spent months going back and forth with insurance companies.

For Cressy,who has Medicaid, they’velandedona model that includes shipping theproduct from Scotland to Tennessee, where aspecialty pharmacy will receive the drug before passing it back to thehospital,sparing them frombeing on thehook for thecost. The hospital has aboutnineother patients in line,with only oneotherapproved La.’ssicklecellpopulation

Louisiana consistently ranks among the states with thehighest sicklecelldisease prevalence per capita. About 80 babiesare diagnosed each year.Medicaidcoverscare forroughly3,000 peoplewith the condition, but the total number living with it is unknown, though the state is building aregistry

In 2023, 1,430 people were hospitalized withsicklecell disease in Louisiana.

The state has recently signed on to anew federal programcalledthe Cell and

GeneTherapy Access Model that willhelp Medicaidpatients getaccess to expensive sickle cell genetherapies Under the plan, drugmakers will give states discounts or rebates if thetreatments don’twork as promised, and allows CMS to be the negotiator between the payor and company.The program coversabout 84% of Medicaid patients with sickle cell nationwide and could give Louisiana up to $9.5 million in federal support to launch it starting this year

Although thelistpriceof Casgevyis$2.2 million, insurers typically negotiate prices with drug companies. Vertex declinedtoprovide specifics of agreements.

“Nobody’spayingfull price,” said Kanter,noting thatishow hospitals andinsurers typically operate. Themodel couldexpand to other high-cost gene therapies in thefutureifitissuccessful.

‘IfI candoit, they candoit’ For now,Cressy is still driving an 18-wheeler most nights, moving food between New Orleans and Lafayette, but he’s alreadypicturing the dayhecan getback to flight training. He didn’tset out to be the first person in Louisiana to getthe therapy.“Ireally just wanted to be curedsoI could fly,” he said. “But once Ifound out I’d be the first, I figured Ishould share what it’sactually like so other patients know it’spossible.”

The FAAhas confirmed that other sickle cell patients who underwent gene therapy were able to fly again. Cressy befriended oneofthem, creating a brandcalled“PrivilegedPilots.”Hehas beenspeaking at aviation andsickle cell events, explaining the process to people who might want to do the same. As he tried not to lookat the blood draining into the centrifuge beside his hospital bed, his self-made shirt summed up how he sees himself.Itreads “IMPOSSIBLE,” withthe “IM” in a different color “I want people to see that what was once impossible is possible,” he said. “If Ican do it, they can do it.”

Johnson Scalise

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

ELIMINATE BACK PAIN ANDSCIATICA

LocalDoctorsatLeBlancSpineCenter arehelpingPatientseliminatepain,without dangerousmedicationsorpainfulsurgery.

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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.

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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!

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Dr.Scott LeBlanc, D.C. Dr.DanaLeBlanc,D.C.

DEMOCRATS

Continued from page 1A

Given the size of the Republican advantage in Louisiana, Democrats in the state Legislature have decided not to mimic the defiant approach of Democrats in Washington and are instead working with the Republican leadership in Baton Rouge whenever possible to notch small victories for their constituents

year for a Black Democrat to win it.

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

Meanwhile, in Baton Rouge, football coach Sid Edwards, a Republican, knocked off Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, a Democrat, when she ran for reelection in 2024.

“They have concluded it’s best to be accommodationist,” 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

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

Asked recently for an update, Lewis said, “We are trying to find our path back,” and pointed to some successes over the past 18 months. He noted that progressive groups and Democrats helped organize the campaign that in March resoundingly defeated four constitutional amendments sought by Landry and the Legislature.

“We have been aggressively engaged 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 the party chair Still, Democrats can’t point to much success at the ballot box since the fall 2023 elections.

Cleo Fields did win a congressional seat in 2024 for a district that stretches from Baton Rouge to Shreveport, but that was no surprise since Landry and state legislators drew the district earlier in the

In 2024, President Donald Trump carried Louisiana with 60% of the vote, while Republican candidates won about 65% of the vote cumulatively in the six congressional races.

So far, no major Democrat has announced plans to run against U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican, who is facing three major Republican candidates, with qualifying for the November 2026 general election set to occur in January State Sen. Jay Luneau, DAlexandria, said he is polling to assess his chances, noting that no one from the Louisiana Democratic Party has spoken to him yet about running.

Registrations ebb

There are more registered Democrats than Republicans in Louisiana, but that margin is steadily eroding, said John Couvillon, a Baton Rouge-based pollster and demographer

Since August 2023, the percentage of Democratic voters in Louisiana has shrunk from 38.6% of the electorate 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 to two years ago, there are 57,263 fewer Democrats, 39,674 more Republicans and 14,762 more independents.

“I would say there 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 a 28-11 advantage in the state Senate and 73-32 margin in the House.

At Landry’s behest, the Republican-controlled Legislature has redrawn Louisiana’s congressional boundaries and locked up more criminals, undoing the criminal justice overhaul that was a signature achievement of Landry’s Democratic predecessor, John Bel Edwards. Legislators have also voted to post the Ten Commandments in all classrooms, revamped the state tax system in ways that he says will generate more investment and passed legislation to make it harder for people injured in car accidents to win big payouts, in the belief that this will lower insurance rates.

‘Accommodationist party’

Carville had said after the poor 2023 election results that Democrats had to act like an opposition party to begin to reverse their fortunes at the ballot box.

That would require Democrats to regularly challenge Landry and the Republican leadership of the Legislature with a consistent message that would score points with the media and the public.

Democratic lawmakers have not done that, however Instead, they often work

with Landry and have provided the votes needed to pass two major pieces of legislation that the governor wanted.

House Democrats have a good working relationship with Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, praising him for including them in his visits to House districts throughout the state and for naming two Democrats to chair House committees.

Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, has also followed the lead of his two Republican predecessors by working closely with Democrats and naming two of them to chair Senate committees.

None of these moves would happen in hyperpartisan Washington.

“They’re an accommodationist party,” Carville said of Democrats in Louisiana.

“That’s an understandable choice they’ve made. You’ll get a left turn lane in your (legislative) district. But you’re never going to win elections doing that. They won’t ever define themselves.”

‘You have to be at the table’

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 their principles.

“Our votes would reflect that we have opposed the

Beto O’Rourke speaks during a town hall meeting at the Howlin’ Wolf in New Orleans on Thursday. O’Rourke told the crowd that Democrats can begin turning around their fortunes in Louisiana.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

things we don’t agree with and don’t move the state forward,” Boudreaux said. “But if you want to do something for your people, you have to be at the table, in the game. We could have made a name for ourselves, and our districts would have no projects, no funds, no bills that would enhance the quality of life that we fight for We negotiated some things into the bill that were in the best interest of the people.”

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

In return, Landry agreed to increase spending for Grambling University and for the three Southern University campuses by a total of $10 million annually for the next three years. He also agreed to not cut spending on early childhood education and to ensure that juveniles jailed in adult prisons will have access to education and vo-tech training programs aimed at keeping them from committing more crimes. And because Democrats worked with Henry, he ensured that each one had at least one project in the annual infrastructure spending bill.

In April, Democrats came to Landry’s rescue again on his chief legislative priority,

House Bill 148, which gives the insurance commissioner greater authority to reject rate increases. If rates continue to rise, Landry said, he will blame the current commissioner, Tim Temple, who objected to the legislation. Republicans were divided on the bill, but it passed with unanimous support from Democrats.

“On any policy that is bad for the working families, we make sure to include on the record why it’s bad for Louisiana, and we make the authors explain why they’re supporting this legislation,” said state Rep. Matthew Willard, of New Orleans, who heads the 32-member House Democratic Caucus.

“But we still have to work with them so we can bring home things for our district,” Willard said. “That’s the balancing act. I don’t believe we can just stand up and say no to everything. Not everything the governor pushes is bad for Louisiana.”

When it came time after the session for Landry to exercise his line-item veto, 16 of the 17 spending projects he killed were sponsored by Republicans who had voted against HB148.

Boudreaux noted another benefit of working with Landry and Henry

On May 19, two dozen Black Democrats and two White Democrats took the unusual step of standing in solidarity in the front of the House to express their anger with House Bill 685, a measure by Rep. Emily Chenevert, R-Baton Rouge, that would roll back Louisiana’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

“Let me be frank. This is an anti-Black bill,” said state Rep. Edmund Jordan, DBaton Rouge, while othersw called it “divisive.”

Boudreaux and other Democrats asked Landry and Henry to bottle up the bill in the Senate, without giving it a hearing.

HB685 died without getting a hearing.

“If all you do is say no, when these issues come up, you don’t get any support,” Boudreaux said.

Carville

Fields

Brazil’s acai berryproducers concernedbytariffs

BY ALAN K. GUIMARAES and MAURICIO SAVARESE Associated Press

BELEM, Brazil When President Donald Trump imposed tariffs of 50% on Brazilian exports in July,acai producer Ailson Ferreira Moreira felt immediately concerned. After all, who was going to eat all of that Amazon berry, globally famous as adelicious, refreshing and nutritious superfood, if American consumers suddenly could no longer afford it?

As the main importer of the Brazilian berry,prices of acai smoothies and bowls look certain to go up in the United States.

“The acai that’sall produced here If onlypeople here eat it, it’sgoing to be a lot of acai, right?” Moreira told The Associated Press outside of Belem, an Amazoncity of 1.4million residents that willhost this year’sU.N. climate summit COP30 climate summit in November.“If there’s too much acaihere, people won’tbeable to eat it all and the price will drop.”

Asingle full crate of acai sells for around $50 at local markets in Brazil,a price that is now expected to plummet. TheU.S.isbyfar the largest acai importer of atotal Brazilian output currently estimated at about

70,000 tonsper year

Impact alreadybeing felt

The most vulnerable acai producers in thenorthern stateofParasay they have already been hit by tariffs imposed by the U.S. government, as asurplus ofthe berry withoutaclear destination starts to mount only days after the new economic scenario unfolded

More powerful exporters, such as SaoPaulo-state based company Acai Tropicalia Mix, arealso feeling the impact.

One of its owners, Rogério de Carvalho, told the AP that last year he exported to the U.S. about270 tonsofacai cream —anindustrialized version of theberry —ready for consumption. As tariffs started to loom, he said American importers steered away and clients suspended negotiations. Untilthe end of July,deCarvalho estimates that his company sold 27 tonstothe U.S.

“That’s 1.5 million Brazilianreais ($280,000) thatwe lost,”the businessman said. “Weare confident there will be adeal between the two countries to allow not only our clients to return, but also gettingsome new ones.”

TariffslinkedtoBolsonaro

Trump has linked the higher tariffs on Brazil to thetri-

al of former President Jair Bolsonaro, whoisnow under house arrest for his alleged role in leading an alleged coup plot to remaininoffice, despitehis election loss to currentleftist President Luiz Inácio Lula daSilva.

Anddespite several Brazilianexports being exempted from the tariffs, acai berries aren’tamongthem Brazil’sindustry ministry didn’treply to arequest for

Police say8 killed at nightclub in Ecuadorasviolencesurges

By The Associated Press

QUITO, Ecuador Ashooting at anightclub in Ecuador on Sunday killed eight people and injured three othersin the latest violent incident to hit the spiraling South American country,authorities said. The shooting took place in the rural area of Santa Lucía in the coastal provinceofGuayas,considered one of the country’smost dangerous. Seven of the victims, who were between 20 and 40 years old, died at the club and the eighth one at ahospital, according toa police statement.

Authorities said the heavily armed suspectsarrived on motorcycles andintwo vehicles.

It wasn’t immediately known what promptedthe shooting,which came two days after gunmen attacked aboat near El Oro province along thecountry’s southwest coast. Four people were killed in that incidentand several others remain missingafter suspectslaunched explosives at theboat.

Dozens of people have been killed inrecent months, most of them in four of Ecuador’scoastal provinces: El Oro, Guayas, Manabí and LosRíos. They

allremainunderastate of emergency Authorities have blamed the waveofviolenceon disputesamong organized crimegroups linked to transnational drug cartels that have expanded their operations, especially in the Pacific region, where drugs are shippedtoCentral America, theUnited States and Europe.

Morethan4,600 people have been killed so far this year in thecountry of some 18 millioninhabitants. Last year,nearly 7,000 killings werereported, down from more than 8,000 in 2023, a record number

commentonwhether acai berries are among the items that remain on the negotiating table with U.S. trade representatives.

Flavor explosion

Nearly all of the acai consumed in the U.S. originates from Brazil, withthe state of Para alone accounting for 90% of the country’stotal production. Several communities in theAmazon depend

on its harvest. The harvesting of acai is aphysically demanding job thatrequiresworkers to climb talltrees withminimal safety equipment, and then sliding downbranches full of berriestofill baskets andthenplace them carefully in crates. Analysts say its producersalso help protect the rainforest from illegal loggers, miners and cattle ranchers.

The night markets of Belem, such as the Vero-Peso acai market, are a hub of activity wherethe freshly harvested berries are brought in by boat and prepared forsale.

TheBrazilianAssociation of Fruit and Derivative Producers and Exporters estimates there was an explosive growth of acai exports from Para state, from less than one ton in 1999 to more than 61,000 tons in 2023. Another explosive rise was expected for this year,before the tariffs

On Thursday,Brazil requested consultations at the World Trade Organization over tariffs imposed by theTrump administration against the South American nationthatwentinto effect on Wednesday

Thatcould be took little too late foracai harvester Mikael Silva Trindade, who agrees that thefuture of the trade is at risk as higher U.S. tariffs can disrupt the delicate balance of supply anddemandthatholds the industry “There willbenowhere to market (the excess of acai),” Trindade told the AP as he picked berries in Para state. “The more youexport, the more valuable it becomes. But if there’stoo muchto sell, it will stay here and become cheap.”

Henriettebecomes ahurricane in Pacific

By The Associated Press

HILO, Hawaii Tropical Storm Henriette rapidly strengthened into ahurricaneSundayinthe central Pacific Ocean with further strengthening expected,but it posesnothreat to land, the NationalHurricane Center said.

The Miami-basedcenter said the storm was located about445 milesnorth-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, with

maximum sustainedwinds of 80 mph. It was moving northwest at 17 mph on acourse that’s expected to takeitwellnorth of the Hawaiianislands over the next few days. The storm wasexpected to strengthen through Mondayfollowedby weakening on Tuesday

Thecenter described Henrietteasa smalltropical cyclone. Hurricaneforcewinds extended outwardupto15milesfrom

the storm’s center Tropical Storm Ivo was also moving through the Pacific, about 470 miles west of the tip of Baja California, Mexico, and wasexpected to weakentoa remnant low by Monday, thehurricanecenter said. The storm had maximum sustainedwinds of 40 mph and was moving west-northwest at 12 mph. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.

By The Associated Press

HONOLULU Ayacht-sized passenger boat ran aground in the high surf off aHawaii beachover the weekend, with the vessel precariously riding aset of powerful waves and appearingto nearly flip on its side before coming to rest.

KHON-TV reported that the eventsoccurred around 8a.m. Saturday when the swells were peaking and the tide was bottoming out. Twocrew members were on the 60-foot vessel, named Discovery,when it ran aground near Honolulu’sKe-

walo Basin Harbor,the U.S. Coast Guard said in astatement. The reason Discovery had such trouble remains under investigation, and there were no apparent mechanical failuresprior to theevent, the Coast Guard said.The vessel’soperator reported that he took two large waves to thestern,disrupting his course.The boat lost propulsion afteritwentaground. The boat’sfuel, oil and batterieswereremoved, preventingthe threat of pollution, the Coast Guardsaid. A company planned to tow the boat away at high tide Sun-

day afternoon.

The grounding was capturedonvideo from various vantage pointsasonlookers screamed and the Discovery careeneddown aswell on its side before temporarily righting itself in the surf.

Ramon Brockington, 41, asurfing filmmaker,said he and others had been expecting thehigher swells for three days after monitoring weather apps that use data from ocean buoys. He was filming body surfers in an area off the harbor known as Panic Point when thepassenger boat barreled into his line of sight, riding awave.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByPAULO SANTOS

Aworker holdsacai berries on TuesdayonCombuIsland, Belem, Brazil

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Drone pushing limits off Gulf Coast

Company seeks longer flights using sunlight

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

From an airstrip just north of Interstate 10 on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, an aviation company recently launched an unmanned plane for a three-day flight, an important milestone on its quest for longer flights using only sunlight as fuel.

Skydweller, the world’s largest solar-powered flying drone its 236-foot wingspan is bigger than a 747 — recently logged flights of 73 and 74 hours after taking off from its operations base at Stennis International Airport just east of the Louisiana-Mississippi state line, according to the company.

The eventual goal? Flights of up to 90 days.

Council to send

N.O. bond measures to voters

Over $500M sought for infrastructure projects

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

New Orleans voters this fall will consider issuing over $500 million in city bonds that would fund a wide-ranging list of affordable housing, infrastructure and drainage projects.

The New Orleans City Council on Thursday agreed to send three bond proposals to the Nov 15 ballot that would help fund citywide infrastructure projects from aging city building upgrades to playground and pool repairs. If voters approve the measure, the city would issue bonds that would be purchased by investors who would essentially loan New Orleans money to fund needed projects. The borrowed money plus interest, would be repaid over time with an existing 25-mill property tax set aside for such bond repayments. The three bond propositions include:

n $45 million for affordable housing projects, such as new housing construction, renovations or improving affordable housing facilities.

n About $50 million for stormwater management and drainage solutions. One example is a stormwater park in Lakeview to reduce flooding and underground water storage systems to alleviate pressure on the city’s drainage system.

n Over $400 million would support critical infrastructure projects. The New Orleans Police Department’s evidence storage facility, for example, has run out of storage space and is riddled with air conditioning, roofing, rodent and structural issues, according to the project list. The city is in negotiations with the LSU Foundation to support construction of a new facility

The city also plans to fix deteriorating conditions inside the Orleans Criminal District Courthouse on Tulane Avenue and mold and contamination inside the former Orleans Parish Prison on Gravier Street. Part of the former prison, which has sat vacant since Hurricane Katrina, would provide needed storage space for sensitive court records. Last week, Clerk of Criminal Court Darren Lombard lambasted

Robert Miller, CEO and cofounder of Skydweller Aero, is confident that goal is near

“It always takes a little longer than you think, but we’re getting there,” Miller said in a recent interview “Every 12 months we see a quantum step in where we’re headed.”

The recent test flights mark a big leap from last fall, when the company announced it had made six test flights, including one of 22.5 hours.

Skydweller Aero’s continued success has kept the interest of the U.S. military, which Miller hopes will translate into contracts for additional aircraft that spurs company growth at its hub on the Gulf Coast.

The Skydweller project was an-

nounced with much fanfare in March 2024, with news releases from the state of Mississippi praising the company and a huge media gathering during which the company showed the aircraft, which resembles a giant glider but weighs less than a Ford F-150 pickup.

Since then, the craft has performed well in a series of tests, the latest of which piled up 222 hours of air time over four separate flights under the watch of the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. That testing included the 73- and 74-hour flights, according to the company

“We really showed the military how it could work,” Miller said.

ä See DRONE, page 2B

Like a big pizza pie

Daughters mourn Mississippi father

Man died from ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Westwego man charged in playground shooting

He returned to scene wearing a towel, police say

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

ters. The infection often occurs when open wounds come in contact with contaminated water or shellfish. So far this year 32 people across the Gulf Coast have contracted it, and eight have died, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

But Kennedy’s case was different — he didn’t enter water after cutting his leg, his daughter Kay Kennedy Regimbal said. Instead, the bacteria came from

Last month, Basil Kennedy scraped his leg on a trailer parked outside his home in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. He rinsed the cut with hydrogen peroxide and pressed on a Band-Aid. Three days later, the 77-yearold was in the emergency room, vomiting with a fever His symptoms escalated — his blood pressure dropped and lab results showed high levels of lactic acid, a warning sign of impending septic shock. Doctors later found the culprit was Vibrio vulnificus: a rare and potentially deadly bacteria found in brackish, warm coastal

A Westwego man has been indicted in a fatal shooting at a playground after which authorities say he tried to hide his involvement by discarding his clothing and returning to the scene in nothing but a bath towel. Byron Spottsville, 22, was charged Thursday with seconddegree murder and obstruction of justice, Jefferson Parish court records said. He pleaded not guilty Friday in Jefferson Parish Magistrate Court.

Spottsville is accused of killing 26-year-old Zashaun Espinoza, of Westwego.

Spottsville lived next door to the scene of the shooting, Fred Dorsey Playground, 38 Norton St., Westwego, according to authorities.

Police were dispatched to a covered basketball court at the park about 1:35 p.m. April 30 to investigate a report of a shooting. They arrived and found Espinoza suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said, and he was pronounced dead. Officers learned that a man had been seen running from the area after the shooting. Authorities later received a tip that the

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Skydweller, a solar-powered plane, recently had flights of 73 and 74 hours from its operations base at Stennis International Airport just east of the Louisiana-Mississippi state line

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER

The sturgeon moon rises over the Algiers Courthouse in New Orleans on Saturday The August full moon is called the sturgeon moon because it is the time when the Great Lakes fish is most readily caught.

Three dead in Pines Village shooting

BY DESIREE STENNETT and KASEY BUBNASH Staff writers

Three people were killed Sunday afternoon in a Pines Village shooting that New Orleans Police Department investigators believe was

the result of a domestic dispute. Police were called to the 5900 block of Boeing Street just after 2 p.m. A man and 50-year-old woman were declared dead on scene, and another 31-year-old man was taken to a hospital

in critical condition, police said. He died there later, according to the NOPD.

Investigators taped off portions of Skyview Drive, Piper Lane and Boeing Street as they investigated the killing, and a handful of police cruisers and crime

One dead, one hurt in Central City, police say

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

One woman was killed and another was wounded in a Central City shooting early Sunday, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

Officers were called to the 2600

block of Jackson Avenue just after midnight One woman was declared dead on scene and the other was taken to a local hospital with a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening, police said Police did not immediately release more information.

One injured in Quarter fight

BY DESIREE STENNETT Staff writer

One man was injured when a fight in the French Quarter ended with a stabbing Saturday night, New Orleans Police Department officials said.

lab vans were gathered outside townhouses on Boeing.

Crowds of neighbors, including children, watched as investigators worked the scene, though most declined to comment. Investigators said late Sunday afternoon they

DRONE

Continued from page 1B

“Our goal is 90 days, and we think we’re on our way to getting there.”

In a news release last month, the Navy praised Skydweller, saying the recent tests marked “a significant advancement” in long-endurance solar flight and the aircraft’s “potential to enhance maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.”

The Navy also said the testing “validated the system’s communication links, autonomous realtime decision making and ability to adapt to turbulent weather.”

were still working to identify a suspect or suspects. They did not immediately release more information.

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

while the aircraft’s 17,000 solar cells spend the day collecting sunlight and storing that fuel in the batteries that power the plane at speeds of around 35 mph and altitudes up to 40,000 feet.

Skydweller Aero, a privatelyheld company headquartered in Oklahoma City, set up shop at Stennis International in 2023, promising a multimillion-dollar investment. The company had $40 million from different investment groups. Miller said Skydweller is building a second solar-powered aircraft, with the parts being made elsewhere and assembled at Stennis. He still envisions a fleet of solar-powered aircraft flying out of Stennis.

city officials for relocating some court files without notice, accusing them of “egregious negligence,” when some files ended up in a landfill. Gov Jeff Landry has asked State Police to investigate the city’s actions. Finally, the city would also enhance public playgrounds and greenspaces with the bond money It would make repairs to the Stallings Gentilly Pool, for example, and install new turf, lighting and fencing at Perry Roehm Stadium in the 7th Ward.

“We hear the message that to keep our city moving in the right direction we need to look at our youth and recreation to provide more opportunities,” council member Eugene Green said. Council member Joe Giarrusso, the council’s budget committee chair, said the funding would stretch far and wide across city neighborhoods.

“There is something in here whether you’re a recreation fan, an infrastructure fan somebody who’s concerned about drainage, I think all this has it covered as best we can,” said Giarrusso.

Dedicated funding

While the city has dedicated bond proceeds for similar projects in the past, that funding has at times been redirected to other needs. In 2020, for example, the city diverted $26 million in bonds earmarked for public park improvements and a recreation center in New Orleans East to the buildout of a controversial mental health wing at the city’s main jail, after a judge ordered the city to erect the wing.

But the measure voters are being asked to approve in November would give the council more oversight to ensure the bond proceeds are spent as advertised, council President JP Morrell said. If approved by voters, items from the 80-plus list of projects in line for funding cannot be removed or replaced without council approval, after a period of public engagement, according to the resolution the council passed Thursday “When commitments are made, that money has to be spent on those commitments rather than being moved around the budget,” Morrell said.

The stabbing happened on a busy day in the French Quarter, which was crowded for much of the day and night with those who attended Red Dress Run and Dirty Linen Night.

Email Desiree Stennett at desiree. stennett@theadvocate.com.

The fight broke out while the victim was in a large crowd in the 1000 block of Toulouse Street about 9:30 p.m., police said. The man told officers he was first sprayed with tear gas and afterward realized he had also been cut. The victim got himself to a hospital and survived the stabbing. So far, no suspect information is available.

SHOOTING

Continued from page 1B

gunman had returned to the playground wearing only a towel, police said. Investigators detained the towel-clad man, later identified as Spottsville, and interviewed him. He at first denied any involvement in the shooting, police said.

But Spottsville confessed, telling police he thought the victim had been armed with a gun, according to police. After the shooting, Spottsville fled to a nearby wooded area where he discarded the gun and all of his clothing, authorities said. He then grabbed a towel from the porch of a nearby house.

After the indictment, the court increased Spottsville’s bail to $1 million. He was being held Friday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@ theadvocate.com.

FATHER

Continued from page 1B

his trailer, which he had recently used to launch a boat in water

After receiving treatment from hospitals in Bay St. Louis and New Orleans, including two surgeries to remove skin tissue, Kennedy died on July 21 of organ failure caused by the infection, Regimbal said.

Regimbal and her sister Rebekah Kennedy said their father’s case underscores a widespread misunderstanding of how Vibrio vulnificus can be contracted

People with open wounds should be cautious when swimming in brackish or warm coastal waters or handling raw seafood, particularly those with weakened immune systems. Vibrio can also be contracted by eating raw or undercooked seafood. Some Vibrio vulnificus infections lead to necrotizing fasciitis — a severe bacterial infection that kills the flesh around an open wound, which is why it is called a “flesh-eating” bacteria, health officials said

Because of Skydweller’s construction and weight, severe weather is a threat. But the recent tests provided some answers, Miller said.

“We don’t fly through thunderstorms, but we fly between them,” he said.

Because the aircraft is designed to stay aloft for long periods, the military sees it as surveillance tool that could free up more traditional aircraft for other operations, according to the company

Skydweller’s huge wingspan is designed to help keep it aloft,

“We’ve got to raise some money, but with our success we’re seeing more interest,” Miller said. “People realize this is going to be a game changer.”

Miller said the company is working with the Mississippi Development Authority, the state’s economic development agency to build a second hangar at Stennis that the company would lease. Miller has said company plans to eventually grow the fulltime workforce to 65 to 75 people in the next couple of years.

“The Gulf Coast is a great home for us,” he said.

“There doesn’t need to be a fear of the water,” Regimal said. “There needs to be an education and a knowledge of if you have a cut, if you potentially could have been exposed, if there is a risk, how to handle it and what to do.”

The notion that the infection may make people fear the water is personal for Regimbal and Rebekah Kennedy, whose happiest memories are of tubing and fishing with their father on his sailboat.

“All of our favorite family memories are on the water,” Regimbal said.

Basil Kennedy’s lifelong love for the water never dwindled, even in retirement, when he and his wife took a transatlantic cruise from England to Miami and boated through Canada When he wasn’t sailing, Basil Kennedy traveled the world. In 2023, he, his wife and Rebekah Kennedy took a train across Europe and made brief stops in London, Paris and Amsterdam.

But most of all, Basil Kennedy loved his home: Hancock County, Mississippi.

Rebekah Kennedy noted how “he always wanted to give back to the community,” including his hometown of Waveland, where he served in the city’s yacht club and co-founded the Waveland Ground Zero Museum to help commemorate the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

“He was happy He was resilient. He had a servant’s heart,” Rebekah Kennedy said, describing him as “the life of the party.”

Regimbal and Rebekah Kennedy hope their father’s death helps spread awareness and education about Vibrio vulnificus, without instilling fear of water

“My dad would be devastated,” Regimbal said, “to hear that people fear his most favorite thing in the world.”

If you notice symptoms of Vibrio after being near water or seafood, such as diarrhea, vomiting, fever or skin lesions, seek immediate medical attention.

Email Poet Wolfe at poet. wolfe@theadvocate.com.

If approved, the bond issuance would be the second time in six years that New Orleans has borrowed $500 million for city needs. In 2019, voters agreed to borrow that amount to pay for a mix of affordable housing, street improvements, landscaping, improving parks and other upgrades.

The money was also supposed to allow the city to more quickly access Federal Emergency Management Agency grants earmarked for city street repairs, as per federal rules, the city must spend its own money to receive federal reimbursement.

City officials did not immediately respond to questions about how much of that bond issuance has been spent in recent years and on what projects. As of the first quarter of this year, however, New Orleans had spent roughly $1.1 billion of $1.7 billion it was awarded under the federal street repair grants program, known as the Joint Infrastructure Recovery Request program

Email Joni Hess at joni. hess@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO By KAy KENNEDy REGIMBAL Basil Kennedy, who died of organ failure from Vibrio vulnificus, sailed in Bay St Louis his whole life.

STAFF PHOTO By DESIREE STENNETT

Police investigate a triple shooting on Skyview Drive near Boeing Street on Sunday Three people were killed.

BrumfieldAshley, Shannon

Obituaries

Brumfield Ashley, Dr. Shannon Maureen With deep sorrowand immense love, we announce the passing of our beloved Dr. Shannon Maureen Brumfield Ashley who passed away July22, 2025 at theage of 78. The daughter of Dr. Fred Orlan Brumfieldand Mary Kathleen Maloney Brumfield, she was born in NewOrleans in 1946.

Shannon graduated at the top of her class from Country Day School, received her undergraduate degree from LSU, her Master's Degree from Temple University, and her Doctorate from the University of Florida Shannon's life was defined by her extraordinary kindness, tireless resolve anddeep commitmentto the well-being of others. She was agifted educator and clinician. Shannon devoted her career to supporting individuals with learning disabilities and communication disorders. Her life's work centered on helping others overcome challenges to achieve success and lead fulfilling, joyful lives. Shannon was an extraordinarily gifted speech and language pathologist. As asupervisor at the University of Florida's Dyslexia Clinic and Communication Disorders Clinic, Shannon played a pivotal role in guiding and mentoring students pursuing careers in speech-lan-

guage pathology.Her wisdom, patience, and passioninspired countless future clinicians while changing the lives of the many childrenand adults she served. Her colleagues and students willalways rememberher as asource of steady support, knowledge, and heartfelt encouragement.

Shannon was apassionate lover of the arts, finding joyand inspiration in reading, and creating beautiful works of art that reflected her vibrant spirit. Shewas adedicated supporterand active member of the Orléans Club and the New Orleans Country Club

Shannon was also passionately involvedwith the NewOrleansHistoric DistrictPreservation efforts

Beyondher personal interests and professional accomplishments, Shannon willberemembered mostfor theway she lived—with grace, empathy, laughter, anddeep love forthose around her. Her absence leaves a spacethatcan neverbe filled.

Shannon is survivedby herdevoted husbandDr. RobertGradyAshley Jr., her lovingsisterMary KathleenDavies, and her beloved brother, Fred OrlanBrumfield Jr. Shealso leaves behind her adoring nieces -Keely, Courtney,and Jennifer, nephews Robert and Spencer,godson Jeremy and beloved greatnieces and nephews who brought hergreat joy. Herlegacy willliveoninthe many livesshe touched, and the work she championed with such care and compassion. Acelebrationof Shannon'slifewillbeheld on September27, 2025 in New Orleans at St. Pius X,

6666 Spanish Fort Blvd. at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, thefamily asks that donations be madetothe Humane Society, or the charity of one's choice in honorofShannon's lifelong mission tohelp others. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to theexceptional doctors, nurses, and hospice team who cared for Shannon with such compassion, and unwavering dedication Theirkindness and tireless efforts ensured that she was surrounded by peace and love in her final days, and forthat, we are profoundly thankful Shannon willremainforever in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers. Shannon, we willmiss you and always love you. Please visit www.milamfh.com to share memories,photos, and tributes in their online Guest Book forShannon.

biggeststories customizedtoyourinterests –delivered direct to your inbox

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

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

Take acloserlookatthe BigBeautiful Bill

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.

Budget didn’t have to gutcritical agencies,services

OUR

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

STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

MistyCleland, apharmacy technician, fills prescriptions 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!”

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.”

Whom to blamefor the starvation in Gaza

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

ä See DUNCAN, page 5C

runs against the Los Angeles Chargers duringthe first half of their preseason game Sundayin Inglewood, Calif

Tyler

Sunday in 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 youwanttohaveback,”

coach KellenMoore 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 widereceivers RashidShaheed and Chris Olave (ankle) on offense. And guard Cesar Ruiz

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

LSUlooks to improverushing attack with freshideas

BY REED 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 red zone. Last season, LSUpunctuated only 57% of its drives with touchdowns —one of the three lowest rates in the league. Had the Tigers fielded amorefunctional

ä See LSU, page 5C

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

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

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

AP PHOTO By ERIC THAyER

Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler

Jeff Duncan

WALKER IV

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

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

“I’m sure you’ve got a real good understanding from inside the car,” Gabehart told Gibbs on the radio. “So you can call the strategy if you want, or we can keep rolling.”

Palou secures fourth IndyCar championship

BY JENNA FRYER AP auto racing writer

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

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.

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

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.

“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.

“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.”

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.

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,”

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 week.

“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 her new blue jacket given to members of the U.S. national team. “It’s

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

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.

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’ openended scoring scale. She blew well past that, completing three surefooted passes for a 14.200 that bettered her Friday floor score by two-10ths

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 national champion in the state where she plans to compete one

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 championships without nine-time winner Simone Biles or Jordan

“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

“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 allaround with a 103.850 and took gold on beam (27.150). Amia Pugh-Banks of Newport News, Virginia, was third in the allaround (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.

For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

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 during the senior women’s finals of the U.S. Gymnastics Championships on 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 1C

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 game early with injury Rookie defenders Fadil Diggs and Danny

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.

Dolphins,Bears finishina tietostart theirpreseason

BY GENE CHAMBERLAIN Associated Press

CHICAGO Quarterback TuaTagovailoa had an efficient start to the preseason Sundayand theMiami Dolphins and the Bears finished in a24-24 tie in Ben Johnson’sChicago coaching debut.

Playing in apreseason opener for the first time since 2021,Tagovailoa completed 5of6for 27 yards in a15-play drive against Bears backups, but the Dolphinsfailed to score on their first drive because of aBears goal-line stand.

Running back Jaylen Wright was stuffed by Bears linebacker Noah Sewell on fourth-and-goal from the 1. He later scored on a7-yard run late in the first half.

Miami backupquarterbacks

Zach Wilson andQuinn Ewersdirected three touchdown drives and Jason Sanders made a56-yard field goal in the fourth quarter Sanders’ kick with 6:22 remaining tied the game at 24 and the Dolphins defense turned back a late Bears scoring drive at theMiami 41.

Ewers, who went 5of18for 91 yards, completed a21-yardpass to Alexander Mattison on an eightplay,41-yard drive in the fourth quarter,leading to a1-yard TD score by rookie running back Ollie Gordon with 11:48 remaining for a 21-17 Miami lead.

Wilson replaced Tagovailoa after thegoal-line stand andcompleted 5 of 9for 96 yards. He hit a35-yard pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and set up the Dolphins firstscore,then a34-yard completiontoTahj Washington to set up the secondTD.

Wilson, signed as afree agent after three seasons with theJets and one in Denver,islooking to revive acareer that started when hewas the second overall pick of the2021 draft.

BenJohnson’s debut

Johnson, the AP NFL Assistant

Coach of theYearasDetroit’s offensive coordinator lastseason, decided to sitquarterback Caleb Williamsand allthe otherstarters except left tackle Braxton Jones. Jones is in astarting competitionwith rookie Ozzy Trapilo.

Johnson is attempting to help turn around afranchise with a long history ofpoor quarterback play and struggling offense

However,itwas histeam’sdefense that stood outinhis first preseason game as theysacked Miami’sWilsonand Ewers six times, including three by defensive endAustin Booker.One was a strip-sack at the 3-yard line to set up Case Keenum’sthird-quarter TD pass to rookie Deion Hankins for a17-14 Chicago lead.

Kickinggame

Bears kicker Cairo Santos has roster competition from former MichiganState kicker Jonathan Kim. However,itwas Santos connectingfromlongdistanceinthis game as he hita57-yarder to close thefirst half and draw the Bears within 14-10.

Santos’careerlonginthe regular season is 55 yards, made in 2020.

Injuries

Miami running back Alexander Mattisonleft thegame with aknee injury after being tackled on a21yard pass play and did not return.

Bearsrookiesafety Major Burns suffered aknee injury and left the gameinthe first half. He didn’treturn. Running backTravis Homer (calf) and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (shoulder)also left the game and did not return.

Up next

Dolphins: Travel to Detroit for two jointpractices anda preseason gameAug.16gameagainst the Lions.

Bears: Hold ajoint practice with Buffalo before hosting theBills on Sunday

Nussmeier’sknee,

Lindsey’slegal issues raiseanxiety levels at LSU

ForLSU football, it was already atense enough preseason camp to have Tiger fans ready to bite through glass.

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

Continued from page1C

passes for 218 yards

Neither seized the day,soto 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 first downs and 10 points in 11 mostly futile possessions. The Saints didn’tbreak the endzone until midway through the third quarter.Bythattime, the Chargers had opened a17-3 lead that turned out to be more than enough cushion against the mistake-filled Saints.

“A lot of learning lessons for us today,” Moore said afterward.

“For all three (quarterbacks), there were some good moments and some moments that you would like to haveback.” Rattler completed 7of11passes for 53 yards in fivescoreless series. He also ran three times for22yards. His lone miscue was hardly his fault, alost fumble on ablindside sack by Caleb Murphy To be fair,hedidn’tget much help from his protection. Injuries to center Will Clapp and left guard Trevor Penning didn’t help matters along the depthshy offensive line, and it showed early and often. Rattler was sacked three times, including the one that resulted in alost fumble, and was pressured numerous times. For the mostpart, it looked alot like what we saw ayear ago as Rattler wasforced to scramble and dodge under

duress.

Still, Rattler will look back at the game tape and see room for improvement. He threw behind acoupleofreceivers andheld the ball for too long on others.The decisiveness we saw throughout training camp was notasevident against live opposition.

“There were some good moments,but overall, just too much up and down,” Rattler said.

Gotta be more consistent.”

Shough, meanwhile,didn’tfare much better.Hecompleted 15 of 22 passes for 165 yards and atouchdown and showedsome good situational awareness in leading the offensetoafield goal in 2-minute drill before halftime.However, his lone interceptionwas adoozy that resulted in a43-yard touchdown returnbyEric Rogers.

It was the kind of play that could shake the confidence of any quarterback, much less a rookie seeing his first NFL action. But Shough responded with his best pass of the dayonthe ensuing series, abeautifulbomb 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 was it. Aray of hope in an otherwise dreary overall performance.

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

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

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 forbackup 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 sessionwas closed to themedia at alate hour,adding to themystery.Hepracticed 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 contending for anational cham-

LSU

Continuedfrom page1C

rushing attack, maybe more of theirdriveswould’veresultedin six points.

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

The very first transfer they signedwas Oklahoma tight end Bauer Sharp, aconvertedSoutheastern Louisianaquarterback with amean streak and awillingness to run block.Sloan said Friday thathebrings “violence” to LSU’srushing attack

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

ThenLSU decidedtohirea run-game coordinator to fillthe role left behind by SladeNagle, thetight ends coach and special teams coordinator who took a play-calling gig at Houston.By the end of January, Kelly had settled on Alex Atkins —a former Tennessee-Martinoffensive tackle who had spent the previous threeseasons as Florida State’soffensive coordinator.He was fired last November at the end of a2-10 season as part of a shake-up to coach Mike Norvell’s staff.

Atkins’ challenge? Incorporate new concepts into Sloan’soffense, while also making sure that an offensive line with fournew starters can execute them.

Through nine preseason practices,LSU is still installing partsofits rushing offense andworkingthroughposition battles at bothleft guard and right guard. But it appears that theTigershave solidifiedboth of theirstarting offensive tackles —redshirt sophomore Tyree

pionship 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 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. Does his 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 way to find 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 after the fact.

Lindsey’sattorney,former

GALLEGOS

LSU quarterback

Nussmeier throws apass during preseason practice on July 30 at the team’sindoor practice facility Nussmeier is expected to have a more active rungame.

Adams andredshirt freshman Weston Davis —and theirfirstteam center,VirginiaTechtransfer Braelin Moore.

“I’m pleased with the structure of the run game,” Kelly said, “the wayit’sprogressing from direct snaptoshotgun to avariety of different looks. We still have alot to installatthis point, so right now, Ifeel pretty good. We’ve gottodo abetterjob up front handling the movement.”

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 thatLindsey was unaware of the case considering he,Brooksand the two suspectsall went to Alexandria SeniorHigh, plus the case’s media coverage. In anyrespect, Lindseyissuspended from the LSU team until the charges against him areresolved.

While Lindsey’sfuture with the team is uncertain, the Tigers’ 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.

For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletterat theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

“He’sathletic enough to do that,” Kelly said. LSU is also hoping sophomore runningbackCaden Durham can stay healthy. Lastyear,he emerged as the Tigers’ top runner,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 —the redshirt sophomore who’sspent the last two seasons battlinglegal troubles —transferred to Southern in July.Then, freshman JT Lindsey turnedhimself in to authorities on Friday after awarrant was issued forhis arrest. He’snow facing an accessory after the fact to second-degree murder charge and has been suspended from team activities.

In abind, LSU can turn to Johnson. He began last season as adefensive back, then moved to running back after theveteran John Emery sufferedaseason-ending knee injury Now Johnson’sawildcat quarterback whomay represent acreative shifttaking placeinthe 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.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSUsports updates, signupfor ournewsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

AndNussmeier,according to bothKelly and Sloan, needs to do abetter job of scrambling. LSU wants himtouse more opportunities to tuck theballand run, instead of taking asack, risking afumble or potentially forcing a pass into too small of athrowing window

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER

Garrett

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERINHOOLEy

MiamiDolphins quarterbackTua Tagovailoa lookstopassduring the first half of apreseason game against the ChicagoBearsonSunday in Chicago.

Scott Rabalais

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU coach Brian Kelly speaks withquarterback Garrett Nussmeier in the second halfofthe Tigers’ 24-17 win over Vanderbilt on Nov. 23 at TigerStadium. Kellydownplayedthe QB’sknee injurylast week.

LIVING

CLEAN MACHINES

IBY HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writer

nthe 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

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

Museum artifactsrevealhistory of racism in U.S.

By The Associated Press

DEARBORN, Mich. Museums across the U.S. are displaying artifactsthatrepresentand

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.

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

Vegandietcausesincreased intestinal gas

Dear Doctors: Iamavegan,and after ameal, Ihave uncomfortable and smelly intestinalgas. It has only ever 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 ahealth risk?

Dear reader: Thegut microbiome referstothe remarkableand complex ecosystem of trillionsof bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms thatmaketheir home in our gut. While some are found in the small intestine, the vast majority live in the large intestine. Researchcontinues to uncover newways that thecomposition, diversity and health of these colonies of microorganisms affectour 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 and neural 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 hastodowithdietary fiber, which is acomplex carbohydrate. Unlike simple 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, thecellulose, 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 severalweeksto 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 page1D

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.

Workers withDrone Powered Solutions operate apressure-washing drone to

100 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie.

DRONES

Continuedfrom page1D

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 page1D

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

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.

RobStenger,from left,GerritWarnshuisand Seth Tamayo,ofDrone Powered Solutions,prepare apressure-washing drone for flight.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Use your intelligencealong with the energy andpower necessary to getyou to your destination. Engage in talks and participate in groups thatencourage you to satisfy your needs.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Being part of the solutionwill bring you closer to others who share your concerns. Play the numbers game and do your part to ensure you maintain the safety and security thatputs your mind at ease.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Achange will energizeyou. Review your schedule andcreate atimetable that meets your needs. Distance yourself from anyone interfering in your life choices

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Live, learn and leave thepast behind. Execute plans with passion and engage in eventsthat give you aplatform to promote and market your skills. Travel and educational pursuitswill pave the way to newbeginnings.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stopletting emotionsand egointerfere with your domestic responsibilities. Devise plans that you can implement yourself if necessary. Let your actions lead the way andyourresults speak for you.

CAPRICORN (Dec.22-Jan. 19) Payattention to shared expenses and joint ventures. When worry sets in, alter your position to secure your assets. Someone will try to keep youguessing.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Take care of debt and open adiscussionwith someonewho can offerexpert advice. An

opportunitytouse your talents,skills and experience in alucrative manner is apparent.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March20) Network,broaden your connections and gain ground by exploring what'spossible with your skills and experience to improve your life. Takeagreater interest in howyou look, feel and present yourself to others.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Walk away from temptation and overindulgent people. Utilize intelligenceand practical applications to deter others frominterfering with your space, integrity andplans.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Work behind thescenes.Get everything sorted out beforeengaging 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, adapt and fine-tune.Leavenoroom for error and don't give someone else theauthority to make choices for you. Chooseahealthy lifestyle while avoiding indulgence. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Worktomake adifference. Speak on behalfofthose who can't speak for themselves, and engage in functions and events that represent your beliefs and life goals. Personal improvements will enhance your confidence.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2025 by nEa, inc.,dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

SEQUALSB

For better or For WorSe

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the sudoku increases frommonday 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 work hardtogive sound advicetotheir readers, especially in the bidding. Look at the North hand in today’s diagram. You open onespade,and your partner responds two diamonds. What would yourebid?

There is an excellent general rule in bidding: Neverimmediately rebid in a suit, whether amajor or aminor, unless youhaveatleast sixcards in that suit. Here,North has an easy two-no-trump rebid. But the columnistwho gave this hand hadNorth rebid two spadeswithout one word of comment. In my opinion,eventhreediamondsisabetterrebid than two spades. If youput the North hand opposite my hypothesized Southhand, you will see thatsix diamonds is thebestspot It requires little more thanone of two finesses, and makes here. After North rebidstwono-trump,apossiblesequence is three clubs -three diamonds -three spades -four hearts (a control-bid; North’s hand could hardly be better) -six diamonds -pass. If North rebids two spades, South might well jump straight to fourspades. But whathappens to six spades? East leads the heart king, which kills the contract. Probably North would win with his ace, play aclub to theace, and run the spade jack. East calmly ducks. And now, when declarer repeatsthe spade finesse, he goes down two, losing onespade andtwo hearts. Occasionally, youwill have to rebid immediately in afive-cardsuit, but then everyother alternative must be worse. ©2025 by nEa, inc.,dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

wuzzles

EachWuzzle is aword riddle whichcreates adisguisedword,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 lettersbythe addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

ToDAY’s WoRD DIALYsIs: dye-AL-ih-sis: The separation of substances by means of their unequal diffusionthrough membranes.

Average mark 10 words

Timelimit 20 minutes

Can you find 17 or more words in DIALYSIS?

sATuRDAY’s WoRD —EXcuLPATE

and the knowledge of the

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C. PiCKles

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. allthe words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition For more information on tournaments and clubs, email naspa –north american sCraBBlE playersassociation: info@scrabbleplayers.org.Visit ourwebsite:www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzleinquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro andits logo sCraBBlE associated

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 -The numberswithin theheavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (in any order)to produce the target numbers in thetop-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages withthe number in the top-left corner

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

WiShinG Well

HErE is aplEasanT liTTlE gamEthat will give you amessage every

numerical puzzle designed to spell outyourfortune.Count theletters in your

if the number of letters is 6ormore, subtract4.ifthe numberisless than 6, add 3. The

is your key number. start at theupperleft-hand corner and check each of yourkey numbers, left to right. Then readthe message thechecked figures give you

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe

animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble