The Acadiana Advocate 09-16-2025

Prosecutors rest case against Haynes

Federal trial of assistant district attorney focuses on alleged corruption

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Lafayette Assistant District At-

torney Gary Haynes, in a Dec. 14, 2021, audio recording played Monday in his federal bribery trial, said his boss was concerned about rumors that a contract consultant in the pretrial intervention program was taking payoffs to make cases go away

Haynes is on trial on six federal charges including conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, using a cellphone in aid of bribery (two counts), conspiracy to commit money laundering and obstruction of justice in connection with kickback schemes that included the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office’s pretrial intervention program where he worked. District Attorney Don Landry was concerned about Dusty Guidry, the non-attorney contract consultant who was arrested on drug charges Dec 10, 2021, in an FBI setup. He pleaded guilty in April 2023 to federal charges involving the bribery scheme in a plea deal and testified last week for prosecutors. The government played an audio recording from Dec. 14, 2021, four days after Guidry’s drug arrest,

of Haynes speaking with co-conspirator Leonard Franques, who also pleaded guilty for his role in the bribery scheme. The FBI had raided Franques’ home and businesses days earlier He and his wife agreed to cooperate with investigators and he was wearing a wire to tape the meeting with Haynes Haynes said on the recording that Landry wasn’t happy about

Louisiana eyes share of $50B federal fund for rural health

Financial future of around 50 small-town hospitals in state hinges on program

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

The White House announced Monday that applications are open for the new Rural Health Transformation Fund, a $50 billion initiative over five years that federal officials said will “make rural America healthy again.”

The money comes as Medicaid, a lifeline for rural hospitals, faces deep cuts under the same law that created the fund. Louisiana has around 50 rural hospitals whose financial health hinges on securing a share of it. States now face a tight deadline: applications are due in early November leaving only a few weeks to design detailed proposals. Federal officials will have less than two months to review and distribute the money before the end of the year Louisiana has a large number of small-town hospitals walking a financial tightrope to stay afloat. Democratic senators flagged 33 hospitals in the state as at risk of closure in a letter earlier this year the highest number in any state after Kentucky

The fund was created in response to a backlash over Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill signed into law in July About 1 in 3 people in Louisiana uses Medicaid, one of the highest rates in the nation Louisiana is the only state in the Deep South

See RURAL, page 4A

Nurse Scarlett Breckwoldt checks on Tim Cowell, as he receives IV treatment at Hood Memorial Hospital in Amite on June 26. Rural hospitals like Hood are walking a financial tightrope to stay afloat amid deep cuts to Medicaid.

St. Pius Elementary set to expand

School gets $1M grant for learning center

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

Nearly 30 years after the first blueprints were drawn, St Pius Elementary School is getting a new building with the help of a $1 million grant from the Stuller Family Foundation. The grant will go toward the

construction of the school’s Innovative Learning Center The 28,000-square-foot building will house the school’s early learners and have learning spaces that will be used by all the school’s students

“The new building will touch every soul, every heart, every child that walks into it,” Principal Kellie DesOrmeaux said. “It’s an honor to have (the Stuller Family Foundation) believe in us. This vision is coming to light and with their support, it’s increasing the momentum

of moving things forward.”

The foundation accepts grant applications three times a year Since its inception in 1994, it has invested more than $70 million in organizations that serve the Acadiana region.

“At Stuller, we believe in investing in the next generation,” the nonprofit said on its Facebook page. “This project ensures that children not only receive an

a rumor that Guidry was getting paid off to make cases go away Guidry, before the drug arrest, worked full-time in the 19th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in East Baton Rouge Parish and parttime in Lafayette. Haynes assured Landry that Guidry might be taking bribes in East Baton Rouge Parish to makes cases disappear but not in Lafayette. If he were doing it in Lafayette,

U.S. again targets boat from Venezuela

Trump says vessel was carrying drugs

BY AAMER MADHANI and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said the U.S. military on Monday again targeted a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing three aboard the vessel.

“The Strike occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) headed to the U.S.,” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the strike. “These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests.”

The strike was carried out nearly two weeks after another military strike on what the Trump administration said was a drug-carrying speedboat from Venezuela that killed 11.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office later on Monday, Trump said he had been shown footage of the latest strike by Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Asked what proof the U.S. has that the vessel was carrying drugs, Trump replied, “We have proof. All you have to do is look at the cargo

See BOAT, page 6A

RENDERING PROVIDED By HOFFPAUIR STUDIO

A conceptual rendering shows St. Pius Elementary School’s Innovative Learning Center

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

National Guard to deploy to Memphis

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump signed an order Monday sending the National Guard into Memphis to combat crime, offering another major test of the limits of presidential power by using military force in American cities.

With Republican Tennessee Gov Bill Lee visiting the Oval Office, Trump said troops would deployed and join a special task force in the city comprised of officials from various federal agencies, including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Marshall’s service.

He said the goal would be to stamp out crime in a way that he says sending in the National Guard and federalizing the local police force has in Washington.

The presidential memorandum Trump signed did not include details on when troops would be deployed or exactly what his promised surge in law enforcement efforts would look like.

Comey daughter sues over her firing

NEW YORK Former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey sued the U.S. government Monday to get her job back, saying her firing was for political reasons and was unconstitutional.

Her lawsuit in Manhattan federal court blamed the firing on the fact that her father is James Comey a former FBI director, “or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both.” Comey is seeking to be reinstated and a declaration that her firing was unlawful and a violation of the Constitution’s “Separation of Powers” clause.

James Comey was fired as FBI director by President Donald Trump in 2017 The lawsuit noted he has since written a memoir critical of Trump and has publicly criticized Trump and his administration, including a May social media post that Trump and others perceived as threatening.

The lawsuit said Maurene Comey’s July firing came the day after her supervisors asked her to lead a major public corruption case and three months after she’d received her latest “Outstanding” review British politicians condemn Musk

LONDON Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday condemned “dangerous” comments by Elon Musk after the X and Tesla owner told an anti-immigration rally that violence is coming to Britain and they must fight or die. But the U.K. government resisted opposition calls to sanction Musk for the remarks. Starmer denounced violence on the fringes of Saturday’s 100,000 or more-strong “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration in London organized by far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson.

Police said 26 officers were injured, four seriously, as a minority among the protesters tried to breach lines separating them from a smaller anti-racist counter-demonstration. There were 25 people arrested at the event and the Metropolitan Police said more arrests would follow Addressing the demonstration by video link Musk called for the dissolution of Parliament and an early election to remove Starmer’s center-left government. He told protesters “violence is coming to you” and “you either fight back or you die.”

Shutdown talk heats up over U.S. budget

Democrats insist on stopping health care cuts

BY KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON A deadline looming, Congress charged Monday toward a federal government shutdown as Republicans brush back Democratic demands to save health care funding from cutbacks, while Democrats are flexing a newfound willingness to play hardball, even if it means closing offices and services.

Republican leaders are ready to call the Democrats’ bluff, possibly as soon as this week, with a test vote before the end-of-the-month deadline to keep government running.

GOP leaders said they could tee up a vote on a short-term spending bill that would keep the federal government fully operational when the new budget year begins Oct. 1. It would likely be a temporary patch, into mid-November House Speaker Mike Johnson said the measure would include funds to boost security for lawmakers in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist

Charlie Kirk. Additionally, the Trump administration said it’s asking Congress for $58 million in increased funding for the U.S. Marshals Service and security for the Supreme Court. And the Senate is considering its own proposals. “I want everyone within the sound of my voice to understand: Members of Congress are safe,” Johnson, R-Benton, said Monday at the Capitol. “They will be kept safe. They have security measures now at their residence and personally. We can always enhance and do more and do better.”

In the past budget battles, it has been Republicans who’ve been willing to engage in shutdown threats as a way to focus attention on their priority demands. That was the situation during the nation’s longest shutdown, during the winter of 201819, when President Donald Trump was insisting on federal funds to build the U.S.Mexico border wall.

This time, however, Democrats, facing intense pressure from their base of supporters to stand up to Trump and refuse to fund

the administration’s policies, are taking a tougher position — even if it means halting funds needed to run federal offices.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries are united in opposing any legislation that doesn’t include key health care provisions.

They have particularly focused on the potential for skyrocketing health care premiums for millions of Americans if Congress fails to extend enhanced subsidies, which many people use to buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchange. Those subsidies were put in place during the COVID-19 crisis, but are set to expire. Schumer contends that Republicans and Trump will be held responsible if they don’t negotiate a bipartisan deal.

“If one side refuses to negotiate, they are the ones causing the shutdown,” Schumer said.

Trump, though, called on Republicans to stay united, and sought to pin the blame for any shutdown on Democrats.

Rubio, Netanyahu meet in show of unified U.S., Israel

BY MATTHEW LEE and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

JERUSALEM Israel and the United States showed a unified front on Monday in the face of growing international anger over Israel’s airstrikes on Hamas leaders in Qatar and its intensifying bombardment of Gaza City

As Arab and Muslim leaders met in Doha to condemn Israel’s attack last week in Qatar and new rounds of criticism were aired over Israeli plans to occupy Gaza City, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood shoulder-toshoulder in Jerusalem and downplayed the furor that had, at least for a short time, taken the Trump administration aback.

Rubio plans to pay a quick visit to Qatar on Tuesday, as the administration appears keen to ease tensions between its two close allies, before flying on to London to join President Donald Trump on his state visit to Britain.

“We understand they’re not happy about what happened,” Rubio told Fox News. But “we still have Hamas, we still have hostages, and we still have a war And all those things still have to be dealt with, and we are hopeful that Qatar and all of our Gulf partners will continue to add something

Israeli

Secretary

Monday at the Prime

constructive.”

There were no signs of U.S. frustration with Israel’s latest actions, although Trump had made clear his displeasure with Israel’s unilateral strike on Hamas in Qatar

Both Netanyahu and Rubio said the only way to end the conflict in Gaza is through the elimination of Hamas and the release of the remaining 48 hostages around 20 of them believed to be alive — setting aside calls for an interim ceasefire in favor of an immediate end to the conflict.

Hamas has said it will only free the remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Rubio had come to Israel seeking answers from Netanyahu about how Israel

FBI: DNA evidence matches Charlie Kirk’s accused killer

BY JESSE BEDAYN and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

OREM,Utah DNA on a towel wrapped around a rifle found near where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated matched that of the 22-year-old accused in the killing, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Monday

Investigators also have used DNA evidence to link the suspect, Tyler Robinson, with a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where the fatal shot was fired, Patel said Monday on the Fox News show “Fox & Friends.”

Authorities in Utah are preparing to file capital murder charges against Robinson as early as Tuesday in the killing of Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics who became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations. Kirk, who brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics, was shot Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University during one of his many campus stops. The shooting raised fears about increasing political violence in a deeply polarized United States.

Officials have said Robinson carried a hatred for Kirk and ascribed to a “leftist ideology” that had grown in recent years. Robinson’s family and friends said he spent large amounts of time scrolling the “dark corners of the internet,” Utah Gov Spencer Cox said Sunday Patel told Fox that Robinson had written in a note before the shooting that he had an opportunity to take out Kirk and was going to do it. Investigators were able to recover the note’s contents after it had been destroyed, the FBI director said, paraphrasing from the note without revealing more details.

Over the weekend, Cox said Robinson’s romantic partner was transgender but authorities did not know yet whether that the suspect targeted Kirk for his anti-

transgender views. Utah’s department of public safety chief said Monday that Robinson’s partner has been cooperative.

“There was a romantic, personal relationship there. We are still investigating whether that individual had any involvement,” commissioner Beau Mason told The Associated Press.

“We believe that Tyler Robinson acted by himself during this shooting,” said Mason, who added that investigators are looking at whether anyone else knew of his plans beforehand.

Authorities said Robinson has not been cooperating with law enforcement since being jailed for suspicion of aggravated murder They say that he may have been “radicalized” online and that ammunition found in the gun used to kill Kirk included anti-fascist and meme-culture engravings. Court records show that one bullet casing had the message, “Hey, fascist! Catch!” Robinson was arrested late Thursday near where he grew up around St. George, in the southwestern corner of Utah between Las Vegas and Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. It’s unclear whether he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf, and his family has declined to comment to the AP Tributes to Kirk continue across the country A line of mourners wrapped around theKennedyCenterinWashington for a vigil Sunday, and there were moments of silence at several professional sporting events.

Vice President JD Vance, who counted Kirk as a close friend, served as a substitute host Monday on “The Charlie Kirk Show” on Rumble, a streaming platform. Vance spoke about how Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, told him her husband never raised his voice to her and was never “cross or meanspirited to her.”

“I took from that moment that I needed to be a better husband and I needed to be a better father,” the vice president said. “That is the way I’m going to honor my friend.”

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intended to proceed in Gaza and assess its interest in Qatar retaining a mediating role.

“Your presence here in Israel today is a clear message that America stands with Israel. You stand with us in the face of terror,” said Netanyahu.

The Doha attack, which killed at least five lowerranking Hamas members and a member of the Qatari security forces, appears to have paused mediation efforts.

Rubio later met with families of the hostages, who aired concerns that Israel’s latest offensive could doom their loved ones and called on the Trump administration to swiftly resume negotiations, according to a statement from the main group representing relatives of the captives.

REUTERS PHOTO By NATHAN HOWARD

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and U.S

of State Marco Rubio hold a joint news conference

Minister’s Office in Jerusalem

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, walks to the chamber to begin the legislative week Monday at the Capitol in Washington.

Summit leads to little action after Israeli strike

BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Qatar

hosted a summit of Arab and Islamic nations Monday in the hopes of presenting a united response to Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders last week in Doha. But leaders offered different views about what to do, and the group agreed to take only minimal action.

Israel, which launched its invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, has retaliated against the militant group and other members of Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance elsewhere, including in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and now Qatar. That’s fueled wider anger among Mideast nations already enraged by the deaths of more than 64,000 Palestinians during the war in Gaza and contributed to growing concern that the U.S. commitment to protect Gulf Arab states may not be strong enough.

However, significant differences among the nations likely blunted any attempt at cooperation Condemnations came from countries that Israel considers enemies, like Iran. Meanwhile, the nations that have diplomatic recognition deals with Israel were reluctant to sever those ties. Monday was the fifth anniversary of the signing by Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates of the Abraham Accords that marked their formal recognition of Israel.

“Condemnations will not stop the missiles. Declarations will not free Palestine,” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. “Severe, punitive actions must be put in place.”

Fiery speech

Qatar’s ruling emir opened the summit by accusing Israel of not caring about its hostages in Gaza and instead working to ”ensure Gaza is no longer livable.” Israel has said the goals of its war include bringing all the hostages back and defeating Hamas.

“If Israel wishes to assassinate the Hamas leaders, why then engage in negotiations?” Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani asked. “If you wish to insist on the libera-

Kim Seong-Min, N. Korea defector, dies at 63

BY HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea Kim

Seong-Min, a prominent North Korean defector who used radio broadcasts, USB sticks and a network of sources in the secretive country to inform the North Korean public about the truth of their authoritarian government, has died. He was 63. The founder of the Seoulbased Free North Korea Radio was pronounced dead at a Seoul hospital on Friday, years after fighting a lung cancer that recently spread to his liver his former colleagues said. They said Kim was cremated and his remains were placed at a columbarium near the border with North Korea, “We, North Korean defectors, lost one of our leaders. We aren’t sure if we’ll have such a leader again. He was truly our hope,” said Choi Junghoon, a defector who worked with Kim for seven years.

Kim, a former North Korean army captain who arrived in South Korea in 1999, began shortwave radio broadcasts into the North where most people have no official access to foreign news in 2005. The station included everything from success

tion of hostages, why then do they assassinate all negotiators?

The speech was unusually fiery for the 45-year-old ruler of Qatar, which has served as key mediator in ceasefire talks.

“There is no room to deal with such a party that’s cowardly and treacherous,” he added. “Those who work consistently to assassinate the party in these negotiations will certainly do everything to ensure the failure of these negotiations. When they claim that they seek the liberation of hostages, that’s a mere lie.”

Sheikh Tamim also denounced Israel over what he called the “genocide” it is committing in Gaza — an assessment offered by multiple others at the summit. Israel vehemently denies it is committing genocide. It says Hamas is prolonging the war by not surrendering and releasing the hostages.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Israel “should also be squeezed economically, as pre-

vious experience shows that such steps yield results.”

Iran attending summit

After the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites in June, Iran struck Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a major hub for American forces — a move that angered Qatar Nevertheless, Iran sent President Masoud Pezeshkian to attend Monday’s meeting, where he urged other nations to “isolate the aggressor.”

Pezeshkian did not touch on Iran’s attack on Qatar but did mention Israel’s war on Iran in June. He also warned that any country in the region could be next.

“The attack on Doha changed lots of miscalculations and wrong ideas,” he said “It showed that no Arab or Muslim country is safe from the aggression of the regime in Tel Aviv Tomorrow it can be any Arab or Muslim capital’s turn.”

Before the summit, analysts floated possibly closing airspace to Israeli flights or downgrading ties

with Israel. A final statement from the meeting, however, only called on states to “take all possible legal and effective measures to prevent Israel from continuing its actions against the Palestinian people.”

The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, held its own meeting on the sidelines of the summit. Its members decided to take steps “to activate the mechanisms of joint defense and the Gulf deterrence capabilities,” they said in a statement, without elaborating.

Qatar key in ceasefire talks

Qatar, an energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula that hosted the 2022 World Cup, long has served as an intermediary in conflicts. For years, it has hosted Hamas’ political leadership at the request of the U.S., providing a channel for Israel to negotiate with the militant group that has controlled Gaza for years.

But as the Israel-Hamas war has raged on, Qatar increasingly has been criticized by hard-liners within Netanyahu’s government. Netanyahu himself has vowed to strike all those who organized the Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023. And since last week’s strike, the Israeli leader has doubled down on saying Qatar remains a possible target if Hamas leaders are there.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Israel on Monday for meetings with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials to express America’s concern over the attack on Qatar and talk about Israel’s planned new offensive on Gaza City Rubio planned to pay a quick visit to Qatar on Tuesday as the administration seeks to ease tensions between its two close allies.

Rubio declined to address Israel’s strike while speaking to journalists in Jerusalem, but he said America wanted to work with all its partners in the region to stop Hamas and reach a ceasefire in the war

“We’re going to continue to encourage Qatar to play a constructive role in that regard,” Rubio said.

Netanyahu again added that Israel’s decision to attack Qatar “was a wholly independent decision by us.”

Netanyahu faces increasing pressure from the Israeli public to end the war and bring home the 48 hostages still held in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed by Israel to still be alive.

The Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and led to the abduction of 251.

Israel’s ensuing offensives in Gaza have killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says around half of those killed were women and children.

The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts view its figures as the most reliable estimate of war casualties. Israel disputes them but has not provided its own.

Immigrants deported from U.S. to Ghana are sent home

Lawyers say some may face torture

BY EDWARD ACQUAH, WILSON MCMAKIN and REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press

ACCRA, Ghana A group of 14 West Africans deported to Ghana from the U.S have been sent to their home countries, places where lawyers representing some of the men say they face a risk of persecution or torture.

News of the West Africans deportation to Ghana emerged last week, sparking a lawsuit by U.S. lawyers. They argue the move was an attempt by U.S. authorities to evade their own immigration laws that prevent some of the men from being returned to countries where their well-being could be at risk

On Monday, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Ghana’s minister for government communications, told the Associated Press that all 14 — 13 Nigerians and one Gambian “have since left for their home countries,” without saying when they were returned

Lawyers say it’s another case of the Trump administration deporting people and then trying to distance itself from the repercussions. The case has drawn parallels to that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the administration mistakenly deported to El Salvador despite a court order prohibiting it, then argued it couldn’t get him back.

The Trump administration, faced with people in immigration proceedings who for legal and procedural reasons cannot be sent back to their home countries, has increasingly been trying to send them to third countries with which the administration has created agreements to take deportees.

Lawyers representing five of the West African men filed a lawsuit last Friday arguing that the men, who’d been sent to Ghana along

danger despite an immigration judge order, and still refused to take any action is outrageous. It seems evident that the United States has concocted a scheme to use third countries to circumvent what the United States cannot do directly,” said Gelernt.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of some of the migrants said they were held in “straitjackets” for 16 hours on a flight to Ghana and detained for days in “squalid conditions” after they arrived there.

back on criticism that the decision was an endorsement of U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Ablakwa said Ghana did not receive any financial compensation from the U.S. over the deportation.

“We just could not continue to take the suffering of our fellow West Africans,” the minister said of the rationale behind the government’s decision. “For now, the strict understanding that we have with the Americans is that we are only going to take West Africans,” he added.

spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the AP The authorities in Gambia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. None of the 14 deportees were originally from Ghana and the five West Africans who filed the lawsuit did not have ties with the country or designate it as a potential country of removal, according to the complaint.

with another nine people, had legal protections preventing them from being sent home over concerns they’d be tortured or persecuted. The complaint, filed by lawyers for Asian Americans Advancing Justice, said the men had been granted fear-based relief from being sent to their countries and asked the judge to immediately halt their deportations.

A U.S. federal judge Saturday asked the U.S. government to detail what it was doing to ensure Ghana would not send the immigrants elsewhere in violation of domestic U.S. court orders. The administration’s agreements with so-called third countries like Ghana are part of a sweeping immigration crackdown seeking to deport millions of people from the United States.

A Department of Justice lawyer argued that the judge hearing the case had no power to control how another country treats deportees. The lawyer noted the U.S. Supreme Court this summer ruled that the administration could continue sending immigrants to countries they are not from, even if they hadn’t had a chance to raise fears of torture.

Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union who is part of a legal group representing the five men in the lawsuit, said Monday that the whole situation “reeks of a scam.”

“That the United States knew these individuals were going to be sent to grave

The opposition and activists in Ghana have criticized the decision to accept the third-country deportees. Opposition lawmakers said it raises “serious constitutional, sovereignty and foreign policy concerns which cannot be overlooked.”

At a press briefing in the capital of Accra, Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa pushed

Nigeria’s government said it was not briefed about its nationals being sent to Ghana and that previously it had received Nigerians deported directly from the U.S.

“We have not rejected Nigerians deported to Nigeria. What we have only rejected is deportation of other nationals into Nigeria,” Kimebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, a

Lawyers and activists have said the Trump administration appears to be making such deportation requests to the nations most affected by his policies on trade, migration and aid. Ghana joined Eswatini, Rwanda and South Sudan as African countries that have received migrants from third countries who were deported from the U.S., an approach whose legality has been questioned by lawyers and human rights organizations.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Smoke rises from an explosion, allegedly caused by an Israeli strike, Tuesday in Doha, Qatar

PROVIDED PHOTO Ghana President John Mahama speaks to the media Sept. 10 at the Jubilee House in Accra, Ghana.

BOAT

Continued from page1A

that was spattered all overthe ocean —big bags of cocaine and and fentanyl all overthe place.”

The Trump administration hasjustified thefirst strike as anecessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

But several senators, Democrats and some Republicans, have indicated their dissatisfaction with the administration’srationale and questioned thelegality of the action. They view it as apotential overreach ofexecutive authority in part because the military was used for law enforcement purposes

The Trump administration has claimed self-defense as alegal justification for the first strike, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio arguing the drugcartels “pose an immediate threat” to the nation.

U.S. officials said the strike early this month targeted Tren de Aragua, aVenezuelan gang designated by the U.S. as aterrorist organization. And they indicated more military strikes on drug targets would be coming as the U.S. looks to “wage war” on cartels.

Trump didnot specify whether Tren de Aragua was also the target of Monday’sstrike.

The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to arequest for comment on the reported strike.

The Trump administration has railed specifically against Vene-

excellent education, but also develop the faith, resilience and imagination needed to shape tomorrow’s world.”

The current school building,dining hall and gym was built in 1999. Theelementary school, which serves students in prekindergarten through eighth grades, opened in 2000. The early childhood center was partofthat originalplan, but that didn’tpan out. Instead,the school’searly learners —pre-K3, pre-K4 and kindergarten —are housed in the old mission church

zuelan PresidentNicolás Maduro for the scourge of illegal drugs in U.S. communities. Maduro duringa news conferenceearlieronMondaylashed out at the U.S. government, accusing

the Trumpadministration of using drug trafficking accusations as an excusefor amilitary operation whose intentions are “to intimidateand seek regimechange” in theSouth American country

“It’sablessingtobeableto

building that was first built in the late 1950s. Plans to finally build the space were set in motion after DesOrmeaux joined St. Pius ElementarySchoolin2022. DesOrmeauxinherited theblueprints, first drafted in 1999, from former Principal Donna Lemaire

The two-story building will have 10 classroomsfor early learners that will each have private restrooms and adedicatedspace for quietprayer. Theoutsidespace will includeplaygrounds designed for younger students

The original plans focusedona space for pre-K and kindergarten students. St. Pius leaders wanted the concept to be modernizedand

KELLIE DESORMEAUX, St. Pius Elementaryprincipal

evolve intoaspace thatcould be usedbyall students, DesOremeauxsaid.

The new building will house a library,collaborative spaces for small-group instruction and designated spaces for speech therapy, occupational therapy,physical therapy and academic support.

Tuna? What were they looking for? Akilo of snapper? Who gave the order in Washington foramissile destroyertosend18armed Marinestoraida tuna fishing vessel?” he said. “Theywere looking for amilitary incident. If the tuna fishing boys hadany kind of weaponsand usedweaponswhile in Venezuelan jurisdiction, it would have been the military incident that the warmongers, extremists who want awar in the Caribbean, areseeking.”

Speaking to FoxNews earlier Monday,Rubio reiterated that the U.S. doesn’tsee Maduro as the rightful leader of Venezuelabut as head of adrug cartel Rubio has consistently depicted Venezuela as avestige of communistideology in theWestern Hemisphere.

“We’re not going to have acartel, operating or masquerading as agovernment, operating in our ownhemisphere,” Rubio said. Following the first military strike on aboat allegedly carrying drugs fromVenezuela, America’s chief diplomat said Trumpwas “going to use theU.S.military and all the elements of American power to targetcartels who are targeting America.”

AP andothers have reported that the boat had turned around andwas heading back to shore when it wasstruck. ButRubio on Monday said he didn’tknow if that’saccurate.

Maduro also repudiated what he describedasa weekend operationinwhich 18 Marines raided aVenezuelanfishing boat in the Caribbean.

“What were they looking for?

It will also have classrooms dedicated to electives andhands-on learning spaces. Ascience, technology, religion, engineering, arts and math lab will allow students to apply concepts to projects.Anart room will come with anew kiln

The student-led St.PiusNewsNetwork,which produces amorning show with announcements broadcast to the whole school, will get a newgreen room Outside will be alearning and reflection garden.Studentswillgrow andkeep track of produce, using some of it in the school’skitchen andworking withlocal organizations to donate food to those in need.

“It’sa blessingtobeabletogive back to those that started this,”

“What needs to start happening is some of these boats need to get blown up,”Rubiosaid.“We can’t live in aworld where allofa suddentheydoaU-turn andsowe can’t touchthemanymore.”

DesOrmeaux said. “Tobeable to complete thetaskthatthey began and being able to do it for the children, that’swhy I’m an educator.”

Ground is slated to break on the new building next summer at the end of the school year.The oldmission church will be demolished,and theInnovativeLearning Center will be built in itsplace. Constructionisexpected to wrap up before the start of the 2027-28 school year

To learn moreabout St. Pius Elementary School and the Innovative Learning Center,visit stpiuselementary.org.

Email AshleyWhite at ashley. white@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByJESUS VARGAS

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro points at amap of the Americas during anewsconferenceinCaracas Venezuela, on Monday. Maduro accused the Trumpadministration of using drug trafficking accusations as an excuse for amilitaryoperation whose intentions are ‘to intimidate and seek regime change’ in the South American country.

JanRisher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Secret life of Mike theTiger

Even on hot days with minimal ventilation, LSU’scostumed mascot Mike the Tiger is stillone cool cat.

On aMonday afternoon at the Carl Maddox FieldhouseatLSU, Team Mike captainLandon Terro and Kandace Hale, LSU’shead Tiger Girls/traditions coach,reminded me early on: No one “is” Mike.Instead, Mikehas helpers —six to be exact.

When it comes to taking the heat that invariablycomes with the territory,TeamMike is ready. “Mike’sjust tough,” said Terro, who is asenior at LSU from Lafayette.“Even if Mike is in an airconditioned environment, if Mike isn’tsweating, Mike’snot doingit right.”

That toughness requires planning, an incredible workethic, lots of conditioning and plenty of hydration.

Terro says most of the team members are about the same size —they range from 5’10” to6’2”.

Since 2005, when the newTeam Mikeera started,there have been 52 members. Terro is Mike No. 46, and this is his second year on the squad.

Hale has been acoach at LSU for 11 years. She said sheenjoys herwork —particularly getting to know so many student-athletes. Herfavorite part of the job is watching the student-athletes become leaders and seeing their successinand after college.

Team Mike Camp

The work involved for LSU’s belovedmascot starts witha weeklong Team Mike Camp every August before the schoolyear and football season begin

“Wehelp plan things for Mike throughout the season, different kinds of wardrobe ideas,” Terro said.

And what awardrobe it is Terro gave me abehind-thescenestour of Mike’ssuper-secret closet, which is full of sequins, helmets, robes and Mardi Gras beads.Despite the private tour,I was not able to open the door to see Mike’sLair.That was off-limits, reserved only for Team Mike However,Idid see the costumes for Santa Claus Mike, DarthVader Mike, Elvis Mike, Mardi Gras Mike,Ghostbuster Mike, Egg Mike and Kim Mulkey Mike.

Superman Mike is always afavorite, Terro said.

For all of the outlandish costumes, there’s aseamstress, Miss Sherry, who makes sure everything fits. Because, as Hale explained, “Mike’saspecial size.”

‘We’re here forMike’ Terro said he sees being apart of Team Mike as an act of service.

“Mike’sthe focal point,” Terro said. “He’sthe moneymaker.He has such arich history of just making people happy.”

Some members of the team don’teven tell their family members of their role in the magic thatisgameday at Tiger Stadium and beyond.

Team Mike members know most of the work they do isn’t glamorous.

“It is very faceless,” Terro said. “We’re not here for any of the recognition. We’re here for Mike.”

There’ssome Clark Kent-ness to the whole thing. Or Peter Parker,asthe case may be, according to Terro.

One minute he’swalking down Victory Hill, and the crowd is going wild. Twodays later,he’s taking the same path completely anonymously.Noone recognizes him. Even so, there are benefits.

“We’re on scholarship. We get merchandise. We geta bunch of benefits through the school and

Audit flagscharterpayments

‘Pods’ collected$500K from parents

BY CHARLESLUSSIER Staff writer

For-profit school giantCharter SchoolsUSA may have violated Louisiana lawwhen it allowed ahandful of satellite campuses known as learning pods to collect at leasta half-million dollarsfrom parents to pay for educational services

That’s one of the findings of a109-

page investigative audit released Monday by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’sOffice.

Florida-based Charter Schools USAisthe largest charterschool organization in Louisiana. Last year,ittaught morethan11,000 students enrolled at eight schools spread across the state.

Half of the audit’s109 pages is a response in which company lawyers justify many of their actions

between July 2019 andApril 2023, the period auditors examined. Learning pods educatechildren in smaller, more personalized settings viaonline, in-personinstruction, or ahybridofboth. Led by Charter Schools USA, charter schoolsinLouisiana have begun to embrace the approach as away to expand their reach wellbeyond the geographic boundaries of their physical campuses, including setting up shop in areas previously little touched by charter schools. Legislation allowing charter

schools to open learningpodswas notpasseduntil 2021 andregulations were not formalized until April 2023. Nevertheless, company attorneys argue that Charter SchoolsUSA wasonthe right side of thelaw whenitopenedpod afterpod without officially notifying stateregulators.

“While the(state) learning pod lawwas notadopteduntil 2021, it was simply aconfirmationofthe ability of (school districts) to es-

andfree health expo at Graham Brown Memorial Park on Saturdayin Lafayette.

By BRAD KEMP

SICKLE SUPPORT

Participants reach the finish of thewalk/run. Organized by 100 Black Men of Greater Lafayette Inc. and theAcadiana BlackNurses Association, thegathering highlighted both education and support for those affected by sickle cell disease.

Trumpadministration backs Chevroninsuit

Companyseeks to fight litigation in federalcourt

BY ALEXLUBBEN Staff writer

The Trump administration is siding with Chevronatthe U.S. Supreme Court in aclosely watched case related to Louisiana’scoastallawsuitsand whether they shouldbeheard in state or federal court. In abrief filed with the court last week, U.S. Solicitor General JohnSauer agreed with Chevron, whichwas recently ordered by aPlaquemines Parishjury to pay$745million to restorestate wetlands, that it should be allowedtofight

thatcase and others in federal court, whichisseen as apotentially friendlier venue for theoil giant The company has argued thatfederal court is thecorrect venuefor cases of this type becausethey involve oil and gasproduction that was part of afederally sanctioned effortduring World War II to makeaviation fuel. Chevron and the companiesitbought “workedfor thefederal government to refine aviation gasoline —a vital wartimeproductthat powered Allied airforces to victory,” Sauer argued in thebrief. Plaquemines Parish, which sued the companies, hasarguedsuccessfully in

Probeof

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

Nicole Washington blends a drink while riding abike during the SickleCell Walk/Run

STAFFPHOTOS

OURVIEWS

Tackling heat-related deaths needstobe apriority

Scorching summers are nothing new inLouisiana. But as temperatures soar,there isa rising humantollinour statethat has often gone unnoticed. In an investigative report in thisnewspaper, reporter Sam Karlin explored how heat-related deaths have skyrocketed in recent years,often affecting elderly and vulnerable populations Data from the Centers forDiseaseControland Prevention tracked this alarming rise in fatalities due to heat that have totaled an annualaverage of 45 per year across Louisiana over thepastfive years. That’s close to afourfold increase inthe death rate compared to the previous two decades Anditputs Louisiana near the top in heat-related deaths in the nation. Only Arizona andNevada have recorded more in the past two years.But experts say that even those numbers may be an undercount, giventhat the effects of deadly heat exposure arenot often tracked by coronersor health professionals. While heat-relateddeaths seem to have dipped thisyear, the problemisexpectedtoonly get worse due to climate change.

Louisiana’sunique geography adds to thethreat, with our plethora of bayous, lakes andswamps making ourclimate more humid than most. High humidity makes it harderfor the bodytocool down

We are also seeing an increase in the duration of heat waves, which on average last 4.5 days longer in New Orleans today compared to theaverage in the 1960s.

In the record-setting summer of 2023,New Orleanssaw the second-longest streak ofdayswith extreme heat in the world. That summer also saw 86 heat-relateddeaths,the most the state hasever recorded.

Finding ways to address the issue isn’t as easy as it might seem. Certainly,taking steps to lower the impact of climate change is part ofthe longterm solution.

Planting trees can also help keep citiescooler,as often trees tend to be located in wealthier neighborhoods,leaving some low-income residents trapped in urban heat islands.

But moreimmediate relief is needed forthe many low-income and elderly Louisianans who lack resources to protect themselvesfromthe heat.According to theEnergy InformationAdministration, about 76% of Louisiana residents have central air conditioning. That’saround the same percentage as South Dakota, astate withsignificantlycooler average summer temperatures.

We are used to weather-related risks inLouisiana, butheat has become an insidious killer that we are only beginning to understand.There is no federalprogramorfunding to mitigate theeffects of extreme heat, as our reporting notes, butraising awarenessofthe danger is an important first step. We hope that more peoplewill keep an eye on theirneighborswhen temperaturesrise.As always, acaring community can be alifeline to those in need.

HERE AREOUR

Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The TimesPicayune 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 SENDUS ALETTER SCAN HERE

Stop coddling RFKJr. andhis abuseofpower

Department of Healthand Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’sembarrassing behavior at the recent SenateFinance Committee hearing revealed aman profoundly contemptuous of the oversight process and of being required to answer to anyone at all. His at times absurd claims that anyone who disagrees with or challenges him is lying, revealed aman who knows his arguments and claims cannot withstand scrutiny and who thus seeks to discredit his critics with personal attacks.

It’seasy to believe that SecretaryKennedy cares about health; after all, he talksabout healthalot. Butifone pays attention to what he does, it’s clear that what he really cares about is power.IfKennedy cared about health, he would takefull advantage of the opportunityhis position gives him to pick thebrains of the world’s leading authorities on health, medicine and science since he

personally has no educational background or experience in any of these fields. Instead, he refuses even to be briefed by them, freezing them out of the decision-making process and firing as many as he can get away with.

If Kennedy had confidence in his ideas, he would welcomebeing challenged by people who disagree as achance to testthe strengthofhis ideas, and as an opportunity to convince others to change their minds. Instead, he does everything he can to avoid being challenged, and smears as aliar or corrupt anyone who dares to do so.

This is thebehavior of aman who, more than anything, fears being exposed as the fraud he is and losing his grip on power It’stime for Sen. Bill Cassidy (andSen. John N. Kennedy) to admit their support of RFK Jr.’s confirmation was amistake and to call for him to be fired.

BEATRICE WINKLER Baton Rouge

Congress needstostand up forvictims of JeffreyEpstein

The survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’strafficking ring are being denied justice, and the silence of our Republican congressional representatives directly compounds their pain.

Just days ago, these brave women held apress conference specifically calling on elected officials for truth and accountability. The refusal to even acknowledge their existence sends aclear message to every victim in Louisiana: thatpowerful predators who prey on the vulnerable are protected while survivors are ignored.

Our foundational promise of equal justiceisatstake. If this cover-up continues, it permanently codifies atwo-tiered systemwhere the well-connected escape consequences and the powerless are abandoned. By choosing to act,our representativescan help dismantle this cor-

ruption and affirmthat our laws apply to everyone. Their leadership can restore public trust and prove thatthe voices of victims mattermore thanthe influence of powerful abusers.

The time for excuses is over

The survivors’ press conference was adirect test of leadership —atest congressional leaders failed by choosing silence. Every second of thatsilence aligns themmore closely with the perpetrators, and theynow face asimple, defining choice: Will theyheed the desperate cries of victimsand their families or stay complicit in the cover-up demanded by the powerful?

We call on themtostand with us —sign the discharge petition, co-sponsor the Epstein Files Transparency Act and force a vote. End the cover-up.

ANDREWKEMP Baton Rouge

AttacksonVoting Rights Actcouldn’tbe more disingenuous

Louisiana Attorney GeneralLiz Murrill rightly claimsthat Section 2ofthe 1965 Voting Rights Act “forbids sorting voters by race.” That she and others want that law overturned so that so-calledred states can then proceed to sort voters by race stands as another milestone in hypocrisy

The project to remake America to suit acrass and lawless class of citizens by any and all means continues at breakneck speed. The result will be apolluted wasteland where the American Dream liesinruins.

JEROME FREEDMAN Baton Rouge

FalunGongProtectionAct deserves support

Why should Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy support the Falun Gong Protection Act? Because Louisiana has along, proud history of standing up when it matters most. Louisianans know what it meanstoendure hardship and act with strength and conviction. That samespirit calls Louisiana today to confront one of the darkest human rights crises —even if it’shappening beyond the borders, it demands our attention and moral clarity For over twodecades, the Chinese Communist Party has persecuted Falun Gong practitioners peaceful people whofollow the principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. Investigations confirm that manyhave been detained, tortured and had their organs forcibly harvested and sold. Even worse, the CCP’srepression is reaching across borders —threatening exiled believers, including here in the U.S.

The Falun Gong Protection Act would sanction those responsible, block U.S. exports used in organ harvesting and prevent American institutions from being complicit in these crimes.

Iwant to thank our Louisiana congressional representatives forsupporting the Falun GongProtection Act, which passed the House unanimously in early May

Iurge Sens. Cassidy and Kennedy to support this bill and show that Louisiana remains on the right side of history

FixingU.S. 90 more important than golf

Revitalization of U.S. 90 from Louisiana to Mississippi is advertised at approximately $350 million. Perhaps Louisiana can begin by redirecting the $5 million and whatever else from awasteful LIVGolf tournament to the project. Gov. Jeff Landry can sure come up with somehare-brained ideas! Maybe he gets aspecial throne at the tournament. This idea warrants one madeofporcelain.

JAMES PITCHFORD Baton Rouge

LAÏLA HACHIMI Baton Rouge

Blamingtrade aU.S.tradition

George Will

Having seen New England, Kentucky’sHenry Clay (17771852) was aghast. The senator’s rhetorical flair,however failed him.He should have described what nowadays would be called the “carnage” caused by the “Britain shock”:

“In passing along the highway,one frequently sees large and spacious buildings, with the glass broken out of thewindows, the shutters hanging in ruinous disorder,without any appearance of activity,and enveloped in solitary gloom.Upon inquiring what they are, you are almost always informed that they were some cotton or other factory,which their proprietors could no longer keep in motion against the overwhelmingpressure of foreign competition.”

Somehow New England thrived despite the end of whaling, the southward migration of the textile industry,the departure of many shoemakers, and other supposed setbacks. Protectionists, however,persist in imagining recent calamities that they think validate government curtailmentsof economic freedom. Hence their lingering preoccupation with the “China shock,” the alleged damage done to American industriesand communities by imports

COMMENTARY Recovering from the2020 insanity

from China. Today,the president’s long listof nations being beastly to America includes mightySwitzerland, which he has threatened with stratospherictariffs. (Because it has pushed upon Americansunconscionable amountsofchocolates and wristwatches?) The “China shock” was larger than the “Swiss shock,” but not really shocking.

Afrequently cited study says China destroyed 2.4 million U.S. jobs between 1999 and 2011. If so, in those 13 years, as many jobs were eliminated by Chinese importsasare eliminated, on average, by the normal churning of the U.S. economy every 41 days. Between 2000 and 2015, U.S. dynamism involvedAmericans leaving manufacturing and other jobs about 900 million times.

Manufacturing as apercentage of post-1945 U.S. GDP peaked in 1954 and has declined ever since, as it has in most developed nations TheU.S. decline has been remarkably steady,around 2 percenta year,sincebefore the surge of Chinese importsbegan. Veronique de Rugy,ofthe Cato Institute and George Mason University’sMercatus Center, notes that today’smanufacturing job problem is a shortage of workers to fill the more than600,000 openings in the sector U.S. inflation-adjusted manufacturing output is up

177 percent over 1975, the lastyear America ran what thepresident deems indispensable —anannual trade surplus.George Mason University’s Don Boudreaux, curator of the Cafe Hayek blog, writes that industrial production hit arecord high in September 2018, “almost 43 years after America began running itsstillunbroken string of annual tradedeficits in 1975.” They began 27 yearsbefore China joined theWorld Trade Organization. Boudreaux says that since China joined the WTO in December 2001, the average monthly decline of manufacturing jobs as a percentage of nonfarmjobs has slowed from 0.166 percent to 0.144 percent. Manufacturing employment has declined primarily becausemanufacturing moved to more hospitable jurisdictions (often in the American South). Andas labor became dramatically more productive because of robotics and automation. Similarly,Boudreaux notes, improved agronomy drove the20th century’sdecline of agriculture employment as apercentage of the labor force from 40 percent in 1900 to 2percent in 2000. During this dislocation, food surpluses soared,food prices fell and former farmers did not starve. Butreturn to New England. Andtoargumentsthat persist.

Massachusetts Sen. Daniel Webster (1782-1852) refuted

Clay’sprotectionism. University of Texas historian H.W.Brands,in“Heirs of the Founders,” quotes Webster: “Commerce is not agambling amongnations for astake, to be won by some and lost by others. Allparties gain, all parties make profits, all parties grow rich, by theoperations of just and liberal commerce.”

“If theworld had but one clime and but one soil,” Webster said, “ifall men had thesame wants and the same means… then,indeed, what one obtained from the other by exchangewould injureone party in thesame degree that it benefited the other.” Actually,however, “Weinhabit avarious earth. We have reciprocal wants, and reciprocal means for gratifying one another’s wants.”

Clay,however,thought national “honor” was acasualty of U.S. “dependence” on international commerce, so he praised the self-sufficiency of the farm of Kentucky’sfirst governor:“You will behold every member of his family clad with the produce of their own hands and usefully employed, the spinning wheel and theloom in motion by day-break.” Andatnightfall, thefamily gathersatthe hearth to make, with their own hands, smartphones and pharmaceuticals.

EmailGeorge Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

Violence,inhumanity, intimidation andmurder

fied.”

What adifference half adecade makes. This summer’sprevailing ethos, zeitgeist, vibe call it any fancy name you want —was sharply different from the summer,just five years ago, of COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter

Such sudden changes in the moral atmosphere seem to occur every so often. The year 1776, the 250th anniversary of which we are scheduled to commemorate next year,was perhaps one such occasion, when the English-speaking world saw the publication of the Declaration of Independence,Adam Smith’s“The Wealth of Nations” and the first volume of Edward Gibbon’s“The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.”

Another break in general consciousness, from Victorian stricture to Bloomsbury Group fluidity,was announced 101 years ago by the novelist Virginia Woolf. “On or about December 1910,” she wrote, “human nature changed. All human relations shifted, and when humanrelations change there is at the same time achange in religion, conduct, politics and literature.” And it has happened again in the great contrast between the notoriety most conventional media outlets gave to the eight-minute tape showing the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis in May 2020 and the almost total blackout by the same media outlets of the surveillance footage of the stabbing of Ukrainianrefugee Iryna Zarutska by areleased felon in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Aug. 22 Floyd’sdeath was taken as proof thatpolice in the United States routinely killed unarmed Black men, and that racism was as central to American life as ever.Itinspired aseriesof “mostly peaceful” urban riots that causedbillions of dollars in damage.

It sparked arevival of the Black Lives Matter group, whose Democratic congressional leaders in Kente cloth bowed in the Capitol and whose name was emblazoned on the pavement of 16th Street outside the White House. Floyd’sdeath also sparked asudden upward spike in violent crime, attributed incorrectly to the COVID-19 pandemic, which started months earlier,resulting in far more deaths of Black Americans than any police malfeasance.

Contrast that with the nonresponse by most media outlets and Democratic politicians to Zarutska’smurder in Charlotte. Plainly,they did not want voters coming to the obvious conclusion that liberal policies, such as cashless bail, release violent menonto the streets and public transit.

Other evidence of the change in vibe came from bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell’s confession that he lied during a2022 MIT panel when he said he supported transgender women (that is, biological menwho present themselves as women) competing in female sports.

That was the year when the press gave wide publicity to Lia (formerly Will) Thomas’ swimming records against female competitors and teammates, who were ordered by athletic and university authorities not to protest or complain about Thomas’ presence in the locker room.

But most Americans believed physical differences between the sexes matter,just as weight divisions are appropriate in wrestling and boxing. As journalist Josh Barro reminded his fellow Democrats, Americans oppose biological meninwomen’ssports by a66% to 15% margin.

Gladwell’sconfession of error and columnist Megan McArdle’spreviously unreported recollection that in 2022 “people were terrified to talk” freely about the issue suggest that, in Woolf’s words, “human relations shifted” sometime in 2023 or 2024.

Kathryn Jean Lopez

Less than 24 hours before the 24th anniversaryof the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, Kristan Hawkins was speaking on the campusof Montana State University She noticed her phone blowing up with activity.She looked. She paused. She announced the breaking news that Charlie Kirk had been shot on another college campus. Youdidn’thave to know anything to realize this wasn’tarandom news story to Hawkins —she was in shock. Her friend had beenshot. Her friend had beenshot doing exactly what she was doing. And students laughed. It’salmost as if that’swhat social media trains us to do, when reflexively responding to news involving people in politics. Such firebrands are names that embody ideology

We don’tsee them as people Hawkins is the president of theStudents for Life of America, and as part of a tour,Kristan had arrived in Montana andinvitedstudentstotell her whyshe is wrong on abortion. Some studentsthought it was funny that Kirk was shot. Iimagine because they don’tthink ofKirkasa human being, but asarepresentative of so much that they disagree with In our hyper-politicized culture, where ideologyisa religion, anddehumanization is almost necessary to make engagement satisfying, we use callousness as self-medication for all things we are unhappy about Kirk was on campusinvitingstudents to debate, helpingthem mature —intellectually and emotionally,even spiritually Kirk wentbeyondthe empty symbols and hollow rhetoric of modern political discourse.Hemadeacase. He was unafraid to challenge

and be challenged. Andhe had thehumilitytoadmit that he didn’thave all the answers.

Hawkins was standing by asign that said “Abortion: Change My Mind.” Her sign indicated: Irespect you enough tolisten to what you have to say.About 150 studentsgathered, but the respect wasn’tquitereciprocated.

“If you think shooting Charlie Kirk is justified because you disagree with him on politics, you need to examine your heart,” Hawkins said in responsetothe students’ laughter.“This is what abortion culture has done in our country.Our abortion culture has said that the mostvulnerable humans in our world don’tdeserve the right to liveand we get to choose whether or not they live or die.

“Abortion culture has led to adesensitizing of our nation,where we think we can shoot our political enemies —and we think is it justi-

She asked thecrowd if they thought it was funny that President Donald Trump was shot. On thevideo if the incident, you can hear studentsinthe crowd yell, “Oh yeah!”

When Hawkins shared that Charlie had been shot in the neck, there was cheering. When she promised to share their callous reaction with theworld on YouTube, “F*** yeah!”isthe mostaudible reaction.

That sounds awfully alot like pride. Prideisa deadly sin. Andnow we see why it reduces other people to mereobjectsand deadens empathy and sympathy

Be free to be wrong and defend someone else’sright to do thesame. Andmay we change one another’sminds on things. Or at least try. With human encounter,not intimidation and murder

Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@nationalreview com.

Someofthis may just reflect the success of President Donald Trump’scomeback. In 2022, he was beleaguered by lawsuits, discredited by Jan. 6, and scorned by manyRepublicans. In 2024, he wastriumphantly elected to asecond term

But the shiftinTrump’sapproval ratings, from 45.9% in 2016 to 46.8% in 2020 to 49.8% in 2024, wasn’toverwhelming. Something morefundamental happened. Notjust Democratic politicians but also leaders of liberaldominated institutions discredited themselves: Teachers unions that kept schools closed; university administrators whotolerated violent speech suppression; Biden administration officials whoclaimed to have no alternative to the open borders policy they enforced for three and ahalf years; public health mandarins wholied about maskand vaccine effectiveness and secretly conspired to discredit the lab leak theory of COVID-19 origin; top media outlets, led by The NewYork Times,that routinely suppressed inconvenient truths about former President Joe Biden’sdebility; Hunter Biden’s laptop and the Russia collusion hoax. All these eminences squandered their credibility and forfeited their trust, just as Woolf thought the Victorians squandered and forfeited theirs.

“The summer of 2020 waslegitimately insane,” wrote the critical liberal Thomas Chatterton Williams, author of the recently published “Summer of Our Discontent.” America is recovering its footing, though there’salways adanger of wobbling off to another side. MichaelBaroneisonX,@MichaelBarone.

Michael Barone

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MAHESH KUMAR A.

Acrane loads ashipping container intoatruck at an automated container port Aug. 29 in Tianjin, China.

tablish learning pods,” they write.

In response to the audit and additional scrutiny of learning pods, the charter schools in question have made several changes to operations.

As to the allegation that learning pods parents paid charges they shouldn’t have, the company may end up paying the money back.

“In an abundance of caution, the $511,538 in fees collected will be subject to return following a review with (the Louisiana Department of Education),” according to the response.

It’s not clear, however, if that’s all the money parents paid out. The state auditors note that they lacked the legal authority to obtain all the relevant records from pod operators and consequently “could not determine the extent of fees collected from students and their purpose.”

State law says “a charter school shall not charge any student any tuition or an attendance fee of any kind.”

Charter schools are public schools run privately via contracts, or charters.

Other findings from the audit are:

n Charter Schools USA paid $6.7 million over almost four years to an affiliated company known as BOSS to operate five learning pods, but did so without “board approval, written contracts, or adequate documentation.”

BOSS stands for Blended and Online School Solutions.

n Even after new learning pod rules took effect in April 2023, BOSS failed to notify state regulators about two pod operations.

n Almost $932,000 in bank transfers were conducted without board approval or adequate documentation.

Company attorneys say those transfers were mostly to help the charter school network make payroll when state funding arrived late

n Taxpayers are paying a lot of money to lease charter school property — one 20-

CHEVRON

Continued from page 1B

lower courts that the oil in question was not directly linked to wartime production and therefore the case should remain in state court.

A long legal saga

The case before the Supreme Court relates to one of more than 40 similar lawsuits across south Louisiana, all spearheaded by Baton Rouge attorney John Carmouche of law firm Talbot, Carmouche and Marcello, that seek damages from oil companies for coastal restoration.

The first of the cases was filed in 2013 Though the legal saga stretches back more than a decade, the new filing means that Gov. Jeff Landry and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill are now on the opposite side of the case from the Trump administration.

Landry’s administration argued the case in Plaquemines alongside the parish and Carmouche, and Murrill has been outspoken in support of the litigation.

Murrill said Monday she is

FIRE

Continued from page 1B

Raquel Harris.

Doucet was a “passionate and self-driven entrepreneur, business owner and community pillar,” his family wrote in a GoFundMe post asking for donations for his funeral and outstanding medical bills. Before his death, Doucet was diagnosed with a heart condition and the treatment drained his savings, according to the GoFundMe post.

“For years, Jermaine poured time, love and energy into his community and customers,” his family wrote.

“Without corporate safety nets or employer-sponsored health insurance, he self-insured, knowing the value of personal responsibility.” Harris owned an estheti-

the Iberville Charter board.

year lease is set for $13.9 million more than the original cost of the school — without “documentation demonstrating the lease represented fair market value.”

n Records requested by auditors were not provided in a timely manner — one request took 184 business days to complete — and were in some cases “redacted, incomplete, or inadequate.”

The South Louisiana Charter Foundation is the official target of the audit. The nonprofit foundation has no employees but has a board of directors. That board manages contracts for two charters: Iberville Charter Academy in Plaquemine and South Baton Rouge Charter Academy in Baton Rouge

Both schools are operated by Charter Schools USA. The audit largely centers around the actions of that company and its affiliates.

The legislative audit focuses on Iberville Charter Academy and its learning pods spread across south Louisiana whose students were simultaneously on the school’s rolls. The pods operated in Baton Rouge, Breaux Bridge, Houma, Gonzales, Lafayette, Metairie, Pierre Part, Prairieville and Thibodaux.

From 2014 to 2019, its first five years in operation, the school’s enrollment ranged from 200 to 300 students who all lived within driving distance of Plaquemine After it embraced learning pods in other parts of the state, Iberville Charter’s enrollment shot up and currently tops 500 students.

Two members of the South Louisiana Charter board and two former principals of Iberville Charter who were interviewed by auditors professed little knowledge of these far-flung satellite campuses at that time.

Auditors blame Charter Schools USA for failing to supply board members and the public with more information about what they were doing with the pods.

For instance, none of the $6.7 million it spent with BOSS, its affiliate that ran the pods, was approved by

standing behind the lawsuits.

“When the Supreme Court gets past the smoke and mirrors, it will see there’s no federal contractor connection,” Murrill said. “But as I’ve said before, it won’t matter whether we are in state or federal court for this small group of lawsuits. The jurors are the same people.”

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a friend of the court filing, meaning that while it is not a party to the lawsuit, it claims a significant interest in its outcome.

Since the cases were filed, oil companies have tried three times to remove the cases to federal court. That effort has so far been unsuccessful. In 2022, a split threejudge panel at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to state court and it moved forward to trial.

Carmouche, working for Plaquemines Parish, won the case in April after a monthlong trial, successfully convincing a jury that the company did not properly clean up after it ceased oil production.

But before the trial started, Chevron had appealed the 5th Circuit’s ruling that the case belonged in state court and the Supreme Court agreed to

cian business specializing in lashes and brows. Her daughter attended a charter school in Opelousas, loved to draw and dance.

Her family started a GoFundMe to help have Harris and her daughter transported back to North Carolina so they can be buried closer to family

“Their passing has left a deep ache in our hearts and a void that can never be filled,” her family wrote “(They) will be remembered for their warmth, love and light. Though their time with us was far too short, their impact will live on in the hearts of everyone who knew them.”

Since news of the family’s death, messages of support have rolled in on social media

Most people expressed shock and sadness. A few shared videos of Doucet, including snippets of amateur movies he’d written and starred in.

RISHER

“The absence of written agreements, detailed invoices, board oversight, and proper financial disclosures significantly undermines the (board)’s ability to demonstrate fiscal accountability, ensure transparency, and comply with public fund stewardship obligations,” the audit says.

The audit has been long in the making. It grew out of a highly critical 2022 audit commissioned by the state Department of Education and conducted by the nonprofit group TenSquare That audit concluded that the Iberville Charter contract should be revoked — an attorney for Iberville Charter criticized that inquiry, saying it was “of no value and should be totally disregarded.”

The response to the latest audit is less provocative, consisting largely of additional background and context for the auditors to consider

For instance, to the finding that the company dragged its feet in fulfilling document requests, attorneys blame the “voluminous nature of the records requests,” saying they “required extensive compilation and review of documents spanning multiple years of operations across various areas.” They also note that during this time the company’s electronic records system “abruptly shut down,’ creating “substantial delays.”

The audit ends with 16 recommendations, including:

n Work with the state on correction plans for “past fee collection” and for pods that were not authorized under state rules.

n Amend Iberville’s charter agreement to spell out “specific penalties for delays in providing requested records” and to require that “all financial, educational, and operational records” be stored in Louisiana, not just at corporate headquarters in Fort Lauderdale.

n Require board members and senior management to receive regular training on fiduciary responsibilities and charter school governance standards.

hear that appeal.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear the case in the fall. If it were to rule in favor of Chevron, some or all of the 40 cases in Louisiana could move from state to federal court.

Vic Marcello, a lawyer on Carmouche’s legal team, said a federal judge could vacate the Plaquemines verdict if the Supreme Court sends that case to federal court.

Republican attorneys general from seven states, led by West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, filed briefs arguing that the cases belong in federal rather than state court.

So did the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Louisianabased free-market think tank

The Pelican Institute, and six Republican senators, led by U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. The lawmakers argued in their brief that “a party acting on behalf of the federal government should not have to litigate claims in potentially hostile venues” referring to the local Louisiana parishes where the cases were filed.

Email Alex Lubben at alex.lubben@theadvocate. com.

Doucet and his family “welcomed us with open arms” to eat some “real soul food” at the diner Ginn Williams posted on Facebook. The “tragedy has shut down my entire train of thought,” she wrote “You will be missed Trigga,” Blaire Boww wrote on Facebook. “Definitely brought life to everyone around you and was always ready for a laugh. You will definitely be missed, dude.”

Familyandfriendsmourned Harris, who was “the sweetest person ever,” Tai-Yah Lee Latta wrote on Facebook. “I used to call her mini because she was small and her voice was too. But she had HUGE dreams and aspirations,” she wrote. “She was a beautiful business owner who loved what she did She built her brand from the ground up and she gave back to the community.”

Continued from page 1B

the athletic department,” Terro said. “Just being able to travel — if you’re a sports fan, you get to be front row literally seeing all the things happen.”

Still, Terro said he believes it goes back to service.

He recognized how a quick interaction with Mike can be a game changer for a kid in the stands, a fellow student or a longtime fan.

“A mediocre interaction with Mike is a bad interaction,” Hale said. “We want every interaction to be memorable, and we never know when it’s someone’s first time to meet Mike.”

Terro said that sense of responsibility has shaped his perspective, and he believes it will continue to shape him for years to come.

“This, more than anything, has taught me service and sacrifice and putting someone else first,” Terro said. “Putting the team, putting Mike before myself — it’s just finding the beauty in service and giving back to people.”

Joy outweighs the work

The Team Mike schedule is demanding.

Game days are especially intense, with early mornings and being among the first to arrive at Tiger Stadium.

“And we’re the last ones to leave. We meet three times a week whether it’s for social media, for scheduling, grooming, costume — whatever it is, just getting everything in order,” Terro said “Obviously we’re collegiate, but I’d say it’s a professional gig.”

Occasionally, they meet celebrities and get frontrow views to history

For Terro, though, it goes back to the individual interactions with fans.

“To really be able to make a difference in

someone’s life, at least for me, is why I continue to do it and what sticks out to me the most,” Terro said.

Dancing is also a part of the job.

“It’s always nice to hit the Griddy, which is like an LSU staple,” Terro said.

“Everybody knows the Griddy Everybody knows how to jig.”

Everyone except me. I had to get a lesson on the jig. (This Baton Rouge staple is not a dance move I’ll be bringing to the dance floor.)

But Terro would have been

try and teach me. He’s that kind of guy

Maybe that’s the secret of Mike the Tiger — the magic is in the mask, but the heart is in the helpers.

PROVIDED PHOTO By BRANSEN PHILLIPS

From left, Adrew Baughman, Lawson Boudreaux, Landon Terro, Christian Rodriguez-Fierro, Noah Ellender and Matthew Burmaster take a picture with Mike the Tiger as LSU’s 2025-26 Team Mike

STAFF

PHOTO By JAN RISHER Team Mike captain Landon Terro gives Jan Risher a behind-the-scenes tour of Mike the Tiger’s wardrobe.

SPORTS

FeelingDome-sick

Niners fans make themselves at home on Saints’turf

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

ä UL at Eastern Michigan, 2:30 P.M. SATURDAy,ESPN+

Ilaugh whenever Ilook on social mediaand see fans from an opposing NFL team boast about howthey took over Bourbon Street.

That’seasy to do. Locals aren’t hanging out there anyway

But when fans of an opposingteam take over the Caesars Superdome, that’s atotally different story.That was the case Sunday in the NewOrleans Saints’ 26-21 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

If you sat in the Dome withyour eyes closed, you would have sworn theSaints hadwon based on the crowd noise. There was aloud roar from thesea of

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

LSU coach Brian Kelly said quarterback GarrettNussmeier has been playing through atorso injurythat he suffered in preseason camp and won’tbeable to fully recover until theTigers’ open date later this month.

Although the injury hasnot prevented Nussmeier from startingthe firstthreegames, Kelly said No. 3LSU has limited him at practice to manage the issue. Kelly said Nussmeier developed the injury from throwing a lot before the season.

“He’sbeen slowed alittle bit witha torso injury,and he’s fighting through it,and he’s getting better,” Kelly said Monday.

“He’s not going to be able toreally shut it down until we get to

ä SoutheasternatLSU, 6:45 P.M. SATURDAy,SEC NETWORK

thebye week.” Nussmeier hasstruggled at times this season, completing 65.1% of his passes for 689 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Nussmeier feels “tightness” in his torso,Kelly said, so LSU has decreased his workload at practice.

“You want tobecareful with how manyreps he’sgetting throwing the football,” Kelly said. “He’sovercoming that, but we cuthim down substantially Ithink he’sonthe other side of that, but we had to be really careful with him the first few weeks.”

It was time, so UL coach Michael Desormeauxhad no problem with the team leaders to speak to the squad Sunday It was the day after ahumbling 5210 lossatMissouritofallto1-2 on the season. “I want the leadership to lead, so of course,” Desormeaux said of his response to the gesture. With a2 p.m. Saturday road game at Eastern Michigan up next and then Marshall in the Sun Belt Conference opener,itwas time.This week has a “season at acrossroads” feel to it. Redshirt seniorguard Jax Harrington told the team:“I’ve been on teams that we looked at it (early adversity) in the eye and we just attacked it head on.” Harringtonalsosaidhe’sbeenon teamswhere early strugglesweren’t overcomeand the season wasn’t saved.

“Itrequiresextreme ownership from everyone involved,” Desormeaux said. “It takeseveryone looking in the mirror and saying, ‘How can Idomyjob better to help this football team?’

“When you’re on areally good team and everybody bands together and everybody kind of circlesthe wagons, these types of things can galvanize you. When you’re on ateam where, thereissome splintering andthings like that, these are the types of things thatkind of break youapart alittle bit.” Theoverriding message with only onemoretuneup game remaining before conference play is to avoid negative influences.

“Unplug from things that are distractions; unplug fromthings that create negativity; unplug from things that don’thelpour progress; andimmerse yourselves in the things that do,”Desormeaux said. “Immerse yourselves in the film study,right? In the positive conversations, in thepositive relationships, in your schoolwork,because it’s productive.Itgetsyou moving forward, right?”

Desormeaux sees the productivity of diving into schoolwork or such activities as attending church and reading the Bible to bring peace and clarity

“There’salot of negativity,especially when you’re notplayinggreat,” he said “You have to unplug from those things. Otherwise, it can create more doubt. It can createevenmore division.”

Desormeauxalso addressedthe

The great radio commentator Paul Harvey had acatchphrase that punctuated his broadcasts for decades: “And now you know the rest of the story.” If Harvey was commentingon LSU football, he definitely would have used that line. Now we know why Brian Kelly blew up at postgame questions about LSU’slackluster offense after Saturday’s20-10 victory over Florida. Now we know better why LSU leaned so heavily on its defensetocarry

thenight againstthe Gators. Now we know,at least in part, what has been holding quarterback Garrett Nussmeier back. First, let’stalk about what is by farthe mostimportant thing —Nussmeier’s health.Athis Mondaynews conference, Kelly addressed growing rumorsand questions about Nussmeier by revealing that hisstar quarterbackhas been dealing with a “torso injury” since preseason camp Talk about an ahamoment. Therewere at least twooccasions when themedia viewed preseason practices —including ascrimmageinTiger Stadiumone week before the

Clemson game —where Nussmeier was participating but didn’tattemptapass. Kelly said at thetime Nussmeier was on a “pitch count,” but obviously it was more than that. It is now reasonable to think that Nussmeier’sphysical condition played apart in that badly underthrown deep pass in the LouisianaTech gameintended for Barion Brown that was intercepted. Nussmeier said last Tuesday that he just threw abad ball. Butthe reasons for why he has attempted few deep balls (13 attempts of 20-plus yards withfour completions) and why many of his passes have had moreflutter than zip

on them now become clear I’m sure word of Nussmeier’s injury has manyLSU folks thinking back to the torn abdomen suffered in the 2020 Missouri gamebyformer Tigers quarterback Myles Brennan, an injury that effectively spelled theend of his LSU career.Nussmeier’s issue does not sound that dire, but Kelly added that Nuss will not get to fully rest and heal until LSU’sfirst open date. That means Nussmeier will have to play through it this Saturday at homeagainst Southeastern Louisiana (6:45 p.m.,SEC Network) and

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

San Francisco 49erswide receiver Jauan Jennings celebrates his touchdown against the Saintswithfans duringthe game at the Caesars SuperdomeonSunday

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE San Francisco 49erstight end LukeFarrell scores atouchdown as Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor defends in the first half on Sunday.

Rod Walker

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Nussmeier rolls out of

Stadium.

Commanders QB Daniels day-to-day with knee injury

Burrow to have surgery on left toe

Bengals quarterback could miss 3 months

BY JOE REEDY Associated Press

CINCINNATI Bengals coach Zac Taylor confirmed Monday that quarterback Joe Burrow will have surgery on his injured left toe.

“We are working through the details and timelines We will go through the week and get all the information we can,” Taylor said during an afternoon news conference. Taylor did not have a timeline for when the former LSU star will have surgery or how long the franchise quarterback might be out. The turf toe injury is expected to sideline Burrow a minimum of three months.

“I don’t know what a toe rehab looks like,” Taylor said. “I know Joe’s gonna give it everything he’s got. He’s gonna do everything he can to get onto the field.”

It is Burrow’s third major injury in his six seasons since being the top overall pick in the 2020 draft and a major blow to Cincinnati, which is off to its first 2-0 start since 2018 and has postseason aspirations after missing the playoffs the past two seasons.

Burrow left the Bengals locker room on crutches and wearing a boot on his left foot on Sunday after injuring his toe during the second quarter of Cincinnati’s 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars

Burrow was sacked by Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead for a 5-yard loss at the Bengals 35-yard line with 9:02 remaining in the first half. It was the second time Burrow had been sacked in the game. Burrow went into the sideline medical tent. He came out and walked briefly with a limp before heading to the locker room.

“It’s tough right now We’re going to be OK. He’s a strong guy,” wide receiver Tee Higgins said after the game. “We look forward to seeing what the results are.”

Burrow has been sacked 201 times in six seasons, the second most in the league since 2020. The latest injury again puts the Bengals front office in the spotlight for electing to give high-value

contracts to Higgins and Ja’Marr

Chase without properly addressing the offensive line.

“I don’t know how a turf toe injury fully happens, if you get hit or stepped on. I know that potentially he could have been clean for 99% of the game, and the one play is where this happens,” Taylor said.

“I get it I understand where people are going to come from.

They’re going to be very attacking of us. Our style of play got us to a Super Bowl, two AFC championship games and two division titles, and won a lot of games for us. We’re always evaluating how we can protect our players and put

them in the best position possible.”

Burrow’s injury comes at an inopportune time for the Bengals, who play at Minnesota next week to begin a stretch of five straight opponents that made the playoffs last year

“We’re 2-0, and we’ve got a lot of good energy right now,” Taylor said. “There are plenty of things to clean up. We haven’t put our best foot forward or put together our best football collectively.”

Jake Browning will be the starter in Burrow’s absence. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 241 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

What is turf toe?

Burrow is the latest NFL star to be sidelined by turf toe, an oddsounding but extremely painful injury

Its seemingly non-threatening name might cause some to downplay it. But turf toe certainly is no joking matter for anyone who has had to work their way back onto the field from it. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the injury — medically known as a metatarsophalangeal joint sprain — occurs when the ligaments around the joint of the big toe at the ball of the foot are sprained or ruptured, often as a result of the toe being hyperextended. It happens sometimes when someone lifts their heel, but the ball of their big toe remains on the ground, jamming it and causing a hyperextension.

How does it affect athletes?

Turf toe makes it extremely difficult to push off your foot and cut while running. It’s painful and causes swelling. It can sideline players for several weeks or months, depending on the severity of the injury

What are the grades of turf toe?

Grade I: This is the best-case scenario, where there is only stretching of the ligament with swelling and tenderness but no tear This could sideline a player for as little as a week.

Grade II: The ligament is partially torn and there’s bruising with restricted and painful movement with the toe. This could take several weeks to heal.

Grade III: The ligament is fully torn and there could be a dislocation of the joint — the metatarsophalangeal — in the big toe. This likely requires surgery and could take several months to heal.

How is turf toe treated?

Rest, icing and elevation are required, but further treatments depend on severity Stiff-soled shoes or orthotics can help an athlete return faster from a Grade I injury

Someone with a Grade II injury might need a walking boot after a week or two of rest. A Grade III injury could require surgery, all of the above and physical therapy

Jaguars WR Thomas trying to snap slump

BY MARK LONG Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Brian Thomas

is in the early stages of a sophomore slump.

The Jacksonville Jaguars receiver, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, has five catches for 60 yards through two weeks despite being targeted a team-high 19 times. He has a drop in each game, including a critical one in a 31-27 debacle at Cincinnati on Sunday On fourth-and-5 from the Cincinnati 7, and with the Jaguars leading 27-24, Trevor Lawrence delivered a perfect pass to Thomas short of the first-down marker But the former LSU standout turned his head before securing the catch and watched the ball fall to the ground.

“It’s super frustrating,” Thomas said. “Just got to put it behind you and go on to the next week.” Coach Liam Coen said Monday that Thomas has been dealing with a sore wrist, although he was not on the injury report last week.

Thomas and the Jaguars (1-1) host Houston on Sunday a chance for the team to show it can handle adversity better than it has in recent years. Even though there was no guarantee that Thomas would have gotten the first down, it proved to be a significant turning point.

The Bengals drove 92 yards and essentially won the game on backup quarterback Jake Browning’s 1-yard plunge.

Thomas finished with four receptions for 49 yards on 12 targets. Equally as egregious as his

JOHN RAOUX

meaningful games.

“We’re all frustrated at different times, and we want to make that play,” Lawrence said “But just not much to say there. I think he understands the situation, and it is what it is.

“There’s not much to say Guys know We all got to just own our part, move on and improve.”

What’s working

Jacksonville’s rushing attack was stout for the second consecutive week. The Jags finished with 139 yards on the ground against the Bengals and now lead the league in rushing heading into Monday night games. Travis Etienne had 71 yards rushing, and rookie Bhayshul Tuten added 42 more. Jacksonville is averaging 169.5 yards rushing a game.

What needs help

The Jaguars were flagged five times over nine plays in the second quarter for illegal shifts. All of them were declined, but the penalties were a glaring misstep for a team playing its first road game under a new regime.

Coen said the staff put “too much on” players with pre-snap movements and silent cadences.

WASHINGTON Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is dealing with a knee injury and coach Dan Quinn said Monday the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year’s status for the team’s next game is up in the air The Commanders (1-1) host the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday “He did have an MRI and he has already begun his return-to-play process with us. He is truly dayto-day,” Quinn said during a video conference with reporters.

Daniels was hurt in Washington’s 27-18 loss at the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. The former LSU quarterback was sacked four times and faced pressure throughout the game from a blitz-heavy Packers defense. Marcus Mariota is Washington’s backup at the position.

Vikings QB McCarthy out with sprained right ankle

EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will probably miss at least the next game with a sprained right ankle, coach Kevin O’Connell said on Monday, and running back Aaron Jones is likely to join him on the sideline with a hamstring injury

McCarthy didn’t miss any time during Minnesota’s 22-6 loss to Atlanta, passing an initial medical evaluation and getting his foot taped up for extra support. The ankle pain predictably worsened overnight, O’Connell said.

The Vikings weren’t planning to put McCarthy on short-term injured reserve, so his injury status is considered week-to-week.

Carson Wentz, the 10th-year veteran who just joined the Vikings two weeks ago, is in line to start against the Bengals.

Jets QB in concussion protocol; status uncertain

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields remained in the concussion protocol Monday, and his availability for the team’s next game is uncertain.

Coach Aaron Glenn said Fields will continue to be evaluated after the quarterback was hurt late in the Jets’ 30-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday

If Fields is unable to play next Sunday at Tampa Bay, veteran backup Tyrod Taylor would start for New York.

Fields fell backward when he was sacked by Joey Bosa in the fourth quarter and the back of his helmet hit off the turf. He was down for a few moments before he was able to get up and walk off under his own power

Duplantis snags another world record in pole vault

TOKYO Mondo Duplantis captured his third world championship on Sunday It was another world record — the 14th time he’s set it — by clearing the bar at 6.30 meters.

Duplantis cleared it on his third and final attempt.

After clearing 6.10, the former LSU athlete imitated Japanese baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki’s pre-bat sleeve-tugging routine.

“My brother was in the crowd and he plays baseball, so I was trying to fire him up,” Duplantis said. “And the Japanese people, if they understood it, it was just something fun.”

The Louisiana-born phenom who competes for his mother’s native Sweden collected $70,000 for the win along with the $100,000 bonus that goes to record breakers at world championships.

Hall of Fame goaltender

Giacomin dies at age 86

Ed Giacomin, a Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender and one of the faces of the New York Rangers franchise in the 1960s and ’70s, has died. He was 86.

drop was a first-half play in which he stopped running across the middle, prompting CBS analyst Logan Ryan to call it a “business decision.” Thomas also appeared to duck on a pass in the end zone early in the fourth quarter

“Just got to be better,” Thomas said. “Go catch the ball. It’s plain and simple. Just go catch the ball.” Thomas caught 87 passes for

1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He was so impressive that Jacksonville’s new regime decided to move on from fellow receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis and build coach Liam Coen’s offense around Thomas. But Thomas had drop issues throughout training camp and the preseason red flags that now appear to be trickling into

“That’s something that we have to be better at as coaches and go figure out,” he said.

Key number

5: Number of games Lawrence missed last season after Houston LB Azeez Al-Shaair’s violent forearm blow to the face. On Sunday, they will meet on the same field for the first time since the incident.

Giacomin died of natural causes, a Rangers spokesperson said after the organization learned of the news from his family A spokesperson for the NHL Alumni Association said Giacomin died at his home Sunday night.

Known for puck-handling and leaving the crease before it was common practice for netminders, Giacomin won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie in 197071 and backstopped New York to the Stanley Cup Final in ’72. Giacomin was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CAROLyN KASTER Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow goes down after being tackled during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in Cincinnati. Burrow injured a toe and is expected to be out for three months.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By

Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas runs to score a touchdown against the Panthers on Sept. 7 in Jacksonville, Fla. Thomas has been struggling to catch passes this season with drops in the first two games.

Kelly apologizes for outburst with reporter

BY KOKI RILEY and WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

LSU coach Brian Kelly addressed why he went off after the first question of his postgame news conference after the Tigers’ 20-10 win over Florida and apologized to the reporter

Kelly opened his news conference Monday by addressing his reaction when asked Saturday about LSU’s offensive issues. Kelly said he texted with WBRZ-TV sports director Michael Cauble and apologized for how he handled the exchange.

“I think it’s important to understand that my standards relative to how we work with the media on a day-to-day basis need to be higher,” Kelly said, “and I take responsibility for that, and I’ll be better in the future.”

Kelly added that emotions run high after a game and that it’s hard for him to make specific assessments before he has watched film. He said he wanted to “defend” his players after the win, not wanting to focus at the time on what the team needed to improve

“But having said that I publicly apologize to Mike,” Kelly said. “He’s an outstanding reporter, he works hard and we’ll do better moving forward.”

LSU scored one offensive touchdown and gained 316 yards against Florida. Though Kelly did recognize LSU has to play better on offense, he thought the Tigers did what it took to win by controlling field position and playing to their

RABALAIS

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next week at No. 13 Ole Miss (2:30 p.m., ABC).

Now to the earlier issue of Kelly’s postgame blowup at questions from WBRZ sports director Michael Cauble about the offense, particularly the lack of a running game, Kelly personally apologized to Cauble and again did so publicly at Monday’s news conference. Cauble’s questions about the offense — which has generated just 53 points this season, not

LSU

Continued from page 1C

LSU plays Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday night before traveling to No. 13 Ole Miss next week. It then has its first open date of the season before playing three straight SEC games. Kelly does not expect the issue to affect Nussmeier throughout the season, saying it will improve the most when he can rest during the open date.

“I think with the bye week after Ole Miss, we should be in a great place,” Kelly said.

Late in preseason camp, there were a couple of practices open to the media in which Nussmeier did not throw Kelly said at the time LSU wanted to manage his workload because he had thrown a lot over the summer, but he did not mention the injury

Nussmeier also reaggravated a preexisting case of patellar tendinitis in his left knee Aug. 6, Kelly said. He practiced fully again a few days later with a brace, which Nussmeier has not worn during games this season.

Nussmeier ranked fifth nationally with 4,052 yards passing in his first season as a starter in 2024. Through three games this season, he is ninth in the SEC in yards passing. LSU has averaged 20 points per game, which ranks last in the conference It has scored only five offensive touchdowns

Last week, Nussmeier was asked whether an injury or mechanical issue contributed to an interception he threw against Louisiana Tech when he underthrew open wide receiver Barion Brown on a deep ball down the left sideline. Nussmeier said no, adding he “just didn’t make the throw.”

UL

Continued from page 1C

team’s injury situation.

As expected, defensive back Maurion Eleam will be out for “an extended period of time” because of a “lower-body injury,” Desormeaux said.

defense, which intercepted Florida quarterback DJ Lagway five times.

After Kelly made an opening statement Saturday, Cauble asked what he had seen from the offense, and Kelly cut off him off. Kelly raised his voice as Cauble asked follow-up questions about LSU’s third-down offense and struggling run game.

In part, Kelly said “you’re spoiled” and called the questions “out of line.” He took responsibility for the rant Monday

“I have to do a better job of handling myself in those situations,”

Kelly said on the SEC Network.

“I’ll do better Because I think everybody knows there’s emotion, those questions can be such that you want to defend your team and you want to defend your players.

“That’s your first reaction after a great win But like I said, I’ve been doing it a long time, but I can do better I can learn and handle myself in a better fashion as well.”

Update on West Weeks

LSU fifth-year senior linebacker

West Weeks‘ calf strain, an injury he suffered Saturday against Florida, is not believed to be a “long-term situation,” Kelly said on the SEC Network on Monday

During his appearance on SEC

This Morning, Kelly stated Weeks will wear a walking boot Monday and Tuesday before the Tigers attempt to get him on the practice

field.

“(It’s) much better news than what we thought at first,” Kelly said.

counting Dashawn Spears’ picksix Saturday — were valid and justified. The timing of the questions, which came at the start of the postgame Q and A, perhaps could have been better But they were questions that deserved to be asked Conversely, Kelly has the right to take issue with a question and to take up for his team, which had just scored a 10-point victory in its SEC opener Florida’s loss the previous week to South Florida didn’t change the fact that Kelly clearly saw this as a huge and dangerous game. It was, in most respects, bigger than LSU’s season-opening win at Clemson, into

LSU’s vertical passing game has struggled, a potential side effect of Nussmeier’s limitations in practice Nussmeier is 4 of 13 for 132 yards, one touchdown and one interception on throws of more than 20 yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus.

Kelly said LSU hasn’t been able to practice deep passing plays much until last week, but now that Nussmeier has “turned a corner,” it will build its offense around him.

“You’re not working on it as much in practice,” Kelly said.

“When you get your shots, you want to be able to take them. But we’re not doing a lot in practice.

We’re starting to pick up that pace. We started a little bit last week. We’ll continue to pick it up more this week.”

In LSU’s 20-10 win over Florida, Nussmeier completed 55.6% of his passes for 220 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He completed 10 of 11 passes at one point, including a 23-yard touchdown to Zavion Thomas, but he went 4 of 10 the rest of the game.

After Nussmeier threw an interception back across his body early in the fourth quarter, LSU did not attempt a pass on its final two possessions. Kelly said LSU managed the game to prioritize field position and lean on a defense that had five interceptions.

“We’re taking some plays away from him as well,” Kelly said

“And he’s done a really good job. I think he managed the run game as well as he has all year We got to let him get the ball out to the playmakers. That will be more of what has to happen And then we’ve got to keep him healthy That’s the most important thing.”

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

He suffered the strain in the third quarter and did not return to the game after landing awkwardly out of bounds while pursuing Lagway Weeks finished with 12 total tackles and a tackle for loss.

LSU adds QB pledge

Four-star quarterback and Class of 2027 prospect Peyton Houston has

which the Tigers poured so much effort and attention. The Saturday night tirade made national news, and I’m sure it made memes on social media (I’m glad to say I’m not that bored to go and look for them).

A teaser about it was on the bottom of the screen during ESPN’s “SportsCenter” after the game, not a reference to LSU’s important victory You would have to scour national media again to find any reference to Kelly’s Monday apology, which in my opinion with all the circumstances taken into account was more than adequate. What Kelly didn’t take into account Saturday night was that

committed to LSU, he announced in a ceremony at Evangel Christian Academy on Monday Houston is the No. 11 quarterback in the nation and the No. 6 prospect in Louisiana for 2027, according to the 247Sports Composite. He attends Evangel Christian in Shreveport. Houston chose LSU over South-

the questions were about seasonlong issues with the offense. The concern for this LSU team is the opposite of 2023, but similar nonetheless. That season, a championship-caliber offense led by Heisman-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels was likely kept out of the four-team College Football Playoff by a historically inept LSU defense. Through three games, the concern this season is that a championship-caliber defense could be kept out of the now 12-team CFP by an offense that is ranked 94th or worse in total offense, scoring offense, rushing and red-zone production.

ern Cal, Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma. Houston is LSU’s first committed player for the Class of 2027. He’s one of three quarterbacks ranked among the top-10 players in the state. Dunham five-star recruit Elijah Haven and Benton High four-star prospect Malachi Zeigler are the other two top quarterback recruits in the state.

LSU does not have a quarterback committed to its 2026 class. The Tigers have the No. 11 class in the nation and hold commitments from six top-100 prospects.

LSU-Ole Miss game time

LSU’s trip to Ole Miss on Sept. 27 will kick off at 2:30 p.m. and be televised on ABC, the Southeastern Conference announced Monday LSU took down Florida 20-10 at home on Saturday to improve to 3-0. The Tigers offense failed to score in the second half, but their defense intercepted Florida five times. LSU’s only points in the second half came on a pick-six by sophomore safety Dashawn Spears Ole Miss also improved to 3-0 on Saturday after defeating Arkansas 41-35. After taking a 31-28 lead at halftime, the Rebels scored 10 unanswered points to pull away from the Razorbacks in the second half. This Saturday, LSU hosts Southeastern Louisiana. The game is set to kick off at 6:45 p.m and will be televised on the SEC Network. Ole Miss faces Tulane at home on Saturday Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m., and the game will be available on ESPN.

Kelly said LSU crafted a more conservative offensive approach against Florida because the Tigers defense has been so good. For example, Kelly punted three times when analytics said to go for it on fourth down. Going forward, he admitted that will have to change.

“We’re going to have to do both,” Kelly said, “rely on the defense and be more aggressive on offense.”

“The rest of the story” is set to unfold.

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

WALKER

Continued from page 1C

red when the 49ers scored their first touchdown. Those roars got even louder with chants of “DEFENSE, DE-FENSE” later in the game as the Saints tried to rally for a victory

“Didn’t like it,” Saints defensive end Cam Jordan said. “I didn’t like the noise coming from them especially when Saints Nation has been so strong for so long. One of the rare instances when you could hear the opposing crowd. We’ve got to give our team more ways to win. We’ve got to figure out how to give the city more hope. Hopefully that never happens again.”

To the 49ers’ credit, they have a passionate fan base. They always travel well for road games, just like Saints fans do. And when it comes to traveling for NFL games, the city of New Orleans is always a destination spot So seeing folks dressed in red and gold throughout the French Quarter all weekend wasn’t a surprise

But to see what felt like a 60-40 split (perhaps even 50-50) and 49ers faithful filling up most of the Dome’s lower level in Week 2 of the season was alarming, a

clear sign of the growing frustration of Saints fans who would rather sell their tickets than watch.

“It’s definitely frustrating when you come to a home game and you can’t even hear your own cadence,” right guard Cesar Ruiz said. “Even before the game when we came out the tunnel and I saw all that red, I said, ‘Dang.’ But even in these situations, we still have to go out there and handle business.”

Simply put, the Saints haven’t been doing that. A building that had been one of the most intimidating venues in the NFL during the Sean Payton-Drew Brees era all of a sudden isn’t. Sunday’s loss was the Saints’ fifth consecutive defeat in the Dome. You have to go all the way back to 2005 to find the last time the Saints lost that many home games in a row, but that season deserves an asterisk. The Saints had to pack their bags and play their home games out of town because of Hurricane Katrina. The last time the Saints lost five straight games in the Dome was at the end of the 1994 season and beginning of 1995.

These are the growing pains that come with a rebuild for a franchise that hasn’t made the

Francisco

fans celebrate after beating the Saints 26-21 at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday.

playoffs since the 2020 season. Since then, the Dome hasn’t really rocked like it used to. The loudest it’s been was the Halloween 2021 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when the place erupted as P.J. Williams picked off a Tom Brady pass and returned it for a touchdown. The decibel levels also got high at the beginning of last season when the Saints lit up the scoreboard for 47 points in a seasonopening win over the Carolina Panthers. And again two weeks after that when what looked like a high-powered Saints offense was 2-0 entering the game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now, the Saints are 3-14 over their last 17 games. The Dome, especially on this particular Sunday, lost a bit of its swagger Saints center Erik McCoy would much rather hear his own quarterback than a noisy crowd.

“It sucks,” McCoy said.

But McCoy and his teammates know the cure, and there’s only one.

“We’ve got to win,” McCoy said. “It’s pretty simple. If we win some games, that changes.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

On the offensive line, starting left guard Kaden Moreau is expected to return Saturday, but reserve right guard Mackey Maillho is “probably doubtful” to play against Eastern Michigan

“We didn’t play very good on offense on offense and defense, we didn’t play very well,” Desormeaux said. “We didn’t give ourselves a chance.”

Desormeaux thought true freshman offensive guard Jakoby Isom “played really well” against Missouri, and newcomers Matt Broussard and J’Marion Gooch “did some good things.” Film study of Saturday’s game verified what everyone saw Saturday — the Cajuns not only were outclassed by No. 25 Missouri but they also played poorly.

The only bright side for UL is Eastern Michigan may have had players give similar speeches Sunday The Eagles are 0-3 with losses to Texas State 52-27, Long Island 28-23 and Kentucky 48-23. Eastern Michigan has former Coastal Carolina quarterback Noah Kim, and the Eagles have 16 more first downs and 589 more yards passing than the UL offense.

The one good figure on the stat sheet for the Cajuns is the Eastern Michigan defense is giving up 291.7 yards rushing per game.

“We’re playing at their place, so they’re going to be ready to play,” Desormeaux said. “We need to go play well is what we need to do.” Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

San

49ers

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU coach Brian Kelly motions during the first half between the Tigers and Florida Gators on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

BY LUKE JOHNSON AND MATTHEW PARAS Staff writers

Vernon Broughton made his New Orleans Saints debut Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, but his follow-up performance will have to wait.

Broughton suffered a hip injury against the 49ers that is expected end his rookie season, according to an NFL Network report. Saints coach Kellen Moore said Monday that Broughton is awaiting a final determination before he opts for surgery, but Moore acknowledged that Broughton will be out for “an extended period of time.”

“They’re finalizing all the MRIs and everything, all the tests, today,” Moore said “We’ll figure out an action plan moving forward.” Moore said Broughton will “most likely” go on injured reserve this week.

The Saints used the first of their two third-round picks to select Broughton out of Texas. He was a healthy scratch for a Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but he was active against the 49ers, playing 24 defensive snaps. He recorded three tackles.

“He played some really good football yesterday,” Moore said.

A defensive tackle in college, the Saints primarily used Broughton as a 3-4 defensive end throughout training camp.

New Orleans has several veteran options to help make up for the loss, including Jonathan Bullard and Jonah Williams

Polk’s fresh start

Ja’Lynn Polk had such a rough rookie season that the New England Patriots were willing to trade the 2024 secondround wide receiver after just one year

But that one season wasn’t

SAINTS NOTEBOOK

a new environment for him will be phenomenal.”

As a rookie, Polk had an underwhelming 12 catches for 87 yards, and his advanced stats were even more discouraging. According to TruMedia, Polk’s yards per route run an indicator that’s predictive of future success — was just 0.35, the lowest of any wide receiver with at least 30 targets since 2012, when the data first became available.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said on NBC Sports Boston that the Patriots felt they missed on Polk’s “football character,” adding the wide receiver “didn’t dig himself out of that hole” after he became a backup.

enough to scare off the Saints, who acquired Polk on Saturday for a late-round pick swap.

“It’s (his) first year in the NFL,” Moore said. “I’m not going to overreact to whatever happened in New England. There are some circumstances there We liked him coming out and are excited for where he’s going.” Moore said the Saints did their research into Polk’s time in New England, as well as his path from high school to Texas Tech and Washington. Moore liked the wide receiver coming out of last year’s draft and that the team would “fall back” on the “evidence” it acquired over a number of years Even though the 23-year-old is out for the entire season with a shoulder injury, Moore indicated the Saints can get a lot out of Polk in the long term.

“I feel like we’re bringing in an awesome piece,” Moore said. “I’m excited for him, for him to just get healthy first and foremost. And then (we’ll) bring him in here and

Polk started five of the Patriots’ first six games before he came off the bench in six of his next eight. He also missed two games in that span because of an injury But Polk was a productive player in college, recording more than 1,000 yards receiving in his final season at Washington And the Saints, who sent the Patriots a 2027 sixth-round pick in exchange for Polk and a 2028 seventhround pick, believe they can still tap into that potential after a change of scenery New lids to debut

The Saints introduced new white helmets earlier this year, and they will wear them for the first time against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3, pairing the helmets with their color rush uniforms. It will mark the first time in franchise history the Saints have worn a white helmet for a meaningful game. The

Save the seeds

Apracticefrom thepastmaking comeback.Here are4tipsfrom theexperts

It’s always abit sad to see our summer vegetable gardens peter out as the season comes to aclose. Those once-verdant plants are now fading as the long, hot summer takes itstoll. Though harvests of fresh produce may be dwindling, gardens at this time of year can stillprovide us with something valuable: seeds. Seed saving isn’tascommon as it used to be,but it was away of life for many of our ancestors who lived offthe land and prized self-sufficiency.Itwas how they ensured they had seeds to plant —and food on the table —the followingyear. In recent times, some folks have rekindled an interest in saving seeds. Not only does this practice allow you to make the most of your plantings and buildaperpetual supply of seeds, but it also saves money helps preserve genetic diversity and makes it easy to swap favorite and unique varieties with friends.

LSU AGCENTERPHOTO Envelopes are agreat wayto store seeds.

Kerry Heafner and Marcie Wilson, two LSU AgCenterhorticulture agents, are on amission to encourage people to join the seed-saving movement. Through their North Louisiana Seed Preservation Program, Heafner and Wilson have tracked downseeds for a number of varieties that were once staples of Louisiana gardens but were eventually lost to time. Many were developed by LSU scientistsinthe early to mid-20th century

The program’scollection now includes seeds of varieties that your grandparents might have grown —things like the Red-NSweet watermelon, Louisiana Green Velvet okra and awide range of tomatoes, snap beans and field peas.

It’slargely because of home gardeners who dutifully stashed their seeds year after year that Heafnerand Wilson have been able to rediscover these outstanding varieties and introduce them to others. So, what kinds of seeds can be saved? And how do you do it? Here are some tips from Heafner and Wilson.

Save seedsfromhealthy plants Seeds must be from heirloom, or open-pollinated,varieties that have been pollinated naturally by wind, insectsor animals. Heirloom varieties are usuallymarked as such at the garden center and differ from modernhybrids, whose seeds typically either are sterile or won’tbreed “true.”

Youshould only save seeds from plants grown in isolation

ä See SEEDS, page 6C

“Wethink that’ll be aniceway to getpeople back into the traditional retail setting by offering alittleextraamenity that you’re just not goingtoget on an online shoporanything like that.” GARRETT J. KEMP,Circa1857 co-owner

ALLTHE TALK

PBY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

rized around Baton Rouge for its European antiques, vintage furniture anddecor, Circa1857 might soon offer more thanjust antiques. Co-owner GarrettJ.Kemp has managed the business since 2016, andnow,hewants to reinvent retail.

Beforethe end of the year,Kemp is hoping to open aspeakeasy lounge,aslong as permits and zoningsubmissions go through as expected

“Wereally wanted to figure out away,‘How do we bring in more people back toward atraditional retail setting?,’”Kemp said.

For Kemp andhis husband, Luke Lognion, aspeakeasy lounge is the answer

An openingdateisnot yetofficial because Kempiscurrently acquiringthe proper permits, so it’sstill awork in progress, he said.Itwill be heard by the zoning commission in mid-October

An online store is tricky for an antique business because one-of-akind listings must be immediately

SHOWGIRL ERA

Eloise Market and Cakery’sJuly cookies include

PROVIDED PHOTO

before purchasing, Kemp said.

“Wethink that’ll be anice way to get people back into the traditional retail setting by offering alittle extra amenity that you’re just not going to get on an online shop or anything like that,” he said.

The project has been alabor of love, Kemp said.The spacewill feel like an elevatedcocktailbar, makingitthe perfect spot to grab adrink before or after dinner and hang out forabit.

An inside look

Thearea is still under construction, but the speakeasy spans two mainrooms —alounge room and abarroom with hues of green, gray and blue.

In the bar area, Kemp handbuilt emerald-green shelveson the back wall where bottles will be displayed. In front of the shelves is alonglive-oakslabcounter that Kemp is building with the help of afriend.

updated after asinglepurchase. On the other side, in-personshoppers gettofeel,smelland touch the product, and maybe grab adrink

The walls sport several different wallpapers. Oneisapink wallpaper featuring differentsafari animals wearingtop hats andsuits,

BYJOY HOLDEN Staff writer

PROVIDED PHOTO

Garrett J. Kemp, left, and Luke Lognion, right, co-own Circa 1857 where theyhopetoopen a speakeasy loungebefore

STAFFPHOTO

MADDIE SCOTT

Husband’sgameisn’t really that cute

Dear Miss Manners: My husband andIdine out often. Iuse my napkin and have good manners, but even so, there are times that Iapparently get small particles of food on my face. When this happens, my husband thinks it’sfun to play “food-on-your-face charades.” He will point to his own face to let me know that there is aproblem, then when Iuse my napkin to clean it up, he will say “wrong side” and pointto another place on his face. This can go on three or four times until Ifeel totallyembarrassed and humiliated.

Gentle reader: And that amuses him?

By The Associated Press

Todayinhistory:

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Miss Mannershas no trouble solving your surface problem: Carry asmall mirror in your purse,and check your face yourself.But you might want to consider that the underlying problem also requires attention. Dear Miss Manners: Is it rude, or at least unprofessional, for my urologist to never address me by name and insteaduse theword “pal”? For example: “Hey, pal,”or“Take it easy, pal.” He is about 30 years my junior, but Ihave other doctors younger than him who do not do this. At first, Ithought this was agenerational thing of“being cool” or whatever.But now it just disgusts me, and I’m on the cusp of cutting ties.

TODAYINHISTORY

Today is Tuesday,Sept. 16,the 259th day of 2025. There are 106 days left in the year

On Sept. 16, 1893, the largest land run in U.S. historyoccurred as more than 100,000 Whitesettlers rushed to claimover more than 6million acres of land in what is now northern Oklahoma.

Also on this date:

In 1810, Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo yCostilla called on his parishioners to join him in a rebellion against Spanish rule, marking the beginning of the Mexican WarofIndependence.

In 1908, General Motors was founded in Flint, Michigan,by William C. Durant.

In 1940, SamuelT.Rayburn of Texas was first elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; he would hold thepost for arecord 17 years, spanning three separate terms.

In 1966, the Metropolitan Opera officially opened itsnew opera house at New York’sLincoln Center for the Performing Arts with the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s“Antonyand Cleopatra.”

In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford signed aproclamation announcing aconditional amnesty program for Vietnam war deserters and draft evaders.

In 1982, the massacre of more than 1,300 Palestinianmen, women and children at thehands of Israeli-allied Christian Phalange militiamen began in west Beirut’sSabra and Shatila refugee camps.

BAKERY

Continued from page5C

she’sinspired by Swift’sdrive and dedicationtoher music, along with her ability to inspire women. Burr attended theEras concert and wanted to provide a space in BatonRouge for Swift fans to congregate and celebrate the upcoming album.

“I feel like having alistening party is just ano-brainer because we are awoman-owned business, and we are showingpeople that girlscan do whatever they want to do,” Burr said.

The bakery will be decorated in aSwift theme and will include photoopportunities with “Eras” backgrounds.Burr encourages attendees to come dressed in their favorite era or Swift merchandise and to prepare their favorite Swift tune for Swiftie karaoke.

Burr notedthat the newlocation is ideal for an event like this because of thesize, layout and fenced-in outdoor space.

“Wehave new indoor and outdoor surround sound, so we’ll be taking advantageofthat by listening to the music andhaving like alittle bit of an inside and outside experience,” she said

“The Life of aShowgirl” listening party will also feature Swiftinspired treats and drinks for people to sample,asthe new location will also serve coffee and tea. The event is free and open to the public.

“Wejust wanna get to know everybody and hangout, and it’ll just be afun time for Swifties to get to know each other,” Burr said.

The new location also features aprivate party room and fencedin yard, which will allow for the storefront to be openwhileprivate events or cake-decorating classesare goingon. Burr says she’sexcited that thenew location shares aparking lot with a dental office, so the bakery will

Gentlereader: It is supposed to be cute. Like you, Miss Manners doesn’tmuch care for cute. However,she has noticed that there is hardly away of addressing people formally without the risk of causing offense. Sometimes it is just the use of formality,aswhen aperson addressed as “mister” says, “That makes me feel old.” More often, it is the choice of title, as when a professional title is omitted,ora lady is infuriated because someone guesses wrong about whether she prefers Miss, Ms. or Mrs. Miss Manners is sorry to see honorifics disappearing, because they indicate respect, distinguish between professional and social relationships, and establish stages of intimacy.But unless everyone

calms down,she understands why it is easiertouse kindergarten forms.

Dear Miss Manners: Afriend called me asking if she could crash at my place that sameday.I thought that was super rude. Ifelt very uncomfortable with her just unexpectedly telling me she wanted to stay at my place instead of getting ahotel room She can afford it; money is not an issue. She was visiting someone else, but didn’twant to stay at that friend’shouse because she has a husband andtwo children, whereas Ihave moreroom. Friends need to understand my house is not acrash pad. This is my sanctuary.It’snot an emergency

Gentle reader: Then whyare you treating this as an etiquette emergency?

Of course it is your house, which is whyitshould be easy to tell afriend, “I’m so sorry,but that won’twork. Ihope you find something.”

Miss Manners hates to think of the trouble people might get into if manners required them to yield to every proposition made to them

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

Take alookatthistwo-in-onehint

In 2007, O.J. Simpson was arrested in thealleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia collectors in Las Vegas.(Simpson was later convicted of kidnapping and armedrobbery and sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison; he was released in 2017.)

In 2013, Aaron Alexis,aformerU.S. Navy reservist,went on ashootingrampage inside the Washington Navy Yard, killing 12 peoplebefore being fatally shot police.

In 2018, at least 17 people were confirmed dead from Hurricane Florence as catastrophic flooding spread across the Carolinas.

Today’sbirthdays: Actor George Chakiris is 93. Actor Ed Begley Jr.is76. Author-historianfilmmaker Henry Louis Gates Jr.is75. Country singer David Bellamy (TheBellamy Brothers) is 75. Actor Mickey Rourke is 73. Jazz musician Earl Klugh is 72. TV personality Mark McEwen is 71. Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Yount is 70. Magician David Copperfield is 69. Actor Jennifer Tilly is 67. Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Orel Hershiser is 67. Baseball Hall of Famer TimRaines is 66. Singer Richard Marx is 62. Comedian Molly Shannon is 61. Singer Marc Anthonyis57. News anchor/talk show host Tamron Hall is 55. Comedian-actor Amy Poehler is 54. Singer-songwriter Musiq Soulchild is 48. Rapper Flo Rida is 46. Actor Alexis Bledel is 44. Actor MadelineZima is 40. Actor Max Minghella is 40. Rock singer-musician Nick Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) is 33.Actor Chase Stokes is 33.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Thenew Eloise Market and Cakery is located at 1940 Perkins Road in the HundredOaks neighborhood.

have an entire parking lot for customers during the evenings andweekends.

For Burr,this new location is like coming home. She grew up on Park Boulevard and went to St. Joseph’s Academy,soshe’sfamiliarwith the area.

“All my friends lived on the streetsaround here,” Burr said.

“So Ifeel like thisneighborhood is perfect for us just because alot of our community comes through this area every day.”

The previous location of Eloise Market and Cakery was at 320 Lee Drive and had been open since 2021. Burr closed the first location because shewas looking foralarger space with adifferent layout.

The newEloise Market and Cakery is currently taking preorders forpickup only until Oct. 3. Thegrandopening weekend will also include “Vendor Market Saturday” on Oct. 4and “Family FunDay Sunday”onOct. 5. Formore information, visit eloisemarket.com

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

Dear Heloise: In theAdvocatein Louisiana, Isaw two recommendations in your column that I’d like to add to:

First,wooden cutting boards have been proven to be thesafest option of cutting boards. Detailed tests conducted by at least two universities show that wooden boards remain safe and bacteria-free with minimal upkeep. Just wash them in soapy water as you would any dish or pot.Anoccasional rubdown withcommon mineral oil is acheap and easy way to keep them from drying out.

with the powder; just sprinkle the powder where the bugs will walk in it. Ilive in New Orleans and have used boric acid powder fordecades with great results. —Andy Gallien, via email

the appearance wasactually quite nice. —Nancy,inFlorida

Bedsheethint

Fixing astained counter

Second, boric acid powder is, indeed, agreat way toget rid of manycrawling critters including roaches, antsand silverfish. It isn’tnecessary to mix any sugar

Dear Heloise: Iwanted to write in with aresponse to the man whostained his counter with red wine. Years ago, we boughta homewhere theowner had cleverly repaired aburned area of thekitchen counter.They had set ahot pan next to the stove. They had arepairman cut the burned area out. This was replaced with asquare of heat-tolerant material so that you could set ahot pot on it. The square had ametal border,and

Dear Heloise: My husband and I are older and sleep in separate roomsfor avariety of reasons. We have queen- and king-size beds, and Iusually change the sheets once aweek. But then my husband suggested ahint: Since we each only sleep on one side of the bed, whynot turn the sheets around and switch the pillowcases? Then we could just remake the bed so that we are sleeping on the clean sheets from the other side. It saves us the timeofdoing laundry and folding items. —Karen, in Florida

Send ahinttoheloise@heloise com.

SEEDS

Continuedfrom page5C

from other varieties of thesame species. For example, if you grew morethan one type of okra this summer,those plantsmay have cross-pollinated, affecting the purityofthe seeds’ genetics. The seeds may indeed sprout next year —but they may produce offtypes withundesirable traits.

Isolationdistancevaries

Finally,keep seeds from pestand disease-free plants that were good performers in your garden.

Preparingthe seeds

Many seeds are quitesimple to save. For beans, peas and okra, you can just leave pods on the plants, allow them to turn brown and fully dry,then pluck them.

CIRCA 1857

Continuedfrom page5C

which Kemp bought from Divine Savages, aBritish wallpaper business based in Bath,England.

“Other than the barstools, all of our furniture will be antique pieces,” Kemp said. “Allofour glassware is going to be vintage pieces. Obviously,wehave agood source for it. We’ll be able to swap things out often.”

Kemp plans for the glassware to cycle, so there’ll often be something new.And someglasses may be available for purchase.

Somefurniture pieces have already been chosen, including a

Break or cut open the pods to accessthe seeds. Air dry the seeds for aday to ensure there is no moisture present before storing. It takes afew extra steps to preserve the seeds of veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers that have ajelly-like substance called locular gel around their seeds. You’ll needtoscoop out the seeds, place them in water and let them ferment forabout three days. This process allows the seeds to detach from thepulp and the gel, which inhibits germination. Fermentation can still be beneficial for watermelonsand other kinds of produce that don’thave locular gel.Itseparates seeds from pulp while removingpathogens and boostinggermination rates. After fermentation, spread the seeds in asingle layer on anonstick surface like awaxy paper plate. Allow them to air dry completely,which may take several

pink and green striped antique sofa. Plush armchairs anddim lighting give the entire space an intimate feeling. He plans for the entrance to be on thesame wallasCirca 1857’s entrance and hopesfor apatio area as well.

“We’ll have tons of plants,” Kemp said aboutthe patioarea. “Withmy treecoverage, Iplanonhanging somechandeliers and things from the trees just to kind of keep the whimsical aspect to it.”

Openingdate, hoursand menu

days. Be patient; don’tbetempted to dry seeds in an oven or dehydrator

Storageoptions

Package your dry seeds into something airtight such as envelopes, plastic bags and jars forstorage. Tossing in silica gel packs, rice or powdered milk can help reduce moisture accumulation. Be sure to label the storage containers with the crop, variety and date.

Store seeds in acool, dark, dry place. Abox on ashelf works fine, and so does arefrigerator kept between 35 and 40 degrees. The freezer is great forlong-term storage of heirloom seeds, keeping them viable foryears. For moreinformation on how to save and store seeds, visit www LSUAgCenter.com/SeedPreservationProgram or contact your local AgCenter agent.

Kemp might not officially name thelounge, instead having it as an extensionofCirca 1857. If everything goes as planned, the speakeasy might open in late November or December,hesaid.

Kemp would like the speakeasy’s hours to overlap alittle with Circa 1857’s hours. For example,the speakeasy mayopen around 4p.m on weekdays, giving customers an hour or so to shop around the antique store and then grab adrink. On weekends, the speakeasy will likely open earlier, so customers can make aday outoftheir shopping experience and also visit other businesses on thelot like Leola’sCafe. While the menu won’tinclude food, it’ll have some local, maybe European, beer brands, Kemp said. “I thinkwe’ll have arobustand seasonally changing menu of cocktails,” Kemp said. “And we’ll have somebeers and wines and whatnot as well.”

Hints from Heloise

LSU AGCENTER FILE PHOTO Makesure seeds are fully drybefore storing them.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Get ready to roll up your sleeves and do the work yourself. Take pride in what you do, and the rewards will be forthcoming. An opportunity to spend time with someone seasoned will be informative.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct 23) Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground and your mind focused on what's necessary and how quickly you can achieve what you set out to do Your attention to detail will pay off.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-Nov. 22) You need a break. Shake things up and redirect your energy toward something you feel enthusiastic about, and the tables will turn. Put yourself first and do something that brings out the best in you.

sAGIttARIus (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Change your surroundings to make your life easier and more comfortable. Stop worrying about what others want, say or do when your focus should be on doing what's best for you

cAPRIcoRN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Get out and communicate with people who share your interests Traveling, reuniting with people from your past and paying more attention to those you care about will help you get your life in order.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Today is all about how you make and spend your cash. Look for higher-paying jobs, send out resumes and network with people who share your skills, and you'll gain insight into who's hiring.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Mix business with pleasure and expand your connec-

tions and ability to get ahead. Discipline and hard work alone won't be enough; you'll also need allies and a desire to stay on top.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Focus, and finish what you start. Don't take on too much, or overreact to situations that might cause relationship problems. Join groups that encourage you to choose an active lifestyle.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Spend more time working from home. Too much activity happening around you will be distracting. Avoid discussions with disgruntled associates. Take better care of your health.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Keep your thoughts to yourself until you are ready to proceed. A change will point you in a new direction and encourage you to acquire additional knowledge, certifications or other assets.

cANcER (June 21-July 22) An open and honest approach to personal and professional affairs will help avoid discord. Use your charm and intellect to persuade others to support your plans.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Hard work will pay off. What you do will be noticed. Stand tall and be proud of what you can offer, and you will receive more than anticipated in return.

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

FAMILY CIrCUS

toDAy's cLuE: K EQuALs y

CeLebrItY CIpher For better or For WorSe

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

To what was this commentreferring?

“TheChipalsoreducesthedamagedone by bandits. They stillsteal drinks and cheers along the course,but no longer scramblethepayingrunners’results.No entry fee, no Chip, no time or place. For abridge declarer, it can be acase of no entry card, no contract success as in this deal. HowshouldSouthplantheplayinthree no-trumpafterWestleadstheheartfour and East putsuphis 10?

With all of thoseaces and kings,that South hand is worth atwo-club opening bidevenifyourrangeforatwo-no-trump opening is agood 20 to 22.

South starts with six top tricks: two spades, two hearts (given thelead) and twodiamonds. He canestablish at least three club tricks, but if the defender with the ace can hold up that card until the third round of the suit, declarer will need adummy entry. This can be only the heart queen.

First, this requiresWest’s having the heart king. That is highlylikelybecause withoutthe king, West wouldhave probablyled the nine from aholding like 9-8-7-4-2. Second, South must win the first trickwith his ace, not withhis jack. Then, after driving out the club ace and winning East’s shift, declarer can lead a hearttowarddummy’squeentogenerate

thatvitalentry.Theopeningobservation wasmadebyJoe Henderson about the Bostonmarathon. To stop nonentries suddenly seeming tobedoingwell,eachrunnerhasamicrochipinhis laces. This also gives everyone an accurate start-line-to-finish-line time.

©2025 by NEA,Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

INstRuctIoNs: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAy’s WoRD toRsIoN: TOR-shun: The twisting of abody.

Average mark16words

Time limit 25 minutes

Can you find 23 or morewords in TORSION?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —uPsILoN

pious plus silo slip

soil soul soup spin spoil spun lion lisp loin lupin onus opus

PuzzleAnswer today’s thought “I tell you, No:but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.” Luke13:5

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

Boys & Girls Clubs a big winner at Emmys

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America may end up being the biggest winner of Sunday night’s Emmy Awards.

The afterschool youth programming nonprofit is seeing a donation surge after a controversial fundraising bit at the center of television’s biggest night.

Emmys host Nate Bargatze pledged $100,000 to the group at the top of the telecast — with a twist.

The comedian then deducted $1,000 for every second that an acceptance speech exceeded the allotted time and added the same amount for every second under the limit. Boys & Girls Clubs children stood with the trophy holder for each announcement before retreating into the wings.

The charitable gag failed to restrain many winners.

“Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder vowed, “I’ll pay the difference” while accepting the award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series.

“We (expletive) over the Boys & Girls,” comedian Seth Rogen said as the ticker plunged deeper into the negatives.

With the show nearly over, the sum had fallen below zero to negative $60,000.

The Boys & Girls Clubs “were waiting to see the outcome in real time, like everyone else,” Lisa Anastasi, the organization’s chief development and external relations officer, said Monday in an email.

They ultimately received what Anastasi called a “generous surprise”: $250,000 from Bargatze and $100,000 from broadcaster CBS.

Wall Street on the rise as Tesla vrooms

NEW YORK Wall Street rose to more records on Monday at the start of a week that could show whether the U.S. stock market’s big recent rally has been overdone or prescient

The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% and topped its prior all-time high, which was set last week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 49 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.9% to its own record.

Tesla helped lead the way and rose 3.6% after Elon Musk bought stock worth roughly $1 billion through a trust.

The electric vehicle company’s stock price came into the day with a slight loss for the year so far, and the purchase could be a signal of Musk’s faith in it.

Alphabet was the single strongest force lifting the S&P 500 after gaining 4.5%, which brought the total value for Google’s parent company above $3 trillion.

Trump again seeks end to earnings reports

President Donald Trump again called for an end to quarterly earnings reports, tapping into a long-running fault line in American capitalism over how much information should be disclosed by public companies.

In a social media post on Monday, Trump echoed comments he made during his first term to end the quarterly reports that companies issue to share financial results with investors.

“Subject to SEC Approval, Companies and Corporations should no longer be forced to ‘Report’ on a quarterly basis (Quarterly Reporting!), but rather to Report on a ‘Six (6) Month Basis,’ ” Trump said on social media.

“This will save money, and allow managers to focus on properly running their companies.” The Securities and Exchange Commission didn’t immediately return a request for comment. The SEC mandated for companies to report quarterly in 1970, part of its decadeslong push to increase transparency following the stock market crash in 1929.

China says Nvidia violated laws

Conditions imposed on purchase to prevent monopoly

BY KELVIN CHAN AP business writer

LONDON China accused Nvidia on Monday of violating the country’s antimonopoly laws and said it would step up scrutiny of the world’s leading chipmaker escalating tensions with Washington as the two countries held trade talks

this week.

Chinese regulators said a preliminary investigation found that Nvidia didn’t comply with conditions imposed when it purchased Mellanox Technologies, a network and data transmission company

The one-sentence statement from the State Administration for Market Regulation statement did not mention any punishment but said it would carry out “further investigation.”

“We comply with the law in all respects,” an Nvidia spokesperson said “We will continue to cooper-

ate with all relevant government agencies as they evaluate the impact of export controls on competition in the commercial markets.”

Regulators said in December they were investigating the company for suspected violations stemming from the $6.9 billion acquisition of Mellanox The deal was completed in 2020 after the Chinese regulator gave conditional approval for Nvidia to buy the Israeli company

The announcement, which came as the two sides held trade talks in Spain, is the latest tit-for-tat move

between Washington and Beijing in their trade battle over technology focusing on semiconductors and the equipment to make them.

On Saturday, China’s Ministry of Commerce said it was carrying out an antidumping investigation into certain analog IC chips imported from the U.S., including commodity chips commonly made by companies such as Texas Instruments and ON Semiconductor

The ministry also announced a separate antidiscrimination probe into U.S. measures against China’s chip sector

Shipping companies support new global fee on greenhouse gases

BY JENNIFER MCDERMOTT Associated Press

Nearly 200 shipping companies said Monday they want the world’s largest maritime nations to adopt regulations that include the first-ever global fee on greenhouse gases to reduce their sector’s emissions.

The Getting to Zero Coalition, an alliance of companies, governments and intergovernmental organizations, is asking member states of the International Maritime Organization to support adopting regulations to transition to green shipping, including the fee, when they meet in London next month. The statement was shared exclusively with The Associated Press in advance.

“Given the significance of the political decision being made, we think it is important that industry voices in favor of this adoption be heard,” Jesse Fahnestock, who leads decarbonization work at the Global Maritime Forum, said Monday The forum manages the Getting to Zero Coalition.

The Trump administration unequivocally rejected the proposal before the IMO and has threatened to retaliate if nations support

it, setting the stage for a fight over the major climate deal The U.S. considers the proposed regulatory framework “effectively a global carbon tax on Americans levied by an unaccountable U.N. organization,” the U.S. Secretaries of State, Commerce, Energy and Transportation said in a joint statement last month.

U.S.-based shipping companies, however, have endorsed it. The Chamber of Shipping of America wants one global system, not multiple regional systems that could double charge vessels for their emissions depending on the route, said Kathy Metcalf, the chamber’s president emeritus.

Shipping emissions have grown over the last decade to about 3% of the global total as vessels have gotten bigger, delivering more cargo per trip and using immense amounts of fossil fuels. The IMO, which regulates international shipping, set a target for the sector to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by about 2050, and has committed to ensuring that fuels with zero or near-zero emissions are used more widely

In April, IMO member states agreed on the contents of a regulatory framework to impose a minimum fee for every ton of green-

house gases emitted by ships above certain thresholds and set a marine fuel standard to phase in cleaner fuels. The IMO aims for consensus in decision-making but, in this case, had to vote. The United States was notably absent.

Now nations have to decide if the regulations will enter into force in 2027 If agreed upon, the regulations will become mandatory for large oceangoing ships over 5,000 gross tonnage, which emit 85% of the total carbon emissions from international shipping, according to the IMO.

If nations don’t agree, shipping’s decarbonization will be further delayed and “the chance of the sector playing a proper and fair part in the fight to keep global heating below dangerous levels will almost certainly be lost,” said Delaine McCullough, president of the Clean Shipping Coalition and Ocean Conservancy shipping program director

The U.S. secretaries said in their statement that “fellow IMO members should be on notice” the U.S. will “not hesitate to retaliate or explore remedies for our citizens” if they do not support the United States, against this action.

U.S. and China reach a framework deal on TikTok

BY JOSH BOAK,

SUMAN NAISHADHAM and DIDI TANG Associated Press

MADRID A framework deal has been reached between China and the U.S. for the ownership of popular social video platform TikTok, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said after weekend trade talks in Spain.

Bessent said in a news conference after the latest round of trade talks between the world’s two largest economies concluded in Madrid that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping would speak Friday to possibly finalize the deal. He said the objective was to switch to U.S. owner-

ship from China’s ByteDance.

“We are not going to talk about the commercial terms of the deal,” Bessent said. “It’s between two private parties. But the commercial terms have been agreed upon.”

Li Chenggang, China’s international trade representative, told reporters the sides have reached “basic framework consensus” to resolve TikTok-related issues in a cooperative way, reduce investment barriers and promote related economic and trade cooperation.

The meeting in Madrid is the fourth round of trade talks between U.S. and Chinese officials since Trump launched a tariff war on Chinese goods in April. A fifth round of negotiations is likely to

happen “in the coming weeks,”

Bessent said, with both governments planning for a possible summit between Trump and Xi later this year or early next year to solidify a trade agreement. However, nothing has been confirmed, and analysts say possible trade bumps could delay the visit.

In Madrid, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the team was “very focused on TikTok and making sure that it was a deal that is fair for the Chinese” but also “completely respects U.S. national security concerns.”

Wang Jingtao, deputy director of China’s Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, told reporters in Madrid there was consensus on autho-

rization of “the use of intellectual property rights such as (TikTok’s) algorithm” — a main sticking point in the deal.

The sides also agreed on entrusting a partner with handling U.S user data and content security, he said.

During Joe Biden’s Democratic presidency, Congress and the White House used national security grounds to approve a U.S. ban on TikTok unless its Chinese parent company sold its controlling stake. U.S. officials were concerned about ByteDance’s roots and ownership, pointing to laws in China that require Chinese companies to hand over data requested by the government.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By NG HAN GUAN

Shipping containers are ready for transport in April at the Guangzhou Port in the Nansha district in southern China’s Guangdong province.