State Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet and others hold a ribbon-cutting Tuesday at Prime Time Head Start
Students return to Holy Rosary campus with Head Start
BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer
The sounds of laughter, singing and learning once again can be heard at the historic site of the Holy Rosary Institute in Lafayette.
Prime Time Head Start and Early Head Start have welcomed nearly 60 3and 4-year-olds to its satellite campus and celebrated with a ribbon-cutting Tuesday morning.
“We’re really excited about what this means and what this represents, not
only for Holy Rosary, but what it represents for this community and the people we serve,” Holy Rosary Institute Redevelopment Board President Dustin Cravins said.
“We couldn’t be more thankful to have young people back on this historic campus. It’s very vital to the work we’re doing here.”
The celebration was attended by several community leaders, including Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Blanco Boulet, state Sen. Gerald Boudreaux and state Rep. Tehmi Chassion, Parish
Council member A.B. Rubin and City Council member Kenneth Boudreaux.
The Holy Rosary location is one of four Prime Time Head Start programs in Lafayette and Iberia parishes. Last year, its Immaculate Heart of Mary campus, which serves children from 6 weeks to 5 years old, celebrated a renovation and expansion.
Head Start was first launched in 1965 and focuses on providing comprehensive health, nutrition and education
ä See STUDENTS, page 6A
Trump blasts UN in speech
BY AAMER MADHANI and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS President Donald Trump castigated the United Nations as a feckless institution in a speech to the world body on Tuesday, praising the turn America has taken under his leadership while warning Europe will be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies. His roughly hourlong speech before the U.N. General Assembly was both grievance-filled and self-congratulatory as he used the platform to applaud his secondterm achievements and lament that some of his fellow world leaders’ countries were “going to hell.” The address was the latest reminder
President tells General Assembly institution not living up to potential ä See TRUMP, page 4A
FDA recommendations don’t match studies, many say
BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Staff writer
In a news conference Monday, President Donald Trump repeatedly gave medical advice to pregnant mothers: “Don’t take Tylenol.”
Trump was unveiling new guidance from the FDA that urges mothers to talk with their doctor and minimize the use of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in the popular pain reliever The guidance points to some studies that have found a link between the drug and neurological conditions like autism and ADHD. The announcement swiftly drew
ä See TYLENOL, page 4A
Abandoned oil platforms along La. coast remain untracked
State’s oversight of structures questioned
BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer
BLACK BAY The anonymous log, found months later in an oil platform’s living quarters, documented a worker’s tasks: He pumped oil, cleaned sludge and repaired the structure. Then, abruptly: “Shutting in field prepping to leave Wednesday morning We have red or orange flagging tape on every valve that we closed,” reads an entry dated
Feb 6, 2024. Now, the platform sits rusting and empty in the waters of Black Bay northeast of Buras, just one of at least 879 offshore structures abandoned in Louisiana’s state waters, according to a new analysis by True Transition. The nonprofit compiled its report after discovering a gap in state data: While Louisiana tracks oil wells, it does not track the platforms built to service them. Using satellite images from Skytruth, another environmental nonprofit, and data from the state’s Department of Energy and Natural Resources, the report identifies
more than 1,113 offshore structures within 3 miles of Louisiana’s coastline in state waters. Of those, only 234 appear to be near active oil and gas wells. The rest — 879 — are likely idle or abandoned.
Unlike other states and the federal government, Louisiana does not know where oil and gas platforms in its state waters are located. “We contacted everyone — DENR, the Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office, the Coast Guard and no one could provide a map or a count,” said Megan Biven, the founder of
ä See PLATFORMS, page 6A
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Damaged inshore oil platforms and rigs stand in the Gulf south of Venice.
STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Head Start teacher Khalia Irons passes out stickers to students at Prime Time Head Start at the Holy Rosary Institute in Lafayette on Tuesday.
at the Holy Rosary Institute.
Inmate gets 80 years for making, mailing bombs
STATESBORO, Ga. A person already in prison has been sentenced to 80 years in federal custody after authorities said the inmate built two bombs while behind bars and mailed them to a federal courthouse in Anchorage, Alaska, and the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Federal prosecutors on Tuesday announced the sentence for the inmate authorities identified as David Dwayne Cassady, 57, who was incarcerated in a state prison in Georgia when the devices were made, authorities said. The inmate pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted malicious use of explosive materials.
The inmate has severe anxiety and gender dysphoria, defense lawyer Tina Maddox wrote in a sentencing memo to the court. The crimes were “acts of desperation born out of unrelenting abuse, hopelessness, and mental distress,” Maddox wrote. The defendant is a transgender woman and now goes by the name Lena Noel Summerlin, the lawyer said in the July 8 court document.
The indictment says both bombs were made at a state prison in Tattnall County, Georgia, and mailed from the prison. The document does not detail how the bombs were built or where the materials were obtained
The bombs were functional and had the capabilities to explode, a plea agreement states.
The inmate admitted to mailing them “in retaliation for prison conditions,” it said.
Since the early 1990s, the inmate has been held in a variety of Georgia prisons after being convicted of more than a dozen crimes including kidnapping and aggravated sodomy, according to records from the Georgia Department of Corrections.
The defendant “intended to incite fear” in the targets and among the public, said Rodney Hopkins, the inspector in charge of the Atlanta division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
1 killed, 2 arrested in shooting at Ga. mall
AUGUSTA, Ga. One person was shot and killed Tuesday when a fistfight at a Georgia shopping mall ended in gunfire, according to the sheriff.
Richmond County Sheriff Eugene Brantley told reporters no one else was seriously injured at the Augusta Mall, where SWAT team members went store-bystore to evacuate hiding shoppers and employees
Mall security video of the shooting helped deputies quickly identify suspects, Brantley said. Two were in custody Tuesday afternoon. Investigators were still searching for two others
“It all started as a fight at first, which ended up going from a fistfight to one of the subjects pulling out a firearm and shooting the other one,” said Brantley, adding that the shooting victim was one of about six people involved in the fight.
Gabrielle spins toward the Azores in Atlantic
MIAMI Hurricane Gabrielle churned Tuesday afternoon across open Atlantic waters ever closer to the Azores as forecasters warned residents of the volcanic archipelago to be on guard for a possible strike later in the week.
In the Pacific, Narda was upgraded to a hurricane off the west coast of Mexico after steady strengthening while moving away from land, the National Hurricane Center said. Narda had top sustained winds of about 85 mph Tuesday afternoon, according to a hurricane center advisory
A hurricane watch was issued for all of the Azores chain ahead of Gabrielle. Currently a dangerous Category 4 hurricane, Gabrielle was centered about 1,635 miles west of the island chain by Tuesday afternoon and was expected to still be a hurricane upon its approach there
Thursday Gabrielle had maximum sustained winds Tuesday of 130 mph as a major hurricane and was traveling to the east-northeast at 21 mph.
Forecasters predict Gabrielle will bring up to 5 inches of rain across the central and western Azores.
Man found guilty of trying to kill Trump
Ryan Routh tries to stab self after verdict
BY DAVID FISCHER Associated Press
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The man who was charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course last year tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen shortly after being found guilty of all counts on Tuesday Officers quickly swarmed him and dragged him out of the courtroom.
The jury of five men and seven women found Ryan Routh guilty on all counts that he was facing after about two hours of deliberation
The jurors were on their way out of the courtroom after the verdict was announced when Routh grabbed a pen off a desk and tried to stab himself in the neck.
The pen Routh used to try to stab himself was a flexible pen designed to prevent people in custody from using it as a weapon, so he did not puncture his skin or otherwise hurt himself, according to a person familiar with the matter The person could not publicly disclose specific details of the incident and spoke on the condition of anonymity
As marshals were dragging him from the courtroom, Routh’s daughter Sara Routh began screaming, “Dad I love you, don’t do anything. I’ll get you out.
He didn’t hurt anybody.”
She continued screaming as her father was taken from the courtroom, saying the case against him was rigged. She was escorted from the courtroom and later waited outside with her brother Adam Routh for the motorcade that took their father away
The judge announced Routh will be sentenced Dec 18. He faces life in prison.
Routh’s standby defense attorneys did not have a comment following the verdict. They have served as standby counsel since he took over his own defense and have been present during trial the past two weeks.
Routh had been charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number He had pleaded not guilty to the charges and defended himself in court.
Following the verdict, Trump told reporters in New York that the case was “really well handled.”
“It’s very important. You can’t let things like that happen. Nothing to do with me, but a president — or even a person, you can’t allow that to happen,” Trump said. “And so justice was served. But I very much appreciate the judge and jury and everybody on that.”
Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.
Routh told jurors in his closing argument that he didn’t intend to kill anyone that day
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to represent himself in July The U.S Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney
Man who helped integrate Tenn. high schools dies
BY TRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press
NASHVILLE,Tenn
Bobby Cain, who helped integrate one of the first high schools in the South in 1956 as one of the so-called Clinton 12, died Monday in Nashville at the age of 85, according to his nephew J.
Kelvin Cain
Bobby Cain was a senior when he entered the formerly all-White Clinton High School in Tennessee on a court order He had previously attended a Black high school about 20 miles away in Knoxville and was not happy about leaving his friends to spend his senior year at a new school in a hostile environment.
“He had no interest in doing it because, you know, he’d gotten to rise up through the ranks at Austin High School as the senior and was finally big fish in the pond. And to have to go to this all-White high school — it was tough,” said Adam Velk, executive director of the Green McAdoo Cultural Center, which promotes the legacy of the Clinton 12. Velk added that the 16-year-old had to do it “with the entire world watching him.”
This was a couple of years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that separating public school children on the basis of race was unconstitutional and a year before Little Rock Central High School was desegregated by force. Unlike the Little Rock Nine, the Clinton 12 students were not hand-picked and trained for the job of desegregation. They just happed to live within the Anderson County school district at the time, Velk said. Although the court-ordered desegrega-
tion in Clinton was accepted by state and local authorities, many in the local White community were against it They were soon joined by Ku Klux Klan members and other segregationists from outside the community in a series of protests that led to the National Guard being called in to restore order Cain managed to stick out the year, becoming the first Black student in Tennessee to graduate from an integrated state-run school. What should have been a triumphant moment was marred by violence. After receiving his diploma, Cain was jumped and beaten up by a group of White students. In the end, only one other member of the Clinton 12 made it to graduation. Gail Ann Epps graduated the following year, according to the Tennessee State Museum.
Cain had a lot of anger around his experience at the school and didn’t talk about it for many years. “He didn’t want to remember it,” his nephew said.
He received a scholarship to attend Tennessee State University in Nashville, where he met his wife. After graduation, he worked for the Tennessee Department of Human Services and was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. He never joined in the sit-in protests of the era, quipping to The Tennessee Magazine in a 2017 interview that it was because “you had to agree to be nonviolent.”
Cain told the magazine that he had no White friends at Clinton High School.
“You have to realize that if any White students had gone out of their way to be nice to us, they would have been jumped on,” he said.
He also had to stop playing sports because “the coaches at Clinton told me that none of the other high schools would play against us if I was on the field at the game.”
Trump cancels meeting with Schumer, Jeffries
Democratic leaders accuse president of throwing a tantrum, chickening out
BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent
WASHINGTON President
Donald Trump has abruptly canceled this week’s planned meeting with congressional Democratic leaders, refusing to negotiate over their demands to shore up health care funds as part of a deal to prevent a potential looming federal government shutdown.
In a lengthy Tuesday social media post, Trump rejected the sit-down that the White House had agreed to a day before. It would have been the first time the Republican president met with the Democratic Party’s leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, since his return to the White House.
“I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump wrote in the post.
The president complained the Democrats “are threatening to shut down the Government of the United States” unless the Republicans agree to more funding for health care for various groups of people he has criticized. Trump did not close the door on a future sitdown with the Democratic leaders, but he warned of a “long and brutal slog” ahead unless Democrats dropped their demands to salvage health care funds.
The stalemate over a funding deal or even talks between the White House and Congress to strike a compromise has quickly intensified the risk of federal closures, starting as soon as next week, ahead of the Oct 1 deadline for the start of the government’s new fiscal year
The Democratic leaders swiftly accused the Republican president of throwing a tantrum and running away from the situation.
“Trump Always Chickens Out,” Jeffries posted on X.
In a post directed at Trump, Schumer said Democrats will sit down and discuss health care “when you’re finished ranting.” Schumer said Trump “is running away from the negotiating table before he even gets there” and would “rather throw a tantrum than do his job.”
Trump has been unafraid of shutting down the government and, during his first term, was president over the nation’s longest federal closure, during the 2018-19 holiday season, when he was pushing Congress to provide funds for his long-promised U.S.Mexico border wall.
Thursday’s scheduled meeting would have potentially set up a showdown at the White House, reminiscent of the 2018 funding fight when Trump led an explosive public session with Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
Schumer and Jeffries had been demanding a meeting with Trump to work out a compromise over the health care funds, but the Republican president has been reluctant to enter talks and instructed GOP leaders on Capitol Hill not to negotiate with the Democrats.
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office said that the Democrats are holding government funding “hostage” to their demands for vast amounts of health care funding.
Johnson, R-Benton, led the passage late last week of a temporary funding measure, which would have kept government offices running into November while talks get underway That’s the typical way to buy time during funding fights, but the measure failed in the Senate Democrats refused to support the stopgap bill because it did not include their priorities of health care funds. A Democratic proposal was defeated by Senate Republicans.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon listens to Ryan Routh during his trial Tuesday in Fort Pierce, Fla. Routh is charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump last year at a golf course in South Florida.
U.N. leader warns of ‘age of reckless disruption’
BY EDITH M. LEDERER, JENNIFER PELTZ and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS With global peace and progress under siege, the United Nations chief challenged world leaders Tuesday to choose afuture where the rule of law triumphs over raw power and where nations come together rather thanscramble for self-interests.
“Wehave entered in an ageof reckless disruption and relentless human suffering,” he said in hisannual “state ofthe World”speech. “The pillars of peace and progressare buckling under the weight of impunity, inequality and indifference.”
Butdespite all theinternal andexternal challenges facingthe U.N., he andGeneral Assembly President Annalena Baerbock pleaded with its membersnot to give up “Ifwestopdoing theright things,evil will prevail,” Baerbock saidinher openingremarks.
Secretary-General AntonioGuterres said the U.N.’s founders faced the same questions80years ago, but he told today’sworldleaders at the opening of their annual gathering at the General Assemblythat the choice of peace or war,law or lawlessness, cooperation or conflict, is “more urgent,more intertwined,more unforgiving.”
Guterres said the leaders’ first obligationistochoose peace, andwithoutnaming anycountries, he urgedall parties—including those in the Assembly chamber to stop supporting Sudan’s warring parties.
He also didn’tname Israel but usedhis strongest words againstits actions in Gaza, saying the scale of death and destructionare theworst in his nearly nine yearsas secretary-general,and that “nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
With global support for a Palestinianstate growing, Israel’sdevastating war in Gazaisexpected totake center stage. But humanity’s
U.N. General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock gavels the 80thsession of the UnitedNations General Assembly open TuesdayasSecretaryGeneral AntonioGuterres listens.
myriad conflicts, rising povertyand heating planet will also be in thespotlight TheGeneral Assembly’s
BrazilianPresident Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva —speakingfirst,undera longtime traditiondatingto whenBrazil wasthe only nation that volunteered to lead off —worried aloud that the U.N.’sauthority was waning.
“Weare witnessing the consolidation of an international order blockedbyrepeated concessions to power play,” he said.
bigweek of meetings began Monday with events including aconference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Tuesdaykickedoff the “General Debate” —more of an agglomeration of speeches —inwhichpresidents, prime ministers, monarchs and cabinet members give their annual take on the state of the world and their own nations.
More expertssee genocide in Israel’s conductinGaza
BY MIKE CORDERand MOLLYQUELL Associated Press
THE HAGUE, Netherlands Agrowing number of experts, including those commissioned by aU.N. body, have said Israel’soffensive in the Gaza Strip amounts to genocide, deepening Israel’sisolation and risking untold damage to the country’sstanding even among allies.
The accusation is vehemently denied by Israel, which was established in part as arefuge for Jews after the Holocaust. Others have rejected it or said only acourt can make that determination
Even so, global outrage overIsrael’swartime conduct has mounted in recent months, as images of starving children emerged,adding to the humanitariancatastropheof a23-month war that has killedtens of thousands of Palestinians and laid waste to much of Gaza.
Acurrent offensive in the territory’slargest city further raised concern, with some of Israel’s European allies condemningit.
But thegenocide accusation goes further,raising the question of whether astate forged in the aftermath of the crime is now committing it.
Israeli leaders brand the argument as veiled antisemitism, saying the country abides by international lawand urges Gaza’scivilians to evacuateahead of majormilitary operations. They say Hamas’ Oct.
7, 2023,attack that sparked thewar was itself agenocidalact
In that attack, Hamas-led militants killedsome 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. Forty-eighthostages remain in Gaza, around 20 of whom Israel believes are alive. Israel’s ensuing operation has reduced much of Gaza to rubble andled to famineinparts.Israeli leaders have also expressed support for the mass relocation of Palestinians from Gaza, amove Palestinians and others say would
amount to forcible expulsion.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 65,000 Palestinians have been killed. The ministry —part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals —doesn’t sayhow many were civilians or combatants, but says women and children make up around half.
Genocidewas codifiedina 1948 convention drawn up after the horrors of the Holocaust that defines it as acts “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, ana-
tional,ethnical, racial or religious group.”
According to the convention, genocidal acts include:killing; causing serious bodily or mental harm; and deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculatedto bring about the group’sphysical destructioninwhole or in part.
In areport last week, ateam of independent experts commissioned by the U.N. Human Rights Council concluded the war has becomeanattempt by Israel to destroy thePalestinian population in Gaza and constitutes genocide.
Thegroup, whichdoesn’tspeak for the U.N., said its determination was based on apatternofbehavior, includingIsrael’s “total siege” of Gaza, killingorwounding vast numbers of Palestinians, andthe destruction of health and educational facilities. Israel says Hamas uses such facilities formilitary purposes.
TwoIsraeli rightsgroups have also said it’s genocide.While the groups are respected internationally,their views are not representative of the vast majority of Israelis.
In December, AmnestyInternational used the term,citing similar findings as theU.N.-commissioned experts. “Looking at the broader pictureofIsrael’smilitarycampaign andthe cumulative impact of itspoliciesand acts, genocidal intent is the only reasonable conclusion,” it said.Two weekslater,
HumanRightsWatch accused
Israel of intentionally depriving Gaza of water,saying that amounted to “an act of genocide.”
Israel —where the Holocaust plays acritical roleinnational identity —casts such allegations as an assaultonits verylegitimacy.Itsays Hamas —which doesn’t accept Israel’sright to exist —is prolonging the war by not surrendering and releasing the hostages.
The Foreign Ministry dismissed thereportbythe U.N.-commissioned experts as “distorted and false.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israelcould have committedgenocide “in one afternoon”ifitwanted, implying it has acted with restraint. Experts say there’snonumerical threshold forthe crime.
The Elie Wiesel Foundation, established by the Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor,also rejected the characterization.
“Israel’s actionsinGaza do not constitute genocide —they are legitimate acts of self-defense against an organization that seeks Israel’sdestruction,” it said in a statement.
NormanGoda, aprofessor of Holocaust studiesatthe Universityof Florida,sees theuse of the word as part of “a long-standing effort to delegitimize Israel,” saying the accusations are “laced withantisemitic tropes.”
Iran’s supremeleaderrejects direct talkswithU.S.onnuclear
BY STEPHANIE
AMIRI Associated Press
The German Foreign Office, in comments posted on Xafterthe meeting with Araghchi,saidthatFrance, Germany,Britain andthe
The process —termed a “snapback”bythe diplomats who negotiated it into Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers— was designed to
Khamenei made apoint in his half-hour speech to say hiscomments focusedonly on America, not on Europe.
program
Iranhas long insistedits program is peaceful, though Western nations and the IAEA assess that Tehran had an active nuclear weapons program until 2003. Khameneiagain pledgedthatIran does notseekatomicbombs
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByRICHARD DREW
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANGELINA KATSANIS
People protest the ongoing Israel-Palestine waroutside the United Nations Headquarters during the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly’s discussionona two-state solution MondayinNew york.
for U.S. allies and foes that the United States — after a four-year interim under the more internationalist President Joe Biden has returned to an unapologetically “America First” posture with an antagonistic view toward the United Nations. Trump also sharply criticized the global body for inaction, saying it was filled with “empty words” that don’t solve wars.”
“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump said. “The U.N. has such tremendous potential. I’ve always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential. But it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.”
Afterward, Trump attempted to assuage fears from some diplomats by assuring the top U.N. leader that the U.S. remained “100%” supportive of the global body despite his earlier criticism “I may disagree with it sometimes, but I am so behind it because the potential for peace at this institution is great,” Trump told Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
It was another about-face after Trump offered a weave of jarring juxtapositions in his address to the assembly
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to announce a dramatic shift in his position on the war: He said he now believes Ukraine, with the help of NATO, can win back all territory lost to Russia.
Trump wrote in part in his post.
“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form. With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”
The strengthened support from Trump, if it sticks, is a huge win for Zelenskyy, who has urged the American president to keep up the pressure on Putin to end his brutal war on Ukraine.
at galvanizing support for a twostate solution to the Mideast conflict.
Trump sharply criticized the effort.
“The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists,” Trump said. “This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including Oct 7.”
The president also took part in a group meeting with officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan for talks focused on ending the Gaza war
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criticism and concern from many doctors and medical associations who argued that Trump’s administration is misrepresenting the scientific evidence and potentially giving bad advice
“HHS should release the new data that it has to support this claim. The preponderance of evidence shows that this is not the case,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy the Louisiana Republican who is a doctor and chair of the committee that oversees the health department. “The concern is that women will be left with no options to manage pain in pregnancy We must be compassionate to this problem.”
The new guidance does not go as far as Trump did in telling doctors and mothers to avoid Tylenol entirely
“The precautionary principle may lead many to avoid using acetaminophen during pregnancy, especially since most low-grade fevers don’t require treatment,”
Trump touted his administration’s policies allowing for expanded drilling for oil and natural gas in the United States, and aggressively cracking down on illegal immigration, implicitly suggesting more countries should follow suit.
He sharply warned that European nations that have more welcoming migration policies and commit to expensive energy projects aimed at reducing their carbon footprint were causing irreparable harm to their economies and cultures.
“I’m telling you that if you don’t get away from the ‘green energy’
He trumpeted himself as a peacemaker and enumerated successes of his administration’s efforts in several hotspots around the globe. At the same time, Trump heralded his decisions to order the U.S. military to carry out strikes on Iran and more recently against alleged drug smugglers from Venezuela and argued that “globalists” are on the verge of destroying successful nations.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement. “It remains reasonable, however for pregnant women to use acetaminophen in certain scenarios.”
Here’s what to know about the new recommendations, what the research says, and what other medical experts say What does research show?
Some studies have shown a connection between acetaminophen and autism. But those studies have not proven a causal link, many experts say, meaning it’s not clear whether the drug actually caused the condition.
It’s possible, for example, that patients who used acetaminophen had other conditions, like the ones that led them to take Tylenol.
And some studies, including one published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found no direct association between acetaminophen and autism or ADHD.
“In more than two decades of research on the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully
scam, your country is going to fail,” Trump said. “If you don’t stop people that you’ve never seen before that you have nothing in common with, your country is going to fail.”
Trump added, “I love the people of Europe, and I hate to see it being devastated by energy and immigration. This double-tailed monster destroys everything in its wake, and they cannot let that happen any longer.”
Trump also addressed Russia’s war in Ukraine, once again threatening to hit Moscow with “a very strong round of powerful tariffs” if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not come to the table to end the war
He waited until after the speech, and a meeting with Ukrainian
concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children,”
Steven J. Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, wrote in a statement responding to Trump’s announcement.
What does FDA recommend?
“In the spirit of patient safety and prudent medicine, clinicians should consider minimizing the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy for routine low-grade fevers,” the FDA said in a statement Monday “This consideration should also be balanced with the fact that acetaminophen is the safest over-the-counter alternative in pregnancy.”
The agency said “evidence has accumulated” that using the drug during pregnancy “may be associated with an increased risk of neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD in children,” particularly when used chronically
“These concerns may be magnified by the fact that a very young child’s liver may still be develop-
Trump going back to his 2024 campaign insisted that he would quickly end the war And he’s frequently suggested that U.S. interests in the outcome were limited.
“Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win,” Trump wrote. “This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’”
The president also pushed back on longtime American allies who are using this year’s General Assembly to spotlight the growing international campaign for recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that the U.S. and Israel vehemently oppose.
France became the latest nation to recognize Palestinian statehood on Monday at the start of a highprofile meeting at the U.N. aimed
ing and thus a child’s ability to metabolize the drug may be limited,” the statement said.
What do experts recommend?
Many experts do caution against prolonged, high-dosage use of acetaminophen during pregnancy
But even some researchers who have raised caution about the drug say the conditions that it addresses, like pain and fever, can be more harmful to the fetus if left untreated.
“We recommend judicious acetaminophen use lowest effective dose, shortest duration — under medical guidance, tailored to individual risk-benefit assessments, rather than a broad limitation,” a group of Harvard University researchers said in a study that flagged potential risks.
Both the FDA statement and its critics say other, similar pain relievers, like ibuprofen and aspirin, present a greater risk.
What are the politics of this?
Trump’s announcement Monday was not the first time he and Robert F. Kennedy, the secretary of
“This is my most important meeting,” Trump said “But this is the one that’s very important to me because we’re going to end something that should have probably never started.” The president again made clear that he wants to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, repeating his spurious claim that he’s “ended seven wars” since he returned to office.
“Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Prize — but for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless wars,” Trump said in his address.
Trump regularly points to his administration’s efforts to end several conflicts around the world, including fighting between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, and Egypt and Sudan.
“It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them,” Trump said. “Sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them.”
Health and Human Services, have stirred criticism in the medical community Long a prominent vaccine skeptic, Kennedy fired the entire board that guides federal vaccine policy, and some of the members he appointed to replace them have a history of anti-vaccine statements. The director and other top officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were fired or quit — some of them have said Kennedy pressured them to accept vaccine recommendations without solid scientific evidence. Cassidy, who ran vaccine clinics as a doctor before he entered politics, has questioned some of Kennedy’s actions, saying they put public health at risk. But he has also avoided directly criticizing Trump; the senator is up for reelection next year and faces several conservative opponents who have blasted his vote in favor of impeaching Trump over riots at the U.S. Capitol building.
Email Matthew Albright at MAlbright@theadvocate.com.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI
President Donald Trump speaks to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
PLATFORMS
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True Transition and one of the report’sauthors.
The Energy Department confirmed that it does not track platforms, onlywells “Therehas never been a requirement that operators register individualplatformswith the Office of Conservation, which historically only directly tracked wellhead locations, and many of those platformsserve other functions,” saidPatrick Courreges, an Energy Department spokesperson Arecent analysis from The Times-Picayune |The Advocate found that more than 3,600 wells were likely drilled on land or in marsh and are nowinopen water
TheEnergy Department also does not track whether wells have fallen below the waterline duetoland loss and sea level rise.
Neither of Louisiana’stwo industry trade organizations, the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association nor the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, responded to requests for comment.
Louisianalaw already requires abandoned wells and platforms in state waters to be dismantled at the owner’s expense. Pipelines, too, are supposed to be removed or safely buried. In practice, enforcement is weak. Platforms, like wells, can become “orphaned” when their owners, often smalloil and gas companies, go bankrupt, leaving the state on the hook for cleanup costs. While Louisiana has aprogram for plugging wells, it has no dedicated program or sourceof funding for dismantling the platforms and pipelines associated withthem.
By contrast, federal regulators maintain aformal “Idle Iron” policy, with clear regulations on how and when astructure needs to be dismantled. California, which only has four offshore platforms remaining in its state waters, also requires platforms to be decommissioned when alease ends, according to Sheri Pemberton, aspokesperson for the California State Lands Commission. Texas also maintains a publicly accessible database of platforms associated with oil and gas wells in its state waters. In places like Black Bay Louisiana’slackofenforcement is obvious. The platforms loom over Gulfwaters, clearly decades old and abandoned.
They are not the enormous deep-water oil rigs, like the Deepwater Horizon platform that caused the 2010 BP oil spill. Rather,they are adiverse and striking collection of smaller structures,
built to facilitate drillingin shallower waters.
“When we say ‘platform, it’s acatch-allfor different types ofinfrastructure supportingoil and gas,” Biven said.“These arenot cuttingedge,space-age-looking facilities. Most are oldand not maintained. Many are derelict.”
One apparently damaged platform, in an oilfield east of theBird’sFootdelta at the end of the Mississippi River, looked likeagiant chair.Another was arusting structurewith alarge, collapsed gangway bridge.Whatappeared to be water spurted from abustedpipe attached to yet anotherplatform.
They once servedavariety of purposes. Some housed condensers, amachine that turns highlypressurized gas into liquid so it canbemore easily transported. Others housed workers or served as batteries, where oil is stored before beingpiped to shore.
Leaving these structures in place carries risks, according to the report
Some old platformsconstantlyleak methane, apotentgreenhouse gasthat contributes to global heating. Methane from some active platforms, which purposefully vent thegas indicates it has made its wayinto helicopter engines andcaused them to stall, according to the report
The pipes and platforms canalsoimpede navigation. The Energy Departmenthas fielded hundreds of complaintsofshrimping boats or charter fishermen runningintoinfrastructure left behind after wells were shuttered
If they’re not dismantled or converted intounderwaterreefs, hurricanes can also topple structures. When damagedbyastorm,the report estimates that cleanup costs are 15 times higher Louisiana does have arigsto-reefs program,whichallows operators to sinkparts of theirplatforms to create fishhabitat.
Thereport’s authorsalso advocateagainstreefing more platforms in statewaters, arguing instead that salvaging them provides an opportunity to createjobs andreuse steel components. That steel,the report notes, couldbeprocessed in U.S.based facilities like the $6 billionHyundai steel plant in Donaldsonville thatwill soon break ground.
Reefing more platforms, sheargued, will not provide additional ecological benefit. Louisianahas lost 20,000 jobs in oil andgas production over thepast10years, afigure that thereport cites to argue for employing some
Students wave to guests during aribbon-cutting ceremony TuesdayatPrime Time Head Startatthe Holy Rosary Institute.
STUDENTS
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services to low-income families. It provides free services for families with children from birth to 5years old.
LaDon Freeman-Williams, the director of the Holy Rosary Prime Time Center who has been an educator for more than 20 years,said shewas excited for theopportunity to work with and inspire teachers and students at the school
“We’re here to give children an educational foundation, and the love and the nurturing that the children need in order to grow and excel in their future endeavors,” she said.
Opening asatellite site at the Holy Rosary Institute is just one part of arevital-
of thatworkforce to dismantle platforms. Cleaning up the coast would have aclear upside, thereport argues: If the state prioritized doing it, it would create thousands of well-paid jobs. The report
estimates that decommissioning all platformsin state waters would create between 14,700 and16,500 job-years. (A job-year represents onefull-time job that exists for one year.)
ly 2,800 wells in the state’s coastal waters would create between 3,600 and4,800 job-years, according to the report.
Courreges, the spokesperson for the Energy Department, said theagencywill
aim to track platforms goingforward and locate those that already exist.
“Withthe reorganization of DENR …itishoped that better methods can be developedtohelplocate more non-well platforms,” he said.
ization effort on the 40-acre site.The Holy Rosary Institute on Carmel Street began in 1913 as an early vocational and technical school for Black girls and women. It began admitting Black boys and men in 1947. Themain school closed in 1993. The Holy Rosary Redevelopment Corporation was created in2010with hopes of returning the campusto aplace of prominence with educational,economic, social, culturaland spiritual developments. The 40-acre site is also going to be home to anew Lafayette Public Library
“Holy Rosary matters to thecommunity,” said Prime Time Head Start President and Executive Director Miranda Restovic. “It’s ahistoric place, and we want to be apart of bringing that back to life.”
To plug and abandon near-
PUBLIC NOTICE
UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT EASTERNDISTRICTOF LOUISIANA In re Reilly-Benton Co Inc.,Debtor. Case No.17-12870
NOTICE OF MOTION TO APPROVESETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ANDPOLICYBUY-BACK ANDENTER INJUNCTION
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THATDavid V. Adler, as Chapter 7trustee (the Trustee”)ofthe bank‐ruptcyestate(the“Es‐tate”)ofdebtorReillyBentonCo.,Inc.(“RBC”) has requestedthe U.S. BankruptcyCourt forthe Eastern District of Louisiana (the “Bank‐ruptcyCourt”) to con‐ducta hearingonOcto‐ber 15, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time on a motion (the “Motion”) toapprovea Settlement Agreement between (i) the Trusteeand (ii) Em‐ployers Mutual Fire In‐surance Companyand Employers Insurance Company of Wausau (collectively,the “Insur‐ers”),resolving disputes regarding certainhistori‐cal liabilityinsurance policies(the“Policies”) issued by theInsurersto RBC,orunder which RBC isinsured or mayclaim tobeinsured or entitled tobenefits.Under the terms of theSettlement Agreement,(a) theInsur‐ers agreetopay theset‐tlement amount ($1.4 million)tothe Trusteeon behalfofthe Estate (as definedinthe Settlement Agreement), (b)the In‐surersand theirAffiliates willreceive arelease of all past,present,and fu‐tureClaims, knownand unknown, basedupon, arising from,orattribut‐abletothe Policies,and (c) anyand allrightsand interestsofthe Estate in
mentcan be obtained on the BankruptcyCourt’s website (http://www laeb.uscourts.gov/), or bycontactingcounsel for the Trusteeorthe Insur‐ers at theaddressesset forth below. YOUR RIGHTS MAYBEAF‐FECTEDBYTHE SETTLE‐MENTAGREEMENT AND THE ORDERAPPROVING THE SETTLEMENT AGREE‐MENTAND ENTERING THE INJUNCTION.Ifyou wish toobjecttoapproval of the Settlement Agree‐mentorentry of theIn‐junction,you must file an objection on or by Octo‐ber 8, 2025. Anysuchob‐jection should be filed withthe Bankruptcy Court,at500 Poydras Street,New Orleans, LA 70130, andservedonthe following:(i) counselfor the Trustee, Chaffe Mc‐Call, LLP, 2300 Energy Centre, 1100 Poydras Street,New Orleans, LA 70163-2300 (Attn:David J. Messina messina@ chaffe.com), andK&L Gates LLP, 1601 KStreet, NW, Washington,DC 20006 (Attn:JonathanM Cohen jonathan.cohen@ klgates.com);(ii)the Of‐fice of theUnitedStates Trustee, 600 S. Maestri Place,Suite 840-T, New Orleans,LA70130 (Attn: AmandaGeorge, Amanda.B.George@ usdoj gov); and(iii) l f h
j g counsel for theInsurers, Roedel, Parsons, Blache Fontana,Piontek & Pisano, aL.C 1555 Poy‐drasStreet,Suite 1700 New Orleans, LA 70112 (Attn:Charles M. Pisano cpisano@roedelparsons. com) andThe LawOffice ofWilliamJ.Factor, Ltd. 105 W. MadisonSt. #2300, Chicago, IL 60602 (Attn:WilliamJ.Factor, wfactor@wfactorlaw com) PLEASE ALSO TAKE NO‐TICETHATthe October 15, 2025, hearingmay be continued to alater date orcancelled if the Trustee so requests without furthernotice exceptasprovidedon the BankruptcyCourt’s website Thedescription of the terms of thesettlement contained herein is sub‐jecttothe provisions of the Settlement Agree‐ment. To theextentthere isany inconsistencybe‐tween thedescription of the termsofthe settle‐mentcontained herein and theprovisionsofthe SettlementAgreement the provisions of theSet‐tlement Agreementshall control 159568-SEP24-1T $497.56
(Attn:David J. Messina,messina@ chaffe.com), andK&L Gates LLP,1601 KStreet, NW, Washington,DC 20006 (Attn:JonathanM Cohen,jonathan.cohen@ klgates.com); (ii) theOf‐fice of
tion”). Copies of theMotionand the Settlement Agree‐mentcan be obtained on the BankruptcyCourt’s website (http://www laeb.uscourts.gov/),or bycontactingcounsel for the Trusteeorthe Insur‐ers at theaddressesset forthbelow
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Administration rehireshundredsoflaid-offemployees
BY JOSHUAGOODMAN and RYAN J. FOLEY Associated Press
MIAMI Hundreds of feder-
al employees who lost their jobs in Elon Musk’scost-cutting blitz are beingasked to return to work.
TheGeneralServicesAdministrationhas giventhe employees— who managed government workspaces until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press
Those who accept must report for duty on Oct. 6after what amounts to asevenmonth paid vacation, during which time the GSA in some cases racked up high costs —passed along to taxpayers —tostay in dozens of properties whose leases it had slated for termination or were allowed to expire.
Becker,who represents ownerswith government leases at Arco Real Estate Solutions,saidGSA has been in a“triagemode” for months. He saidthe sudden reversal of the downsizing reflects how Musk and his Department of Government Efficiencyhad gone too far, too fast.
GSA was established inthe 1940s to centralize the acquisition and management of thousands of federal workplaces. Its returntowork requestmirrors rehiringeffortsatinseveral agencies targeted by DOGE.Last month, theIRS said it would allow someemployees who took aresignation offerto remain on the job. TheLabor Department has also brought back some employees whotook buyouts, while the National Park Service earlier reinstated anumber of purged employees Critical to the work of such agencies is the GSA, which manages manyofthe buildings. Starting in March,
“Ultimately,the outcome was the agency was left brokenand understaffed,” said Chad Becker,aformer GSA real estate official. “They didn’thave the people they needed to carry outbasic functions.”
“They didn’thavethe people they needed to carry out basic functions.”
CHAD BECKER, former GSA realestate official
thousands of GSA employeesleftthe agency as part of programs that encouraged themtoresign or take early retirement. Hundreds of others —those subject to therecall notice —were dismissed as part of an aggressive push to reduce the size of the federal workforce. Though those employees did notshowupfor work,they were to be paid throughthe end of this month.
GSA representatives didn’trespond to detailed questions aboutthe returnto-worknotice, which the agency issued Friday.They also declined to discussthe agency’sheadcount, staffingdecisionsorthe potential costoverruns generated by reversing itsplans to terminateleases.
“GSA’s leadership team hasreviewedworkforce ac-
Poll findsAmericans warming to benefits of legalimmigration
BY ADRIANA GOMEZLICON and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX Associated Press
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. As President Donald Trump’sadministration imposesnew restrictions on the legal immigration system, U.S. adults are more likely than they were a year ago to think these immigrants benefit the country,according to anew poll.
The survey from The Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that Americans are morelikely than they were in March2024 to say it’sa “major benefit” that people who come to theU.S legally contribute to economic growth and help American companies get the expertise of skilled workers.The survey also shows that Americans are less likely than they were in January to say the number of legal immigrants to the U.S.shouldbereduced. Slightly fewer than half of Americans say the number should remain the same, asimilar percentage from earlier thisyear. At the same time,perceptions of illegal immigration haven’tshifted meaningfully Americans continue to seefewer benefits from people who come to the U.S. illegally, andthey’remorelikelytosee majorrisks fromthese immigrants, including theconcern that they’ll commitcrimes while in the U.S. On Friday,Trump signed aproclamationto overhaul the H-1B visa program, oneofthe most common pathways for highly skilled foreign workers, requiring nowa$100,000 fee for applications. The Trump administration is also subjecting greencardapplicants to “anti-Americanism” screening, and students applying forvisas now needto adhere to social media vetting.
While slightly fewer thanhalf of U.S. adults say the number of legal immigrants should stay as it is,aboutone-quartersay thenumber of legal immigrants to the U.S. should be reduced “a lot” or “a little.” That marks adecrease from January,when about one-third said this.
The drop is largely driven by Republicans. About 3in10 Republicans now saythatlegal immigration should be reduced, down from 45% in January
About 3in10U.S. adults saythe number of legal immigrants to the U.S.should be increased “a lot” or “a little,” up slightly from January,when 24% of Americanswanted an increase in legalimmigration.
Americans are more likely to see “major”
benefits from people whocometothe U.S. legally and lesslikely to see “major” risks, compared with an AP-NORC poll conducted early last year
About 6in10U.S. adults say a“major”
benefit of immigrantsinthe country legally is that they contribute to economic growth, which went up from about 4in10inMarch 2024.Similarly,51% of U.S.adultssay a “major” benefit of legal immigration is that American companies get the expertise of skilled workers in fields like science and technology,compared with 41% in March 2024.
Carlos Gonzalez, who was born in the U.S. to Panamanian parents, said immigrants “provide alot to the economy of the United States.”
“They bring different ideas thathelp the economy,” saidGonzalez, 53, aDemocrat from Waterbury,Connecticut, adding his mother servedasamilitarynurse in Vietnam. “A lot of people don’trealize that when they do comeover here, they trytoenrich thecountry and not takeaway from it.”
Jeff Witoszczak, of El Paso, Texas, identifies as amoderate Republican and supports Trump’sefforts to conduct large-scale deportations of people in the country illegally, saying he does notthinkthe focus needs to be on those who have committed violent crimes. Witoszczak is married to awoman from Mexico who came to the U.S.legally when she was achild.
“Coming here illegally,that’sacrime in andofitself,” Witoszczak said. “They didn’t follow dueprocess coming in.Theydon’t needdue process going out.”
Americanstendtosee greater risks —and smaller benefits —fromimmigrantswho are in thecountry illegally,and these views largely haven’tshifted since last year
About 4in10U.S. adults now say it’samajor benefit thatimmigrants in the country illegally will take jobsAmericans don’twant up fromabout one-third last year.And 42% say that immigrants in the country illegally contribute to economicgrowth, and 32% believe that they enrichAmerican culture and values. Thosefindings have remained steady since last year
About half of U.S. adults say it’s amajor risk that immigrants in the country illegally willburden welfareand safety net programs. Studies have shown thatimmigrants who work in the country illegally pay local, state andfederal taxes and generally do not qualify for federal benefits.
tions and is making adjustments in the best interest of thecustomer agencies we serve and the American taxpayers,” an agency spokesman said in an email.
DOGE identified the agency,which had about 12,000 employees at the start of the Trump administration, as a chief target of its campaign to reducefraud, waste and abuse in thefederal government.
Asmall cohort of Musk’s
trusted aides embedded in GSA’s headquarters, sometimes sleeping on cots on the agency’ssixth floor,and pursuedplans to abruptly cancel nearly half of the 7,500 leases in thefederal portfolio.DOGEalso wanted GSA to sell hundreds of federally owned buildings with the goalofgenerating billions in savings.
GSAstarted by sending more than 800 lease cancellation notices to landlords, in
manycases without informing the government tenants. The agency also published a list of hundreds of government buildings thatwere targeted forsale.
DOGE’s“Wall of Receipts,” whichonce boasted that theleasecancellations alone would save nearly $460 million, has since reduced that estimate to $140 millionbythe endofJuly, according to Becker,the former GSAreal estate official.
It wasfar from anormalWednesday morninglastmonth at Cannata’sFamily Market in Houma Shoppers beganliningupasearly as 5:30 a.m. for thelatestPelican Pays,anevent in whichPelican Credit Uniongives back to itscommunities.AtCannata’s,a totalof $10,000ingroceries were givenaway, with 200familiesleaving with $50worth of free grocerieseach. Throughout themorning, Pelicanteam memberscouldalsobeseenhelpingcashiersbag customers’groceriesandassistingshoppers. Theeventsnow knownasPelican Pays beganseveral yearsago when thePelican team wouldstopintoa locallyowned coffee shoporrestaurantunannouncedandpaythe tabfor afew hours. Thesurprised patrons expressedgratitudeandwereencouragedto payitforward.The feedback wassopositive that theprogram wasformalizedwiththe cooperationoflocal partners like Cannata’s.Pelican membership is notnecessary to receivefreegroceries or giveaway items.
CEOJeffConradsaidthe PelicanPays events have takenonadeepermeaning in recentyearsaspriceshaveincreasedacross theboard,stretchingmanypeople’sbudgets “It’satough time rightnow in this economy,”Conradtoldshoppers. “Weknowyour moneydoesn’tgoasfarasitusedto.Ourteam is committedtobeing apositivelight and making adifference throughoutreach and humanconnectionlikewe’re doingtoday.” Onemembersaidthe PelicanPaysevent at Cannata’smadea tangible difference for people in Terrebonne Parish Shesaid,“I’mjustsothankfulforwhatPelicanisdoing here today. It reallyisablessing from Godtohavetheminour community.
“Welovethisdirectformofcommunity supportthathas an immediateimpacton people,” said LeighPorta,Pelican’s Chief Growth Officer. “Wehavea lotofteam memberswho areabletoget outofthe office foraday,and they love that.We’re luckytohavegreatpeoplewho arealways excitedtogiveback.
PelicanCreditUnion hasservedLouisianaresidents for 70 yearsand opened itsHouma Branch locatedat292 South HollywoodRoadin2023. Pelicanworks with membersinevery stageoftheir lives with awidearray of financial programs andcompetitive products.Asa designated CommunityDevelopmental
St.LandryParishsecures $4Mloan
State’sconditionsrequire monthlyreviews
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
TheStateBondCommissionapproved a$4million loan to the St. Landry Parish government.
The loan, which was approved last Thursday,will help parish government avoid afinancial cliff, including the inability to make payment on a$1.6 million loan issuedby the commission in Decem-
Lafayette nameda topfall spot to visit
Plenty of events to explorethrough next month
BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer
Fall is alively season in Lafay-
ette, and the Hub City is getting some recognition after being named one of the 10 best spots in the United States to visit this fall. As cooler autumn weather creeps in, Lafayette comes alive in the fall season. Theevents range from Cajun and zydeco music echoing through parks to family-friendly events that celebrate the area’shistory, culture andfood.
USA Today’sReaders’ Choice Award: Best Places to Visit in theFall list rankedLafayette in the top three for 2025. TheReaders’ ChoiceAwards, apanelof experts, make nominationsin awards covering food, shopping,
ä See FALL, page 4B
Manarrested on juvenile sexcounts
CRIME BLOTTER Advocate staff reports
AChurch Point manhas been arrested on multiple sex crime counts involving several victims who were allegedly assaulted as minors, according to the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office. Justin Benoit, 47, of Church Point, is charged with five counts of firstdegree rape, molestation of a juvenile and aggravated crimes against nature. He is beingheld in the Acadia ParishJail without bail.
“This case spans out over time
ä See BLOTTER, page 4B
ber, andthe loomingthreatthatthe parish wouldrun out of money
An agreed-uponcondition of the loan would require the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’sOffice to review parish books on amonthly basis, with no definite enddate.
“If the legislative auditor comes in andsays they want everything on bluepaper,it’sgoing to be on bluepaper.Sowhatever they’re gonna recommend to make this
work and get thingsmoving,” Parish President Jessie Bellard told thecommission.
The$4millionwill go toward expensesand operations. Bellard, in an interview with KLFY,said he expects to use onlya $2.9 million portion of the loan, stating that the full $4 millionisunnecessary at themoment.
Repayment of the loan will be made from incomefromanup-
coming solar project in the parish. Bellard said he expects thefirst payments to be receivedaround June, witha projectedtotal of approximately$3.3 million in the first year and an additional $2.5 million the following year,Bellard toldthe commission in August. Parish Council member Harold Taylor,inattendance at the Thursday meeting, wasskeptical of therepayment plan, questioning whether changes in national policy might jeopardize theplannedsolar installation.
Taylorand thecouncil ultimately agreed to seek out the loan but pushed for independent oversight of the parish government and its day-to-day operations.
“I am deeply concerned about the fiscal health of our parish and the well-being of our citizens,” Taylor said.
Bellard told the commissionhe welcomed auditors into the parish government, stating that he would be able to demonstrate how much
Helpingsolve hunger
ABOVE: Eva Guillot stocks thecommunity pantry located at St.Barnabas Church with donated food on MondayinLafayette. The pantry,which is open 24/7 foranyone in need, operatesondonations fromthe congregation andmembersofthe community
LEFT: Jim Bollingcarries abox of food to stock the community pantry located at St.Barnabas Church.
STAFF PHOTOSByBRAD BOWIE
ä See LOAN, page 4B
Twenty yearslater, Rita’s lessonsnot forgotten
In September 2005, as Louisianawas still reeling from the blow dealt by Hurricane Katrina, another monsterstorm wasbrewinginthe Gulf. That storm, Hurricane Rita, would makelandfall Sept.24onthe Texas-Louisiana border as a Category 3hurricane with118 mphwinds and a devastating storm surge of up to 18 feet in some areas In anyordinary year,HurricaneRita,the fourth most intense storm ever recordedinthe Atlantic basin, would be rememberedasone of the most catastrophic events to strikeour state. But, of course, 2005 was noordinary year.And Rita,which led to 120 deaths, isoften forgotten in the wake of the utter tragedythatKatrina wroughtonthe New Orleansarea. But in some ways, Rita’s lessonshavebeen more relevant to the broader population. It’simportant to remember thatmost of Rita’s deaths cameinthe days before thestorm hitland. As it grew to adangerous Category 5storm in the Gulf, millions scrambled to leavethe Houston area andgot stuck in hours- longtrafficjams with some dying of heat exposure or in accidents on the road. It forced officials to examine mass evacuation plans from major population areas and put afocus on what couldbedone to prevent similar catastrophesinthe future
WhenRita struck, many who had evacuated New Orleans to southwestern parts of the state or to Texas had to evacuate again to getto higher ground. This prompted federaland state emergency managementofficials to reform sheltering plans to ensure thesafety of evacuees. If Katrina taught us the importanceofprotecting our coast, Rita, which leveledwhole cities and towns, provideda livinglaboratory for how to rebuild houses alongthe coasthigher and more resilient to storms.
Whole swaths of Cameron,Vermilion and Calcasieu parishes had to start from scratchto regain what was lost. In townslike Cameron and HollyBeach, more than90% of the structures were destroyed.
Many areas still haven’tfully recovered, but the fierce resolve and ingenuityofthose who have long lived in this culturally rich regionof our state isn’ttobeunderestimated.
Each hurricane that hitsour state is aharsh teacher.Katrina and Ritagave usavicious one-two punchin2005. At thetime,itwas hard to see how we would pickourselves up. Today we can see how far we have come.That’sdue in large part, to communities coming together andneighbors being willingtolend ahand, even when they toowere hurting.
On this 20th anniversary of thestorm’slandfall, we remember the communitiesaffected by Hurricane Rita, and we recognize the hard road they havefaced to protect their way of life.
LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE
HERE AREOUR
GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence
TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.
TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE
In March, theTrumpadministration madecuts to the CDC’sfunding to stateand local health departments worth $11 billion. The loss of funding affected red and blue states evenly,but states where Democrats had majority control of the statehouse —for example, Massachusetts,California and Illinois —fought back in court and got mostoftheir funding restored. States controlled by Republicans, like Texas and Louisiana, did not try to get funding restored, and the losses were big. Texas had thebiggest cuts to funding at atime when the state was experiencing ameasles outbreak that
The world community is in astate of utter chaos because of three world leaders: Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump.
Putin is wanted by theInternational Criminal Court for launching an unjustified war against thesovereign countryofUkraine.
Netanyahu was justified in retaliating against Hamas after Hamas attacked and killed over 1,200 people during an October 2023 concert in Israel. Since that time, however,Netanyahu has enacted ascorched-earth approach to reaching Hamas,and, in theprocess, barbarically and unjustifiably killed tensofthousands of Palestinians. The world watches as innocent women and children are willfully sub-
We evacuated for Hurricane Katrina from Bayou Liberty in Slidell to Dallas, then moved to my daughter’sin Michigan. My husband, Irwin, came back and said he was going to restore our home. The problem: No help. Everyone we knew was restoring their own homes. Then he found help in immigrants who were looking for work. Were they here illegally? We didn’t know.All we know is that without them, we wouldn’thave made it. The Mexicans helped pull muddy stuff out of the house and cleared the yard of trash, trees and debris. Granadans
sickened 4,500 andkilled at least 16. According to theKFF Health News analysis of the CDC grants, Texas lost 30 grants and Louisiana lost six. Blue states got 80% of funding restored, but red states only received 5%. Health care access and resources to respond to epidemics and disease should not depend on which party controlsthe statehouse. Ourstate officials should demand that this funding be restored by takinglegal steps used successfully by other states that refused to accept these cuts to funds that had been allocated.
MERRYTOUPS NewOrleans
jected to famine and starvation. Trumphas wreaked havoc on America. The so-called Big Beautiful Bill targetsthe very populationsthat Jesus Christ deemed blessed: the poor and children.
Likethe biblical Herod, Trumphas weaponized the justice department in acampaign to exact revenge against his perceived enemies; he has terrorized immigrant communities; and he is crippling or destroying our nation’s treasured institutions, universities and museums.
How much morepeaceful would our world be if these three actually led like Christ?
FRANCISE.LEWIS Waggaman
working for aroofing company put on anew roof where ahuge branch had fallen through. APeruvian helped cut out drywall and helped clean the house with bleach and sanitizers. Ayoung Cambodian helped put the floors down. Then Irwin went back to Michigan and found ahomeless man he paid to stay for amonth and help refinish. We were so grateful, and Istill am, for those talented people. Without their help, my resourceful, hardworking husband could not have gotten it done.
CAROLYN ROUSSEAU
Slidell
Louisiana faces arapidly emerging need to invest in amore robust Department of Environmental Quality to meet challenges stemming from newtechnologies and increasing threatstoair,water and soil quality
According to the governor’sexecutive budgetdocument forFY2025, the mission of the DEQ andOffice of EnvironmentalServices is “to ensure thatthe citizens of Louisiana have aclean andhealthy environment to live andworkinfor present andfuture generations.”
However,the governor’sproposed budgetcuts DEQ’sallocation by more than$3.3million, from $160.5 million to $157.3million. That is going in the wrong direction, especially in viewofthe newand unfamiliar industries coming to Louisiana, suchasmassive AI data centers and carbon-capture operations. Forexample,two data centers have been announcedfor Richland andWestFeliciana parishes. The centerinRichland, operated by Mark Zuckerberg’sMeta, will be located less than20milesfromthe Poverty Point World Heritage Site, while the centerinWestFeliciana will be within the boundaries of the Southern Hills Aquifer,which suppliesBaton Rouge with its highquality water
Data centers arenotorious for energy usage andthe number of serverstheyburn up, creating massive pilesofdigitaljunk whose chips areloaded with chemicals such as boron, phosphorus or arsenic and heavymetalslike lead, zinc, copper andsilver.
If these metals leachinto the aquifer,weare done West Feliciana President Kenny Havard told this newspaper that the newdatacenteris“alife changer.” Indeed, it may change lives in ways thatmostofusdonot want, and both data centerprojects should be monitoredclosely to make certain theydonoharmtoour water,air or soil. We do notwanta reputation for being the nation’sdumping ground.
BILL HUEY Baton Rouge
Cops beat aman,and State Police
Stop me if you’ve heard this story before.
As Trumpblasts boats, Congress hits rock bottom
ABlack man in rural Louisiana is brutally beaten by police. State Police launch an investigation andconclude that the use of force was justified and that theofficers involved merited no sanction. It happened in September 2019 to aman named Jarius Brown in DeSoto Parish, in northwestern Louisiana.Brown, who was accused of stealingacar,had been taken intothe jail’s laundry room by two DeSotoParish Sheriff’s deputiesto be strip-searched. When he emerged sixminutes later, he had abrokennose, afracturedeye socket and ahideously swollen face.
The attack was caught on security camerafootage from up near theceiling in the laundry room. In thefootage, which was published lastweekbyThe Associated Press, Brown can be seen being peacefully ushered intoaroom when the two deputies, forunclear reasons, begin furiouslypunching him. Brown cowers in acorner before fallingtothe floor as the blows continue.
At one point, deputies pause their attack to pick him off the ground.Once he’s up, they resume their assault.One deputy holds Brown while theother throws haymakers. It lasts less than 50 seconds
The two deputies soughtnomedical attention for Brown, but another jailofficial, seeing his condition, sent him to the hospital for treatment. An internal review at the Sheriff’s Office concluded that “there was no way to defend” what the two deputies, Javarrea Pouncy and DeMarkes Grant, did Enter Louisiana State Police, who, it might reasonably be expected,might be more professional.
Yetdespite the graphic video, they concludedthatBrown was the“aggressor” and that the deputies’ actions were not criminal.
State Police investigators even dragged their feet on turningoverthe camera footage to the local district attorney.And when they finally did,their conclusion made asuccessful state prosecution nearly impossible.
The whole case might have drawn scant attention if it hadn’tbeen ob-
tained and published last week by The Associated Press. Use of force experts consulted by the AP were uniformly horrified. Andno wonder When AP reporter Jim Mustian asked StatePolice officials to explain their conclusion,aspokesperson told him that theevidence didn’tsupport chargingthe deputies with any crimes.They also blamed delays in the investigation on the COVID-19 pandemic, which gripped thestate six monthsafter the beatingtook place. Takenbyitself, thecase is horrifying —not just thebeating, but also the apparent indifference of the StatePolice investigators. Sprinkle in some context,though, and it looks even worse. Brown’s beatingcame just four months afteranother Black man was brutalized by officersina rural part of thestate. Ronald Greene fled from officers in Union Parish when they tried to pull him over late one night in May. Whenhedid stop, ahandful of Louisiana State troopersand one Union Parish deputy rushed his car,ignoring hispleas as they pepper-sprayed, beat anddragged him face down on the pavement Greenelater died from his injuries State Police told his family that Greenedied in acar crash and worked to keep the horrific body camera footageout of public view for two years. It mightstill be secret if The Associated Press hadn’tbroken that story,too. Greene’scase, as well as others uncovered byAP, prompted theU.S. Department of Justice to launch a“pat-
Jarius Brown is interviewedfollowinga jailhouse beating that left him witha bruised face, fractured eye socket and brokennose at the DeSoto Parish Detention Center in Mansfield on Sept.27, 2019.
PROVIDED PHOTO By DESOTO
PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
tern-and-practice” investigation into whether LSP had ahabit of violating rights. That report,released in January,concluded that it did, and said that StatePolice had put citizens “at serious risk of harm.”
StatePolice leaders and Gov.Jeff Landry fired back, saying thereport was not afair representation of the agency,which underwent large-scale leadership changes in the aftermathof theGreene case. Unlike Greene, Brown did not die from theassault.He’sfiled alawsuit against the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Andfortunately,federal prosecutors got involved. Their conclusion: Brown was the victim of an illegal assault They prosecuted both deputies Pouncy pleaded guiltylast year to malfeasance, admitting that Brown posed no threat,and is in federal prison with arelease date in February 2027. Grant pleaded guiltytoobstruction of justice and served 10 months in federal prison
No one denies that law enforcement officers follow anoble calling. It requires that they uphold thehighest ideals of our nation’sConstitution while dealing withpeople at their lowest points. Butwhen officers misusethat power —asthese deputies did —they must be held accountable. That’swhere theLouisiana State Police come in.Werely on them to protect us from criminals, not enable them because they wear abadge.
Faimon A. RobertsIII can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com.
Trumpisn’t keepingNOPD chiefinloop
So many people aretalking aboutthe National Guard these days.
At the behest of President Donald Trump, they went into Los Angeles unwanted. The president called them into Washington, D.C. —unwanted.He sent them into Memphis —uninvited by the Democratic mayor but OK’d by the Republican governor Now there’sa“draft” plan to have the National Guard in New Orleans. The idea is to call up about 1,000 Guard troops to, er,dosomething to attack aviolent crime problem in Louisiana’s“urban centers.”
Our Republican governor is supportive of the idea.
There are cities led by Republicans and non-Democrats that have worse crime. Consider Baton Rouge and Shreveport,wherethe mayorsare Republican.But let’sstick with Trump’sDemocratic theme.
chiefs might be interested in getting somefederal government help. West Monroe, Bogalusa, Jennings, Baton Rouge and Bossier Cityround out the ReoLinkTop Tenlist.
I’m sure those mayors have the same general thinking as does theNew Orleans police chief.
Ihaven’theard New Orleans’ Democratic mayorweighinon whetheraTrump-ordered National Guard presence is needed or wanted. Maybe Trump or someoneonhis team has reached out to the mayor. Or certainly they’d reach out to New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. That would make sense, right? Wrong.
“No one has called me,” Kirkpatrick told me during arecent WBOK Good Morning Show interview.“No one.” The chief has been learning aboutthe Louisiana National Guard plan,asmost of us do, through the media. That’sadarn shame. That’sunprofessional. And it’snot right. All the chief can do is listento, read and watch the news untilshe gets acall, an email, atext. Perhapsher National Guard update is comingvia ground delivery.Ormaybe apigeon has lost its way
The reason the presidentissending troops to different cities allegedly is becausecrime is soooo bad when Democrats are in charge.
Kirkpatrick didn’tsay athing about how New Orleans’ crimecompares to other Louisiana cities. ButIwill. New Orleans, thecity where thenumber of murders fell so much in 2024 that thenumber is the lowest since the1970s. New Orleans, where there have been crime declines in almost every category.New Orleans, where the number of murders in 2025 is solow that the city might finish the year as the least deadly on record There are various crimestats to show that New Orleans isn’tasbad as Trumpsays it is. Take ReoLink, acompany that makes security cameras. It ranked Louisiana cities based on the violent crime rate per100,000 residents and came up with aTop Tenlist. Is New Orleans on thelist? Yes. But Marksville, Monroe, Alexandria and Opelousas rank higher than theCrescent City does.
ReoLinkranked Marksville, acity of about5,000 in Avoyelles Parish, the worst in Louisiana. The city has been called ”themostdangerous city in Louisiana.”
Monroeisright behind Marksville. It’slikely that 1in48people in that Ouachita Parish community will be a violent crime victim, statistics show Alexandria, acity of about 47,000, is next.Opelousas is just ahead of New Orleans Can New Orleans do better? Sure. TheMarksville, Monroe, Alexandriaand Opelousas mayorsand police
“I do not want to be taken over.I don’twant atakeover,” she told me. “But Ithink they’re coming regardless.”
The bottom line, thechief said, is “National Guard, if you come, Iamgoing to work with you. We’regoing to makeitwork. Because theend game, no matter what your politics are, is that no one wantstobeavictim of crime.”
She said alot of people were concerned about Troop Nola arriving in thecity,but “we’ve madeitwork.” What would really help is money and resources she can direct to further reduce violent crimeand prevent crime.
“First and foremost,Iwould restore theagency in terms of staffing levels where we could rebuild every one of our specialty assignments, such as moretraffic officers, officers who did undercover narcotics work …,” the chief said. “If those resources were given to me, then it would be amatter of restoring and expanding our resources and dealing withupstream issues that create opportunities for people to engage in crime to begin with.”
SeemsGov.Jeff Landry holds thekey to what might be happening, or not Afriendly nudge to thegovernor from aNew Orleanian: Listen to the NOPD chief, diplomatically ask your buddy to send help and let Kirkpatrick do her job
Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.
Last year,when JD Vance was campaigning to become what nature designed him to be, Donald Trump’svice president, Vance gave credence to rumors about kitten-cooking Haitians: Immigrants were eating the pets of Springfield, Ohio. Given the scarcity of evidence, he defended these “stories” —his term —asinstructive. Which they were. They taught us about him. As did his response when the president recently ordered the airstrike on aboat leaving Venezuela, killing, the president says, 11 drug smugglers. The president says there have been two other missile strikes on boats near Venezuela. Vance says: “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.” Higher and better,then, than Bunker Hill, Antietam, Belleau Wood, Omaha Beach and Inchon.
Well. Assume that the dead were cartel members. Assume the boats were carrying drugs. Assume the drugs were destined for Americans who would poison themselves. And assumethat this story ages better than did the story of the August 1964 Tonkin Gulf incident. North Vietnamese torpedo boats supposedly launched two attacks on U.S. destroyers. Congress promptly passed aresolution conferring on President Lyndon B. Johnson broad authority to “take all necessary measures” to defeat aggression in Indochina. There were about 20,000 U.S. troops then. Max Hastings’s“Vietnam:An Epic Tragedy,1945-1975” reveals:
The first Tonkin Gulf attack was trivial. ANavy captain cabled “ENTIRE ACTION LEAVES MANY DOUBTS” and “NEVER POSITIVELYIDENTIFIED ABOATASSUCH.” An admiral warned the Pentagon that “many reported contacts and torpedoes fired appeared doubtful.” The second attack was fictitious. Hastings says that Johnson (“The details didn’tmuch matter to him”), waging his 1964 election campaign, was eager to seem strong. Hastings: “Thereafter,itwas almost inevitable that the administration would lie and lie again to conceal the multiple blunders and deceits already perpetrated and to justify airstrikes on North Vietnam.” Johnson would have been indignant if “anticlimactic facts had pricked the bubble of his carefully crafted indignation.”
That was then. This is now:
The Supreme Court will soon consider Trump’s claim that astatute that does not mention tariffs gives him the power to impose tariffs as high as he chooses, on any country he chooses, for any reason he chooses, for as long as he chooses. About this claim,congressional Republicans are supine, because of fear or adoration. Congressional Democrats are dumbfounded by the president’sexercise of powers their party was complicit in Congress forfeiting.
So, unsurprisingly,there is tepid congressional questioning of the president’sactions as judge, jury and executioner in the waters off Venezuela. His behavior is predictable.
Given his capacious notion of presidential powers, in domestic and foreign affairs. And given Vance’sdisdain for Americans “weeping over the lack of due process” for people swept from U.S. streets and workplaces into Alligator Alcatraz and similar confinements because they are suspected members of criminal gangs. And given the president’spenchant for declaring this and that (e.g., atrade deficit) to be an “emergency.” And given that he learned opportunistic verbal extravagance (e.g., an “invasion” at the southern border) from progressives who tried to disqualify him from the 2024 election because the afternoon riot of Jan. 6, 2021, supposedly qualified as an “insurrection” under the 14th Amendment. Given all this, expect more of this. John Yoo, alaw professor at the University of California at Berkley,isnot squeamish about controversial uses of power: As deputy assistant attorney general under George W. Bush, Yoo provided legal justifications for post-9/11 “enhanced interrogation” methods against captured al-Qaeda combatants. He says, however: “There has to be aline between crimeand war We can’tjust consider anything that harms the country to be amatter for the military.Because that could potentially include every crime.” But who will draw that line? Who will enforce it? If you say Congress, you have not been paying attention.
Before Tonkin Gulf, there was Havana Harbor In 1898, America embraced war and imperialism because, well, “Remember the Maine!” The U.S. battleship supposedly was blown up by a Spanish mine.Its sinking has long since been ascribed to an accidental internal explosion. Events sprint; understanding saunters. And some tough guys think understanding is for weaklings. When an online critic of the missile strikes near Venezuela called them a“war crime,” Vance’srejoinder was rich in tough-guy testosterone but thin on arguments: “I don’tgive ashit what you call it.” Vance is, by mind and manner,where he belongs.
Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.
Faimon Roberts
George Will
Will Sutton
LSU announces interim dean of law school
Roberts to serve as national search conducted
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
LSU has announced that it has named Caprice Roberts interim dean of the law school. Roberts joined LSU as a tenured full professor in fall 2022 and teaches constitutional law, federal courts and remedies. She is also associ-
ate dean for faculty development and research.
Before joining the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, she was a visiting professor at the George Washington University Law School and has taught at a number of other law schools.
“Professor Roberts has over two decades of legal experience, including law school teaching and administration, federal judicial clerkships, and government enforcement litigation,” interim Executive Vice President and Provost Troy Blanchard said
in a Monday email announcement. She is also deputy executive director of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools.
“Our greatest strength is the community’ s co ll ec ti ve commitment to the success of LSU Law and all its students,” Roberts said in a statement. “I am grateful and honored to serve during this
important time for the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center.”
Blanchard said Roberts “will serve in an interim capacity until a national search has been conducted for a permanent dean.”
“Please join me in congratulating her on this appointment and in supporting her leadership during this important period of transition,” he said.
The appointment comes after LSU leadership last month told former law school Dean Alena Allen that the Board of Supervisors would seek a new
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dean to lead the school.
That decision prompted a legal dispute, which was eventually resolved outside court less than two weeks ago. Allen, who held her deanship through an at-will employment arrangement, was told in late August that the Board of Supervisors was “just going a different direction” with law school leadership and that she could serve as dean until the end of the academic year, according to Allison Jones, Allen’s attorney In response, Allen threatened to sue LSU over alleged
whistleblower retaliation and racial and gender discrimination. Those allegations stemmed from the university’s scrutiny of Allen after she raised concerns about “irregularities” with the law school’s budgeting practices that predated her tenure, according to Jones. Allen and LSU ultimately reached an “amicable resolution” that “resolved all claims,” Jones said. As part of the deal, Allen stepped down from the top post on Sept. 19 and is staying on as a tenured faculty member
School now owns nearly all
BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer
LSU is continuing to expand its footprint along Tulane Avenue’s medical corridor with the recent purchase of nearly an acre of vacant land near the intersection of Tulane Avenue and Galvez Street. Property records filed Sept. 17 with the Orleans Parish clerk of court show that the LSU Board of Supervisors purchased eight parcels from the LSU Health Foundation, its nonprofit affiliate, for $5.1 million. The foundation, which raises money for LSU Health, had been gradually assembling the properties in recent years. It’s the second time in a year the university has purchased land next to the LSU Health Science Center campus and gives LSU control of nearly the entire city block bounded by Tulane, Gravier, South Galvez and Johnson streets. In October, LSU bought the site of the longtime late-night diner Anita’s Grill and its adjacent lots in the 2100 block of Tulane for $1.1 million
The structure that housed the popular restaurant since 1989 was subsequently razed Anita’s reopened in the Central Business District earlier this year LSU officials have said they do not have any immediate plans or a timeline for developing the area, but that their strategic plan calls for buying up property as it becomes available between Claiborne Avenue and Galvez Street
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Continued from page 1B
mandated expenses have burdened his government. Those expenses primarily come in the form of daily costs to house and feed state inmates and those being held outside the parish It led to Bellard suing the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office in December
The $2.9 million he expects to use won’t cover the projected $3.6 million deficit
BLOTTER
as the victims are now older and have come forward with the allegations,” Sheriff KP Gibson said. The investigation is ongoing. Lake Charles police probe fatal crash
and between Tulane Avenue and Poydras Street. “The primary reason being potential future expansion as well as removing blighted property for safety reasons,” Chancellor Dr. Steve Nelson said last fall, following the Anita’s acquisition The properties LSU has earmarked for long-term acquisition are located within BioDistrict New Orleans, the economic development zone spanning 1,500 acres of downtown and Mid-City and funded through growth in sales tax revenue under an agreement approved in 2022. According to the BioDistrict strategic master plan, approved by the City Council last year, the site of LSU’s recent purchases as well as the rest of that side of Tulane Avenue between Galvez and Claiborne has been set aside for LSU Health Science Center’s institutional campus. Commercial activity in the district, as well as sales tax revenue growth, has been bolstered by the last month’s opening of the first New Orleans Trader Joe’s location three blocks down Tulane Avenue from the site of LSU’s latest land purchases.
Elsewhere in the district, Tulane University is trying to finalize a complicated financial deal, now expected
the parish initially presented to the bond commission. Bellard said in a Tuesday interview that was a worstcase scenario that took into account increased payments for out-of-parish inmates. Bellard told the commission the parish government would run out of money by the end of August
“We’re not even close to being to that stage,” Bellard said. “But at the same time, I know I gotta look out for the rest of the year, and I don’t know what they’re going to do with inmates for the rest
ating with officers throughout the investigation, police said.
Anyone with information on the incident should call Lake Charles police at (337) 491-1311 or leave an anonymous tip on the Lake Charles Police Department app.
Police: Man found with child porn items
to cost at least $650 million,
to revive its long-stalled plans to convert the former Charity Hospital into a new complex of offices, lab space and apartments. Tulane has also invested more than $44 million in recent years on its own medical buildings in the downtown district.
For its part, in addition to buying up land around its downtown campus, LSU Health has been renovating existing buildings in the area. In 2023, it completed the $68 million transformation of the former Hotel Dieu Hospital and interim LSU hospital into the Center for Advanced Learning and Simulation.
LSU officials are not currently in negotiations to buy either of the two independently owned parcels within the block containing the former Anita’s site, according to Marykay Thevis, a spokesperson for the chancellor of LSU Health.
Rahim Ebrahimpour, who owns the vacant parcel at 2100 Tulane Ave., said he was approached by someone interested in purchasing it about a year ago. But he said he had no plans to sell.
A representative of 437 S Johnson St. LLC, the owner of the only other parcel on the block that is yet to be acquired by LSU, could not be reached for comment.
And though LSU Health has yet to disclose any plans for building up the block, spending on infrastructure improvements there is already underway
“We have begun the process of enhancing parking lots and green space,” Thevis said. “We also plan to do stormwater management projects in that area.”
Staff writer Tony McAuley contributed reporting.
of the year I gotta plan as if we were dead broke.”
The parish has since refused to make additional payments to jails housing its inmates, opting only to pay the obligated $3.50 a day per inmate.
“They can sue us. I know that, and I’m good with that. Because it’s gonna bring me to court and prove my case that much harder,” Bellard said “I’m not paying those other jails until they can produce a document that says that I owe them this kind of money.”
found in his possession.
Continued from page 1B LOTTERY
A fatal auto-pedestrian crash that happened in downtown Lake Charles is being investigated by the Lake Charles Police Department. Guy H. Smith III, 75, of Lake Charles, was killed in a crash at the intersection of Kirby and Bilbo streets at about 6:56 a.m. Thursday
After officers responded to the crash, Smith was taken to a local hospital where he died.
The driver stayed at the scene and has been cooper-
An Evangeline Parish man is accused of using social media to procure and possess pornography involving children
Christopher Lalonde, 29, of Ville Platte, was arrested on a count of possession of child sexual abuse materials. He is being held in the Evangeline Parish Jail on a $350,000 bail.
A search warrant was executed at Lalonde’s home on Aug. 28, according to the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said 110 pornographic items involving teens and children were
The Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led the operation, with participation from the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Office. The investigation is ongoing, and additional counts are possible.
sports and outdoors, travel destinations and more, where locals help crown the winners by casting their votes. Lafayette claimed third place this year, a step up from last year’s fourth-place. In 2024, U.S. News & World Report named it the best place to live in Louisiana, citing its blend of Southern charm, modern amenities and rich cultural heritage. Here are a few upcoming fall events in Lafayette and the surrounding area:
SEPT 25
Shadows on the Teche Annual Farm Festival: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., 317 E. Main St., New Iberia. The family-friendly event offers a variety of games from old-fashioned carnival ones to Farm Fest staples, face painting, crafting and a petting zoo. Also on offer are food, drinks and live entertainment. $10 per family shadowsontheteche.org.
SEPT 27
Bayou Vermillion Festival and Boat Parade: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife
Park, 300 Fisher Road. This lively celebration honors the waterways that wind through Lafayette, bringing the community together along Bayou Vermilion.
Families line the banks to cheer on colorful, handcrafted boats as they float downstream, while live music, food and marshmallow roasts keep the festivities rolling well into the evening. bayouvermilliondistrict.com.
OCT. 3-4
Latin Music Festival: Starting at 4 p.m., spice up your weekend with this high-energy festival that highlights the rich Latinx influence in Lafayette. The day pulses with infectious rhythms, lively dancing and bold flavors, making it impossible not to join in. From salsa to merengue, the music and food create a cultural celebration full of color and flair Latinmusicfestival. com
OCT. 10-12
OCT. 16-19
International Rice Festival: 303 N.
OCT.
South
For two days, enjoy a celebration of the music, food and culture of southwest Louisiana and beyond at the Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, 300 Fisher Road. Admission is $30 Friday and $40 Saturday, kids 12 and under free. blackpotfestival. com.
Festival Acadiens Et Creoles: Starts at 5 p.m. Friday at Girard Park, 500 Girard Park Drive, and runs through the weekend. The Cajun and zydeco festival features performances by local musicians, cultural workshops and culinary experiences, and is a showcase for local artisans. Also includes the Bayou Food Festival. festivalsacadiens com. Fall Arts and Crafts Festival: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., gardens of Shadows-on-the-Teche, 320 E. Main St., New Iberia. Original art, fall-themed decor children’s clothing and tasty treats are some of what’s in store for shoppers. $5; children 12 and younger, free. IberiaTravel. com.
Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.
Injuries continue to hit Cajuns
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
The news keeps getting worse for the UL offense.
On Monday afternoon, coach Michael Desormeaux revealed the Ragin’ Cajuns will be without the services of starting right tackle George Jackson and key backup J’Marion Gooch. On Monday evening, Desormeaux
confirmed LSU transfer wide receiver Shelton Sampson will be out 4-6 weeks with a torn hamstring. That’s on top of wide receiver Rob Williams suffering a “really bad concussion” in Saturday’s 34-31 loss at Eastern Michigan. He is out for Saturday’s home Sun Belt opener against Marshall, if not longer “We just can’t seem to get a break with the injuries right now,” Desormeaux said. Sampson’s case was especially upsetting for Desormeaux, who said Sampson has been playing this season with
Line of defense
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
The LSU offense started its first drive of the second half Saturday with its starters. The Tigers led Southeastern Louisiana 35-0, but coach Brian Kelly wanted his attack to construct one more strong drive before calling it a night.
The group, led by senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, had every starter back on the field to begin the new half except for one. Instead of redshirt freshman Weston Davis at right tackle, sophomore DJ Chester took his place.
Does this mean LSU has a positional battle at right tackle?
“He needed a break,” Kelly said when asked about his decision to replace Davis with Chester “We needed to get him back to where he needs to be as one of the five guys working together So it was a good learning experience for him.”
Kelly squashed any notion of Chester replacing Davis as the starting right tackle
on Monday, saying that LSU has its starter in place with Davis. But despite facing an overmatched opponent on Saturday, Davis struggled.
He surrendered a sack and three quarterback pressures against Southeastern, according to Pro Football Focus, and has allowed nine more pressures than any other member of the offensive line this season The LSU rushing attack also has fared better when directing its carries to the left side of the line. On runs between the right guard and
See DAVIS, page 3C
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
Sometimes, MiLaysia Fulwiley brought the ball up the court. Other times, she started on the wing, then curled around screens to pop open inside the 3-point arc. Wondering where Fulwiley fits into the LSU women’s basketball team? The Tigers started to work toward an answer Tuesday when they began practicing for the season in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center This group, coach Kim Mulkey’s fifth at LSU, has eight newcomers. None arrive with more intrigue than Fulwiley, the high-profile transfer from South Carolina. She’s the new LSU point guard — at least for now “I’m going to challenge her to learn the point guard position,” Mulkey said before practice, “but I’m not going to take away her ability to play the off-guard either so a lot of that will depend on how quickly she catches on to what we need her to do as a point guard.” Mulkey gives her point guards important responsibilities. She likens them to quarterbacks. They relay the calls on both offense and defense while controlling the pace at which LSU operates. They have to know when to speed up the action and when to slow it down. They must also make that crucial first pass, the one that gets the Tigers moving through their halfcourt sets. Too much dribbling and the offense could stall. Essentially, Mulkey said, LSU point guards are a coach on the
a torn ligament in his hand. Sampson had five receptions for 63 yards on 19 targets entering the game against Eastern Michigan. Despite injuring his hamstring in the second quarter of the game, the former Catholic High of Baton Rouge star finished with three catches for 87 yards on five targets.
“He catches a big post in the twominute drill, and one of them, we had a penalty on,” Desormeaux said of Sampson. “He makes a heck of a catch on, I think it was like third and 13 down the field. So he made some really big
Opposing QBs feasting on Saints’ pass defense
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
On his very first pass Sunday, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold stepped to his right to avoid the oncoming rusher, scrambled to his left and hit an open Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 29yard gain.
The completion set the tone for the rest of the New Orleans Saints’ ugly 44-13 loss in Seattle as Darnold had no problem reading the black and gold’s defense. That’s been an early theme to start the season.
After Darnold completed 77.8% of his passes Sunday and posted a 154.2 passer rating, opposing quarterbacks have posted a 70.8% completion percentage to go with a 118.9 passer rating against the Saints. That’s the sixth-worst and thirdworst defensive rates, respectively, across the league.
The Saints want to be a zoneheavy defense that disguises well, takes away the big shot and punishes teams at the line of scrimmage. But far too often through three games, the Saints are fooling anybody Quarterbacks stand comfortably in the pocket, scan the field and find the open spot repeatedly It seems to matter little that linebackers Demario Davis and Pete Werner crowd the line as if to blitz before falling back into coverage opposing passers simply find the gap behind them.
The cornerbacks also haven’t provided much resistance. KoolAid McKinstry, Alontae Taylor and Isaac Yiadom have allowed 30 catches on 41 targets for 354 yards and four touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus.
Players and coaches will point out that a team’s coverage is only as good as its pressure. On that front, the Saints barely are getting after the quarterback. According to Next Gen Stats, the Saints rank last in quarterback pressure rate (22.6%) and total pressures (22). When the Saints do manage to pressure, it takes an average of 3.17 seconds to do so — the longest rate in the league.
Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley isn’t just relying on a fourman front, either The Saints are
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
wide
Shelton Sampson is expected to miss the
STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK LSU guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, a South Carolina transfer, performs a drill during Tuesday’s practice.
See CAJUNS, page 3C
5 p.m.
When Dumars talks, Zion listens
Star player says he’s on same page with Pels’ new leader
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
There are times when Zion Williamson is talking to Joe Dumars and all of a sudden Williamson’s mind starts to drift.
“I’m sitting with him and I’m like, ‘Man, this is Joe Dumars,’ ” Williamson said. “He’s an NBA champion. Finals MVP This dude was part of the ‘Bad Boys.’ Then I have to lock back in the conversation. It’s dope.” Dumars is in his first season as the New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations.
His impressive resume includes two NBA titles as a guard for the Detroit Pistons, another as the Pistons’ general manager, and an induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Dumars’ next goal is to bring winning basketball to New Orleans. That mission starts with him untapping all of Williamson’s potential. The Pelicans will go as far as Williamson takes them, which is why Dumars has spent so much time with him.
They’ve had plenty of what Williamson calls “man-to-man” conversations.
“I like Joe,” Williamson said at Tuesday’s media day for the Pelicans. “What you see is what you get. He’s going to hold me accountable. As he holds me accountable, he’s going to give me a lot of responsibility as well. I’m excited for it and I look forward to it.” Dumars didn’t wait long to start handing Williamson responsibilities. Dumars was hired in April, and in May he sent Williamson to Chicago to represent the Pelicans at the NBA draft lottery The two of them got to bond there. That continued as they watched NBA playoff games together When April rolls around, the playoff games Dumars and Williamson hope to be talking about are the ones the Pelicans are playing in. To do that, Dumars needs Williamson to be the mega star that everyone expected him to be when the Pelicans drafted him with the
No. 1 overall pick in 2019.
“What I’ve said to him is with greatness comes responsibility,” Dumars said. “You don’t get to be great and not responsible It’s been a heavy emphasis on that. Just being accountable and responsible for what you do
“It’s not enough just to be talented. There is a difference between talent and greatness. Those are two different things. You can be talented without any responsibility You can’t be great without any responsibility You just can’t.
That’s not what greatness is.”
The talent is there. Williamson has been named to the All-Star Game twice. He averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and a careerbest 5.3 assists last season. That’s talent.
But the numbers that will get him to greatness are the ones under the games played column. Williamson has played in just 214 games in his six seasons. He played in just 30 games last season, a big reason the Pelicans finished 21-61.
Williamson said he’s not concerned about anything that happened last season — or the seasons before that.
“The past is going to stay in the
past,” Williamson said. “I’m only looking forward to the future.
Whatever my team needs, that’s what I will do.”
He looks to be in the best shape of his NBA career And he feels that way, too. He credits Daniel Bove, the director of performance and sports science for the Pelicans, for that. They’ve come up with a workout plan that includes everything from boxing to working out on the football field. He’s also worked out with former Pelicans assistant coach Teresa Weatherspoon, who is like a big sister to him
“It feels good to feel good,” Williamson said “I haven’t felt like this since high school or college.”
Now the Pelicans need to see that translate to availability and wins. Williamson, when asked about his personal goals for this season, didn’t reveal them.
“I have some goals, but those I keep to myself,” he said. “So when that time does come, I know how to celebrate.”
Dumars likes the way Williamson has pushed himself this offseason. Now he wants to see that carry over into the season. Win or lose, Dumars wants Williamson to be front and center
“When things go well and the team is going great, you’re going to get the bulk of the compliments and credit,” Dumars told Williamson. “But when things are not going well, you should be the first one to step to the media after the games and speak for the team. That goes back to accountability and responsibility You can’t just be the person when things are going well. You have to be the person when things don’t go well.” Williamson said all the right things Tuesday The Pelicans are 0-0 right now, and Williamson has put last season’s dismal, injuryplagued season in the rearview mirror
The Dumars era seems like a fresh start for Williamson. The conversations he had with Dumars and senior vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver have resonated with the face of the franchise.
“They embraced me,” Williamson said. “I told them, ‘I’m not going to let y’all down.’ That helps a lot that they really believe in me. They are going to hold me accountable and with that accountability they will give me a lot of responsibility And I’m here for it.”
World No. 1 players no sure thing at Ryder Cup
BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer
FARMINGDALE, N.Y Scottie Scheffler has been the standard everyone is chasing for the last 856 days. That’s how long he has been No. 1 in the world, the longest stretch in golf for anyone since Tiger Woods Now he is one of 12 at the Ryder Cup. His matches at Bethpage Black count no more than anyone else, whether it’s Patrick Cantlay or Harris English or Bryson DeChambeau.
“At the end of the day it’s just all about going and winning your point,” Justin Thomas said Tuesday. “All of us are very happy that he’s on our team this week so we don’t have to try to figure out how to beat him in an individual tournament. It’s nice that he’s on our side. “No, he’s just viewed as one of the 12. And we’re all one and the same, I’d say.” It was like that for Scheffler when he was world No. 1 at Marco Simone two years ago and he failed to win a match by going 0-2-2. That included being on the losing end with Brooks Koepka in the shortest match in Ryder Cup history Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland won in 11 holes.
Americans at No. 1
There isn’t a great history for No. 1 players in the Ryder Cup, at least on the American side. Dustin Johnson was at the top of his game when he went 1-4-0 in Paris.
As for Woods, he didn’t have a winning record until his fifth Ryder Cup, in 2006 at The K Club in Ireland, when he went 3-2-0 as the Americans lost by nine points. None of this matters to Scheffler
Very little does when it comes to golf. His credo has been to show up at the first tee Bethpage Black, Royal Portrush, Muirfield Village
— knowing he has done everything possible to be ready And then go compete
“Should the expectations of me be different than any other player?
I don’t really think about that kind of stuff,” Scheffler said.
But there always seemed to be a burden for Woods, a different cat.
He never really was one of 12 because he was Tiger Woods. He was the one of 12.
A European win over Woods counted as one point. Motivationally, it felt like two.
Finding the right partner
There also was the issue of finding Woods a good partner for foursomes and fourballs. He played with 10 players in his first four Ryder Cup appearances.
Scheffler has had six partners — three each for the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup though he and Russell Henley appeared to be a good fit last year at Royal Montreal in the Presidents Cup and are likely to be together at Bethpage Black.
“I think we have 12 guys that are all equal I don’t think one player is more important than another I think that is something that is through our team room,” Scheffler said. “I’d like to think that I’m not difficult to pair with people. I’d like to think of myself as someone that’s a nice guy and easy to get along with.
“I’ve had different partners over the years and have had some success. I would definitely not put myself in that category.”
Scheffler’s rookie year on the PGA Tour was the last time Woods competed in team matches, so it’s a subject on which he has limited knowledge.
“It could just be the aura that was Tiger Woods,” he said.
European top players success Europe has had its share of No. 1 players with a different result Jon Rahm was 3-1-1 when he was at No. 1 for the 2021 matches at Whistling Straits. His one loss was to Scheffler, who birdied the opening four holes for a comfortable win.
Rory McIlroy went 3-2-0 at No. 1 in the world when Europe won at Medinah in 2012, and he was 2-12 as the top-ranked player at Gleneagles in Scotland in 2024.
Nick Faldo was 2-1-2 when he played as the world No 1 at the Belfry in 1993. The only No. 1 player from Europe with a losing record was Ian Woosnam (1-3-0) in 1991.
“Rory has talked about this many times — he loves what the Ryder Cup represents,” European captain Luke Donald said.
There were tears from McIlroy when Europe lost big at Whistling Straits There was that dispute with Patrick Cantlay’s caddie on the 18th green at Marco Simone two years ago, that resulted in McIlroy having to be restrained later that evening in the parking lot
He used that as motivation for Europe on Sunday to finish the job by smoking the Americans.
“He sees himself as a leader but also just one of the 12,” Donald
MLB will use robot umpires for 2026 season
Robot umpires are getting called up to the big leagues next season. Major League Baseball’s 11-man competition committee on Tuesday approved use of the Automated Ball/Strike System in the major leagues in 2026. Human plate umpires will still call balls and strikes, but teams can challenge two calls per game and get additional appeals in extra innings. Challenges must be made by a pitcher, catcher or batter and a team retains its challenge if successful. Reviews will be shown as digital graphics on outfield videoboards.
New York Yankees outfielder Austin Slater, one of four players on the competition committee, said three voted in favor after getting support from 22 of the 30 teams. All six management reps voted in favor
Bucs WR Evans will miss games with hamstring injury
Tampa Bay Buccaneers six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans is expected to miss less than four weeks with a hamstring injury a person with knowledge of his MRI results told The Associated Press on Tuesday Evans was injured in Tampa Bay’s 29-27 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday The Buccaneers (3-0) host the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) this week in a matchup between two of the NFL’s six undefeated teams. Evans missed three games and part of another last season with a hamstring injury He is the only player in NFL history to start his career with 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice had that many at any point.
Giants replace quarterback Wilson with rookie Dart
After Russell Wilson threw an interception during a third consecutive loss to start the season on Sunday night, the Giants are turning to rookie Jaxson Dart to start at quarterback in their next game Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to two people familiar with the decision.
Dart replaces Wilson with New York off to an 0-3 start and the unbeaten Chargers coming to town. Wilson is expected to dress as the backup with journeyman Jameis Winston remaining third on the depth chart. Dart is set to make his first NFL start after getting a handful of snaps the past two weeks. He has yet to attempt a pass, while Wilson has thrown all of them so far going 65 of 110 for 778 yards, three touchdowns and three picks.
AP PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON
Scottie Scheffler of the U.S speaks during a news conference before a practice round at the Ryder Cup on Tuesday in Farmingdale N.y at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course.
said. “We try and talk about that a lot. We all have an opportunity to contribute to the team. To have someone of his caliber, though, what he’s achieved in the game is tremendous.”
American inexperience
Scheffler is a leader of the U.S. team by his sheer stature in the game, even if he doesn’t see it that way This is only his third Ryder Cup. Then again, Thomas is the most experienced American and this is only his fourth appearance.
It’s a young U.S. team by experience — the 12 players have combined to play in 15 Ryder Cups. Scheffler is among six players on the last team in Rome.
Oklahoma QB to undergo surgery, expected to return Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, one of the nation’s top players in the early weeks of the season, will have surgery to repair an injury to his throwing hand.
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said Tuesday that Mateer, a Washington State transfer who has led the Sooners to wins over Top 25 teams Michigan and Auburn, will have surgery on his right hand on Wednesday Venables said Mateer is expected to return this season.
Mateer ranks second nationally with 351.3 yards of total offense per game. He is a key reason the Sooners (4-0, 1-0 SEC) have risen to No. 7 in the AP Top 25.
Mateer was injured in the first quarter of the 24-17 win over Auburn last Saturday
Tennis star Nadal warns about fake AI videos of him
Rafael Nadal is warning about fake online videos of him offering financial advice, and the risks of artificial intelligence. The retired tennis great said on Tuesday he has never endorsed any of the online videos or their messages.
Nadal wrote on Linkedin, “In recent days, together with my team, we have detected fake videos circulating,” he said.
“These were generated with artificial intelligence In those videos, I am falsely attributed with investment advice or proposals that in no case come from me.” He talked about society’s challenge of learning to distinguish between what is real and what is manipulated, and of “promoting an ethical and responsible use of technology.”
STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson speaks during the team’s media day at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Tuesday. ä Ryder Cup. 6 A.M FRIDAy USA
LSU’sSEC foes over next 4seasons unveiled
BY KOKI RILEY and SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writers
LSU’sopponents in Southeastern Conferenceplayfor thenextfour seasons have been revealed.
The SEC announcedonTuesday that the Tigers will face Alabama, Texas and Tennessee, among others, in 2026, the first seasonof the conference’snine-game schedule format. Game dates will be determined in December
LSU will have Arkansas, Texas A&M and Ole Miss as its annual opponents over the next four seasons. The rest of LSU’s2026 schedule includes Alabama, Mississippi State, Texas, Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee.
The Tigers will be at home next season against Texas A&M, Alabama, Texas and Mississippi State and on the road for Ole Miss, Arkansas,Kentucky, Tennesseeand Auburn. LSU also has Clemson and McNeese State at home andneeds
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sending blitzes at aleague-average rate, doing so 26.5% of the time on drop-backs. If this trend holds, the Saints’ 118.9 allowedpasserrating would be in danger of setting an NFL record.
That mark belongs to the 2015 Saints, who allowed a116.2passer rating.
There’sstill time to correctthe issues. In 2018, forinstance, the Saints got off to ahorrific start defensively —teams completed 74.2% of their passes fora 141.7 passer rating through the first three games —before improving dramaticallythe rest of the year But those kinds of turnarounds are far from guaranteed,and there are real problems plaguing the defense.
Scramble drill
Spencer Rattler saidthe Saints have to do better when the play breaks downand the quarterback is forced to make something out of nothing. Coach Kellen Moore agrees. The pass-catchers haven’talways been on the same page when Rattlerbails outofthe pocket Moore said.
“Plays are designed to be on time, and alot of times in this league they can become off schedule,” Moore said. “We’re not doing agood enough job. Jack (Stoll’s touchdown) was agreat example (ofdoing it correctly). Jack did aphenomenal job. He got to the back corner in ascrambledrill and found the voided zone and (caught) atouchdown as aresult of it
“There were too many other times when we’re not mirroring
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to schedule one other nonconference game, almost certain to be at home
This will be the first timethat Texas will play in TigerStadium since 1953. The fact thatNew Orleans native and highly publicized quarterback Arch Manning is expected to return to theLonghorns next season adds an extra dimension to thematchup.
LSU and Alabama, which have played eachother everyyear since 1964, will continue their annual rivalryone more year but won’tplay in 2027. The Tigers will go to Alabamain2028.
LSU and Florida won’tplay each other next season for the first time since 1970. But LSU will go to Gainesville in 2027 and the Gatorswill play in Tiger Stadium in 2029.
The Tigers willhave four SEC home gamesand fiveconference road games in 2026and 2028 and presumably willschedulethree home nonconference games in
those years. In 2027 and 2029, LSU will play fiveSEC opponentsat home and four on the road,allowingittoscheduleanonconference road game.
EverySEC school is required to playatleast onenonconference team from the Big Ten, Big12, ACC or Notre Dame. Annual opponentsfor teams will be reevaluated everyfour years, meaning thatthe Tigers could have adifferent set of yearly foes starting in 2030.
Tuesday’sannouncement follows theSEC’svote in August to increaseits conference slate from eight games to nine.Inthe new schedule format, teams will have three annual opponents and face sixothers in arotation.Each team will face one another at least once every two years and will play each other home and away within afouryear period. No. 4LSU resumes SEC play Saturday when it travels toNo. 13 Ole Miss (2:30 p.m.,ABC).
LSU’S SEC SCHEDULE THROUGH 2029
the quarterback, running back to thequarterback to find ourselves opportunities where we can at least steal yards.”
Numberstoknow
80.3%:The Saints are in zone coverage 80.3% of thetime, the seventh-highest mark in the league. According to TruMedia, theirmost preferred styleofzone is Cover 3—running it at a45.4% clip.
21.4%:Only three of Kai Kroeger’s14punts (21.4%) have been successfully downed inside the20. That’stied for the fifthworst rate in the league. The coveragehasn’t helped. (See: Tory Horton’s95-yard touchdown.)
+0.17: TheSaints rank 16th in
right end —running plays to the right ofthe right tackle —LSU is averaging4.3 yardsper carry.Onrunsbetween the left guard and the left end of the line, the Tigers are averaging 6.8 yards per carry Considering Davis’ struggles, combined with Chester starting the second half Saturday and freshman Carius Curne’semergence during the preseason, it’sfair to wonder whetherLSU is due for achange at right tackle.
“Wewanted to get DJ some more tackle reps,” Kelly said. “As you know,he’sgotten plenty of center reps.Hestarted 13games for us last year. He’sour firstguy in at any one of those five positions.”
This week at OleMiss, Chesterwon’t be an option in the firsthalf. He was ejected during the third quarter Saturday for targeting, and because of it,hewill be suspended for theopening 30 minutes in Oxford, Mississippi. Kelly said Chester’ssuspension meansCurne will be LSU’snext in line at right tackle. Kellysaid Curne is “an exceptional physicalspecimen,” but someone who still needs to develop from atechni-
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plays in that game,acouple conversion downs.” Without Sampson and Williams against Marshall, the Cajuns will rely on Charles Robertson, Jaydon Johnson, Landon Baptiste, andfreshmen Rahji Dennis and Landon Strother
“Jaydon and Charles didn’thave touches,but they’re playing fast,” Desormeaux said. “They’re playing better.So, you know,wegot to continue to spread the ball around alittle bit. We got to continue to
passing yards allowed per game, but that’smisleading.
Thepassdefensehas apassing EPA(expected points added) per play allowed of +0.17, trailing only Miami and Dallas. Thatmeasures efficiency
3:The Saintsrecorded just three pressuresonDarnold’s 18 dropbacks. He was pressured 14 times aweek earlier
Up next
Oneofthe best teams in football.
The Buffalo Bills are favored by a161/2 points, marking the largest spread involving the Saints as underdogs since 1975. ButBuffalo is favored for agood reason.
TheBills are first in total offense, first in rushing efficiency
LSU’sDJChester started the second half at righttackle against SoutheasternLouisiana on Saturdaybut wasejected for targeting in the thirdquarter
cal standpoint “He’smade really good progress,” Kelly said. “I think we all know that I’mwilling to play freshmen at thatposition. We did it in 2022 (but) it’sjust really difficult
have those guys playing good.
UL already is missing starting quarterback Walker Howard potentially for the rest of the season with atorn oblique, and the offensive lineisbeat up as well. Four of the top five tackles to start the season are out. Who’sthe star?
Some callthe relativelynew position the star spot and some just callitnickel. Either way,it’snot a strengthfor theRagin’ Cajuns at themoment.
Theissue beganwiththe severe hip injury suffered by starting star Maurion Eleam in the loss to Missouri.
and fourth in passing efficiency Oh,and they have reigning MVP Josh Allen. The Saints likely won’t see abetter quarterback this season, and Allenagain hasbeen spectacular to start theyear.But don’toverlook Buffalo’spotent rushing attack or its dominating offensive line —the latter of which is holding teamsto aleague-low 20.7% quarterback pressure rate.
If there is an area of slight concern for Buffalo, it’sthe defense.
But after giving up 40 points in theopener to the Ravens, the Bills heldtheir next twoopponentsto10 and 21 points, respectively
Email MatthewParas at matt. paras@theadvocate.com
“When you’re asking somebody to go in and play aposition at this level for the first time, there’sgoing to be alearning curve. Ilike what he’s doing.I like thematuritythathe’sshowing and the consistency.And again, Istill think you’re going to see him playing in somecapacity,and he’sgot to be prepared to do so.”
LSUalready has faced tougher pass rushes and defenses this season.
DespiteClemson and Florida’s struggles, bothteams own talented defensive fronts, and LSU still scored enough to win those games and start theyear 4-0.
Butthe Tigers’attack likely will need to put up more points thanitdid againstClemson or Florida to beat OleMiss, ateamthatowns the best offense LSUhas faced this year
Therefore,Davis’ play at righttackle could go along way in determining the Tigers’ success in keeping up with the Rebels.
“Ole Miss is an outstanding football team,” Kelly said. “Well coached. (Coach) Lane (Kiffin) does agreat job. Again, they have an established winning culture, and certainly an offense thathas again put up incredible numbers offensively.”
Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.
At that moment, Trae Tomlinson moved from cornerbacktothat nickel spot with Micaiah Bivines as his backup. Neither onehas been able to reach the level Eleam was at before his injury
“I don’tknow,” Desormeaux said of the plan there moving forward. “We’ve got to figure out the best 11 or try to do it. That’swhat we’ve got to do this week.”
Another option is Courtline Flowers, whohas experience there but alsohas been theonly stable cornerback this season. Brent Gordon, theother starting cornerback, is also an option at star but has thesame issue.
“Maybe it’sCourtline, maybe it’s Brent …we’ve got to figure it out,” Desormeaux said. “We’vealsogot to challenge those guys (Tomlinsonand Bivines) to play better It’stheir opportunity and they didn’tplaythe way they wanted to.Maybe it’sthe first game, but whatever it is,we’ve gottoplay better there.” Mixing up theoffense
Since the first game of theseason, Desormeaux hasinsisted the Cajuns can’tgive up on the passing game. Yes, the running game is ahead of the offense’saerial attack. But theanticipation is eachweekwill
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floor
“And as you’ve seen,”Mulkey said,“that’shard to do in just a year.Itjust is.”
Whoever startsatpoint guard in LSU’sseason opener on Nov.4 will be the Tigers’fourth primary ballhandler in as many years. Hailey VanLithtook over the job after Alexis Morris exhausted her eligibility,but shetransferred to TCU after onerocky year at the helm of Mulkey’s system. Last season, LSU split duties between transfer ShayeannDayWilson andLast-Tear Poa. Both have since moved on, which opened the door for Fulwiley to transfer in and earn the toppoint guard job. She played that position for most of the two seasonsshe spentatSouth Carolina.but she always came off the bench.
She didn’tplaymore than19 minutesper night, andshe averaged only about 10 field goal attempts This season, Fulwiley’srole could change. VanLith was the lasthigh-profile transferguard to choose LSU, andshe logged more than 30 minutes per game in herlone season in Baton Rouge —ayear in which she posted a career-low scoring average (11.6) andfield-goal percentage (38%) Day-Wilson’s numbers took similar dips last season after her transfer to LSU.
“Somuch is asked of you,” Mulkey said.“It’s not just what you’re capable of doing. You’ve gottoknoweverybody else.” Mulkey is leaving the door open for Fulwiley to spend time on the wing becauseLSU has other ballhandlers, shesaid. JadaRichard, thesharp-shooting sophomore from Lafayette, is anaturalpoint guard —just like Divine Bourrage, thefreshman from Iowa who joined the Tigers as one of the nation’s30best recruits. There’salsostarjuniorMikaylah Williams. She can handle theball in apinch,just likeshe didlast season when LSU hitthe heart of SECplay
Butitlooks like Fulwiley will get the first crack at earning theall-importantjob of running pointfor LSU. She started learning howtoplay the position Tuesday, sixmonths after sheleft her hometownSouth Carolina team to join its toprival.
“She’sbeaten me too many times for me not to have taken herinto this program,”Mulkey said. “She’sfitting in well.I mean,ballers want to play with ballers, andshe’s goingtobefun to watch.”
Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sportsupdates, sign up forour newsletterat theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter
bring more and more bodies into the box to force the Cajuns to prove they can execute their passing game.
“(Eastern Michigan) madesome adjustments with their safeties and getting their safeties in the fits,” Desormeaux said. “In the first half, we were making themmiss. In the second half, we weren’table to make them miss, so the runs weren’tgoing as big.
“We’re just going to start getting it tighter and tighter,sowe’ve got to be able to make some throws downthe field.”
Email KevinFoote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByBEN VANHOUTEN Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold completed 77.8% of his passes Sunday andposted a154.2 passer
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LARGE SCHOOLS
1.Teurlings (3-0): All coaching changes come with questions, and this one was no different, but this transition couldn’t be going more smoothly The offense is using its weapons and the defense has shined when needed.
2. Southside (2-1): After the jamboree and first game of the season, there were some questions about which direction Southside may be going But the Sharks rushing attack has taken over, and Southside is rolling
3. Carencro (1-2): There’s not a lot of difference on paper right now between the two best resumes and the next level.The Bear still have a lot to prove but do have a win over St.Thomas More, so that works for now.
4. St.Thomas More (1-2): Again, the truth is there aren’t many area 5A and 4A teams off to good starts. The Cougars played three really good teams and could have won or lost all three. Last week’s big comeback over Acadiana was good enough to be fourth.
5. Lafayette (3-0): The Lions have a lot to prove to stay in the top five With Southside up next, Lafayette can nail down a spot next week for
Teurlings Catholic coach Michael Courville has the Rebels off to an undefeated start to the season.
sure.At this point, though, it at least takes a win
SMALL SCHOOLS
1. Lafayette Christian (3-0): Unlike a lot of areas, the Knights would be first in the large-school poll as well. The early-season chaos from last season is far behind this group now.
The Knights are indeed back.
2. Notre Dame (2-1): The Pioneers are off to a really good start with a win over Southside and a narrow loss to Teurlings Notre Dame gets another chance to impress this week against Catholic High.
3 Catholic-NI (3-0): Speaking of the defending champions, the Panthers are still trying to get all of their ducks in a row, but being undefeated works so far
4. Erath (3-0): It sure seems like last year’s early playoff exit motivated coach Eric LeBlanc’s group The offense is off to an explosive start, and the Bobcats don’t have to try to tackle Jonathan Dartez on Friday.
5. Lafayette Renaissance (30): The Tigers’ biggest challenges are coming up soon. For now, Lafayette Renaissance possesses an explosive offense and an undefeated record.
Kevin Foote
Explosive Erath follows QB’s lead
BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer
Jack Landry is undoubtedly the man for the job.
The task for the 6-foot-3, 195-pound senior quarterback?
Taking the Erath Bobcats to new heights on the gridiron. In other words, getting past the second round of the playoffs.
It’s never been done before, although the Bobcats have been close Last year, Erath went 8-1 in the regular season and earned a No 2 seed but lost to No. 15 Loreauville in the regional.
“It’s kind of shocking that Erath has never been to the quarterfinals,” Bobcats coach Eric LeBlanc said. “It’s definitely a goal of mine.”
Landry has the credentials For one thing, he is the returning starter at quarterback. Moreover, he was a central figure in the school’s best baseball season ever this spring. He’s a proven winner
“Jack is a special kid,” LeBlanc said. “He’s out here busting it every day He’s always 100%, bringing focus every day He’s a perfectionist. When things don’t look the way they’re supposed to, he wants to get it right. I love where he’s at.”
Landry knows about perfection. He maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA, and he has guided the Bobcats to a 3-0 start heading into this week’s game against Vermilion Catholic. In the spring, he helped the baseball team nab a No. 2 seed and finish as state runner-up.
“We had a good senior group last year that led by example,” LeBlanc said. “They trusted the process and believed in what we’re doing. They passed that down to this year’s senior class, which has done the same thing by taking ownership in practice. Even in the school halls, those seniors took it to heart. I feel like this group has followed suit.”
The Bobcats, who debuted at No. 10 in the LSWA Class 3A poll this week, got some payback by defeating Loreauville in Week 1, the second straight year EHS beat the Tigers in the regular season.
“It’s all about effort and competi-
tion,” LeBlanc said. “It’s hard to be perfect, but you want to be as close to it as possible. You have to work every day, not be complacent or satisfied. And whatever happens, take it one game at a time.”
Landry is 10th among area passers with 461 yards and six touchdowns. He’s coming off his best game, 222 yards passing on 11-of16 attempts with four touchdowns and no interceptions in a win over Eunice.
“Jack has a cannon,” Landry said. “He’s a great kid. Where he hits different than other quarterbacks is accuracy He is one of the more accurate throwers I’ve seen in a while. He’s already at 100 yards rushing. He wants to be the dude.”
Landry, interestingly enough, isn’t one of the Bobcats’ regular pitchers in baseball, although his favorite receiver last week — Talan Landry (4-42, two TDs) — and starting tight end Landen DeRouen are top arms.
Landry, who spread five completions around to six receivers in the opener, has two running backs that keep defenses honest in Aiden Bourque and Jahlil Charles.
The duo were both in the area’s top 10 rushers through Week 2 and
SCOREBOARD
Sacked-Yards Lost
(Elder 8-10), 11:15 a.m. Milwaukee (Priester
at San Diego (Cease
3:10 p.m. Pittsburgh (Skenes
at Cincinnati (Greene 7-4), 5:40 p.m. Miami (Weathers 2-1) at Philadelphia (Luzardo 14-7), 5:45 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Tong 2-2) at Chicago Cubs (Boyd 13-8), 7:05 p.m. Colorado (Gordon 6-7) at Seattle (Castillo 10-8), 8:40 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Snell 5-4) at Arizona (Nelson 7-3), 8:40 p.m. St. Louis (Gray 14-8) at San Francisco (Ray 11-8), 8:45 p.m. Pro basketball WNBA playoffs (x-if necessary) Semifinals (Best-of-5) Minnesota 1, Phoenix 0 Sept. 21: Minnesota 85, Phoenix 69 Tuesday: Phoenix at Minnesota, n Friday: Minnesota at Phoenix, TBD (ESPN2) x-Sunday: Minnesota at Phoenix , TBD (ESPN2) x-Sept. 30 Phoenix at Minnesota, TBD (TBD) Indiana 1, Las Vegas 0 Sept. 21: Indiana 89, Vegas 73 Tuesday: Indiana at Las Vegas, n Friday: Las Vegas at Indiana, TBD (ESPN2) x-Sunday: Las Vegas at Indiana, TBD (TBD) x-Sept. 30: Indiana at Las Vegas, TBD (TBD) Finals (Best-of-7) Oct. 3: Game 1, TBD Transactions National Football League
are averaging around 200 combined yards per game. Bourque caught a 77-yard touchdown from Landry in last week’s 48-8 win over North Vermilion.
“We have those two guys, and senior Landon Lemaire (also a baseball player) is a running back, too,” LeBlanc said. “That’s three seniors. We try to have some grown men in the trenches. Whenever you can hand the ball off, and the offensive line does their job, it’s a thing of beauty.”
The Bobcats will try to impose their will on a smaller Vermilion Catholic defense this week in Abbeville. The reigning Division IV select champs (1-2) got their first win last week against Loreauville after losses to undefeated Catholic-New Iberia and Breaux Bridge. Before the loss to Catholic High of New Iberia, Vermilion Catholic had gone undefeated in regularseason games dating back to 2021, when Erath beat the Eagles.
“VC is still the state champs,” LeBlanc said of the Eagles, who are ranked No. 7 in Class 1A. “We’ve been preaching it to the kids: They lost a lot of talent, but those kids know how to win. They were down last week to Loreauville and pulled it out. They know what it takes.”
FILE PHOTO By LEE BALL
Erath quarterback Jack Landry, left, has led the Bobcats to a high-flying 3-0 start to the season.
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
In Season 5, the future of the building itself is at stake in ‘Only Murders in the Building’
BY NINA METZ Chicago Tribune (TNS)
the Arconia, home to amateur investigators Mabel, Charles and Oliver In Season 5, the death of their longtime doorman is the trio’s latest preoccupation. But let me introduce an even more significant turn of events that emerges over the course of the season: The future of the Arconia itself may be at stake. Does that mean the series itself is finally winding down? It’s been a satisfying run thus far And there’s nothing wrong with a show coming to an end, if that’s indeed the case here. (Someone tell that to Michael Patrick King, who is threatening to resurrect Carrie Bradshaw yet again despite the recent end of the “Sex and the City” sequel “And Just Like That …”)
With the Arconia’s future in doubt, perhaps this is an elegant way to wrap things up. Or not.
Hulu hasn’t shared the season’s final episode with critics, so I can’t say either way Hollywood loves nothing better than milking a hit past any reasonable endpoint, so it’s possible more installments of the series are on the way If so, I’d like the show — starring Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short — to refocus on the bond that keeps the central characters in each other’s lives beyond the whodunit of it all. That’s been given short shrift in recent seasons and you feel its absence.
But first, the story at hand. The Arconia’s doorman Lester (Teddy Coluca) is no longer of this world and the three podcasting friends are back at it again, furrowing their brows to find out what happened When the corpse of a mobster (Bobby Cannavale) turns up on the building’s premises as well, they become convinced the two fatalities are connected.
Lester’s untimely death is an opportunity for “Only Murders in the Building” to do what it does best: Pausing for lovely little portraits of New York that may not be essential to the plot, but are some of the most fulfilling storytelling moments on the show This one is an ode to the profession of doorman itself, which is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Thirtytwo years ago, Lester was a ä See ‘BUILDING’, page 6C
Breaking new grounds
She Brews It brings bold flavors, coffee buckets and healthier alternatives to Lafayette
BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer
When you approach the window at She Brews It, a new Lafayette coffee shop, you’re greeted with the signature question: “What can she brew for you today? Do you want something healthier or nah?”
The answer could be anything from flavored lattes like banana foster, joyful almond or salted caramel, teas and lemonades, that come with sugar or sugar-free. The drinks are made with houseroasted Brazilian beans, oat milk and syrups that are all non-GMO, dairy-free and free of high-fructose corn syrup.
Owner Christina Boutte said a commitment to healthier, highquality ingredients is what makes her shop different. “I knew I had to set myself apart and draw attention,” Boutte said. “Because I figured once people taste the coffee, they would fall in love.” To distinguish itself from other coffee shops, She Brews It offers unique flavors such as banana nut muffin, cotton candy and wedding cake. But the most talked-about
Boutte, the owner of She Brews It, serves up an iced latte for a customer
item is the 32-ounce bucket of iced expresso, which has quickly become a customer favorite, particularly in flavors like churro, bananas Foster and caramel. Boutte’s love for coffee started long before opening her shop. After experiencing inconsistency from other coffee shops, Boutte be-
gan roasting beans and mixing her own drinks at home. With the help of her children, she said she tested recipes daily until she found the blends that made the final menu.
Before her days as a coffee entrepreneur, Boutte was a teacher
But a medical crisis changed her path. Complications from surgery left her facing 18 major hip surgeries and the devastating news that she might never walk again. Years of rehab and recovery eventually led her to reevaluate her life.
“I always wanted my money to work for me,” she said. “After that period of recovery and therapy, I made the decision to open a coffee shop.”
Faith and family also shaped her vision Inspired by her daughter, who has type 1 diabetes Boutte prioritized health-conscious options, offering sugar-free choices in every flavor She also made the decision to go completely dairyfree, serving only oat milk. The name She Brews It is a play on the biblical book of Hebrews, a testimony to her journey
See BREWS, page 6C
DISNEy/TNS PHOTO By PATRICK HARBRON Selena Gomez, from left, Steve Martin and Martin Short star in ‘Only Murders in the Building.’
Christina
PROVIDED PHOTOS By CHRISTINA BOUTTE
Cold brew coffee is on the menu at She Brews It, located at 2015 Cameron St. in Lafayette.
BREWS
Continued from page5C
“In my opinion, coffee tastes just as good with oat milk as it does with cow’s milk,” she said. “Itwas part of my personal journey to eat cleaner and trustthat God would guide me.”
Beyond coffee, the shop serves light bites like pancakes on astick, whole-grain mini waffles and blueberry muffins.
Heading into fall,She BrewsIthas introduced such flavors as pumpkin spice, pumpkin cream, pumpkin brownie and pumpkin chocolatechip.
SheBrews It is located at 2015 Cameron St., with drive-thru only Monday through Wednesdayfrom 6:30 a.m. to noon, Thursday and Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5p.m., and Saturday from 8a.m. to 2p.m
Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com
BEST
Continued from page5C
alively atmosphereona Friday night before an LSU football Saturday when I went to pick up my mountains of food.
Pro tip: Order the garlic naan and aside of cheesy dosa to soak up the extra sauce leftoverinthe dish. The extra sauces can also be frozen and used to marinate chicken for adelicious second meal.
—Margaret DeLaney, health section coordinator Brisket barbecue plate lunch
n Bon Creole, 1409 E. St. Peter St., New Iberia Bon Creole, amuch-loved NewIberia lunch spot serving plate lunches, po-boys and one of the best gumbos in the region, opens at 11 a.m. on Sundays. The parking lot starts filling up about 30 minutes before, for one reason only: Bon Creoleonly sells barbecue plates on Sundays, by the hundreds, and they sellout quickly
‘BUILDING’
Continued from page5C
struggling actor who took the job as away to earn a living until he landed his big break. Along the way, his acting dreams fell away and “doorman” becamehis definingrole in life. He was invested in the lives of the residents, some of whom were more appreciative than others, but what are ya’ gonna do? Such is the fate of auniformed doorman, who is forever there and yet largely unseen. In the course of their investigation, Mabel,Charles and Oliver uncover aritzy secret casino that has been operating out the basement of the Arconia. The world’s richest people have astake in it, as played by Renee Zellweger (as avaguely Martha Stewart-esque lifestyle queen and hotel magnet), Christoph Waltz (whose riches are derived from AI and who is, perhaps not surprisingly,weirdly robotic himself) and Logan Lerman (a fake-laid-back heir to afamily fortune derived from unethical business practices). They want the podcasters to keep their noses out of their business. That’snot going to happen.
This Sunday,Ioptedfor the brisket dinner,which was juicy and tender and coated with amildly sweet barbecue sauce. The beans and potato salad were the perfectcomplementtoeach meaty forkfulofbrisket and rice dressing, withflavors well worth standing in line for —JoannaBrown, staff writer Lunch special n Duang Tawan, 4850 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Baton Rouge I’ve never had Thai food before,but Iknowgoodfood when Itaste it. Not only is the lunch special from DuangTawanagood deal, but it’sspicy and delicious. The server gaveme
Therewouldn’tbeashow, otherwise Evenso, something about this season feels like astep down. I’ve always been drawn to the heartfelthuman connections thatexist amid the droll wordplay and zanier murder mystery shenanigans. And yet as the seasons have progressed, there have been fewer opportunities to see the central threesome interact justasfriends, even when they aren’t “on ajob.” Their dynamic doesn’tfeel like it’s being further developed. That’snot unusual with whodunits. Jessica Fletcher was fully formed from the first episode of “Murder,She Wrote,” never becoming more complex over time, and it worked beautifully.But abig part of the appeal of “Only Murders in the Building” are the relationships. And the sense of wistful regret and melancholy that these relationships generate. Also, Mabel still appears to have no job. She’snot independently wealthy,sowhat is hersource of income? That’sabig thing to handwave away!
Well, details-schmeetails. Thejokes always land. “One of the reasons Iplay cards here is because it’s
Dear Miss Manners: Icame homefrom workone evening and found mydaughter on the phone, so Ipassed her anote. She immediately said, “I am on the phone, Dad.” Iwas upset by this response,and asked who she was talking to —tomake sure Ididn’tinterrupt anything important —but it happened to be her boyfriend. Am Ioverreacting, or she was she wrong tosay that?
Assuming your note wasnot to tell her that the house was on fire, the polite thing foryou to do would have been to hold your communications until she finished her call.
amenu rundown, and I settled on starting with the TomYum soup. It came with the chef’s choice of appetizer,which was a fried vegetable spring roll on Friday.The soup (with lemongrass, lime juice, scallions, mushroomsand chicken) came hot, and the lime acidity made the broth just delightful. As asoup fanatic, Iwill be returning for more.
Ialso had the fish with choo chee curry,adish that arrived on bed of vegetables and with aside of rice. The sauce’scitrusy components heightened everything on the plate. It’s ahearty meal that doesn’t overdo it.
—Maddie Scott, features reporter
themurder building, and that is all becauseofyou,” one of the rich casino jerks says. “Well, we give alot of credit to the murderers,” Charles humbly sarcastically replies.Later,when his friends grab autensil from his kitchen to better examine acorpse, he exclaims: “Not theSur La Table tongs!” The show also has some fun with hammy mafia cliches. The team tracks down themobster’swidow, who is mother to several grown sonswho say “Nice to meet yous”and want to do apodcast called “Aye, I’m Tawking Here!” Oliver takes onelook at the siblings and deems them readyfor acommunity theater audition for “Grease.”
Musical theater is always on the mind for Oliver, who recalls that in 1982 he wroteamusical riffing on “New York,New York called “Newark,Newark” with the tagline: “If you can make it there, turns out it has no bearing on whether or not you can make it anywhere.”
Butthe morepressing question is whetherornot theArconia will make it “What’s happening to our sweet littlemurder building?”Aridiculous but heartfeltsentiment.
DearMiss Manners: Our small rural community had a fire in three downtown buildings that caused the food pantry to need anew location.
Gentle reader: Wasshe wrong to remind you that she was on the phone —and thatyour note was therefore an interruption, even if not averbal one? Or was she wrong to tell you who was on the other end?
No and, judging by your reaction, yes.
Miss Manners cannot answer your leading question about overreacting, as it presupposes your daughter’sguilt.But she can point out that if your daughter is old enough to have aboyfriend, it is no longer your prerogative to determine what constitutes an important call.
On the spur of the moment, when Iwas talking with the food pantry’s manager,I graciously offered him my beloved stereo receiver and CD player,along with some CDs, thinking he would use it at the food pantry.(We had been downsizing at our house, and our stereo was not being used.)
The manager wasvery pleased at my offer.I made it clear (my husband was witness) that if he didn’t want it later,heshould get ahold of me and Iwould take it back. Ichecked back last week and found out that he decided he didn’twant it at the pantry,sohegave it away to someone he
thought would enjoy it. Iwas very angry when I found out, and told him that wasnot the arrangementwe’d madeand that I wanted it back. WasI wrong in asking foritback? Nowthat I have calmed downand thought about it, Idon’t know what Iamgoing to do with it if Iget it back. Ifeel better knowing that someone can have some joy using it.
How can Isave face and tell him that we will let it be, and that it doesn’tneed to be returned?
Gentle reader: That will depend on what you mean by “very angry” —and Miss Manners would leave the assessment of that to amore impartial witness than yourself
Certainly,anapology is needed, not just an explanation. Whether that should be in person or in written form will depend on whether the manager is likely to bolt the door and reach forthe fire
By The Associated Press
Today is Wednesday Sept.24, the 267th day of 2025. There are 98 days left in the year
Todayinhistory: On Sept.24, 2017, more than 200 NFL players knelt or sat during thenational anthem after President Donald Trumpcriticized theplayers’ protests in aspeech and aseries of tweets
Also on this date: In 1789, President George Washington signedaJudiciary Act establishing
America’sfederal court system and creating the post of attorney general.
In 1869, thousands of businessmen wereruined in aWall Street panic knownas“Black Friday” after financiers Jay Gould and James Fisk attempted to corner the gold market.
In 1957, the Los Angelesbound Brooklyn Dodgers played their last game at Ebbets Field, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0.
In 1988, Jackie JoynerKersey won gold and set a world record in the women’sheptathlon at the Sum-
PROVIDED PHOTO By CHRISTINA BOUTTE
She Brews It offers a32-ounce iced espresso bucket comes with four shotsofespresso, a flavor of your choice and the option to makeit sugar free.
STAFF PHOTO By MADDIESCOTT Fish with choo chee curryatDuang Tawan
STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN
Brisket barbecue plate with baked beans, rice dressing and potato salad from Bon Creole in NewIberia
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) How you engage with issues that matter to you will have an impact. Stand tall and refuse to let anyone or anything get between you and what's important to you.
scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Be careful. Acting on your anger will cost you. Be prepared for the consequences if you decide to engage in a conflict with a friend, neighbor or family member.
sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Money is within reach if you put in the effort. Use your experience and knowledge to convince others to take a chance on you. Stick to what you know and do best, and your confidence will carry you forward.
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) It's up to you to create opportunities. If you snooze, you'll lose, so put on your best attire and attend an event. Be sure to verify facts before sharing information.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Figure out a budget and map out a plan that makes your home and lifestyle more appealing. Look for something that will appease those who may stand between you and your heart's desires.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Review your options and consider how you want to proceed. Take responsibility for your happiness and prioritize your needs. A commitment will prove to be lucrative.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Stifle your fiery, combative rhetoric if you want to accomplish what you set out to do.
Choose your words wisely and strive to live up to your promises.
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Pay attention to how you look and feel. Trust your instincts, not what someone else tries to talk you into doing. Implement home improvements that will make your life easier.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Get the ball rolling. Utilize your intelligence and connections to develop a plan, and implement change based on your findings. Follow your heart, and don't look back.
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Get out and do something that motivates you to look and do your best. Be willing to compromise if it will help you complete tasks on time. A new look or a little pampering can rejuvenate you.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Stay alert. Problems at home will mount if you let your emotions and ego get in the way. Taking on someone else's burden isn't required; kindness and advice are sufficient.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Be careful what you agree to; certain things will not be as described. It's best to stay in control of whatever changes are heading your way instead of letting someone else decide for you.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
toDAy's cLuE: J EQuALs W
FAMILY CIrCUS
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe
SALLY Forth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
LAGoon
bIG nAte
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
By PHILLIP ALDER
Samuel Johnson said, “The two offices of memory are collection and distribution.”
Bridge players should collect and use distribution information. There are even a few deals, like today’s, in which the bidding tells declarer exactly who has what.
West did not have a clear-cut opening with those two honors doubleton in spades, but everyone bids these days. East’s response was hardly a thing of beauty, either. And not too long ago, many expert pairs treated South’s sandwich no-trump as unusual, showing a weak 5-5 in the unbid suits. The argument against one no-trump as natural was that if North had a weak, balanced hand, it would be easy for the opening side to double and penalize South. But now, because players open and respond on used tram tickets, experts treat one no-trump as strong, promising a good 15 to 18 points.
West led the spade king, which South ducked.Then,whenWestcontinuedwith the spade queen, South knew the deal’s distribution. How?
Since East had started with only four spades, West had to have four hearts. (If East had had 4-4 in the majors, she would haverespondedoneheart,notonespade.)
Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON
InstRuctIons:
toDAy’s
Average
Can
Previous
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer today’s thought
loCKhorNs
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles hidato
BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS
U.S. stocks slip as Wall Street pauses Tuesday
NEW YORK U.S. stock indexes
slipped on Tuesday as Wall Street took a pause from its relentless rally
The S&P 500 dipped 0.6%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 88 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite sank
0.9%
It’s the first pullback for the indexes after the trio set alltime highs in each of the last three days. Since surging from a bottom in April, the broad U.S. stock market has been facing criticism that it’s shot too high, too fast and become too expensive.
Nvidia weighed on the market after giving back some of its big gain from the day before, when it announced a partnership with OpenAI to build out data centers. Wall Street’s most influential stock lost 2.8%.
Gold continued its recordbreaking rally and briefly topped $3,800 per ounce. It’s soared nearly 45% so far this year, even more than the U.S. stock market, in part on expectations that the Fed will cut interest rates to help the slowing U.S. job market.
Mexico boosts controls on cattle near border
MEXICO CITY Mexico activated emergency controls Monday after detecting a new case of New World screwworm in cattle in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon, the closest case to the U.S. border since the outbreak began last year
The animal, found in the town of Sabinas Hidalgo, came from the Gulf state of Veracruz, Mexico’s National Health for Food Safety and Food Quality Service said. The last case was reported July 9 in Veracruz, prompting Washington to suspend imports of live Mexican cattle.
The parasite, a larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, attacks warm-blooded animals, including humans. Mexico has reported more than 500 active cases in cattle across southern states.
The block on cattle imports has spelled trouble for Mexico’s government, which has already been busy trying to offset the brunt of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats this year.
The government and ranchers have sought to get the ban lifted. If it stays in place through the year, Mexico’s ranching federation estimates losses up to $400 million.
Kiss cam scandal was not an ‘affair,’ report says Months after the kiss cam scandal, a source close to Kristin Cabot, the HR executive seen cuddling with former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron during a Coldplay concert, is speaking out about the nature of their relationship.
When the pair were caught on the jumbotron hugged up at the band’s Boston concert in July, the duo awkwardly broke away from each other and tried to hide from the camera.
But a source told People that the viral clip didn’t paint an accurate image of the real story.
“Kristin and Andy had an excellent working relationship, a great friendship,” the Cabot source told the outlet. “There was no affair.”
“It was inappropriate to be hugging your boss at a concert, and she accepts full responsibility for it,” the insider said. “But the scandal, the downfall, the loss of the job — all of that is unfair.”
Recent reports confirmed that Cabot was already in the process of divorcing her husband before the concert, but Byron is reportedly married.
The scandal thrusted both families into the spotlight, fueling headlines, which the source says misrepresented Cabot.
“It is important to note how inappropriately mislabeled Kristin has been — as a homewrecker,” the source said “It’s unfathomable to witness what has happened, and how devastating it can be, for not just individuals, but entire families.”
BY AMARA OMEOKWE Bloomberg News (TNS)
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the outlooks for the labor market and inflation face risks, reiterating his view that policymakers likely have a difficult road ahead as they weigh further interest-rate cuts
“Near-term risks to inflation are tilted to the upside and risks to employment to the downside — a challenging situation,” Powell said Tuesday in remarks to the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce in Rhode Island. “Two-sided risks mean that there is no risk-free path.”
Powell offered no hints on wheth-
er he might support a rate cut at the Fed’s next meeting, in October
He did, however, address the tense political environment surrounding the Fed during a question and answer session following his speech, and denied accusations the central bank has acted politically in its policy decisions.
“We’re looking at what’s the best thing for the people that we serve,” he said. “Truth is mostly people who are calling us political — it’s just a cheap shot.”
President Donald Trump — in addition to pressuring the Fed for lower interest rates — has been among Republicans who have accused Powell of making rate decisions that favored Democrats.
Buffalo Trace long connected to river that flooded facility earlier this year
BY BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press
FRANKFORT, Ky — The long history of bour-
bon production at Buffalo Trace Distillery has been connected to the Kentucky River — summed up as a blessing and curse by a plaque on the grounds.
In the 1800s, long before the Buffalo Trace name was attached to the distillery, the river served as a floating highway to bring in grain and other production essentials and to transport barrels of whiskey to markets along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Even today river water cools down production equipment. But the river flowing past the distillery flashed its destructive side in April.
A massive flood, caused by days of unrelenting rain, sent the Kentucky River surging over its banks, inundating most of the 200-plus-acre distillery grounds on its main campus in Frankfort. Nearly every phase of production was impacted, as were several warehouses where whiskey is aged.
“It was just something that was hard to process, but we knew we couldn’t take too much time to process it,” said Tyler Adams, a distillery general manager He said they had much to do to recover from the reservoir of murky water that swamped the bourbon-making campus.
Whiskey production bounces back
Five months later, production at the distillery is back to normal, including of some of the most sought-after bourbons. Its lineup includes the namesake flagship brand, Buffalo Trace, as well as Eagle Rare, W.L. Weller and Blanton’s. Pappy Van Winkle bourbons are distilled and aged at Buffalo Trace while the Van Winkle family remains in control of the coveted brand.
The distillery recently filled its 9 millionth barrel of bourbon since Prohibition, just 21/2 years since filling the 8 millionth barrel It has also introduced new whiskeys to its catalog and is renovating a campus building into a cafe and events center
The cleanup enlisted hundreds of plant employees and contract workers. Buffalo Trace fans swamped the distillery with offers to pitch in, Adams said. The distillery politely declined and suggested they might assist area residents instead.
Crews removed debris, sanitized equipment and pumped out what was left after floodwaters receded.
Few visible reminders remain of that mudcaked, debris-strewn mess. Some filled whiskey barrels touched by
BY WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS Associated Press
NEW YORK Tariffs and years of teetering mall traffic have roiled much of the toy industry But Build-A-Bear investors are continuing to reap sizable gains.
Shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop are up more than 60% since the start of 2025, trading at just under $72 apiece as of Tuesday afternoon. That compares to just 13% for the S&P 500 since the start of the year, and marks dramatic growth from five years ago, when the St. Louis-based retailer’s stock sat under $3.
The toy industry overall has been “reasonably soft” in recent years, notes Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData — but certain categories, in-
Powell’s remarks hewed closely to those he made in a press conference on Sept 17 after Fed policymakers lowered the central bank’s benchmark interest rate to a range of 4% to 4.25%, the first reduction of 2025 Powell at the press conference described the move as a “risk-management cut” aimed at responding to growing warning signs in the labor market.
Recent data, along with revisions to previous figures, have pointed to a sharp slowdown in job creation.
“There has been a marked slowing in both the supply of and demand for workers — an unusual and challenging development,” Powell said.
“In this less dynamic and somewhat softer labor market, the downside
risks to employment have risen.”
Still, Powell on Tuesday continued to argue the Fed must remain attentive to the possibility that Trump’s tariffs lead to persistent inflationary effects.
He said recent price increases were largely being driven by tariffs, but he continued to expect that would be a “one-time” effect.
“Powell wasn’t as dovish as markets were probably hoping for, somewhat mirroring his tone at last week’s press conference,” Oren Klachkin, an economist at Nationwide, said in a note after the speech. “But he still sees tariffs as a one-time adjustment to the price level, which should give him the green light to continue easing.”
floodwaters were still being cleaned and tested, but the meticulous task of examining thousands of barrels was nearly complete, the distillery said. Quality control assessments found only small amounts of aging whiskey were impacted. High water marks are etched into some buildings and tour guides casually remind visitors of the epic event
Once the river crested, it took a few days for the floodwaters to fully recede, but operations gradually sprung back to life. Finished whiskey shipped out the day after the rain stopped. Bottling soon resumed and a makeshift gift shop opened until the visitors’ center was repaired. Tours eventually resumed. But bourbon production halted for about a month as the cost for cleanup and repairs surpassed $30 million.
Several storage tanks shifted off their foundation. Some were repaired, others replaced Dozens of electrical control panels were destroyed. About three-fourths of gift shop inventory was lost
Hard times in the whiskey sector
For the American whiskey industry as a whole, it’s been anything but business as usual.
After years of growth, prospects turned sour for the sector amid sluggish sales and trade uncertainties as President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs.
In 2024, American whiskey sales in the U.S. fell nearly 2%, the first such drop in supplier sales in more than 20 years, the Distilled Spirits Council said. Initial data
for the first half of 2025 showed a continued decline, it said. American whiskey exports dropped more than 13% through July of this year compared to the year-ago period, it said. The American whiskey category includes bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey
Kentucky distilleries producing such prominent brands as Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey and Four Roses can weather downturns better than small producers.
Heaven Hill Brands, another large producer, recently celebrated its new $200 million distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, taking a long view of market prospects by significantly boosting bourbon capacity
“As an independent, family-owned company, we don’t have to chase quarterly trends; we’re building for the next generation,” said Kate Latts, co-president of Heaven Hill Brands, whose brands include Evan Williams and Elijah Craig. “This distillery reflects that philosophy.”
At Buffalo Trace, its future is entrenched alongside the Kentucky River, realizing that more floods could come in the years ahead. The distillery learned lessons to be even better prepared next time
“This area being a National Historic Landmark, being right on the river, there’s only so much you can do to hold back that water,” Adams said “Your best bet is to prepare for it, do what you can. But holding back that water? It’s really inevitable it’s going to make it into some spaces.”
cluding craft-oriented products, have done very well following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. And that’s key to BuildA-Bear’s core business model: welcoming consumers into their brick-and-mortar stores to make their own plush animals.
That may also set Build-A-Bear apart from the malls its stores are often inside, many of which have struggled to see overall traffic rebound over the years.
“The mall may not be a destination, but Build-A-Bear often is — because it’s often a planned trip,” Saunders said. “It’s a store within a mall that many consumers make a beeline for.”
Build-A-Bear is still not entirely immune to macroeconomic pressures, but the company’s profit has soared to record after
record in recent quarters. Last month, the retailer reported what it said were the best results for a second quarter and first half of a fiscal year in the history of the Build-A-Bear, which opened its first store in 1997. Company executives pointed to strong store performance and other expansion efforts. In the first half of its 2025 fiscal year the company’s revenues hit $252.6 million and its pretax income climbed to $34.9 million up 11.5% and 31.5%, respectively, year-over-year The company also raised its financial outlook for the full year, despite anticipated costs of President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs on goods coming into the U.S. from around the world and other headwinds.
“Tariffs are a real cost that we are facing,” Voin Todorovic, chief financial officer at Build-ABear said in the company’s Aug. 28 earnings call — pointing to current U.S import tax rates of 30% on China and 20% on Vietnam, where the retailer sources much of its products. Some of that has already trickled down to the cost of Build-A-Bear’s merchandise in North America, but Todorovic noted that such levies would impact the company “even more in the second half of the year.”
Still, he and other executives pointed to preparations BuildA-Bear had made to lessen the blow, including previous inventory increases. The company also maintained that consumer-facing price impacts would be limited.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JON CHERRy
Five months after devastating flooding by the Kentucky River, production is back to normal at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Ky
