Afederal judge has granted class-action status to lawsuits claiming Louisiana regularlykept inmates in prison past their release dates, opening the door for thousands of former inmates to join the case.
Theplaintiffs argue theDepartment of Public Safety &Correctionsknew about the problemyet failedtotake proper action forat least adecade. While the judge has not yet ruled in their favor,granting class-actionstatus recognizes thescope of the problem, they say “This is amajor victory for ac-
countability —and we hope it is the beginning of the end of thestate’s pattern of illegally imprisoning thousands of Louisianans at taxpayerexpense,” WilliamMost, one of theattorneys on thecase, said in astatement.
State officialsplantoappeal,saying the information in the lawsuit is outdated and that anew system theyimplemented has mostly fixedthe problems. Theyalso say
sentencing calculations rely on clerks of courtand sheriffs’offices, whichthe agency cannot control.
“Wedisagreewith the judge’s ruling andweintend to appeal. Everything in thelawsuits is either long outdated, out-of-context or just flatly false,” Attorney General LizMurrill said in astatement.
“The release date for an incarcerated person is notasimple calculation. It involves multiple offi-
cials and complicated calculations of timeserved and good time eligibility,” the statement continued. “The Department of Corrections is frequentlyatthe mercy of local officials and other branchesofgovernment.”
TheDepartment of Corrections declinedtocommentonpending litigation.
ä See LAWSUITS, page 5A
Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry,center,celebrates with teammates afterhis secondinterception Sunday.Hewas responsible for two of New Orleans’five takeaways in a26-14 victory over the NewYork Giants. It was theSaints’ first victory since December and the first at the Superdome since November. It wasalso the first career win forhead coach Kellen Moore andquarterback Spencer Rattler, but it didn’t comeeasy. TheSaintstrailed 14-3 early beforeRattler hitRashid Shaheedfor an 87-yard touchdown, the team’slongest play from scrimmage since 2016. Later,Bryan Bresee forced aGiants fumble and Jordan Howden returned it 86 yards foratouchdown to pad thelead
Government shutdown enters into thefifth day
Lawmakersremain at an impasse over reopening
BYJOSH BOAK |Associated Press
WASHINGTON Republican and Democraticlawmakers at an impasse on reopening the federal government providedfew public signs Sunday of meaningful negotiations talking place to end what hassofar been afive-dayshutdown.
Leaders in both partiesare betting thatpublicsentiment has swung their way,puttingpressure on the othersidetocave. Democrats are insistingonrenewing subsidies tocover healthinsurance costs formillions of households, while President Donald Trump wants to preserve existing spending levels and threatening to permanently fire federal workers if the governmentremains closed.
The squabble comes at amoment of troubling economicuncertainty
ä See SHUTDOWN, page 5A
‘Blendingscience
andart’
Photographer’s coastalexploration included in Ogdenregionalexhibit
BY JOSIE ABUGOV |Staff writer
In themiddle of ablack and white photograph, acow and a bull stand side-by-side flanked by dying trees and awarning sign: “Do not anchor or dredge.” Facing the camera, the cows look ahead at thewater around Venice, near thebottom of PlaqueminesParish where the Mississippi Rivermeetsthe Gulf. Photographer Virginia Hanusiktook thephoto in 2022 while on coastal advocate Richie
Blink’sboat, where Hanusik said she’s “been amilliontimes.” Like much of herwork, the photodraws together images of the natural environment and man-made structures to tella story about Louisiana’s disappearing coast. The warning not to anchor is because of a crude oil pipeline underwater
thenatural worldisand prioritizing being outdoors and having such pride in the food and the landscape, yetthere’s also an insidious side to the infrastructure.”
“I’m continuously curious about this relationship that Louisianahas withthe naturalworld,” Hanusik said. “How important
Threeyearsafter taking thephotograph, “Marsh Cows Near Venice,” thepiece is oneofnine imagesbyHanusik included in “The Unending Stream: Chapter II,” the final installment of
Hanusik
Swift’s ‘Release Party’
film earns $33 million LOS ANGELES This weekend’s box office belonged to two undeniable draws: Taylor Swift and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson It might have looked like a heavyweight matchup, but Swift’s devoted fanbase once again proved unstoppable with her film “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” which debuted at No. 1 with $33 million in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore. The AMC Theatres release — announced only two weeks ago with minimal promotion served as a companion piece to Swift’s 12th studio album, packaging music videos, behind-the-scenes footage and profanity-free lyric visuals into an 89-minute experience.
The film played at all 540 AMC theaters in the U.S. for three days, ending after Sunday AMC aired the show in Mexico, Canada and across Europe. It comes nearly two years after her “The Eras Tour” concert film opened to $96 million, with Swift extending her streak of box office dominance. Meanwhile, Johnson saw a more modest showing. His A24 drama “The Smashing Machine,” co-starring Emily Blunt, opened in third place with a mere $6 million, trailing Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” which earned $11.1 million and has now accumulated $107 million globally Oktoberfest ends with Bavarian gun salute
MUNICH The 190th Oktoberfest came to a close Sunday wrapping up the world’s largest folk festival with the traditional Bavarian marksmen’s gun salute in Munich.
Roughly 6.5 million visitors attended between Sept. 20 and Sunday, German news agency dpa reported, including Arnold Schwarzenegger The Austrianborn former governor of California spontaneously conducted a live music band and the singing crowd in a beer tent Sept. 26. Schwarzenegger, dressed in a traditional Bavarian-style leather jacket, a buttoned-down shirt and jeans, was accompanied by his partner Heather Milligan and his son, Christopher
The fairgrounds were closed for hours Wednesday as police searched the area due to a bomb threat linked to an explosion across town.
Waitresses celebrate in a beer tent Wednesday in Munich, Germany, after Oktoberfest reopened following a bomb threat.
Odds of Atlantic tropical depression increased
The National Hurricane Center on Sunday increased the odds that a system in the Atlantic will develop into the season’s next tropical depression or storm.
As of the NHC’s 2 p.m tropical outlook, the broad area of low pressure associated with a tropical wave dubbed Invest 95L had a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms several hundred miles southsouthwest of the Cape Verde Islands in the Atlantic.
The NHC gave it a 50% chance to develop in the next two days and 70% in the next seven
The NHC on Saturday stopped tracking a low-pressure area that continues to drop rain and kick up poor conditions on Florida’s East Coast on Sunday
The NHC also has dropped to 0% the chances a system in the Gulf with disorganized showers and thunderstorms could develop as it moves slowly off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Egypt reopens tomb of Amenhotep III
Restoration project took 20 years
BY AHMED HATEM and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
LUXOR, Egypt Egypt on Saturday opened a tomb of a pharaoh for visitors after more than two decades of renovation in the southern city of Luxor, as it prepares for the official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The huge tomb of Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt between 1390 B.C. and 1350 B.C., is located on the western side of the famed Valley of the Kings. It was found in 1799 by two people and its contents were looted, including the sarcophagus, Egyptian antiquities authorities said It has been under a Japanese-led, three-phased restoration project for the past two decades, including renovating paintings of the pharaoh and his wife on the tomb walls, said Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
“It’s a very fascinating tomb,” he told The Associated Press at the scene, adding that it includes
Trump
BY JOSH BOAK and BEN FINLEY Associated Press
NORFOLK, Va.
a frame of the stolen sarcophagus box, with the lid in place where it would have been.
The tomb starts with a 118-footlong, 45-foot-deep, downward-sloping passageway beneath the Valley of the Kings It includes a main burial chamber for the king, and two other chambers for his wives, Queens Tiye and Sitamun.
— President Donald Trump did not let the government shutdown interfere with a stop in Norfolk, Virginia, on Sunday to salute the Navy as it celebrates its 250th anniversary
“I believe, ‘THE SHOW MUST GO ON!’” Trump posted Friday night on his social media site, Truth Social. And he wrote before leaving the White House for Naval Station Norfolk, “This will be a show of Naval aptitude and strength.”
The government shutdown that began Wednesday has sparked a series of partisan blame games as military personnel are working without pay, several thousand federal employees are furloughed and key infrastructure and energy projects in Democratic-run areas have been put on hold.
There is the possibility that an event designed to honor the Navy could be dragged into the bitter politics.
Trump accused Democrats in his post of enabling the shutdown and trying “to destroy this wonderful celebration of the U.S. Navy’s Birthday.”
Democrats oppose Trump’s move to have his administration decline to spend congressionally approved funds, saying it undermines the budgeting process.
Meanwhile, Trump has explored laying off federal workers at what he called “Democrat Agencies.”
Among those joining Trump for the festivities were first lady Melania Trump,
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy
Secretary John Phelan, Veterans Affairs
Secretary Doug Collins and U.S. Rep.
Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, a former Navy
rear admiral who was a White House
doctor during Trump’s first term.
After his arrival in Norfolk, Trump went
Unlike other ancient tombs in the valley, the tomb is not fully decorated, Ismail said. Its paintings show Amenhotep III with a group of ancient Egyptian gods, and the burial chamber contains inscriptions of scenes from the Book of Dead, which is a collection of spells aimed at directing the dead through the underworld in ancient Egypt.
The mummy of Amenhotep III was moved by ancient priests to the tomb of his grandfather, Amenhotep II, also in the Valley of the Kings, according to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
The severely damaged mummy is showcased at the museum along with 16 other mummies of 17 kings and queens of ancient Egypt.
Amenhotep III was one of the most prominent pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, which ruled between 1550 B.C. and 1292 B.C. Known as Amenhotep the Great, he ascended the throne as a teenager and ruled for up to 38 years, according to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
The tomb’s reopening came less than a month before the official inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids. The museum is scheduled to open Nov 1.
and first lady Melania Trump arrive Sunday at Naval Station Norfolk Chambers Field in
to the USS George H.W Bush and spoke to the sailors and handed out challenge coins.
The Trumps watched a military demonstration while standing on the deck the aircraft carrier Navy destroyers launched missiles and fired shells into the Atlantic Ocean, Navy SEALs descended from helicopters and fighter jets catapulted off.
Awaiting Trump’s speech was a large crowd on a pier, mostly sailors in their dress white uniforms and some families. Trump on Tuesday addressed a gathering of military leaders abruptly summoned from across the globe to Virginia by Hegseth. The Republican president proposed using U.S. cities as training grounds for the armed forces and he spoke of needing military might to combat what he called the “invasion from within.” Hegseth declared an end to “woke” culture and announced new directives for troops that include “genderneutral” or “male-level” standards for physical fitness.
Gunmen kill 2, injure 12 in Ala. shootout
By
MONTGOMERY, Ala. Rival gunmen shot at each other in a crowded downtown nightlife district in Alabama’s capital city Saturday night, killing two people and injuring 12 others in a chaotic street scene, police said. The dead included a 43-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy, while five of the 14 people wounded were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, including a juvenile, police said.
No one had been arrested as of Sunday afternoon as police appealed to the public for information about the shooting and sorted through a complicated crime scene that involved multiple people firing at each other Police were still trying to piece together a motive for why the shooting started. Police were called around 11:30 p.m to what Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys described as a “mass shooting” that happened within earshot of officers on routine patrol in downtown Montgomery
“This was two parties involved that were basically shooting at each other in the middle of a crowd,” Graboys said.
The shooters, he said, “did not care about the people around them when they did it.”
Seven of the 14 victims were under 20, and the youngest was 16, Graboys said. At least two of the victims were armed and the shooting began when someone targeted one of the 14 victims, Graboys said. The gunfire prompted multiple people to pull their own weapons and start firing, Graboys said.
Multiple weapons and shell cases were recovered from the scene, Graboys said. Few other details were available.
The Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By AMR NABIL
Visitors view artifacts inside the tomb of Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt between 1390 B.C. and 1350
B.C., in the Valley of Kings in Luxor, Egypt, on Saturday. The tomb was opened to the public for the first time in more than two decades.
AP PHOTO By MATTHIAS SCHRADER
Restored artifacts are on display at the tomb of Amenhotep III.
Trumpsending California GuardtoOregon
By The Associated Press
President Donald Trump is sending California National Guard members to Oregon afterajudge temporarily blocked hisadministration from deploying that state’s guard to Portland, and the Democratic governors of both states pledged to fight the move in court APentagon spokespersonsaid in astatement thatabout 200federalized members of the California National Guard who had been on duty around Los Angeles were being reassigned to Portland. Oregon Gov.Tina Kotek said about 100 arrived Saturday and around 100 more were en route Sunday.
Kotek said there had been no formal communication with the federal government about the deployment. California Gov.Gavin Newsom’soffice said about 300 previously federalized California Guard memberscould eventually be deployed.
Kotek said the latest move by
and Customs Enforcement facility during aprotest SaturdayinPortland, Ore.
federal officials is an attempt to circumvent Saturday’scourt ruling that blocked deployment of
Oregon’sguard members.
“The facts on the ground in Oregon haven’tchanged,” Kotek said
during anews conference Sunday “There’snoneed for military interventioninOregon. There’snoinsurrection in Portland, there’sno threat tonational security.”
OregonAttorney General Dan Rayfield the state would go back to court on Monday,along with California, seeking to block the latest deployment.
“What was unlawful yesterday is unlawfultoday,” Rayfield said.
“The judge’sorder wasnot some minorprocedural point forthe president to work around, like my 14-year-olddoes when he doesn’t like my answers.”
Newsom, aDemocrat, said in astatement that California personnelwereontheir waySunday and called the deployment “a breathtaking abuse of the law andpower.” He said these troops were “federalized” and put under the president’scontrol months ago over his objections, in response to unrest in Los Angeles.
“The commander-in-chiefisus-
ing the U.S. military as apolitical weapon against American citizens,” Newsom said. “Wewill take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless andauthoritarianconductby the president of the UnitedStates.”
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland has recently been the site of nightly protests.ATrumpappointed federal judge in Oregon on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’splan to deploy the Oregon National Guard in Portland to protect federalproperty amid protests after Trump called the city “war-ravaged.” Oregon officials andPortland residentsalike saidthat description wasludicrous. Theprotest wasrelatively small and localized to just one block of the city of 650,000 residents, Kotek said. Trump authorized the deployment of 300Illinois National Guard troopstoprotect federal officers and assets in Chicago on Saturday
La.redistricting,presidentialpower amongcases in newcourt term
BY MARK SHERMAN and LINDSAYWHITEHURST Associated Press
WASHINGTON Amonumental Supreme Court term begins Monday withmajortests of presidential power on the agenda along with pivotal cases on voting and the rights of LGBTQ people.
The court’sconservative majority has so far beenreceptive, at least in preliminary rulings,tomany of President Donald Trump’saggressive assertionsofauthority Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson invoked the Calvin and Hobbes comicstrip after one such decision allowing the cut of $783 million in research funding.
“This is Calvinball jurisprudence with a twist,” Jackson wrote. “Calvinball has only one rule: There are no fixedrules. We seem to have two: that one, and this administration always wins.”
The conservative justices couldbemore skeptical when they conduct anin-depth examination of some Trump policies, including the president’simposition of tariffs and his desired restrictions on birthright citizenship If the same conservative-liberal split that has marked so many of Trump’semergency appeals endures,“we are in forone of the most polarizing terms yet,”said IrvGornstein, executive director of the Supreme CourtInstitute at GeorgetownUniversity’s law school.
The justices will pass judgment in the next 10 months on some of Trump’s most controversial efforts.
3cases on presidential power
The justices are hearing apivotal case for Trump’seconomic agenda in early Novemberasthey consider thelegality of many of hissweepingtariffs.Two lower courts have found the Republican president does not have the power to unilaterally impose wide-rangingtariffs under an emergency powers law
BY BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Associated Press
KATHMANDU,Nepal Landslides, alighting strike and floodings triggered by severe rainfall killed at least 44 people in NepalonSunday,with five others reported missing, authorities said
Those killed included at least 37 people in the eastern mountain district of Illam, where whole villages were swept awaybylandslides, Nepal’sNational Disaster Risk Reduction and Manage-
States and small businesses argue Trump cannot usurp Congress’staxation powers by declaring national emergenciesand using tariffs to address them.
The administration, though, says the law does give the president thepower to regulate importation,and that includes tariffs. Four dissentingjudges on afederal appeals court in Washington bought that argument, mappingout apossiblelegal pathatthe high court.
In December,the justices will take up Trump’spower to fire independent agency members at will, acasethat probably will lead the court to overturn, or drastically narrow,a90-year-old decision. It required acause, like neglect of duty,before apresident couldremove the Senate-confirmed officials from their jobs.
The outcome appears to be in little doubt because the conservatives have allowed the firings to take effect while the case plays out, even after lower-court judgesfound the firingsillegal. The three liberal justices have dissented each time.
Anothercase thathas arrived at the court but has yet to be considered involves Trump’sexecutive order denying birthright citizenship to children born in the United States to parents whoare in the country illegally or temporarily
The administration has appealed lowercourtrulingsblockingthe order as unconstitutional, or likely so,flouting more than 125 years of generalunderstanding and an 1898 Supreme Court ruling. The case could be argued in the late winter or early spring. Voting rights,campaign finance
The future of electoraldistrictswithmajorities of Black,Hispanic or Native American voters hangsinthe balanceina case about congressional redistricting in Louisianathat will be argued in mid-October
TheRepublican-led state has abandoned its defense of apolitical mapthatelected two Black members of Congress. Instead,
ment Authority said. Several other people arestill missing.
Heavyrainfall wasreported since Fridayinthe district, which borders India and is known for growingtea.
Six people in the same family were killed when alandslide crushed their home while theyslept, Illam’s assistant administrative officer BholanathGuragai said
Rainfall was hampering efforts to reach the villages
and many roads were swept away or blocked by the landslides.
The government saidhelicopters were also evacuating people needing medical evacuations and ground troops were helping move people to safer areas.
One more personwas killed in alandslide in a neighboring district
Three people in another district were killed as they were struck by lightning, while three more people died in flooding in southern Nepal
Louisianawants thecourt to reject any considerationofrace in redistricting in acase that could bring major changes to the Voting RightsAct.
ChiefJusticeJohnRoberts and the other five conservative justices have been skeptical of theconsideration of race in public life, including adecision in 2023 that ended
affirmative action in college admissions.
Louisiana’sposition would allowitand other Republican-controlled states in the South to drawnew political mapsthat eliminate virtually all majority-Black House districts, which have been Democratic strongholds, voting rightsexpertssay
The justices failed to decide thecasein June after hearing argumentsduring itslast term. The court does not need to go as far as Louisianawants to reject the congressional map But asecondround of arguments is a rare occurrence at the Supreme Court, and sometimes presages amajor change by the justices.The Citizens United decision in 2010that led to dramatic increasesinindependent spending in U.S. elections came after it was argued asecond time. Republicans, including theTrumpadministration,also are behind adrive to wipe awaylimits on howmuchpolitical parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president.
The justices are reviewing an appellate ruling that upheld aprovision of federal electionlaw that is more than50years old. Democrats had asked the court to leave the law in place, and the SupremeCourt upheld it in 2001.
But Roberts, whojust marked his 20th anniversary as chief justice, has led acourt that has struck downone campaign finance regulation after another No date forarguments has been set.
Transgenderathlete cases
More thantwo dozenstates have enacted laws barring transgenderwomen andgirls from participating in certain sports competitions.
Thejusticesare hearingcases from Idaho and West Virginia, where transgender athletes won lower court rulings.
The Supreme Court in June upheld aban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, but pointedly did not decide any broader issues about transgender rights. They quickly agreedtotake up thestate appeals, whichraised questionsunderthe Constitution’sguarantee of equal treatment andthe federallaw known as TitleIXthat dramatically expanded the participation of girls and womeninsports in public schools and colleges.
The court has yet to set an argument date.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JENNy KANE Customsand BorderProtection agents stand outside aU.S.Immigration
At least 5 killed in nighttime attack in Ukraine
Large-scale Russian assault included drones, missiles and guided aerial bombs
By The Associated Press
Russia launched drones, missiles and guided aerial bombs across Ukraine early Sunday, killing five people in a major nighttime attack that Ukrainian officials said targeted civilian infrastructure.
Moscow fired 53 ballistic and cruise missiles and 496 drones, Ukraine’s air force said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that nine regions were targeted Four people, including a 15-yearold, died in a combined drone and missile strike on Lviv, according to regional officials and Ukraine’s emergency service.
It was the largest aerial assault on the historic western city and surrounding region since Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, according to Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the local military administration. Earlier in the war, Lviv was seen as a haven from the fighting and destruction farther east
EXHIBIT
Continued from page 1A
a two-part exhibition at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.
The exhibition opened Sept. 25 and will run through March 15. The title of the showcase pays homage to Clarence John Laughlin, a Lake Charles-born surrealist and “one of the most important photographers to come out of New Orleans in the 20th century,” said Richard McCabe photography curator at the museum. Laughlin’s piece of the same name, “The Unending Stream,” is housed at the Ogden. The first chapter of “The Unending Stream” opened in March and closed last month. The exhibition showcases contemporary photographers living and working in New Orleans 20 years after Hurricane Katrina
“I did not want it to be about the storm or disaster photographs,” McCabe said. Instead, he wanted to feature the “positive aspects” of the past two decades, particularly the role that the arts have played in revitalizing the region. Hanusik “is a perfect example of that,” McCabe said.
Blending science and art
Originally from New York, Hanusik, 33, moved to New Orleans in 2014 and began working on water-related issues at Propeller a nonprofit business incubator in the city She studied architecture but started photography near the end of her time in college. She expanded her artistic practice through site visits to the coast with Propeller and individual trips she took to learn more about the region.
“It was really an organic way of blending these mul-
In a Telegram post, Kozytskyi said Russia launched about 140 Shahed drones and 23 ballistic missiles across the region. At least six more people were injured, according to a statement by Ukraine’s police force.
The strike left two districts of Lviv without power and disrupted public transportation for a few hours early Sunday, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi reported. He added that a business complex on Lviv’s outskirts caught fire following the strike, describing it as a civilian facility unlinked to Ukraine’s war effort.
One person was also injured in the Ivano-Frankivsk region south of Lviv, according to regional head Svitlana Onyshchuk.
In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, an aerial assault killed a civilian woman and wounded nine other people including a 16-yearold girl, regional head Ivan Fedorov reported He said Russia attacked with drones and guided aerial bombs.
Fedorov said the strike destroyed residential buildings and left about 73,000 households in Zaporizhzhia and surrounding areas without power
Russia’s Defense Ministry said
partners to send additional air defenses to combat Russia’s “aerial terror.”
“Today, the Russians again targeted our infrastructure, everything that ensures people can live a normal life. We need more protection, a rapid implementation of all defense agreements, especially on air defense, to make this aerial terror pointless,” he said in a Telegram post.
invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. Kyiv calls it an attempt to weaponize the weather by denying civilians heat, light and running water
Serhii Koretskyi, CEO of Ukraine’s state-owned Naftogaz Group, said Sunday’s attack inflicted further large-scale damage on gas infrastructure that supplies civilians, just two days after what the company said was the largest Russian strike on its facilities since the all-out invasion.
the overnight strikes targeted Ukraine’s “military-industrial complex” and energy facilities that supply it. Separately, six people including a child were injured in Sloviansk, a key city in the eastern Donetsk region that remains under Ukrainian control, after a Russian guided aerial bomb slammed into an apartment block, regional prosecutors said Sunday They said Russian airstrikes on Saturday evening damaged over two dozen residential buildings in Sloviansk, as well as cars, shops and a cafe. Zelenskyy on Sunday reiterated his call for Kyiv’s Western
Ukraine has for months conducted its own long-range strikes on Russia, many of which have targeted Moscow’s oil infrastructure and contributed to persistent fuel shortages.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 32 Ukrainian drones during the night, with at least 50 more downed during the day over southwestern Russia.
Drones damaged several homes, cars and a power line in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, according to local Gov Vyacheslav Gladkov. Separately, he reported that Ukrainian shelling gravely wounded the deputy head of a border village.
For its part, the Kremlin has ramped up attacks on Ukraine’s power grid ahead of winter, as in previous years since the full-scale
tiple interests of mine and worlds that I was working with,” Hanusik said. “It all kind of ended up working together to build this larger
body of work.” To McCabe, Hanusik epitomizes the “brain gain” that the city has received since Katrina: “people who’ve
come here, made it their home and made amazing artwork.”
“She’s blending science and art together,” McCabe said. One image, “Tarping After Hurricane Ida,” gazes up along the side of a damaged house in Cocodrie in Terrebonne Parish. Another photograph, “Lake Pontchartrain Levee on Hayne Boulevard,” foregrounds the protection wall between the branches of a tree and its shadow
Last year, Hanusik published her first book, “Into the Quiet and the Light: Water, Life and Land Loss in South Louisiana,” which pairs her photography along the coast with a collection of essays by scholars, artists and activists. One of the essays by advocate Imani Jacqueline Brown, a member of the environmental group
Russia’s goal was to deprive Ukrainians of gas, heat, and electricity, Koretskyi was quoted as saying in a Naftogaz statement. The company did not elaborate on the damage from the latest strike. In his nightly address to Ukrainians on Sunday, Zelenskyy charged that Moscow is “openly trying to destroy our civilian infrastructure now, before winter our gas infrastructure, electricity generation and transmission.”
“Unfortunately there’s been no dignified, powerful global response to everything that’s happening, to the ever-increasing scale and brazenness of the strikes, he said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “simply laughing at the West’s silence and lack of a strong response.”
Virginia Hanusik’s photography documenting coastal land loss in Louisiana is included in an exhibition at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art showcasing the work of artists living in New Orleans.
STAFF
By JOSIE ABUGOV
RISE St. James, points to the damage that the oil and gas industry has inflicted on Louisiana’s coast.
“That’s really interesting to me, the juxtaposition between losing land yet supporting an industry that is actively destroying it,” Hanusik said.
Across the state, over 2,000 square miles of land has eroded in the past century Studies have shown that the main causes of the dramatic land loss have been the construction of levees along the Mississippi River, oil and gas activity and the digging of shipping channels that have sped erosion. Sea level rise is projected to become a growing factor in the decades ahead.
The broader exhibition
Hanusik’s photography rarely includes people,
even though the effects of man-made actions are evident in the structures and architecture along the coast. At the new Ogden exhibition, Hanusik’s work is featured in the same room as Casey Joiner’s images, which include people immersed in Southern landscapes.
“I think the work in that room really feeds off each other,” McCabe said. Hanusik, Joiner and the other four artists explore themes including memory, time and place “while capturing the mysterious beauty of America’s most unique city,” a description at the entrance of the exhibition states. Eric Waters captures the culture and dynamism of the city’s Black Mardi Gras Indians, while Giancarlo D’Agostaro chronicles the “subtle and quieter moments” of Mardi Gras parades through haunting black and white images In contrast, Clint Maedgen, a photographer and professional musician, uses color to provoke a sense of joy and playfulness. And Steve Pyke engages with Louisiana landscapes through striking shots of the Couturie Forest in City Park. For Hanusik, her experiences along the coast are continuing to inform her ongoing body of work The artist recently started her second and final year of a graduate photography program in Rhode Island, which has sparked curiosity on the ways industry in Louisiana impacts other regions. Still, she envisions herself returning to her chosen home.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to leave Louisiana for that long,” she said. Email Josie Abugov at josie.abugov@ theadvocate.com.
PHOTOS
Photographer Virginia Hanusik speaks to attendees recently at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KATERyNA KLOCHKO
An elderly woman walks past a house
While the U.S. economy has continued to grow this year, hiringhas slowed and inflation remains elevated as Trump’simport taxes have created aseries of disruptions for businesses and employershavehurtconfidence in his leadership. At the same time, there is a recognitionthat thenearly$2 trillion annual budget deficit is financially unsustainable yet there has to be acoalition around the potential tax increases and spending cuts to reduce borrowing levels.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, among those appearing on the Sunday news shows, said there have been no talks with Republican leaders since their WhiteHousemeeting Monday
“And unfortunately,since that point in time, Republicans, includingDonald Trump, have gone radio silent,” Jeffries said.“And what we’ve seen is negotiation through deepfake videos, the House canceling votes, and of course President Trump spending yesterday on the golf course. That’s not responsible behavior.”
Trump was asked via text message by CNN’sJake Tapper about shutdown talks. The Republican president responded with confidence but no details.
“Weare winning and cutting costs big time,” Trump said in atext message, according to CNN.
His administration sees the shutdown as an opening to wield greater power over the budget, with multiple officials saying they will save money as workers are furloughed by imposingpermanent job cuts on thousands of government workers, atactic that has never been used before.
Even though it would Trump’schoice,hebelieves he can putthe blame on the Democratsfor the layoffs
LAWSUITS
Continued from page1A
JudgeJohn W. DeGravelles issued his decision on Sept. 22 in theMiddle District of Louisiana, two years after the court held aclass certification hearing in October 2023
The ruling affects two court cases, which are both premised on similar allegations butseek different outcomes: Giroir v. LeBlanc asks the court to ensure thestateto fix the problem, while Humphrey v. LeBlanc seeksmonetary damages.
In Humphrey,the class deGravelles defined includes those who, sinceApril 16, 2019, were eligible for release from custody when they were sentenced but were kept more than 48 hours too long due to the Department of Public Safety &Corrections’ “failure to implement and maintain an adequate process for timely releasing inmates.”
TheGiroirclass is similar but applies to those who are still in the agency’scustody —and to those whomight be overdetained in the future.
Overdetentioncauses
Thoughthere may be other reasons behind overdetention, the lawsuits identify one particularproblem as the driving force.
In Louisiana,where defendants can spendyears in pretrial detention because of court delays, it is not uncommon for an inmate to have
theDemocrats.”
Democratic Sen. Adam SchiffofCalifornia defended his party’sstance on the shutdown, sayingonNBC thatthe possible increase in healthcarecosts for “millions of Americans” would make insurance unaffordable in what he called a“crisis.”
But Schiffalso noted that the Trump administration haswithheld congressionally approved spending from being used, essentially undermining the value of Democrats’seeking compromises on the budgets as the White House could decline to not honor Congress’ wishes. The Trump administration sent Congress roughly $4.9 billion in “pocket rescissions ”onforeign aid, aprocess that meant the spending was withheld without time for Congresstoweighinbefore the previousfiscal year ended lastmonth.
“Weneed both to address thehealth care crisis and we need some written assurance in the law,Iwon’ttake a promise, that they’re not going to renege on any deal we make,” Schiff said.
in conversation with their Democratic colleagues.
On Friday, aSenatevote to advanceaRepublican bill thatwould reopen the government failed to notch the necessary 60 votes to enda filibuster.Johnson said the House would closefor legislative business next week, a strategy that could obligate the Senate to work with the government funding bill that waspassed by House Republicans.
because of theshutdown.
“It’suptothem,” Trump told reporters on Sunday morningbeforeboarding the presidential helicopter “Anybody laid off that’sbecause of the Democrats.”
WhileTrump rose to fame on the TV show “The Apprentice” with is catchphrase of “You’re fired,” Republicans on Sunday claimedthatthe administrationwould takeno pleasureinletting go of federal workers,eventhough they have put funding on hold for infrastructure and energy projectsinDemocraticareas.
“Wehaven’tseen the details yetabout what’s happening” withlayoffs, House SpeakerMike Johnson said
served out their sentence or even served extra time —bythe time ajudge hands down that sentence.
But because of subsequent delays in calculating their release dates, the statedetains them for weeks or months longer, even though they are eligible to be released immediately, accordingtothe lawsuits
Thelawsuitsdescribe a system where it can take days or weeks for sheriffs and clerks of court to submit necessary release date calculation documents, known as a“prerelease packet,” to the Department of Public Safety &Corrections. The agency may then take days or weeks to process those documents, the lawsuitssay In aMay public meeting, Department of Public Safety &Corrections counsel JonathanViningagreed that cases of overdetentionhad generally involved inmates eligible for immediate release,but he said that recent improvements to the calculation system andchanges to thelaw meant it was no longer an issue.
Citingpendinglitigation, the agency declined to provide data to back up that claim.
DeGravelles noted the agencyimprovedits system over the years, but he still cited evidence that itdid not do enough to fix the problem in atimely manner.
Forexample, the agency launchedaportal in 2023 that allowed clerks of court and
on NBC. “But it is aregrettable situation that the president does not want.”
Kevin Hassett, director of theWhiteHouse National EconomicCouncil, saidthat the administration wants to avoidthe layoffs it hadindicated could start on Friday,a deadline that came and went without any decisions being announced.
“Wewant the Democrats to come forward and to make adeal that’s aclean, continuing resolution that gives us seven moreweeks to talk aboutthesethings,” Hassett said on CNN. “But the bottom line is that with Republicans in control, the Republicans have alot more power over theoutcome than
sheriffs to submit records electronically,accordingto the court decision. It tookthe state only three and ahalf months to create the portal, deGravelles wrote, but “DOC could have created this systemin2012 or 2008.”
Evidence of overdetention
The ruling describes evidence thatofficials, including former Department of Public Safety &CorrectionsSecretary JimmyLeBlanc, knew overdetention was rampant as early as 2012. That was the year an agency study known as Lean Six Sigmafound that in one year,2,252 prisoners were held past their release dates, andthat theywere detained, on average, for 72 days toolong, according to the ruling.
LeBlanc, who is anamed defendant in the lawsuit, did not return requests forcomment. He ran thecorrections department for 16 years, leaving in August 2024. Gary Westcott now holds his position.
More recently,in2019, agencydatashowedthatat least140 inmateseligible for immediate release were overdetained during the month of February,deGravelleswrote.
A2023 DepartmentofJustice report also found that between Januaryand April 2022, 1,108 inmates were held pasttheir releasedates.Not all of those inmates were necessarily eligible for immediaterelease upon sentencing.
The state has disputed the DOJ’sfindings
Thetelevisionappearances indicated that Democrats and Republicans arebusy talking, deploying internet memes against each other that have raised concerns about whetherit’spossible to negotiateingood faith.
Vice President JD Vance said that avideoputting Jeffriesina sombrero and
thick mustache was simply ajoke, even though it came across as mocking people of Mexican descentasRepublicansinsistthatthe Democraticdemands would lead to health care spending on immigrants in the country illegally,aclaim that Democrats dispute. Immigrants in the U.S. illegally are not eligible for any federal health care programs, including insurance provided through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. Still, hospitalsdoreceive Medicaid reimbursements foremergencycarethat they are obligated to provide to people who meetother Medicaideligibility requirements but do not have an eligible immigration status.
The challenge,however, is that the two parties do not appear to be having productive conversations with each other in private, even as Republicans insist they are
“Johnson’snot serious about this,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on CBS. “He sent his all his congressman home last week and homethis week. How are you going to negotiate?”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Sundaythat the shutdown on discretionary spending, the furloughing of federalworkers and requirements that other federal employees work withoutpay will go on so long as Democrats vote no.
“They’ll getanother chance on Mondaytovote again,” said ThuneonFox News Channel’s“Sunday Morning Futures.”
“And I’m hoping that some of them have achange of heart,” he said. Jeffries Johnson and Schiff appeared on NBC’s“Meet the Press,” Hassett wason CNN’s“State of the Union,” Schumer was on CBS’s“Face the Nation” and Thune was on Fox News Channel’s “SundayMorning Futures.”
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OCTOBER
ShutteredButlerschoolsoldtodeveloper
BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer
Adeveloper has purchased the shutteredButler Elementary School building in Westwego after Jefferson Parish’s plan to buy the property and turn it into acommunity center fell through last year Jefferson Parish School Board members on Wednesdayunani-
Eight vyingto take over council seat
Thomas departing to seek mayor’s post
BY JONI HESS Staff writer
Eight candidates are running to replace New Orleans City Council member OliverThomas in adistrict that represents New Orleans East and parts of the Lower 9th Ward. Thomas is departing the district to run for mayor. Though 11 people signed up to succeed him after athree-day qualifying period closed in July, three have since droppedout or been disqualified. Those still in include the Rev Richard Bell, a pastor; Danyelle Christmas, adental assistant; Nathaniel Jones, an educator; Willie Morgan,adean at an alternative high school; Gavin Richard, a public defenseattorney; and Jonathan Anthony Roberts, aMarine Corps retiree. The district’s highest-polling andbest-financed contenders are state Rep. Jason Hughes, D-New Orlean s, and former District ECity Council member Cyndi Nguyen. All have tried to empathize with voters by speaking to the area’s deep-seated pain points, like stagnant economic development and anegativeimage problem. They also tout recent investments, like a$26 millionLincoln Beach development, as proof the districtis moving forward and say they will ensure those wins continue.
Jones did not return multiple requests for an interview.
mously approveda bidfrom TGWB 3LLC,aMarrero-based realestatedevelopment company,tobuy the lot for$450,000, which is $50,000 above asking price, boarddocuments show Thecompany has not publicly announced itsplans for the site
The 102-year-old building has sat emptysince 2023, when it was oneofsix campuses the district closed as part of arestructuring effort due to decliningstudent enrollment.
Despite attempts to save the school from demolition, local officials said planstorepurpose the building have proved too costly.For two years, the vacant property hasremained afinancialdrain on the district, which is still responsible for securing, insuring and maintaining the site thatboard member Clay Moise referred to as a“magnet for mischief.”
“There’sawhole raft of recurring costs that comewith owning these properties, especially if they’re not being utilized,” Moise said, pointing to multiple breakins that have occurred at several of JeffersonParish’sclosed schools, at least one of whichhe said resulted in alawsuit against the district.
Butler opened as ahigh school in 1923, then served as amiddle and elementaryschool over the yearsand ashelter during hurricanes.Westwego Mayor Robert Billiot noted that the schoollong held avaluable role in thecommunity,saying in an interview last year thatevery Westwego resident “in some type of way was touched by that building.” Ayear afterButler closed its doors, the parishbrokered adeal
Tara Phoenix, Alyssa Herbert andAlaina Orgeronsample achicken dish amid mistand wind at the NationalFried ChickenFestival presented by RaisingCane’s on Sunday. The festival concludedunder alight rain brokenupby brief patches of sunshine
By JOHN McCUSKER
ABOVE: Fortyrestaurantswererepresentedat theFried Chicken Festival, including Southern’s restaurant, whichoffereda chicken sandwich. LEFT: Loishell Williams andAmiraMcDaniels sample dishes.
Foreverchemicals,metals
BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer
Arecentstudy has raised new questions aboutthe safetyofdrinkingwater in New Orleans and the surrounding parishes. Theanalysis found traces of “forever chemicals” andheavymetals in homes that draw tap waterfrom the Mississippi River which supplies nearly1 millionpeople in the region
Theproject wassmall —only107 homesinseven parishes were sampled —but results were consistent: 98%of homes that were tested had
at leastone type of per- andpolyfluoroalkyl substance, or PFAS. Lead was found in about two-thirds of samples, arsenic in 70%,and other metalslike manganese and copper were alsocommon. Sodium levels exceeded federal healthadvisory limits when the Mississippi Riverran especially low
The report was published Tuesday by the WaterCollaborativeofGreater New Orleans, anonprofit focused on waterpolicy, education and equity Samples were collected between October 2024 and March2025.
The Louisiana Departmentof Health, which oversees drinking water safety,did not respond to questions about the study’sfindings. The LouisianaDepartment of Environmental Quality,which oversees
commitments
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
Experts are warning they’ve seen agrowing trend of Louisianacoroners involuntarily committing people to hospitals forupto15days, saying it likely poses violations of constitutional rights. Melanie Bray,anattorneywithDisabilityRights Louisiana,saidthe organi-
zation hasreceivedcomplaints about“childrenas young as 6being placed into involuntary inpatient mental health care units through an emergency certificate.”
“In some instances, the parents aren’t notifieduntil after the child is already in an inpatient facility,which is horrifying foranumber of reasons,” she said.
Last month, the Louisiana Advisory Committee for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights— abipartisan,independent federal commission—heldthe first of two plannedpublic hearings on the use of La.coroners’
ä See CORONER, page 2B
STAFFPHOTOS
Man accused of killing chef dies
BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer
The man accused of shooting and killing
a Brennan’s Restaurant sous chef during a Mid-City carjacking last week died in the hospital on Friday, New Orleans police said Sunday Raymond Wells, 21, was pronounced dead at University Medical Center at 1:06 a.m., according to New Orleans
P olice Department spokesperson Karen Boudrie. Wells was found on Interstate 10 near the Bonnabel Boulevard exit on Sept. 30 with a gunshot wound to his head, police said. Authorities said he was found in the car stolen from chef Carl Morgan, who was fatally shot one hour earlier Morgan, 36, was picking up his son about 5:13 p.m. Sept. 30 from Abeona House Child Discovery Center, 3401 Canal St., when Wells shot him and stole his vehicle, according to police.
Boudrie said the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office will perform an autopsy on Wells. She did not say who is suspected of shooting him or if the wound was self-inflicted Had he survived, Wells would have faced a warrant for first-degree murder Morgan was highly respected in the New Orleans culinary scene as he rose through the ranks at Brennan’s, though his proudest accomplishment was raising his son, friends and family said.
In the days following Morgan’s death, the parking spot where the shooting occurred was transformed into a memorial with flowers and chalk, and a fundraiser for his funeral expenses had garnered nearly $44,000 as of Sunday afternoon Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@ theadvocate.com.
CORONER
Continued from page 1B
Coroner Emergency Certificates to commit people involuntarily The second hearing is scheduled for Oct. 27, and the committee plans to send a report and recommendations to the federal commission.
Those who spoke suggested changing state laws to require more mental health experts and third-party oversight. Louisiana is the only state in which the involuntary commitment process involves elected coroners, who don’t necessarily have to hold a physician’s license.
Bray spoke a few weeks after she filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Disability Rights Louisiana against Dr Beau Clark, the East Baton Rouge Parish coroner The lawsuit states that a federal law allows the organization to access records regarding emergency certificates, but alleges that Clark’s office has denied this request.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office did not respond to requests for comment.
Testimony at the most recent meeting began with Dr Joshua Sanderson, a part-time deputy coroner in Lafayette, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes, discussing the way physicians and coroners must weigh competing interests when
DISTRICT E
Continued from page 1B
The Rev Richard Bell Bell, 71, would push for a multiyear audit of financial investments into the district if elected. He argued that while millions have flowed into New Orleans East over the years for projects like the Six Flags Amusement Park renovation or infrastructure work, there’s little to show for it, he said “Money (has) been pumping into this area for the last 10 years, and we’re no worse than what we were right after Katrina,” he said Bell said he’d advocate for a return to twice-weekly trash pickups and an overhaul of the Sewerage & Water Board The city’s trash contractors cut pickups from two to only one after Hurricane Ida, but the cost of the service did not change.
Bell previously ran for Louisiana House District 99 in 2019 against sitting Rep. Candace N. Newell, but was disqualified for failing to file a 1099 IRS tax form. Bell said he has not received any endorsements.
Danyelle Christmas
The youngest of the candidates, 31-year-old Christmas is the daughter of the late Dan Bright, whose wrongful 1996 murder conviction made national headlines when a judge overturned the ruling eight years later, freeing him from death row Christmas said she witnessed firsthand the impact systemic failures have on a community
Christmas said she wants to see a functional city that holds neglectful property developers, utility companies and other entities accountable She said she would bring authenticity and lived experience to the council.
“We have the option to have a better quality of life, but if we continue to choose the same path, we’re not going to get anywhere,” she said.
To address the city’s affordable housing crisis, Christmas wants to impose limits on the rent residents can be charged annually. She would also push for working street lights, safe roads and youth programs. She has been endorsed by local civic advocacy group, Step Up Louisiana.
Jason Hughes
Hughes said he would work to eliminate residential and commercial blight. His goals align with his 2023 legislation that allowed municipalities to revoke tax exemptions from nonprofit slumlords. Hughes said the district is
evaluating people.
“Our society has long recognized that certain mental conditions at specific times may result in individuals being dangerous to themselves, dangerous to others or gravely disabled,” he said. “And this presents a conflict: a conflict between individual interests and government interests where a clinician has to weigh the patient’s right to freedom with either the protection of other citizens or even the protection from the patients themselves.”
A 15-day involuntary commitment begins with a certificate — issued by a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner or psychologist — that allows people to be involuntarily committed for up to 72 hours, Sanderson said. Once someone is committed, a coroner or deputy coroner of the parish can then execute a CEC within those 72 hours after evaluating the person. That document confines the patient for up to 15 days; for confinement beyond that, Sanderson said a physician must file a petition in court.
Those who testified before the committee alleged that the laws allow those without mental health training to improperly commit people who don’t necessarily need it.
Kathy Cook, the deputy general counsel of the Loui-
CANDIDATES FOR NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT E
The Rev. Richard Bell
71, born in New Orleans, lives in New Orleans.
EDUCATION: Graduated from George Washington Carver High School, bachelor’s degree in theology and master’s degree in theology from Tristan Bible College
JOB EXPERIENCE: Assistant pastor; retired Army National Guard; former Avondale Shipyard supervisor/ID badge coordinator; former military counselor PARTY: Democrat; vice president of the NAACP for St. Bernard, Orleans and Jefferson parishes. WEBSITE: None.
Danyelle Christmas 31, born in New Orleans, lives in New Orleans.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Warren Easton High School, associates degree in political science from Seminole College
ripe for major investments, especially housing and health care in the Lower 9th Ward.
He’d push to overhaul the city’s code enforcement, safety and permits and public works departments — all of which have come under fire in recent years for various operational failings.
“The Lower 9th Ward and District E deserve its fair share of city resources We have not received what other council districts have received, and enough is enough,” he said.
Campaign finance reports released last month show that Hughes is the fundraising leader in the race, netting $58,200 and having $94,000 on hand.
Hughes has been endorsed by the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee, Alliance for Good Government and United Teachers of New Orleans, among others.
Willie Morgan
Morgan, 35, said his mom called when Thomas announced his bid for mayor and encouraged him to run, along with other family and friends.
Morgan said his background working with disadvantaged youth has fueled one of his goals to bring more youth-serving organizations and resources to the district As a council member, he said he’d push for zoning changes in the Lower 9th
siana Mental Health Advocacy Service, said state law waives the requirement for a coroner to be a licensed physician. While around 58 coroners in Louisiana are medical doctors, Cook said the remaining few include a farmer, mortician and an esthetician.
Those who spoke also said records and complaints have shown emergency certificates used in cases not requiring such drastic measures. Bray pointed to the cases involving children, stating that schools have sometimes started the emergency certificate process.
“They are initiating the CEC process to remove the child from the school environment, which is a separate concern because the child is in need of services in the school setting that aren’t being provided,” Bray said. “The CEC just isn’t the appropriate vehicle to address the child’s needs.”
Additionally, she said that while state law requires deputy coroners to have at least the same qualifications as the coroner, emergency certificate records obtained by Disability Rights Louisiana showed violations of that law
Seeking more information on the number and use of emergency certificates, Disability Rights Louisiana asked for records from
3c1dd2490665d/christmasdanyelle.
Rep. Jason Hughes
42, born in New Orleans, lives in New Orleans.
EDUCATION: Graduated from McDonogh No. 35 Senior High School, bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern University and A&M College
JOB EXPERIENCE: Senior consultant/director of public relations, Circular Consulting LLC; former assistant legislative director to Gov. Kathleen Blanco; regional manager and policy adviser to U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu; director of federal relations for New Orleans; executive director for governmental and external affairs, office of the president, Southern University System PARTY: Democrat; state representative, District 100 WEBSITE: jasonforneworleans.com.
Willie Morgan 35, born in New Orleans, lives in New Orleans.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Eleanor McMain High
Ward to make it easier for dining and grocery establishments to open. He also said he’d help bring the Lake Forest Cultural District to reality — a designation that would unlock state funding for beautification projects, business branding and marketing.
“I want to make sure that when we think about District E 20 years from now, what will it be like? Will we still be in this condition? Will we be back just like the rest of the city?”
Morgan said he has not received any endorsements.
Cyndi Nguyen Nguyen, 55, pointed to her work as a council member to find a developer to revamp a formerly neglected high-rise hotel on Chef Menteur Highway, dubbed by locals as the “Caveman” building. It reopened in 2022 as a 144-unit apartment complex.
She said keeping kids engaged is crucial for their development and that she would ensure the New Orleans Recreation and Development Committee has the funding it needs.
She said that she wants to address quality-of-life issues for senior citizens, and that she only jumped into the race at the urging of residents.
“The people have really lifted me in many ways. It’s really humbling to hear people say, ‘(We) miss you. You
various parish coroners. A federal law allows that organization to access such records when there is probable cause to believe individuals have been subject to abuse and neglect, Bray said.
That has been denied in East Baton Rouge Parish, according to a lawsuit recently filed by Bray on behalf of Disability Rights Louisiana. Submitted Sept. 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, the lawsuit seeks access to the CEC records maintained by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office. The East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office has yet to file an answer to the lawsuit in court.
Recent separate court records shed some light on the number of CECs issued by that office. Seeking reimbursement for CECs issued for St. Tammany Parish residents, the East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office sued the St. Tammany coroner in the 19th Judicial District Court earlier this year
According to evidence filed in that lawsuit, the Baton Rouge coroner filed 65 certificates between late March 2023 and the end of September 2024. The coroner issued three certificates on one day in 2023 and issued two on several days in 2023 and 2024.
School, bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and addiction counseling; master’s degree in juvenile justice from Southern University at New Orleans.
JOB EXPERIENCE: Dean of students at The NET Charter High School: East; former program director at Orleans Parish Juvenile Court; former high school transition coordinator for Jefferson and Orleans Parish schools
Cyndi Nguyen 55, born in Vietnam, lives in New Orleans.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Monticello High School, bachelor’s degree in social work from Lawrence College; master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix.
JOB EXPERIENCE: Training coordinator at the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority; former social services director at Ferncrest Manor PARTY: Democrat; District E council member 2018-2022 WEBSITE: vote4cyndi.org.
should never have left,’” she said.
Nguyen has raised around $23,000 and has less than $5,000 on hand, state reports show She has been endorsed by the Sierra Club Delta Chapter and the Regular Democratic Organization of Louisiana.
Gavin Richard Richard, 39, said if elected, he’d return the district to its former, pre-Hurricane Katrina glory He recalled a time when there were ample grocery, retail and entertainment options in New Orleans East, like the Fun Arcade across the street from the now-demolished Lake Forest Plaza Mall. He has also said he will work to bring grocery stores back to the Lower 9th Ward.
“Attracting businesses out here, bringing jobs to the area, those are things that are most important,” he said.
As a council member, Richard would prioritize infrastructure improvements in the East, he said, such as the repair of frequent downed street lighting along Interstate 10, especially near Michoud Boulevard and Bullard Avenue. To tamp down on property neglect, Richard supports enforcing the city’s rules for nuisance properties and imposing greater penalties for code
SCHOOL
Continued from page 1B
with Westwego to buy the historic school and turn it into a community space by leasing it out to United Way of Southeast Louisiana. The Jefferson Parish Council allocated $2 million in federal COVID-19 funding for the purchase, and United Way planned to convert the space into a “prosperity center” to help families struggling to make ends meet. But the developer who signed on to the project ultimately decided the costs of ongoing maintenance and upkeep would be unsustainable and backed out of the plan, Jefferson Parish Council member Deano Bonano said.
“The whole deal hinged upon a developer coming in and renovating the building and leasing it out to United Way to maintain” it, he said. The parish tried to find another buyer to step in, but “after talking to numerous different developers, no one was really interested.”
At least half a dozen other attempts to sell the land also failed, Moise added, including most recently a bid from a developer who wanted to purchase the property to turn it into senior housing. That proj-
Gavin Richard 39, born in New Orleans, lives in New Orleans.
EDUCATION: Graduated from St.Augustine High School, bachelor’s degree in political science and Juris Doctorate from Southern University and A&M College
JOB EXPERIENCE: Public defense attorney; private practice
PARTY: Independent
WEBSITE: electgavin.org/meet-gavinrichard.
Jonathan Anthony Roberts 40, born in New Orleans, lives in New Orleans.
EDUCATION: Graduated from George Washington Carver High School, bachelor’s degree in business from the American Military University
JOB EXPERIENCE: retired Marine Corps Reserve; former Marine Corps education officer PARTY: Democrat
WEBSITE: jaroberts4districte.org
violations. Richard said he received no endorsements.
Jonathan Anthony Roberts Roberts, 40, said he wants to create more tax incentives for small business owners that would allow them flexibility to offer youth internship programs and job opportunities. He also would push for inclusionary zoning in certain areas, to hold developers accountable for investing back into the community he said Such programs require residential developers to set aside a percentage of units for affordable housing. City officials are currently working to update the city’s zoning map. Roberts supports doing an efficiency audit across city departments to determine where funds could be reallocated and ensure money is being invested in the right areas.
“I’ve seen a lot of our career politicians tend to feel they know best,” he said. “They make decisions in their interests or interests they think is going to fit everyone, but we’re a communal people. We have to work together to move the district forward.” Roberts did not report any endorsements.
Email Joni Hess at joni. hess@theadvocate.com.
ect fell through due to the projected cost of renovating the building to align with modern safety codes, he said.
“I have a soft spot in my heart for these older properties because they’re generally very well built, but that doesn’t mean they’re relevant to today’s building standards,” Moise said. “It’s a major expense to make that conversion.”
Most of the other five schools closed by the district have since been sold or repurposed, including Thomas Jefferson Academy in Gretna, which was knocked down last year, and Helen Cox High School in Harvey, which is slated for demolition to become a new K-8 school.
Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@ theadvocate.com.
NewOrleans Area Deaths
Bougere,Joseph Cuevas,Joyce Dorsey,Audrey
NewOrleans
DW Rhodes
Dorsey,Audrey
St Tammany
Honaker
Cuevas,Joyce
Obituaries
Bougere, Joseph Augusta
Joseph Augusta Bougere Jr., adevoted father, grandfather, son, and brother, passed away on September 23, 2025, in Houston, Texas peacefully at his home. He was 60 years old.
Born on August 8, 1965, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Joseph grew up surrounded by family and community. He graduated from West Jefferson High School in Harvey, Louisianain 1983, laying the foundation for alife marked by dedication and perseverance
In the beginning of his career, Joseph owned and operated, Joe's TireShop in Marrero, La for 5years. Later, Joseph committed three decades of his professional life to Hydril/ Tenaris Company as amachineoperator. Hislongstanding service reflected not only his strong work ethic but also his loyalty and reliability—qualities that defined him both on and off the job.
Family was central to Joseph's life. He is remembered with love by his children: Kortney Bougere Joseph A. Bougere III, and Jhaire Bougere. His legacy continuesthrough his grandson, Jreaux A. Bougere. Joseph also shared deep bonds with his siblings: Dora Ann Robertson; Merke "Paul"
Bougere; Milton (Janice) Nicholas, Wanda (Lester) Theriot;Sheila Edmond (Ellis) and SharonBougere. And ahost of nieces, nephews, and family.
He was precededin death by his parents, Joseph A. Bougere Sr. and Naomi NicholasBougere.
Joseph'smemory will live oninthe hearts of those who knewhim—asa steadfast presence in their livesand aman who workedhardto providefor those he loved.
Mayhis memory bring comfort to allwho mourn his passing.
Cuevas,Joyce Galatas
JoyceGalatas Cuevas age 94,passedaway peacefullyonSeptember 30, 2025. Adevoted wife mother, sister,aunt, grand‐mother, andgreat-grand‐mother, shelived afulland beautiful life rooted in faith,family, andkindness. BornonFebruary25, 1931 inNew Orleans, LA., Joyce dedicated herlifetoher familyand createda warm and welcomingspace where faithwas thefoun‐dation. Herkitchen was often filled with homecooked mealsand the soundsof family conversa‐tions.She is survived by her children:Susan Jenkins (Martin), Lynne CuevasBraden, Tony Cuevas (Leo), PaulCuevas, Mark Cuevas (Lelian),and Lisa Impas‐tato(Barry). Herlegacy lives on in each of them -in the values shepassed down, traditions she started andcontinued,and the unconditionalloveshe gavesofreely. Sheisalso survivedbyher youngest brother,Danny Galatasand sister-in-law Nancy Galatas.Inaddition,Joyce issurvivedbygrandchil‐dren: Dana,Farrah, Kristen, Rani, Tabatha, Fawn, Hay‐ley,Mason,Brenna, Amanda, Sydney,Elijah, Adam, Jeff, Aaron, and Gabriel.She wasblessed withgreat-grandchildren: Jenna,Tyler,Beau, Caden, Will,Shelby, Jack,Macie, Cadie,Emily,Wyatt M. Wyatt F.,Kenzie, Roman, Ivy, Iris,Wrenly, Shiana, Lainey, Tailor,Ethan,Jace, Jordyn, Saeleah, andNo‐valeigh.She is preceded in death by herlovinghus‐band,VernonCuevas, her
parents, Alvinand Leo‐cadie Galatas, herbroth‐ers,Floyd (Sonny), Wesley, Ronald, andRobert Galatas,her grandchildren, Beau, Kelsea andBrandon her greatgrandchild, Leo‐cadie,among countless other belovedfamilymem‐bersand cherishedfriends Joyce hada gentle strength, ajoyfulheart and a deep,abiding faith that carried herthrough life’s seasons.She embodied the truemeaning of Steel Mag‐nolia,bornand raised as a Bayou girl from BayouLib‐erty. Shewas awoman of quiet strength andheart‐feltdevotion. Sheattended Our Lady of Lourdesand Slidell High schoolsand was alifelongmemberof St. GenevieveCatholic Church,holding herfaith at the center of herlifeand inspiring others around her.She delightedinfamily gatherings, Sunday din‐ners, andSouthernholiday traditions. Hergrandchil‐drenalwaysknewthey could count on theirMaw Maw to listen,play, teach and tell stories. Hercon‐nection to herheritage was unwavering,and she embracedcommunity life withenthusiasmfromat‐tending PirogueRaces Bayou LibertyCivic Club events, andenjoyingocca‐sionalfamilytimeatthe FaisDoDo. Joyce’slifewas a legacy of faith andfam‐ily.Our familygratefully acknowledgesyourlove and prayersand presence duringthistime. In lieu of flowers, thefamilyre‐questsdonations to St Genevieve Church.Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the Catholic FuneralMass atSt. GenevieveCatholic Church,58203 LA Highway 433, Slidell, LA 70460, on Monday, October13, 2025 at11:00 A.M. Intermentto followinForestLawn Cemetery. Visitation at the church on Monday after 10:00 A.M. until funeral time. Please visitwww.hon akerforestlawn.comtosign guestbook.Arrangements byHonaker FuneralHome, Inc.,Slidell, LA
Louisiana, thecherished daughterofCharlesina Thorton.Raisedina Christ‐ian household, sheem‐bracedher faith earlyin lifeand carrieditwith grace throughout herjour‐ney.Audreywas adevoted motherand homemaker, known forher unwavering loveand strength.She re‐ceivedher education through theLettsworth PublicSchoolssystemand was last employed by Su‐periorMerchandise,where she served with dedication and care.OnTuesday,Sep‐tember30, 2025, Audrey peacefullytransitioned fromthislife, leavingbe‐hinda legacy of love and faith.She is lovingly re‐memberedbyher sons: AubreySpears, Stacey Dorsey, andEdwardDorsey III (Alzena);Her daughters: TaraDorsey, Ashann Dorsey, Mary Knight,Cindy Dorsey, andSuzette Dorsey; Hergrandchildren: NichollsSpearsSr. (Christy),NicoleSpears, Keenan Boyd,Kourtney Boyd, Rodney Spears,Can‐daceJohnson,AshleyJohn‐son,Dajanae Henry, Jaeson Dorsey, Jaelon Dorsey, Jakeira Fauclon, Aubrey Spears, JasmineMaldon‐ado,JaylanWilkes, Keisha Dorsey, andMelvinKnight. She also leaves loving memoriestocherish to:20 great-grandchildren;one great-great-grandson; and a host of nieces,nephews cousins,other relatives, and friendswho will con‐tinue to honorher life and legacy.Audreywas pre‐
cededindeath by her beloved husbandEdward Dorsey, Clabon Bethely, and herdaughters Julia Johnson andTiphery Grimes. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend aFuneral Service on Monday,Octo‐ber 6, 2025 at D.W. Rhodes FuneralHome, 3933 Wash‐ingtonAve.New Orleans, LA70125 at 1:00pm.Visita‐tionwillbegin at 12:00pm Interment: Private. ArrangementsbyD.W RhodesFuneral Home,3933 WashingtonAve.New Or‐leans,LA70125. Funeral Service canbelive streamed@ www facebook.com/D.W.Rho desFuneralHome/live Please visitwww.rhodesf
Shirley Perigoni 10/06/27 -10/11/20
We love youand miss youdearly. Youwill be forever in ourhearts
Louisiana needsthe Give Kids a Chance Act
When children’shospitalslike New Orleans’ Manning Family Children’sHospital plead for the chance to treat and cure more young patients, lawmakers should pay attention, especially when the solution doesn’tcost taxpayers adime.
The harsh reality of medical innovation is that research dollars flow to where there are more patients. Sadly,this situation often leaves children withrare diseases behind.
Today,drug companies have little financial incentive to administer clinical trials for ultra-rare diseasessince each condition affects so few patients. However, abipartisan bill, the Give Kids a Chance Act, offers real hope. It would remove barriers that currently discourage investment in pediatric research and open the door to life-savingtherapies for thousands of children.
The bill would reinstatethe FDA’s priority review voucher program, which rewards companies that successfully develop treatments forrare pediatric conditions. The voucher program should have never expired last year,but this bill will bring it back.
The Give Kids aChance Act would supercharge effortsat institutions like LSU HealthSciences Center to expand research andaccess. Ican vouch for the excellent staff and groundbreaking research being done on this outstanding medical campus as Ihad the pleasure of serving as development director of the LSU Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center Thanks to Louisiana’spowerful congressional delegation, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, the legislation has agood chance of becoming law by year’send.
The Give Kids aChance Act won’tsolve every problem in pediatric medicine; however,it is abold, no-cost step forward. It empowers researchers, rewards innovation and gives families a reason to believe in abetter tomorrow Congress must act now,and with Louisiana’sleadership, it can.
JEFF CROUERE Metairie
Descendant of slaveowners doesn’twanthistory erased
As apart owner of Magnolia Plantation in Derry and as thenephew of Hale Boggs, I was deeply distressed at thelead story in a recent edition that President Donald Trump’s order mightforce the National Park Service to change the description of the way slaves lived and were treated at Magnolia Plantation
The property upon which Magnolia Plantation was built was land granted in the 1700s by France and Spain to my relative, Jean Baptiste LeComte II. Hisdescendantsbuilt Magnolia, acotton plantation, owning over 250 slaves. In 1997, with theconsent of my family,the National Park Service was given ownership of andundertook refurbishment of anumber of theslave cabins, the overseer’shouse/ slave hospital, the blacksmithshop, the huge cotton press operated by farm animals and theplantation general store. Thereafter,the ParkService opened this view backinto thelives of these enslaved people to thepublic. There are guided tours
and clearly written signage describing slave life. Magnolia Plantation is also part of the larger Cane River Creole National Historical Park.
Just like Trumpistrying to change the historyofthe insurrection on Jan.6,2021, when theU.S. Capitol was attacked in an effort to prevent his leaving theWhite House, he is now trying to makeslavery,where humans were brought, sold and treated as property, into somethingother than that reality
For thesins of my forefathers, Ilive with thesolace that my uncle, Hale Boggs, as the majority whip in theU.S. House of Representatives, shepherded throughthe House of Representatives the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the VotingRightsAct of 1965 at great risk to his career
Both histories, although conflicting, are factually accurate. We grow stronger as a country when we acknowledge history honestly.Then, we move forward
CHARLESA.BOGGS
Long Beach, Mississippi
La.leading MAHA movement nationwide
In an age where chronic diseases like obesity,diabetes and heart conditions plague millions, the Make America Healthy Again movement emerges as abeacon of hope and common sense. Launched under thevisionary guidance of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services, MAHA representsa refreshingshift towardpreventive care, cleaner food systems and empowering Americans to reclaim their well-being. MAHAisnot just simplerhetoric; it’sa call to action that prioritizes real solutions over bureaucratic inertia, aiming to dismantle the root causes of ournational health crisis.
rising chronic illnesses, underscores acommitmenttoscience and accountability that resonates deeply in atime of widespread distrust
Don’t misrepresent qualifications of Pete Hegseth
Let’ssee if this newspaper will be completely unbiased as anewspapershould be andgive my letter a big headline as it did forRichard O’Brien’sonSept. 18
O’Brienstatedthat Pete Hegseth, the current Secretary of Defense, was a“weekendhost of aFox News fluff andfakenewsprogram thatisn’teveninprime time.”
O’Brienfails to mentionthat Hegseth was in the U.S. Army NationalGuard with stints from 20032006, 2010-2014 and2019-2021. He servedinGuantanamo Bay, the Iraq wars andAfghanistan. He was awardeda Bronze Star twice, the Joint Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal twice, the CombatInfantryman Badge andthe Expert Infantryman Badge
O’Brienstatesthat Pete Hegseth is notqualifiedfor the jobbecause he was on anews program. Perhaps O’Brienshould do his research before spouting his own fake news. Pete Hegseth is doing an outstanding job. MAGA means lawand order.
RHONDAWAGONER Lutcher
Whileworld’s problems may seem daunting,we allcan play arole in solvingthem
Around the world, millions of people aresuffering fromextreme poverty.FromGaza to the Congo to Haiti andeverywhere in between, people aresuffering.
It’sextreme poverty like this thatcan lead to further destabilizationofforeign governments and an increaseinterrorism, famine and overpopulation.
Storieslike this can seem overwhelming to people and can make themfeel like they can’tmake a difference
But it’sthis defeatist rhetoric thatkeepsanything frombeing done.This is where nonprofit organizations like The Borgen Project come in handy
OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE
Kennedy’sleadership in MAHA has been nothing shortoftransformative. With his decades of advocacy for environmental health andconsumer protections, he brings afearless, evidence-based approach to the forefront. As head of theMAHA Commission established in February, he spearheaded initiatives to scrutinize harmful additives in our food supply,promote nutritious alternatives, and foster transparency in public healthpolicies. His recent report on children’shealth, packedwith innovative ideas to combat
Nowhere is this momentum moreevident than in Louisiana, astate longgrappling with high rates of obesity and related ailments.Under Gov.Jeff Landry’sproactive leadership, Louisianahas positioned itself as anational pioneer in embracing MAHA principles. Just this summer,Landry joined Kennedy in Baton Rouge to sign groundbreaking legislation banning artificial dyes in school meals andrequiring restaurants to disclose inflammatoryseed oils like canola and soybean starting in 2028. Under Landry, thestate has also restricted sodaand candy from SNAP benefits, pending federal approval, aligning seamlessly with MAHA’s push for healthier public programs. This synergy between federal vision and stateaction exemplifies politics at its best: pragmatic, forward-thinking and rooted in the needs of the people. By leading the charge, we aren’tjust followingatrend.
PARKER WARD Shreveport
With the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill, it has acouple of things that affect the majority of thepeople in this area, and it would be niceifthisgreat paper did an article aboutnotaxes on tips and Social Security benefits. Since we have alot of people who work for tips, and there are lots of people drawing the
government’s pension plan, manypeople are unaware of this, and it’sa hugetax break for theworking people and the senior citizens. I’m expecting atax refund for the first time in manyyears. Spread theword: President Donald Trumpkept his promises.
DAVID BASSHAM Houma
Interning at The Borgen Project hasled me to become more educated on globalissuesand legislationthat’sbeing done to help those issues. Ilearnedthatforeign aid isn’tjust anecessity morally,but pragmatically as well. Countries thatAmerica givesforeign aid to can become great allies in the future; India andJapan are great examplesofthis.
Not only is there away to help solve the world’sissues, but it’s much easiernow than ever.Nowadays, youcan donate money to a local charity or call your local congressmanwithout even needing to leaveyourbed.Sometimes, believing thatyou can make adifference is the first stepneeded to make said difference
MATTHEW SANTIAGO student, Nicholls State University
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Abrief stormrolls over the Magnolia Plantation in Derry
COMMENTARY
CAPTION CONTEST
Dennie Williams,Alexandria
CREEPY CALLERS
Nice! We received 641 entriesinthisweek’sCartoon Caption Contest.There were so manycreative punchlines in this batch.Our winner tied it alltogether witha greattwist on aclassicannoyingcall we’ve allreceived.As always, when we have duplicate entries, andwealwaysdo, we pick the earliestsentin. Greatjob!— Walt
DAVID DELGADO, NEW ORLEANS: “Frank, you’re the nuts andbolts of our operation!”
SHERRI DENICOLA, BATONROUGE: “Frank! Look alive! Be more likeCount; he’s areal bloodsucker!”
STEPHEN RADCLIFFE, BATONROUGE: “It’safull moon, so we’rea bit short-staffed tonight.”
JOHN SHREVES,NEW ORLEANS: “Add a ‘Broo Haaa Haaa……’ at the end.
DAVID M. PRADOS, METAIRIE: “Tonight must be afull moon;the Wolfman did not showupfor his shift.
DUKE RIVET,BATON ROUGE: “Remember don’t use the Transylvania area code!”
EDWARD LASCELLE, PINEVILLE: “If you don’t meet your sales quota again, villagers with torches and pitchforksare gonna be the least of your problems!”
JEFF HARTZHEIM, FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C.: “Tell them youare an expertonrecalled parts.”
LAUREN GAUTHIER, KENNER: “Talk about working in the lab late at night!”
JOHN J. HUTCHINGS, NEWORLEANS: “Good eeeevening!Vehavebeentrying to reach youabout your coffin’seternal extended varranty!”
MICHAELRIEMER,JEFFERSON: “Here’s a list youcan sink your teethinto!”
DAVID WEBER, KENNER: “If akid answers, ask to speak with their Mummy.”
STEPHEND.VILLAVASO,NEW ORLEANS: “Number one rule: no zoom calls!”
NORM STAFFORD,MADISONVILLE: “Frank!Drac! Work on those accents! Nobodywill believe you’re from Louisiana!”
BOBUSSERY,NEW ORLEANS: “Don’t forget to call theAddamsFamily.”
JAYDARDENNE, BATONROUGE: “you idiots.We’resellingCRyPTO, not crypts!”
MICHELE STARNES,KENNER: “Forget garlic and pitchforks, the realthreat is the ‘Do Not Call’ list!”
PHILLIP T. GRIFFIN, NEWORLEANS: “Drak,
couldyou be alittle less seductiveand Frankie,a little less heavybreathing.”
PAMRIDER, BATONROUGE: “Franky,your numbers are down.you needtobemore likeDracula here —he’ssuckingthem dry.
TOMMY OLSEN, GULF SHORES,ALA.: “The onlyscammers better than us are politicians.”
BILL MAGILL, BATONROUGE: “Remember nevertakeBOO for an answer!”
SHEREE MURRAY, BATONROUGE: “Should have stayedatthe broom factoryjob!”
WENDY KING, NEW ORLEANS: “Tell them ‘don’tbedeadlast for this deal!’ ”
BRUCETAMPLAIN, LAPLACE: “Drack.you need to stop calling the Blood Centerfor withdrawals.
ELAINECHAPOTONSHUBERT, SLIDELL: “For only$19.99, your home will be protectedagainst the Rougarou, especially at Halloween!”
MARYHA STEEN,CORPUSCHRISTI, TEXAS: “Thisisway more entertaining than hiding under their beds.
MONTREAL Hardly noticed in the United States amid its worries about domestic tranquility was an important, telling and symbolic development that prompted boldfaced headlines here.
While the U.S. was struggling over the meaning of free expression and debating who should be vaccinated, Canada and Mexico pledged closer trade and security ties and spoke of a“strategic comprehensive partnership.”
Youknow,some days life sneaks up on you like asecond-lineparade: loud, messy and full of surprises but somehow magical all the same. This was one of those days. Ihad asimple mission: pico de gallo. Now,let me tell you, if you don’tknow, pico de gallo is basically afruit salad. Iknow,Iknow …most people think salsa, spicy,all chips and no fruit. Butpico de gallo? Tomatoes, onions,peppers, cilantro, lime. Fruitsalad with attitude. Simple, right? Go, get the salad, enjoy,live another day Of course, the universehad other plans. It was Taco Tuesday.Everyone suddenly transforms into atacoworshipper on Tuesdays. My go-to spotwas packed like aMardi Grasfloat, people spilling out, laughter ricocheting off the walls, thesmell of sizzling meat taunting your senses. So Imade aplan: I’d wait outside, take abreath,observe the chaos and mentally prepare for thatfirst bite of tangy,spicy fruitsalad perfection. While perched on abench, soaking up the humid Louisiana air,Inoticed aman withtwo dogs. Sweet enough, innocent enough until one of the dogs decided the walkway needed some “naturalartwork.” Yep. Apuddle of liquid chaosglistening in the sun. And thenmygrandmother’svoice hitme, sharpasagumbo ladle: “Boy,take your shoesoff when you enter my house.” Boom. Just like that, Igot it. Not literal shoes, not really.Itwas aspiritual metaphor,wrapped in humor and alittle stink. Life’smess —baggage, fears, grudges, anxiety —creeps into our homes, our hearts, our sacred spaces, and wejust walk over it, or worse, invite it in. Shoes carry dirt, yes, but metaphoricalshoes carry anger,pride, unhealed wounds. Step by step, we track it across what should be holy ground. Think about it: shoes protect, they sig-
nalstatus, culture, style. But they also carry traces of everywhereyou’ve been. That’swhatour heartsdoifwearen’t mindful. We stepinto relationshipsand sacred spaces, dragging emotional grime from thestreets behind us. And we act surprised when ourhearts feelheavy or our prayers sound hollow
Taking off shoes isn’tjust about cleaning the floor.It’shumility Reverence. Awareness. Mosesdid it whenhemet the Divine. And if the guy who parted the RedSea hadtoremove his sandals, maybe we shouldthink twice before stomping aroundwith our egos And here’sa littlewisdom from an old manIonceoverheard: “No cigarette smoking in your room.” Ilaughed at first,thinking he meant literal cigarettes. But then Igot it;hemeant respect.Respect for thespace, for thepeople, for the energy. Smoke lingers. It offends. It harms. Your worries, frustrations and anxieties, think of them as smoke. Bring them inside unchecked, and theycling to every surface of your heart and mind, disrupting the sacred energy.Just like cigarette smoke,they linger until you noticethem choking the room.
So,steppingontoholy ground isn’t metaphorical fluff. It’spractice. Take off your shoes. Leave the smoke outside Walk barefoot.Feel the floor beneath your feet, the rhythm of your heart, the pulse of theair around you. It’s grounding, cleansing, humbling and sometimes funny as hell.
Speaking of funny,Iwatched people navigate that dog pee like it was an Olympic sport.One man did abizarre sidestep, like he was auditioning for a dance-offnobody asked for.A woman froze, eyes wide,probably reconsidering allher life choices.And me? Ilaughed. Hard.Because isn’tthat life? Absurd, messy,chaotic and often instructive if you’re paying attention.
Sacredness isn’tjust in churches or temples.It’sinyour kitchen, whereyour grandmother’srecipes hum throughthe steam. It’s in your living room,where laughter ricochets off the walls.It’son the streets,inthe music, in the gumboscented air of Louisiana. Everystep you take with humility, everygesture made withcare, everylaugh in the face of chaos that’ssacred. Drag in anger,ego or unresolved pain, though? You’re stepping in dog pee. And honey,itstinks. Sacredness isn’tsolemn. It’s messy Chaotic. Absurd. Hilarious. Like watching strangers sidestep dog pee while the universe hands you lessons wrappedin humor.You can stomp, complain, curse the universe, but if you pause and laugh, you learn morethan any sermon could teach.
Humor,humilityand awareness are a holy trifecta. Step lightly.Leave pride and smoke outside. Walk barefoot if you need to.Feel the earth beneathyour feet, the pulse in your chest,the groove of life under your toes.Subtle at first, then a rhythm emerges: Ibelong here. Idon’t own it.Irespect it.I laugh in it.
Life is like thatMexican restaurant on Taco Tuesday.Crowded, chaotic, unpredictable, sometimes stinky.But there’s rhythm,spice, music in thechaos. You just have to step lightly,leave the mess at the door,and remember that even your pico de gallo, afruit saladmasquerading as salsa,ispartofthe sacred, messy,joyful ritual. So, next timelife getsmessy,remember the bench, thedog, the old man, the pico de gallo, thewisdom,the laughter Take off your shoes, baby.Stepcarefully.Leave the smoke and ego outside. And remember:You’rewalking on holy ground.
Kateb Shunnar,anative of New Orleans,isthe author of the upcoming book “Provisions for Your Thoughts: Chronicles and Inspirations.”
And while Donald Trump was enjoying classic British pageantry in London, the meeting between Canadian PrimeMinister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum caused barely aripple in the behemoth between the two North American lands. The account of the leaders’ session and the agreement forged between two-thirds of the countries in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) —the successor to NAFTA—rated an account that appeared toward the bottom of Page 6ofthe print edition of The New York Times.
“This agreement is Canada getting things in order before we face new tariffs and yet more insults,” John English, aformer memberofParliament who was the general editor of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography,said in an interview.“We have to work with the Mexicans by ourselves. In some ways, the United States has gone to the sidelines.”
And though the Carney-Sheinbaum meeting was aripple in the United States, it was atsunami in its neighboring countries. That is aresult of twofactors, one a result of history,the other aproduct of hysteria.
The historical is the indifference Americans have felt about the countries on its borders. The maxim of the prominent 20thcentury columnist James Reston —that Americans will do anything about Central America but read about it —has long applied to Mexico as well. As for Canada, John F. Kennedy is remembered for his celebration of ties to our northern neighbors (“Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends,” he said in his 1961 visit to Ottawa), but former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau had it right eight years later (“Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if Ican call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt”).
The hysteria grows out of Trump’swielding of the tariff weapon and his demeaning reference to former PrimeMinister Justin Trudeau, the son of the elephant whisperer, as “Governor Trudeau” and to Canada as “the 51st state.”
These ripostes prompted an unprecedented surge in Canadian patriotism and pride. Canada is turning to Mexico, traditionally atrade afterthought here, because it has grown frustrated with dealing with unanticipated increases in Trump’sdemands.
“Wenever really had muchofarelationship with Mexico because it was overshadowed by the trade and cultural relationship with the United States,” said Taras. “It’s odd to hop over the United States. It seems weird. But this is aweird time. We’d like a relationship with the U.S. —Trump maybe atemporary phenomenon —but we’re like adancer with feet sticking like glue.”
The show of unity in Mexico City was also ashow of solidarity.The two countries have from time to time sparred, sometimes one seeking advantage, sometimes one slighting the other in trade negotiations with the United States. There were hurt feelings when Trump exempted tariffs on Canadian goods covered under the USMCA but didn’textend the same exemption to Mexican goods.
“Of course, we are going to cooperate directly,aswealways have,” Carney said at anewsconference after the meeting between the two leaders. “Canada is absolutely committedtowork with both our partners,” implying both Mexico and the United States. “Is that unequivocal enough for you?” About as unequivocal as the “Proud Canadian Brand” label on the jug of OJ. Email David Shribman at dshribman@ post-gazette.com.
David Shribman
Kateb Shunnar GUEST COLUMNIST
with meteorologist DamonSingleton
following atropical disturbance in the Atlantic, whichiscurrently not athreat to SoutheastLouisiana.
FOREVER
Continued from page1B
industrial discharges and environmental contamination, referred questions to LDH.
Most of the contaminants detecteddid not exceed federal action levels. But environmental health experts note thatevenlow levels can be concerning over time. There is no safe level of lead exposure, which can affect brain development in children. Arsenic is aknown carcinogen, manganese is linked to neurological issues, sodium can worsen high blood pressure and heart disease and excess copper can harm the stomach and liver.
The Environmental Protection Agency has said no amountofPFASiscompletely safe, but allows up to 4parts per trillion as an enforceable standard based on what treatment systems can achieve.
“Webelieve that it is some preliminary data for us to get abaselineunderstanding of what things look like in the region, and to asksome questions,” saidTaya Fontenette,project leader for the study
PFAS areman-made chemicals thatgiveproducts like nonstickcookware,foodpackaging and firefighting foam their water- and grease-resistant properties.Theyare called “forever chemicals”because they do notbreak downeasily in the environment or in the human body Research haslinked them to cancers, immune problems and developmental delays.
In Orleans Parish, 82% of households hadlead in their water, and about 40%showed levels above onepartper billion —the threshold pediatricians consider unsafe for children.Nosamples exceeded thefederal action level of 15 parts per billion,but the highest reading reached 6.3ppb. Nearly allhomes also hadPFAS, andsodium levels tied to saltwaterintrusionsurpassed federal healthguidelines in every Orleans Parishsample. AliceNoel, aspokespersonfor the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans, said the agency is reviewing the WaterCollaborative’s report andhas begun alead service line replacementprogram at schools andchild care centers, with an onlineinventory of knownleadlines
available to the public.The S&WB has a10-year plan to replace lead waterpipes throughout the city,including 800 publicly-owned lead waterlines Jefferson Parish showed widespread arsenic and manganese. Arsenic was present in 83% of households, though all results were below the federal limit of 10 ppb. Manganese wasdetected in abouthalf of homes. Copper was in every sample, withsome concentrations approaching750 ppb— just over half the federal action level. Two-thirds of homes also hadlead, andPFASappearedinall samples In the River Parishes contamination rates were often higher.St. James Parish recorded the study’s only lead exceedance, at 26.5 ppb. Arsenic was measurable in every St James home, and sodium reached45.2ppm. In St John the Baptist Parish, copperlevels varied widely; one sample measured 1,200 ppb, just under the federalaction level. Some householdshad littleorno PFAS, which researchers attributedtopartialuse of reverse osmosistreatment at the LaPlaceWater Plant. St. Charles Parishalso showed arsenic in every
home tested.
In St. Bernard Parish, arsenic was found in 83% of homes, with PFAS also consistently detected Plaquemines Parish, closest to the Gulf, showed the highest vulnerability to saltwater intrusion, with sodiumranging from11.2 to 66.2 ppm, far above federalguidelines.One Plaquemineshome also exceeded the EPA’snew limit forPFOS.
Though the findings were notpublished in apeer-reviewed research journal, they areconsistent with otherresearch
In 2019, theEnvironmental Working Group, a national advocacy group, found PFAS “forever chemicals” in New Orleans tap water at levels amongthe highest detected nationally, at 41.8 parts pertrillion.
Testsbythe Louisiana Department of Health in 2022 for east bank New Orleans residentsfound levels of PFOA as high as 2.6 ppt,and PFOS as high as 2.7 ppt. Waterfromboth the east andwest banks of Jefferson Parish contained levels of PFOA as high as 1.4 pptand levelsofPFOS as high as 2ppt.
Though notable, the findings arenot unique to Louisiana. TheEPA estimates
that over 100 million people have unsafe levels of PFAS in drinking water and 20 million still have lead service lines
“I wouldn’tsay it’suncommon,”said Julie Varshavsky,anassistant professor of environmental health sciences at Northeastern University who studiesPFASand heavy metals. “There are many communities across the U.S.that are dealing with contaminatedwater in one form or another.”
Reassuringly, just one sitehad levels for PFOA over thefederal limit.But even traceamounts canbe aproblem, because PFAS do not break down and can remain in waterand even human blood for years.
“Any amount of PFOA and PFOS can alsobecause for some concern, given how persistent theyare,” Varshavsky said.
Va rsh avs ky re commended more testing and thatresidents filter their ownwater.InOrleans Parish, the Sewerage &Water Board provides freeBrita waterfilters and lead testing.
The WaterCollaborative is urging lawmakers to set interim PFAS standards, require utilities to report results in Consumer Con-
fidenceReports, expand advanced filtration and createahousehold filter program
Other states such as Minnesota and Maine have movedtolimit PFAS,said Anna Reade, asenior scientist with theNatural Resources Defense Council.
“You’reseeingmarket push from states instead of the federal government, which is really promising becausethe bestthing we can do with PFAS is just not produce it,since we don’t havegreat solutionsfor cleanup,” Reade said.
To limit exposure, researchers recommend using filters certified by the National Sanitation Foundation that filter out specific contaminantsyou’re trying to avoid. For PFAS, thatisNSFStandard 53 or 58, said Fontenette.
TheEPA adopted new standards for PFAS in drinking water earlier this year,settinglimits at 4 partsper trillion forPFOA and PFOS and adding rules for four other compounds
TheTrump administration has since proposed changes that would rescind some of thoselimits and delay enforcement of PFOA and PFOS standards until 2031.
GIANT RELIEF
Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed runs for atouchdown as Newyork
Superdome.The Saints beat the Giants26-14 to earntheir fi
Saints practice what they preach to pick up firstwin of season
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
Twowords, repeated three times, amantra that obviously has been so burned into the brains of the New Orleans Saints defendersthat they can’thelp butrepeat it; onethat finally manifested in resultsSunday afternoon in theCaesars Superdome
The ball, the ball, theball.
“It’sall we talk about,” said defensiveback Kool-Aid McKinstry.“‘The ball, the ball, the ball.’”
“Wealways preach, ‘The ball, the ball, the ball,’”safety Jordan Howden said. “The ball is the most important thing in football.”
The ball foundMcKinstrytwice, and it found Howdenonce,and it found twoother Saints defenders. After struggling torip the ball away
from opponents during afour-game losing streak to startthe season,New Orleans found it in abundance, forcingfive turnoverswhile beatingthe visiting Giants 26-14.
Thewin was afirst for head coach and offensive play-caller Kellen Mooreand quarterback Spencer Rattler, both of whom playedtheir part in the team snapping an organizational losing skid that dated back to Dec. 8oflast year.New Orleanshad been close at timesinits first four games, but it was important to get past close.
“You’ve got to get in the win column first, and then obviouslyyou can carry themomentumhopefully moving forward,” Mooresaid. “Wecan feel it. We know what it lookslike. And so nowwe’ve got to keep getting better
ä See SAINTS, page 4C
NewOrleans celebrates overdue victoryoverNew york in style
Dec. 8, 2024. It’d been almost ayear since the New OrleansSaints last won afootball game. Three hundred days, to be exact, which probably felt like a lifetime for the players and coaches who’d suffered through thedrought So when the Saintsfinally snapped theskid Sunday with acathartic 26-14 victoryover theNew York Giants, they celebrated with understandable relief and unbridled joy Club Dub, as theSaints call their amplified, high-tech postgame locker room celebration, has christened more important wins over the years. Butfew victories have been relished as much as this one was in
the Superdome. “It’d been awhile since we’ve had the fog(machine) and the music playing,” third-year safety Jordan Howden said. “I almost forgot how that was.” The Saints need not apologize fortheir ebullience. When you haven’twon a gameinalmost 10 months and are one of just three teamsremaining in the winless ranks, any victory is cause forcelebration. And when it comes after falling into an early 14-3 deficit and as the result of the team’sfirst fivetakeaway gameinmore than ayear and ahalf, it’scertainly worthy of a little redemptive revelry
ä See DUNCAN, page 5C
Jeff Duncan
STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Giants safety Tyler Nubin tries to defend in the firsthalfoftheir game Sundayatthe Caesars
rst victoryofthe season.
WNBA FINALS
Aces take Game 2 over Mercury
young sets WNBA Finals record with 21 points in third quarter
BY MARK ANDERSON Associated Press
LAS VEGAS Jackie Young, ex-
hausted from the grueling fivegame semifinal series against Indiana, wasn’t quite herself when the Aces began the WNBA Finals against Phoenix and even did something rare in the opener She asked out of the game.
But after a day of rest, there was no stopping Young on Sunday She set a finals record with 21 points in the third quarter, finishing with 32 to carry Las Vegas to a 91-78 victory over the Mercury and 2-0 series lead.
Game 3 is Wednesday in Phoenix, where the Aces hope to put a stranglehold on the series as they chase their third title in four years. The Mercury have the tall task of needing to win four of five games to capture their fourth championship, which would tie the WNBA record.
Young, who tied a career playoff high in total points, fell just short of the league record of 22 points for any postseason quarter
Three players have accomplished that, most recently in 2021 when Young’s teammate, Jewell Loyd, hit that number for Seattle against the Mercury
“We had a couple of play calls for her, but it was really her being really aggressive and in attack mode,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “I’m always spurring her on to be in attack mode When she hits the 3-ball and gets a
Aces guard Jackie
couple to go down, it becomes difficult for her to be defended because she’s fast, she’s big, strong.”
Young’s performance was quite an answer to the Aces’ Game
1 victory on Friday, when she scored 10 points and made just 3 of 13 shots.
“My shots were very short,”
Young said. “I was getting everything I wanted Game 1, but they were darts. I was trying to change it, but just didn’t have it. Luckily we have a lot of great players on this team.”
Four-time league MVP A’ja Wil-
son scored 20 of her 28 points in the first half and had 14 rebounds.
Had Wilson scored two more points, the Aces would’ve been the first team to have two 30-point scorers in a WNBA Finals game.
“Take the numbers away, I’m so proud of Jackie,” Wilson said “When you see someone that works so hard every single day and then you get to see the hard work paying off, it’s a beautiful thing to witness I’m just so grateful to be her teammate and come to work with her every single day.”
NBA PRESEASON
Chelsea Gray finished with 10 points and 10 assists, her fifth playoff double-double in those categories, moving her into fourth in playoffs history She also had eight rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals.
Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 23 points, Satou Sabally scored 22 and Alyssa Thomas had 10 while coping with foul trouble much of the game. Sabally injured her right ankle in the fourth quarter, but Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said he didn’t have an update on her status.
Pelicans go 2-0 in games in Australia
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
New Orleans Pelicans newcomer Saddiq Bey hasn’t played in a regular-season NBA game since March 2024.
You wouldn’t have known that by watching the Pelicans newcomer in their second preseason game in Australia.
Bey knocked down three 3-pointers in the first quarter to jumpstart the Pelicans in their 127-92 preseason victory over South East Melbourne Phoenix on Sunday afternoon (late Saturday night Central time).
The Pelicans went 2-0 in their two games in Australia. It was a historic trip as the Pels became the first NBA team to play in Australia.
“Using this experience to come together and spend a lot of time in a different country on the road and traveling is going to be big for us this year,” said guard Jordan Poole “Especially if we want to make a deep run, make some noise when it comes to the playoffs This is a really good way to start our season.”
The Pelicans didn’t waste any time taking care of business in their second game. They knocked down seven
3-pointers in the first quarter and led 35-21.
Bey finished with a game-high 21 points to go with his six rebounds and three assists.
“I think (Saddiq) is going to be huge for our group,” said Pelicans coach Willie Green. “Just having a chance to interact with him and getting to know him more. He has such a mature approach to the game. He’s a hard worker You can see the difference between
game one and game two. He’s a guy who wants it. He wants to be good and wants to make winning plays for himself and his teammates.”
Bey is in his first season in New Orleans after being acquired as part of the CJ McCollum-Jordan Poole trade. He missed all of last season with the Washington Wizards after suffering a torn ACL the season before while playing for the Atlanta Hawks.
“I am just grateful to be out here,” Bey said in a postgame TV interview “The opportunity to play in Australia is a blessing.”
Green started a different lineup from the one he used in the Pelicans’ first game. In the first game, the starters were Bey, Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Poole and Kevon Looney. Rookie Jeremiah Fears replaced Murphy in the starting lineup Sunday Poole finished with 15 points, and Fears scored 12.
“He has a no-quit mentality,” Green said about Fears. “He doesn’t back down from anybody.” Williamson played just 15 minutes but made the most of his time. He finished with eight points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Jordan Hawkins scored 14 points.
Jose Alvarado left the game with a leg injury in the third quarter Green said Alvarado will be evaluated when the team returns to New Orleans.
The Pelicans return home Sunday and won’t play another preseason game until Oct. 14 when they play the Houston Rockets in Birmingham, Alabama.
Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.
NBA coaches welcome referees’ presence at camp
BY TIM REYNOLDS Associated Press
MIAMI Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers is, by his own admission, not the best referee. When he is calling fouls in practice, he doesn’t call much. The NBA sent him and his colleagues some help this fall. Scrimmages in training camps around the NBA might have seemed a little more crowded this season. The league has sent referees to camp to call fouls and violations, giving the officials a bit of extra work and helping teams understand how games will be called.
“We’ve been pushing for this for at least 20 years — and I am not exaggerating,” Rivers said after the Bucks scrimmaged in camp at Florida International University this weekend, with three NBA refs on the floor for the matchup. “Every competition committee meeting I’ve been on, I’m like, ‘Why can’t we do this?’ They should be at every practice.”
It’s a new program the NBA installed this season, and it seems to be a hit. Teams were allowed to invite referees in for two days in the opening week of camp and let them blow the whistle in scrimmages and drills — plus offer can-
did answers to questions. Denver’s Nikola Jokic spent several minutes on the floor with referees after a Nuggets workout, pleading his case on various matters while getting explanations from the crew
“I think it was terrific,” Washington coach Brian Keefe said.
“We had some discussions about some rules, but it was also the professionalism that they brought It wasn’t me reffing out there, which can be atrocious.”
Portland coach Chauncey Billups echoed the remarks of Keefe and several other coaches. “I think it was genius,” he said.
It’s a win-win scenario, at least
from the NBA’s perspective. Monty McCutchen, the NBA’s senior vice president and head of referee development and training, said one of the benefits is that the officials and players get to reconnect without the stress of true game situations. The NBA has been preaching a “respect for the game” mantra for several years, and part of what the league wants is a positive, respectful relationship among players, coaches and officials Sending refs into camp, the league thinks, will help.
“It allows for relationship building in a less competitive environment,” McCutchen said.
Time set for LSU’s home game vs. South Carolina LSU football’s Week 7 matchup with South Carolina will kick off at 6:45 p.m. in Tiger Stadium on Oct. 11, the SEC said Saturday In Week 5, the No. 13 Tigers (41) suffered their first loss at No. 4 Ole Miss. They had an open date between that matchup and their next one against the Gamecocks, who dropped two of their first three contests against SEC opponents. LSU has six SEC foes left on its schedule, and four of those opponents are ranked. Three of the four — No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 10 Alabama — slotted in ahead of the Tigers in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. After the Tigers host South Carolina, they’ll hit the road to face No.16 Vanderbilt. The SEC Network will broadcast LSU vs. South Carolina.
Fisk birdies last 3 holes to win first PGA Tour title
JACKSON, Miss. — Steven Fisk said he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of his first PGA Tour victory, and it took birdies on his last three holes Sunday to close with an 8-under 64 to win the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Fisk and Garrick Higgo of South Africa finally separated themselves over the closing holes at the Country Club of Jackson.
“I came out today with an attitude that nothing was going to stop me,” Fisk said during his Golf Channel interview on the 18th green. “I just felt like I’d be standing right here, right now, before the round started. I know I’m good enough. I thought I could do it.”
The win carries big benefits for the 28-year-old who played at Georgia Southern and on the 2019 Walker Cup team at Royal Liverpool.
MacIntyre wins Dunhill Links in native Scotland ST ANDREWS, Scotland Robert MacIntyre won the Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday for a second European tour title in as many years in his native Scotland, completing a successful homecoming after being part of Team Europe’s victory in the Ryder Cup last week.
“Just a beautiful ending to a good week,” MacIntyre said after shooting a third straight 6-under 66, this time in strong winds on the Old Course at St. Andrews, to complete a four-stroke victory at the home of golf. The third round was postponed on Saturday because of stormy weather, making the event — a pro-am played over three of Scotland’s top links courses — a 54hole tournament.
Gainey goes from qualifier to first Champions title
JACKSONVILLE,Fla.— Tommy Gainey holed a long eagle putt from off the green at the par-5 13th to take the lead, and he closed with a 6-under 66 for a two-shot victory in the Constellation Furyk & Friends for his first PGA Tour Champions title. Gainey had to go through qualifying just to get into the field at Timuquana Country Club. He started the final round four shots behind Matt Gogel, then pulled away in the middle of the back nine to hold off Cameron Percy of Australia. Percy was one shot behind when he was fooled on a 15-foot birdie chance on the par-17th. He missed another birdie chance from 15 feet on the final hole, and Gainey rolled in a 6-foot birdie putt to finish at 14-under 202.
Pained Sanders believes he has more blood clots
FORT WORTH, Texas Deion Sanders said he was “hurting like crazy” after Colorado’s loss Saturday night at TCU and believes he has more blood clots in his leg.
“Cat’s out of the bag, all right. I think I’ve got more blood clots,” Sanders said. “It don’t make sense. I’m hurting like crazy I’m not getting blood to my leg. That’s why my leg is throbbing.”
The 58-year-old Colorado coach sat at times late during the 35-21 loss and said he had a doctor’s appointment Monday Sanders spent time away from the Buffaloes this summer as he was treated for bladder cancer His doctor said before the season that Sanders was cured from that. Sanders has struggled with his left foot since having two toes amputated in 2021.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN LOCHER
young celebrates after making a 3-point shot during Game 2 of the WNBA Finals against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday in Las Vegas.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD
New Orleans Pelicans coach Willie Green, shown calling a play against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 17, praised the efforts of newcomer Saddiq Bey after two preseason games in Australia.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Yesavage, Blue Jays defeat Yankees in Game 2
By The Associated Press
TORONTO — Rookie Trey Yesavage
set a Blue Jays postseason record by striking out 11 in 5 1/3 no-hit innings, Vladimir Guerrero Jr hit the first postseason grand slam in team history and Toronto beat the New York Yankees 13-7 on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the ALDS.
Daulton Varsho had two home runs among his four extra base hits, and Ernie Clement and George Springer also both homered as Toronto reached double figures in hits (15) and runs for the second straight game.
The Blue Jays had three home runs among their 14 hits Saturday in a 10-1 victory They have more home runs (eight) than strikeouts (seven) through two games.
Varsho went 4 for 5 with two doubles, scored four runs and drove in four Guerrero went 3 for 5 and scored twice.
Cody Bellinger homered and drove in three runs and Ben Rice had two hits and two RBIs but Toronto won for the eighth time in nine home meetings with New York. The Blue Jays went 2-4 in six games at Yankee Stadium, where the series shifts for Game 3 on Tuesday night.
Yesavage (1-0) was selected by Toronto with the No. 20 pick last year in the amateur draft. The 22-year-old right-hander rose through four minor league levels this season before joining the Blue Jays and going 1-0 in three September starts.
“I just couldn’t be happier for him,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “The journey he’s been on this year is uneblievable.”
Yesavage needed fewer than four
innings to beat Toronto’s previous record for postseason strikeouts, eight by Dave Stieb David Price (twice) and Juan Guzmán.
Known for his elite split-finger fastball, Yesavage set a Blue Jays record by striking out nine Rays batters in his Sept. 15 debut. Eight
NLDS against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday in Milwaukee.
Brewers’ Chourio status uncertain against Cubs
BY STEVE MEGARGEE AP sportswriter
MILWAUKEE Milwaukee Brewers
outfielder Jackson Chourio’s status for Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the Chicago Cubs remained uncertain Sunday, a day after he underwent an MRI on his right hamstring.
“I know that we’re going to test some things today,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “He’s going to be out there today I don’t know that he’ll do much, but the MRI came back and it’s inconclusive. And it’s not a serious hamstring strain, but it’s not necessarily something that won’t limit him.”
Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Monday night. The Cubs plan to start left-hander Shota Imanaga (9-8, 3.73 ERA in regular season), while the Brewers will use lefty Aaron Ashby (5-2, 2.16) as an opener Chourio went 3 for 3 with three RBIs in the first two innings of the Brewers’ 9-3 Game 1 victory Saturday before leaving in the second inning with tightness in his right hamstring. He became the first player ever to have three hits in the first two innings of a playoff game. The 21-year-old hurt his hamstring while running to first on an infield single. Chourio had missed a month of the regular season because of a strain to the same hamstring.
“We’re going to kind of see how he feels,” Murphy said. “He’s going to go through some testing, and if he feels anything, we’re going to shut it down.”
Chourio had expressed confidence after Saturday’s game that the issue wasn’t serious But he made similar comments after straining his hamstring on July 29 and then didn’t play again until
ä Cubs at Brewers, 8:08 P.M. MONDAy,TBS
Aug 30.
“I feel good right now,” Chourio said through an interpreter after Saturday’s game. “Compared to the last time that this happened, I feel like I’m in a very good position.”
The Brewers certainly are in a good position after winning the opener Ashby threw 16 pitches in that game while working 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.
He will be back on the mound Monday at the start of the game.
Ashby said the different role doesn’t really change his approach.
“Like all of the outings leading up throughout the years, I guess.
It’s kind of just been get outs,” said Ashby, who started in only one of his 43 regular-season appearances.
“Whether that’s in the first inning or the fourth, fifth, seventh, whenever it is. I think they’ve made it clear that your job is just to get outs, and then when they ask you to stop getting outs, that’s when you stop. Going into tomorrow, it’ll be kind of the same situation. Just prep the same.”
Murphy said Sunday he didn’t know who would follow Ashby Right-hander Quinn Priester (13-3, 3.32) ranked second on the Brewers in innings pitched and would seem like a probable candidate.
Imanaga will be making his second appearance of this postseason after allowing two runs over four innings Wednesday in the Cubs’ 3-0 Game 2 loss to the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card Series.
The 32-year-old Imanaga is very familiar with the Brewers. He started against them three times during the regular season and went 1-2 with a 3.57 ERA in those games.
of his 11 strikeouts Sunday came on the splitter The other three came on fastballs that reached 96 mph.
“I was just doing what I feel comfortable doing, throwing splits late in the count,” Yesavage said. “It just so happens they were swing-
ing and missing at a bunch of them and chasing them down.” Yesavage opened the game by striking out Trent Grisham on a splitter He walked Aaron Judge on four pitches, then fanned Bellinger and Rice to start a streak of 12 straight outs that ended when
Jazz Chisholm Jr reached on Guerrero’s fielding error in the fifth.
Yesavage responded by getting Ryan McMahon to pop up and fanning Anthony Volpe for his 11th strikeout.
Yesavage struck out six straight over the third and fourth innings as Volpe, Austin Wells, Grisham, Judge, Bellinger and Rice were retired.
“We just didn’t have an answer for the split,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He was on his game.”
Left-hander Justin Bruihl came on to face Grisham after Yesavage threw 78 pitches, 48 for strikes. Schneider was jeered as he came out to remove Yesavage with Toronto leading 12-0.
“I’ll take getting booed like that every time,” Schneider said.
The crowd of 44,764 then roared until Yesavage came out for a curtain call, lifting his arms over his head at the top of the dugout steps. Bruihl retired Grisham on a grounder before Judge reached on an infield single for New York’s first hit. Bellinger followed with a homer Yankees left-hander Max Fried (0-1) allowed seven runs and eight hits in 3-plus innings. He gave up seven runs in 33 1/3 innings in five September starts.
“Just not his sharpest, obviously,” Boone said. Fried went 11-1 with a 1.82 ERA in 16 starts after a Yankees loss in the regular season, but suffered another difficult start in Toronto He was 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA in two regular season road starts against the Blue Jays, giving up 10 runs, eight earned, five walks and nine hits, including two home runs.
Dodgers take control against Phillies headed into Game 2 of the NLDS
BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter
PHILADELPHIA
The Phillies had Shohei Ohtani on the ropes on the mound and tied up at the plate, the Dodgers’ two-way star seemingly losing the air of invincibility that surrounds him.
Ohtani the ace recovered, and he did it one swing-and-a-miss at a time against a string of All-Stars in the Phillies’ lineup.
Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper all disappeared in the playoffs again in Game 1 of the NL Division Series, a combined 1-for-11 effort with six strikeouts and no RBIs in the 5-3 loss.
Game 2 is Monday at Citizens Bank Park, you know, that boisterous ballpark known for its socalled four hours of hell that is supposed to rattle the nerves of even the most steeled players.
Heck, even a three-time MVP such as Ohtani — who struck out four times Saturday night acknowledged ahead of the game that he was a bit anxious to face the fans.
Here’s the headache for the Phillies: They have wasted home-field advantage with four losses in their last five postseason home games. So they enter Game 2 with cold bats, have lost that extra oomph that 45,000 fans usually provide and have to try to regain their playoff mojo against the reigning World Series champions and two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.
“I don’t sense any extra pressure,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Sunday He might not sense it, but the fan base does, especially with little room for error or Matt Strahm meatballs — in the bestof-five series.
Ohtani retired 15 of the final 17 batters he faced, and Turner, Schwarber and Harper went 0 for 9 with five strikeouts against the right-hander
From two-way sensation to twotime Cy Young postseason standout, the series won’t necessarily get easier for the Phillies.
Snell, who missed four months of his first season in Los Angeles with shoulder inflammation, struck out a season-high 12 over seven innings in a September start against the Phillies.
Snell got the ball last week in the Wild Card Series opener and struck out nine over seven strong innings. He retired his initial eight batters in his first playoff start since 2022, when he was with the San Diego Padres. Snell
matched his postseason high for strikeouts in the longest postseason start of his career He is 5-3 with a 3.23 ERA in 13 career playoff appearances (11 starts). “I feel good with Snell going tomorrow,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Here’s some more good news for the Dodgers, already the betting favorite to win the game and series, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Harper is 1 for 11 with a home run and two RBIs lifetime against Snell. Schwarber, the NL home run and RBI champion, is
2 for 12 with a homer and three RBIs, and Turner is a moderately better 4 for 17 with three RBIs in 20 plate appearances vs. Snell. “Just like everything else, we’re going to be attacking it head on and we’re going to be excited to walk into the clubhouse and get back on the field and play another high, meaningful game here,” Schwarber said Saturday night. “That’s what this is about. This is never going to be
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MORRy GASH Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio hits an RBI single during Game 1 of the
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT SLOCUM Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez wipes his face after being pulled during the sixth inning in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday in Philadelphia.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANK GUNN
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey yesavage celebrates after striking out the New york yankees’ side during the fourth inning of Game 2 of the ALDS in Toronto on Sunday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT SLOCUM Teoscar Hernández, left, and Roki Sasaki celebrate after the Dodgers won Game 1 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday in Philadelphia.
SAINTS 26, GIANTS 14
THE NUMBERS
Robinson 1-2. New Orleans, Miller 10-41, Kamara 8-27, Rattler 6-21, Hill 6-(minus 1). PASSING—N.Y. Giants, Dart 26-40-2-202. New Orleans, Rattler 20-30-0-225, Hill 1-1-0-19. RECEIVING—N.Y. Giants, Skattebo 6-45, T.Johnson 6-33, Robinson 5-30, Bellinger 4-52, Slayton 3-31, Collins 1-7, Singletary 1-4. New Orleans, Olave 7-59, Shaheed 4-114, Kamara 4-28, Johnson 2-17, Vele 2-13, Miller 1-8, Cooks 1-5. PUNT RETURNS—N.Y. Giants, None. New Orleans, None. KICKOFF RETURNS—N.Y. Giants, Olszewski 3-85, Banks 2-75. New Orleans, Miller 1-18, Jones 1-9. TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS—N.Y. Giants, Muasau 6-3-0, Adebo 6-0-0, Okereke 5-5-0, Nubin 4-1-0, Flott 3-1-0, Phillips 3-0-0, Burns 2-1-0, Davidson 2-0-0, Holland 2-0-0, NunezRoches 1-4-0, Carter 1-3-0, Lawrence 1-1-0, Alexander 1-0-0, Banks 1-0-0, RobertsonHarris 1-0-0, Thibodeaux 1-0-0. New Orleans, Davis 7-3-0, Sanker 6-1-0, Werner 5-6-0, Taylor 4-4-0, Granderson 3-3-0, Howden 3-1-0, McKinstry 3-1-0, Jordan 3-0-0, Shepherd 2-20, Rumph 2-1-0, Bullard 1-1-0 Bresee 1-0-0, Riley 1-0-0, Reid 0-2-0. INTERCEPTIONS—N.Y. Giants, None. New Orleans, McKinstry 2-0. MISSED FIELD GOALS—New Orleans, Grupe 52, Grupe 46. OFFICIALS—Referee Alan Eck, Ump Tab Slaughter, HL David Oliver, LJ Greg Bradley FJ John Jenkins, SJ Dale Shaw, BJ Grantis Bell, Replay Joe Wollan.
This is what an NFL season is all about.” Moore and Rattler get the win next to their name, but it was the defense that led the way by taking away the ball, the ball, the ball. Coming into Week 5, the Saints (1-4) were the only team in the NFL to have not run a single offensive play with the lead. They finally broke that streak in the third quarter Sunday, taking a lead into the halftime break and then getting a stop on the opening drive of the second half. But that advantage was threatening to disappear until Bryan Bresee clubbed the football tucked in Giants running back Cam Skattebo’s left arm. With the Saints leading 19-14 and defending deep in their own territory, Bresee jarred the ball loose at the New Orleans 12-yard line. Howden, only in the lineup because starter Justin Reid suffered a concussion in the first quarter, scooped the ball and saw the thing everyone wants to see in that situation: Nothing.
“I just saw open grass,” Howden said. “So I just picked it up and, you know, ran for my life.” Howden raced 86 yards for the score, with McKinstry and defensive end Cam Jordan leading the convoy on the way to the end zone. It was a potential 14-point swing on one play
That Howden recovery was one of five consecutive Giants possessions that ended with the ball in a Saints defender’s hands — three
SAINTS NOTEBOOK
Burgess makes critical play
Saints backup safety shines; Kamara passes Hall of Famers in record books
BY LUKE JOHNSON AND RASHAD MILLIGAN
Staff writers
Jordan Howden will make the highlight reels after his scoop and score touchdown, but he thinks his New Orleans Saints teammate Terrell Burgess made the most important play in the 26-14 win.
The Saints had just cut a 14-3 Giants lead down to 14-13 after Spencer Rattler‘s 87-yard touchdown pass to Rashid Shaheed, but they had yet to fully wrest control of the game away from the Giants. And that is when, on third and 2 from the Giants’ 48-yard line, New York head coach Brian Daboll called the perfect trick play
“As soon as you see it, you know, Oh man, here we go,” coach Kellen
Moore said
A flea flicker Cam Skattebo took the handoff, then immediately turned around and pitched it back to Jaxson Dart, who saw a wide-open Darius Slayton streaking down the field behind the Saints defense.
Had Dart made a better throw, Slayton likely would have walked into the end zone for a big touchdown Instead, Dart underthrew the ball and allowed Burgess to recover and make a critical pass breakup.
“That was actually the play of the game,” Howden said. “... That saved a touchdown.”
Burgess initially bit on the run action from Skattebo, but he recognized what was happening quickly enough to turn, run and find Slayton.
“I was reading my key, I saw him hand the ball off and I saw him turn around, so at that point I looked to the closest receiver,”
Burgess said The underthrown ball from Dart allowed Burgess just enough time to get his hand in the way Moore also noted that Burgess recovered in time to make the play without drawing a penalty for illegally contacting Slayton before the ball arrived.
“Awesome, awesome play by Burgess,” Moore said. “The ability to recognize it, the ability not to panic in that situation — because so many times guys just go and run into the guy.”
Reid injured Justin Reid‘s day was done before
the first quarter came to a close between the Saints and the Giants. Reid went to the locker room after New York scored a touchdown on its opening drive, where it was determined he suffered a concussion. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game as the Giants were driving for their second touchdown in as many possessions.
Howden replaced Reid in the Saints’ starting lineup and ultimately made one of the biggest plays in the game, scooping a Cam Skattebo fumble and returning it 86 yards for a touchdown.
New Orleans already lost one of its starting safeties for the season earlier this year when Julian Blackmon was lost for the year with a shoulder injury Rookie Jonas Sanker — who also recovered a fumble Sunday — replaced Blackmon in the lineup.
AK moves up
Alvin Kamara passed a Hall of Famer and a Giants legend in the record books against New York on Sunday Before the first half came to a close, Kamara advanced beyond
Tiki Barber and Marcus Allen on the alltime career receptions record for NFL running backs. Kamara entered the game with 586 receptions, in a tie with Barber for fifth place on the NFL record books among running backs.
He finished with four receptions for 28 yards, moving past Barber and Hall of Famer Allen (who caught 587 passes in his career).
He could theoretically pass another Hall of Famer this season: Former Chargers great La’Danian Tomlinson is No 3 all-time with 624 career receptions, meaning Kamara would need 35 more receptions this season to move into third place.
Controversial call
Carl Granderson was at the center of the most controversial call in Sunday’s 26-14 win over the New York Giants. Late in the fourth quarter, Granderson quickly rushed in off the edge to put a hit on Dart, coming up with what appeared to be a clean sack at the moment.
Dart turned away from Granderson, who wrapped his arms around the quarterback’s chest before quickly letting go as the quarterback fell to the ground.
fumbles and two interceptions, both by Mckinstry, the first and second picks of his career In that span, the Saints outscored the Giants 13-0, part of a string of 23 unanswered points. Making his 11th career start, Rattler finished the day completing 20 of 30 passes with 225 yards and a touchdown. New Orleans had a good game plan for a fearsome Giants pass rush, and Rattler neither turned the ball over nor took a sack. His counterpart, Giants rookie Jaxson Dart, enjoyed an excellent start against the Saints’ defense but came crashing back to earth.
After throwing for 110 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 38 on the ground in the first half, Dart finished the game 26-of40 with 202 yards through the air, and was directly responsible for three of those five turnovers. For a while, the Saints looked like they were going to follow a similar script to their first four losses. New Orleans went three-and-out on its opening possession, a sequence that included a pre-snap penalty to set up a third and long, then watched the Giants (1-4) march downfield with ease for an opening drive touchdown of their own. Dart went a perfect 5-for-5 on
that drive, finishing it off with a wide-open play-action touchdown pass to tight end Theo Johnson.
The Saints mustered a field goal drive in response, but when the Giants took over, Dart put another impressive drive together, ripping off a 20-yard scramble and completing 4 of 5 passes for 48 yards, with the last one being a missile to Johnson for their second scoring connection.
It was Rashid Shaheed who ignited the comeback. After answering a touchdown with another field goal, the Saints finally mustered their first defensive stop of the game midway
Lead referee Alan Eck tossed the flag and quickly announced a roughing the passer penalty on Granderson.
Both Granderson and Moore expressed disbelief to the officiating crew after the call. Several plays later, it appeared that Moore was still trying to get an explanation on why his defensive end was flagged on the hit.
When asked about the penalty after the game, Moore turned his head and smiled before letting out a laugh.
“I saw a sack,” Moore said. “It’s disappointing because you’re trying to educate your players. As a coach, when you don’t feel like you don’t have an answer to help educate your players on how to play the game, that’s frustrating.” Moore, often reserved in his media availability periods, continued to express his own disappointment in the call.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity to learn whatever the opinion of that play is because it’s a frustrating play when you do so much good and, you know, that’s a frustrating one as a coach,” he said. “You feel like you are helpless in that situation.”
through the second quarter They took over at their own 13-yard line and came out in a heavy offensive formation, with two tight ends on the line of scrimmage and another in the backfield as a fullback. New York anticipated a run. The Saints hit them with a play action and sent Shaheed streaking down the field. The two safeties had no chance of keeping up with the fleet-footed Shaheed, and Rattler hit him in stride for an 87-yard scoring strike.
“We noticed that when we get to those 13 personnel (looks), the safeties’ eyes might not be as good,” Shaheed said, referencing the safeties peeking into the backfield for a potential run play “I was able to get up to the second level, run my route, and it all worked out.”
It was Shaheed’s 16th scrimmage play of 40 or more yards since his 2022 NFL debut — and his first of the 2025 season. Only Miami Dolphins speedster Tyreek Hill (18) has accumulated more of them. The long touchdown seemed to spark the Saints, who forced two more stops to close the half one of which came when Demario Davis jarred the ball free from receiver Darius Slayton’s hands as New York was driving into Saints territory late in the first half.
Rookie safety Jonas Sanker scooped the loose ball and returned it 27 yards to set up Blake Grupe’s third
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
by teammates from left, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed,
STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Saints safety Terrell Burgess breaks up a pass intended for New york Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton in the first half of a game on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.
SAINTS 26,GIANTS14
THREEAND OUT: RODWALKER’STOP THREETAKEAWAyS FROM SAINTS’FIRST WINOFTHE SEASON
GIANTKILLERDEFENSE
1
Things didn’t look good early as Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, making his second NFL start, looked likehewas going to have his waywith the Saints. The Giants led 14-3 early in the second quarter but didn’t score again the rest of the way. you’re going to win alot of gamesifyou force five turnovers. That’swhat the Saints did on five straight possessions. One of those turnovers was an 86-yard fumble return for ascore by Jordan Howden. We figured coming into theseason that the Saints’ defense was this team’sbread and butter,and theylooked thepart once theysettled in.
BACK TO LIFE
2
WhenSunday’sgame started, there didn’t seem to be muchlife in the Caesars Superdome. Even the pre-game introductions seemed quiet. Well, untilTaysom Hill and Foster Moreau tag-teamed the Who Dat chant. But thenitwent silentagain as the Saints fell into a14-3 hole. It was Spencer Rattler’s87yard touchdown pass to Rashid Shaheed (tied for the fifth-longest playfrom scrimmage in franchise history) that brought the Dome back to life. It was just one game. But if the Saints didn’t winthisone,a rough season was goingtobeevenrougher.The Dome wasn’tfull, but it was rocking again… finally
RED-ZONE WOES
3
This is nitpicking abit fora team that snappedaneight-game losing streak. But the Saints could have wonthis game evenmore convincingly.Iftheycan ever figureout howtoscore touchdowns in the red zone,things will be awhole lot easier.The Saints gottothe red zone three times and hadtosettle forBlakeGrupe fieldgoals each time. Enteringthe game,the Saints were scoring in the red zone 50% of the time(22nd in the league). Fortunately for theSaints, theywere able to bypass the red zone andhit on abig playand thenget plenty of help from their defense
‘HE’SA TONE-SETTER’
Tightend Hill makes impact forSaintsin return from injury
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
Demario Davis ceded themoment. Before eachgame, the New Orleans Saints linebackerbreaks down thehuddle in an attempt to motivatehis team. He has takenonthe mantle for five straight years, stepping into the role afterDrew Brees’ retirement. Buton Sunday,shortly after he began speaking, the 36-year-old stepped aside:He informed the group that TaysomHill had something to say instead “All right men, Idon’tgot alot,but this is what Iknow about the game, man,” Hill shouted in avideo posted by the Saints. “You can’tcheat this game! It takes everything you got!” Hill’sspeech proved prescient: To capture their first win of the season a26-14 win over the New York Giants —the Saints had to give everything they had. They had to excel in areas they had yet to shinethisseason. Five turnovers for adefense with only three through the first four games. One 87yard touchdown for an offense that lacked the deep ball. Theycouldn’t cut corners.
Hill would know.The 35-year-old wasonlyina position to hype up his team beforehandbecauseofthe grueling work he put in to make his season debut just 10 months afterundergoing surgery for aserious knee injury Last December,Hill tore his ACLand tore four additional ligaments that required apartial knee reconstruction. He wasinitiallytold that it was unclearwhether he’d be able to play in 2025. Against the Giants, Hillrecorded just 18 yards on seven touches.Heplayed only eight offensive snaps. His impact, however,meant far more than the box scoremeasured “Just his playstyle, his attitude, he’satone-setter,” center Erik McCoy said. “When he comes in the game, we’re going to have that mentality of, ‘It’stime to get firstdowns.’ Thirdand-short. Fourth-and-short.He’sa beastatit. …Itonly uplifts everybody across the offense.”
“He comes in the huddle, and if he’s got the play call, it’sawesome because you know we’ve got muchbetter than acoin flip’schanceofmaking thisplay
Continued from page1C
“It feels great,” saidrookie safety Jonas Sanker,who kept the game ball from his fumble recovery to give to defensivebacks coach GradyBrown. “That’smyfirst time seeing(thepostgame locker room) like that.”
Added veteran tight end Foster Moreau, who started the partyby leading an emotional pregame Who Dat chant with good buddyTaysom Hill: “It feels great. The whole team came together in this one.” This is what ending a300-day,eightgame losing skid looks like.
It’ssafety Jordan Howden streaking 86 yards with agame-changing fumble return for his first touchdown since hishigh school days in LasVegas and thenbeing so winded from the effort he had to beg off his duties on the ensuing kickoff coverage.
It’sTyler Shough picking up Blake Grupe in abear hug afterhegaveup his 156-pound body to tackle Deonte Banks and save apotential touchdown on the ensuing kickoff return
It’sRattler sprinting thelength of the field to celebrate with Rashid Shaheed after he outraced the entire New York secondary on his 87-yard catchand-run touchdown.
“That’s probably the fastest Iran
dance,” tight end Foster Moreau said. Moreau, of course, could relate to Hill, as he also made hisseason debut Sundayafter tearing his ACL in January.Together,the two led theWho Dat chant to fire up the Dome crowd just before kick. Their excitement was also plentyevident. Days earlier,Hill said he felt healthy and that his knee felt stable following months of rehab. But he admittedhe needed to see how he would respond to contact. So naturally,onhis first carry of the game, Hill was immediately brought down for aloss of 4yards on ajet sweep. But the nine-year veteran popped right back up, good to keep going. As Sunday’scontest progressed, it became clearer what role coach KellenMoore initially envisioned for the
former quarterback turned tight end turned…quarterback once again. Of his eight offensive snaps, six came when lined up as asignal-caller.Mostof the time, the Saints relied on Hill to run quarterback power concepts. He was not used as arunning back or afullback as was common last year underthenoffensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. But theSaintsalsousedHilltosubvert expectations. On whatwas easily his bestplay of theafternoon, Hill lined up on third-and-1 with the Giantsclearly expecting him to run —only for the former startertohit JuwanJohnson for a19-yard pass.
“I left theline of scrimmage and I passed the second level really quick,” Moreau said aboutrunning his route.“I said, ‘Someone’sgot to be open.’” Moore demurred when asked if Hill
thewholegame,” quipped Rattler
The Saints kept six game balls from thevictory —one for each of the five turnovers they produced and one for Shaheed’sgame-changing touchdown. Thehaul was so extensive, equipment manager Richard Killian barely had room left in the oversized dufflebag he usestostash thekeepsakes.
was on astrict snap count but told reporters afterthe win that the athlete’s role will continue to evolve over the rest of the season.Perhaps thatinvolvesusing Hill in moreblocking situations or as aslotreceiver. The Saints also used Hill as apersonal protector fortwo snaps on special teams, an area where Hill has always excelled.
“He’sjust coming back,” Moore said. But the Saints were glad to have him back —pregamespeech and all.
“Taysom’sone of our leaders,” Johnsonsaid. “He’s been here fora while. He’sseen the ups and downs of this organization, and so forhim to say something to theteam, it wasreally good for us to hear.”
Email Matthew Parasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com
They know they’re not going to play arookie quarterback every week or be the beneficiaries of afive-turnover windfall again anytime soon.
“Itwas an awesome win,” Moore said. “Ithasn’tbeen an amazing month forour guys. Missing on four opportunities (to win), and forthem to hang in there and compete forthis entire gameand findaway to win, I thought it wasanawesomeeffort.”
The key forthe Saints now will be how they handle success. Can they put the winbehind them and regain their focus forthe week ahead? They wouldn’tbethe first NewOrleanians to succumbtoahangover after abig celebration.
The revitalized NewEngland Patriots visit the SuperdomeonSunday On paper,it’sanother winnable game. But the Saints can’ttake anything for granted, especially after experiencing so much losing and heartache.
“It’sbig,” saidRattler,who received agame ball from head coach Kellen Moore after recording his first win as astarter and completing 20 of 30 passes for 225 yards and atouchdown.
“It feels amazing,” Shaheed said. “The locker room was electric. This is afeeling we chase every single week. This is whywework so hard. This gameis about momentum,and this is definitely something we can build off of.”
“It’s hard to come across wins in this league. It’sgood to get one.” The Saints said all the right things afterward. They talked about the 24hour rule and about not forgetting that they’re still just 1-4 on the season
Time will tell if Club Dubisabout to becomeaweekly operation forthe Saints. Or if it will be out of commission again forawhile.
Email JeffDuncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTO By BRETTDUKE Saints coachKellen Moore reacts after aplayagainst the Newyork Giants in the first half of theirgameSunday at the Caesars Superdome. Moore earned his first winasSaintscoach.
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Saints tight end TaysomHill attempts apass to teammate Juwan Johnson during the second halfofagame against the Newyork Giants on Sunday at theCaesarsSuperdome.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
ROUNDUP
Broncos rally, hand Eagles first loss
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA Bo Nix threw an 11-yard touchdown pass and J.K. Dobbins rushed for a 2-yard score in the fourth quarter as the Denver Broncos wiped out a 14-point deficit to hand the Philadelphia Eagles their first loss of the season, 21-17 on Sunday
The Broncos batted down Jalen Hurts’ last-gasp pass on the final play of the game to send the Super Bowl champions to just their second loss in their last 22 games.
The Broncos (3-2) caught a huge break in their rally when the Eagles had a late fourth-down conversion called back on an illegal shift penalty whistled against running back Saquon Barkley. The Eagles (4-1) were forced to punt and Hurts could not lead one more comeback
His final heave on second-and-10 from the 29 was knocked down as time expired to send the jubilant Broncos into the locker room with an improbable win. Nix waved his arms in celebration toward dozens of Broncos fans in orange that stood near the visitors tunnel.
Nix threw for 242 yards — a week after he threw for a career-high 326 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Bengals — and Denver’s formula of runfirst offense and a dominant defense came to life in the fourth quarter
The Broncos totaled just 199 yards and trailed 17-3 at the end of the third before Nix got the offense rolling. Dobbins, who followed his 101 yards rushing against Cincinnati with 79 yards on Sunday punched in a 2-yard TD run in the fourth to make it 17-10.
The Broncos got the ball back and Nix hit Courtland Sutton for 34 yards on the decisive drive. Nix connected over the middle with Evan Engram for the 11-yard TD. Coach Sean Payton gambled for the 2-point conversion and the Broncos got it when Nix hit Tony Franklin for an 18-17 lead with 7:36 left in the game.
At fourth-and-4 from the Eagles
49 Hurts hit DeVonta Smith on a long reception for what should have been a first down, only for the flag on Barkley to wipe it off
the board. Smith had eight catches and 114 yards receiving. That was it for the Eagles. Wil Lutz tacked on a 36-yard field goal with 1:11 left for a 21-17 lead.
Hurts threw for 280 yards. He had a 2-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert and a 47-yard TD pass to Barkley in the third quarter for the 17-10 lead.
COWBOYS 37, JETS 22: In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Dak Prescott threw two of his four touchdown passes to Jake Ferguson, Dallas scored on two 90-yard drives in the second quarter with a makeshift offensive line missing four starters and the Cowboys rolled past the winless New York Jets on Sunday Javonte Williams ran for 135 yards and a touchdown and also caught a TD pass, George Pickens also had a TD reception and the Cowboys (2-2-1) bounced back from a disappointing 40-40 tie against Green Bay last week.
Prescott finished 18 of 29 for 237 yards behind a line that had
left guard Tyler Smith (knee), left tackle Tyler Guyton (concussion), right guard Tyler Booker (ankle) and center Cooper Beebe (foot) all out. Right tackle Terence Steele was the only regular starter playing.
PANTHERS 27, DOLPHINS 24: In Charlotte, North Caroilna, Bryce Young threw a go-ahead, 4-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Evans with 1:59 remaining, Rico Dowdle ran for 206 yards and a score, and the Carolina Panthers overcame a 17-point first-half deficit to beat the Miami Dolphins on Sunday Young completed 19 of 30 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns after turning the ball over on Carolina’s first two possessions, leading to two touchdown passes by Tua Tagovailoa and a 17-0 Miami lead. Making his first start for the Panthers, Dowdle matched the secondhighest rushing total in franchise history TEXANS 44, RAVENS 10: In Baltimore, C.J. Stroud threw for 244 yards
Jaguars insist MNF matchup with the Chiefs is
BY MARK LONG AP pro football writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For Kansas City, it’s just another primetime game. For Jacksonville, it’s a chance for a statement game. Although the Jaguars (3-1) have lost eight in a row in the series — their most recent victory came in 2009 — they are approaching their “Monday Night Football” matchup against the three-time defending AFC champion Chiefs (2-2) with a “who cares about the past” mentality New team. New year New outlook.
“It’s not about the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s not about Patrick Mahomes. It’s about us,” Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said “If we come out there and we execute what we do, we can play with anybody in the National Football League.
“Obviously, when they’re really good, they’re really good. But when you can affect them, you can affect them, and it shows.” Jacksonville has a growing belief that the franchise’s latest rebuild is sustainable. The Jaguars already have proof of concept under general manager James Gladstone, head coach Liam Coen and executive vice president Tony Boselli The Jags have been more physical than their opponents though four weeks, evidenced by having the league’s fourth-best rushing attack and a league-leading 13 takeaways. “How are we going to come into this game? We’re going to come in fast, violent and efficient,” HinesAllen said. The Chiefs come in with some momentum, having won their past two games in lopsided fashion to
‘about us’
Jourdan Lewis reacts after intercepting a pass by Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, not visible, during the second half of a game on Sept. 21 in Jacksonville, Fla. NFL
ä Chiefs at Jaguars. 7:15 P.M.
MONDAy ABC
get to .500. They’re coming off a 37-20 victory against Baltimore in which Mahomes threw four touchdown passes. “The guys made plays, and we were able to score a lot of points,” Mahomes said. “But I’m always big on execution, executing the plays that were called and everybody on the same page. That’s something we did at a high level this past game.” Kansas City’s eight-game winning streak against Jacksonville is tied for the franchise’s
longest current run — one the Jaguars would love to end and potentially change the narrative about a franchise that’s endured 11 losing seasons in its past 14 years. “Just looking at what it is, (Kansas City has) been the team to beat in the AFC,” Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. “They’ve been the top dog and they’ve kind of ran the conference. This is an opportunity for us to show what kind of team we are. “You don’t have to be Superman or anything like that, but you have to play well.”
and four touchdowns, and Houston strolled to a win over a depleted Baltimore team Sunday matching both the most lopsided road win in Texans’ history and the most lopsided home loss in Ravens’ history Baltimore (1-4) was without twotime MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, and that was far from its only problem. Defensive standouts Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey all missed the game, and the Ravens already were weakened on that side of the ball because of a neck problem that ended Nnamdi Madubuike’s season. Baltimore was also without All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard and tackle Ronnie Stanley COLTS 40, RAIDERS 6: In Indianapolis, Jonathan Taylor keeps proving he’s one of the league’s top running backs.
A few more games like this, and perhaps Daniel Jones will considered one of the best quarterbacks.
Taylor ran for three touchdowns and a 2-point conversion, Jones threw two TD passes while playing another turnover-free game, and the Indianapolis Colts remained perfect at home with a 40-6 rout of the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday
“I think the guys are playing at a high level right now, they’re playing together,” coach Shane Steichen said after Indy’s most lopsided victory in 12 years. “(Taylor) is the best back in the league right now Credit to him, credit to the Oline. It starts up front, but he’s just seeing it while he’s running hard.”
VIKINGS 21, BROWNS 17: In London, Jordan Addison came up big when his teammates needed him the most.
The Minnesota Vikings wide receiver was benched for the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns for missing a team walk-through this past week.
But he scored the game-winning touchdown in Minnesota’s 21-17 victory over Cleveland at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday
“He spoke with the team to let them know that whenever I gave him the opportunity to go in the game, they could count on him,” coach Kevin O’Connell said.
Addison caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Carson Wentz with
25 seconds left to give the Vikings (3-2) a much-needed win on their historic international road trip, which started with a 24-21 loss to the Steelers in Dublin.
CARDINALS 22, TITANS 21: In Glendale, Arizona, Cam Ward threw for a career-high 265 yards, Joey Slye made a 29-yard field goal as time expired and the Tennessee Titans snapped a 10-game skid with an improbable fourth-quarter comeback, beating the mistake-prone Arizona Cardinals on Sunday The Titans (1-4) trailed 21-6 in the fourth quarter, but took advantage of two massive Cardinals blunders to win the game.
Emari Demercado looked as if he ran for a game-sealing 72-yard touchdown with 12:51 left, but the running back dropped the ball in celebration just before he ran into the end zone. Instead of giving the Cardinals a 28-6 lead, it was ruled a fumble out the back of the end zone, giving the Titans possession at their 20.
BUCCANEERS 38, SEAHAWKS 35: In Seattle, Lavonte David intercepted Sam Darnold with 58 seconds left and Chase McLaughlin kicked a 39-yard field goal as time expired to give Tampa Bay a thrilling win over Seattle.
Baker Mayfield tied it for the Bucs (4-1) by throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard with 1:08 left, and the Seahawks (3-2) took over with the chance to drive for the winning score.
LIONS 37, BENGALS 24: In Cincinnati, David Montgomery ran for a touchdown and threw for one on a trick play in his hometown, Jared Goff passed for three scores and the Detroit Lions rolled to their fourth straight win, over the reeling Cincinnati. Montgomery, a seven-year veteran, had passing and rushing scores in a game for the second time. The bruising rusher played quarterback at Cincinnati Mt. Healthy High School.
Montgomery — who rushed for 64 yards on 18 carries had more than 20 friends and relatives in attendance, including his older sister Kiki, who was paralyzed in a Feb. 2024 car crash. Montgomery greeted his sister near the Lions’ locker room before he took the field.
Commanders score 27 straight points to beat Chargers 27-10
BY BETH HARRIS AP sportswriter
In Inglewood, California, Playing for the first time as a pro not far from his hometown, Jayden Daniels started slowly in his return after missing two games with an injured left knee.
After the defense forced a big fumble in the second quarter, Daniels and the Washington Commanders didn’t look back reeling off 27 straight points to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 27-10 on Sunday
“I’ve dreamt of moments like this, being able to play in front of my family back in my hometown,” said Daniels, who grew up 75 miles from SoFi Stadium in San Bernardino. Jacory Croskey-Merritt scored two touchdowns and former LSU standout Daniels was 15 of 26 for 231 yards and a touchdown in the game’s final minute in helping the Commanders (3-2) win for the first time on the road.
“It was just great to have his presence on the field,” CroskeyMerritt said of Daniels.
The Chargers (3-2) were one of the least penalized teams in the first three weeks of the season, when they were 3-0. But they were done in by sloppy play last week, with 15 penalties for 107 yards in a 21-18 loss at the New York Giants. Back home at SoFi Stadium, it happened again. They had 10 penalties for 85 yards and three turnovers in Washington territory
“Make no excuses on why it ain’t clean, but it’s our job to get it
fixed,” safety Derwin James said.
The Chargers dominated in building a 10-0 lead with five minutes left in the first half, limiting
the Commanders to a single first down. That was after the Chargers’ illegal formation on the opening kickoff.
Quentin Johnston fumbled after catching a 19-yard pass from Justin Herbert and Marshon Lattimore snagged it for Washington’s first fumble recovery of the season in the second quarter That led to Crosley-Merritt’s first TD of the game, a 15-yard run into the left end. The Chargers were forced to punt on their next possession. After Daniels was sacked and threw an incompletion, Tress Way punted 55 yards to the Chargers 43. Ladd McConkey took the return 57 yards for a touchdown that was nullified by Marlowe Wax’s penalty for roughing Way, leading to an automatic first down for the Commanders.
“We’ve got to tighten up the operation in every way,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. Matt Gay kicked a 29-yard field goal for a 10-10 tie with five seconds left before halftime.
The Commanders took the lead for good on their first possession of the third, when Crosley-Merritt ran 5 yards into the left end for a 17-10 lead.
The Chargers’ Trey Pipkins committed two consecutive penalties on the Chargers’ next possession that ended in a punt. They turned the ball over on downs in their only other possession of the third.
Gay’s 36-yard field goal extended the Commanders’ lead to 20-10. Deebo Samuel caught an 8-yard pass from Daniels late in the game.
Daniels was the league’s offensive rookie of the year last season when he led the Commanders to the NFC championship game.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT SLOCUM
Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram, right, celebrates his touchdown with offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey during the second half of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Philadelphia.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PHELAN M. EBENHACK Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX Florida wide receiver Dallas Wilson,
Both teamsare out of top25for first time since2022
BY ERIC OLSON AP collegefootball writer
Miami moved back to No. 2in
The Associated Presscollege football poll on Sunday,Texas Tech has its highest ranking since 2008 and Penn State and Texas fell all the way out of the top25 for the first time since 2022 after the two top-10 teams lost to unranked opponents. No. 1Ohio State was dominant in its win over Minnesota, but its 40 first-place voteswereits fewestsince ascending tothe top five weeks ago. The Hurricanes, who moved ahead of idle Oregon, went from receiving four firstplace votes last week to 21this week after winning at Florida State.
Miami also had been No.2 two weeks ago following an open date and gave up that spot last week after Oregon’sovertimewin at Penn State.
Oregon,which received the other five first-placevotes,was followedbyidleNo. 4Mississippi and No. 5Texas A&M. The Aggieshammered Mississippi State and earned their highest ranking since JimboFisher’s 2021 team was No. 5inearly September. Oklahoma slipped from No. 5 to No. 6despite its 44-0 shutout of Kent State. Indiana, whichhad an open date, is No.7,and No.8 Alabama got atwo-spot promotion for its 16-point winover Vanderbilt. No. 9Texas Tech, which won 35-11 at previously unbeaten Houston, cracked the top 10 for thefirst time since it was No. 8 in the final regular-season poll in 2008. Georgia moved uptwo spots to No. 10 after its win over Kentucky Texas wasthe AP’spresesason No. 1team and Penn State was No. 2. Both are now out of the rankings. Penn State took one of the biggestfalls in the 99-year history of
the poll for its lossatpreviously winless UCLA aweekafter the Bruins fired their coach. The NittanyLions had slipped from No. 2toNo. 7following their loss to Oregon. They went to UCLAas 24.5-pointfavorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, and lost4237.PennState is unranked for the first time since September 2022. Theplunge out ofthe Top25 matched 1959 Oklahoma for second-biggest dropout of the rankings, not counting preseason polls or the 2020 pandemic season.The ’59 Sooners went from No. 2to outofthe Top20after losing their opener to Northwestern. Texas lost at Ohio Stateasthe preseasonNo. 1and was No. 9 enteringits gameatFlorida. TheLonghorns’ 29-21 loss at the Swamp sent them tumbling out of thetop 25. They hadn’tbeen unrankedsince November 2022.
Before Sunday, thelasttime twotop-10 teams fell out of the poll the same week was Sept.16, 1986, when it happened to No. 8 Tennessee and No. 10 Ohio State.
In andout
n No. 23 Memphis, four spots out of the top 25 aweek ago, is in forthe first timesince it was No. 24 in thefinal poll last season. The Tigers are out to their beststart since2015and thefirstteamto
be 6-0, making them bowl-eligible for the12th straight year
n No. 24 South Florida (4-1) has won two straight since its lopsided loss at Miami and is back after aone-monthabsence.
n Penn State(7) and Texas(9) dropped out Poll points
n Ohio State’s40first-place votesare thefewestfor aNo. 1 team since Alabama also got 40 in thepoll Sept. 29, 2024.
n Miami’s No. 2ranking is its highest in an October poll since 2003.
n The teams ranked Nos. 1419 —Missouri, Michigan, Notre Dame, Illinois, BYU andVirginia —each received five-spot promotions, the biggest of the week.
n Iowa State took the biggest fall of anyteam that remained in the top25, falling eight spots to No. 22 after losing at Cincinnati.
American (2): Nos.23, 24. Independent (1): No. 16. Ranked vs.ranked
n No. 1Ohio State(5-0) at No. 17 Illinois (5-1): This is thefirst meeting since 2017 and first top 25 matchup since 2001. The Buckeyes have won nine straight in the series andhaven’t lost in Champaign since 1991. The lone blemish for the Illini was ablowout loss at Indiana.
n No. 7Indiana (5-0) at No. 3
Oregon (5-0): The Hoosiers didn’t have to play Oregon last year,the Ducks’ first in the BigTen. Indiana is 0-2 against top-five opponentsunder second-year coach Curt Cignetti.
n No. 8Alabama(4-1) at No. 14 Missouri (5-0): The Crimson Tide beat the Tigers 34-0 in Tuscaloosa last year,isonafour-gamewin streakand looking to knock offa third straight ranked opponent. Huge opportunityhere for Missouri fora marquee win in the chasefor the SEC titleand College Football Playoff seeding.
WhyPennState, Texasfellfrompoll
PennState’sloss to UCLA is probably the biggest upset I’ve seen since Istarted covering college football in 2017. Combined with Texas’ loss at Florida, the Nittany Lions and Longhorns’ losses were the most notable outcomes in what was otherwise acalm Saturday in the world of college football.
Here’swhere my AP Top25 poll standsfollowing this week’s results.
Koki’s Top25pollafter Week 6
San Jose State and UTEP,teams Texas should be rolling over Texas’ easy schedule since the Ohio State gamehad shielded it from dropping much in anyone’s poll. This weekfully exposed the flawsofa team that has the resumeofa borderline top-25 team
Notes
BY TIM REYNOLDS Associated Press
CORAL GABLES,Fla. When theMiami-Florida State game was over, defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr sat on the Hurricanes’ bench with ablank stare on his face. Quarterback Carson Beck talked about how the team needs to get better And coach Mario Cristobalwas even more succinct.
“We’ve got along waytogo,” Cristobal said. All of that,itshould be noted, came after aMiami win —inarivalry game, no less For the second time this season, thesecond-ranked Hurricanes (50, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) are heading into abye week after beating arival —firstFlorida, now FloridaState —and insisting that they have much to improve upon. It’safar cry from what happened whenMiami tasted somesuccess in recent seasons, with the inevitable “Is ‘The U’ back?” question being asked and more often than not theHurricanes stumbling in the weeks that followed.
“I’m sure we’re going to go back
and watch this game and there’s just so many little things,little mistakes, little plays thatare just left out there forgrabs when we give them something or we give up something ourselves,” Beck
said. “And Ijustthink if we can eliminate those mistakes andstop shootingourselvesinthe foot sometimes that we could bereally dangerous andreally,really good.” Back at No. 2this week in the
Just missed: Iowa State, Texas, Washington,Penn State FatesofPennState,Texas
There was astrong case to be madethat UCLA wasthe worst Power Four team in the nation heading into this week. The Bruins were 0-4 with ablowout loss at hometoNew Mexico. They hadn’t led in agame all season, and after theembarrassment against the Lobos,they fired coach DeShaun Foster
Somehow,that sameBruins team took downmighty Penn Statethis week. And although the game was in Pasadena, there is no excuse forthe Nittany Lions to ever lose to this version of UCLA.
Penn State, on paper,isanobvious top-25 team, but the Nittany Lions don’thold asingle win over a Power Four school and didn’teven look impressive against Villanova or Florida International. The close loss to No.2 Oregon counts for something, but it shouldn’tguaranteeita top-25 spot.
Texas’ loss to Florida on the road wasn’tenough on its own to warrant the Longhorns dropping out of the top25. This is also the same team thatonly lost by one score to my No. 4team on the road.
But the Longhorns’ obvious problems on offense —and especially at quarterback—have led me to take them out of my poll. Not only did they struggle to score againstquality defenses in Florida and Ohio State, they also had some issues putting up points against
Offweeks forLSU,Tennessee, Ole Miss, Indiana and Missouri resulted in those teamsmoving up twospots in my poll. Someone has to slide forward when a couple of teams movedown, and that’swhat happened following the Texas and Penn State losses. Figuring out the bottom 10 spots wasanightmare, given that they all have similar resumes. FSU and Virginia werethe toughest teamstocrack. The Seminoles losing again this week shouldn’thave resulted in them moving up in my poll, but their winover Alabamahas only looked stronger as the year has progressed. Their loss to Virginia also doesn’tseem too bad, given that it was on the road and that Virginia beat asolid Louisville team this week.
So ultimately,I liked Florida State’sbody of workover Cincinnati, ateam that suffered asimilar loss to Nebraska and doesn’t have awin that’snearly the quality of beating Alabama.
Virginia has ahuge winover Florida State and earned its way into the top 25 with another overtimevictory at Louisville this week. But Istill find myself abit conflicted about the Cavaliers for tworeasons.
First, they were outplayed by the Cardinals despite winning the game. Louisville had nearly 150 more yards, wonthe time-ofpossession battle and had nine extra first downs. Second, they also lost to NC State, ateam that fell to lowly Virginia Tech at home and got beaten swiftly by Duke. For those reasons, Ihad Virginia behind USC, Cincinnati and Nebraska. Cincinnati and Nebraska hold strong wins without aloss as troubling as the NC State defeat. Nebraska beat Cincinnati in Week 0, while Cincinnati’svictories over Iowa State and Kansasearned the Bearcats aspot in the top 25. USC, meanwhile, is missing one big win, but it only lost to Illinois by two on the road in amatchup thatbegan at 9a.m. Pacific,and the Trojanshavelooked pretty dominant against their weaker foes Email Koki RileyatKoki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.
AP Top25, Miami has matched its highest ranking since being No. 1for most of the 2002 season. The Hurricanes went 4-0against in-state teams (beating South Florida, Bethune-Cookman, Florida andFlorida State)and arethe only team to beat three AP-ranked teams so farthis season. And Beck still sees room to grow. That might be the difference between this Miamiteam and others thathad potential over thepast two decades.
“Walking intothe locker room andthe team not being happy after we win like that, that’swhat’s different,” defensive back Jakobe Thomas said. “These guys are dedicated. Ican’tpreach enough how much we work each andevery day
We’re in the building early in the morning,late at night, watching tape together as ateam.When I walkedinand nobody wasreally excited after the win, Iknewthat we’ve got bigger goals.”
To be fair,yes, there were moments of Miami jubilation.
Cristobal looked intothe lenses of thenational television cameras and pointed out that Miamihad won
the “state title.” Offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa grabbed apole with ahuge “U” flag on it and tried jammingitintothe turf near midfield at Doak Campbell Stadium. Michael Irvin, after spending the game in his customary spotonthe Miami sideline, was cheering with fans long after the final whistle. Cristobal playedfor two of Miami’sfive national championship teams. He knowswhat the fans want:a sixthtitle.It’swhy he camebackhome when the Hurricanes askedhim to leaveOregon four years ago. But even after winning in Tallahassee, he wasquick to point out that if Miamiwants to be mentionedwiththe 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 2001 teams, there’s still alot —awhole lot —ofwork lefttotackle.
“Weare moving forward.We’re not going back. We’re not,” Cristobal said. “We’re taking the principlesand valuesofall those awesome teams, thephysicality of those teams, the playmaking ability,the togetherness, the brotherhood of those teams, and going forwardand pushingMiamifootball to modern day football.”
Koki Riley
ASSOCIATEDPRESS
PHOTOByMARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ
UCLA coachJerry Neuheisel is lifted by players after awin over Penn State on SaturdayinPasadena, Calif.
RIGHT: Adioramashows Vincent vanGogh’sroom at the VanGogh Museum in Amsterdam,Netherlands.
AP PHOTOSByPETER DEJONG
BY MIKECORDER Associated Press
AMSTERDAM TheVan Goghmuseum is bringing ascattered family back together this fall to honor apostal worker, his wife and their children who sat as models for the Dutch masterata time whenhewas strugglingtomake friendsina French town Portraits from the late 1880s of the expansively bearded postmanJoseph Roulin, his wife, two sons and baby daughter have been brought together for anexhibition titled “Van Gogh and the Roulins. Together Again at Last.”
The show collects paintings of the family from museums around the world andeven features an armchairfrom the artist’sstudio in Arles in the southern region of Provence.
TheVan Gogh Museum hasorganized an exhibition this fall shining thespotlight on apostman andhis family whomodeled forartist
The show is in Amsterdamafter arun at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, which provided one of the centerpiecesofthe exhibition,a portrait of the postman (he was actually apostal clerk) resplendent in his blue uniform with gold buttons and trim sittingin an armchairmade of local willow from Provence While preparing the show, the VanGogh Museum found the very chair featured in the portrait in its storerooms and is exhibitingitfor the first time. It wasdeemed toofragile to be sent to Boston for the show there
ABOVE: The chair in which bearded postmanJosephRoulin sat when he wasportrayedbyVincent VanGoghis displayednext to Roulin’sportrait at the VanGoghMuseum
BELOW: People look at portraits of the Roulin family,Jospeh,two paintingson theleft, and his wifeAugustine, three paintings on the right, brought together by theVan Gogh Museum.
BY JAMI GANZ
Newyork Daily News (TNS)
NEWYORK Everybody loves a reunion —and the “Everybody LovesRaymond” teamisgiving the people what they want. Ray Romano,who starred as sports journalist Ray Barone, and creator Phil Rosenthal will host “Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversa-
ry Reunion” from 7p.m. to 8:30p.m.onNov.24, to commemorate both the29years since theLongIsland-set sitcom premiered on Sept. 13, 1996, andthe two decades since the show took its final bowinMay 2005. “Audiences areinvited back to the recreated Barone living room for an unforgettable evening with America’s
favorite family,” reads CBS’ news release. Therewill be a“moving tribute” to thelateDoris Roberts and PeterBoyle, who starred as Ray and Robert’soverbearing mother andsardonic fatherMarie and Frank —“fan favorites and theemotional anchors of the series.” Brad Garrett andPatricia Heaton, who starred as Ray’s
Removal of cataracts sooner than latercould be
What do Ineed to know about cataracts if my loved onehas dementia?
“As it turns out, we have this chair in our collection, but we have nevershown it before,” said VanGoghMuseum Director Emilie Gordenker.“Andit just shows you when youstarttoworkon atopic —inthiscase, the Roulin family portraits —all kinds of things youmight neverhavethought about before comeupand it’s really exciting to rediscover,as it were, your own collection.” Vincent van Gogh created atotal of 26 portraits of the family in aburst of creative activity from July 1888 to April 1889. There are 14 on showatthe museum alongside works by his friend and fellow painter Paul Gauguin and by Dutch GoldenAge masters Rembrandt vanRijn and Frans Hals, whose works were major sources of inspiration.
“Manypeople considerhis Arles period really his peak,” Gordenker said. “I’m not sure we totally agree with that, but it is definitely amoment when he turns acorner his power as an artist really comes out.”
ä See VANGOGH, page 2D
brotherRobert and Ray’s wife Debra, will take part in the special’s“candid conversations,” as will Madylin and Sullivan Sweeten. The Sweetens played Rayand Debra’skids Ally and Michael, along withtheir late brother Sawyer,who playedMichael’s twin Geoffrey.Sawyer died by
Not everyone with dementia has cataracts nor do all patients with cataracts have dementia, but asignificant number will have both conditions. Because of this, many individuals may face having a cataract operation while also dealing with dementia. Cataracts are avery common eye condition. As we get older the lens inside our eye gradually changes and becomes less transparent (clear). Alens that has turned misty or cloudy is said to have acataract. As acataract gets worse it can interfere with the individual’s daily living activities. Having cataracts could makethings harder to see, makereading difficult, makecolors seem washed out, and cause problemswith mobility.Cataracts can also cause problemswith bright light, and manyindividuals have problemswith glare. Most people have their cataract removed by astraightforwardoperation. This operation removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with an artificial lens implant. This makes sight clear again and removes the vision problemscaused by the cataract. Cataracts can be removed at any time. An individual with dementia may benefit from having them removed sooner rather than later,because it may be easier to deal with the cataract operation before their dementia symptomsget worse. The caregiver should look for signs or difficulties their loved one may be experiencing with their eyesight. Avisit to the optometrist is necessary to check forcataracts should the individual have trouble with the following: recognizing familiar faces, being in bright light, low light or both, reading facial expressions, finding things, reading, enjoying familiar hobbies, managing in unfamiliar surroundings, locating food on the plate and/or managing current spectacles (perhaps saying “I need new glasses”). Acataract can only be treated by surgery.This surgery normally takesplace as an outpatient procedure using a local anesthetic.The lens implant usedduring the surgery will mean thatthe individual’s sight is slightly different than
ä See CATARACTS, page 2D
RayRomano and Patricia Heaton star in the 200th episode of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond.’The cast of the show will reunite for an anniversaryspecial.
Gordenker
Uncomplicatedappendicitismay notrequire surgery
Dear Doctors: Ihad apain on the rightside of my abdomen. ACT scan found aperforated appendix with an abscess. Iwas treated with IV antibiotics,and now Iam feeling fine. Do Ineed to have my appendix taken out? My doctor says, in cases like mine, people have problems again 30% of the time.
Dr.Elizabeth Ko Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS
Dear Reader: The appendix is a thin tubelike pouch that extends from the colon on the lower right side of the abdomen. It was previously thought to be avestigial organ with no purpose. Newer researchsuggests alink to immune system function and the gut microbiome. If something blocks the opening to the appendix, it closes. This prevents the organ from draining and restricts blood flow.Ablockage sets the stage for inflammation, infection and internal pressure that can cause the organ to getasmall hole or rupture.
Arupturedappendix is amedical emergency.The large break in the appendix wall allows the buildup ofinfectious materials to spill into andcontaminate the abdominal cavity.This can quickly escalate to alife-threatening infection known as peritonitis.
Surgery is theprimary treatment for aruptured appendix. The appendix must be removed,and the abdominal cavity must be cleaned out. However,incases that are less severe, new approaches are emerging. Sometimes, as in your own case, aCTscan will show that, while the organ is inflamed, has an abscess or is perforated, it is not in danger of bursting. This is acondition known as uncomplicated appendicitis. In these cases, rather than immediate surgery to removethe organ, initial treatmentwith antibiotics can become an option. Patients who wish to avoid the risks associated with surgery,the cost of an appendectomy or the recoverysometimes choose this approach.
It sounds like you don’thave the
When trying to finda lost dog
Dear Heloise: Arecent column included aletter from Mark in South Carolina. He said that the posts for lost dogs versus found dogs can be confusing. Iagree that they can be. He gave suggestions about posting pictures. Iagree with this only if you lost adog. Youwant everyone to know what the dog looks like. Wide coverage and detailswill usually help the lost dog get back to
By The Associated Press
fever,pain or nausea that signal infection. It appears your doctors consider you acandidate forongoing nonsurgical management. Unlike an appendectomy,which removes the organ, this is not a cure. This is the first step of an approach knownaswatchful waiting. First,the condition is treated with antibiotics. Then your symptoms are actively monitored. The option of surgery is still available if necessary In 2021, astudy on uncomplicated appendicitis waspublished in the New England Journal of Medicine. It analyzed health data from 1,552 adults in 25 United States medical centers with this condition. The researchers found that half of patients madeitfour years before needing surgery One-third developed recurrent
appendicitis and required surgery within three months. This study has influenced ashifttooffering nonsurgical management to eligible patients. The decision regarding surgery should be madewith guidance from your own doctors. If you continue with nonsurgical treatment, it’simportant to look out for symptomsofappendicitis. If you get any symptoms, let your doctor know immediately.Another round of antibiotics or surgery may be needed.
Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.
Hints from Heloise
its owner However,posting too much information about afound dog may cause the dog tobe claimed by someone other than the owner.It’sbetter to letthe real owner give the finder details about the dog. Don’tgive out any informationexcept where the dog was found and itsgeneral colors. Don’tidentify the gender, what color the collar is,
TODAYINHISTORY
Today is Monday,Oct. 6, the 279th day of 2025.There are 86 days left in the year Todayinhistory: On Oct. 6, 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was shot to death by members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad while reviewing a military parade. Also on this date: In 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson, afeature film containing both silent and sound-synchronized sequences. In 1973, war erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attackonIsraeli forces in the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights during the YomKippur holiday,starting anearly three-week conflict that
CATARACTS
Continued from page1D
it was before the operation. Usually this means that if the individual needed glasses for distancethen they may not need them after the operation. This is because the lens implant used in the surgery can correct the vision for distance.Itispossible to correct the individual’svision in various ways using the lens implant. The caregiver and ophthalmologist can
Continued from page1D
In an upstairs room, the museum has created alifesizefaçade of the yellow house that VanGogh used as his studioinArles, where Roulin became more than just amodel to VanGogh. “While Roulin isn’texactly old enough to be like afather to me, all the same he has silent solemnities and tenderness for me like an old soldier would have for ayoung
would become known asthe YomKippur War. In 1976, Republican President Gerald R. Ford,inhis second presidential debate with Democrat Jimmy Carter,asserted that there was “no Soviet domination of eastern Europe.” Carter wentontonarrowly defeat Ford In 1979, Pope JohnPaul II, on aweeklongU.S. tour, becamethe first pontiff to visitthe White House, where he was received by President Jimmy Carter In 2010, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay tossed just the secondpostseason no-hitter in MLB history,blanking theCincinnati Reds4-0. In 2014, theSupreme Court unexpectedlycleared theway for adramatic expansion of gay marriage in the United States as it rejected appeals from five
discuss which lens implant to usesothat their loved one’svisionis best following the operation.
Cataract surgery for individualswith dementia is very successful and usually results in good vision.However,there are some important things to be considered.Cataracts that aren’t removed will eventually affect someone’sday-to-day life. Getting cataractsdiagnosedearly through regular eyeexaminations by an optometrist is important so that the individual gets the treatmentthey need at
one,” theartist wroteina letter to his brother,Theo, in April 1889.
Nienke Bakker,who curated theshow along with Katie Hanson from theBoston Museum of Fine Arts, said the Arles period was crucial to VanGogh’s artistry
“He literally says painting peoplebrings out thebest in me, but also makes me feel partofhumanity.Soit’sa very important thing,” Bakkersaid.
Shesaidthatthe chair went into storage after Van Gogh left Arles and was then
standing comedy series during its nine-season run. Speaking to theDaily News in October 2020,
nothing. The real owner should be able to fill in all of the blanks. People should get their petsmicrochipped and be sure to keep theinformation up-to-date. Also, please don’tpost alost pet notice, then ghost people who reach out!This has happened to me acouple of times.IfIlost apet, I’d never let my phone go to voicemail! —Linda Dee, via email Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
states seeking topreserve their bans, effectively making such marriages legal in 30 states. In 2018, in thenarrowest Senateconfirmation of a SupremeCourt justice in nearly acentury and ahalf, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed by a50-48 vote; he was sworn in hours later Today’sbirthdays: Actor Britt Ekland is 83. Irish politician Gerry Adamsis77. Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy is 70. Bowler Walter Ray Williams Jr.is 66. Actor Elisabeth Shue is 62. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, is 60. Actor Emily Mortimer is 54. Basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo is 52. Actor Ioan Gruffudd is 52. Actor Jeremy Sisto is 51. Football Hall of Famer Richard Seymour is 46. NFL quarterback Trevor Lawrence is 26.
thebest time. Deciding if and when to have acataract removed will depend on how badly they are affecting sight, how advanced the dementia is and the difficulties it may cause in theindividual’sday-to-day life.
Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts“The Memory Whisperer.” Emailher at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.
passed to theartist’srelatives and ultimately to the museum The museum is now displaying the chairalongside the paintingfrom the Boston museum that features Roulin and the chair
“It’squite moving to have of course this fantastic portrait here, but also to to be able to show theactual chair he was sittinginand to realize that it was quiteasimple small chair,” Bakker said.
The exhibition opens Friday and runsthrough Jan. 11.
spectively: “There is no show without them.”
“There’s an
Constant requestsfor feedback areexhausting
Dear Miss Manners: Is it wrong not to give feedback? Iamexpected to“like,” whether virtually or in person, every little thing seen, done or eaten by my friends. Every item Ibuy and every service Iuse, I am asked, “How’re we doing?”
to unfriend me. So is this etiquette now? Youhave to give feedback to everyone?
Idon’tmind this if Ihave areal opinion, good or bad. Butfor most of it, Ijust don’tgive a(bleep) So you’re standing in front of afamous mountain.Soyou notified me that Ishould get aflushot. So you sent me thepest spray Iordered (speaking of pests). SO WHAT? It’snot aproblem to delete email surveys from companies. Butwhen it comes to personal feedback, somepeople are nastyabout it,threatening
Gentle reader: Not everyone. Your doctor’s practice has probably survived without your encouragement. And Miss Manners supposes that the people who enabled you to kill your cockroaches have courageously soldiered on, even though you have not declared that you enjoyed the experience and would recommenditto others. As you said, those pleas forpraise can be safely ignored. But you might say a kind wordtoyour friends, explaining that you wish them well, even though you are not attentive about commenting on posts. If they are interested only
in collecting “likes,” and if their posts bore you anyway,being unfriended would not be much of a loss. To see if there is anything else there, try communicating directly about areas of mutual interest. But there are people to whom you mostdefinitely owe feedback: anyone who has been generous to you. That meansshowing that you like it when someone gives you apresent, does you afavor or offers you hospitality Just because this act goes by the fusty old name of “thank-you letters,” even the most avid like-pursuers fail to realize that it is a form of the same feedback that they crave —only something more has been done to deserve it.
Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www.missmanners.com.
Siblingdislikesthe way sister is parentingher kids
Dear Harriette: Idon’tthink my sister and brother-inlaw are doing agood job of raising their two daughters, who are 10 and 12. Whenever Ivisit, I notice thegirls are often left to their own devices with little guidance or discipline. They talk back toadults, spend hours glued to their phones or tablets,and don’tseem to have boundaries around thingslike bedtime or chores. It worries me because they’re at such an important age, where structure and guidance really matter,and I’m afraid they’re not getting what they need.
Ilove my nieces dearly, and Idon’twant to come across as judgmental, but it’shard to bite my tongue when I see behaviors that seem unhealthy or concerning. At the sametime, Iknow parenting is asensitive subject, and I don’twant to cause ariftinmyrelationship with my sister by criticizing how she raises her children.
Still, Iworry that if no one says anything, the girls might struggle even more as they get older.How do Ibalance my concern for my nieces with respect for my sister’srole as their parent? Should Ibring up what Isee or just stay quiet and let her parent the wayshe chooses, even if I don’tagree with it? —Poor Parenting Dear Poor Parenting: Chances are slim that your sister will hear anything you say to her about her children. Do you spend timewith them at your house? Perhaps when they are with you, you can create boundaries and guidelines that they must follow.Atleast that waythey will be able to see what living within a structure feels like.
Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/oAndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St.,Kansas City,MO 64106.
Judith Martin MISS MANNERS
Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Keep an open mind, but refrain from hesitation when action is necessary. Step up, make suggestions and follow through with your plans. Actions speak louder than words.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Wear your badge openly and toot your horn so others can recognize who's in charge and what you bring to the table. Choose intelligence over bragging.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) There is a fine line between being vulnerable and being soft. Trust and believe in your instincts. Doing the right thing won't be easy, but it will be rewarding.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) It's time to listen, observe and configure a workable plan to alleviate explosive situations. Know your strengths and weaknesses, and create opportunities that offer hope. Love conquers all.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Divvy up your schedule to ensure you get things done and have time to spend with people you love. Consider making a domestic change that enhances your space or lowers your overhead.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Pay attention to how you look, feel and live. Tweaking your routine to incorporate more fitness and health-oriented habits will pay off. Making your dreams come true is a matter of taking control.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Hit the reset button and take redesign how you use
your talents. Implement good work and health ethics into your everyday routine.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Plan your actions with finesse and the intent to do what's right and best for everyone, including yourself. Resolve financial or health issues that stand between you and your ambitions.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) When in doubt, do what makes you feel good about who you are and how you help others. Participating in activities support a cause you believe in will make a difference.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Go beyond your expectations by using your talents to create something that brings people together. Socializing face-to-face will lead to growth, creativity and getting back to what truly matters.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Reach out to those who have something to offer and to the people or organizations that can help fund your plans. A problem will help you see the possibilities.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Discussions will spin out of control if anger or frustration set in, so stay calm, offer realistic solutions and be upfront and willing to do your part. A partnership looks promising.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
TODAy'S CLUE: M EQUALS C
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe
SALLY Forth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
SherMAn’S LAGoon
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.
Saturday’s PuzzleAnswer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
BY PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
John Monks, an English trade unionist whoisnow in theHouseofLords,said, “I concede nothing untilthey throw dirt on my face.”
Abridge player should concede nothinguntilhehaslostthesettingtrick.Until then, he should fight for every winner In this example, South gets into four spades. West leads the heart queen. East takes the trick with his ace and returns the heart three. Howshould South proceed?
Northhadamaximumsingleraise,and South wasafractionlight for his jump to game. But with so many aces and kings oneshouldalwayspush,especiallywhen the lureisagamebonus Initially,thislookslikeaneasycontract. Whentrumpsbreak3-2,astheynormally will,declarerwillloseonespadeandtwo hearts. So he takes thesecond trick with his heart kingand drawstwo rounds of trumps. Curses! Suddenly South has four losers. But before anyone has time to throw dirt on hisface, he shouldask if he might be able to take 10 tricks.
If so, he needs three clubs, twodiamonds, one heart and four spades, the twohehas already and either two diamondruffs,oroneruffandalatertrump winner
Declarer should cash his diamond ace, playadiamondtodummy’sking,andruff
Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn
Previous answers:
word game
InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAY’s WoRD WAYWARDLY: WAY-werd-lee: Unpredictably.
Average mark 10 words
Timelimit 20 minutes
Can you find 17 or morewords in WAYWARDLY?
sAtuRDAY’s WoRD —sIDEBAR
saber said sari seabird sear side sire idea ides dais dare dear debar debris dire disbar drab drib dries bade bard bare base baser bead bear beard bias biased bide bier bird brad braid braise bread bred bride bris abed abide aide aired arid arise aside rabid rabies raid raise read rebid ride rise
loCKhorNs
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles
hidato
mallard fillmore
dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.
Saturday’s Puzzle Answer
ken ken
InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a
