ABOVE: Cadets from the Dutchtown High School Junior ROTC march along WortheyRoad duringthe Gonzales Veterans Parade in GonzalesonSunday. BELOWLEFT: Veteran Jack CeFalu gets set to throwbeadsduringthe GonzalesVeterans Parade on Sunday. BELOWRIGHT: Petite Miss Gonzales Jambalaya Remi-Kate Dufour grabs candytothrow as Little Miss Gonzales Jambalaya Livy Nickens tosses ahandful while ridingin the parade.
NorthBRproject nears completion afterdecade
BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer
It’saproject that’sexceeded the terms of three mayors and three governors. On what waspreviously undeveloped
land, aneighborhood is budding, buoyed by a$400 million investment from public andprivate partners over thespan of the past decade. Cypress at Ardendale,an intergenerationalcommunity off North Ardenwood Drive and thelatest component ofthe Ardendaledevelopment, has established itsfootprint after opening its first phase of 170family housing unitslast month.
Developer Partners Southeastjust closed on thefinancingfor thesecond phase of theneighborhood,Cypressat Ardendale Senior.The $25 million, 70-unit senior living community will start leasing next year Cypress at Ardendale Seniorwill be a four-story building withone-bedroom
Newclosedprimary electionsdebut in spring
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
When Louisiana votes next spring in its new closed primaries, registered Republicans will vote for Republican candidates and registered Democratswillvotefor Democratic candidates —and alarge swath of unaffiliated voters will get to pick one party or the other But some Louisiana Republicans aren’t happy with that system.They think that their party’sprimaryshouldbelimited only to those whohave signed up as amember of the GOP. “Weshouldn’tbeallowing anyone to come into our party,our organization, who has chosen not to be part of it and have avoice,” said Christy Haik, aconservative activist and member of the state party’sgoverning body “A nonmember coming into this club and having avoice and avote —how is that fair in any organization?” she said.
On theother hand, some state leaders—including some Republicans —thinkcompletely closing primaries is abad idea.
ä See VOTERS, page 4A H
EBRprogram aims to keep youthfromreoffending
sprints andsquats —staplesof
interval training —aren’ttypical conditions of probation terms. But forthe past 12 weeks, the workouts have been an integral part of an unlikely journey forthree teenageboys, each charged with nonviolent gun offenses in Baton Rouge.
twohours every Saturday,the three met at Gus Young Park for intensive group therapy,mentorship discussions and, of course, sweat. “Ourfocusisonusing physical fitness as a tool to bridge the gap in conversation and just getting the guys comfortableoverall,” said Michael Blakes, astrength and conditioning
See PROGRAM, page 5A
Vietnam War pilot’s remains return to Va. NORFOLK,Va. Capt. Thomas Edwin Scheurich, a Vietnam War pilot missing in action for 57 years, was repatriated to Norfolk on Friday
His remains were identified earlier this year at the crash site of his plane, which vanished on March 1, 1968, after completing a bombing mission. His children, Tom Jr of Virginia Beach and Marianne of Richmond, attended the homecoming, with burial set for Friday at Arlington National Cemetery Scheurich, a Nebraska native, was assigned to Attack Squadron 35, Air Wing 9. He chartered a plane from Naval Station Oceana in December 1967 and deployed aboard the USS Enterprise.
Forensics showed the A-6 that Scheurich had been piloting on that March evening had dropped its bombs and headed back to base. But Scheurich and the aircraft’s bombardiernavigator, Lt. Richard Lannom, never returned. Decades later, an eyewitness account of a plane crash from that night led investigators to the site.
Lannom’s remains were identified in 2018. Six excavations later additional remains were recovered in 2024, only 40 yards from where his plane made impact Early this year, Scheurich’s remains were identified.
“My dad was a really really smart farm kid,” Scheurich Jr previously told The VirginianPilot and Daily Press “He was a very easygoing, mild mannered person a very loving, caring guy.”
The
BY MELANIE LIDMAN and KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press
TEL AVIV, Israel Israel on Sunday confirmed it had received the remains of Hadar Goldin, a soldier killed in the Gaza Strip in 2014, closing a painful chapter for the country
The 23-year-old was killed two hours after a ceasefire took effect in that year’s war between Israel and Hamas. Goldin’s family waged a public campaign for 11 years to bring home his remains. Earlier this year, they marked 4,000 days since his body was taken.
Israel’s military had long determined that he had been killed, based on evidence found in the tunnel where his body was taken, including a blood-soaked shirt and prayer fringes. His remains had been the only ones left in Gaza predating the current war between Israel and Hamas.
The remains of four hostages taken in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which sparked the current war, are still in Gaza.
The return of Goldin’s remains were a significant development in the U.S.-brokered truce, which has faltered during the slow return of bodies of hostages and skirmishes between Israeli troops and militants in Gaza.
Dozens of people gathered along intersections where the police convoy carried the remains to the national forensic institute, paying last respects.
agony of his family, which will now be able to give him a Jewish burial.”
For each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians. Ahmed Dheir director of forensic medicine at Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, said that the remains of 300 have now been returned, with 89 identified.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has returned to Israel to help press ahead with ceasefire efforts, a person familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity because the visit hasn’t been publicly announced.
Kushner, a top adviser to Trump, was a key architect of Washington’s 20-point ceasefire plan. The deal that took effect Oct. 10 has focused on the first phase of halting the fighting, releasing all hostages and boosting humanitarian aid to Gaza. Details of the second phase, including deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas and governing postwar Gaza, haven’t been worked out.
Goldin’s family had held what his mother, Leah Goldin, has called a “pseudo-funeral” at the urging of Israel’s military rabbis. But the lingering uncertainty was like a “knife constantly making new cuts.”
BY JILL LAWLESS Associated Press
LONDON — The head of the BBC and the British broadcaster’s top news executive both resigned Sunday after criticism of the way the organization edited a speech by President Donald Trump. The BBC said Director-General Tim Davie and news CEO Deborah Turness had both decided to leave the corporation.
Britain’s publicly funded national broadcaster has been criticized for editing a speech Trump made on Jan. 6, 2021, before protesters attacked the Capitol in Washington.
Critics said that the way the speech was edited for a BBC documentary last year was misleading and cut out a section where Trump said that he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully In a letter to staff, Davie said quitting the job after five years “is entirely my decision.”
“Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director-general I have to take ultimate responsibility,” Davie said. Turness said that the controversy about the Trump documentary “has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC — an institution that I love. As the CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, the buck stops with me.”
“In public life leaders need to be fully accountable, and that is why I am stepping down,” she said in a note to staff. “While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.”
Trump posted a link to a Daily Telegraph story about the speech-editing on his Truth Social network, thanking the newspaper “for exposing these Corrupt ‘Journalists.’ These are very dishonest people who tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election.” He called that “a terrible thing for Democracy!” Pressure on the broadcaster’s top executives has been growing since the rightleaning Telegraph published parts of a dossier compiled by Michael Prescott, who had been hired to advise the BBC on standards and guidelines.
Powerful quake strikes off the coast of Japan
TOKYO A powerful quake rattled northern Japan Sunday evening, followed by several more temblors, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency A tsunami advisory was issued.
The earthquake, with an upgraded magnitude of 6.9 and depth of 10 miles, struck off the coast of Iwate prefecture at 5:03 p.m.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, or any reports of abnormalities at the two nuclear power plants in the area.
The agency issued an advisory for a tsunami of up to 3 feet along the northern coastal region, and subsequently said the water could reach as high as 10 feet in some spots.
The tsunami advisory was lifted about three hours after the initial quake, but the meteorological agency told reporters the area was at risk for strong quakes for about a week, especially the next two or three days. Man kills 3 co-workers, self at Texas business
SAN ANTONIO A 21-year-old man shot and killed three coworkers at a San Antonio, Texas, landscape supply company and then died after shooting himself, authorities said Sunday Two men and a woman died in the shooting Saturday at the business on the city’s north side, according to the San Antonio Police Department.
Other employees ran from the scene when the gunfire erupted around 8 a.m., KSAT-TV reported. Police responded and secured the area, and hours later they found the gunman with a selfinflicted gunshot wound, officials said. He was identified by police as Jose Hernandez Galo.
While the motive for the shooting wasn’t immediately known, Police Chief William McManus said during a Saturday news conference that it was not random.
Many more gathered later outside the home of Goldin’s parents, who noted the “many disappointments” in their efforts over the years and said that Israel’s military and “not anyone else” had brought home their son apparent criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu told the weekly Cabinet meeting that holding the body for so long caused “great
Leah Goldin told The Associated Press earlier this year that returning her son’s body has ethical and religious value and is part of the sacrosanct pact Israel makes with its citizens, who are required by law to serve in the military
“Hadar is a soldier who went to combat and they abandoned him, and they destroyed his humanitarian rights and ours as well,” Goldin said. She said that her family often felt alone in their struggle to bring Hadar, a talented artist who had just become engaged, home for burial.
BY JIM GOMEZ Associated Press
MANILA,Philippines — Super Typhoon Fungwong slammed ashore on Sunday in the northeastern coast of the Philippines, where the massive storm had already left at least two people dead and forced more than a million people to evacuate from flood- and landslide-prone areas, officials said
The typhoon blew into Dinalungan town in Aurora province Sunday night after setting off fierce rain and wind in northeastern Philippine provinces all day from offshore, with sustained winds of up to 115 mph
The biggest typhoon to threaten the Philippines in years, Fung-wong could cover two-thirds of the archipelago with its 1,118-mile-wide rain and wind band, forecasters said. It approached from the Pacific while the Philippines was still dealing with the devastation wrought by Typhoon Kalmaegi, which left at least 224 people dead in central provinces on Tuesday before pummeling Vietnam, where at least five were killed.
A villager drowned in flash floods in the eastern province of Catanduanes and another died in Catbalogan city in eastern Samar province when she was hit by debris, officials said.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a state of emergency due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected calamity from Fung-wong, which is also called Uwan in the Philippines.
Tropical cyclones with sustained winds of 115 mph or higher are categorized in the Philippines as a super typhoon, a designation adopted years ago to underscore the urgency tied to more extreme weather disturbances.
“The rain and wind were so strong there was nearly zero visibility,” Roberto Monterola, a disaster-mitigation officer for Catanduanes, told The Associated Press by telephone.
Over a million people were evacuated from high-risk villages in northeastern provinces, including in Bicol, a coastal region vulnerable to Pacific cyclones and mudflows from Mayon, one of the country’s most active volcanoes.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr warned about the potentially catastrophic impact of Fung-wong in televised remarks Saturday He said the storm could affect a vast expanse of the country
More than 30 million people could be exposed to hazards posed by Fung-wong, the Office of Civil Defense said. Teodoro asked people to follow government orders and seek shelter away from villages and towns prone to flash floods, landslides and coastal tidal surges. “We need to do this because when it’s already raining or the typhoon has hit and flooding has started it’s hard to rescue people,” Teodoro said.
As well as the Trump edit, it criticized the BBC’s coverage of transgender issues and raised concerns of anti-Israel bias in the BBC’s Arabic service.
The broadcaster has been criticized from all angles over its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. In February, the BBC removed a documentary about Gaza from its streaming service after it emerged that the child narrator was the son of an official in the Hamas-led government.
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BY ANDREW DALTON Associated Press
LOSANGELES Cyndi Lauper turned “True Colors” into a defiant call for courage and the music of OutKast, Soundgarden and the White Stripes brought waves of emotion Saturday night at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony
Partway through the song, Lauper shouted the line “don’t be afraid!,” thrust her fist in the air and kept it there as the music stopped for a long and dramatic stretch.
She was then joined by Raye to sing “Time After Time” and Avril Lavigne for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” backed by an all-female band that included Gina Schock of the GoGo’s. As Lauper called for the ladies to sing with her, Salt-N-Pepa who earlier in the night donned their old tri-color jackets to rock the crowd with “Push It” for their induction — came dancing out and joined her.
Chappell Roan, who inducted Lauper while wearing a huge, ornamented, showgirl-style headpiece, said Lauper “redefined what a pop star could look like, sound like, sing like.” Lauper looked at Roan during her speech when she said, “I know that I stand on the shoulders of the women in the industry that came before me. And my shoulders are broad enough to have the women that came after me stand on mine.”
Lauper came back for an all-star jam and sang a verse of inductee Joe Cocker’s “With a Little Help From My Friends” along with Teddy Swims, Bryan Adams and Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes. Cocker’s was one of several posthumous inductions, including a moving tribute to late Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell.
The power of women in music was called out loudly earlier in the evening at the Peacock Theater in Los An-
geles during the induction of Salt-N-Pepa.
“This is for every woman who picked up a mic when they told her she couldn’t,” Cheryl “Salt” James said in a rousing speech accepting her, Sandra “Pepa” Denton and DJ Spinderella’s entrance into the hall.
OutKast
OutKast didn’t perform together for the first time since 2016 as some had hoped, but the duo stood together on stage, surrounded by a crew of friends and cohorts as they gave grateful
speeches after doing rockpaper-scissors to decide who would go first.
Andre 3000 gave a long, rambling funny speech — “I’m freestylin’ y’all!” that ended in tears when he talked about their very beginnings in a basement “dungeon” in Atlanta in the early 1990s. He choked out the words, “Great things start in little rooms.”
Andre sat out the performance but Big Boi, wearing shorts and a fur coat, started off an express tour through
the Atlanta duo’s discography that included Tyler the Creator, JID and Killer Mike Soundgarden
Emotions ran deep during Soundgarden’s segment of the night, starting with the induction speech of Jim Carrey, the actor and Soundgarden superfan who seemed to be fighting off tears throughout as he talked about Cornell, who died from suicide in 2017.
“When you looked into his eyes, it’s like eternity was
staring back,” Carrey said.
Each of his band mates, all major godfathers of the Seattle grunge scene, paid their own tearful tributes.
Taylor Momsen, who costarred as a child with Carrey in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and Brandi Carlile showed serious vocal power with their versions of Cornell’s mighty wail, backed by his band mates on “Rusty Cage” and “Black Hole Sun.”
Bassist Hiro Yamamoto was among the few who brought up the politics from the stage.
“Thanks to my parents, whose story is American citizens who are rounded up and placed into prison camps just for being Japanese during World War II,” Yamamoto said to some of the biggest cheers of the night. “Well that affected my life greatly, and it really echoes strongly today Let’s not add another story like this to our history.”
White Stripes
The White Stripes reunion that some fans had also hoped for didn’t happen. Their induction was among the highlights of the night anyway Twenty One Pilots brought the house down with a version of the duo’s stadium-shaking anthem “Seven Nation Army” and Olivia Rodrigo and Feist delivered an acoustic version of “We’re Gonna Be Friends.”
Their fellow Detroit rock legend Iggy Pop began his induction speech by leading the crowd in a chorus of “Seven Nation Army” then remembered his thoughts on meeting them.
“Cute kids, they’re gonna go places,” Pop said “And they did.”
Drummer Meg White, who has led an almost entirely private life since the band broke up in 2011, did not show up for the ceremony, but Jack White said Meg his ex-wife, helped him write the speech he delivered while wearing the band’s
signature red and white. Jack White shouted out several great duos from across culture and said that kind of one-on-one collaboration is “the most beautiful thing you can have as an artist and musician.”
He nearly cried several times as he told an Adamand-Eve-like tale of “the boy and the girl” who made magic together
Absent inductees
Stevie Wonder led a funky and flashy tribute to the late Sly Stone to open the show that streamed live on Disney+. An edited version airs on ABC on Jan 1. Wonder was joined by Questlove, Leon Thomas, Maxwell, Beck, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers for renditions of Sly and the Family Stone hits “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People” and “Thank You.” Jennifer Hudson joined them to wail through “Higher.” Stone, who was inducted into the hall in 1993, died in June. Brian Wilson, who died two days later, got his own tribute from Elton John, who took the stage late in the show to sing the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.” Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac inducted Bad Company, calling the British group founded by Paul Rodgers and Mick Ralphs in 1973 “classic rock legends.” The late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon was inducted by David Letterman, a friend and superfan who made Zevon a regular on his NBC late-night show, including an appearance when Zevon was dying of cancer in 2002.
“Warren Zevon is in my Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Letterman said. “Actually his own wing.”
Other inductees who got video tributes in the theater were Chubby Checker, session bassist Carole Kaye, session piano man Nicky Hopkins and record producer and executive Lenny Waronker
BY ABBY SEWELL
Associated Press
BEIRUT Two decades ago, Ahmad alSharaa was held in a U.S.-run detention center in Iraq after joining al-Qaida militants fighting against American forces there. Few would have predicted that he would go on to become the first Syrian president to visit Washington since the country’s independence in 1946. Since rebel forces he led ousted former Syrian President Bashar Assad last December, al-Sharaa who cut ties with al-Qaida years earlier — has gone on a largely successful charm offensive to establish new ties with countries that had shunned Assad’s government after its crackdown on protesters in 2011 spiraled into a 14-year civil war. Al-Sharaa met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia in May, where Trump announced that he would lift decades of sanctions. The two men will meet again on Monday in Washington, where Syria is widely expected to officially join the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group. Al-Sharaa
arrived in the U.S. on Saturday ahead of the meeting, according to Syrian state media.
Apart from that agreement, al-Sharaa will use the visit to push for a full repeal of the Caesar Act, which imposed sweeping sanctions over human rights abuses by Assad’s government and security forces. The Caesar sanctions are currently waived by presidential order, but a permanent repeal will require a congressional vote.
Syria’s Ministry of Information said Sunday that al-Sharaa will “emphasize the importance of lifting economic sanctions, particularly the Caesar Act, to allow for Syria’s economic recovery and investment growth” and will also “reaffirm (Syria’s) commitment to continuing the fight against terrorism and promoting regional security.”
Days ahead of al-Sharaa’s visit, Trump told reporters that he had moved to lift sanctions from Syria “to give them a fighting shot, and I think (al-Sharaa’s) doing a very good job so far.”
“It’s a tough neighborhood and he’s a tough guy, but I got along with him very well, and a lot of progress has been made with Syria,” he said.
Lt. Gov.Billy Nungesser,for years an outspoken advocate for Louisiana’sopenprimaries, said they draw amore representative, less extreme cross-section of voters. Closed primaries, he argued, push candidates toward the far ends of the political spectrum
“The rhetoric is gonna get worse,” he said. When the Republican-controlled Legislature early last year approved closed primaries,lawmakers ultimately agreed to give unaffiliated “no-party” voters the option to cast aballot in either the Democratic or Republicanprimary
Now,the state Republican Party is resurfacing the debate,passing aresolution urging the Legislature to reconsider the decision —and gearing up for potential legalaction.
“The first step would of course be to make the requesttothe Legislature,”said party Chairman Derek Babcock.“If the Legislaturedoes not honor that request, then we’d have to file alawsuit to close our primaries.”
filiation,can cast aballotfor any candidate.
Thestate GOP for years has been pushing to closeprimary elections, however Thateffort has at times revealed afaultlineamong Republicans here. Partyactivists andmore right-wingcandidates areoften on one side, while thosewith more moderateleanings —orseeking the support of more moderate voters —are on the other In the early weeks of 2024, after Gov. Jeff Landry took office, he quickly pushed for aswitch to closed party primaries,inwhich Republicansand Democrats hold separate primary elections to choose their nominee to run in ageneral election.
appropriate legal action to ensure thatthe 2026 and all subsequent Republican Primaries are‘Republican votersonly’ primaries.”
“We’recertainly not trying to leavepeopleout,” saidBabcock “Wejust wantRepublicanspicking Republican candidates.”
Babcocksaidhe’ll discussthe issue with lawmakers “between now and whenever the next session is called.”
Both House Speaker Philip DeVillier andSenate President Cameron Henry saiditwould be up to the Legislature as awhole to decide whether to exclude unaffiliated voters from the closed party primaries,thoughHenry said he’d be “surprised” if lawmakers were readytochange theclosed party systemthey approvedsorecently.
in September to educate voters about the new closed primary rules In astatement, secretaryofstate spokespersonJoel Watson did not give the latestdate achange could be maderegarding no-party voter participation, but said, “Ouroffice will workwith the legislature to implement changes to the closed party primaryprocess, provided theproposedchanges are possible.”
Watson noted the secretary of state didn’ttake aposition on closed primaries when they passed in 2024.
“Ouroffice continues to take no positiononclosed party primariesorthe position taken by the Republican Party of Louisiana,” he said.
lican voters. His opponents took varied stances on the issue.
Louisiana Treasurer JohnFleming, whoisendorsed by theconservative group Haik leads, said unaffiliated voters shouldn’thaveasay
“It should be Republicansthat decide who their candidate is, not people outside the party,” Fleming said. “Republicans want to determine whotheir nominee is.”
Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta said he’s “concerned aboutLouisiana’s new closed Republican Primary.”
Howitcould affect races
Achange to primaries could have significant impacts on Louisiana politics. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy R-Baton Rouge,is trying to hold onto his seat in the 2026 midterm elections.
But many Republican voterswant to boot him out in favor ofacandidate they see as more aligned with President Donald Trump’sMake America Great Again political movement.
Arunning debate
Since the 1970s, Louisiana has mostly held elections underan open “jungle” primarysystem, in which all candidates competewith each other regardless of party,and voters regardless of their party af-
Continued from page1A
apartments and an incomebased leasing structure for seniors earning up to 60% of the area median income.
Theseniorcomponent of the Ardendale neighborhood intends to integrate residents age62and up with younger generations so theycan age with dignityand in place.
J. Wesley Daniels, CEO of Partners Southeast and the EastBaton Rouge Parish Housing Authority,said the senior residents canact as mentors for the families in the neighborhood.
Aplanned YWCAearly childhood center willcreate a“full circle” environment where aresident could go through every phase of their life in the community
“Between the YWCA, the senior community and that family community,we’ve really closed the gap, unfilled gaps here in the Baton Rouge area and connecting the dots as it relates to intergenerationalinteraction,” he said.
Daniels said the initial phase of Ardendale is about 20% to 25% leased and projects that the community will be fully occupiedbyspring Units in Cypress at Ardendalerange in size from one to four bedrooms and rates are set at market and affordable rates, with the highest at $2,500 per month.
“Families are flockingto Ardendale,”Danielssaid
Alongtimecoming
Ardendale was plannedto combat past disinvestment in north Baton Rouge, which
Landrysucceeded in instituting closed primaries for U.S. House and Senate races anda few other majoroffices.But he compromisedonanimportant part of the plan afterU.S.Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, helpedbroker a deal: Unaffiliated no-partyvotersget thechoicetoparticipate in either theRepublican or the Democratic closed primary
“Wejust put it in place two years ago. Idon’tknow whether the Legislature has changed its thought on that yet,” Henry said. “I guessanything’s possible.”
“I wouldn’t supportit,” he added.
The next regular legislative session is scheduled to start March 9.
Of Louisiana’s nearly3 millionregistered voters, just over 800,000 are unaffiliated with aparty
There are 1.08 million registered Democrats and 1.05 millionregistered Republicans.
Republican Partyweighsin
TheRepublican State Central Committeeearlier thismonth passed aresolutionsponsored by Haik that asks the Legislature to prohibit no-party voters from casting aballot in the 2026 Republican primary elections. It also declaresthat, falling short there, “it is in the best interest” of the party to“investigatetaking
Aspecial session could be called before then to redraw Louisiana’s congressionalmap aheadofthe spring primaries for the2026 midterms. Butthat prospect depends on an unpredictable outcome in a Louisiana redistricting case that’s pending before the U.S. Supreme Court andcould be decidedany time between now and July
Louisiana’sspring primariesare scheduled for May 16.
Babcock acknowledgedthat, as that primary draws closer,concerns abouttiming couldbecome an issue.
“If the Legislaturedenies the requesttoclosethe primary, then when litigation is filed to do so, I’m sure Purcell is gonna come intoplay,” he said, referringtoan informal legal doctrine known as thePurcell principle, which discourages courts from changing voting rules closetoanelection datetoavoid confusing voters.
Secretary of State Nancy Landry, Louisiana’schief election official,launched acampaign
Cassidy for years has been plagued politically by his2021vote to impeach Trump forhis rolein the Jan. 6riots at the U.S. Capitol. Over the last several months, Cassidy hasworkedrelentlessly to project alignment with the president At thesame time, acrowdofRepublican opponents looking to unseat him next year has gathered, most of whom arewielding Cassidy’simpeachment vote against him and branding themselves either more MAGA or moretruly conservative.
LSU political scienceprofessor
Robert Hogan said that, even under the current rulesthatallowunaffiliated voters to cast aballotin theRepublican primary,Cassidy faces adifficult path to reelection.
“The vote to impeach President Trumpissomething the party activists can’tget out of their minds,” he said.
If the rules change to limitthe GOP primary only to registered Republicans, Cassidy would have an even smallerpoolofvotersto draw from,presentinganeven greater challenge, Hogan said. Cassidy didn’t respondtoa request for comment about the Louisiana GOP proposaltolimit the 2026 primary to registered Repub-
“For decades, conservative Democrats andindependents have helpedelect Republican leaders by voting their values,” he said in astatement. “Now,ifmodified, unless they formally declare as Republicans, they’re locked outofthe GOPprimary.”
People like seniors won’t change their partyaffiliationjust to vote in the primary,Skrmetta said. The Republican Party needs to take action to “welcome them into our big tent,” he said.
State Rep. Julie Emerson, who authored the Landry-backed legislation that set up the closed primaries last year,notedthe bill originally would have instituted apure closed primary,whichshe supported.
Emerson said regardless of a possible change now, she’ll runon her“conservative recordand principles.”
State Sen. Blake Miguezdidn’t respond to arequest forcomment. Both Babcock and Haik said the proposal to exclude no-party voters from the primary wasn’ttargeted at Cassidy
“Weare adeeply red state. We’re aconservative state. And we want to stay that way.Sothat’sreally the crux of it,” Haik said.
“By virtue of the fact that he voted to impeach President Trump, I just don’t think thatwecan say that Bill Cassidy is aconservative Republican andsupportsPresident Trump,” she said.
EmailAlyse Pfeil at alyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.
Daniels said spurred from a poor perception of the area. But he believes thedevelopment haschangedthat
“Instead of moving an entire ZIP code to higheropportunity areas, we’ve created ahigh-opportunity area by rootingit in educational assets,” Daniels said. Conversations abouta mixed-usedevelopmentin the Ardendale neighborhood started more than a decade ago. With a200-acre site northofFlorida Boulevard, city-parishofficials concocted afour-phase plan to turn the SmileyHeights, MelroseEast andEast Fairfield neighborhoods,which included Housing Authority property Ardenwood Village, into an “urban village” with housing, retailand education centers. The development earned a$29.5 million grant from theU.S. Housingand Urban DevelopmentChoice Neighborhoods initiative in 2019, aprogram to help redevelop housingand stir investments in the surroundingarea.
‘Pathwayout of poverty’ Housing is just onecomponentofthe development thecorridor ishome tothe East Baton Rouge Career andTechnical Education Center,the McKay Automotive Centerand an upcoming YWCA facility.MovEBR’s Ardenwood-Lobdell connector road will stringthe pieces together,forming what Danielscalls the community’s“educational spine.” Linking North Ardenwood Driveand LobdellBoulevard, thetwo-lane street will open up access to Cypress at Ardendale along with nearbydevelopments and
relievecongestiononparallel streets. The 0.3-mile road was planned with the broader MovEBR plan, aroad improvement plan withmore than70projects funded by sales tax revenue.
The connector will include bike lanesand sidewalks on each side.
Partners Southeastroots its developments in education becauseitisthe “pathway out of poverty,” Daniels said.
Theemergence of educational centers in the area helped confirm theprospect of investment in Ardendale, he said. The BRCCAutomotive Training Center was thefirst phaseofthe Ardendale development to break ground, opening in 2017.
“Those were pivotalmoments to tell everyone that was interested that this area of town was open for business, andtheywere the vanguard leadersand to lead in this transformation,” he said.
Plans for aYWCAcenter have been in the works since theinception of the Ardendale plan.More than 90% of theheadsofhouseholds in parishpublic housing arewomen, YWCA Baton Rouge CEO Dianna Payton said, and thefacility will support current public housing residentsand those transitioning to newhousing.
The center will provide child care as well as services for parents suchascase management, workforce development andnetworking events to meet other families.
“In order to helpmake families whole, we recognize that many times, it’s
not just theearly learning needs of that child,but looking at theentire household,” Payton said. YWCABaton Rouge is workingwithBuildBaton Rouge to finalize the land acquisition for the upcoming facility.Payton expects it to open in about two years.
Lookingahead
With phase oneofCypress at Ardendale aquarter-full, Daniels is confident there’s amarketfor theremaining phases. PartnersSoutheast is expectingtocloseon phasefour by thefirst quar-
ter of 2026 andphase three by the third quarter of 2026. Both phases will consist of family andworkforce housing with the same leasing structure as phaseone and are expected to wrap by 2027. Once complete, the fourphasedevelopment will have 432units andamenities including agym, business center and green spaces Danielssaidhehopes the Ardendale development can be replicated in other disinvested areas in the capital region. With the invest-
ment of public andprivate partners in the projects, the projectsymbolizes aunity in recognizing thearea’s need for transformation. Now that families are moved into the first phase of Cypress at Ardendale, Daniels said it has brought “a newenergy” to the area as people seethe decadelong visioncome true
“People are excited because now they cansee it,” he said. “It is tangible.”
Email Ianne Salvosa at ianne.salvosa@ theadvocate.com.
coach at Glen Oaks Magnet High School and co-founder of Sweating N Spirit, a nonprofit that helps youngsters with physical fitness and career development
Blakes and his business partner, Dennis Jones, were recruited by the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office and Juvenile Court to participate in the Chances Youth Intervention Program, a pilot initiative that aims to shift the mindset of young people who are teetering toward a life of crime and incarceration.
“Their thought process, the ‘why’ behind their behavior, is being addressed,” said Judge Gail Grover, of the East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Court.
follows the teen, Kevin, as he navigates probation and attempts to overcome the influences pointing him back toward crime drug addiction, unhealed trauma, lack of education and the only Baton Rouge neighborhood, lifestyle and friends he has ever known
For years, Moore envisioned using the film in a diversion program for teens facing challenges like Kevin’s, but he struggled to launch it. Before the COVID pandemic, he and April Landry director of the district attorney’s pretrial diversion program, began developing an intensive initiative for adults facing gun charges.
Plenty of court intervention programs exist in Baton Rouge, said District Attorney Hillar Moore, but few if any, across the country take in young people caught with guns, he said The new approach appears to be borne out of necessity in a city whose leaders regularly attribute stubbornly high rates of violent crime to a handful of young men. It follows a national pattern: Despite declining overall crime rates, violence remains the leading cause of death for American youth, most of them young men killed by other young men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
They enlisted Brandon Romano, a local forensic psychologist and the district attorney’s clinical director of psychology, to design a curriculum blending the film with cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps change behavior by reshaping thought patterns.
At the same time, Grover was seeing the number of gun cases on her docket explode. In 2020, the parish’s juvenile court handled 64 cases involving handguns, up from 33 in 2005. By 2022, that number had jumped to 115 (the data is from filed petitions and does not represent all arrests)
“We were seeing kids coming back again with the second charge, then it increased,” Grover said. “I didn’t want to see that
from the program that kids without stable homes are often absorbed into neighborhood “gangs” — or loosely organized groups. For her it helped explain why so many youth reoffend.
“It’s such a small world. They don’t know anything outside of it,” Johnson said “It feels cyclical and impossible to escape without other opportunities.”
A National Institutes of Health study tracking more than 6,700 youth across five states found that about onethird reoffended. Other research shows that neighborhood environments can predict recidivism for drugrelated crimes.
“I feel just like Kevin,” Johnson recalls one boy in the program saying, referring to the main character in “Chances.” “I want to change, but I feel stuck.”
For the last hour of every Saturday, Blakes and Jones, the two men from Sweating N Spirit, led the youths in workouts. Part of it was to keep the kids engaged, they say, while also demonstrating healthy ways to divert stress, anxiety and anger
for those that guided them.
“For them, this is like family,” Landry said. “Now, it’s a matter of keeping up with them and seeing what happens.”
Organizers hope to refine and expand the program, possibly opening it to more youth or even adults. Some said earlier intervention is needed, like teaching emotional regulation in elementary school, though without addressing deeper systemic issues, violence will remain a fixture.
“We have to do something on the front end before they get involved with the criminal justice system,” Johnson said. “Before the only person who cares about them, feeds them, keeps them safe, is another person that is involved with drugs and violence and gangs.”
Funding for the program, initially supplied by a private donation, has run out. Plans to secure federal grants are stalled after the Department of Justice paused nearly $500 million in public safety funding in April.
“Crime is committed not by a ton of people,” said Judith Rhodes, a professor at the LSU School of Social Work and a partner in the program. “These children are on track to be part of that subset.”
Those involved in the program, which ended last week, say the boys showed promise in changing the trajectory of their lives, though only time will tell whether they can stay the course.
“Ours is really kind of like the first of its kind,” Moore said. “There are very few DA’s offices that do this across the country, just because of the risk knowing that this person could reoffend.” Hopes of one day expanding the program are uncertain, but it already has proven informative for organizers, offering them a look into the root causes of much of the city’s violence.
‘Chances’
The film “Chances” opens with a young Black teenager sliding down the door of a car, into unconsciousness. In the next shot, he is lying in a hospital ward recovering from a gunshot wound, one hand cuffed to the bed’s metal frame.
Directed by local filmmaker Scott Sullivan and funded through a federal grant provided to the District Attorney’s Office, the rest of the 90-minute film
“My goal was to address why someone was carrying a gun, and what can we do to make sure they don’t pick up another gun.”
Grover and Moore soon combined their efforts into a program for juveniles and brought in LSU’s Social Research and Evaluation Center to provide academic oversight.
Class in session
Landry, who oversees the program, said the three teens who began the program in August were all convicted of nonviolent gun charges, like misdemeanor possession of a firearm, and underwent a screening process to make sure none of them were known to have prior conflicts with each other
For the first hour each Saturday, the boys met with Eugene Bentley and Ronisha Johnson, who share more than two decades of experience in local counseling and social work. Early sessions focused on defining personal values and setting attainable goals; later ones addressed anger management and stress. Screenings of “Chances” were interspersed throughout, providing launch points for group discussions.
“It just makes it more engaging so the child can put himself in that position,” Romano said.
Johnson described the teens as “children with adult issues,” making decisions about where to live or how to find their next meal. One
participant’s parents had been deported; another teen was a father
“It’s been eye-opening for me,” she said “Some of them have really been on their own most of the time.”
Romano, who has worked with children in Baton Rouge’s criminal justice system for more than 30 years, said a high rate of boys come from single-parent households — typically without fathers — and nearly all struggle with untreated trauma that heightens their risk of violence.
“They’re constantly scanning their environment for threats noises startle them,” Romano said. “It’s trying to teach them to reduce those symptoms and hoping that it won’t perpetuate the cycle of violence.”
At first, the boys were reluctant to open up.
“These are kids who are not used to going to a therapist or talking about their feelings or being affirmed in any kind of way,” Johnson said.
By the third week, however, the group began to loosen. The small size encouraged vulnerability, and having the counselors share their own experiences helped build trust.
They kept returning, and Grover said she began noticing changes during the monthly court meetings. To her, it seemed like they had bought in.
“They are able to articulate to me what they are learning, and what they are experiencing,” she said. “One kid said that they really think they are being seen, that somebody wants them there.”
Why do kids carry?
By last spring, 13 students had been caught with firearms on the campuses of East Baton Rouge Parish public schools. This year, increased security has reduced that number to one, though curbing children’s overall access to guns remains “almost unprevent-
able,” Romano said. Surrounded by weapons in their neighborhoods, many say they carry them for protection — some starting in elementary school.
“When you sit and talk to them, they give you some damn good reasons as to why they believe they have to carry a gun,” Moore said.
The program tackled those perceptions by confronting the boys with the realities of pulling the trigger One week, local activist Cathy Toliver — whose 3-year-old son was killed in 2022 — shared her story Another week, a funeral home director spoke. In the final session, the boys were asked to imagine their own deaths from gun violence. They also worked on conflict resolution, learning to distinguish aggression from assertiveness. But for many escaping a violent environment is the hardest part. Johnson discovered
The workouts also gave Blakes and Jones space to act as mentors — like trying to “walk them through life” and asking them to picture themselves at age 25.
Among their goals, the kids hope to one day run their own businesses, fly planes, buy property and be loving fathers.
“If we can get you to channel your focus somewhere else, it’s going to change the places you go,” Johnson said. “It changes the people who you hang around with and it changes what you want to do with your time. That’s the main thing we try to get through to them.”
Class dismissed
Only two of the three boys made it to the park for graduation day The third drifted away a few weeks earlier
But Landry said the moment was still a victory The remaining two had seemed to clearly change their perspectives, and were grateful
“Sustainability might be questionable even if this is proven to be a worthwhile project,” Grover said. “But I’m keeping my ear to the ground.”
In the meantime, Blakes and Jones — strength coaches and mentors — aren’t walking away They plan to help the boys enroll at Baton Rouge Community College or earn their GED certificates.
“We built such a good camaraderie with these guys dropping them off at home. Getting to know their parents or whoever their guardian is,” Blakes said. “We’re just trying to figure out how we can maintain a relationship.”
Counselors Johnson and Bentley plan to do the same.
“These are still children; they have goals,” Johnson said. “It’s not just, ‘I want to be a gangster.’”
Email Aidan McCahill ataidan.mccahill@ theadvocate.com.
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
Shotgun blasts killed aBaton Rouge couple as they slept inside their Tigerland apartment nearly five years ago.
On Thursdayafternoon,inside
aBaton Rouge courtroom packed with family members wearing Tshirts adorned with pictures of the twovictims, ajudge sentenced the man convicted in their deaths to two life sentences.
Brian Alexander Lavergne,38, shot and killed LaQuincia Jackson, his 26-year-old ex-girlfriend, and her boyfriend of five years, 33-yearold Fredrick Hollins.Heused a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot both at point-blank range as theysleptin their apartment in the 4600 block of Earl Gros Avenue the evening of Jan. 23, 2021. He was tried on two countsof second-degreemurder in October 2024, but ahung jurywas unable to reach averdict and the presiding judge declared amistrial.
Acontentious retrial endedAug. 25 with ajury findingLavergne guilty of both murder countsfollowing four days of testimony
District Judge Louise Hines Myersimposedtwo life sentences without the possibility of parole —aformality under state law for second-degree murder convictions —and ran the prison stintsonthe two charges at the same time Afterward, family members of the two victims tooksolaceinthe factthattheyhad finally received justice after 41/2 years.
Hollins’ mother,AgnrusHollins, stood outside the courthouse with other relatives and basked in the fact that Lavergne was finally going to prison for killing her only child.
“It was bittersweet,” she said. “Wegot justice, and we thank God forthat. He got two life (sentences) —not one, two. It’s arelief off me and my family because now my son can rest. We don’thaveto come back here; we’ve beengoing through it for four years. Itfinally came, and we are very satisfied with the decision that wasmade by thestate.”
Inside the courtroom, loved ones of both victims remembered them fondly.Jackson,the oldest ofseven siblings in aclose-knit family was described as an adventurous songbird affectionately nicknamed “Nanny.”
Hollins was afather of two rememberedbyloved ones as kind andcompassionate.
Lavergne and Jackson stayed friends for years, even after their romantic relationship ended, and Lavergne remained close to her family.Heattended family functions and maintained ties to Jackson’saunts and siblings.
During Thursday’shearing, two of Jackson’ssisters seethed with anger over the betrayal and the violence Lavergne unleashedonher
“You probably thought thatyou were above the law,orinvincible to being heldaccountable,” saidSara Patterson, oneofJackson’syounger sisters.“Youprobably thought you were so smart. …But lookatyou now, sitting therepowerless. Knowing there’snothing thatyou can do or say to stop justice from being served.”
Another sister,Destiny “Booty” Jackson, talked about the impact the murder had, shattering their entire family.“Youkilledher while she was naked and asleep,” she said in awritten statement. “Howcould yousay you lovedher anddothat? Youwere family.”
Destiny Jackson recalled going through photos for the funeraland having to see Lavergne’s face in many of the pictures from family gatherings.
“No one in my familyisthe same. We are all broken,” she said. “Nanny was the glue that held my sisters and me together,but she’sgone. We literally don’ttalk to each otherbecause you took our glue away.
“I say all this to say: Brian Lavergne, Ihope you rot in hell for killing my sister and Fred. They didn’tdeserve it,” she addedlater
STAFFPHOTOSBy MICHAEL JOHNSON
BYCLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
ABaton Rougeman hasbeen sentenced to 18 years in prison forthe car crash that killed Walker High School senior Blakeleigh Weems. More than 50 people packed theLivingston Parish Courthouse on Wednesday for the sentencing, with 15 people sharing emotional victim impact statements about the teen’sdeath Weems, 17, died on New Year’s Day 2024 in acrash in Denham Springs Shawn Robertson, 33, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, with five years withoutthe possibility of supervised release and a$2,000 fine for the fatal crash. Robertson pleaded guiltyOct. 15 to vehicular homicide, second-offense DWI, reckless operation of avehicle, possession of drugparaphernalia, driving with asuspended license andno seat belt. Originally,Robertson pleaded not guilty to the charges in May, but he changedhis plea in October TheDistrict Attorney’sOffice also had upgradedthe original charge of negligenthomicide to vehicular homicide,and the chargeofpossession of drug paraphernalia was recentlyadded as well.
Robertson was alsogiven additional sentences of sixmonths
and 60 days in parish jail, some of whichhehas already served, for the misdemeanor charges.
Weems’ parents, grandparents, other family members and friends delivered emotional impact statements for two hours in the courtroom Wednesday. Chasity Johnstone, Weems’ mother,describedher late daughterasher “world” andher “best friend.”
“Every day feels emptywithout the one personwho made me feel whole,” Johnstone said, sitting in frontofRobertson
Johnstone talked about how herdaughter had plans to attend LSU law school and “had her whole lifeplanned out.” She said herdaughterhad a contagious laugh anda heartof gold, andthat she was abright light in people’slives.
Her statement ended with, “Live like Blake.” Nelson Weems, the victim’sfather,and other friends and family members told Robertston that she would have forgiven him for causing her death.
“She would stand right here, right now in the courtroom and
forgive you,”hesaid. “I don’t forgive you, nottoday,not tomorrow.” Walker High School cheer coach SavannahNormand and otherformer Walker High students spoke abouthow involved Blakeleigh Weemswas in school.
“She was an exceptional leader.She was inclusive. She was bold,” the coach said.
Thecoach describedhow the team set out Weems’ cheer pompoms in formation in her honor for 23 basketball games after her death.
“Every time it washard,”she said.
The Robertson family also delivered, through an attorney,a written statement to the victim’s family and friends.
“Weare profoundly sorry,” a part of thestatement said. “Our hearts are with you.”
BY MARYCLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO Associated Press
WASHINGTON TheSenatetookthe first step to end the government shutdown on Sunday after agroup of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed withouta guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucuswho say Americans want them to continue the fight.
In atest vote that is the first in a series of required procedural maneuvers,the Senate voted 60-40to move towardpassing compromise legislation to fund the government and hold alater vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire Jan. 1.
Final passage could beseveral days away if Democrats object and delay the process.
The agreement does notguarantee the Affordable Care Act subsidies will be extended, as Democrats have demanded for almost six weeks.Senate Democratic leader Chuck SchumerofNew York voted against moving aheadwith the
package, along with all but eight of hisDemocratic colleagues.
The group of three former governors —New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine —saidthey would vote to reopen if the Senate passed threeannual spending billsand extend the rest of government funding until late January
Senate Majority Leader John Thune,R-S D ,endorsed the deal
Sunday night and called an immediate vote to begin the process of approvingit.
Returningtothe WhiteHouse on Sunday evening after attending a footballgame, PresidentDonald Trump did not say whether he endorsed the deal. But he said, “It looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending.”
After Democrats met for over twohours todiscuss the proposal, Schumersaid hecould not “in good faith” support it.
Schumer, who received blowback fromhis party in March when he votedtokeepthe governmentopen,
said that Democrats have now “sounded the alarm” on health care.
“Wewill not give up the fight,” he said. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said that giving up the fight wasa“horrific mistake.”
Republicans have been working with the group of moderates as the shutdowncontinued to disrupt flights nationwide, threaten food assistance formillions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay. But manyDemocrats have warned theircolleaguesagainst giving in, arguingthat they can’t end the fight without an agreement to extend the health subsidies.
Democrats hadvoted 14 timesnot to reopen the government as they demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable for health plans offered under theAffordable Care Act.
Republicans said they would not negotiate on health care, but GOP leaders have been quietly working with the group of moderates as the contours of an agreement began to emerge.
The agreement includes biparti-
sanbills worked outbythe Senate Appropriations Committee to fund parts of government— food aid, veterans programs andthe legislative branch, among other things. All other funding would be extended untilthe end of January,giving lawmakers more than twomonths to finish additional spending bills.
Thedeal wouldreinstate federal workers who hadreceived reduction in force, or layoff, notices and reimburse states that spent their own funds to keep federal programs running during the shutdown. It would also protect against future reductionsinforce through January and guarantee federal workers would be paid once the shutdown is over House Democrats swiftly criticized the Senate.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.,blamed Republicans and said Democrats will continue to fight.
“DonaldTrumpand the Republican Party own the toxic mess they have created in our country and the American people know it,” Jeffries said.
BY SCOTT BAUER and NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press
President Donald Trump’sadministration is demanding states “undo” full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits paid out under judges’ orderslast week, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has stayed those rulings, marking thelatest swing in aseesawing legal battle over the anti-hunger program used by 42 million Americans. The demand from the U.S. Department of Agriculture came as more than two dozen states warnedof “catastrophicoperationaldisruptions” if the Trump administration does not reimburse them for those SNAP benefits they authorized before the Supreme Court’sstay.
Nonprofits andDemocratic attorneys general sued to force the Trump administration to maintain theprograminNovemberdespite the ongoing government shutdown. They won the favorable rulings last week, leading to the swiftrelease of benefits to millions in severalstates, and the Trump administration belatedly said the program could continue. On Friday night, however,Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused the two rulings ordering the SNAP disbursement while the nation’shighest court considered the Trump administration’sappeal That led the USDA on Saturday to write state SNAP directorstowarn them it now considers payments under the prior orders “unauthorized.” States couldfacepenalties
“Tothe extent States sent full SNAP payment filesfor November 2025, this was unauthorized,”Patrick Penn, deputy undersecretary of agriculture, wrote to stateSNAP directors. “Accordingly,States must immediately undoany steps
Democratshavehammered Trump fortargeting the anti-hungerprogram during the governmentshutdown, contending the administration could have maintained it even with other parts of the government idle.
As senators worked throughthe weekend on adeal to end the stalemate, their bipartisan package of agreed-upon measures to keep open some aspects of government included full funding of SNAP programs and aprovision that would ensure reimbursements forexpenditures madeduring the shutdown.
More than two dozen states represented by Democraticattorneys general on Saturday warnedina courtfiling that, even before the Supreme Courtput therulings on hold, theTrumpadministration wasrefusing to reimburse them forthose legally-ordered SNAP payments.
4different directives in 6days
taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.”
Penn warned that states could face penalties if they did not comply. It was unclear if thedirective applies to states that used theirown funds to keep theprogram alive or to ones relyingonfederal money entirely.The USDA did not immediately respond to arequest for comment.
In afiling in federal court on Sunday,the agency said states moved too quicklyand erroneously released fullmoney SNAP Benefits after last week’s rulings
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on Sunday called the directive “shocking” if it applies to states, like hers, thatused their own money to propupthe program.
“It’sone thing if thefederal government is going to continue its level of appeal throughthe courts to say, no, this can’tbedone,” Murkowski said.“But whenyou aretelling the
statesthat havesaidthis is asignificant enough issue in our state, we’regoing to find resources, backfill or front load, whatever termyou want, to help ourpeople,those states should notbepenalized.”
‘Wewillsee himincourt’
Democratic Gov.Maura Healey of Massachusetts said SNAP benefits were processed and placed on EBT cards before theU.S.Supreme Court order Friday night, in line with theprevious guidance from theUSDA. She said that if Trump attempts to claw back the money, “we will see him in court.”
“Massachusetts residents with funds on theircards should continuetospend it on food,” shesaid in astatement Sunday.“President Trump should be focusing on reopening the government that he controlsinstead of repeatedly fightingtotakeaway food from American families.”
Wisconsin, forexample, loaded benefitsontocards for700,000 residents once ajudge in Rhode Island ordered the restoration of benefits last week, but after theU.S.Treasury froze its reimbursements to the state, it anticipates running out of money by Monday,Democratic Gov Tony Evers’ administration warned in alengthy statement on Sunday The lack of money could leave vendors unpaidand trigger escalating legalclaims, the states warned.
“States could face demands to return hundreds of millions of dollars in the aggregate,” the states’ filing at the 1st Circuit Court of Appealssays. That situation “would risk catastrophic operationaldisruptions for the States,with aconsequent cascade of harms for their residents,” thefiling concludes.
Evers issueda quickresponse to the Trump administration’sdemand to undo the payments. “No,” the governor said in astatement.
More than 2,000 flightscanceled on Sunday
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON U.S.airlines canceled more than 2,100 flights on Sunday as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that air traffic in the U.S. could “slow to atrickle” if the federalgovernment shutdown lingers into the busy Thanksgiving travel holiday season.
The slowdown at 40 of the nation’sbusiest airports is beginning to cause more widespread disruptions.The Federal AviationAdministration last week ordered flight cuts at the nation’s busiest airportsassome air traffic controllers, who have gone unpaid for nearly amonth, have stopped showing up for work.
In addition, some 7,000 flight delays were reported on Sunday alone, according to FlightAware, awebsite that tracks air travel disruptions. More than 1,000 flights were canceled Friday,and more than 1,500 on Saturday TheFAA reductions started Friday at 4% and will increase to 10% by Nov. 14. They are in effect from
6 a.m. to 10 p.m. andwill impact all commercial airlines. Hartsfield-JacksonInternational Airport in Atlanta had themost cancellations Sunday,with more than 570, followed byNewarkLiberty International Airport in New Jersey,with at least 265. The FAAsaid staffing shortages at Newark and LaGuardiaAirport in New York were leading to average departure delays of about75minutes. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan was mostly emptySunday morning, withminimalwaittimesat security checkpoints as delaysand cancellations filled
thedepartures andarrivals boards.
Duffy warned that U.S. airtraffic could decline significantly if theshutdown persists.Hesaid additional flight cuts —perhapsupto 20% —might be needed, particularly after controllersreceivenopay for a second straight pay period.
“More controllers aren’t coming to workday by day, the further they go withouta paycheck,” Duffy told “Fox News Sunday.”
And he preparedAmericansfor what they could face during the busy Thanksgiving holiday “As Ilook two weeksout, as we get closer to Thanks-
giving travel, Ithink what’s going to happen is you’re going to have air travel slow to atrickle as everyone wants to travel to see their families,” Duffy said.
With “very few” controllersworking, “you’ll have afew flights taking off and landing” andthousandsof cancellations, he said.
“You’re going to have massive disruption. Ithink alot of angry Americans. I think we have to be honest about where this is going It doesn’t getbetter,” Duffy said. “It gets worse until these air traffic controllers are going to be paid.”
The government has been shortofair traffic controllers foryears,and multiple presidentialadministrations have tried to convince retirement-age controllers to remainonthe job.Duffy said theshutdown has exacerbated the problem, leading someair traffic controllers to speed up their retirements.“Up to 15 or 20 aday areretiring,” Duffy said on CNN.
DuffydeniedDemocratic charges thatthe flight cancellations are apolitical tactic, saying they were necessary due to increasing nearmisses from an overtaxed system
“I needed totake action to
In histhoughtful interrogation of the Louisiana redistricting case by theU.S. Supreme Court, the commentator Quin Hillyer is certainly right about one thing. Section 2ofthe Voting Rights Act is fundamentally flawed. Clearly,itwas an imprudent solution to what at the timewas viewed as an emergency political problem.Black voters were beingsystematically denied their right to voting equality. States hadeffectively erased thepower of Black voters to elect congressional candidates of their choice. TheVRA successfully diminished theeffects of racially based gerrymandering.
But Hillyer’sessay neglectsto point out two essential components for any interpretation such as his. While correctly arguing thatBlack people can sometimes get Black candidates elected in local White majority voting districts, he equates thesewith gerrymandered congressional districts. They are not thesame. Simply compare the number of Black representatives in Congress before and after the passage of theVRA to get aroughapproximation of its effect. Should Section 2ofthis act be declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, he is not bothered by the almost inevitable probabilitythat the mapping of congressional districts, controlled entirely by white Republicans,willrevert to an equally racially based inverse of the current system. How many Black representatives will Louisianathen return to the House? Perhaps even more importantly, Hillyer offers no rationalsolution to the problem of nonracially influenced congressional district mapping. On what basisshould we draw congressional districts, andtowhom shouldthat duty be left —the political partyin power? There are rational cartographic solutions. One is theleast total boundary distance method. That map whose total congressional boundary lengths measure less than any other proposed map wins.
JAYD.EDWARDS Baton Rouge
Some have called Meta’s$10 billion data center in Richland Parish arecklesscorporate deal. In reality, it’sone of the mostpromising economic opportunities ever to reach rural Louisiana Fordecades, Richland Parishhas relied on agriculture and small industry —stable but limited sources of income. The Meta project represents achance to diversify theeconomy andconnect our region to thegrowing digital infrastructure that drives moderncommerce. Critics dismiss the5,000 constructionjobs as temporary,but theirimpact will be lasting. Every dollar spent on labor,materials,housing and food circulatesthrough local businesses. Roads are beingimproved, utilities upgradedand broadband capacityexpanded —investments that remain longafter the workcrews aregone The 500 permanent jobs at the facilityare high-skill, high-wagepositions. They will
anchor new opportunities in logistics, maintenance and technology support, while giving local students and workers areason to stay and build careers at home.
Meta’spresence also raises Richland Parish’s national profile, signaling to other industries that north Louisiana is ready forhigh-tech investment. The company’scommitment to renewable energy and advanced efficiency standards will strengthen, not burden, local infrastructure. This project is not aboondoggle —it’sa bridge to the future. It bringslasting infrastructure, meaningful jobs and the credibility that attracts more opportunity.For too long, communities like Richland Parish have been left behind. Now,with vision and collaboration, they have achance to lead.
WOODYBILYEU Winnfield
Those whoown the means of production have beenanxioustoreduce their often most expensiveinput, labor,for as long as workers havebeen seeking higher wages. This backand-forth has surely produced cautionary tales andmisery,but has also led toastounding innovation, safety and prosperity. This is especially true in industries with strong, positive relationshipswith labor AI is different. U.S. job losses in 2025 are approaching 1million. Manufacturing continues to slowly shed jobs, but manyofthese cuts have impacted white-collar workers. One million losses haven’t been seen since the pandemic andare increasingly related to AI. This is thetip of the iceberg. AI is to shareholders and companyowners what fentanyl is to an addict: impossible to resist and singularly destructive.
“If we could just get rid of all these workers, we could really get some work done around here” maybemore than amanagement joke in the ageofAI. Short-lived, however.Ifthe
predicted 10 to30% unemployment resulting from AI’sadoption materializes, who will buy all the stuff? Vacations, plumbers, health care, theendless garbage we buyonAmazon, cars, roads, clean water,defense, healthy children —the economyispaid for by people with jobs. Think your trade job or consumer products company is safe? Good luck. Those we count on to chart asustainable course for our country through debate and compromise as our Constitution demands are instead focused only on sustaining inane, unsatisfying culture wars. Politicians should bear in mind, however,that when 30% of thenation is unemployed, thepublic won’tbethinking about 10 transgender people in the NCAA. More likely,they will be looking fortheir torches and pitchforks. It’s comforting, though, that the tech billionaires can escape to theiryachts and bunkers
BRIAN HENNESSEY NewOrleans
Ninety years ago, one of America’sfinest men was born in Minot, North Dakota.From the dayofhis birth to his 90th birthday, Dale Brown has brought hope andhealing to countless people throughout Louisiana WhenLouisianawas at its lowest, Brown redeemedit through his convictions andcompassion, reviving the state back to its glory through loving allpeople. Whenyou seepeople from various backgrounds loving each otherthroughout our city andstate,you have Brown to thank forbringing thatto life.Whenwethink of how far Louisiana hascome,weowe “Daddy Dale” ourgratitude for his voicethathas echoed to us since1972. Brent Musburger once calledDaleBrown “Billy Graham in sneakers,” and Shaqhas said thatBrown is the man who opened the door to basketball for him. At 90, Brown is still sharing the good news of life with his heart and opening the doorsofjoy with his hands, bringing hope to all of Louisiana.I knowofnoone whose words have matched his actions more thanBrown. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death andlife areinthe power of the tongue,and those who love life will eat its fruits.” Thanks forspeaking hope andlife for90years, Dale Happy Birthday, my friend. CARYHUGHES Baton Rouge
It’s time forvoters to demand change
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
Watchingthe Trumpadministration unfold often feels eerily similar to watching the 2006 film“Idiocracy.” The movie, intended as satire, imagined afuture where society’sintelligence andvalues had decayed to thepoint where ignorance wascelebrated andexpertise mocked What once seemed like far-fetched comedy began to mirror reality during Trump’spresidency In “Idiocracy,” thenation is led by aloud, self-promoting celebrity who governs through slogans, spectacle and emotion rather than reason. Facts are dismissed as elitist, and science is treated as amatter of opinion. The administration’s casual disregard for truth, from “alternative facts” to climate denial, reflected themovie’swarning about what happens when critical thinking is replaced with entertainment andtribal loyalty Yet, thecomparison also reveals something
deeper about us as citizens. The film wasn’t just mocking stupidity; it was awarning about complacency.Democracies fail because of bad leaders and because peoplestop valuing knowledge, civilityand accountability.When leaders can say or do almost anything without consequence, when expertise becomes suspect and outrage becomes normal, we inch closer to that dystopian future Mike Judge tried to warn us about The Trumpera should serve as awake-up call, not just apunchline. “Idiocracy” was never supposed to be aprophecy,but acautionary tale. If we want to prove it wrong, we must once again value education, truth and empathy over spectacle and division. Otherwise, we risk living in aworld where satire is no longer satire. It’sjust theevening news.
KARL ALBRITTON Central
In Louisiana, all our representatives in Congress are Republicans but two. Our two senators are Republicans, our governor and mostofour legislators are Republicans. The current administration in Washington, D.C., all three branches are controlled by Republicans. We have the Speaker of the House and No. 2top man in the House from Louisiana.
My question is, with all of this political power in Baton Rouge and in Washington, D.C., whyisLouisiana last or near last in everything good and first or near first in mostthings bad? Ithink this is aquestion that should be answered by all the people Ijust mentioned. Nextyear at the midterm elections, let’seliminate the red and blue and vote foran independent.
CLIFF LEONARD Hammond
WINNER: KERIANNESTIEGLER, NEW ORLEANS
NEWLOOK NEEDED! We received 642 in thisweek’s Cartoon CaptionContest. From presidential pardons to turkey necks, these were agreatmix of creativeconcepts. Our winnerhit thejackpot witha deep-fried delight.Well played, everyone! As always, when we have duplicate entries, and we always do,wepick the earliestsent in Great job! Walt
LYNN WISMAR, KENNER: “For astarter can youdosomething about this turkey neck?!”
KEITH G. C.TWITCHELL, NEW ORLEANS: “I don’t have to quack likeaduck, Ijust have to look likeaduck!”
MARYH.THOMPSON, GREENSBORO, GA: “I don’t want to look… overdone.”
JAYDARDENNE, BATONROUGE: “That’s outrageous. If you’re gonnacharge me a leg and aleg Imay as well geteaten.
BETTY BORDELON, KENNER: “Anything butanAtlanta Falcon, Doc!”
BILL POTTER, BATONROUGE: “you are going to do what with achicken and a duck!”
JIMMIE PAPIA, METAIRIE: “A big set of antlers, and abright shinynose. ”
ERIN O’SULLIVAN FLEMING, RIVER RIDGE: “I need amakeover….. something tasteless.”
JOE ALFORD,BATON ROUGE: “I wantto look GOOD,but not APPETIZING!!!”
CHARLES THEAUX, PONCHATOULA: “I cameheretohavemyneck skintightened. Whywas your assistant putting abuttery glaze on every partofmebut my neck?”
MARIANO HINOJOSA, BATONROUGE: “I’m tiredofalwayslookingoverdressed.”
DENNIEWILLIAMS,ALEXANDRIA: “Is there anyway Icouldget abreast and thigh reduction before Thanksgiving?”
BOBUSSERY, NEWORLEANS: “I’drather go under the knife here than on the kitchentable.
CAMILLE JUPITER (2NDGRADE), LANGSTONHUGHES ACADEMY,NEW ORLEANS: “I need to look likeapigeon.”
MICHELE STARNES,KENNER: “I want to look less ‘farmfresh’ and more fabulous!
LAUREN A. GAUTHIER, KENNER: “yes,you heardmeright, Iwant to be pink with long legs. I’m retiring to Florida!”
JAYFOX,MADISONVILLE: “No, Idon’t mind my neck,but my giblets are sagging.”
DENISE CHETTA, NEWORLEANS: “yeah, doc, this is not agood look forthe
holidays!”
PETER KOVACS, BATONROUGE: “Canyou makemelook likeanutria?”
BILL HUEY,BATON ROUGE: “My pardon fell through.you’ve gottodosomething!”
JOHN WEGER, BATONROUGE: “I just need something to getmethrough November.”
DAVIDA.BRIGGS,NEW ORLEANS: “I was thinkingalong the lines of acrow, because no one wants to eatthat.”
HOWARD KISNER, BATONROUGE: “Cancel the turducken look!”
SCOTT BODET, METAIRIE: “Wait… why is there adeep pan and an oven behind you??”
RALPH STEPHENS,BATON ROUGE: “you need to startcutting before someone starts carving.”
KEVINSTEEN, CORPUS CHRISTI,TX: “I was hopingfor some lipo;I am tired of beinga butter ball.”
JIM KERRIN, NEW ORLEANS: “COOKOFFS?!!?”
WhenGeorgeW.Bush ranfor president in 2000, he faced awidespread public perception that he was callow and inexperienced, even though he was 54 years old and the governorof Texas. That’snot an unheard-of situation in presidential politics; the solution is for the less-experienced candidate to pick an older and more experienced running mate to give the ticket some gravitas. That is what Bush did. It’sfair to say that Bush’s choice, Dick Cheney,fitthe bill, and more. Cheney,who died lastatage 84, probably knew more about the workings of the U.S. government than any man active in politics at the time. Hehad been the youngest White House chief of staff ever,for President GeraldFord. Then he served 10 years in the House,representing his home state of Wyoming. Thenhe was tapped by President George H.W Bush to serve as secretary ofdefense. Cheney later became CEO of amajoroil services corporation, Halliburton. That’s quite aresume. So Cheney added weight to the GOP ticket.Maybe just enoughweight— Bush-Cheney lost the 2000 popularvote but won the presidency onthe strength of 537 votes in the Florida recount. In the next few months, the team enacted much of its campaign agenda, passing the Bush tax cuts and making substantial progress on the president’seducation initiative, the No Child Left Behind Act At that point, just eight months into the term, the Bush-Cheney administration seemed oddly without direction, with little else to do. Then came Sept. 11, 2001, and Bush, Cheney and the nation had an urgent new direction for the future. Cheneywas at the White House when it happened; Bush was in Florida on atrip to promote child reading. From that moment on, Cheney
When Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the cancellation of any official observance of “cultural awareness” months in the military service, Iimmediately wondered what it would mean forthe legacy of Milton Olive.
In case you didn’tknow, Milton Lee Olive III wasthe first Black American soldier to receive the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War.
Sadly,hedid not live long enough to receive it in person.
He was18years old on Oct. 22, 1965, when he and four others, including his platoon commander,were pursuing aband of Viet Cong through thick, tangled growth near Saigon, running into varying degrees of enemy fire.
“As the platoon pursued the insurgents” through the jungle together,according to Olive’scitation, “an enemy grenade was throwninto their midst. Pfc. Olive saw the grenade, and then saved the lives of his fellow soldiers at the sacrifice of his by grabbing the grenade in his hand and falling on it to absorb the blast with his body.”
The citation continued, “Pfc. Olive’sextraordinary heroism,atthe risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty,are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Armyand reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.”
On April 21, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to his father and stepmother Later that year,Mayor Richard J. Daley led the unveiling, along with Olive’sparents, of amonument in his honor at the newly renamed Olive Park, near Navy Pier
When Imoved to Chicago in 1969, fresh out of college and still draft-eligible, Olive’ssacrifice in the controversial war wasstill being talked about and widely honored.
When my draftboard caught up with me, Ivividly recall, Ihad Milton Olive on my mind and drew somespiritual strength from my desire to do his memoryproud. As it happened, Inever wenttoVietnam, but Ialso neverforgot Milton Olive or the split-seconddecision he made to give his lifesohis battle buddies could live.
Now,morethan ever,itisimportant to remember men and womenlike Milton Olive, and indeed to memorialize them,as PresidentDonaldTrumpand his White nationalist movement wagewar on diversity, equity and inclusion.
took aleading role in formulating what became known as GWOT —the Global WaronTerror It would taketoo long to recount all thedetails.But first, the U.S. attackedAfghanistan, aiming to find and kill every personwho planned, executed,financed or otherwise aided or abetted 9/11.That is what Bushand Cheney began, but after making initial progress, the mission went on and on, became bogged down in nation-building and, in more than seven years, failed to find and kill the one manmostresponsible for theattack —Osama bin Laden.
Meanwhile, around theWhiteHouse, there was talk suggesting that Iraqi dictator SaddamHussein had some connection to 9/11 and thatthere was some link betweenSaddam and al Qaeda. Then the White House argued thatSaddam had weapons of massdestruction, which in a maddictator’shands created an intolerablydangerous situation for the United States. Cheney became the administration’smostaggressive promoter of invading Iraq, toppling Saddam and neutralizing the WMD.
Everyone knows what happened next. The intelligence was wrong, therewere no WMD, and thewar in Iraq turned into adisaster.That was not because of any failure by the U.S. military —they performedbeautifully.But Bush and Cheney hadbeen dreadfully wrong about the premisefor invading.
Afterahuge loss in the2006 midterms, Bush and Cheney tried to salvage the situationinIraqwitha“surge”ofU.S troops.But the war ended in amassive failure.And then,asfate would have it,as the Bush-Cheney administration entered its finalstretch, theeconomy nearly collapsed. Disaster upon disaster.Bythe time of the 2008 election, Bush hadajob approval of 24.6%, according to theReal-
ClearPolitics average of polls.
In the caseofCheney,herewas a man withbroad and deep knowledge of how the world and the U.S. government worked, who dedicated himself to protecting the United States in the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in history, who meant well —and who made terrible mistakes that ensuredhis time in office would be seen as afailure.
Cheney’stime in office also changed Republican politics.Itisimpossible to imagine the 2016 GOPprimaryracegoing the way it did absent the legacyofthe Bush-Cheneyadministration. The BushCheneyteam was in the field in 2016 in the person of Jeb Bush. Candidate Donald Trump took great delight in bashing Jeb, andhewas remarkably effective at it.
Trump called the Iraq war “a big, fatmistake,” and Republican crowds applauded. He called the entireBushCheney administration a“disaster.” He dumped all over the Bush-Cheneylegacy and went on to win the Republican nomination. Things had changed.
Still, Cheney actually supported Trump as the Republican nominee in 2016.Only after theJan.6,2021, Capitol riotdid Cheney declare Trump a“coward” and a“threat to our republic.” Cheney ended up casting his last votefor president for Kamala Harris in 2024.
By then, Cheney’sbrand of Republican politics, whatever you might think of it, had receded far into the past.The man who was Gerald Ford’schief of staff half acenturyearlier could find no placein today’sGOP politics. The bitter irony was thatCheney,withthe misadventure in Iraq and thecalamitous end of the BushCheney administration, had himself contributedtocreating Trump’sRepublican Party
Byron York is on X, @Bryon York. Email him at byronyork@yorkcomm.com.
Earlier this year,inhis zeal to root out everything “woke” in the military,Hegseth directed the Department of Defense to purge the department’swebsite of mentions of historically significant American fighters, including the Navajo code talkers, the Tuskegee Airmen and many Medal of Honor recipients simply because they were members of minorities —and despite their significant contributions to defending American freedom.
Also at Hegseth’sorders, out went Black History Month in February,Women’sHistory Month in March, Pride Month in June, and National Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from mid-September until mid-October Interestingly,Sig Christenson, an investigative reporter at the San Antonio Express-News, couldn’tfind anyone who had aclear reason forwhy these observances had to be banned, or whyStPatrick’sDay remains honored.
Goodquestion. I’mBlack, but I’malso aproduct of Chicago culture, and we celebrate St. Patrick by turning the Chicago River green forthe big parade day I’ve also recently discovered, thanks to 23&Me, that I’mgenetically about 19% Irish. As John Mellencampsang, “Ain’t that America?”
Such is the nature of our diversity,which Ilike to think is afeature, not abug, of America’smelting pot.
Afellow veteran whosays he agrees is C. Douglas Sterner,who has published about adozen books on decorated military heroes and whooperates the HomeofHeroes website, which documents the stories of Medal of Honor recipients, among other heroes.
“Saddened deeply” by the DoD’sscrubbing of our “women and ethnic minority heroes” earlier this year,Sterner collaborated on anew book titled “Beyond Woke: The Diversity of U.S. Military Heroes.”
The cover art depicts Milton Olive in the act of saving his fellow GIs,ending his own lifebut living on, Ihope, in the memories of our grateful nation.
Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@ gmail.com.
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STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
Former LSU coach Brian Kelly watchesa playagainst South Carolina on Oct. 11. Kelly is requesting the full sum of his buyout
New Orleans lost afriendSunday. Former NFL commissioner PaulTagliabue died at his home in CapeCod,Massachusetts, at the age of 84. His health had been in decline for monthsashebattled Parkinson’sdisease. The apparentcause of deathwas heart failure
BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer
Former LSUfootball coach BrianKelly has requested that the school pay his full buyout of nearly $54 million, according to documentsobtained by The Advocate, as negotiations continue two weeks after he was firedduring his fourthseason.
In aNov.5letter sent to LSU athletic director VergeAusberry and LSUBoard of Supervisors member John Carmouche, Kelly’sattorneys asked for writtenconfirmation by 5p.m. on MondaythatLSU will “fulfillits contractual obligation” to pay the full sum.
“Absentthiswritten confirmationbythat date, coach Kelly will pursue all available legal remedies,” the letter states.
Kelly is owednearly $54 million if fired without cause, asum thatwould be paid in equal monthly installments through the end of his contract in 2031. Kelly’sattorneys claimed in documentsthat LSU fired him without cause,inwhichcaseKelly is owed 90%ofhis remaining annual compensation under theterms of the deal.
Theletter states Kelly would still be “open to anyadditional offers” to settleif he receives thewritten confirmation. LSU offeredlump-sum payments of $25 million and $30 million the day Kelly was fired, doc-
uments said, but Kelly rejected them.They were made when Scott Woodward wasstill LSU’sathletic director.Heand the school parted four days later
The two sides are expected to have ameeting Monday, sources said, before the deadline set by Kelly’srepresentatives.
Kelly’sattorneys said in the letter he was firedwithout cause during an in-person meetingOct. 26 between himand Woodward, Ausberry,LSU executive deputy athletic director Julie Cromer and LSU associateathletic director of football administration Austin Thomas.
New Orleanians will forever owe adebt of gratitude to Tagliabue forhis serviceto the city and the Gulf Coast region in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In thefinal year of his 17-year tenure as commissioner,hedeftly managed thecrisis and spearheaded the New Orleans Saints’ return to the city It’stoo simple to say the Saints wouldn’t have returned to NewOrleans if it weren’tfor Tagliabue. But it’s fair to say they wouldn’thave returned as successfullyasthey did without his shrewd leadership.
One of Tagliabue’sfavoritesayings was “A friend in need is afriend indeed.” New Orleans learned that firsthandfrom Tagliabue when it needed it most
It was Tagliabue who assuaged thenSaints owner TomBenson’s fears in the wake of the storm and facilitated the club’s return to the citybyfast-tracking resources to the club and cutting through redtape on Capitol Hill.
It was Tagliabue who rallied support for the team by arranging aseries of meetings with local and regional business leaders, including apivotal gathering at local businessmanTommyColeman’scamp along the Mississippi River batturenear the Orleans-Jeffersonparishline. The meeting featured some of the city’s richest and most powerful men and women —awho’s who of banking, energy,shipping and real estate —and served as the catalyst forthe Saints’ return.
And it was Tagliabue who showcasedthe city’spost-Katrina recovery on aglobal stage by putting the Saints’ returntothe SuperdomeonMondayNight Football, the league’spremier platform
“The whole thing turnedaround in
ä See DUNCAN, page 3B
STAFF FILE PHOTOByELIOTKAMENITZ
Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, right, speaks next to Saints ownerTom Benson during anewsconferenceonJan. 11, 2006. Tagliabue playedapivotal role in the Saints’return to NewOrleans after Hurricane Katrina.
to make apass againstthe
Charlotte,
BY MATTHEWPARAS Staff writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. Kellen Moore delivered the play call over his headset and said nothing else to Tyler Shough. There was no need. It wasthird-and-12late in Sunday’sgameagainstthe Carolina Panthers, and the New Orleans Saints’ coach andtheir rookie quarterbackunderstoodwhat was on the line. After Moorenotably took the ball out of the quarterback’shands for the previous fewthird downs, the momentcalled for an obvious passing situation withthe Saints trying to preserve alead.Itwas time for the Saints to truly see what they had in the26-year-old. No motivational speech. No encouragement. Just executethe call.
“Kellen knew the importance of finishing that drive,” Shough said. “Mymindset is I’malways goingtobeaggressive.”
So, Shough got aggressive. As the second-round draft pickscanned the field, Shoughimmediately realized the high-low concept the play intended forwasn’tthere.But as the pocket collapsedand he drifted to hisleft, Shough sawtight end Juwan Johnson —the last player in the quarterback’s progression —break off from his man. The quarterback let it fly Touchdown. Shough hit Johnson fora 30-yard score to seal NewOrleans’ 17-7 winover the Panthers, earning New Orleans’
ä See SAINTS, page 4B
On TV
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
5:30 p.m. Maine at Rutgers BTN
5:30p.m. Columbia at UConn FS1
6p.m. Stetson at Miami ACCN
7p.m. Mississippi St. vs. Iowa St. ESPNU
7:30p.m. Cleveland St. at NorthwesternBTN
7:30 p.m. Santa Clara at Xavier FS1
8p.m. SE Louisiana at Georgia Tech ACCN
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
6p.m. Furman at Vanderbilt SECN
8p.m. Cent.Arkansas at Arkansas SECN
9:30 p.m. Oklahoma at UCLAFS1 NBA
6p.m. Washington at DetroitPeacock
8p.m. NewOrleansatPhoenixWAFB
9:30 p.m. Atlanta at L.A. Clippers NBATV NFL
7:15 p.m. Philadelphia at Green BayABC, ESPN
NHL
7p.m.HockeyHOF Induction NHLN MEN’S SOCCER
6:15 a.m. Switzerland vs.Mexico FS2
9:30 a.m. Egypt vs. England FS2 TENNIS
5a.m.ATP Finals: DoublesTennis
7a.m.ATP Finals: SinglesTennis 11 a.m. ATPFinals: Doubles Tennis 1:30 p.m.ATP Finals: SinglesTennis
BY WILSON ALEXANDER
Staff writer
With the LSU offense struggling in a20-9 loss to No.4Alabama on Saturday night, starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was benchedwith the game still in the balance for the firsttimethis season. The Tigers inserted sophomore Michael VanBuren in his place in the third quarter.Van Burenfinished 5-of-11 passingfor 52 yards. He also gained21yards rushing on four carries with two sacksremoved from his final line. Afterward, interim coach Frank Wilson was noncommittal about whether the Tigers will have a quarterback competition going into their game next week against Arkansas.
“I haven’tput that kind of thought into it right now,”Wilson said. “Right now,Ijust want tobe there for our players to let them know we’re going to be all right, to pick their heads up and we’re standing by you. We’re in this thing together.Decisions of depth moving forward, we’re notatthat stage right now.”
VanBuren entered the game after LSU settled for afieldgoal on the opening drive of thesecond half. The Tigers had first and goal at the Alabama 9-yard line,but they only gained 1yard on their
next two plays.
Aftergettingbacked up by a delay of game penalty,LSU took its first timeoutofthe half. Nussmeierwas then sacked fora14yard loss.
“Weknew there could be opportunities in the quarterback run game,and theninthe back end as they triedtobringclosure to it, they would make it difficult to justsit in the pocket,” Wilson said.
“Wewanted to move (Van Buren) around and do some things. We thought that he gave us achance
to do those things.”
WilsondescribedVan Buren’s play as “solid.”Heliked theway he steppedupinthe pocket, extended plays with his legs and threw theball. He said he wanted VanBurentohavetwo hands on the ball when he was strippedon LSU’slast offensive play
VanBuren has appeared in three games this season, his first since transferring from Mississippi State. He played late in awin over Southeastern Louisiana and alosstoTexas A&M. Wilson had
suggested for the past two weeks that LSU might use him in certain situations against the Crimson Tide.
Nussmeier completed 86% of his passes (18 of 21) for121 yards with no touchdowns andnointerceptions.Itwas only the second time in two years as LSU’s starting quarterback that Nussmeier did not throw atouchdown in a game.Healso did notthrowone in a34-10 winlastseason at Arkansas.
“I thought he did some good thingsearly on,” Wilson said. “We moved him outofthe pocket, and Ithought he startedthe game off extremely well. As we moved into thedepth of the game, we thought it was an opportunity forusto change up, to throw their defense off.
“I don’tknow it’snecessarily something he did so bad. We just thought that it would be an advantage and the things thatMichael could give us.”
Nussmeier could be seen on the sideline wearing his helmet when LSU was on offense andencouraging his teammates when they returned to the sideline.
“He cameuponthe sidelines after everybreak trying to keep our spirits up andjuicing us,” center Braelin Moore said. “Even though he wasn’tinthe game, he was still uplifting everyone.”
Week 11 of the college football season was filled withclose calls. Penn State nearly took down Indiana. Oregon almostlost to Iowa. Vanderbilt squeaked past Auburn.
MLB pitcherscharged with taking bribes to rig pitches
NEWYORK Cleveland Guardians pitchers EmmanuelClase andLuis Ortiz have been indicted on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw certaintypes of pitches, including tossing balls in the dirt instead of strikes, to ensure successful bets.
According to the indictment unsealed Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn, the highly-paid hurlers took several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two unnamed gamblers from their native Dominican Republic winatleast $460,000 on in-game prop bets on the speed and outcome of certain pitches.
Clase, the Guardians’ former closer,and Ortiz, astarter, have been on non-disciplinarypaid leave since July,when MLB started investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched.
Griffinwins in Mexicofor third PGA Tour titleofyear
LOS CABOS,Mexico Ben Griffin avoided the mistakes that slowed his two challengers Sunday and rolledinthreelongbirdie putts for a9-under 63 to win the WorldWide Technology Championship forhis third PGATour title of the season.
Griffin two-putted forbirdie on the par-5 18th at El Cardonal at Diamante fora two-shot victory He joined Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy as the only players with at least three wins, with one of thosefor Griffin ateamevent in New Orleans at the Zurich Classic. Griffin, playing forthe second timesince his Ryder Cup debut, ranoff fivestraight birdiesstarting at No.8 Griffin moves to acareer-best No.9inthe world ranking.
Rai edges pastFleetwood in Abu Dhabi playoff
Credit to the victorsfor not suffering losses that could have greatly damagedtheir chances of making the College Football Playoff and their standing in my poll. But sometimes, at least in this humble author’sopinion, even close wins can be slightly detrimental to ateam’sranking.
Here’smylatest AP Top25 poll following an exciting weekend in college football.
My Week 11 AP Top25 poll
1. Texas A&M, 2. Indiana, 3. Ohio State,4.Alabama, 5. Georgia, 6. Texas Tech, 7. Notre Dame, 8. Ole Miss, 9. Oklahoma, 10. Oregon, 11. Utah, 12. BYU, 13. Miami, 14. Southern Cal, 15. Texas, 16. Louisville, 17. Vanderbilt, 18. Michigan,19. Tennessee, 20. Iowa, 21. Illinois, 22. Georgia Tech, 23. Missouri, 24. Cincinnati, 25. Pittsburgh
Just missed: Houston, Virginia, Washington, South Florida Anew No.1
It’ssafe to say the margin be-
tween TexasA&M andIndiana shrank for me after the Hoosiers nearlylost to 3-5 Penn State. Granted, it was only Indiana’s second close game this season, butafter the Aggiesdominated a solid Missouri team on the road Saturday,itwas just enough for me to flip those two in my poll. Neither team has lost, but both sides now have near defeatsto subpar teams. For Indiana, it was this Saturday, while Texas A&M had aclose affair with Arkansas. Arkansas is probably worse than theNittany Lions, but you could also say that Indiana was much closer to defeat than the Aggies were in their game.
That fairly even trade-off helps accentuate A&M’sstrength over Indiana: its bevy of impressive wins.
Between Indianaand Texas A&M, the Aggies own thestrongest win (Notre Dame on the road) and have amoreimpressive collection of dominant victories (Missouri on the road, LSU on theroad andMississippi State at home, which has played most teamsclose).
Ialso don’tthink Indiana’smassive win over Oregon aged well this week,after theDucks barely beat Iowa. Either way,all of this is to say that Ibarely have Texas A&M ahead of Indiana for thetop spot in my poll.
ACCchaos
Louisville was my top-ranked
ACC team heading intothis week. Butafter theCardinals lost to amiddling-at-best California team at home, Isomehow have theseventh-place team in the conference (Miami) with the highest ranking in my poll.
The six teams ahead of the Hurricanes in theconference standings are Georgia Tech, Virginia, Pittsburgh, SMU, Duke and Louisville. Georgia Tech only has one loss, but it fell to middling NC State and is severely lacking aquality win. Virginia also lost to NC State and dropped another contest this week to Wake Forest. Pittsburgh is on afive-gamewinning streak but lacks agood win and lost to lowly West Virginia. AndDuke dropped itsthird nonconference gameonSaturday to UConn. Louisville and SMU beat Miami, but theCardinals lost despitehaving amajor time-zone advantage over California, and SMU has defeatstoWake Forest and Baylor.Those losses dropped bothteams behind Miami, although the margin between Louisville and Miami, admittedly,is close.
Miami is pretty flawed —especially on offense —but itswin over Notre Dame is still more impressive than anything anyone else in theconference has done, and its two losses didn’tcome against bad teams. It’sgoing to be atall climb for the Hurricanes to makethe playoff, since their
pathtothe ACC title gameisnarrow,but Istill think they’re the best team in avery flawed and chaotic conference.
Othernotes
Pittsburgh squeaked by Houston for thelastspotinmypoll, and the differencebetween the two sides mostly came down to one team. Oddly enough, both teams have losttoWestVirginia.And though thedefeatswereugly, Houston’s losstothe Mountaineers was uglier.Unlike with Pittsburgh, Houstonfell to West Virginia by two scores at home. The Panthers, at least, were on theroad and lost by just seven. Apoint in Houston’sfavor is that it probably has the best win between the two sides, having beaten Arizona State away from home. Butthatwasn’tenough to make up forthe West Virginia defeat or the fact that the Cougarshave had acouple of close calls against weak competition (Oregon State andUCF).
Istill want to seePittsburgh earn that signature win, but itsonly otherlosscameto Louisville by atouchdown. Meanwhile,Houston wasalso soundly beatenbyTexas Tech, admittedly abetterteam than Louisville, but still worth noting nevertheless.
Email Koki RileyatKoki. Riley@theadvocate.com.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates AaronRai of England overcame ashockingshort miss with apair of late birdies fora5-under 67 and beat Tommy Fleetwood (66) on the first playoffhole with a10-foot birdie putttowin theAbu Dhabi Championship. Rai returnedfrom atwo-month break to win for the first time this year andpickuphis thirdEuropean tour title— hisfirst on the tour sincedefeating Fleetwood in the 2020 Scottish Open. He wonthe Wyndham Championship in August 2024 for his first PGA Tour title. Rory McIlroystartedthe back nine at YasLinks withfive straight birdies and closed with a 62, matching hislow score on the European tour
Oladipo joins Milwaukee’s NBA GLeague affiliate
OSHKOSH, Wis. Two-time All-Star guardVictorOladipo,who hasn’t played in the NBAsince suffering amajor injuryin2023, hasjoined the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBAG League affiliate.
The Wisconsin Herd announced Sunday they had added the 33-year-old Oladipo to their roster The Herd acquired Oladipo from the SantaCruz Warriors after he hadentered theNBA GLeague’s player pool.
Oladipo tore his leftpatellar tendon while playing forthe Miami Heat in a2023 first-round playoff series with the Bucks. Oladipo hasn’tbeen in the NBA since, though he appeared in some NBA preseason games this year while playing for the Chinese Basketball Association’sGuangzhou LoongLions.
Kelly’s attorneys further claimed LSU officials confirmed Kelly was fired without cause duringa phone call Oct. 27 with Ausberry,Cromer and Kelly’s representatives.The letter said LSU “intended to honor the terms of the agreement pertainingtotermination without cause.”
LSUhas notput Kelly’s termination in writing with negotiations ongoing, sources said, so it is continuing to payhim in monthly installments
During the Oct. 26 meeting, Woodward said LSUwantedto enternegotiationstopay Kelly alump-sum payment of $25 million instead of the fullbuyout, the letter said. LSU offered“one or more accelerated payments,” documents said, and the elimination of mitigation or offset language that would reducethe cost of the buyout if Kelly gets another job in football. Later that day,documents said, Cromer raised the offer to $30 million over two installments with the removal of mitigation or offset clauses. LSU hasnot put Kelly’s termination in writingwithnegotiations ongoing, sources said, so it is continuing to pay himinmonthly installments. It couldcomplicate the situation that Woodward and LSU parted ways Oct. 30, aday after Gov. Jeff Landrycriticizedhim andsaid hewould nothireLSU’s next football coach. Landry called Kelly’sbuyout a“liability.”
Former LSU coach Brian Kelly walks onto the field during agame against Ole Miss onSept.27at Vaught-HemingwayStadium in Oxford,Miss.
grounds for the termination. Kelly would then have seven days to respond. His attorneys saidinthe letter LSU did notsatisfy those requirements and addeditwould be “entirelybaseless” if LSU asserted cause for firing him.
“LSU hasnot asserted at any time thatcoach Kelly was terminated for cause, or that any potential justificationfor sucha termination exists,” the letter states.
While Landry claimed Louisiana taxpayers couldbeonthe hook for the money,Carmouche said at anews conference, “the state has never —the taxpayershave never— paid fora coachand never will.”
Carmouche, the head of theLSU board’sathletics committee, is a key figure in the negotiationson LSU’sside. Alocal trialattorney, he hasexperiencenegotiating multi-milliondollarsettlements.
Kelly’scontract states that if he were to be fired for cause, LSU would have to provide written notice anda statement on the
Afterhewas informed of the intention to fire him on Oct. 26, Kelly sent an emailtoLSU athletic officials at 5:43 p.m. In part, he said he is “open to your desire to reach asettlement of what’sowed to me underthe contract, although of course it would have to make sense financially.”
LSU signed Kelly to a10-year deal worth morethan $100 million when it hiredhim away from Notre Dame at theend of the2021 regular season. If paid in full, hisbuyout would be the secondlargestincollege football history behind the$76 million thatTexas A&M paid Jimbo Fisher
Big Ten: USC’sfakepunt was unsportsmanlike ROSEMONT,Ill. Southern California should have been assessed an unsportsmanlike conductpenalty duringits gameagainst Northwestern forhaving areserve quarterback whoexecuted afake punt wear the samenumber as the Trojans’regular punter,the BigTen announced Sunday Early in the second quarter of Friday’sgameinLos Angeles, third-string quarterback Sam Huard linedupinthe punter’sspot wearing jersey No.80onafourthand-6 play.Hetook the long snap and completed apass to Tanook Hines fora10-yard gain. The Trojansscored five plays later and won38-17.
SamJohnson,the Trojans’ regular punter whowears No.80, punted for thefirst time on thenext possession.
By The Associated Press
BERLIN Jonathan Taylor completed a244-yard rushing day with an 8-yard touchdown run in overtime to give the Indianapolis Colts a31-25 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in the first regular-season NFL game in Berlin, Germany
It was Taylor’sthird touchdown of the game and came after Colts kicker Michael Badgley tied the game with a44-yard field goal with 25 seconds left Tyler Allgeier’s second touchdownwas a1-yardplunge that give the Falcons a25-22lead with 1:44 left in regulation. That was after Taylor hadput the Colts in front 22-17 withan83yard touchdown run on the previous drive. It was the longest run of the season in the NFL. Daniel Jones’ pass attempt on the2-point conversion was batted down On the big play, Taylorran into traffic up the middle, bounced out to the left and sprinteddown the sideline into the end zone. The score moved himpastHallof Famer Edgerrin James for most rushingtouchdowns (65) in Colts history
JETS 27, BROWNS 20: In East Rutherford, New Jersey,New York got touchdowns on akickoff return and apunt return in the same game for the first time in franchise history,Breece Hall took ascreen pass from Justin Fields 42 yards for the go-ahead score and the Jets held on to defeat the Cleveland Browns.
Five days after trading cornerback Sauce Gardnerand defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in stunning moves, the Jets cameoff their bye-week break to win their second game in arow Kene Nwangwu returned akickoff 99 yards for atouchdown in the first quarter and momentslater, Isaiah Williams brought back a punt 74 yards for ascore. The Jets had one previous game with two kickoffs returned for scores and
another with two punts returned forTDs.But neverone of each in thesame game.
BEARS 24, GIANTS 20: In Chicago, CalebWilliams threw atouchdown pass and scrambled for ago-ahead score in the fourth quarter,helpingthe ChicagoBearsbeat Jaxson Dart and theNew York Giants.
LedbyWilliams, Chicago scored the last 14 points after YounghoeKoo’s19-yard field goal gave New York a20-10 lead with 10:19 left.C.J.Gardner-Johnson had two sacksfor the Bears, includingone on Russell Wilson on akey third down in the final period.
TEXANS 36, JAGUARS 29: In Houston, Backup Davis Mills threw two touchdown passes in the final quarter andscrambled 14 yards for the go-ahead score with 31 seconds leftand theHouston Texans ralliedfrom a19-point fourth-quarter deficitfor thewin.
Mills threw for 292 yards and shook off aforgettable three quarters to lead the remarkable comeback while filling in for C.J. Stroud, who was out after suffering acon-
cussion last week. The Jaguars (5-4) weretrying to getinto field-goal range after thescore by Mills,but Trevor Lawrencewas sacked by Will Anderson Jr.and fumbled.Sheldon Rankins recovered the ball and ran 32 yards for aTDtoseal the victory DOLPHINS 30, BILLS 13: In Miami Gardens, Florida,Tua Tagovailoa threwfor 173yards andtwo touchdowns, De’Von Achane addeda pair of rushing scoresand the Miami Dolphins beat theBuffalo Bills The Bills (6-3) had not lost to Miami sinceWeek 3ofthe 2022 season but cameout flat on Sunday Achane finished with 225 scrimmage yards and fourth-quarter touchdowns of 59 and 35 yards. Tagovailoa completed15of21 passes with twointerceptionsto give him aleague-leading 12 picks this season.
RAVENS27, VIKINGS 19: In Minneapolis,Lamar Jackson played it patient and smart in his second gameback from injury,and Baltimore continued their defensive
resurgence to beat Minnesota. Malaki Starks and Marlon Humphrey each intercepted deep passes by J.J. McCarthy,whose touchdown throw to Jalen Nailor with 3:19 left cut Baltimore’slead to one possession but was too little, too late for mistake-prone Minnesota.
The Ravens turned three takeaways, including afumbled kickoff return early in the third quarterbyrookie MylesPrice, into13 points to keep their climbbackinto theAFC North race going after a 1-5 start.
Aftertrailing10-9athalftime, following theirfirsthalfwithout atouchdown in 21 games with Jackson as the starter,the Ravens leaned harder on their rushing attack in the second half to wear down aVikings defense that fared well withlittle help from the offense.
PATRIOTS28, BUCCANEERS 23: In Tampa,Florida, TreVeyon Henderson had touchdown runs of 69 and 55 yards, Drake Maye threw two TD passes,and theNew England beat TampaBay fortheir seventh straight win.
After Maye threw an interceptioninthe end zone, thePatriots (82) made abig stop on fourth-and-3 at their own 27. Hendersonthen sealed the winwith his 69-yard TD run.
The rookie finished with acareer-high 147 yards rushing on 14 carries.
The Buccaneers (6-3) were the first team in NFLhistory to have each of their first four wins of the season come on agame-winning score in the finalminute of regulation.
SEAHAWKS 44, CARDINALS22: In Seattle,DeMarcusLawrence returned twofumblesfor touchdowns during adominant first half for Seattle, who beat Arizona.
NFC West-leading Seattle(72) beatits division rival forthe ninth straight time dating to 2021, andthis onewas hardly competitive.
SamDarnold rolledout to his
leftand found Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a43-yard touchdown on the first drive of the game. It only got worse forthe Cardinals (3-6) from there. On Arizona’sfirst possession, Tyrice Knight walloped quarterback JacobyBrissett andjarred the ballloose. Lawrence scooped it up off abounce and ran untouched 34 yards foratouchdown.
A9-yard rushing touchdown by George Holani gave the Seahawks 21 points in the first quarter,which equaledthe franchise scoring recordfor the opening period.Seattle also scored 21 points in the first quarter of a44-13 rout of the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 21.
RAMS 42, 49ERS 26: In Santa Clara, Matthew Stafford threwfour touchdown passes to give him the most in athree-game span in Rams history and Los Angeles beat San Francisco for afourth straight victory
Kyren Williams added two touchdown runs for Rams, who avengeda home loss in overtime to the 49ers (6-4) in Week 5toremain in atie forfirst with Seattleinthe NFCWest.
Stafford and the passing game have been abig reason forthe success as he leadsthe NFLwith25 touchdown passesand has20TD passes with no interceptions in the past six games.
LIONS44, COMMANDERS 22: In Landover,Maryland, Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions do not lose consecutive games, so as the head coach seemingly took over play-calling Sunday,Jared Goff threw three TD passes and Jahmyr Gibbs found the end zonethree times in abounce-back win over Washington in front of President Donald Trump.
With Trump watching from a suite after arriving late in the first half —making him the first sitting U.S. president at aregular-season NFLgame since 1978, and just the third ever —the Lions (6-3) scored the first 22 pointsand never looked back.
BY STEVE MEGARGEE
AP sportswriter
GREEN BAY, Wis. The Green Bay Packers’ playoff lossto the Philadelphia Eagles last season offered astark reminder of howfar they must go to catch up with the NFL’s top teams.
Tenmonths later,the Packers will get an indicationof how far they’ve come since. Green Bay hosts Philadelphia on Monday night after losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles twice last season. The Packers opened their 2024 campaign with a3429 loss to the Eagles in Brazil before falling to them 22-10 at Philadelphia in an NFC wildcard playoff game
“Obviously,two losses against them last year,soit’s going to be atest,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “We know that.”
Both teams are on pace to return to the playoffs
The Packers (5-2-1) gained star power since that postseason loss by acquiring defensive end Micah Parsons from
Continued from page1B
remarkably quick time,” Tommy Coleman told me for acolumn Iwrote in 2015. “Paul was really the inspiration behind it all. He’sreally aphenomenal guy.Hedidn’twant to see anything happen to the franchise in New Orleans. He made it happen.” Ever the diplomat, Tagliabue expertly handled the politically sensitive situation. Privately,he worked behind the scenes to steer the Saints back to New Orleans after the club’srelocation to San Antonio, Texas, after Katrina. Publicly,hedefended Benson and had the owner’sback after fans in
the Dallas Cowboys shortly before theseason.Green Bay leads the NFCNorth but has endured surprising losses to the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers.
“I think they play hard,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.
“They play with good fundamentals. They have good schemes withgood, talented players. Alot of respect. Alot of good players throughout every layer of their defense, alot of good playersthrough every layer of their offense and specialteams.”
Philadelphia (6-2) owns acommanding lead inthe NFC East and shares the conference’sbestrecord with TampaBay,Seattleand the Los Angeles Rams. With such acrowd of teams at the top of the NFC standings, this game could helpdetermineplayoff positioning. Forthe Packers, it’s also ameasuringstick Eagles’new faces
The Eagleswerebusy around thetrade deadline and added some key piec-
the city pilloried him for his post-Katrina flirtations with San Antonio.
“Peoplelike to fit others with black hats or white hats in life,when Ihave found there are usually more shades of gray to everyone,” he said in ameeting withthe Times-Picayune editorial board in 2005. Tagliabue fell in love with New Orleans in the early 1960s whenhis Georgetown Hoyas basketball team played in the Sugar BowlClassic basketball tournament. He grew to love the spirit, passion and culture of the city and South Louisiana. He developed an affinity for Cajun Zydeco music and returned to the area often after he retired as commissioner in 2006. He even took atour of the
es, including edge rusher Jaelan Phillips from Miami. They also landed two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire AlexanderfromBaltimore.Alexander played seven years with thePackers beforehis stint with the Ravens this season. The trio of bye-week trades started with theacquisition of nickel cornerback Michael Carter II from theNew York Jets. Brandon Graham also returned to the Eagles after the 37-year-old defensive end concluded hisbrief retirement. Graham has761/2 career sacks to rank third in team history
Tush push drama Green Bay was the team thatproposed aban on the tushpush that the Eagles have used so effectively in shortyardage situations for years. Aban on offensive players pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping or encirclinga runner was supported by a22-10 vote —two votes short of the three-quarters majority required under league bylaws.
Tabascoplant in Avery Island. “Paul was agreat friend, notonlytomeand my husband, Tom, but also to the city of New Orleans, hosting three SuperBowls during histenure,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said in astatement. On avisit to New Orleansyears after Katrina, Tagliabue haddinnerwith Gary Solomon,the CEO of CrescentBankand Trust, who was one of the power brokers in attendanceat the 2006 summitmeeting at Coleman’s camp.Solomon asked Tagliabue why it meantsomuch to him to ensure New Orleans’ recovery from Katrina “He told me, ‘My daddy taught me neverturn a back on your friend,’” Solomon said.
exactly where I’m at.”
Orleans, Kamara
Neal 4-22, Hill 7-20, Shough 4-(minus 3). Carolina, Dowdle 18-53, Hubbard 3-14, Young 2-6. PASSING—New Orleans, Shough 19-27-0282, Hill 0-1-0-0. Carolina, Young 17-25-1124. RECEIVING—New Orleans, Olave 5-104, Johnson 4-92, Kamara 3-32, Neal 3-9, Moreau 2-16, Vele 1-15, Mitchell-Paden
1-14. Carolina, McMillan 5-60, Sanders 5-32, Coker 3-21, Dowdle 3-10, Hubbard 1-1.
PUNT RETURNS—New Orleans, Pettis 2-8. Carolina, Etienne 2-15.
KICKOFF RETURNS—New Orleans, Pettis
1-31. Carolina, Hubbard 3-78, Etienne 1-30.
TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS—New Orleans, McKinstry 4-2-0, Taylor 4-1-0, Werner 3-3-0, Riley 3-0-0, D.Davis 2-5-0, Bresee 2-2-0, Jordan 2-0-1, Shepherd 2-0-1, Reid 1-4-0, C.Young 1-2-0, Stutsman 1-1-0, Granderson 1-0-0, Godchaux 0-2-0, Sanker 0-2-0, Stalbird 0-2-0, Bullard 0-1-0. Carolina, Moehrig
6-1-0, Smith-Wade 6-0-0, Scott 4-2-0, D.Brown 3-6-0, Wallace 3-1-1, Wharton 2-50, Wonnum 2-4-0, Scourton 2-2-1, Robinson
2-2-0, Rozeboom 2-2-0, Ja.Horn 2-1-0, Umanmielen 2-1-0, Cherelus 1-2-0, Ransom 1-1-0, M.Jackson 1-0-0, Gipson 0-1-0. INTERCEPTIONS—New Orleans, Taylor 1-11. Carolina, None. MISSED FIELD GOALS—Carolina, Fitzgerald
48. OFFICIALS—Referee Brad Allen, Ump Marcus Woods, HL Sarah Thomas, LJ Walter Flowers, FJ Rick Patterson, SJ Chad Hill, BJ Tyree Walton, Replay Kevin Brown.
Continued from page 1B
second victory of the season — and the team’s first with Shough under center
The Saints now enter the bye week with a 2-8 record, and for the first time all season, the Saints played true complementary football. The defense shut down the league’s hottest running back in Rico Dowdle and forced two turnovers. The offensive line and the Saints’ running backs imposed a physicality upfront that allowed the black and gold to run out the final 7:35 of the game clock But little mattered more than Shough. He was always going to be the main focus over the back half of the Saints’ season. The Saints have to find out whether he can be a franchise quarterback, or whether they’d be better off using what will likely be a high pick in the draft on another signal-caller
Beating the Panthers (5-5) may not provide a definite answer to that question, but Shough’s outing — 282 yards for two touchdowns on 19-of-27 passing — was impressive, nonetheless.
“Tyler took an awesome step (in his second start),” Moore said.
“He’s been playing well,” Johnson said. “That’s really encouraging.” The most encouraging aspect
BY MATTHEW PARAS AND LUKE JOHNSON Staff writers
CHARLOTTE,N.C. The last time Cam Jordan was at Bank of America Stadium was one of his darkest days with the New Orleans Saints.
He played a career low 10 snaps and was so frustrated that he was captured wandering almost aimlessly outside the locker room after the game. His team had just lost to the Carolina Panthers, their seventh straight defeat of the season. And coach Dennis Allen was fired the next day
“Top 3 (lowest) moment, sure,”
Jordan said Thursday
His next time at Bank of America Stadium was a different story
Jordan recorded his 125th career sack in Sunday’s game against the Panthers, putting him half a sack behind Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney on the all-time list — something Jordan was well-aware of.
“I grew up idolizing the spin move guy, so I really wanted that next one,” Jordan said. “I know
of Shough’s performance might have been what he was able to do on third down — an area that had been a lost cause for the Saints for most of this season, particularly outside short-yardage situations Against Carolina, Shough went 7 of 10 for 201 yards on third down with both of his touchdowns. He converted even on plays that appeared dead on arrival, such as when he danced around the oncoming pass rush to find Johnson for a 52-yard strike on New Orleans’ opening drive
Shough’s willingness to push the ball downfield helped the Saints offset what the team lost days earlier at the NFL trade deadline. By sending wide receiver Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks and guard Trevor Penning to the Los Angeles Chargers, one of the more pressing questions regarding the Saints is whether the moves would hurt the quarterback’s chances to develop.
But the Saints felt confident they had enough talent to get a fair evaluation of Shough — and that looked to be the case Sunday It helps, for instance, to still have Chris Olave With 9:21 left in the second quarter, Shough saw a streaking Olave in one-on-one coverage against cornerback Jaycee Horn down the sideline and ripped off a pass that traveled 55.6 yards through the air Olave outmus-
Jordan’s sack — his third-and-ahalf of the year — Sunday came with 5:32 left in the first half. The 36-year-old beat Panthers left tackle Ikem Ekwonu on an inside move to get a clean hit on quarterback Bryce Young The play resulted in a 9-yard loss for Carolina.
The hit was part of a strong overall performance from the Saints’ defensive line. New Orleans had two sacks and sped up Carolina’s offense throughout the game. Jordan began the season as a main part of the Saints’ defense, but he’s been relegated to a more rotational role since Chase Young returned from a calf injury in Week 6. Even then, the 15-year vet has found ways to contribute — with his sack on BryceYoung being the latest example. It was also his first sack since New Orleans’ Week 4 loss to Buffalo.
Blocked kick explained
For a moment, the Saints looked like they’d made a huge play to preserve a 10-7 lead when Nathan Shepherd got his hand on a 48-yard field goal attempt with 6:29 remaining in the third quarter
Then the officiating crew reviewed what happened after the block during the ensuing com-
celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers during the first half on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C.
cled Horn to complete the catch — proceeding to take it to the house for a 62-yard score to give the Saints a 10-7 lead, their first in a game since Week 6. The touchdown was rewarding for Olave who suffered a season-ending concussion just a year ago on this field but it also said a lot about Shough. Not only did the throw demonstrate Shough’s aggression, but it also showed what he could do
mercial break. They saw Jordan attempt to fall on the ball and not maintain possession beyond the line of scrimmage, and they saw the Panthers recover and they determined the Panthers retained possession upon the recovery
Speaking to a pool reporter after the game, NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth explained the ruling.
“The ruling on the field was a failed fourth down,” Butterworth said. “We go back and doublecheck everything. (Jordan) touches the ball past the line of scrimmage, and once the defense touches a blocked kick past the line of scrimmage, the ball becomes live after he touches it.
“When it becomes live, whoever recovers it, it’s a first and 10.”
The failed recovery ultimately didn’t matter: Four plays later, Carolina fumbled the ball on an end-around, and Saints linebacker Pete Werner recovered.
After the game, Jordan owned up to the mistake.
“I didn’t know where the ball was,” Jordan said “First instinct is to secure the ball, and then I was skidding on the turf. You’re supposed to get out of the way, but the reaction made me head towards the ball.”
with a clean pocket.
For most of the afternoon, Shough was under duress and navigated hectic pockets with the Saints deploying three backup offensive linemen. The rookie quarterback slipped and weaved his way through traffic, taking only two sacks.
In a way however Shough’s ability to handle Carolina’s pressure was also a sign of growth.
In training camp, the 26-yearold looked a step slow when tasked with diagnosing blitzes. While that could be expected of most rookies, it was one of the reasons that Shough wasn’t named the starter out of the gate with Spencer Rattler winning the summer’s quarterback competition.
But over the course of the season, Shough improved — and his coaches and teammates saw it.
Each week on the scout team, Shough would be asked to handle the planned blitzes and pressures that defensive coordinator Brandon Staley would scheme up for the upcoming game. And although Shough wasn’t running New Orleans’ exact playbook in this setting, the chaos created on these plays made Shough comfortable facing the speed of an NFL pass rush.
“I’ve been watching him closely, trying to see what type of quarterback he is,” Olave said. “He excels in the scramble drill.” Added Johnson: “People don’t re-
The hit that left Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough needing therapeutic needles to ease the pain in his jaw last week resulted in a hefty fine for Los Angeles Rams pass rusher Byron Young The NFL fined Young $8,417 for the hit, in which the crown of his helmet connected with Shough’s jawline. Young recorded a sack on the play, but was penalized for unnecessary roughness, prolonging a drive that would ultimately end in a Shough touchdown pass. Officially, the fine was for a “blow to the head/neck.” After the game, Shough laughed the play off, describing it as his “welcome to the NFL moment.”
Odds and ends
Tight end Jack Stoll was not active for Sunday’s game, the only one of the Saints’ five questionable players not to suit up. With Stoll out, Zaire Mitchell-Paden made his Saints debut After two straight weeks of winning the coin toss and receiving the opening kick, the Saints won the toss and deferred this week Veteran Dante Pettis handled punt and kick return duties after the team traded Rashid Shaheed to Seattle this week.
alize how athletic he is.”
It was encouraging for the Saints that Shough seemed to take lessons from his first start, a beatdown against the Los Angeles Rams just one week ago. And unlike last week, the quarterback also received considerable support from his teammates.
The defense never appeared to get fazed, even when the unit seemed headed for another long day after Demario Davis’ interception was wiped out by a penalty and Carolina went on to score on its opening drive.
The Saints always responded. There was Pete Werner’s fumble recovery, just two plays after officials ruled the Panthers recovered a blocked field goal that New Orleans accidentally touched once the ball hit the ground. There was cornerback Alontae Taylor’s interception, which set up Shough’s pivotal, game-sealing drive.
Afterward, Shough nodded his head when it was pointed out that he was the Saints’ first rookie quarterback to win a start since 1981.
“I think it was Archie (Manning), right?” Shough said.
It was actually Dave Wilson, reporters corrected quickly But it’s OK if Shough doesn’t know the exact history of the Saints. As long as he keeps this up, he’ll be around long enough to learn.
Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com
1
TYLER SHOUGH LOOKED LIKE QB1
In his second startsince taking over for Spencer Rattler,Shough commanded the office with poise and command, while completing 19 of 27 passes for 282 yards and twotouchdowns.His passerrating was anifty 128.9. Most of all, he injected some muchneeded juice into the passing attack by connecting with Chris Olave,Juwan Johnson and AlvinKamara forbig-play passes of 61, 52 and 26 yards,respectively. He added a30-yard touchdown pass to Johnson that essentially sealed the outcome. Shough also showed moxie. On the big completion to Johnson, he eluded pressure and kept his eyes downfield to find thetight end forabig gain.
THEDEFENSE DOMINATED
2
In their most dominant overall performance of the season, the Saints held the Panthers to season lows of 175 yardsand 7points. Carolina averaged just 3.5 yardsaplayand converted only 3of9 third downs.The Saints heldBryce young to 124 passing yardsand shut down the Panthers’ vaunted running game, holding Carolina to 73 yardson32carries.Theyonly surrendered one runofmore than 10 yards, a13-yarder by Rico Dowdle early in the game. It was atotal team effort, led by Demario Davis (seventackles, pass defensed and an overturnedinterception) and Alontae Taylor (interception, pass defensed and tackle for loss).
The Saints entered the game witha fourgame losing streak, and theylooked and playedlikea desperate team.After falling into an early 7-0hole, the Saints playedinspired football and stormedback to takea10-7halftime lead, only their second lead at the intermission this season. The momentum carried over to the second half as the Saints dominated playonboth sides of the balland playedwith an energyand enthusiasm that was evident in their bodylanguage. The Saints were the hungrier team on Sunday, and theysure played likeit.
With win, Saints provethey’re stilla proud defense
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. Here was an interestingdevelopment for ateamthat has spent most of the last two monthstrying and failing to win footballgames: The New Orleans Saints played witha sense of togetherness at the exacttime everyone expected them to fall apart It was earlier in the week when the Saints shipped off two of their starting players at the trade deadline. They entered Sunday’sgame with a1-8 record, with the last three losses making them look like ateam closetofalling apart. And then they aligned as one andpunched an ascending Carolina Panthers team in the mouth.
Carolina mustered just 175 net yards against the Saints defense.Running back Rico Dowdle, who’drushedfor more than650 yards in the previous five games, managed just 53 yards and 2.9 yards per carry against New Orleans. With the run game shut down, Bryce Young looked flustered against the Saints rush.
“We’ve been talkingabout it and it came to fruition today: We played together,” said safety Justin Reid. “We played disciplined football. Guys stayed in their gap; it wasgap sound, and we trusted each other.Guys played fast.”
The performance against the run wasespecially impressive.Dowdle had come into Sunday’scontest having rushed for 206, 183and 130 yards in recent weeks, and he looked like he might be on track for another big performance early.Hepunctuated the Panthers’ opening drive witha 5-yard touchdown run, then opened the ensuing Panthers drivewith a14-yarder Hislongest run after that went for just4yards.
“Great player; you look athis film, he’smakingexplosives allover the tape,” said Saints defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd. “Wejust kind of told ourselves as adefense, hey,not one of us can go stop him, butwe’ve got to stop him with all 11.” With the run game snuffedout, the Saints zeroed their sights in on Young. The former No. 1pick found very lit-
The last time the New Orleans Saints made the trip to Charlotte, they lost their head coach
This time, they have found their quarterback.
All the talk of the Saints tanking this season and selecting another quarterback in April was likely put to rest Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. The Tyler Shough-Spencer Rattler debatesare over now, too.
Shough, in his second NFL start, showed why he is the guy Kellen Moore coveted with the 40th draft pick in April
ASSOCIATED
Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor, right, celebrates intercepting apass intended for
wide receiverTetairoa McMillan during the second half Sunday in Charlotte, N.C.
tle room to breathe againstthe Saints, who brought consistent pressure and stayed glued to the Carolina pass catchers in theback end. All11were consistently doing their job, even when theywere getting in their own way.New Orleans committed severalpenalties that nullified third-down stops, including one roughing penalty on Reid that negated aDemario Davis interception. Those types of miscues have sunk this Saints team at times thisseason, but not Sunday
The buy-in came from everyone, including (and maybe especially) from those who weren’tsurethey’d be there.
AlontaeTaylorstood behind alectern at BankofAmerica Stadium and acknowledged the truth: Earlier this week, he had no idea wherehe’d be playing onSunday It comes with the territory fora talentedyoung player on an expiring contract whoisplaying for ateam that had won just one of its first nine games. He woke up on Tuesday morn-
ing as aSaint, but as the day stretched toward the 3p.m.trade deadline, he had several conversations with his agent about the possibility that another team would trade for him. No deal was struck. Taylorremained with theSaints, then playeda central role in the club’sbestdefensive performance of theseason.
“I enjoy this group, Ienjoy this team. Iknowwe’re in arough patch right now,but Ilove going to work with these guys,”Taylor said. “I’m glad to be here, super excited tofinish out this season.”
Taylor picked off apassand contributed toanother turnover.Hemade five tacklesand atacklefor loss, andhe got intoYoung’shead when he showed pressureoff theedge. “Bigtime,” Reidsaid. “Just ahuge performance by him. And he’s capable of doing thatevery week. That’s the type of player he is. I’msoproud of him that he was able to shine like that, and when we come back from this bye week, the first thing I’m going to tell
him is we need moreofit.”
Remember the season opener last year, when Taylor sacked Youngthree times in ablowout Saints win? That memory mayhave lingered when Young saw Taylor walk up to the line of scrimmage with 13 minutesleft, the Saints leading 10-7.
But instead of blitzing, Taylor quickly dropped back into the flat. Young either didn’tsee him or made apoor decision. Either way,Taylor made an easy interception,setting up theoffense’sfinal touchdown drive of the game.
“I made alittle bold move myself going super close to the line of scrimmage, but Iknew what my job was and trusted everybody else around me,” Taylor said.
That was the name of this game for theSaints this Sunday:Whenthe world thinks you’refalling apart,show them howmuchyou trust theguys next to you.
“Everybodywas doingtheir job… and when you do that good things happen,” Taylor said.
Rod Walker
Yes, Iknow what you’re thinking.
“Slow your roll. It’sjust onegame.” But Shough displayed everything you need to see in the Saints’ 17-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Big arm. Check. Poise under pressure. Check Accuracy Check. (See the throw of him threading the needle on adartto Devaughn Vele.) Decision making. Check (See him not taking asafety and throwing the ball at the feet of Devin Neal when trapped in the end zone.)
This time aweek ago, there were still some questions. Shoughwas
averageatbest in his debut against theLos Angeles Rams.But one thing we knew after that game was that Shough wouldn’t see adefense as goodasthe Rams the rest of the season. Last week, Moore threw Shough into the deep end of the pool against one of the NFL’s best defenses.That mostcertainly made things easier for Shough when thewater was abit shallower. The Panthers(55) aren’t theRams,but they aren’t pushovers either.Just aweek ago, Carolina went to Lambeau Field and beat the Packers Shough completed 19 of 27 passes for 282yards and apair of touchdowns. He did his bestwork on third downs, hitting on 7of10passes for 201 yards and both touchdowns. Shough was sacked twice, including the first timehedropped back to pass. But it wasthe sack that he avoided on the very next play that really set the tone. Shough eluded a sack and found Juwan Johnson for a 52-yard completion to get hisbig day started. He also connected on a62yard touchdownpass to Chris Olave. “He’sahelluva player,” said Olave. No rookie quarterback since Dave Wilson in 1981 had won agame for
theSaints. He’ll get plentymore chances to win more. He might not have to wait long, with theback half of the Saints’ schedule alot lighter than the front half. Teams like the up-and-down Atlanta Falcons and the struggling New York Jets, MiamiDolphins and Tennessee Titansare on the schedule after the upcoming bye week. It seems fitting that the Saints got someanswers about their futureon thesame field they closed the book on their past. This time ayear ago, the Saints lost to thePanthers at BankofAmerica Stadium and fired Dennis Allen the very next day.Itwas thestartofthe team hittingthe reset button.They hired Moore in theoffseason, and Moore, in turn, drafted Shough.
On Sunday,Moore and Shough became the first rookie quarterback and first-year coach duo to win agame in franchise history While Shough’sdecision-making Sunday was solid, there were times when his coach’sdecisions were not Tengames into the season, and it’s still hard to tell at times if Mooreis conservative or ariverboat gambler He goes for it on fourth down when you thinkheshouldn’t, and other times he doesn’tgofor it when you
think he should. But it didn’tmatter on aday when the Saints (2-8) were solid in all three phases of the game and snapped asix-gameroad losing streak.
“Itwas agreat feeling in the locker room with everybody dancing and having fun,” Shough said. “For me, it’sjust been so funlearning every day,each weekthe formula forsuccess.”
Shough’stime cameabit sooner than expected. The best guess here was that Moore would wait until after next week’s bye to start Shough. Moore decided not to wait any longer after Rattler struggled to move the offense in Week 8against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At the time, most people (me included) figured the Saints would use the final nine games of the season to evaluate whether Shough is their quarterback of the future. Turns out, it maynot take that long to make that determination at all.
Sunday told us what we need to know
Ateam that has been trying to solidify its quarterback position ever since Drew Brees stepped out of the building mayhave finally found its guy Email RodWalkerat rwalker@theadvocate.com.
BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer
The high school football playoff pairings are out for the four select divisions in Louisiana.
Here’s what stood out for Baton Rouge area schools after the brackets and schedule were released.
Division I Select
The lone Baton Rouge area school to earn a bye into the regional round was Catholic (8-2, 5-0). The Bears ended the regular season on a five-game winning streak.
No. 4 Catholic also finished the regular season with a massive 41-7 win over Zachary The Bears will face the winner of No. 13 Hammond and No. 20 Captain Shreve. Liberty (6-4, 3-2) is the other Baton Rouge area school to make the Division I select playoffs. The Patriots moved up into the No. 21 seed and will go on the road to take on No. 12 Brother Martin
Division II Select
Two Baton Rouge-area schools earned a bye into the regional round in Division II Select.
No. 4 University High (8-2, 6-0) closed out the season winning its last six games, including a 14-8 win over Madison Prep to win the District 6-3A title.
The Cubs await the winner of No. 13 Booker T WashingtonShreveport and fellow local school No. 20 Istrouma. U-High’s defense
allowed more than 20 points in a game only once across the win streak.
No 5 Madison Prep (8-2, 5-1)
also earned a bye. Despite the loss to the Cubs, the Chargers ended the regular season with a 60-6 win over Helix Mentorship Academy
The defense pitched three shutouts this season, while the offense averaged 42.1 points per game. Madison Prep awaits the winner of No. 12 John F Kennedy and No. 21 Frederick A Douglass. Also making the playoffs in Di-
vision II select from the Baton Rouge area is No. 9 St. Michael, which will host No. 24 Loranger in the first round, and No. 18 Belaire, which takes on No. 15 Patrick Taylor Science/Tech.
Division III Select
Despite only slotting in at the No. 5 seed, Dunham is still positioned to make a run to the final after earning a bye. The Tigers (9-1, 6-0) won all of
their games by double digits, and were only held to less than 40 points once in their 27-21 loss to St. Charles. Dunham’s defense also held opponents to single digits or no points in six games. Dunham awaits the winner of No. 12 Northlake Christian and No. 21 St. Louis Catholic After a 1-3 start to the year, Parkview Baptist (5-5 4-2) closed out the season winning four of its past five games, not just to make
the playoffs, but to earn the right to host a first-round playoff game. The No 16 Eagles will take on No. 17 D’Arbonne Woods Charter in the opening round.
Another team that turned its season around was No. 15 Episcopal. The Knights started the season 1-4, before closing out the year winning four of five to finish 5-5, 4-2.
Episcopal will host No. 18 De La Salle. Other Baton Rouge area schools in the Division II Select playoffs are No. 24 Glen Oaks, which will face No. 9 Catholic-NI, and No 14 Slaughter Community Charter, which will play No. 19 Pope John Paul II.
Division IV Select
The team to watch in Division IV Select could be No. 5 Ascension Catholic (8-2, 5-0). The Bulldogs closed the season on a six-game winning streak behind a strong running game led by senior Trevin Simon.
Ascension Catholic will await the winner of No. 12 St. John and No 21 St. Mary’s. The Bulldogs defeated St. John 57-35 earlier in the year on the road. No 4 Catholic-PC (8-2, 4-2) also earned a bye and will play No. 13 Sacred Heart or No. 20 Westminster Christian-Lafayette
Other Baton Rouge-area schools in the bracket include No. 17 Ascension Christian, which will play No. 16 Opelousas Catholic, No. 11 Kentwood, which hosts No. 22 Vermillion Catholic and No. 10 Southern Lab, which faces No. 23 Central Catholic.
BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer
The high school football playoff pairings are out for the four select divisions in Louisiana.
Here’s what stood out for Baton Rouge-area schools after the brackets and schedule were released.
Division I Non-Select
One of the biggest risers entering the Division I non-select playoffs is No. 4 Denham Springs (8-2, 5-1). The Yellow Jackets ended the year on a six-game winning streak and, after Week 10, jumped from 11th in the power ratings to the No. 4 seed, earning the final bye of the bracket.
The Yellow Jackets will face the winner of No. 13 Zachary and No. 20 Salmen.
Central (8-2, 4-1) won its last three games and will begin its state title defense as the No 5 seed against fellow Baton Rouge area school, No. 28 Dutchtown.
The winner of Central-Dutchtown could face another Baton Rouge-area school, with No 12 East Ascension hosting No. 21
West Ouachita in the first round. No. 19 St Amant also made the playoffs and will face No. 14 Ouachita Parish. No. 25 Prairieville will head on the road to play No. 8 Southside.
Division II Non-Select
The two teams to watch here are the District 6-4A winner and the runner up. No. 5 Plaquemine (9-1, 8-0) is the highest-seeded Baton Rouge-area school and will face No. 28 Livonia. The Green Devils fell to Zachary 52-28 in Week 1 and won out the rest of the way No. 6 Brusly (9-1, 7-1) took its only loss to Plaquemine 20-12 earlier in the season. The Panthers will host No. 27 Albany Both the Green Devils and Brusly will face fellow Baton Rouge-area schools. No. 11 West Feliciana also made the playoffs and will host No. 22 Bossier No. 10 Lutcher will also host a playoff game against No. 23 Iota.
Division III Non-Select
No. 3 St. James earned a bye in the Division III non-select playoffs. The Wildcats will play the winner of No. 14 Many and No. 19
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Denham Springs linebacker Jackson Seguin, second from right, celebrates while running off the field after intercepting a St. Amant pass on Friday in Denham Springs. The yellow Jackets earned a No. 4 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Red River St. James closed out the year on a four-game winning streak. The Wildcats won their last four
games by an average margin of victory of 49 points. St. James also shut out its last two opponents and held the other two to
LHSAA PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PAIRINGS
less than 10 points. No. 15 Donaldsonville will host No. 18 Westlake in the first round. The Tigers (7-3, 1-2) started their season 5-0 but lost three of their last five games. No. 27 Port Allen will face No. 6 Oak Grove in the first round.
Division IV Non-Select No. 6 North Iberville (8-2, 3-2) will take on No. 27 Arcadia in the first round. The Bears have the highest seed of any Baton Rougearea school in the Division IV nonselect bracket.
North Iberville started the season 7-0 before a 50-28 loss to Ascension Catholic at home. The Bears lost two of their last three games, closing out the regular season with a narrow 25-24 loss to Ascension Christian on the road. No 7 East Feliciana will host No. 26 Delcambre. The Tigers (73, 5-1) were 5-1 before consecutive losses to Donaldsonville and Dunham. East Feliciana still managed to end the regular season on a high note with a 28-9 win over Baker and a 58-14 victory against Northeast in the regular-season finale.
BY MAURICIO SAVARESE AP sportswriter
SAO PAULO McLaren driver Lando Norris significantly extended his lead in the F1 championship after winning the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, with his main rival and teammate Oscar Piastri receiving a 10-second penalty and again failing to make the podium. Norris, who also won Saturday’s sprint race and started from pole position, earned his first win at Interlagos with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen second and third, respectively Norris, who also won the Mexican Grand Prix on Oct. 26, now has 390 points in the standings, with Piastri’s fifth place leaving him 24 points behind on 366 with three more races to go. Norris had led the Australian by one point at the start of the weekend and increased that lead to nine points after the sprint race. At a press conference after the race, Norris said that he doesn’t
feel he is now in a commanding position to win the title, calling it “just another weekend trying to win, get the most points I could.”
Piastri has struggled lately; he is now winless in six races and has not reached the podium since Monza in Italy two months ago when he finished third.
Four-time world champion Verstappen has 341 points in third place overall and has played down his title chances.
It was a frustrating weekend for Ferrari drivers. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton both failed to finished the race in Sao Paulo.
“It is a nightmare,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “It is a flip between the dream of driving for this amazing team and then the nightmare of the results.”
‘Still a long way to go’
Norris won his seventh race of the season, the same number as Piastri. Asked after the race how he managed to bounce back in the championship Norris replied:
“Just ignore everyone who talked
crap about you.” He added, “Still a long way to go (in the drivers’ championship), this could change so quickly.”
Piastri’s chances were hurt shortly after lap 8, when he made contact with Antonelli as they fought for second position. Piastri
pushed the Mercedes driver into Leclerc, who was forced to retire as a result. Piastri, who started the race in fourth spot, later received his time penalty for causing the collision.
“In my opinion, I had a very clear opportunity in the inside,” said Piastri, who argued he couldn’t have gone anywhere else when the contact took place. “I can’t just disappear.”
The next Grand Prix is in Las Vegas in two weeks’ time. Norris said he is not confident he and McLaren will compete for a win there.
“It was our worst race last year I can’t say I am looking forward to it,” Norris said. The 25-year-old Englishman dedicated his win to Indianapolis
“This
BY EDDIE PELLS Associated Press
Imagine an NBA where teams in the Eastern Conference have a salary cap twice as big as those in the West. In college basketball, it’s sort of like that with the added fact that, ultimately, nobody really knows what everyone else is spending.
With schools now allowed to shell out $20.5 million to their players this year, most are doling out the lion’s share to football players and giving whatever’s left to the hoops stars.
Some schools — think St. John’s, Gonzaga and Wichita State — don’t have to worry about football, which could expand their possibilities. Adding uncertainty to the arrangement is how the role of payments above and beyond the $20.5 million that come from third parties impact the competitive and financial balance
The 2025-26 hoops season is the first where we find out how big an impact these tilted salary caps might have on the hardwood. As the completely unpredictable football season has shown who foresaw Indiana, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt in the top 10 in late October? — anyone who thinks they have the answer to a still-evolving question involving name, image, likeness payments in hoops before the first ball is tipped is fooling themselves.
“The short answer is, it remains to be seen who are going to be the winners and who are going to be the losers in this system,” said Val Ackerman, the commissioner of the Big East, where only UConn plays football.
The ‘real’ salary cap
At some schools where some, or most, of the $20.5 million must be parceled out to football, the concern over basketball teams getting less of that pie doesn’t feel all that palpable. The main reason is because nobody really believes the $20.5 million is the real salary cap. Under terms of the House settlement, schools are allowed to share up to that amount with their players. But it did not do away with the option to provide thirdparty deals outside the school-toplayer payments. Those deals are subject to scrutiny from the College Sports Commission, though there is still uncertainty over what kind of deals it will approve. And though the CSC promised to add a level of transparency to the entire business of paying players, so far, most schools are operating in the dark.
“They deserve to be paid,” Villanova coach Kevin Willard said.
“Do we have the right system?
No. We don’t have any system And that’s why you have fans who embrace it and fans who hate it.”
Early on, the CSC tried to take a more restrictive approach to those deals — putting out guidance that third-party deals would not be approved if those parties were set up solely as a way to pay players After the plaintiffs in the House case challenged that, the CSC rewrote the guidance to set a more liberal standard.
“To understand what we need to do, yeah, understand the Big East, they have that advantage,” said Duke coach Jon Scheyer “Understand other schools, other conferences can make more money and all that. But I don’t spin my wheels on that too much, to be honest, because I think it’s a little bit of a waste of time.”
The best deals
This season rosters are also stacked with players whose deals were finalized before the House settlement, which meant the $20.5 million salary cap didn’t apply, and neither did the CSC’s oversight of the third-party deals.
Some of the more massive deals have gone to BYU recruit AJ Dybantsa, whose reported NIL haul of $5 million to $7 million with the school’s collective is less than the reported $10 million he’s receiving from the sports-merchandise company Fanatics.
Texas Tech’s JT Toppin received a reported $4 million NIL deal to stay with the Red Raiders after his successful sophomore season
The website 247 Sports put out a list of the 10 teams believed to be spending $10 million or more on their basketball rosters. Only one, St. John’s, came from a school that didn’t have football
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
Trey Murphy knew the shots would start falling.
So he wasn’t really fazed by his rough start to the season.
A night like Saturday would eventually come. Murphy poured in 41 points in a 126-119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, tying a career-high that he reached both last season and in the 2022-’23 season.
While Murphy would have much rather have had a win to go with it, it’s good to see him get back to the form of a player who has All-Star aspirations. Murphy couldn’t get anything to fall the first four games of the season. He made just 18 of
52 shots, including only 5 of 23 3-pointers. That came with backto-back games where he scored just seven points against the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets But since then, he’s heated up. He’s made 21 of his last 47 3-pointers (44.7%). He hopes to continue that Monday night when the Pelicans (2-7) play at the Phoenix Suns (5-5).
“I think the biggest thing is just shooting the ball with confidence and getting back into the flow of things,” Murphy said last week. “Law of large numbers. The more of a sample size you get, the more it’s going to go back to where it’s
supposed to be.”
Murphy shot 15-of-22 from the floor Saturday He buried a 38-foot jumper at the end of the third quarter His night also included nine rebounds, one shy of his season-best 10 boards he grabbed in the first game against the Spurs. He’s averaging a career-best 6.7 rebounds per game
“Trey is a fantastic basketball player,” said Pelicans coach Willie Green. “He’s opening up the floor for his teammates. He’s putting a ton of pressure on the defense right now, and those are some of the things that we want him to continue to do.”
And his teammates are making things easier for him. Particularly rookie Derik Queen. “Big credit to DQ as well,”
Murphy said. “Me and DQ are starting to find some synergy together He’s a really good player. And he’s going to be really good in this league I feel like me and him complement each other really well.
After Monday’s game against the Suns, the Pelicans return home for a 5-game homestand.
The Pels host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday They follow that up in the Smoothie King Center with a brutal four-game stretch against the Los Angeles Lakers (Friday), Golden State Warriors (Sunday), Oklahoma City Thunder (Nov 17) and Denver Nuggets (Nov 19).
Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
The LSU women’s basketball team enjoyed one of its best shooting games in program history on Thursday in an 89-point win over Southeastern Louisiana.
And the No 5 Tigers (3-0) still haven’t cooled off.
On Sunday, they defeated Georgia Southern 118-70 on the road in a homecoming game for star senior guard Flau’jae Johnson.
LSU shot 53% from the field and 9 of 20 from 3-point range against the Eagles, and now it’s scored at least 100 points in each of its first three contests.
The Tigers have strung together at least three 100-point outings to start a new year only once before in their NCAA-era history
They hit that mark five straight times to begin the 2022-2023 season, the year in which they took home the program’s first national championship.
The 118 points LSU scored on Sunday is a season-high.
“A lot of people can score the ball,” coach Kim Mulkey said.
Mulkey likes to schedule nonconference games in or near her star players’ hometowns. Angel Reese played a game in Baltimore. Aneesah Morrow went back to Chicago. Mikaylah Williams returned home for a contest in Bossier City
And now Johnson has played in Statesboro, Georgia, a city about 50 miles west of her hometown of Savannah. She notched 19 points, six assists and four rebounds in Sunday’s game, which doubled as LSU’s third nonconference matchup of the new season — and its third beatdown of an overmatched foe.
“It was more fun,” Johnson said. “Like, it wasn’t any pressure. It just felt like I was right at home.
“So, this was just unbelievable. I was smiling the whole game, even on turnovers. Sometimes I was like, ‘OK, just smile.’”
The Tigers converted nine of their first 11 field-goal attempts to build a 19-4 lead in the first quarter Jada Richard canned a transition 3-pointer from the left wing. Then Kate Koval buried an 18-foot jumper, and MiLaysia Ful-
wiley mixed in three layups, including one after she stole away a possession and started her own fast break. Fulwiley was one of six LSU players to score in double figures on Sunday She scored 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Williams added 15 points, four rebounds and three assists. Koval — a transfer center from Notre Dame scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson chipped in another 17 points. She’s scored at least 11 in all three games. Georgia Southern shot it well from 3-point range. In the first half, the Eagles sank seven of the 19 long-range shots they attempted. The problem, of course, was
that LSU never slowed down on offense.
The Tigers assisted 25 of their 46 field goals, committed only 12 turnovers and took their largest lead of the game (48) in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter
“We’ve got to get better defensively,” Mulkey said. “We gave up too many points, in my opinion. But the third game in, I don’t hesitate to put anybody out there, and that’s one through 12.
“Now, it may change, but if we can do that for a long period of time, I just think you’re gonna develop players that you grow confident in, and it’ll make us better.”
Johnson’s homecoming game officially drew 5,322 fans — the largest crowd in Georgia Southern women’s basketball history LSU
Christopher Rice: ‘I had fun in the French Quarter during the years when Iused to have fun. Ithink there is alot of angst and pain anyyoung person goes through growing up.It’sbetter to do it in NewOrleans, where there’sgood food.’
Christopher Rice returnstoN.O.tohonor hisfamousmotherand reflectonthe past
BY POET WOLFE | Staff writer
Onacool Wednesdaymorning, sunlight slipped through thecurtains of ahotel suite in downtown New Orleans, where Christopher Rice was staying forthe week
Starting with thebroad balcony overlookinghigh-rises and ablue sky,hegave abrief tour ofthe palatial suite before takingaseat at thedining table near apicture window.Black coffeekept arriving in thick-rimmed mugs while two plates of powdered beignetswaited nearby. Rice appeared relaxed —dressed in agreen knit polo and blue jeans, hisbrown hair gelled to theside.
ä See RICE, page 2C
PROVIDED PHOTO FROM CHRISTOPHER RICE Christopher Ricestands with his mother,Anne Rice, during aparade outsideofher former LowerGarden District home.
Autumn’s gentle reminder to go outand take awalk
Every autumn, as the sun hangs lower for the season, it seems to rest beside me while I sip morning coffee and scan the headlines.Light floods the window near my armchair its presence so sharp that Isometimes squint as Iread the newspaper There are other mornings when the stubborn brilliance in our front room feels like atug on my sleeve, the new day inviting me to join it beyond the threshold. That’sjust the encouragement Ineed to start my morning walk. My neighbor,Paul, is often in hisyard as Istroll by “This is our reward,” he told me the other day as we compared notes on the comfortably cool weather.“We earned this by going through August.”
More research needed to determineif cinnamon has health benefits
What role does cinnamon playinlowering the risk of Alzheimer’sdisease?
Cinnamon is full of antioxidants and has been shown to assist in inflammation in the body,cuts the risk of heart disease, fights bacterial and fungal infections, treats digestion, and can even lower blood sugar In 2013, scientists at the University of California at Santa Barbara released outcomes of their studies on the possibility of cinnamon to prevent Alzheimer’sdisease, concluding that the two compounds found in cinnamon —cinnamaldehyde and epicatechin —has shown somepromising results in preventing the development of the filamentous “tangles” found in the brain cells that characterize the disease. During the process of Alzheimer’sdisease, aprotein madeupof twisted fibers (tangles) called tau form inside dying cells. In healthy brain areas, tau assists in keeping the cell-to-cell transport on course, but in the areas of the brain where tangles are forming, the twisted strands break up this transport system and the nutrients and other essential supplies can no longer move through the cells, and thus, eventually die, leading to Alzheimer’s. Brain tissue in individuals with Alzheimer’sdiseaseisexposedto oxidative stress during the course of the disease. Scientists studiedthe compounds found in cinnamon and in the research found thatitprevented the tauknots fromforming by protecting taufromoxidative stress, an imbalanceinradical production of reactive oxygenand antioxidative defense.Italso hinderedthe tau protein’saccumulation in the brain. The compounds in cinnamon tended to protect the tauprotein by binding cysteine (amino acids) residues
It was anice reminder that themorning in which we’d landed, cool as acellar and bright as adime, was exactly what we’d hoped for when our most recent Louisiana summer wilted our resolve. Ifelt glad that the sunlight had drawn me outdoors. My breakfast reading hadgiven me much to think about, but it’shealthier,Isuppose, nottospendtoo much time living inside your own head
As Iworked my way to the neighborhood park,mymind driftedback decades to my high school days,when honor students were rewarded with a Saturdayof tubing down alocal river.Glancing at myfriends in their inflated rings, Ithought abouthow great it wastosee
us all outside. We were bookish kids, theones who made good grades because of hours passed in libraries or solemn study sessions at the kitchen table. We floated past abig log where afew turtles savored the sun. Until then, Ihad thought about light only as something to help me see. Those turtles, slowly stirred to life by the warmth of the sky,told me that light might be something deeper,akind of sustenance.
I’ve been revisiting that idea moredeeply this year as my grown son settles into anew job in New England. The region first entered my thinking in college, whereRalph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were assignedreading. Emersonand Thoreau lived in Concord, Massachusetts,aspolitical divides in the country sowed the seeds of
the Civil War. In spite of those challenges, Emerson and Thoreau both pointed topossibility in their writings, an optimism that becamevery much apart of our national creed. Their sense of hope grew from several sources, but thetwo writers bothenjoyed longwalks as part of their daily routines. In connecting withthe outer world so closely,they developed inner worlds that still inspire us. We’renavigating our own social divisions these days, and while there’snosingle cure for what ails us, one thing might help. Take awalk around your neighborhood this autumn. What you see might do you good.
Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.
that inspire change. Award recipients will be announced in December in Louisiana Inspired.
Dear Doctors: Iwas on the couch with my right leg on an ottoman when our black Lab rammed into the inside of my knee. The next day,itreallyhurt to extend or turn my knee. (Notpainfulto the touch, though, which seemed weird.) It felt better in aweek, but Iwant to know what got hurt. Dear reader: Theknee is the largest joint in the body,and it’s one of themost complex. It’sa hinge joint with anetwork of muscles, tendons and ligaments. These connect it to the femur (thigh bone) above, and to the tibia (shin bone)below.Although designed for bending and straighteningthe leg, the anatomyofthe knee also allows for some slight rotation. All of this provides the strength
It was one of his few idle days in the city he grew up in, after his television appearance that morning, before he would hosta celebration at Orpheum Theatre on All Saints’ Day for his late mother Anne Rice, the New Orleans-born Gothic author best known for her 1976 novel “Interview with the Vampire.”
The celebration of her life on AllSaints’Day,Nov.1, tookRice and his longtime collaborator,author Eric Shaw Quinn, about 5yearsto create —aprocess requiring intricate production work that called for “a different side of the brain than the writer’sbrain,” he said. The two put together what Rice describes as “an anthology of documentary films” that unfold the life of Anne Rice before and after her fame Thefilmstraceher early days after moving to Texas, achange that “really broke her heart. She neverleft New Orleans in her heart,” Rice said. There,she met his father,poet Stan Rice, in highschool. Thetwo would eventually pack an old beatup truck and follow the Beat Generation to SanFrancisco to become artists. Once her big break came as anovelist in the 1980s, she returned home to New Orleans with her husband.
These are just afew chapters revealed by the documentaries, with the helpof roundtable interviews with people who were close to Anne Rice.
Ultimately,the documentary films weave in moments that allow her fans to grieve —they couldn’tdoso at apublic servicewhen she died during the coronavirus pandemic in 2021 —and “to walk away inspired by the story of her as aperson, as a character,assomebody who could not be trampled on, who followed her dreams at all costs,” Rice said.
“We’ve put so much into it. It is like making amovie which thenreleases and puts out into the world. What do you do next?” he said. “The answer is: alot of what we want to do.” The last few years of his career haven’t been entirely consumed by the celebration. Rice and Quinn regularly produce episodes fortheir true crime podcast,“The Dinner Party Show.” In 2023, the two helped solve a1990 cold case murder in Los Angeles. And just this month, Rice was invited to interview actress Donna Mills for afeature in Vogue magazine.
Thisweek,though,hisfocus centers on Anne Rice and the local haunts she loved. One stop is Commander’sPalace
Continued from page1C
which can ensure proper functioning of the protein.In other words, the cinnamon is apowerful antioxidant which helps neutralize cellular processes and prevents oxidation in the brain. More research needs to be done regarding the useof cinnamon and Alzheimer’s disease risk and prevention; however,because of its many evidence-based health benefits, cinnamon itself is not atreatment for Alzheim-
ASK THE DOCTORS
and stability needed for all the demandswemakeonthis hardworking jointaswewalk, run, turn, crouch,jump and balance. From yourdescription of the event, it soundslike you sustained amild injury to the medial collateral ligament, or MCL. This is theband of tough,fibrous tissue that anchors the femur and the
—she once warned the staff about her mock jazz funeral across the street at Lafayette Cemetery,where shewas famously carried in acoffin to abook signing at Garden District Book Shop, another destination on hislist. He’s also visiting Vincent’sItalian Cuisine because “their corn and crabmeat bisque kept her going for years,” he said.
Rice’sownrelationshipwith New Orleans iscomplex. He hasn’tlived here since 2001, when he permanently moved to LosAngeles.
Hisfirst10years were in San Francisco, until his parentstold himthey were spending asummer in New Orleans —except they had bought ahouse there and enrolled him in Trinity Episcopal School. Rice quickly realized it wasn’tavacation; it was arelocation. He called the move “an absolute cultural shock ”At his school in San Francisco, grades weren’tgiven at all to spare feelings, andstudents linked armsin protests aroundCityHall. Aprivate school in Uptown felt worlds away
“I don’tthink (my mother) minded me connectingwith abigger set of points of view outinthe world,”Rice said. “She was alifelongDemocrat anda liberal, but she wanted me not to assume that everybody around me feltthe way thatI did.”
Forhighschool,hetransferredtoIsidoreNewman School, where he still felt out of place as acloseted gay teenager and theater kid atan athletics-obsessed institution
He channeled that anger into his first novel, “A Density of Souls,”a NewYorkTimesbestseller written while his motherwas in adiabetic coma. In time, though,herealized just how privileged he had been, he said.
He neverplannedtobea novelist. At Brown University,Rice expected to conquer the theater department, but he never got acall back. That rejection fueled his love for prose. He had written screenplays, but avoided books —he didn’twant to invite comparisons to his mother. By the time he left Brown, his perspectivehad shifted. Writing novels wassomething he could control completely
“Nobody could tell me not to do it,” Rice said.“They couldn’tstand in between me and the computer.”
His fear of comparison eventually dissolved.In 2017, he andhis mother collaborated for the first time on their novel called “Ramses theDamned: The Passion of Cleopatra” —asequel to Anne Rice’sbook “The Mummy or Ramses The Damned.”
The two spent 6months working in the desert of Coachella Valley, whereshe was living at the time. Dur-
er’sdisease.Mostexperiments in the studiessofar have been conducted in cells grown in the labsoitisunclearifthe same effects will be seen in animal modelsor humans, or if there will be any impact on the function of brain cells. Additionally the levels of cinnamonan individualwould have to eat to replicate the results of many of the experiments that have takenplacewould be toxic.
Yet, it doesn’thurttoincorporate cinnamon in an overalldiet plan for its numerous health benefits as it is adelicious and healthyspice for
tibia to theinner,ormedial, side of the knee joint. This type of soft tissue injury can happen when you get hit on the inner part of the knee while your leg is extended. It can also occur when your foot is planted on the ground, which is why this is afairly common injury in sports suchassoccer, football and rugby Force to themedial side of the knee can also cause other injuries. Abump to theknee could affect the other threemajor ligaments, the four major tendons in the joint,the cartilage within the knee capsule, or the articular cartilage thatcoatsthe ends of the bones, the shin and the thigh. Repetitive impact can inflamethe bursa within the knee. Bursa are small,
ing the writing sessions,
Anne Rice would scrawl big notesonasketchpad while hersisterjoggedtheir memories of the first book.
Collaboration with another writer can feel like acustody battle for the story.That wasn’tthe case for Rice and his mother.She offeredtwo gentle suggestions to him: more hats on characters, considering it was set in the Victorian era, and no true villains.After all,her vampire characters were mirrors of thehumancondition —conflicted,damned and isolated, despite their supernatural nature.
“I don’treally do villains,” shetold him. “Mywhole thing, theworld that Icreated, was about going into thepoint of view of the vampire andmakingyou relate to them.”
During the pandemic, they beganthe third novelofthe series. Meanwhile, Rice grew intrigued by romance fiction and the e-book revolution, when authors were defying the traditional expectations of publishers.
Mornings were for the Ramses novel; afternoons when he would normally hit the gym, became time fora series of gay romance novels under the pseudonym C. TravisRice—his“alterego.”The “SapphireCove” series began light, thendarkened, tackling addiction and suicide beneath theglossofa poshSouthern California beach resort
Years prior,in2013, he had written “The Heavens Rise” —his “attempt to writealess angry novelabout NewOrleans” thanhis debut. That resentment never returned. Growing up, his mother interpreted the city forhim —teaching him to admire the purple sunsetsand hum of cicadas. Now he carried his own reverence. When storms approached, especially during Katrina,whenthe places he loved were washed away, he felt afierce protectiveness.
As morning gave way to noon on Wednesday,his love for New Orleans became vivid. Over asecond cup of black coffee, he recalled his mother’slegendary vampire balls everyHalloween —he and his theater friend singing show tunestill dawn in a cabaret room. Hisfavorite were the Mardi Gras parties, when her Lower Garden District home became arevelry of king cake, flowing beer and plastic beads flung against windows and live oaks.
“Wewere very privileged. Igot agreat education,” Rice said. “I had fun in the French Quarter during the years when Iused to have fun. Ithink there is alot of angst andpainany young person goes throughgrowingup. It’s better to do it in New Orleans, where there’s good food.”
food andbeverages. Adding cinnamon to yourcoffee, or tea, sprinkling it on toast, cerealoroatmeal and shaking it on bakedorraw fruit are just some ways to include it in your daily nutrition plan. Cinnamon can also be taken as asupplement, in capsule form(two 500 mg daily are recommended).
Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’sadvocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.”Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.
fluid-filled sacs that act as across between cushions and shock absorbers. Bone bruises and strained or torn muscles are also possible. In your case, because your thigh was supported by the couch, it stayedfairly still in this incident. But the bump fromthe dog —and Labradorsare pretty solid —was forceful enough to shift the lower leg out of alignment for an instant. Ligaments, which provide stability, have limited elasticity.That sudden collision likely overstretched the MCL, causing your injury.Your recovery time of aweek suggests amild strain. This is when the ligament itself remains intact, but the tissue develops microscopic tears. It can causethe type of pain and limited
range of motion you described. The pain is asignal that the tissues need time to heal. Treatment for amild strain begins with resting and elevating the joint. In the past, icing wasadvised. Newer thinking suggests this practice mayslow healing. Anti-inflammatory medications can help manage the pain. Due to the complexity of the knee, it’sagood idea to get a medical assessment of an injury even when the injury is mild.
Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask theDoctors c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.
By The Associated Press
Today is Monday Nov.10, the 314th day of 2025. There are 51 days left in the year
Todayinhistory: On Nov.10, 1898, amob of up to 2,000 White supremacistskilled dozens of African Americansin Wilmington, North Carolina, burned Black-owned businesses and forced themayor,police chief and aldermen to resign at gunpoint before installing their own mayor and city council in what became known as the “Wilmington Coup.”
Also on this date:
In 1775, theU.S. Marines were organized under authority of the Continental Congress.
In 1954, theU.S. Marine Corps Memorial, depicting the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima in 1945, was dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Arlington, Virginia.
In 1969, thechildren’s educational program “Sesame Street” made its debut
on National Educational Television (now PBS).
In 1975, the Great Lakes freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in asevere storm on Lake Superior, claiming the lives of all 29 crew members.
In 2019, Bolivia’sfirst indigenous president, Evo Morales, resigned after weeks of public protests in response to alleged fraud in ageneral election that year
In 2021, Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand in his murder trial, testifying that he wasunder attack and acting in self-defense when he shot and killed twomen and wounded a third during aturbulent night of street protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (He would be acquitted of all charges.)
In 2024, ashooting during homecoming weekend at Tuskegee University in Alabamaleft one person dead and 16 others wounded, adozen of them by gunfire.
Today’sbirthdays: Lyricist TimRice is 81. Country singer Donna Fargo is
sCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Try not to exhaust yourself or spend too much time on matters you cannot control. Look around you, and you'll recognize opportunities that will help you move forward.
sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Review your expenses and initiate changes that will reduce your overhead Do your best to ease stress and to transition to a path that encourages you to put yourself first.
CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Look for opportunities that encourage you to use your skills and charm to draw others to see and things your way. Acting on your plans and utilizing your physical attributes and abilities will spark interest.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb 19) Emotions will surface. Make personal adjustments that increase your happiness. Understanding and compassion are necessary, and words and actions will count for much.
PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Slow down and take your time; let the dust settle and your temper dissipate. Snap decisions and heated conversations will lead to chaos if you let them. Discipline and patience will be called for
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) With change comes opportunity; a chance to switch positions, earn more, have an investment pay off or achieve financial gains. Now is not the time to neglect meaningful relationships.
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Take a deep breath and relax. Refuse to let the little things get to you. It's essential to keep your thoughts to yourself if you want to keep the peace. Consider how you can reduce your overhead.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Talk is cheap, but it can provide you with a good sense of what's doable and what isn't. Follow your heart, your instincts and your passion, and you'll find your happy place.
CAnCER (June 21-July 22) Be straightforward and display your talents. Renegotiate old deals, and you'll come out on top. Do your best not to put yourself in physical jeopardy.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Pay attention, be mindful and nurture your home, your loved ones and yourself Make positive changes and learn as you proceed.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Listen carefully, find common ground and do your best to make adjustments that meet demands. Life is too short to let trivial matters ruin your day or your relationships with others.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Keep situations in perspective. Getting a change of scenery, meeting a group with whom you share much in common or learning something new can help you rethink what's best for you.
The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.
By Andrews McMeel Syndication
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Saturday’s PuzzleAnswer
By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
Confucius said, “The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget thatdangermaycome.Wheninastateof security, he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come.”
For someone who died in 479 B.C., he came out with some doozies.
At the bridge table, an expert always wonders about dangers — distributions that might upset his contract. This deal would be misplayed by the unwary, who would assume all will be secure. But how would a careful declarer proceed? South is in four spades. West leads the heart ace, cashes the king and shifts to a low club.
South’s two-club rebid was New Minor Forcing. It promised at least game-invitational values and asked partner to describe his hand further. Here, North bid two spades to show three-card support.
South has two losers outside the trump suit, so he can afford one spade loser but nottwo.Regardless,themathematicians tell us that five missing cards will divide 3-2 a whopping 76.8 percent of the time. So what’s the problem? Win the third trick, play a spade to dummy’s king, and return a spade to the ace and go down one. We forget that a 4-1 split has a probability of 28.3 percent — not a lot short of one time in three. As no doubt you have noticed, on the second round of trumps, South should play his 10. When it wins, he can claim. Butifitlosestothejackorqueen,spades are breaking 3-2 and the contract is safe. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.
By Andrews McMeel Syndication
Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InstRuCtIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as
WestBaton RougeAnd The
mentOfTransportation For FundingAnd Respon‐sibilityofCourt
SidewalkProject (State Project
H.016450 LA76:
And SidewalksPhase
WBRParish)
AResolutionAuthoriz‐ing TheParishPresident ToSignThe Commitment LetterWithHawthorn, Waymouth& Carroll, LLP For CouncilAnnualAudit And AUP(Agreed Upon Procedures) AuditFor The Year 2025 C. AResolutionAuthoriz‐ing TheParishPresident ToSignThe Commitment LetterWithEricksen Krentel,LLP.For Annual Audit Of West Baton RougeParishNatural Gas d
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