The Acadiana Advocate 11-18-2025 by The Advocate

ARTISTIC INSPIRATION

Southside High’s Ange Riehl recognized as Louisiana Art Educator of the year

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

During the week you’ll see her teaching art classes at Southside High School. On weekends you might ﬁnd her at the downtown art walk selling homemade purses and jewelry. But last month Ange Riehl was in Lake Charles being named Louisiana Art Educator of the Year

It’s an honor that reﬂects 32 years of educating and instilling the passion of art into a generation of students.

Riehl’s classes cover just about every medium of art you can imagine, from pencil work and acrylics to pottery wheels and watercolors There isn’t a style that she herself doesn’t enjoy immensely

It’s been a long journey for Riehl since she started out making glass beads and jewelry when she was 14 years old. She began her teaching career at St. Martinville High School, before moving on to St. Thomas More where she spent 19 years. There she worked to build STM’s art program from scratch alongside her colleague Kim Thibodeaux

“It was a great family-oriented faculty,” she said. “We really worked together to make an amazing art department there, and eventually we just kind of said, ‘We’ve done all we can do here’ and decided to move on to public school.”

She has now spent the past eight years at Southside High School in Youngsville, where she has worked

See ARTISTIC, page 7A

Rouses acquires 10 Winn-Dixie locations

CEO says stores will be converted early next year

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL

Health insurance cost hikes forecast

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

For McQuillen and thousands of others across the state, those “not real” numbers are an early glimpse of what’s ahead if Congress allows the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits to lapse after 2025.

The enhanced credits beefed-up subsidies ﬁrst created during the COVID-19 pandemic — helped drive marketplace enrollment to record highs and brought average premiums down to about $73 a month in Louisiana.

The ACA’s premium tax credits lower the monthly cost of health insurance for people who buy coverage on the federal marketplace and have low or moderate incomes.

SAN DIEGO The acting chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency left his job Monday after just six months, according to the Department of Homeland Security, the latest disruption in a year of mass staff departures, program cuts and policy upheaval at the agency charged with managing federal disaster response. David Richardson is leaving the post after

Rouses Markets is purchasing 10 Winn-Dixie locations in Louisiana and Mississippi from the Florida-based chain’s parent company, continuing its yearslong regional expansion and adding to its share of the local grocery market. Terms of the deal, announced on Monday were not disclosed. But Rouses CEO Donny Rouse Jr said the stores including a location on Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans East that is one of the few grocery stores in the underserved area will be converted to Rouses Markets early next year All Winn-Dixie employees who meet Rouses’ hiring criteria will be offered jobs.

“It’s a big opportunity for us and will be great for the community,” Rouse said Monday by phone. In addition to the store on Chef Menteur Highway locations that are part of the deal include two Jefferson Parish

stores (one in Kenner and one in Marrero), three on the northshore, and one each in Destrehan, Gramercy, Central and Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

“Some locations will be new markets for us,” said Rouse, the third-generation CEO of the company founded by his grandfather in 1960. “Others are existing markets where we already do well and wanted to expand.”

The deal comes two months after Robert Fresh Market, another local chain, acquired the century-old Lan-

ä See ROUSES, page 4A

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

The Winn-Dixie on Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans East is one of 10 locations in the region acquired by Rouses.

BY MARK BALLARD and GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA Staff and Associated Press writers

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Art teacher Ange Riehl works with junior Bronson Boudreaux on Nov. 4 at Southside High School in youngsville.

Art teacher Ange Riehl works with senior Isaac Badeaux at Southside High School in youngsville.

Israeli settlers torch West Bank village

TEL AVIV, Israel Israeli settlers on Monday rampaged through a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, torching homes and cars in the latest in a string of settler attacks in recent weeks. The violence drew a rare condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top leaders.

Israel’s military said soldiers and police were sent to al-Jab’a, a small village southwest of Bethlehem, after reports of ﬁres and vandalism. The attack came hours after clashes between Israeli security forces and settlers defending an unauthorized outpost on a nearby hill facing evacuation and demolition on Monday, according to COGAT, the Israeli military body that deals with civilians in the West Bank. Israeli police said earlier that six suspects were arrested in confrontations during the demolitions, where dozens of Israeli settlers were entrenched and hundreds rioted, throwing stones and metal bars and burning tires

The Monday night attack in alJab’a was the latest in a growing wave of settler violence to hit West Bank villages, which has surged this fall as Palestinians take part in their annual olive harvest. Violence carried out by settlers and Palestinian militants have both spiked as the Israeli military has stepped up operations in the occupied West Bank since the onset of the IsraelHamas war

The U.N. Humanitarian ofﬁce reported that October saw the highest number of Israeli settler attacks since tracking began with more than 260 incidents causing injuries or property damage. That’s on top of 2,660 settler attacks documented this year through the end of September Six hundred ninety Palestinians and 38 Israelis have been killed this year during the uptick in violence across the territory Netanyahu called the settlers “a handful of extremists” and urged law enforcement to pursue them for “the attempt to take the law into their own hands.”

Man charged in death of Oakland coach

OAKLAND, Calif. — A 27-year-old man was charged Monday with murder in the shooting death of celebrated former football coach John Beam, who died Friday after being shot in the head on the junior college campus in Oakland where he worked.

Cedric Irving faces 50 years to life if convicted, said Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson at a Monday press conference. Irving also faces enhancement charges alleging he personally fired a gun that caused great bodily injury and that the victim was particularly vulnerable, possibly due to age, according to the charging complaint. Beam, 66, was a giant in the local community, a father ﬁgure who forged deep relationships with his players while fielding a team that regularly competed for championships. The Netﬂix docuseries “Last Chance U” focused on Beam and the Laney Eagles in its 2020 season. He’d most recently been serving as the school’s athletic director after retiring from coaching last year

Trump says he will sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Monday he will sell F-35 ﬁghter jets to Saudi Arabia despite some concern within the administration that such a sale could lead to China gaining accesstotheU.S.technologybehind the advanced weapon system. The announcement came on the eve of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s highly anticipated Washington visit, his ﬁrst to the United States in more than seven years.

“I will say that we will be doing that,” Trump said when asked if he would sell the jets to Saudi Arabia. “We’ll be selling F-35s.”

The crown prince had been expected to arrive with a wish list that includes receiving formal assurances from Trump defining the scope of the U.S. military protection for the kingdom and an agreement to buy U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets, one of the world’s most advanced aircraft.

U.N. approves U.S. Gaza plan

Resolution endorses international stabilization force

BY EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS The U.N.

Security Council on Monday approved a U.S. plan for Gaza that authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security in the devastated territory and envisions a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state. Russia, which had circulated a rival resolution, abstained along with China on the 13-0 vote. The U.S. and other countries had hoped Moscow would not use its veto power on the United Nations’ most powerful body to block the resolution’s adoption.

The vote was a crucial next step for the fragile ceasefire and efforts to outline Gaza’s future following two years of war between Israel and Hamas. Arab and other Muslim countries that expressed interest in providing troops for an international force had signaled that Security Council authorization was essential

for their participation.

The U.S. resolution endorses President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceaseﬁre plan, which calls for a yetto-be-established Board of Peace as a transitional authority that Trump would head It also authorizes the stabilization force and gives it a wide mandate, including overseeing the borders, providing security and demilitarizing the territory Authorization for the board and force expire at the end of 2027.

U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz called the resolution “historic and constructive,” saying it starts a new

course in the Middle East.

“Today’s resolution represents another signiﬁcant step towards a stable Gaza that will be able to prosper and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security,” he said. He stressed that the resolution “is just the beginning.”

During nearly two weeks of negotiations on the U.S. resolution, Arab nations and the Palestinians had pressed the United States to strengthen language about Palestinian self-determination.

But the proposal still gives no timeline or guarantee for an independent

state, only saying it’s possible after advances in the reconstruction of Gaza and reforms of the Palestinian Authority which now governs parts of the West Bank.

The U.S. revised the resolution to say that after those steps, “the conditions may ﬁnally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

“The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence,” it adds.

That language angered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had vowed to oppose any attempt to establish a Palestinian state. He has long asserted that creating a Palestinian state would reward Hamas and eventually lead to an even larger Hamas-run state on Israel’s borders.

A key to the resolution’s adoption was support from Arab and Muslim nations pushing for a ceaseﬁre and potentially contributing to the international force. The U.S mission to the United Nations distributed a joint statement Friday with Qatar, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey calling for “swift adoption” of the U.S. proposal. The vote took place amid hopes that Gaza’s fragile ceasefire would be maintained after a war set off by Hamas’ surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people. Israel’s more than two-year offensive has killed over 69,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority are women and children.

Judge scolds DOJ over missteps in Comey case

BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department engaged in a “disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps” in the process of securing an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey, a federal judge ruled Monday in directing prosecutors to provide defense lawyers with all grand jury materials from the case. Those problems, wrote Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick, include “fundamental misstatements of the law” by a prosecutor to

the grand jury that indicted Comey in September, the use of potentially privileged communications during the investigation and unexplained irregularities in the transcript of the grand jury proceedings.

“The Court recognizes that the relief sought by the defense is rarely granted,” Fitzpatrick wrote “However the record points to a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps, missteps that led an FBI agent and a prosecutor to potentially undermine the integrity of the grand jury proceeding.”

The 24-page opinion is the

than 130 arrested in N.C.

Governor: Immigration crackdown ‘stoking fear’

BY ERIK VERDUZCO, GARY D ROBERTSON and BRIAN WITTE Associated Press

CHARLOTTE,N.C.

U.S. immigration agents arrested more than 130 people in a weekend sweep through North Carolina’s largest city, a federal ofﬁcial said Monday, as the governor warned that the crackdown is simply “stoking fear.”

The Trump administration has made Charlotte, a Democratic city of about 950,000 people, its latest focus for an immigration enforcement surge it says will combat crime, despite ﬁerce objections from local leaders and declining crime rates. City residents reported encounters with immigration agents near churches, apartment complexes and stores.

“We’ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin color, racially proﬁling and picking up random people in parking lots and off of our sidewalks,” Gov Josh Stein, a Democrat, said in a video statement late Sunday “This is not making us safer It’s stoking fear and dividing our community.” Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that Border Patrol ofﬁcers had arrested “over 130 illegal aliens who have all broken” immigration laws. The agency said the records of those arrested included gang membership, aggravated assault shoplifting and other crimes, but it did not say

most blistering assessment yet by a judge of the Justice Department’s actions leading up to the Comey indictment. It underscores how procedural missteps and prosecutorial inexperience have combined to imperil the prosecution pushed by President Donald Trump for reasons separate and apart from the substance of the disputed allegations against Comey The Comey case and a separate prosecution of New York Attorney General Letitia James have hastened concerns that the Justice Department is being weaponized in pursuit of Trump’s political opponents. Both defendants have ﬁled multiple motions to dismiss the cases

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT

Shana Blake sits in a cage dressed as the Statue of Liberty on Monday to protest federal law enforcement presence in Charlotte, N.C.

how many cases had resulted in convictions, how many people had been facing charges or any other details.

Stein acknowledged that it was a stressful time, but he called on residents to stay peaceful If people see something they feel is wrong, he said they should record it and report it to local law enforcement.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Customs and Border Protection, has said it is focusing on North Carolina because of so-called sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation between local authorities and immigration agents.

However most North Carolina county jails have long honored “detainers,” or requests from federal officials to hold an arrested immigrant for a limited time so agents can take custody of them. But some common, noncooperation policies have existed in a handful of places in the state, including Charlotte, where the police do not help with immigration enforcement. In Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, the jail did not honor detainer requests for several years, until after state law effectively made it mandatory starting last year DHS alleged that about 1,400 detainers across North Carolina had not been honored, putting the public at risk. U.S. courts have repeatedly upheld the legality of sanctuary laws.

against them before trial, arguing that the prosecutions are improperly vindictive and that the prosecutor who filed the charges, Lindsey Halligan, was illegally appointed

A different judge is set to decide by Thanksgiving on the challenges by Comey and James to Halligan’s appointment.

Though grand jury proceedings are presumptively secret, Comey’s lawyers had sought records from the process out of concern that irregularities may have tainted the case. The sole prosecutor who defense lawyers say presented the case to the grand jury was Halligan, a former White House aide with no prior

prosecutorial experience who was appointed just days before the indictment to the job of interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. In his order Monday, Fitzpatrick said that after reviewing the grand jury transcript himself, he had come away deeply concerned about the integrity of the case.

“Here, the procedural and substantive irregularities that occurred before the grand jury, and the manner in which evidence presented to the grand jury was collected and used, may rise to the level of government misconduct resulting in prejudice to Mr Comey,” Fitzpatrick said.

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A Palestinian man carries bags of firewood after collecting them Saturday from the rubbish in Khan younis, southern Gaza Strip.

KELLEy

Trumpnot rulingout military action againstVenezuela

President floats possible talks

BY REGINA GARCIA CANO and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Monday did not rule out military action against Venezuela despite bringingupapotential diplomatic opening with leader Nicolás Maduro,who has insisted that aU.S. military buildup andstrikes on alleged drug boats near his South American country are designed to push him out of ofﬁce.

Trump reiterated that he “probably would talk to” Maduro, but underscored that he is not taking off the table the possibility of military action on Venezuelan territory “I don’trule out that. I

President DonaldTrump answers questions from reporters Mondayduring ameeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington as FIFA PresidentGianni Infantino, SecretaryofState MarcoRubio and FIFAsenior adviser Carlos Cordeirolisten.

don’trule out anything,” Trump told reportersinthe OvalOffice aday after he first floated the possibility

of having “discussions” with Maduro.Trump, however sidestepped questions about whether Maduro could say

anything to himthat would lead to theU.S. backing off its militaryshow of force.

“He’sdone tremendous damage to our country,” said Trump, tying Maduro to drugsand migrants coming into the U.S. from Venezuela. “He hasnot been good to theUnited States,sowe’ll see what happens.”

The comments deepened the uncertainty aboutthe Trump administration’s next stepstoward Maduro’s government.The U.S. has ratcheted up thepressure in recent days, saying it was expecting to designateasa terrorist organization acartel it says is ledbyMaduro and other high-level Venezuelan government ofﬁcials.

TheUSS Gerald R. Ford and accompanying warships arrivedinthe Caribbean this weekendjustasthe U.S. military announced itslatestina seriesofstrikes against ves-

sels suspected of transporting drugs.

The administration says its actions are acounterdrug operation meant to stop narcotics fromﬂowing to American cities, but some analysts, Venezuelans and the country’spolitical opposition see them as an escalating pressure tactic against Maduro.

The Trumpadministration has shown it “can turn policy on adime,” said Geoff Ramsey,anexpert on U.S. policytowardVenezuela who is anonresident senior fellowatthe AtlanticCouncil

He pointed to the diplomatic talks the administration held withIran “right up untilthe point” that the U.S. military targeted Iran’snuclear facilities in June.

But, Ramsey added, the timing of Trump’sremarks —after Secretary of State Marco Rubio’sannouncement of the impending ter-

rorist designation of the Cartel de los Soles —underscores that the administration does not wanttorepeat failed attempts at dialogue. “They really want to negotiate from aplace of strength, andIthink theWhiteHouse is laying out an ultimatum for Maduro,” Ramseysaid. “Either he engages in credible talks about atransition,orthe U.S. will have no choice but to escalate.” Maduro has negotiated with the U.S. and Venezuela’spolitical opposition for severalyears, mostnotably in the twoyears before the July2024 presidential election. Those negotiationsresulted in agreements meant to pave the way for afree anddemocraticelection, but Maduro repeatedly tested their limits, ultimately claiming victory despite credible evidence that he lost the contest by a2-to-1 margin.

BY KEVIN FREKING and CHRIS MEGERIAN Los Angeles Times (TNS)

WASHINGTON —President Donald Trump said House Republicans should voteto releasefiles involving the Jeffrey Epstein case, astartling reversal after months of ﬁercely ﬁghting the proposal.

“Wehave nothing to hide, and it’stime to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deﬂect from the Great Success of the Republican Party,” Trump wrote on social media shortly after landing at JointBase Andrews on his return to Washington after aweekend in Florida.

Democrats and some Republicans have been pushing ameasure that would force the Justice Departmentto

make public more documents from the case.

Thepresident’sshift is an implicit acknowledgment that supporters of themeasure have enough votes to pass theHouse, althoughit hasanunclear futureinthe Senate

Hisremarks came hours afterRepublicanproponents of releasingthe files predicted that “a deluge of Republicans” would be joining Democrats in voting for a bill to do so, despite what had beenpersistent opposition by Trump and GOP leadership.

The bill would force the JusticeDepartmenttorelease allﬁles andcommunications related to Epstein, as wellas any information about the investigation into hisdeath in federal prison. Information about Epstein’s victims or ongoing federal investigationswould be al-

lowed to be redacted.

“There could be 100 or more” votes from Republicans, said Rep. Thomas Massie,R-Ky.,among the lawmakersdiscussing the legislation Sundaynews showappearances. “I’m hoping to get aveto-proof majority on this legislation when it comes up for avote.”

Massie andRep.RoKhanna, D-Calif., introduced a discharge petition in July to force avote on theirbill. That is ararely successful tool thatallows amajority of memberstobypass House leadershipand force aﬂoor vote.

Speaker MikeJohnson, R-Benton, hadpannedthe discharge petition effort and sent members home early for their August recess when the GOP’slegislative agenda was upended by the clamoring for an Epstein vote.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI

replacing previous acting head CameronHamilton.DHS did not comment on the reason for his departure.

“The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security extend their sincere appreciationto the Senior Ofﬁcial Performing the Duties of the Administrator,David Richardson, for his dedicatedservice and wish him continued success in his return to the private sector,” aDHS spokesperson told The Associated Press.

Aformer Marine Corps officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and also led the DHS Countering Weapons of MassDestruction office, Richardson had no previous emergency management experience when he assumed the role of “senior official performingthe duties of administrator” in May

Former BatonRouge Congressman Garret Graves said Monday he’snot interested in becoming the new head of FEMA.

Speaking moments afterRich-

ROUSES

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genstein’sand converted its locations to Roberts, underscoring further consolidation in the local grocery market.

For its part, Rouses has grown in recent years into aregional grocery giant. In 2010, the Schriever-based companyhad 37stores. When the Winn-Dixie purchase is ﬁnalized early next year, Rouses will have 76 locations in the Gulf Southbetween Lake Charles and Orange Beach, Alabama, and 8,000 employees

Thecompany nowhas thesecond-largest share of the grocery marketinthe New Orleans area behind Walmart, with about1in3 NewOrleanians buying groceries fromRouses.

Rouses is purchasing the WinnDixiestores from Southeastern Grocers,which alsoownsHarveys Supermarket. Southeastern has been downsizing and refocusing in recent yearsamid changing market conditions and increased competition

In early 2024, it sold 400 stores across theregion to Aldi, the discount chain known for its popular house brands. It then bought back 170 of the locations througha new partnership less than ayear later Lastmonth,itannounced it wouldbepulling outofits nonFlorida locations and rebranding as The Winn-DixieCompany Amongthe local locations that will be shutting down is the longtime Winn-Dixie on Tchoupitoulas

ardson’s resignation became public,Graves said, “That job is critical. Theagency is amess and does need fundamental reform—including the states playing abeeﬁer role in disaster prevention and response. But I’m nota good bureaucrat,don’t have patiencefor slow change and wouldget ﬁred within afew weeks. So, I’m just going to

jump to theconclusion and not get ﬁred.”

Representing hurricane-prone south Louisiana, Graves, aRepublican representative, became well-versedinFEMA’s protocols and procedures.

Members of theTrumpadministration spoke to him about leading FEMA. Graves stepped down from

his House seat at the beginning of this year

President Donald Trump, who hassaid he might shut down the agency,appointeda task forceto recommend changes to the agency that takes the lead in helping communities prepare forand rebound from natural disasters.

Meanwhile,Rep. Sam Graves R-Mo. and chair of the House Transportation Committee on which Garret Graves served, has prepared legislation that would remove FEMA from the Department of HomelandSecurity and elevate theFEMAhead to aCabinet position, along withother changes to revampthe agency

“When disaster strikes, like we saw at Camp Mystic, Louisiana needs arapid, top-tier federal response. Ilook forward to working with the next FEMA Director to makeitstronger,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge.

Upon replacingHamilton,who was ﬁred one day after telling a House Appropriations Committee that he did not think FEMA shouldbeeliminated, Richardson afﬁrmedhis commitmentto Trump’sgoal to push more disasterrecovery responsibilities to the

Street Uptown.

Winn-Dixie did notannounce plans for two of its busiestlocationsinthe local market —on NorthCarrolltonAvenue in MidCity and Veterans Boulevard in Metairie.Rouse said they were not offered for sale. The 10 locations his company is buying were on offer,and those werethe ones that made strategicsense.

That’sparticularly true of the store in New Orleans East,parts of which qualify as a“food desert,”anareawith limited access to fresh food. The Chef Menteur Highway store will be Rouses’ first in that part of themarket andthe deal announcing the store

comes over ayear after several Dollar General stores pulled out of theEast. Rouses ofﬁcials in the past had cited the stores’ presence there as an impediment to their expansion.

“Wewant to be successful in that area and know what it will do for economic development,” Rouse said, adding that the company is encouraged by commitments from Mayor-elect Helena Moreno to focus on economic development in New Orleans.

“Wehad conversationswithher about her goals and plans for New Orleans East and making surewe had supportfrom her and the city to operate there,” he said.

Melanie Thompson, president of the Kingswood Neighborhood Association, said she welcomes any grocery store to the East, but Rouses in particular is awin.

“I’vealways gone to the oneon Franklin (Avenue). Rouseshas more local brands and that’srefreshing,” she said. Thompson said she prefers the store because of its wider selection of vegetables and meats she can’t ﬁnd elsewhere.

Thesentiment was echoed by Eva Washington, president of the Donna Villa Neighborhood Association and amember of New Orleans East Matters. She said it was

“a blessing” to have aRouses.

“It’s very much needed. It’s gon-

states andtoldFEMA employees he would “run right over” any staff whotried to obstruct that mission.

“In Louisiana, we know better than anyone that storms are getting strongerand lasting longer. I’ve been critical of FEMA,and believe it needs reforms, but gutting this agency and leaving it without real leadership is reckless and dangerous,” said U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,D-New Orleans. “I hope the Trump administration starts taking this role seriously and actually takes the timetonominate aqualiﬁedand experiencedcandidate for Senate conﬁrmation.”

But Richardson’seffectiveness in leading the agency wasquestioned by membersofCongress and FEMA staff.

Whenaskedbya House committeewhy he did not arrive on theground until one week after deadly July floodskilledatleast 136 people in central Texas, Richardsonsaidhestayed in Washington, D.C.,to“kick down the doors of bureaucracy,”but also said he was camping with his sons when the floodsfirst hit over the July 4 weekend and initially helped manage the response from inside his truck.

na be an asset forthe subdivision andthe community,”Washington said.

Rouses will begin converting and rebranding its new stores in January,taking them over one at atime andspending two weeks on the transition at each location. During that period, each store will be closed for six or seven days while it is repainted and freshened up with new lighting and decor

The companyplans major remodels at the Central and Hattiesburg locations and will begin working on those plans after the transition.

The projectswill include upgrades to store layouts, equipment anddesign.Overthenextfewyears, all10stores will be remodeled.

“Our goal is to make this transition as smooth as possible,” Rouse said.

The10Winn-Dixie locations being purchased by Rouses are: n 9701 Chef Menteur Highway, NewOrleans n 4627 Westbank Expressway, Marrero n 12519 Airline Highway,Suite A, Destrehan n 2104 WilliamsBlvd., Kenner n 70431 La. 21, Covington n 4100 La. 59, Mandeville n 731 Washington St., Franklinton n 1803 La. 3125, Gramercy n 10974 Joor Road, Baton Rouge n 4400 Hardy St., Hattiesburg. StaffwriterJoniHesscontributed to this report.

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE

FormerBaton RougeCongressman Garret Graves said Mondayhe’snot interested in becoming the newhead of FEMA.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

to build their program in asimilar fashion to her years at STM. Allison Bloomer,who serves as SouthsideHigh’sprincipal,is thrilled about Riehl’s recognition.

“Ms. Riehl inspires every student who steps into her classroom to see the world through an artist’s eyes,” Bloomer said. “Her passion for art and teaching continues to enrich our school and community, making her atrue example of excellence in art education.”

Across the three decades of teaching, she haspouredinto many students. And many of them have been equally inspired topursueart andteaching. Those former students can’tsay enough about her impact.

“She has been an extremely inﬂuential and important person to me,” said Alex Angers, who was taught by Riehl at St. Thomas More and now works as agraphic designer

“Mrs. Ange’sexuberantteaching style, and wayofliving life made me excited to create and encouraged me to challenge myself in areas of art with techniques Istill use today,” she said. “She taught me that youcan make alivingas an artist, and remindedmeoften that Ihad the skillsand creative mind to do so. After graduating ULL and working as agraphic designer for eight years,I still use design principlesshe taughtmein her class.”

Ann Clare Fremin, another former student from St. Thomas More, credits her time in Riehl’s class with how she approaches her own career as an educator

momentwhere they get it.”

INSURANCE

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Before the pandemic, eligibility for subsidies was limited to households earning between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level, with the amount tied to how much of their income they were expected to spend on abenchmark plan

Pandemic-era changesexpanded the credits, lowered required premium contributions and temporarily allowed people above the old income cutoff to qualify.But those changes are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025 unless Congress extends them.

According to estimates from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, anonpartisan research group that supports extending the subsidies, marketplaceenrollees in every Louisiana congressional district wouldfacesteep premium hikes if Congress lets the enhanced tax credits expire.

Across the state, a45-year-old earning $32,000 would see their annual premium more than triple, according to the analysis. The steepest increases appear

“She always celebratedand delighted in our work. Butshe was also determinedtomake us better”

Reihl said as an art educator,her primary goal is to teach students how to speak thelanguage of art.

“I am ahigh schoolteacher,and Itry my best to evoke Mrs. Riehl’s authenticity,positivity, and passioninmyown classroom,” she said. “I still hear her voiceinmy ear encouraging me to create more art,and Ioften dream of becoming an artist.”

“You definitelyhavestudents

in U.S. Rep.Clay Higgins’3rd District, though the pattern is consistent across the state. There, annual premiums for atypical familyearning $130,000 would rise by more than $16,000, anda 60-yearoldcouple could see a$29,000 jump, a406% surge that represents the most dramatic scenario in thestate. Higgins’ofﬁce did not respond to arequest for comment.

According to Keep Americans Covered,acoalition of health care groups, over 281,000Louisianans selectedamarketplace plan for 2025 coverage through thefederal platform.Before the subsidy expansion,roughly100,000residentswere enrolled through the marketplace.

SarahJane Guidry,director of policy and advocacy at CrescentCare, afederally qualiﬁed health center, said herstaff is already hearing from patients discovering that aplan with amonthly premium of acouple hundred dollars is nowcloser to $1,000.

“For people who don’tqualify for Medicaid and don’tget insurance through ajob, there are very,very few options,” she said. Those options,she added, often boil down to going uninsured,relying on

that are looking for therecipe and start out asking ‘How do Iget the “A”?’ That’sthe thing though. There isn’tjust oneright answer or formula,” she said. “Tomany students thatcan be freeing, but for other students it can be chaos that they can’twrap their heads around. If you give those kids some criteria to work with initially, eventually they’ll have that ‘A-ha!’

free clinics, or “compromising your family budget to compensate for these increased costs, because you cannotgowithout healthinsurance.

Rob Harrison, a44-year-old licensed clinical socialworker in New Orleans, is feeling the hikes on both sides. As atherapist in private practice,he’shad hisown healthinsurance through theACA for afew years and also treats clients who depend on it.

The planhecurrently pays about $300 amonth for —after aroughly $300 tax credit —will jump to about$850 amonth.His deductible would climb from $3,000 to $7,500.

“Obviouslybecause of this,I’m going to have to go up on myrates alittle bit,”saidHarrison,who specializes in trauma therapyand worries his clients will have to prioritize other expenses, or that their deductibles will be too high forthemtoget therapy. “It has this cascading effect.”

Thetiming is particularly harsh for Louisiana,where tens of thousands have already been removed from Medicaid as thestate began rechecking eligibility for the ﬁrst time since thepandemic.

In focus groups andcommunity

In herspare time, Reihl still enjoysmaking the glass beads and jewelry shefellinlove withasa teenager,whichshe nowsells at the monthly Art Walks in downtown Lafayette, as well as every year at the National Art Education Association conference. She also makes homemadepurses. Riehl saysteaching art has made her abetter artist. “I never truly learned things like perspective until Ihad to start teaching perspective,” she said. “A lotofart teachers shyaway from it because it’snot only difﬁcult to grasp, it’salso difﬁcult to explain. There’s alot of learning andrelearning in teaching art. There’s nevera time when I’m notlearning anew medium.”

meetings, Guidry said she’shearing morestories of people making major life decisionssolelytopreserve health coverage.

Some Louisiana workers avoid raises or turn down full-time hours because earning morewould push their family above subsidy limits. Others delaygetting married to keep household incomelow enough to qualify for assistance, she said.

The Senate has plans for aDecember vote on the subsidies, but it’snot clear whether House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, will bring an extension bill to the ﬂoor

On Friday,hetoldFox Business that he has not committedtobringinga vote, characterizing the enhanced creditsasa“COVID-era boondoggle” created by Democrats and designed to expire.

He said anyextensionwould require“massivereforms,” including income caps and Hyde Amendment restrictions, which preventsthe use of federal funds for abortionsexceptinsome circumstances. In October news interviews,U.S Rep.Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, indicated he did not support extend-

ing the subsidies. In statements on socialmedia,Higgins said he supports the end of the subsidies. If the credits were extended in some form, the Louisiana Department of Insurancehas previously warned that withoutdirectionfrom Congress, it cannot force insurers to adjust 2026 rates midyear,even if an extension passes later.That meansfamiliesmay be stuck paying higher premiums all year In New Orleans, McQuillen is trying to figure outwhattodoas his family adjusts to anew baby He could chase afull-time job with benefits, walking away from the flexibility of sound-engineering work in the city’smusic scene. He couldalsodrophis owncoverageand keep only astrongerplan forhis wife and baby Still, he considers his family lucky,because he hascontacts that could turn into ajob withinsurance. He worries that many gig workers will just go without.

“We’re gonna makeit,” he said. “Wemight have to have an employmentshake-up or two, but we’ll be OK.Alot of other people won’t.”

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

ArtteacherAngeRiehl works withjunior Morgan Rudolph during class Nov.

4atSouthside High School in youngsville.

Shown

BY CLAIRERUSH

Associated Press

PORTLAND,Ore. Aformer Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to cut the engines of apassenger flightin2023 while riding off-duty in the cockpit willserve no prison time, afederal judge ruled Monday,bringing an end to acase that drew attention to the need for more mental health support for pilots

U.S. District Court Judge Amy Baggio sentenced Joseph Emersontocredit for time served and supervised release for three years at ahearing in Portland,Oregon. Federal prosecutors had asked for one year in prison, while his attorneys had sought probation.

“Pilotsare notperfect They arehuman,”she said. “They are people and all people need help sometimes.”

Emerson was subduedby

theﬂightcrew after trying to cutthe enginesofaHorizon Air ﬂight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco on Oct. 22, 2023, while he was riding in an extra seat in the cockpit. The plane was diverted to Portland, where it landed safely withmore than 80 people onboard.

After his arrest,Emerson told police he wasdespondent overa friend’srecent death, hadtaken psychedelic mushrooms about two days earlier,and hadn’tslept in over 40 hours. He has said he believed he wasdreaming at the time and thathe wastrying to wake himself up by grabbing two red handlesthatwould haveactivated the plane’sﬁre suppressionsystem and cut off fuel to its engines.

Baggio said it “offers a cautionary tale worth tellingbeyond the conﬁnes of this case.”

Before she announced the

No jail foroff-dutypilot whotried to cutengines midair

in Portland,Ore.

sentence, Emerson spoke and said he regretted the harm he caused tosociety

“I’m notavictim. Iam here as adirect result of my actions,” he toldthe court.

“I can tell you that this very tragic event hasforced me to grow as an individual.”

He hugged his attorneys and shared atearful em-

Gunmen abduct 25 girls from high school in Nigeria

BY OPEADETAYO and

DYEPKAZAH SHIBAYAN Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria Gunmen attacked ahigh school in northwestern Nigeria before dawn on Monday,taking 25 schoolgirls and killing at least one staffer,authorities said of the latest abduction of students in the region No group immediately claimedresponsibility for abducting the girlsfrom the boarding school in Kebbi state and their motivation was unclear Nigeria is facing amultidimensional security challenge, specificallyfrom amorphous groups of armed bandits who specializein kidnapping for ransoms sometimestotalingthousands of dollars —and have been responsible for several high-proﬁle abductions

across Nigeria’snorthern region. Kidnappings, attacks on villages and along major roadshavebecomecommon because of thelimited security presence. Those bandits are notconnectedtomilitant groups such as Boko Haram and the splintergroup Islamic State West Africa Province, whoseattacks on communities andgovernment installationsare motivated by religion. Policesaidthe boarding schoolgirls were taken from their dorms at 4a.m. Monday.The school is in Maga, in the state’sDanko-Wasagu area, police spokesperson Naﬁ’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi said. The assailants were armed with “sophisticated weapons” and exchanged ﬁrewith guards before abductingthe girls, Kotarkoshi said.

“A combined team is currently combing suspected escape routes and surrounding forests in acoordinated search and rescue operation aimed at recovering the abductedstudents andarresting the perpetrators,”the spokesperson said. Kotarkoshi said one person was killed and another wasinjured, but aresident whosaidhis daughterand granddaughterwere abducted in the raid believes thedeath toll stands at two.

“Weweretoldthatthe attackers entered theschool with many motorcycles. They firstwentstraight to the teacher’s house and killed him before killing the guard,”said Abdulkarim Abdullahi Maga.

Police did not respond to an Associated Press call seeking confirmation of a second death.

brace withhis wife after the judge announced his sentence.

Multiple people spoke on Emerson’sbehalf at the hearing, including his wife, Sarah Stretch,who told the judge how the incidenthad impacted their family

“I am so sorryfor those that it’simpacted as much

as it has. But Iamextremely proud to be here with thisman today,because the growth that he has had from this terrible experiencehas not only helped him, but beneﬁted all that surround him,” she said through tears. “I just hope people realizethat it’s not necessarily themistakeitselfbut how yourespond to it.Hehas responded withcourage, strength and demonstration of extreme resiliency.”

Emerson had pleaded guiltyorno-contest to all charges against him in September as part of agreements withstate andfederal prosecutors.

Emerson, of Pleasant Hill, California,was charged in federal court with interfering with aﬂight crew.A state indictmentinOregon separately chargedhim with 83 counts of endangering anotherperson andone count of endangering an

aircraft.Hewas released from custodypending trial in December 2023, with requirements that he undergo mental health services, stay off drugs andalcohol,and keep away from aircraft.

Astate court sentenced himto50days in jail, with creditfor time served,plus ﬁve years of probation, 664 hours of community service —eight hours for each personheendangered—and over $60,000 in restitution, nearly allofittoAlaska Air Group.

Halfofhis community service can be performed at thepilot healthnonproﬁt he founded after his arrest. He must also undergo assessments fordrug andalcohol and mental health treatment,refrain fromusing any unprescribed drugs, and keep at least 25 feet away from operable aircraft unless he has permission from his probation ofﬁcer

Hundreds of Guardtroopsdeployed to Portland,Chicago to be sent home

BY JULIE WATSON Associated Press

HundredsofNational Guardtroops deployed to Chicagoand Portland, Oregon, arebeing sent home, andthose whowill remain will continue to stay off the streets amid court battles over theirdomestic mission by the Trump administration,adefense ofﬁcial said Monday

Thewithdrawal of soldiers —sent from California and Texas —ispart of alarger change to troop deployments after President Donald Trump began his immigration crackdown in various cities with Democraticleadership. Theofﬁcialwas notauthorizedto publicly discuss theissue and requested anonymity U.S. Northern Command saidinastatementSunday it was “shifting and/or rightsizing”unitsinPortland,

Los Angeles and Chicago, although it said there would be a“constant,enduring, andlong-term presence in each city.”

In the coming days, all 200 California National Guard troops currently deployed to Portlandwill be sent home, the ofﬁcial said. The military also plans to cut the number of OregonNational Guard troops on deployment there from 200 soldiers to 100, the ofﬁcial said.

About 200 Texas National Guard troops in Chicago also are being sent home andabout 200 soldiers will be on standby at Fort Bliss, an Army base that stretches across parts of Texas and New Mexico, theofficial said.

About 300 Illinois National Guard troops will remain in the Chicago area, also doing training, but theycurrently arenot legally allowedto conduct operations with the

DepartmentofHomeland Security,the ofﬁcial said. Theofficial said the upcoming holiday season may have playeda roleinthe change in deployments. Diana Crofts-Pelayo,a spokesperson for California Gov.Gavin Newsom, applauded the return of all California National Guard troopsinOregon,saying Trump “never should have illegally deployed our troops in the ﬁrst place.”

“We’re glad they’re ﬁnally coming home,” she wrote in an email. “It’slongoverdue!” Oregon Gov.Tina Kotek calledonthe Trump administrationtodemobilize the remaining 100troops in her state, as well. Illinois Gov.JBPritzker said the Trumpadministration doesn’tcommunicate itsplans with state leaders and wasstill threatening to federalize moretroops.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MOLLyJ.SMITH

Former Alaska Airlines pilotJosephEmerson,center,walks into U.S. District CourtonMonday

JanRisher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

‘The steamboat made it what it is’

My husband and Ihave been visiting the town of Washington’s Old Schoolhouse AntiqueMall in St. Landry Parish for more than 20 years —long enough that walking through its doorsfeels like stepping into afamiliar yet slightly dusty,slightly magical space. Every time we go, Ithink, “We should come here more often.” Most recently,wedrove to Washington to meet friends for lunch. They were coming from Pineville and Lafayette. Washington seemed like the perfect midpoint. We met at the Old Courtableau Café and had the kind of lunch that turns into an early afternoon without anyone noticing. At various points throughthe years, Washington has struck me as aplace that hoversbetween its glorious past and an uncertain present, buildings with personality —chipped columns,sagging porches, stories in every window But this time, something felt different. There was alightness.Paint actual fresh paint. There was a sense that Washington had taken adeep breath and was sitting up a little straighter Walking downtownafter lunch, my friends and Iwandered into Hotel Klaus, the new boutique hotel ownedbyStephen Ortego. And then —intrue Louisiana fashion —webumped intoOrtego himself He was headed towardthe pool carrying afamily-sizebag of Tostitos like it was completely normal. He was getting ready for

New twisthits Lafayette dating scene

Pitch-A-Friend events held at localbars

BYJOANNA BROWN Staff writer

For Acadiana-area singles looking to meet new people, this inperson event offers the opportunity to make connections without downloading an app ﬁrst.

Pitch-A-Friend was founded in Philadelphia in 2022 as away to help people meet each other in a welcoming, positive environment The structure is simple: People sign up to give three- to ﬁve-minute presentations on their single friends, in the hopesofsparking genuine connections between people who might not otherwise meet Lafayette resident RuthMorrongiello started an Acadiana chapter of Pitch-A-Friend this year,with alaunch event at The TapRoom Youngsville onOct. 28. The well-attended evening sparked asecond night of pitches at Youngsville’sBlack Bull sports bar on Nov.11, and this week, Pitch-A-Friend will debut at Artmosphere in Lafayetteat7 p.m. Wednesday

Blockparty brings art, music

Prideevent movesfromsummerfor cooler temps

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

Acadiana’squeer community gathered for its annualpride blockparty on Saturday,albeit at adifferent time of year thanitis traditionally held. The celebration, held downtown between the 200 and400 blocksofJefferson Street, is normally in June but was moved to November thisyear to

avoid excessive heat.

Acadiana Queer Collective organized theevent,which featured drag performances, local artwork, queer-run businesses, political organizations, religiouscongregations that are LGBTQ+ friendly and mental health resources. Whatwas also on displayatthe event, however,was theunique intersection of queer identities and Acadiana’sunique cultural background. The Southwestern Louisiana LGBTQ+ Archive, founded in 2022 through the use of afederal grant, rana tableatSaturday’s event and gave attendees the opportunity to check outarchived booksand materialsrelating to thegay community of Acadiana. Nowhere was this cultural fusion more evident than with the all-queerzydecogroup Gais-DoDo that performed musicatthe

event. The band, which formed earlier this year,isnamed after a punonthe CajunFrenchphrase “fais-do-do” that refers to atraditional Cajun dance gathering. “Cajun culture is rooted in Catholicism, so it has not always been the mostqueer-friendly,but it needs to be,” said Rosemary Benoit, one of the band members. “It’simportant that we do this because we’re queer but we’re also Cajuns. We’re part of this culture

CRISPy CRACKLIN’

TOP: Albert Daigle, right,samplesa graton that he purchasedfromChristie Bastrop, left, at theCracklin’Festival on SundayinPort Barre. Sundaymarked theﬁnalday of the2025festival, which celebrates thefried pork skin delicacy

Penny Robicheaux, left, andMarc Robicheauxsampleone vendor’sgratons. LEFT: Gratonscook during theCracklin’Festival

3schoolemployees arrested in investigation

BYCOURTNEYPEDERSEN Staff writer

Three employees at aLake Charles Christianschool have been arrested followinganinvestigation into sexual assaults that allegedly happened on campus. Morgan E. Daugherty, 35, the principalof Hamilton Christian School; Dominique D. Washington, 35, acoach at HamiltonChristian; and Stacy E. Bargeman, 58, an employee at the school, were all charged in connection with re-

ports of multiple sexualassaults that happened between students from March to September,accordingtothe CalcasieuParish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce Special Victims Unit. Detectives beganinvestigating the case after receiving acomplaint Sept.16. “Thisisa sad situation, anditappears aculture of hazing had developed at this school,” Calcasieu Sheriff Gary “Stitch” Guillory said in astatement. “Even worse is the fact that adults were aware of the situation and did not report the crimestolaw enforcement That is unacceptable, and we are committed to doing everything we

can as alaw enforcement agency to ensure it does not continue.”

According to investigators, Daugherty and Washington were aware of thereportedassaults prior to the investigation.

Daugherty and Washington triedtohideinformation from both other school staffaswellas lawenforcementduringthe investigation, according to the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce. Bargeman allegedly sent threatening messages to other school personnel in reference to theinvestigation.

“This case took longer than usual to investigate due to thecomplexityofthe case and the sheer number of individuals we needed

to interview,” Guillory said. “We wanted to make sure this investigation was thorough, just like anyother, andthatall available evidence wascollected.There has been alot of rumor and hearsay about what actuallyoccurred,and we are still analyzing evidence when it comes to this case.” Daugherty and Bargeman were arrestedand booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center on Friday,and Washington was located in Ascension Parish and arrested. Daugherty and Washington have both been booked with failure to report the commissionof

STAFF PHOTOSByBRAD BOWIE

ä See BLOCK, page

ABOVE:

Some rare good news on theinsurance front

It’seasy for Louisiana residents to feel hopelessoverthe high priceofinsuring their homes against extreme weather.The state gotlucky this hurricane season, butweknowthat storms in recent years have strengthened quickly as they approached the coast andstayed strong as they came ashore,a dangerous andcostly trend. Andofﬁcial efforts to reduce regulation to attract morecompetition haveyet to bear signiﬁcant fruit.

So we’re encouragedbythe growing adoption of what seems to be the best strategy to simultaneouslyprotecthomes andgive homeownersa needed financial break: theuse of fortifiedroofs And we’re glad that Insurance Commissioner TimTemple is now joiningthe chorusinfavor of requiring insurers to providespecific discounts to customers who putthese new stormresistant roofs on their homes. Temple, who’d previously resisted requiring specificfortified roof discounts, said recently that hisofficeisworking on arule to seta “benchmark” discount that insurersmust give to homeowners. The law now requiresonly that insurers offer adiscount that is “actuarially justified,” so the actual price breaks vary widely,and some insurers offer little in the way of relief. Temple has in the past foughtlegislative attemptstomandate a20% fortified roof discount, arguingitwould make theLouisiana market lessattractive for companiesthat mightdo business here. By comparison, Alabama,whichpioneered the use of fortifiedroofs, sets abenchmark of 25%to30%, thoughinsurers can go through aprocess to offer asmaller discount. What’schanged, Temple said recently,isthat Louisiana is reaching the pointwhere it has critical mass.

In fact, his shift came as heannouncedsome rare good news:10,000 Louisianansnow have fortiﬁed roofs, up from about1,000 thistime last year,putting the state in third placebehind Alabamaand North Carolina

“Louisiana is the fastest-growing state whenit comes to putting fortiﬁed roofs on in the country,”Temple said.

Some homeowners have beneﬁted from generous state grants awarded by lottery.The Department of Insuranceisnow acceptingregistration for the latest roundofgrants through Wednesday at 5p.m. In this round,1,000 applicants will be randomly selected to win grants of up to $10,000.

But residents who install fortified roofs on their own without state grants also benefitfrom the promise of lower rates —not to mentionbetter protection thatcan prevent thesortofwater intrusion that might force them from their homes for long periods. Communitiesbenefit from the widespread use of fortified roofs as well, in the form of more favorable communitywide ratings.

Like Temple, we believe encouragingresidentstoput on roofs meeting thefortiﬁed standard is the best hope to keep ourareaaffordable. This program is awin for residents andthe industry alike. When it comes toinsurance, it’s not often that we get to say that.

HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

YOUR VIEWS

Evidence againstClay Schexnayderseems flimsy

Although Inow live in Florida, having recentlymoved after living in Baton Rouge for 75 years, Istill try to keep up withthe news from my former state. Ihave followed the case of the missing ancient cypress boardand the indictment of former state legislator Clay Schexnayder by Attorney General Liz Murrill for stealing it Although Idon’tknow Schexnayder or Murrill, Iwould make these comments about the case. If theAGfelt shehad enough to indict Schexnayder,she certainly had enough to get asearch warrant for his properties,looking for the board, which shedid not do. Apparently,the state did not want it

anymore, which would, in my opinion, lead Schexnayder to assume that it was given to him. Murrill made no attempt to communicate with Schexnayder aboutthe item beforeshe indictedhim. Since he vacated his ofﬁce with state propertyinit, the fact that it is no longer there is woefully insufﬁcient evidence to convict him on. He may have taken it, but what has been published about the case leads me to believe that the state is going to be hard-pressed to prove it. If Iwere an attorney,IthinkIwould prefer to defend him rather thanprosecute him.

ERNESTGREMILLION Tallahassee, Florida

Cassidyhas yet anotherchanceto pass integritytest

I’mtired of hearing people panic about AI without understanding what they’re even talking about. Recently,I saw on social media, “ChatGPTisgoing to take everyone’sjobs.”

When Iasked what theythought ChatGPT actually does, theycouldn’texplain it This is the same conversation we’ve had about every new technology —calculators, computers, the internet. It gets old.

AI isn’tsomesci-ﬁ robot plotting to replace us. It’ssoftware that’sgood at speciﬁc tasks —sorting data, spotting patterns, drafting basic text. Yes, some jobs will change. That’sbeen true since the printing press. But we’re not headed for mass unemployment any more than we were when ATMs showed up and

everyone predicted bank tellers would disappear What bothers me mostishow confidently people declare doom without doing basic research. AI tools are already being used in Louisianaoil fields to predict equipment problems andinschoolsto help teachers customize lessons. These aren’tjob-killers —they’re toolsthatlet people focus on work that actually requires human judgment I’mnot saying AIisperfect or that we shouldn’tthink carefully abouthow we use it. But the reflexive “thiswill destroy everything” response isn’tthinking —it’s just fear.And it makes us sound ignorant. ADAM TOUCHET St. Martinville

In New York, an admitted socialistwas voted in as mayor of New York City In Louisiana, an ex-paramedic posed and practiced as amedical doctor for years. Apersoninthe position of a federal judge agreed with the defense lawyer and chose to impose asix-month sentenceinstead of the requiredﬁveyear sentence. In Louisiana, asheriff allowed contraband drugs in theparish jail, causing four inmate deaths in one year.Now the sheriff is searching for solutions. If aperson wantstobeelected by the voters of aparticular jurisdiction, please be truthful about yourintentions. Please don’tpass yourself off as aperson you are not. The voters sufferinthe long run. LINCOLN SAVOIE Sunset

Newspaperisn’t reflective of public sentimentinred

state

Iagreewith Cynthia Litz’scomments about publishedletter selection in your newspaper

Ialsodetect astrong biasagainst President DonaldTrump, U.S.Sen John Kennedy and U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins in your editorials. Youalso run a

full-page ad asking for donated funds. We liveina red state. Wouldn’tit make sense to try to be more balanced and maybe getsomefunds from your Republican readers?

HERMAN J. MAYEUX Rayne

When U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy had the chance to stand up for evidence-based science, he folded to pressure from President Donald Trumpand voted to confirm an anti-vaccine charlatan to the most important health care position in the country When Cassidy had the chance to stop the confirmation of Trump’s pick forSecretary of Defense, he instead voted to confirm the manifestly unfit, spectacularly unqualified Pete Hegseth. When he was asked by areporter about Trump’splan to shake downthe U.S. taxpayer for$230 million as compensation forthe Jan. 6and classified documents investigations, he refused to comment. Now, he will have the chance to vote to release the Epstein files and expose adecadeslong child rape and sex-trafficking ring. Iknow that he likes to speak “as adoctor.” My question to him, since he is adoctor,isthis: Is there aprocedure to reinsert your spine before Trumpsuccessfully covers up the entire disgusting criminal enterprise? Or is he going to join the cover-up?

We the people are awaiting his response.

JAMES TAYLOR Baton Rouge

Nothinggoodcan come of Kelly’slawsuit

Brian Kelly will regret the day he turned downLSU’s generous settlement offer.Instead of collecting a$30 million buyout, he’s signed on formonths, and even years, of nasty,stressful and expensive litigation.

Winorlose, Kelly’slawsuit will tarnish his legacy as one of the nation’smost successful college football coaches, not to mention the very real possibility that the lawsuit could makehim unemployable. After all, whowants to hire atop-dollar coach with ahistory of litigiousness?

Of course, all parties to this tawdry soap opera may come to their senses and quietly settle the lawsuit out of court. That would be my advice if Iwere Kelly’s lawyer

RICHARD FOSSEY Baton Rouge

COMMENTARY

Thethreatofanoverproducedelite

Success breeds failure. Policies and practices well suited to societyatone junctureinhistory are often poorly suited to the world they have beneﬁciallytransformed.

If you carry agood thing toofar, it can turn out not to be agood thing anymore.

Case in point, one of the most successful public policies in U.S. history,the World WarII G.I. Bill, which ﬁnanced college educations for military veterans. Signed by former PresidentFranklin Roosevelt, it embodied New Deal generosity even as its chief backers included the racist Democratic Mississippi Rep. John Rankinand thesupposedly reactionary American Legion.One secret of its success,like that ofSocial Security,was apparent reciprocity:It provided beneﬁts for those whomade some contribution.

Michael Barone

just 5% before WWII to nearly twothirdstoday,with almost 40% earning abachelor’sdegree. Those numbers have been increased by seemingly generous student loans, the proceeds of which are gobbled up by avast increase in higher education administrators (they now outnumberteachers)and by everhigher tuitions.

As Charles Murray argued in his2008 book “Real Education,” these are far higher percentages than the share of the population with the cognitiveskills needed to proﬁt from serious four-year undergraduate study,much less advanced graduateschool.

constituency was “a group that has becomeincreasingly central toAmerican politics,” JohnCarney wroteinthe New York Post. “The downwardly mobile professionals, theoverproduced graduates of our universitysystem, raised to expect middle-classstability and discovering instead that the system has little to offer beyond high rent and burnout.”

Or,asGregory Contisaid in an interview withThe Economic Times,his core constituency was “the collegeeducated, cash-strapped professional middle class.

In doing so, it subsidized both economic and intellectual upward mobility for those from modest or even subsistence beginnings —the children of Appalachian coal miners, eastern and southern European immigrants, and evenmany Black Americans whose service was limited to segregated units. Taken together,their achievements not only increasedthe enrollment of colleges and universities (manyof which disliked the democratization) but vastly increased the size and capacities of the American economy

This success embedded in the minds of elites and many ordinary Americans the notion that any further expansion of higher education would begood for individuals and the country.State legislatures founded new systems of universities and communitycolleges Congress pumped large sums into higher education and tookupthe idea of somehow subsidizing loansto college and graduate students.

As aresult, the share of Americans pursuing higher education rose from

Theresult is that American society, which before the G.I. Bill tended to provide higher education to too few, now provides it to too many. Consequently,wehavewhat themaverick scholar Peter Turchin called an “overproduction of elites.”

Oneconsequence is that the economic premium from abachelor’sdegree is becoming smaller,ifnot vanishing.

Another is that there is aglut of college graduates entering the labor market —some 7million since January 2020 —while the number of those without such adegree is declining. Acountry with shortages of construction workers andtruck drivers has aglut of people whose credentials lead them to think they should be running things.

Theresult, as Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel predicted back in 2020, is a crash in expectations, as young people facing an expensive housing market with disappointing salaries and high costs will “ﬁnditvery hard to start accumulatingcapital in the form of real estate andthen if one has no stake in the capitalist system, then one may well turn against it.”

All of which helps explain theelection of theself-proclaimed democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as the next mayorofNew York City. Hiscore

I’ve called this group thebarista proletariat,and it has proved crucial not only in New York but also in the election of teachers union ofﬁcial Brandon Johnson as mayor of Chicago in 2023 and in the elevation of university townsover industrial cities as the most Democratic counties in presidential target states.

Nationally,this is asplinter group. Mamdani got just 50.4% of the votein acity where the last four Democratic presidential nominees got 68%, 76%, 79% and 81%. Butthe command of police forces in central cities witha disproportionateshare of the nation’s economic product and violent crimes has consequences.

Surveys show that Mamdani received high percentages from recent migrants to New York and from young voters. Neither has memories of how the crimefighting policies of former Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg madethe city, and in particular their gentrified neighborhoods, more liberal. Nor have they experienced the repeated failures of rent control and socialist provision, which Mamdani has championed. The overproduced elite is well positioned to inflict major damage on the nation it disdains but feels entitled to lead.

Michael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarone.

Thebiasedbroadcastingcorporation

Two friends email from Londonabout the editing scandal that ledtothe resignation of two top ofﬁcials from the British Broadcasting Corporation.The resignations followed exposure of the splicing together of two parts of aspeech by President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. The edits made it look and soundlike the president was urging his followerstoviolently attack the Capitol.

tance and took other actions in support of thewar effort. This was accurately depicted in the ﬁlm “The Longest Day.” In recentyears, theBBC has seen its leveloftrust decline.

For decades Ihave been hearing the old courtroom saying about how agrand jury would indict aham sandwich if given the chance, but Inever expected to see it happen. What the saying conveys is that grand juries, which approve or reject charges to go to trial, only hear from one side, the prosecution, and only have to ﬁnd probable cause to believe a crime happened, which is avery low fence for any prosecutor to get over

But leave it to the Justice Department of President Donald Trumptofail at that elementary ﬁrst step, and then to try to charge the ham sandwich on a lesser offense, and ﬁnally to fail at trial to makeeven that charge stick.

That’swhat culminated not in the trial of asandwich but rather of aman whothrew one at aU.S. Customsand Border Protection agent patrolling the streets of Washington D.C.

According to the charging documents and video of the incident, Sean Charles Dunn, 37, came upon the group of federal agents, cursed at them and called them “fascist” before heaving the sandwich into the ballistic vest of CBP AgentGreg Lairmore.

Dunn, likemanyresidents of thenation’scapital, wasupset by the surge of federal agents and National Guard soldiers into the city to do the workthat normally falls to beat cops.

After leading federal agents on amerry chase downthe street, Dunn was apprehended and charged with something like assault by hoagie. Afederal grand jury rejected afelony charge, so the ofﬁce of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro had to settle foramisdemeanor charge.

The case of “the sandwich guy” wentviral and becameastunning example in manyminds of how the Trumpadministration’ssupposedly serious immigration crackdown, now in its third month, has run amok.

Dunn was ﬁred from his job as aparalegal at the Justice Department, which is atough break, although he did gain minor hero status among Americans fedupbythe lawlessness and arrogance of the Trumpadministration in turning pleasant neighborhoods into scenes of apolice state.

Among other signs of public outrage, street art appeared drawninthe style of the guerilla artist Banksy of amasked youth heaving a sandwich instead of aMolotov cocktail.

In the trial itself,itwas revealed that Lairmorecould barely feel the impact through his tactical vest, and that the greatest injury he suffered wasthe smell of onions and mustards. And the ridicule of his CBP partners. The jury voted to acquit.

Like manyAmericans, I’mamused by the episode, but not because Idon’tlike cops or don’t care about law and order.Quite the opposite, I am appalled by the harm Trumpand his Justice Department are doing to law and order in this country

One emailer said the ﬁrst “B” in BBC should stand for bias. That reminded me of what some conservatives called CNN duringthe Clinton administration (the Clinton News Network), because of their perceived bias. The second writer saidthe editwas only a“mistake.” It wasn’tamistake It was deliberate and it was made with the intention of having viewers accept their desired negativeopinion of Trump. In another country andin another era, this would be called propaganda. If this sounds likethe editing of the CBS “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris to make her sound articulate, it should. Both ﬂowed from the same liberal worldview.

Kudos to the London Daily Telegraph forpracticing real journalism andexposing the edit of the Trumpspeech During World WarIIthe BBC was a trusted source of information.It sent coded information to the French resis-

Asurvey conducted by David PickeringofThe Conversation, anews organization that calls itself “dedicated to facts and evidence,” noted that “Trust in theBBC is heavily conditioned by political identity.”The survey of11,170 people in theUK “showedstriking differences between how people withleft-wing and right-wing party afﬁliations felt about the broadcaster.”

Theediting incident isn’tthe ﬁrst time thecredibility of the BBC has beencalled into question. Several internal studies have found theorganization to have reported unfairly on the conﬂict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Thestudies changed nothing as the pro-Palestinian bias has continued. It is the same whenitcomes to their reporting on “climate change.”

AWall Street Journal editorial notes the BBC has had an LGBTQ desk within its London headquarters to make sure stories were favorable about transgender issues. Stories that did not reﬂectthe BBC’s“liberal orthodoxy” were suppressed, notes the Journal. On top of this,streamers and owners of television sets are required to pay an

annual TV license fee of 174.50 (about $230) per year for acolor license and 58.50 ($77) for ablack-and-white license, acompulsorypayment used primarily tofund the BBC’stelevision, radio and online services. Does anyone still own ablack-andwhite TV? Andontop of this, viewers must watch endless commercials, someofwhich are moreentertaining and creative than the programs.

Efforts by some conservative members of Parliament toeliminate the TV license fee have failed. As in America, politicians are reluctant togive up money TimDavie, the now-resigned director general of the BBC said in astatement: “This narrative will not just be given by our enemies. It’s our narrative. We own things.” Right there you have thereason so much of themedia in the UK and the U.S. are held in low regard. They think they “own things,” instead of exercising aresponsibility to serve thepeople fairly and accurately.Aswith other exposures of bias, Isuspect little will change within the BBC unless it follows the example of the new president of CBS News and begins hiring reporters with aconservative worldview who will presumably report conservative ideas fairly and accurately Email Cal Thomasattcaeditorstribpub.com

Unfortunately,despite his administration’s promise to go after the “worst of the worst” offenders, Trump’spolicies to tighten immigration enforcement appear to have done moreto create disorder,divide families and frighten small children than makeany of us feel safer Some of theworst exampleshavecome from, of all people, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, the ofﬁcial tasked with leading the Chicago crackdown. He admitted to avery serious offense, lying about arock-throwing incident used to justify deploying tear gas against protestors. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued apreliminary injunction limiting the use of force during immigration arrests and protests.

For example, video showed him throwing agas canister at protesters in Chicago’sLittle Village neighborhood without giving so muchasa “look out below,” despite the judge’searlier temporary restraining order limiting the use of force

Stories like these remind me of how Trump recently suggested using our cities, which he speciﬁed as “Democrat-run cities,” to train our military troops. Train them to do what? Create disorder?

Americans see what Trumpisdoing, and they don’tlike it. Trumpmay not want to believe it, but that’swhat voters told him in the last elections.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@ gmail.com.

Cal Thomas

Clarence Page

ASSOCIATED PRSS FILE PHOTO By KIN CHEUNG

The BBC apologized last week toPresident DonaldTrump overamisleading edit of his speechonJan. 6, 2021, butsaid it had notdefamed him.

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poetry

Participants listen to pitches during a recent Pitch-A-Friend dating event at The Tap Room youngsville.

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Participants can sign up to pitch at upcoming events online with a $5 commitment fee. Pitches must be submitted beforehand and follow event guidelines, which include keeping pitches positive, clean and short.

Morrongiello said she is a recent transplant to Acadiana from the New York area, and she wanted to create the kind of dating environment she was looking for focused on authentic interactions.

“Acadiana has such a warm, community-driven

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certain felonies as well as obstruction of justice. Judge Tony Fazzio set their bails at $1.15 million each. Bargeman was charged with cyberstalking. Fazzio set her bail at $7,500. Those with any information on the case, are asked to call the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce at (337) 491-3605 or to submit a tip through the Closewatch Calcasieu App or by calling Crime Stoppers at (337) 4392222.

“We also believe there was a lack of cooperation from families due to fearing nothing would happen,” Guillory said in the release. “We are hoping these arrests will give possible victims conﬁdence to come forward with more information.”

energy, and it felt like the ideal backdrop for helping people meet future partners in a more human, heartfelt way,” she said. “Let’s be real: Dating can be a negative and draining experience for many people. It’s refreshing to have a night that focuses just on positivity.” She said people have attended for a variety of reasons, from making friends and dating to light networking. Feedback has been positive thus far, and she’s excited to help foster a dating environment that doesn’t

rely on apps. “So many people are burnt out on swiping and making snap judgments based on a photo. When a friend vouches for someone, you instantly get more depth than any proﬁle could ever give you. People are so much more than what you see on a screen, and Pitch-A-Friend brings that truth back to the dating experience,” Morrongiello said.

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

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a pool party he was hosting that afternoon. We recognized each other, and suddenly we were getting a tour of the nine-room hotel and the soon-to-open-thisweekend Portrait Gallery and Lounge.

Even under construction, the lounge made me stop and blink. Old portraits were leaning against the walls some elegant, some stern, some a little wild-eyed gazing out like they’d been waiting for company

“We were trying to recycle furniture and needed artwork,” Stephen explained. “Someone offered their mother’s portrait. Then a lady in town said, ‘Why don’t you just ask people for their portraits?’”

We couldn’t take our eyes off the portraits. The randomness somehow made the room feel intentional. It was just the right amount of whimsy and community

“People have these old pictures they don’t want staring at them in their own house,” he said. “But they’ll happily hang them in a bar — so they can come toast their mom.”

Seeing him again bent time in that strange way reunions do. He’s 41 now, but I ﬁrst met him in 2007, when he was a college student who walked into the newsroom with the conﬁdence only a 23-year-old can pull off and announced he was running for the state Legislature.

He lost that ﬁrst race but won the next at 27, served four years, and eventually shifted into a different kind of public service the kind that involves restoring old buildings, starting businesses and believing a small town still has potential.

When we spoke again by phone this week, he slipped easily from hotel owner to historian.

“Washington was established in 1720,” he said. “A lot happened here in the 1820s when the steamboat became a mode of transportation. The steamboat made it what it is.”

Cotton, cattle, sugar, molasses all of it passed through Washington. The town’s history claims that, at its height, it was the largest steamboat port between New Orleans and St. Louis.

The prosperity brought Jewish merchants who built businesses, including the original Hotel Klaus. And then it ended. The last steamboat left around 1900, the railroad took over, and Washington paused in place, like someone hit the historic-preservation button.

What’s striking now is how many people are trying to unfreeze it — Ortego’s hotel, the recent purchase of an old car dealership, the bank redoing the post ofﬁce. There’s talk of a kayak vending machine on the bayou. The sense that something is stirring on those hilly streets.

My hunch about the direction of the town was right. Dwight Landreneau, the mayor of Washington, sent me a statement, “The Town of Washington, home to approximately 1,100 residents, has made signiﬁ-

cant strides in strengthening its ﬁnancial position over the past few years. In 2020, the town carried a debt of over $750,000. Through careful ﬁscal management and a collaborative approach between the Town Council and the

And,

PROVIDED PHOTO

PHOTOS By ROBIN MAy

Fiddler Gina Forsyth, a member of the Gais-Do-Do Cajun band, entertains the crowd at the Pride Acadiana Block Party on Saturday.

Martini Bear, the grand marshal, introduces the drag queens.

SPORTS

PICKINGA LANE

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Ole Miss coach Lane Kifﬁn remainsa top target and is thecurrent focus of LSU’scoaching search, multiple sources told The Advocate.

LSU officials arrangedfor aprivate plane to pick up several of Kiffin’s family members Monday morning in Oxford, Mississippi, sources said,and they flew to BatonRougetotourthe city Kiffin, 50, emerged early on as aprimary target as LSU looks for Brian Kelly’sreplacement. Kelly wasfired in the midst of his fourth seasonwith a 34-14 overall record.

Ole Miss has worked on acontractextension in an effort to persuade Kifﬁnto stay,according to multiple reports, butit has not been signed. Ole Miss gave Kifﬁn an ultimatum to decidehis future before the Nov.28Egg BowlagainstMissis-

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

While getting somerest and healing up during alonger-thannormal break between games, the UL coaching staff also has come up with anew defensive plan for Thursday’sroad game against Arkansas Stateat 6:30 p.m. on ESPN. Part of that plan was dealing with the absences of seven play-

sippi State, TheAthletic reported Floridaalsomade Kiffin atop target in itssearch for anew coach after firing BillyNapier. AccordingtoOn3,Kiffin’s family visited Gainesville, Florida, on Sunday Ole Miss hasanopendate this week before playing arch-rivalMississippi State in the EggBowl. At 10-1 overall, the Rebels likely will make the College Football Playoff for the first time. They were ranked No. 7last week and areexpected to move up onespotafter Alabama lost to Oklahoma.Iftheyare not in thetop fourofthe final CFP rankings,they likely will hostafirst-round playoff game Dec. 19 or 20.

Kiffin has said repeatedly that he feelshappy at OleMiss, buthehas not made any definitive statements about whether or not he will stay in Oxford. Ole Miss fans chanted “WewantLane” near theend of the Rebels’34-24 win Saturday night over Florida.

ä UL at ArkansasState, 6:30 P.M.THURSDAy,ESPN

ers who were suspended after a postgame ﬁght that took place following a42-39 home winover Texas StateonNov.8,including startingsafeties Tyree Skipper and Kody Jackson and starting cornerback CourtlineFlowers. Thesecondary already was an issue, especially afterlosingkey

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Afterafrustrating loss and humbling setback against state rivals last week, the UL Ragin’ Cajuns are in need of something to smile about. They will trytoﬁnd that joy a long wayfrom home.

Coach Quannas White’sclub begins athree-game California roadtripat9 p.m. on Tuesday against Stanford at MaplesPavilion in Palo Alto, California.

The Cajuns (1-3) then will play at Santa Clara in a9 p.m.Friday game before closing the stretch out at Cal-Davis at 8p.m. Monday Whitebelieves more tough challenges, even after an 88-62 loss at McNeese State on Friday night, is agood thing for his

ä UL at Stanford, 9P.M.TUESDAy, ESPN+

team’sdevelopment.

“Look, we’re still trying to competetowin championships, no matterhow this game went,”

White said. “And so, absolutely.I think the harder it is, the better Youknow,you don’trun from adversity.You look it in the eye and youkeep moving forward, and that’swhatwe’re goingdo. And so, we got knocked on theside of thehead. Nowwejustgot to rebound from it.”

One thing the UL coaching staff is hopingtoestablish on the long trip is anythingresembling offensivemomentum. Overshadowed by the ugly loss

“I love what we’redoing here,” Kifﬁn said Saturday.“Today was awesome. To even talkabout it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and how well they played today.We’ve got alot of things going here. Doing really well, andI loveithere.”

Kiffin has a54-19 overall record in six seasonsatOle Miss. TheRebelshave won at least 10 games in four of the past five years, and he guided them to the first 11-win season in program history UnderKiffin, Ole Miss won 10 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1959-60.

This season, Kiffin is the 11th-highest-paid coach in thecountry at $9 million per year,according to USAToday His current contract at Ole Miss runs through 2031.

For more LSU sportsupdates, signup for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/ lsunewsletter

reserve and part-timestarter Collin Jacob forthe rest of the seasonwitha brokenarm It starts withsafety Jalen Clarkmaking progress physically “He should be good to go,” UL coach Michael Desormeaux said of Clark, whohas 34 tackles, two pass breakups andaninterception in 10 gamesthis season. Obviously,ULwillneed more than one safety to getthrough

agame, especially against a veteran quarterback in Jaylen Raynor anda veteran wide receiver like Corey Rucker for Arkansas State. The rest of the plan revolves around redshirt freshman Lake Bates, whoplayedinthe second half of the TexasState win, as wellasredshirt senior Key’Savalyn Barnes and true

The LSUfootballcoaching search apparently has shifted into ahigher gear

Our Wilson Alexander reported Monday afternoon that Ole Miss coach Lane

ä Western Kentucky at LSU, 6:45 P.M. SATURDAy,SECN

Kiffinisthe focus of LSU’ssearch to replace Brian Kelly as its coach. Significantly, membersofKiffin’sfamily were flown by private jet Monday to BatonRouge to tour the city Let’sall assume they were not just here for the chargrilled oysters. Over the weekend, things we have been hearing about theLSU search —aswell as developments in Mississippi begantomove in asignificant direction. Here’swhatwe’vebeen hearing regarding the search since late Sunday night: Kiffin’soptions

Kifﬁn looks like he hasthree major options: stay at Ole Miss, leave for LSU or leavefor Florida.Healso could be in playwiththe NewYorkGiants, but we’ll leave that aside for now.Whatever he does, Kifﬁn is likely to emerge as the highest paid coach in college football. According to USA Today,that currently is Georgia coach Kirby Smart at just over $13.2 millionayear

Howbig of acontract?

Despite Gov.Jeff Landry decrying the state of coaches’contracts these days (something we don’tdisagreeon), LSU will have theability —and willingness —tocompete with and possibly surpass an offerbyeitherOle Miss or Florida As of late Sundaynight,noofficial offers had been made to any candidate. But I am told LSU will do what it needs to do financially,which is significant.

LSUstabilizes

Even with all of the controversy surrounding Landry’sstatements, including those that ledtothe firing of LSU athletic director Scott Woodward, you will notice things have calmed down on that front sinceWadeRousse was namedpresident andfinallyconfirmed that Verge Ausberry would be the LSU athleticdirector.That hasled to alot of interest from sitting head coaches around the country,coaches who apparently haven’tbeen turned off by the political situation surrounding LSU. Search standards

Everyperson LSUhas picked to be itsfootballcoach dating back to 1991 with its hiring of Curley Hallman from Southern Mississippi hashad priorhead coachingexperience. To that end, LSU should be expected to seek another current head coach,but if circumstances dictate it, the school could consider someone from the coordinator ranks. Time frame

When would LSU ideally like to hire a coach? This is acriticalpoint with the College Football Playoff running from Dec. 19 through Jan. 19. Even more critical from LSU’sperspective is the start of the early signing period on Dec. 3. LSU clearly would like to have anew coach in place by then, meaning this coaching search will have to move quickly

Otheroptions

If not Kifﬁn —and obviously he could go any number of ways —then who for LSU?Two of the names to consider right now appear to be Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz andTulane coach Jon Sumrall.The GreenWavecoach will notbe discountedinthe coaching search the way former UL and Florida coach Billy Napier was whenLSU hired Kelly four years ago just because he coaches at an in-state school.Bear in mind thatTulane (8-2,5-1 American Conference)isstill very much alive for the College Football Playoff as well, ahalf-game behind ﬁrstplace Navy in the conference standings.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Ole Miss headcoach Lane Kiffintalks withthe officials in agame against LSU on Oct. 12, 2024, at TigerStadium.

Scott Rabalais

Michigan, TCU climb into top 10

LSU stays at No. 5; SEC has eight ranked teams

BY DOUG FEINBERG Associated Press

Michigan and TCU vaulted into the top 10 of The Associated Press

Top 25 women’s basketball poll on Monday after big victories over ranked opponents.

The sixth-ranked Wolverines climbed eight spots after routing then-No 18 Notre Dame 93-54 on Saturday No. 10 TCU moved up seven places as the Horned Frogs topped then-No. 10 N.C. State on the road Sunday 69-59. Michigan’s win over Notre Dame was its biggest ever over a Top 25 team. The Wolverines, who were last ranked this high on Feb. 21, 2022, have a matchup with No. 1 UConn on Friday night in the Hall of Fame Showcase at

Mohegan Sun.

“Connecticut is really, really good,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “I think our kids want to compete against the best. I always have a stomach ache when those games are on our schedule.”

The Huskies remained the top team after receiving 28 firstplace votes from a national media panel. South Carolina was second, fresh off a 69-52 victory over then-No. 8 USC. The Gamecocks got three first-place votes and No. 3 UCLA received the other top ballot after double-digit wins over Oklahoma and North Carolina last week. Texas was fourth and LSU ﬁfth. Baylor was seventh and the Sooners fell one place to eighth with Maryland ninth.

In and out

West Virginia made its Top 25 debut at No. 23 after beating Duke 57-49 on Friday night in a game

marred by an on-court confrontation. The Mountaineers had six players ejected at the half due and played the second half with just ﬁve players. Duke fell out of the poll, ending a 24-week run in the Top 25 that was the ninth-longest active streak.

Conference supremacy

The Southeastern Conference has eight teams in the rankings this week, including three of the top ﬁve. The Big Ten has seven schools in the poll, the Big 12 ﬁve and the Atlantic Coast Conference four The Big East has one.

Games of the week No 19 Iowa vs No 7 Baylor Thursday The two schools will play in the WBCA Showcase at Disney World. It’s the Hawkeyes’ ﬁrst trip outside the state this season while the Bears have played in Paris and Las Vegas. No. 11 USC at No. 24 Notre

BY DAVE SKRETTA Associated Press

Purdue moved back to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll Monday ahead of Houston, which spent a single week there after leapfrogging the Boilermakers It’s hardly a two-team race for the top, though. UConn, Arizona and Duke also got No 1 votes from the 61-member media panel in a poll that also saw No. 6 Louisville and No. 8 Illinois jump into the top 10. The Boilermakers got 44 ﬁrstplace votes after an impressive week that included a road win over then-No. 8 Alabama and a victory over Akron. Houston lost six of its No. 1 votes but still had 12 after beating Oakland and edging No 22 Auburn in a matchup of Final Four teams from last season.

“We have a great group of guys,” said Purdue coach Matt Painter, who also picked up his 500th career win last weekend, “and just trying to go from one game to the other I think is really hard after you have such an emotional, big win on the road like we had.” UConn remained No 3 with three ﬁrst-place votes after beating then-No. 7 BYU 86-84 on Saturday That started a tough road for the Huskies that includes games against No. 4 Arizona on Wednesday and Illinois and No 24 Kansas down the road

The Wildcats swapped spots with Duke this week, moving up with two ﬁrst-place votes thanks in part to a win over then-No. 15 UCLA. The Blue Devils received the remaining No. 1

Bengals receiver Chase suspended for spitting Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was suspended without pay for one game on Monday for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey Chase spat on Ramsey during a confrontation in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game. Ramsey grabbed Chase by the face mask and punched him, which resulted in Ramsey’s ejection.

In announcing the suspension, the NFL said Chase was disciplined under a rule that applies to “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”

Chase denied having spat after the Bengals’ 34-12 loss, but a Cincinnati television station had video of the incident. Chase did not speak to reporters in the Bengals’ locker room on Monday

Commanders release Gay, sign Moody from Bears

Kicker Matt Gay was released by the Commanders on Monday, a day after he missed two field-goal attempts in a 16-13 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins in Spain, and a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Washington replaced him by signing Jake Moody off the Chicago Bears’ practice squad. Washington’s six-game losing streak began with a 25-24 defeat to Chicago on Oct. 13 that ended with Moody making a 38-yard field goal for the Bears on the last play That was Moody’s first game with Chicago after the San Francisco 49ers cut him for missing two kicks in Week 1 this season. He was a third-round draft pick by the 49ers in 2023 and played for them in a Super Bowl. Gay made 13 of 19 field-goal tries this season, a 68.4% accuracy rate.

Naylor agrees to 5-year contract with Mariners

SEATTLE First baseman Josh Naylor and the Seattle Mariners finalized a five-year contract on Monday Naylor, 28, became a free agent following a season in which the Mariners lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. Soon after Seattle’s season ended, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto stressed the importance of re-signing Naylor after acquiring him from the Arizona Diamondbacks and called it a priority to bring the ﬁrst baseman back. In 54 games with the Mariners, Naylor hit .299 with nine home runs, 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. In 12 postseason games, Naylor batted .340 with three home runs, ﬁve RBIs and two stolen bases.

LeBron returns to practice, unsure of when he’ll play EL SEGUNDO Calif. — LeBron James returned to practice with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, and he is waiting to see how he feels after the workout before deciding whether to make his season debut Tuesday

When James returns to Los Angeles’ lineup, he will become the ﬁrst player in NBA history to play in 23 seasons. The Lakers host the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, but they don’t have another game until Sunday

“Just trying to get back to where I feel like myself again,” James said. “Got to see how the body responds over the next 24 hours-plus.” James, 40, hadn’t worked out with the Lakers since he developed sciatica before the start of training camp in late September, and he missed a season opener for the ﬁrst time in his basketball life.

Arizona secures $60M naming rights for stadium TUCSON,Ariz. Arizona has secured a $60 million, 20-year naming rights agreement for its football stadium, the largest deal in Big 12 history

The deal with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe announced Monday calls for Arizona Stadium to be known as Casino Del Sol Stadium.

The naming partnership will include new exterior and interior branding, ﬁeld logos, digital platforms and expanded integration into national television broadcasts. Arizona Athletics is pursuing multiyear facilities upgrades as part of the deal, including

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JESSICA HILL

UConn guard Blanca Quinonez, right, celebrates with forward Sarah Strong, left, during a game against Ohio State on Sunday in Hartford, Conn.

ASSOCIATED

Saints’ schedule softens after brutal start

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

The bye week arrived at the wrong time for Cam Jordan

Yes, he and the New Orleans Saints played 10 straight games to begin the season. And yes, there were plenty of players dealing with bumps and bruises including Jordan, who has been dealing with an ankle injury for the last two weeks.

But to take a whole week off after the Saints’ best game of the season? Jordan wanted to keep it rolling.

“We didn’t (need a break),” he said “I don’t know. We just won Come on, now I’m trying to build upon good times. And now we’re in The Hate Week.”

Needed or not, the Saints return from their scheduled off week to prepare for a Hate Week that looks much different than usual. Sunday’s matchup between the Saints and the Atlanta Falcons will not only be a battle for last place in the NFC South — a rarity for these two clubs but the Falcons will be without starting quarterback Michael Penix, who was placed on injured reserve Monday with a knee injury

Facing the Falcons, at 3-7 and with backup Kirk Cousins, starts a stretch for the Saints that looks very favorable.

The Saints still have one of the league’s worst records at 2-8 and teams are equally likely to look at the black and gold as a winnable game on the schedule but New Orleans’ slate over the ﬁnal seven weeks includes:

• Five opponents with records under .500.

• Four division games

• Two teams on pace to pick in the top ﬁve of next year’s draft

Put it all together and the Saints have the easiest strength of schedule remaining, as their opponents have a combined .347 winning percentage.

“There’s always an opportunity,” Saints safety Justin Reid said

UL FOOTBALL

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freshman Steven Ranel of Central.

“Key’s been here for a long time,” Desormeaux said. “He’s just a guy who has had injuries, been hampered by injuries most of his career Even this year, he had a knee injury earlier in the season that kind of slowed him down.”

Still, Barnes has played in 33 games — mostly as a specialteams performer — in his career with 19 total tackles.

Ranel is a different story After leading Central to a state championship as a senior, the high school cornerback arrived at UL in June. The 6-foot-1, 198-pounder immediately was moved to safety “We always felt like he would grow out of being a corner so we moved him to safety right away,” Desormeaux said. “He’s just really, really intent and a really focused individual He spent most of this year on the scout team early, and just getting better and better.”

Three weeks ago, Desormeaux said the staff began giving Ranel practice reps with the defense, and “he’s done a really good job. He’s big, he’s physical, and he runs to the ball. I think he’s got a really bright future for us.”

As for replacing Flowers on the other side of freshman Brent Gordon, UL likely will start redshirt freshman Avery Demery with help from redshirt junior Lorenzell Dubose and redshirt sophomore Jeremiah Moses.

“Avery’s been in there quite a bit,” Desormeaux said. “Zell (Du-

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Waiting on Kiffin

The focus, of course, will continue to be on Kifﬁn unless he announces he is accepting a contract extension from Ole Miss. There appears to be growing pressure in Mississippi for him to make a decision before the No. 5-ranked Rebels (10-1) earn an assumed berth in the 12-team CFP Ole Miss has an open date this week, then plays at rival Mississippi State on Nov 28 to end the regular season. Even an upset loss to the Bulldogs probably wouldn’t keep the highly ranked Rebels out of the CFP, potentially forcing Kifﬁn and Ole Miss, to make a decision.

“The NFL is craziness. All the predictions — you look at the AFC West and what’s happening with Kansas City and that division, with the Broncos being picked last and they’re on top. The Chicago Bears are No. 1 in their division right now

“You can’t write a better script than what happens in the NFL.

Anything can happen. But the only way for us to do anything is to take one game at a time.”

A 17-7 win over the Carolina Panthers before the bye does not mean the Saints will run the table, but players and coaches were encouraged by what that performance meant for the progress they had made as a team.

The Saints believe that game was the ﬁrst all year in which they were able to play complementary foot-

ball. Quarterback Tyler Shough, in just his second start, played well enough for the offense to take the lead, and the defense responded by shutting down a hot Panthers rushing attack and quarterback Bryce Young — who’d go on to throw for 448 yards against Atlanta a week later

“We did it in all three phases of the game,” Saints defensive end Chase Young said about the win over the Panthers.

Saints coach Kellen Moore said the Saints used their bye week wisely The time off allowed players to rest both physically and mentally, he said Moore added that he and the coaching staff used the week to self-scout each unit, emerging with a better understanding of what was working and

what needed to improve.

But he also liked what he saw when players returned to the facility Monday There was a “juice and an energy” when they hit the ﬁeld and weight room, he said.

“They’re ready to get back to playing football,” Moore said.

When the NFL released the schedule in May, New Orleans’ back half seemed lighter than the ﬁrst half. But in retrospect, the ﬁrst half of the Saints’ schedule proved to be much tougher than most expected.

The New England Patriots (9-2), Los Angeles Rams (8-2) and Seattle Seahawks (7-3) are among the league’s best. The Chicago Bears (7-3) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) sit atop their divisions, while the San Francisco 49ers (7-4) and

in Thursday’s

bose) has started playing a little more, so those are two guys you can expect to see a lot more.

“Jeremiah has had a really good

UL MEN

Continued from page 1C

at McNeese was Dorian Finister’s performance with 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting to go along with five rebounds The Sam Houston State transfer accomplished that despite having to help with ballhandling duties because point guard Jamyron Keller has missed the last two games with a foot injury

“Now he’s having to bring the ball up and trying to initiate offense,” White said of Finister “It’s just not something he’s comfortable doing, and so they exploited it. They did a good job of taking advantage of it.” Beyond Finister’s determined effort against McNeese’s relent-

week of practice. He’s a guy who has flashed for us from time to time, too.” On the offensive side, redshirt

for the game.

senior Jax Harrington “has been pretty limited through the course of the long week that we’ve had,” but Desormeaux still listed him as

“Now he’s having to bring the ball up and trying to initiate offense. It’s just not something he’s comfortable doing, and so they exploited it. They did a good job of taking advantage of it.”

QUANNAS WHITE, UL coach, on Dorian Finister

less defense, there wasn’t much else for UL to hand its hat on offensively. The Cajuns were forced into six shot-clock violations. In the past three games, UL’s three post players — Jeremiah Evans, Kyran Ratliff and Todd Jones — have combined for four total points.

“When you’re down your point guard, (and) Joshua Lewis has been out for a while, it’s tough,” White said. “I’m not making excuses about his play, but that’s just the reality of the situation. We’ve just got some things to

fix and we got to get some guys healthy.” The Cajuns will face a Stanford team with an electric young scorer and plenty of veteran size. The Cardinal is 3-0 with wins of 87-79 over Portland State, 91-68 over Montana and 77-68 over Montana State. Freshman guard Ebuka Okorie is off to a dynamic start to the season, averaging 25.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in his first three games. He’s shooting 56.3% from the field and 85% at the line. Four players are averaging in double figures, including 6-1 se-

Saints coach Kellen Moore and others watch a third-down play against the New England Patriots during the first half at the Caesars Superdome on Oct. 12.

Buffalo Bills (7-3) remain in the playoff chase.

Of the Saints’ eight losses this season, only one defeat has been to a team currently under .500 to the 3-7 Arizona Cardinals in the season opener That’s not to excuse how poorly the Saints have played at times. And if the roster was in better shape, perhaps the Saints would have swung some of those contests.

But starting Sunday, the Saints have an opportunity to evaluate themselves against opponents closer to their level.

“Hopefully, we can get this thing going,” Moore said.

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

“Avery’s been in there quite a bit Zell (Dubose) has started playing a little more, so those are two guys you can expect to see a lot more. Jeremiah has had a really good week of practice. He’s a guy who has ﬂashed for us from time to time, too.”

MICHAEL DESORMEAUX, UL coach

probable.

It also appears the wide receiver room might be deeper with redshirt sophomore Landon Baptiste practicing again.

“We might get Baptiste back this week from his collarbone (injury), which we thought might be season-ending,” Desormeaux said. “He’s working back into practice, and we might get him back. He was playing well when he got hurt.”

The Cajuns can use all the help they can get in such a critical contest. UL enters 4-6 overall and 3-3 in league play, needing to win its ﬁnal two games to gain bowl eligibility.

Arkansas State (5-5, 4-2) also needs a win to become bowl eligible and is just one game out of ﬁrst place in the Sun Belt West behind Southern Miss (7-3, 5-1) and is tied with Troy (6-4, 4-2) for second.

On Saturday, Texas State crushed Southern Miss 41-14, and the Golden Eagles still have games against South Alabama and Troy potentially without their starting quarterback Braylon Braxton.

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

nior Benny Gealer (13.7 pts), 6-8, 240-pound senior Chism Okpara (14.7 pts, 4.3 rebs) and 6-9 senior AJ Rohosy (11.0 pts, 7.0 rebs). That doesn’t even include 6-10 sophomore Aiden Cammann, who scored 12 points with three rebounds in one of Stanford’s wins.

“It’s going bring us closer together,” White said of the rough start to the season. “We got a lot of high-character dudes on this team. I’ve been a part of losses like this before, even at Houston, and even when I was at Tulane. We’ve got some high-character guys in there, but some changes need to be made. We need to get some guys back healthy, and then we’re going to move forward.” Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL safety Jalen Clark, shown here making a tackle in last year’s win over Arkansas State, will be counted upon heavily

battle with the Red Wolves after the Sun Belt suspended seven Cajuns

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Atlanta Braves pitcher Cole Hamels throws a pitch to the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 16, 2020, in Baltimore.

ASSOCIATED

Hamels,Braun,Kemp join Hall of Fameballot

Associated Press

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.— Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp are among 12 newcomers on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released Monday,and Carlos Beltrán heads 15 holdovers after falling 19 votes shyin2025 balloting.

Howie Kendrick, DanielMurphyand Rick Porcelloalsoare among the first-time eligibles, joined by Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnación, Gio González, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis and Hunter Pence.

Beltrán received 277 of 394 votes for 70.3% in the2025 balloting, when IchiroSuzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected.

Anine-time All-Star,Beltránhit .279 with 435 homers and1,587 RBIs over 20 seasons with Kansas City (1999-2004), Houston (2004, 2017), the New York Mets(200511), San Francisco (2011), St.Louis (2012-13), the New York Yankees (20014-16) and Texas (2016). He received 46.5%support in hisﬁrstballotappearance in 2023, then roseto57.1% in his second.

Beltrán was the only player citedbynameinbaseball commissioner Rob Manfred’s2020 report concluding the Astros used electronics in violation of rulesto

steal signs during Houston’srun to the 2017 World Series title and againinthe 2018 season. Three days afterthe report was issued, the NewYorkMets said Beltrán was out as their manager,just 21/2 monthsafter he was hired.

Otherholdovers include steroids-tainted stars Alex Rodriguez (146 votes, 37.1%) andManny Ramirez (135,34.3%) alongwith Andruw Jones (261, 66.2%), Chase Utley(157, 39.8%),Andy Pettitte (110, 27.9%), FélixHernández (81, 20.6%), Bobby Abreu (77, 19.5%), Jimmy Rollins (71, 18%),Omar Vizquel (70, 17.8%), Dustin Pedroia(47, 11.9%), MarkBuehrle (45, 11.4%),Francisco Rodríguez (40, 10.2%), David Wright (32, 8.1%) and Torii Hunter (20, 5.1%).

Pettitteisonthe ballot for the eighth time after doubling support from 13.5% in 2024. Aplayer canappear on theballot up to 10 times.

BBWAA memberswith 10 or moreconsecutive years of membership are eligible to vote. Ballotsmust be postmarked by Dec. 31 and results will be announced Jan. 20.Anyone elected will be inducted on July 26 along with anyone chosen Dec. 7bythe hall’s contemporary baseball era committee ballot considering eight players whose greatest contributionstothe sport werefrom 1980 on

Virginia Tech hiresformer Penn Statecoach Franklin

BY JIMMY ROBERTSON Associated Press

BLACKSBURG, Va.— JamesFrank-

lin was hired as the Virginia Tech head coach on Monday,alittle more than amonth after he was fired during his 12th season at PennState.

The Hokiesbecamethe first Power Four football program to fill acoaching vacancy this season. Franklin is set to be formally introduced at anews conference Wednesday morning.

He was ﬁredbythe NittanyLions on Oct. 12, aday after they lost at home to Northwestern to fall to 3-3.

The 53-year-old Franklin went 104-45 at PennState, winning a Big Tenchampionship (in the2016 season),a Fiesta Bowl (2017) anda Rose Bowl (2022).Last season, he led the Nittany Lions to two College Football Playoff victories and the semiﬁnals, where they fell to Notre Dame.

“I’mhonored and humbled to join the Hokie family,” Franklin said in astatement. “My visionis simple: to restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this university, the Commonwealth of Virginia and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity,and passion. Ilook forward togetting to work with our players, our staff, and the entire Virginia Tech community.”

TermsofFranklin’scontract were not released. Before he was hired by Virginia Tech, Penn State hadbeen on the hook for abuyout worth nearly $50 million.

Franklinhas a128-60 overall record, includinghis three seasons at Vanderbilt.InBlacksburg, he takesover for hisformer Nittany Lions defensive coordinator, Brent Pry, who was ﬁred Sept. 14 after theHokies lost their first three games by an average of 18.7 points.Virginia Tech started0-3 for theﬁrst time since 1987.

Pry went 16-24, including 10-13 in ACC play,inhis three-plus sea-

sons. The Hokies (3-7, 2-4 ACC) since have been led by interim coach Philip Montgomery Franklin wasmalignedatPenn Statefor not winning big games he went 4-21 against teams ranked in thetop 10 of the AP poll —but he brings credibility to aVirginia Tech program that has struggled sinceFrank Beamer retiredin 2015 after 29 years at the helm Athletic director Whit Babcock ﬁrst hired JustinFuenteand then Pryinhopes of continuing the success enjoyed by Beamer,but both coaches ﬂoundered.Thatprompted Virginia Tech President Tim Sands to form asearch committee to hire thenext coach and limit the scope of Babcock’srole.

The Hokies have just four winning seasons since Beamer’sretirementand six since Babcock became the AD in 2014.

The committee landed on Franklin, whose Penn State teams won at least 10 games six times during histenure. Franklinalso showed

SCOREBOARD

Time of Possession24:12

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Detroit, Gibbs 12-39,Montgomery 6-27, J.Williams 1-9,Stuard1-0, Goff

1). Philadelphia, Barkley

Hurts 10-31. PASSING—Detroit, Goff 14-37-1-255. Philadelphia, Hurts 14-28-0-135. RECEIVING—Detroit, Gibbs 5-107, J.Williams 4-88, St. Brown2-42,Wright

1-10. Philadelphia, A.Brown7-49,Dotson 2-43, Goedert 2-24,D.Smith

Granson 1-4. MISSED FIELD GOALS—None. Pro basketball

EASTERN CONFERENCE

3. Totals43-94 14-17 124. NEW ORLEANS (106) Bey 4-10 1-2 11, MurphyIII 6-13 6-620, Queen 2-4 5-69,Fears 7-15 3-417, Jones 2-72-2 6, Matkovic 2-3 0-04,Peavy 0-00-0 0, Missi 4-8 0-2 8, Alvarado 6-12 3-318, Hawkins 2-6 0-05, McGowens 3-62-4 8. Totals38-84 22-29 106. Golden State 44 17 24 39 —124 New Orleans 28 21 22 35 —106 3-Point Goals—Golden State 24-56 (Moody 8-12, Hield3-6,Podziemski 3-7, Green 2-5, Horford2-5, Butler III 1-1, Spencer 1-1, Santos 1-3,Post1-4,Richard1-5,Curry 1-6, Payton II 0-1), New Orleans 8-29 (Alvarado 3-8, Bey 2-5, MurphyIII 2-6, Hawkins1-5, Matkovic 0-1, McGowens 0-1, Jones 0-3) Fouled Out—None. Rebounds Golden State 47 (Green 10), New Orleans 45 (MurphyIII 8) Assists—Golden State 34 (Butler III 10),New Orleans 22 (Queen 6) Total Fouls—Golden State 23, New Orleans 16. A—18,373 (16,867) College football

Tuesday MIDWEST Akron (4-7)atBowlingGreen (3-7),6p.m. Umass (0-10) at Ohio (6-4), 6p.m. W. Michigan (6-4)atN.Illinois(3-7),6p.m. College basketball

State men’s schedule

Monday Lamar at UL-Monroe,n

Tuesday Grambling at San Diego, 6p.m. Alcorn at LSU,7p.m. UNO at Pepperdine,8p.m. Southern at Washington, 8:30 p.m. Northwestern State at San Francisco,9p.m. UL at Stanford, 9p.m.

National scores

SOUTHWEST RogersState 77, Ozarks59 FARWEST BlackHills State 89, TexasA&M Int’l 57 State women’s schedule

Sunday UL-Monroe 79, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 50 McNeese 49,Tarleton State 47 Arizona 85, Grambling64

an abilitytorecruitinVirginia. In 2023, he signed six of the top 10 prospects in the state, according to various recruiting services, andone of his best players in the past five yearswas TylerWarren, a tight end from the Richmond area whowas afirst-round NFLdraft pick by the Indianapolis Colts this spring andisflourishing as a rookie.

“His experience, passion, and record of success embodyour commitment to compete at the highest level,” Sands said of Franklin in astatement. “His selection is the resultofunprecedented collaboration by our athletic administration with university leaders, esteemed alumni, including former NFL coaches and players, and our most dedicated supporters.

“James will provide the leadership and inspiration our studentathletes need, and the performance on the ﬁeld that our university community,alumni, and fans expect and deserve.”

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO By BARRy REEGER James Franklin watches the action during Penn State’sloss to NorthwesternonOct. 11 in State College, Pa.Penn State fired Franklin as head coach after the loss,and VirginiaTech hired him on Monday.

CASHING IN

BY MATTHEW HAINES

Contributing writer

Imagine receiving aphone call one afternoon from an unfamiliar voice notifying you that you aredue $12,218. Adding to your suspicion, they say they want to presentyou with the money at a public check ceremony.

This is the call Karla Houston received thispast February. Shewas sitting in her doctor’s waitingroom,her husband beside her

“My husband whisper-yelled, ‘This is ascam! Hang up! This is ascam!” which is obviously the explanation that makes the most sense,” recalled Houston, who works in the Transportation Safety Department at LouisianaState University. “But,also, part of me wondered, ‘What if it’sreal?’”

Sympathetic to her wariness, the mysterious caller encouraged Houston to contact the State Treasurer’sOfﬁce.

When she did, Houston learned she was owed money from stock her father had purchased for her decades ago. “It was the only stock I’dever owned

outside of my retirement plan, andI guess Iforgotabout it,” she said. “The company must have been sold or it did asplit or something, Idon’tknow what happened. Tenyears ago, Houston said she moved around thecorner from her formerhomeinBaton Rouge. Notall of her mail was forwarded.Whenthe company attempted to payher,they hadnoway to get in touch. According to experts, this story and many like it —are far more commonthan you would think. Houston learned that the department reaching out to her was the Unclaimed Properties department, adivision within the ofﬁce of the state treasurer

“Once Iunderstoodwhatwas going on, Iagreed to do thecheck presentation ceremony,” Houston said. “It was a way forthem to get theword out about their program.”

That program,according to its director,Kathleen“Kitty”Lobell, currently has an astronomical $1.4billioninits possession. But Lobell and her department’s

charge is not to hang ontothat funding. It is to ﬁnd thethousands of Louisianans who are owed aportion of it, and to distributethe money to them.

“Thatiswhy we exist,”saidLobell,

who hasworkedatthe department for more than 38 years. “Some people are owed aliteralpenny or two —maybe from some small stockdividends while others are owed several millions of dollars through things like oil rights. We want to get you your money.”

Othersources of funding include winnings from sports bets, insurance claims,inactive bankaccountsand inheritance.

“It’sbasically every source of income you can imagine andmanyyou can’t,” Lobell added. Residents can ﬁnd money they are owed by visiting unclaimedproperty la.gov and simply typing in your name, city and ZIP code.

Lobell said she encourages everyone she knows to check for themselves on thesite, using multiple spellings of their nameincase there is atypo. Also, if you have moved,itisimportanttoenter past cities and ZIP codes.

“My sonfound money owed to him once, and Igave him the toughest

ä See CASHING, page 6C

Lots of people are interested in attracting wildlife to their landscapes. Whether you are an avid bird watcher or simply delight in seeing squirrels frolic in the trees, there are things you can do to make an area more enticing to all sorts of animals. Food, shelter and water are the bare necessities for any life —and to draw in wildlife visitors, you need to provide all three of these elements.

Jessie Hoover,anLSU AgCenterhorticulture agent based in the Feliciana Parishes,has advice on how you can transform your backyard or another piece of property into awildlife haven.

Food “The ﬁrst thing that Irecommend is that you plant diverse plants in your landscape,” Hoover said. “So, you want to look for things with berries, seeds, acorns and nuts that will attractall different types of wildlife.” Trees are wonderful produc-

ers of wildlife food, and fall is a greattime to plantmany species. OneofHoover’sfavorite trees is red mulberry,which is native to Louisiana

“It is great because it provides an early springfood source for songbirds, squirrels, lots of differentcritters,”she

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BILL FEIG

offers four different styles of turkey:Cajun spicy fried turkey,Cajun lighter-spice fried turkey,hickorysmokedturkey or herb-baked turkey

PROVIDED PHOTO

Karla Houston received an unclaimed property check from the State Treasurer’sOffice.

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday, Nov 18, the 322nd day of 2025. There are 43 days left in the year

Today in history:

On Nov 18, 1978, U.S.

Rep. Leo J. Ryan of California and four others were killed on an airstrip in Jonestown, Guyana, by members of the Peoples Temple; the killings were followed by a night of mass murder and suicide, resulting in the deaths of more than 900 cult members.

Also on this date:

In 1928, “Steamboat Willie,” the ﬁrst cartoon with synchronized sound as well as the ﬁrst release of the character Mickey Mouse, debuted on screen at the Colony Theater in New York.

In 2005, eight months after Robert Blake was acquitted of murdering his wife at a criminal trial, a civil jury decided the actor was behind the killing and ordered him to pay $30 million to Bonny Lee Bakley’s children.

In 2021, more than half a century after the 1965 as-

Maxwell’s Market

6241 Perkins Road and 7620 Corporate Blvd.

Maxwell’s Market is already thinking in the future with a full holiday menu, a craft they have perfected for the past 25 years

The Market’s popular oyster dressing is available, as well as their chicken and andouille and shrimp and okra gumbos. Entrees available include a 14- to 16-pound roasted turkey, turkey breasts, beef tenderloins and prime rib roasts. Traditional sides available include garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, spinach Maxwell, creamy macaroni and cheese, gravy, cranberry sauce and bourbon sweet potato, sweet corn and green bean casseroles. All sides come in two sizes: small at $29 that serves 6 to 8 people, and large at $42 that serves 10 to 12 people. All orders are available for pickup on Nov 25 and 26

Bergeron’s City Market

8200 Jefferson Highway

Bergeron’s holiday menu has everything and more. From hot crab dip to Boursin cheese balls to crabmeat and eggplant casserole, the market’s menu is vast.

On top of traditional sides and turkey options, Bergeron’s has butternut squash and tasso soup, chicken and sausage gumbo, jumbo cocktail shrimp, potatoes au gratin, boneless Coca-Cola glazed carving ham, cane syrup glazed pork tenderloin and freshbaked rolls by the dozen. The market also has whole roasted turkey, sliced dark and white turkey meat, deep fried turkey breast, turkey gravy and cranberry relish available.

sassination of Malcolm X, two of his convicted killers were exonerated; a New York judge dismissed the convictions of Muhammad Aziz and the late Khalil Islam after prosecutors and the men’s lawyers said a renewed investigation had found new evidence that undermined the case against them. Today’s birthdays: Author Margaret Atwood is 86. Actor Linda Evans is 83. Actor Delroy Lindo is 73. Comedian Kevin Nealon is 72. Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon is 69. Actor Oscar Nunez is 67. Actor Elizabeth Perkins is 65. Rock musician Kirk Hammett (Metallica) is 63. Author and lecturer Brené Brown is 60. Actor Romany Malco is 57. Actor Owen Wilson is 57. Commentator Megan Kelly is 55. Actor Chloë Sevigny is 51. Baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz is 50. Rapper Fabolous is 48. NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin is 45. Actor-comedian Nasim Pedrad is 44. Actor Damon Wayans Jr is 43. Olympic track and ﬁeld gold medalist Allyson Felix is 40.

Orders for the holidays can be made by email, to info@chefdonb.com, or by phone at (225) 927-3998.

WILDLIFE

Continued from page 5C

even browse on red mulberry.” Mayhaw is another native species that feeds wildlife.

“That’s a great native tree that provides a berry that is a food source for a lot of songbirds,” Hoover said “I’ve even seen box turtles eating mayhaws that fall to the ground.” Hollies are great choices, too. They provide wildlife with food throughout the winter, and with a wide range of cultivars on the market, there’s a holly tree or shrub to suit practically any landscape Native shrubs such as American beautyberry and elderberry also are food sources for wildlife. And don’t forget to include nectar-rich ﬂowers for

CASHING

Continued from page 5C

time. ‘Keep up with your ﬁnances and have your mail forwarded,’ I told him!” she laughed. “But he’s my son. I won’t give you a tough time if you ﬁnd your name. We’ll be happy for you!”

Making a big difference Lobell and her Unclaimed Properties team use a variety of methods to connect recipients with their funding. Public events like Karla Houston’s check ceremony are one example — an attempt to raise awareness for the program as are events at public libraries and nursing homes. The department also pays for ads on various in-print and online media. For larger accounts, they make individual phone calls. Houston said she is thankful Unclaimed Properties took the time to contact her “This money made a big difference for my family,” she said. “Our heater wasn’t working and while that’s usually OK in Louisiana, it can also get really cold here during the winter This funding allowed us to buy a new central heating unit.”

The department is the result of a 1972 Louisiana law, requiring companies to report any uncollected funds to the state. For years, if unclaimed property sat in the state’s accounts for more than a year, it would be swept into the government’s general fund As of 2018 that is no longer the case.

It isn’t always individuals, however, who are owed money In some cases, organizations such as nonproﬁts can ﬁnd unclaimed funds on the site, as well.

This was the case with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Archdiocesan Council of New Orleans, who discovered they were owed approximately $14,500 through a variety of sources.

The nonprofit is estimated to have assisted more than 18,000 Louisianans in 2025, primarily in the New Orleans area, through programs that provide food, housing, clothing, emergency assistance, education, and even burials for loved ones. Funding is always a challenge, so executive director Michael Bourg says that every dollar raised is an opportunity to help more local residents.

“Of course, when I got the call from Unclaimed Prop-

erties, I didn’t believe it at ﬁrst,” he said. “People don’t just call you and say they have money for you. But that is exactly what happened.”

“We are so thankful,” Bourg added. “This money is going to be used to help a whole lot of people.”

Find your friends, family

Each year, the amount of money left uncollected in the Unclaimed Properties division grows. Despite the department’s best efforts, the staff does not have the resources to locate the vast majority of individuals and organizations owed funding.

Lobell encourages everyone not just to look for themselves on the site, but also to look for friends, family members and co-workers.

That is exactly what Tara Tolford-Marthaller, a researcher at the University of New Orleans’ Transportation Institute, did.

“When I heard about the program back in 2020, I ﬁgured I must be owed money,” she laughed. “I’ve lived here since 2003, moved eight times, and have this hyphenated last name. Surely some company has tried to track me down with money I was owed and not been able to ﬁnd me.”

Unfortunately, despite several attempts using multiple iterations of her last name, Tolford-Marthaller’s search came up empty She decided to turn her disappointment into a quest: “to ﬁnd someone, anyone I knew on the site.”

This, it turned out, was very easy

“I started with my partner and ‘Bam!’ he was owed money from four different sources,” she said. “Then I went to close friends who lived here, close friends who moved away my partner’s family members, my ex-boyfriends, colleagues, Facebook friends, anyone!”

“So many of them were owed money,” TolfordMarthaller continued, “and with a little prodding, they claimed their checks. Some small and some not-sosmall.”

She even learned you can search for money owed to you in other states on missingmoney.com.

And, although TolfordMarthaller said none of her luckier friends have yet to so much as buy her a cup of coffee for her help, she is driven to continue by a sense of duty to help those who aren’t in front of a computer as often as she is.

City Pork 2921 Government St.

City Pork Catering and Events is providing Baton Rouge families with three separate Thanksgiving dinner packages, as well as an a la carte menu:

n The smoked whole turkey package includes a Cajun-injected and smoked turkey with gravy, cranberry sauce and a choice of two sides This option serves 10 to 12 people for $169.99.

n The whole spiral cut bone-in ham package includes the star ham and a choice of two sides. This option serves 10 to 12 people for $189.99.

n The third package includes three sides and a dessert of choice. Side options include sweet potato casserole, creamed spinach, macaroni and cheese, green beans, smoked corn grits, cauliflower au gratin and boudin rice dressing Dessert options include chocolate cream, pumpkin, southern pecan and apple lattice pies for $159.99. All orders are picked up cold with reheating instructions included. Orders are due by noon Nov 21.

Gourmet Girls 1660 Lobdell Ave., Suite 100

Gourmet Girls is taking Thanksgiving by storm with its new menu featuring green bean and mushroom casserole pumpkin and crab bisque, cranberry and satsuma sauce with Grand Marnier, brown butter pumpkin macaroni and cheese, bourbon ﬁg brie en creote, pumpkin mousse cake, chocolate bourbon pecan pie and more. The boutique catering company also has the perfect pickup for party appetizers with a family-size charcuterie board and fruit and cheese display available.

Orders for Thanksgiving catering at Gourmet Girls

hummingbirds and other pollinators.

When choosing plants for wildlife food, think about what time of year their fruit and ﬂowers mature. Try to create a year-round buffet that will serve a variety of animals.

Shelter For wildlife to feel comfortable on your property, they need places to hide, rest and nest.

“That can be a tree, or you can use manmade shelters,” Hoover said. Do a little research on what kinds of shelter are preferred by the species you’re interested in attracting You may want to build some birdhouses and bat boxes. Some animals like to hole up in piles of brush and logs. Many types of wildlife along with the insects they feed on — appreciate dead

must be made by Saturday, Nov 22. Orders can be placed online, by emailing gourmetgirlsbr@yahoo.com or calling (225) 252-0999.

Rouses All grocery store locations

The Louisiana-born grocery store has turkeys available by the pound, both uncooked and precooked

Rouses also offers full-service dinners like the “Heat and Eat Traditional Dinner,” featuring a choice of protein with cornbread dressing, green bean casserole with fried onions, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry orange relish and dinner rolls.

For more information or to place an order, call local stores.

Alexander’s Highland Market

18111 Highland Market Drive

Alexander’s Highland Market is ready for the holiday season with their “Season’s Greetings” readymade dinners.

Two dinners — a choice between traditional turkey and roasted pork tenderloin — come with andouille cornbread dressing, garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy dinner rolls, an additional vegetable or casserole dish and a pie each for $169.99.

The market also has deepfried turkey, pork roast, smoked ham, prime rib with au jus, shrimp and Mirliton dressing, crawﬁsh and poblano pepper casserole, bacon pecan stufﬁng, crawfish cornbread, chocolate peanut butter pie and more.

Alexander’s holiday menu also includes a Thanksgiving pairing of 18 wines. If customers mix and match a case, they get an extra 10% off. To place a holiday dinner order with Alexander’s Highland Market, call (225) 615-7800.

CounterspaceBR 5621 Government St. Although known for their

plants. Some take advantage of past-their-prime plants and leaf litter for shelter Birds and small mammals weave the material into their nests. As plants in your landscape turn brown this winter, consider leaving them they’re still providing a valuable service.

Water

Out of the three essentials for life, water is arguably the most critical. You can supply fresh water in birdbaths or other containers. Just keep in mind that stagnant water can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and algae so be sure to regularly clean and reﬁll water dishes or use some sort of pump or agitator

Moving sources of water like fountains are best. Animals’ ears perk up at the sound of ﬂowing water, and the movement helps keep the water fresh.

take-and-bake desserts and chocolate chip cookies, CounterspaceBR is changing its tune with the Thanksgiving pre-order menu. The shop will serve up classic pies — including ﬂavors like brown sugar chess, pumpkin, pecan, apple, cold brew and apple sage Gouda as well as take and bake cinnamon rolls, bacon and spinach quiche and biscuits for Thanksgiving brunch.

In addition to the brunch and sweet treats, for every corn casserole and sweet potato casserole sold, CounterspaceBR will donate one to the community fridge. All items must be ordered by Nov 21.

Elsie’s Plate and Pie

3145 Government St. Elsie’s Plate and Pie, which

was recently recognized by the Michelin Guide, has 11 pies available for pre-order for Thanksgiving: Eye of the Tiger apple, chocolate cream, lemon ice box, turtle, chocolate pecan, coconut cream, s’mores, pumpkin streusel and almond joy

The Thanksgiving menu also features a take-andbake crawﬁsh queso macaroni and cheese, chicken and sausage cornbread dressing and Parmesan whipped potatoes.

Orders can be made online at www.elsiespies.com.

Frank’s Restaurant 17425 Airline Highway, Prairieville Catering options at Frank’s Restaurant include spiral sliced glazed ham, crab, shrimp and corn bisque and

turkeys starting at $119. Frank’s has four different styles of turkey: Cajun spicy fried turkey, Cajun lighter-spice fried turkey hickory smoked turkey or herb-baked turkey All fried turkey options are fried in peanut oil.

Franks also has full Thanksgiving dinner packages including dressings, rolls, cranberry sauce, traditional sides and a dessert of choice. Hate having to deal with the carving and mess that comes with it?

The restaurant also offers carving services for $15.95 per turkey Order online at www franksrestaurantla.com. Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) It's essential to fulfill your needs and take responsibility for your happiness if you want to satisfy your soul. A chance meeting or conversation that moves you will impact your next step

sAGIttARIus (nov 23-Dec. 21) Explore the possibilities. A change that offers greater freedom to use your skills and experience will encourage you to expand your knowledge and techniques

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Participate in events that offer insight into something or someone of interest. Acting and being part of the solution will lead to an interesting turn of events.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Embrace what makes you happy and confident and helps you set goals. Refuse to let someone else's drama cloud your vision, causing you to miss a valuable opportunity.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Focus your energy where it counts, be meticulous about learning and prioritize your health. Research what's available and choose the path that satisfies your soul.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Offering more than you can afford or physically do will put you in a vulnerable position. Choose your words wisely and know your worth. It's up to you to make wise life choices and changes.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) You're in a better position than you realize. Don't let what others do or say lead you astray.

Don't be shy when it comes to change, partnerships and doing things differently

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Get the lowdown, abide by the rules and bring about changes that will offset any negativity in your life. Know your strengths when dealing with others, and you'll come out on top

cAncER (June 21-July 22) A positive approach to work, money and health will enable you to make better choices. Pick and choose what puts a smile on your face and renews your faith in what's yet to come.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) You'll gain perspective by stepping out into the mainstream and observing how others are coping. Trust your instincts and put your energy toward something that offers concrete results.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) A destination that offers a unique alternative to your current lifestyle will be eye-opening. Looking back can help you see what lies ahead as history repeats itself.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Charm meets honesty when conversing. You can make a difference to the outcome of a situation if you choose your words wisely. Looking at a situation from a different angle will provide insight.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

toDAy's cLuE: E EQuALs Z

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

peAnUtS

zItS

FrAnK And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM SherMAn’S LAGoon

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Henri-Frederic Amiel,a 17th-century Swissphilosopherandpoet,said,“Doing easily what others find difficult is talent;doing whatisimpossible for talent is genius.”

Yesterday’s deal wasdifficult; today’s requires genius. But as you have been warned to look for something unusual, maybe you will see thewinning play for South.Heisinthreeno-trumpafterEast has overcalled in hearts. West leads the heart jack and East encourages withhis nine. What should declarer do?

South’snegativedoubleshowedexactly four spades. Hissecond-roundjump to three no-trumpwas atad precipitate. He shouldhave made agame-forcing two-heartcue-bid.Then,perhaps,NorthSouth would have reached five clubs, which would have been bulletproof with this layout.(Even four spades can be made!)

South starts with eight toptricks: four spades, one heart (given trick one), two diamonds and one club. Obviously, numerous more winners are available from the clubs.

AndifEasthasthecourtesytoholdthe kingforhisovercall,Southmighttakeall 13 tricks. However, note what happens if declarer makes thenatural-looking play of winning the first trick, playing aspade to dummy’s king, and running the club 10 (or playing low to his jack).

West produces the club king, then leads his second heart. East takes four tricks in that suit for downone.

Tomakehiscontract,Southmustduck (lose) the first trick! Yes, West may lead his second heart and Eastcan win with his ace, but dummy’s10isstill astopper. AndEast has no entry card.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAy’s WoRD DIssuADEs: dih-SWADES: Advises againstsomething.

Average mark 14 words

Timelimit 25 minutes

Can you find 19 or morewords in DISSUADES?

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

God lovesus. When He corrects us it will bless us and makeusa blessing. G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Falling stars drag stock market lower

The U.S. stock market sank Monday as Nvidia and other superstars created by the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology dimmed some more.

The S&P 500 fell 0.9% and pulled further from its all-time high set late last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 557 points, or 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.8%.

Nvidia was the heaviest weight on the market, as it’s often been in its last couple of tumultuous weeks. The chip company fell 1.8%, while losses for other AI winners included a 6.4% slide for Super Micro Computer

Other areas of the market that had been high-momentum winners also sank. Bitcoin fell below $92,000, down from nearly $125,000 last month, for example. That helped drag down Coinbase Global by 7.1% and Robinhood Markets by 5.3%.

Critics have been warning that the U.S. stock market could be primed for a drop because of how high prices have shot since April, leaving them looking too expensive. Critics point in particular to stocks swept up in the AI mania, which have been surging at spectacular speeds for years.

Wegovy prices cut but challenges remain

Novo Nordisk is chopping prices again for Wegovy, but doctors say the expense will remain challenging for patients without insurance.

The drugmaker said Monday that it has started selling higher doses of the injectable obesity treatment for $349 a month to patients paying the full bill. That’s down from $499, and in line with terms of a drug pricing agreement outlined earlier this month by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Novo also started a temporary offer of $199 a month for the first two months of low doses of Wegovy and the drug’s counterpart for diabetes, Ozempic. The new pricing will be available at pharmacies nationwide, through home delivery and from some telemedicine providers.

Rival Eli Lilly also plans price breaks for its weight-loss drug Zepbound once it gets a new, multi-dose pen on the market. Lilly has said it will sell a starter dose of Zepbound for $299 a month and additional doses at up to $449. Both represent $50 reductions from current prices for sales directly to patients.

Suit claims Costco’s tequilas are low-grade

A new lawsuit alleges that some of Costco’s Kirklandbrand tequilas aren’t as premium as their labels might suggest.

Some Kirkland tequila brands that claim to contain only alcohol distilled from the blue agave plant actually include other, lesser-quality alcohols, according to a suit ﬁled Friday on behalf of 13 aggrieved tequila drinkers in Washington and eight other states

Tests found that some of the Kirkland-brand tequilas were so adulterated they didn’t even qualify as tequila under Mexican law according to the suit. The case, which follows similar litigation in other states, drags Costco into a high-spirited, if little-known, controversy involving claims of deceptive marketing, duped American consumers and outraged Mexican agave farmers.

This case “exposes a highstakes deception at the heart of the growing and increasingly popular premium tequila market,” declares the suit, which was ﬁled in U.S. District Court Costco did not respond to questions.

Mexican law allows tequila to contain up to 49% alcohol from nonagave sources, such as cane sugar or corn syrup. However, products made from 100% agave command a higher price and are big sellers in the U.S. spirits market.

THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business

Japan’s economy contracts, data reveals

Company’s exports get hit by U.S. tariffs

BY YURI KAGEYAMA AP business writer

TOKYO Japan’s economy contracted at a 1.8% annual pace in July-September as President Donald Trump’s tariffs hit exports and private residential investment plunged.

Data released by the government Monday showed that on a quarter-by-quarter basis, Japan’s gross domestic product, the sum value of its goods and services, slipped 0.4%, the ﬁrst contraction in six quarters. The annualized rate shows what

the economy would have done if the same rate were to continue for a year In the April-June quarter, the Japanese economy grew 0.6% on quarter, while in the JanuaryMarch period, it grew 0.2%.

Exports fell 4.5% in annual terms in the three months through September As Trump implemented higher tariffs on imports from many countries earlier this year, businesses ramped up their exports to try to beat higher costs. That inﬂated some of the earlier data for exports.

Imports for the third quarter slipped 0.1%. Private consumption edged up 0.1% during the quarter Analysts said a 9.4% quarter-on-

quarter drop in private residential investment, which translates to a 32.5% drop in annualized terms, was mainly due to revisions of Japan’s building code that caused housing starts to plunge after they took effect in April, the start of Japan’s ﬁscal year Tariffs are a major blow to Japan’s export-reliant economy, led by powerful automakers like Toyota Motor Corp., although many manufacturers have moved production abroad to avert the impact from tariffs and other trade controls

The U.S. imposes a 15% tariff surcharge on nearly all Japanese imports. That’s down from Trump’s earlier plan for a 25% tariff.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in October has vowed to revive the economy and is expected to boost government spending, among other policies. That could complicate the central bank’s efforts to rein in inﬂation by raising interest rates from their longstanding level near zero. The lackluster level of activity in the last quarter means a possible rate hike in December is unlikely, Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a report. But initial data for this quarter and surveys of business sentiment suggest the economy may improve in coming months, and the Bank of Japan may resume raising interest rates early in 2026, he said.

U.S. consumers falling behind on utility bills, analysis shows

Delinquencies may be an indication of bigger troubles

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — More people are falling behind on paying their bills to keep the lights on and heat their homes, according to a new analysis of consumer data — a warning sign for the U.S. economy and another political headache for President Donald Trump.

Past due balances to utility companies jumped 9.7% annually to $789 between the April-June periods of 2024 and 2025, said The Century Foundation, a liberal think tank, and the advocacy group Protect Borrowers. The increase has overlapped with a 12% jump in monthly energy bills during the same period.

Consumers usually prioritize their utility bills along with their mortgages and auto debt, said Julie Margetta Morgan, the foundation’s president. The increase in both energy costs and delinquencies may suggest that consumers are falling behind on other bills, too.

“There’s a lot of information out there about rising utility costs, but here we can actually look at what that impact has been on families in terms of how they’re falling behind,” Margetta Morgan said.

Troubles paying electricity and natural gas bills reﬂect something of an economic quandary for Trump, who is promoting the buildout of the artiﬁcial intelligence industry as a key part of an economic boom he has promised for America. But AI data centers are known for their massive use of electricity, and threaten to further increase utility bills for everyday Americans.

These troubles also come as Trump faces political pressure from voters fed up with the high cost of living.

Ever since Republicans saw their fortunes sag in off-year elections this month and affordability was identiﬁed as the top issue, Trump has been trying to convince the public that prices are falling. Fast-rising electricity bills could be an issue in some congressional battlegrounds in next year’s midterm elections. Trump has put a particular emphasis on prices at the pump.

Gasoline accounts for about 3% of the consumer price index, slightly less than the share belonging to electricity and natural gas bills — meaning that possible savings on gasoline could be more than offset by higher utility bills.

The president maintains that any troubling data on inﬂation is false and that Democrats are simply trying to hurt his administration’s reputation.

More people are falling behind on paying their bills to keep the lights on and heat their homes, according to a new analysis of consumer data.

“In fact, costs under the TRUMP ADMINISTRATION are tumbling down, helped greatly by gasoline and ENERGY,” Trump posted on social media Friday “Affordability is a lie when used by the Dems.” Nearly 6 million households have utility debt “so severe” that it will soon be reported to collection agencies, according to the foundation’s analysis, drawn from the University of California Consumer Credit Panel.

During Trump’s ﬁrst six months in ofﬁce, there was a 3.8% increase in households with severely overdue utility bills.

“Voters are frustrated and families are hurting because these tech giants are cutting backroom deals with politicians, and it’s causing their power bills to go up,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of Protect Borrowers. “If the Trump administration doesn’t want to do its job and protect families and make life more affordable, I guess that’s its choice.”

Both Margetta Morgan and Pierce previously worked at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a government agency formed in part to track trends in household borrowing to prevent potential abuses. The Trump administration has essentially shut down the bureau.

The administration has so far said it has no

responsibility for any increases in electricity prices, since those are often regulated by state utility boards. The White House maintains that utility costs are higher in Democratic states that rely on renewable forms of energy

“Electricity prices are a state problem,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told ABC News this month. “There are things that the federal government can control. Local electricity prices are not one of them.”

The new analysis of utility bills by the groups counters that the Trump administration is contributing to higher utility costs “by impeding renewable energy generation” including solar and wind power

While that analysis is a warning sign, other economic analyses on consumers suggest their ﬁnances are stable despite some emerging pressures. The New York Federal Reserve has said delinquency rates of 90 days or more for mortgages, auto loans and student debt have each increased over the past 12 months, though it said mortgage delinquencies are “relatively low.”

An analysis of debit and credit card spending by the Bank of America Institute showed that consumers’ “overall financial health looks sound.”

Emirates increases fleet, orders 65 Boeing 777-9s at air show

BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The biennial Dubai Air Show opened on Monday with hometown airline Emirates ordering 65 of Boeing’s upcoming 777-9 aircraft, as the carrier looks to increase its ﬂeet with record earnings and unending demand for ﬂights through this East-West travel hub.

Emirates valued the deal with Boeing and GE Engines at $38 billion at list prices, although airlines often negotiate lower prices in major orders.

The announcement brings the total of Boeing 777-9s on order for Emirates to 270, making it Boeing’s largest customer for the aircraft, even as the plane has suf-

fered repeated delays in entering service.

Emirates relies heavily on the double-decker Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777, and has also started ﬂying the Airbus A350.

“It’s a long-term commitment that supports hundreds of thousands of high-value factory jobs, and it reinforces our 40-year partnership with Boeing and GE,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman and chief executive of Emirates.

“Emirates is already the world’s largest operator of the 777 all powered by the GE engines — and after today’s order, I expect to remain the biggest 777 operator for the years to come.”

Sheikh Ahmed added that Emirates continued to encourage man-

ufacturers to build larger aircraft with more capacity as air travel is only expected to grow However he smiled and looked at Boeing when putting forward his hopedfor timeline for putting the 777-9 in service for Emirates.

“We look forward to receiving delivery of our ﬁrst 777-9s starting from the second quarter of 2027,” he said.

Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, offered no timeline for the plane’s entry to service in her brief remarks.

“The 777-9 will further support Emirates’ mission to connect people and places around the globe like never before,” she said.

The ofﬁcials took no questions from journalists after the an-

nouncement. Meanwhile, Boeing announced a ﬁrm order of 11 Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft by Ethiopian Airlines and Air Côte d’Ivoir made a ﬁrm order of four Embraer E175 aircraft. Air Senegal later ordered nine Boeing 787-8 MAX aircraft as

The

show will also see renewed interest in

taxis, something the sheikhdom long has promised and now hopes to deliver on next year Military sales as well remain a focus, with Russia again taking part despite facing Western sanctions over its grinding, yearslong war on