The Times-Picayune 11-19-2025 by The Advocate

N.O. braces forBorderPatrolsweeps

Detailshavenot been finalized, sourcessay

BY JAMES FINN and LARA NICHOLSON Staff writers

Federal BorderPatrol agents arepoised to launchimmigration sweeps in the New Orleans area, accordingtopeople familiarwith

theplansand local lawenforcementofficials, spurring anxiety among immigrants and blowback from some Democraticpoliticians.

Details, including the size of the Border Patrol deployment, where in the New Orleans area agents might operate and the timeline of

their arrival, havenot been ﬁnalized, according to multiple people briefed on the plans who requested anonymity because the operation has not been publicly announced. Still, signsthatthe metro area could seeaninfusion of federal agents as soon as late this week spurredfrenziedreaction in recent days from ofﬁcials, advocates and immigration attorneys. One

construction company owner has told Hispanic workers not to show up for work beginning on Friday for fear of immigration raids. New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick is set to discuss the operation this week with Bor-

der Patrol ofﬁcials.

They’re coming, so Iamgoing to be apartner,”Kirkpatricksaidon WBOK Radio on Tuesday, adding that herofﬁcerswould notconduct immigration arrests or question people about their immigration status.

Planning documents reviewed

ä See SWEEPS, page 14A

Archdiocesecelebrates leadership transition

BY DESIREE STENNETT Staff writer

In aceremony rich with tradition to match the historic signiﬁcance of the second-oldest Catholic diocese in the nation, Coadjutor Archbishop JamesChecchio wasofficially welcomed as successor to Archbishop Gregory Aymond at aMass on Tuesday afternoonat St. Louis Cathedral in the heart ofthe French Quarter

“This historic beautiful churchofNew Orleans has faced storms throughout its 232 years of existence andtogether,ithas rebuilt communities and churches after ﬂoods, tornadoes, hurricanes, ﬁres, wars, pandemics, all kinds of storms,” he saidto hundreds of members, leaders andguestsofthe Archdiocese of NewOrleans.“My brothers andsisters in Christ, together we are privileged to write this next chapter of this archdiocese’s history.”

Joined by clergy members from across the country,local and state civic and business leaders, interfaith representativesand others, Checchio, whowas chosenbyPopeLeo XIV for the role, will serveascoadjutorarchbishop until Aymondretires, then will assume the role as leader of theNew OrleansRoman Catholic Church. Aymond has led the local church since 2009 and has reachedthe mandatory age of retirement

ä See ARCHBISHOP, page 13A

Cassidyoffershealthinsurance option

Republicansseeking alternatives to expiring ACAtax credits

BYMARK BALLARD

Staff writer

WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy’s proposal for covering the health care costs of millions of low-income work-

ers andsmall businesses is gaining traction among the various proposals trottedout to address theAffordable Care Act health insurance —the key disputeinthe historically long federal government shutdown Rather than simply extending enhanced tax credits thatDemocrats want and most Republicans oppose, the Baton Rouge Republican who chairs theSenate’shealth committee wouldredirect the money into tax-free

accounts. This would allow individuals to choose how themoney would be spent,hesaid. Qualiﬁed beneﬁciaries could decide on their whether to purchase aless expensive policy and use themoney to payhigherdeductibles, copaysand out-of-pocket expenses,Cassidy said in an interview “It’sasweet spot: lower premiums,

ä See CASSIDY, page 8A

Largestgiftin school historycomes from philanthropist MacKenzieScott

BY MARIEFAZIO Staff writer

The billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, whohas become amajor donor to Louisiana causes and historically Black colleges and universities in recent years, has givenXavierUniversity $38 million, the largest private donation in the New Orleans school’shistory The unrestricted gift, announced Tuesday,isScott’s second major donation to Xavier, the country’sonly historically Black andCatholic university,which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year while also dealing with ﬁnancial pressures. In 2020, Scott gifted $20 million to the school, whichofﬁcials said would growits endowment,expand need-based scholarships and fund new faculty positions. Xavier is in the thirdyear of an ambitious $500 million fundraising campaign aimed at increasing student financial aid, improving

See XAVIER, page 8A Scott

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, chairs the Senate’s health committee.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

ä ICE sweep expands in North Carolina. PAGE 2A

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Coadjutor Archbishop James Francis Checchio receives the bishop’sstaff at St. Louis Cathedral on TuesdayasArchbishop GregoryAymond, rear,looksonas Checchio is officially welcomed as the successor to Aymond.

Roblox steps up age checks, groups users

Roblox is stepping up its age verification system for users who want to chatwith other players and implementingage-based chats so kids, teens and adults will only be able to communicate with people around their own age. The moves come as the populargaming platform continues to face criticismand lawsuits over child safety and agrowing number of states and countries areimplementingage veriﬁcation laws.

The company had previously announced the age estimation tool, which is providedbya companycalledPersona, in July.It requires players to take avideo selﬁe that will beused to estimate their age. Roblox says the videos are deleted after theage check is processed. Usersare not required to submit aface scan to use the platform, only if they want to chatwith other users

Roblox doesn’tallow kids under 13 to chat with otherusers outside of games unless they have explicit parental permission—and unlike different platforms, it does not encrypt private chat conversations, so it can monitor and moderate them.

While some experts have expressed caution about thereliability of facial age estimation tools, Matt Kaufman, chief safety ofﬁcer at Roblox, said that between the ages of about 5to25, thesystem can accurately estimate aperson’sage withinone or two years.

KeyBridge collapse was ‘entirely preventable’

BALTIMORE Saying the collapse of theFrancis Scott Key Bridge was entirelypreventable, the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday detailed breakdowns both on board the Dali container ship that crashed into it and alackofa warning system that could havealerted the construction workers to drive to safety rather than plunge to their deaths on March 26, 2024.

“This tragedy should never have occurred. Lives should never have been lost,” Jennifer Homendy,the NTSB chair, said before she and board members heard from staff who investigated the calamity that led to six workers’ deaths. “As with all accidentsthat we investigate,this was preventable.”

NTSB staff said they discovered aloose signal wirethat created “a precarious electrical connection” and led to the ﬁrst of two power outages aboard the Dali as it was exiting the Port of Baltimore heading toward the Key Bridge. That left thecrew unable to steer the nearly 1,000foot cargo ship away from the piersupport that it ultimately struck.

They said that the shipwas not equipped with infrared thermal imaging technology,whichwas widelyused in the industry and could have identiﬁed such faults in the system.

Flush with cash? Solid gold toilet up for auction NEW YORK Art collectors had achance Tuesday to buy one of the world’smost lucrative latrines: asolidgold, fully functional toilet Thepiece, by Maurizio Cattelan —the provocative Italian artist known for taping abanana to awall —went up for auction Tuesday evening at Sotheby’s in New York. The starting bid was expected to be the market value of the 223-pound, 18-karat-gold work, currently about$10 million. Cattelan has said thepiece, titled “America,” satirizessuperwealth.

“Whatever youeat, a$200 lunch or a$2hot dog, the results arethe same, toilet-wise,” he once said. Sotheby’s, for its part, calls the commode an “incisive commentary on the collisionof artistic production and commodity value.”

CORRECTION

An article Tuesday misspelled the location of the Rouses Markets headquarters. It isin Schriever.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune regrets the error

ICEarrestsexpandthrough N.C.

BY GARYD.ROBERTSON and TIM SULLIVAN Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. Federalagentsexpandedtheir NorthCarolina immigration crackdowntothe Raleigh area on Tuesday,the mayor of the capital city said, as Border Patrol ofﬁcers carriedonwith their sweep of thestate’s largest city, Charlotte Speaking atacity council meeting, Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said there hadbeen “confirmed sightings” of BorderPatrolofficers operating in Wake County, which includes Raleigh, and nearby DurhamCounty, which includes the city of Durham. She said earlier that she did notknowhow large the

operation wouldbeorhow long agentswould be present “I ask Raleigh to remember our values and maintain peace and respect through any upcoming challenges,” she said in an earlier statement Immigration agentsarrested more than 130 people over the weekend in Charlotte,NorthCarolina’s largest city,officials said Monday.Federal ofﬁcials have said thecrackdowns will reducecrime, though leaders in both Charlotte and Raleigh said crime was down. The officials have alsocriticized theso-called sanctuary policies that limit cooperation between localauthoritiesand immigration agentsinahandful of jurisdictions Federalofficials havegiven no information about activity in the Raleigh area. But in Cary,a sprawlingRaleigh suburbwhereofﬁcials say almost

20% of the population was born outside theU.S. and the largeAsian population tripled in the 1990s, fear spread quickly The Chatham Square shopping center, which is usually bustling at middaywith workers eating at mom-and-popethnic restaurants, was quiet. Most of therestaurants —Mexican,Indianand Chinese amongthem —were closed. Nearby,the often-full parking lot at an Indian grocery store waslargely empty,and trafﬁc inside was nonexistent

Esmeralda Angel’sfamily closed theirrestaurant, the Esmeralda Grill, to avoidany confrontations between customers and federal agents. At theirseparategrocery store, they were delivering items to customers who were avoiding going out in public.

Thefamily businesses hadscaled back to help theircommunity, she

1Israeli killed,3wounded in West Bank stabbing

Attack occurs as U.N. OKsTrump’s Gaza plan

BYJULIAFRANKEL Associated Press

JERUSALEM Palestinian attackers stabbed an Israeli to deathand wounded three more in the West BankonTuesday before beingshotdown by troops in the latest violence to rock the occupied territory,the Israelimilitary said.

The attack follows aspate of settler violence against Palestinians across the West Bank. Ofﬁcials,including U.S. Secretary of State MarcoRubio, have warned that such unrest could spill over andunderminethe fragile truce in Gaza.

It came aday after the U.N. Security Council gave its backing to U.S. President Donald Trump’sblueprint to secure and govern Gaza. Hamas rejected the plan as other countries signaled excitement andreadiness to help implementit.

The Israeli militarysaid the stabbing took place atthe Gush Etzion junction south of Jerusalem, asite of manypast attacksbyPalestinian militants.

Israel’s emergencyrescueservices saida71-year-old man died of stab woundsatthe scene. Three other people were hospitalized,including awoman in serious condition and ateenager in moderate condition.The militarysaid Israeli troops then opened ﬁre, killing two Palestinian attackers. ThePalestinian Health Ministry later identified them as two 18-year-oldsfrom the Hebron area.

Yaron Rosenthal, head of the regional council in the GushEtzion settlement bloc,demanded Israel respond to the attack andprovide more support for the area’sIsraeli settlements.

“Terrorism is fueled by the hope of a state,” he said, connecting theviolence to thePalestinian Authority and the reemerging push to advanceefforts to secure Palestinian statehood.

Hamas did not claim responsibilityfor the attack, but in astatementcalled it “a normal response to the occupation’s attemptstoliquidatethe Palestinian cause,”vowingthatIsraeli aggression wouldn’tgounchallenged.

Elsewhere in the West Bank on Tuesday, news network Al Jazeera’slocal bureau chief, Walid al-Omari, said Israeli forcesshot cameraman Fadi Yassin in bothlegs while he was covering aprotest in the city of Tulkarem. The militarydid notrespond toarequestfor comment Tulkaremhas been aflashpoint throughout theyear,withIsraeliforces frequently carrying out incursions around the Nur Shams refugeecamp, which they say is home to many militants. Civilians say the area has endured repeated raids, sieges and homedemoli-

tions, prompting regular protestsbyPalestinians angry about operations pushing people from their homes

An Associated Press journalist saw soldiersﬁre intothe airtodisperseprotesters and thenshoot toward Yassin as he moved toward thecamp entrance to ﬁlm.The journalistlater sawYassin on the ground, injured andsurrounded by Palestinians, including women andchildren, before he was carried by bystanders to an ambulance.

The violence came aday after Israeli settlers rampaged through the Palestinian village of al-Jab’a, torching homes and cars, drawing arare condemnation from Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli leaders.

The United States,Israel and the Palestinian Authority praised theU.N. vote on Trump’spostwarGaza plan. Hamas rejected it, saying the proposed security force would only help Israel maintain its grip on the territory

The resolution provides awide mandate for an international force to provide securityinwar-devastated Gaza, approves atransitionalauthority called the Board of Peace to be overseen by Trump andenvisions apossible future path to an independent Palestinian state. Netanyahu, who otherwise applauded the resolution,did notmention thepathway to statehood in remarks about the plans.

The plan calls for thestabilization force to ensure“thepermanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armedgroups.” It authorizes theforce “to use allnecessary measures to carry out its mandate” in compliance with international law,which is U.N. language for theuse of military force.

Hamas saidMondaythatthe force’s mandate, including disarmament, “strips it of its neutrality,and turns it into aparty to the conﬂict in favor of the occupation.” It said theresolutiondid not “meetthe level of our Palestinian people’spolitical and humanitarian demands and rights.”

said, but knew it would hurt ﬁnancially Family businesseshad scaled back to helptheir community, she said, but knew it would hurt ﬁnancially “Taco Tuesday is the busy day for allofthese restaurants,”Angelsaid of the weekly specials at manyLatino eateries. “But Ithink everyone would ratherclose than operate.”

U.S. Rep.Valerie Foushee, a Democrat who represents part of Raleigh and someofits suburbs, said Tuesdaythat the deployment of federal immigration agents in NorthCarolina “is aprofound abuse of power,aviolation of civil rights andastainonour democracy.”

Theregion’sSouth Asian community hasgrowndramatically in recentdecades,including many peopledrawntothe Research Triangle region by high-tech jobs.

Israel strikesPalestinian refugeecampinLebanon

13 killed in droneattack

BY MOHAMMAD ZAATARI Associated Press

SIDON, Lebanon— An Israeli airstrike on aPalestinian refugee campinsouthern Lebanon on Tuesday killed 13 people and woundedseveral others, state media and government ofﬁcialssaid.

It wasthe deadliest strike on Lebanon sinceaceaseﬁre in the Israel-Hezbollah war ayear ago.

Thedrone strike hita car in the parking lot of a mosque in the Ein el-Hilwehrefugee camponthe outskirts of the coastal city of Sidon, the state-run National News Agency said.

TheLebanese Health Ministry said13people were killed andseveral others wounded, without giving further details.

Hamas fighters in the area prevented journalists from reaching thescene, as ambulances rushedto evacuate thewounded and the dead.

The Israeli military said it struck aHamas training compound thatwas being used to prepare an attack against Israel and its army.

It addedthatthe Israeli armywould continue to act

against Hamas wherever the group operates.

Hamas condemned the attack in astatement saying the strike hit asports playground and denying that it was atraining compound.

Overthe past two years, IsraeliairstrikesonLebanon have killed scores of ofﬁcialsfrom the militant Hezbollah group as well as Palestinianfactionssuchas Hamas.

Saleh Arouri, the deputy political head of Hamas and afounder of the group’s military wing, was killedin adrone strike on asouthern suburb of Beirut on Jan. 2, 2024. Several other Hamas ofﬁcials have been killed in strikes since then.

Hamas led the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israelthat killedabout 1,200 people.Thatsparked Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry

Aday after theIsraelHamas war started, Hezbollahbegan ﬁring rockets toward Israeli posts along theborder.Israel responded with shelling andairstrikes in Lebanon, and the two sides became locked in an escalating conﬂict that became afull-blown war in late September 2024.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By OHAD ZWIGENBERG

Members of Israelisecurity forces inspect the site of arammingand stabbing attack near the West Bank Jewish settlementofGush Etzion on Tuesday

AP PHOTO By MAJDI MOHAMMED

An Al Jazeera cameraman is carried after beingshot in the legs by Israeli soldiers during aprotest by displaced Palestinians in the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Tuesday.

Bill to releaseEpstein filesclearsCongress

Trumpsayshewill sign measure

BY STEPHENGROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON Both the House and Senate acted decisively Tuesdaytopassa bill to force the JusticeDepartment to publicly release its ﬁles on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, aremarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership. When asmall, bipartisan group of Houselawmakers introduced apetition in July to maneuver aroundSpeaker Mike Johnson’scontrol of the House floor,itappeared a long-shot effort —especially as Trump urgedhis supporters to dismiss the matter as a“hoax.”

But both Trump and Johnson, R-Benton, failed to prevent the vote. The president in recent days bowed to politicalreality,saying he wouldsign the bill.And just hours after the House vote, senators agreed to approve it unanimously,skipping a formal roll call.

The decisive, bipartisan work in Congress Tuesday further showed the pressure mounting on lawmakers and the Trump administration to meet long-held demands that the Justice Department release its case ﬁles on Epstein, awell-connected ﬁnan-

Capitol in Washington.

cier who killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaitingtrial in 2019 on charges he sexually abused and trafﬁckedunderage girls. For survivors of Epstein’s abuse, passage of thebill was awatershed moment in ayearslong quest for accountability

“These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight. Andthey did it by banding together and never giving up,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene as shestood with some of the abuse survivors outsidethe CapitolTuesday morning.

“That’swhat we did by ﬁghting so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the president of

theUnitedStates, in order to make this vote happentoday,” added Greene, aGeorgia Republican. In the end,only one lawmaker in Congressopposed thebill. Rep.Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, who is afervent supporterofTrump, was the only “nay” vote in the House’s427-1 tally

The bill forces the release within 30 days of all ﬁles and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into hisdeathinfederal prison.Itwould allowthe Justice Department to redact information aboutEpstein’s victims or continuing federal investigations, but notinformationdue to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or

political sensitivity.”

Even before thebill’spassage Tuesday,thousands of pagesofemails andother documents from Epstein’s estatehave been released from an investigation by the House Oversight Committee. Those documents show Epstein’sconnections to global leaders, Wall Street powerbrokers, inﬂuential political ﬁgures and Trump himself. In the United Kingdom, King Charles III stripped his disgraced brother Prince Andrew of hisremaining titles andevicted him from his royal residence after pressure to act over hisrelationship withEpstein.

Trumphas saidhecut ties with Epstein years ago, but triedfor months to movepast

thedemands fordisclosure.

Still, many in the Republican base continuedtodemand the release of the ﬁles. Adding to that pressure survivors of Epstein’sabuse rallied outside the Capitol on Tuesday morning. Bundled in jackets against the Novemberchilland holdingphotos of themselvesasteenagers, they recounted their stories of abuse.

Another,Jena-Lisa Jones, said she had voted for Trump andhad amessage forthe president:“Ibeg you, Donald Trump, please stop making this political.”

The group of women also metwith Johnson and rallied outside the CapitolinSeptember,but have had to wait months for the vote.

Johnsonkeptthe House closed forlegislative business fornearlytwo months and refused to swear in Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva, of Arizona, during the government shutdown. After winning aspecial election on Sept. 23, Grijalva had pledged to provide the crucial 218th vote to the petition for the Epstein files bill. But only after shewas sworn into ofﬁce last week could she sign her nameto the discharge petition to give it majority support. It quickly became obvious the bill would pass, and both Johnson and Trump began to fold.TrumponSunday said Republicans should vote for the bill.

YetGreene told reporters thatTrump’sdecision to

ﬁght the bill had betrayed his Make AmericaGreat Again political movement.

“Watchingthisturninto afight hasrippedMAGA apart,” she said.

Ratherthanwaiting until next week for the discharge position to ofﬁcially take effect, Johnsonheldthe vote under aprocedure that requires atwo-thirds majority But Johnsonalso spent a morning news conference listing off problemsthat he seeswith the legislation. He arguedthatthebillcouldhave unintended consequences by disclosing parts of federal investigations that are usually kept private, including informationonvictims

“This is araw andobvious political exercise,” Johnson said. Still, he voted for the bill. “None of us want to go on record and in any way be accusedofnot being for maximum transparency,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the bipartisan pair who sponsoredthe bill, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna,D-Calif.,warnedsenatorsagainst doing anything that would “muck it up,” saying they would face the samepublic uproar that forced both Trumpand Johnson to back down.

“We’veneedlesslydragged this outfor four months,” Massie said, adding that thoseraising problems with the bill “are afraidthat people will be embarrassed. Well, that’sthe whole point here.”

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON U.S. Rep.

Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, was the only representative to vote Tuesday against a bill forcing the Trump administration to release the complete investigatory records of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Higgins said in a statement that the documents’ release could endanger the innocent.

“As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people —witnesses, peoplewho provided alibis, family members, etc. If enacted in its current form, this type of broad reveal of criminal investigative ﬁles, released to arabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt,” Higgins said. The House voted 427 to 1to send the Epstein Files Transparency Act to theU.S. Senate for consideration. The rest of Louisiana’sHouse

delegation voted in favor.

Amember of theHouse Oversight committee, Higgins said the panel hasreleased 60,000 documents.

“That effort will continue in amanner that provides alldue protections for innocent Americans. If the Senate amends the bill to properlyaddress privacy of victims and other Americans, whoare named but not criminally implicated, then Iwill vote for that bill when it comes backtothe House,” Higgins said.

Amajority ofthe House had signed onto adischarge petition to require House leadership hold aﬂoor vote on thelegislation.

HouseSpeaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, allowed the vote before thedischarge petitionwould have required it. Johnson argues that the House Oversight Committeealready is vetting and releasing documents from theEpsteininvestigation.

Duringa speech on the House floor,Johnson said Democrats were usingthe release “as apolitical weapon” to tar President Donald Trump, who knew Epstein but had nothing to do with thesexual assaults on underage girls.

For months,Trumphad opposed thereleaseofthe records, but he changed his mind over theweekend and backed theresolution.

Trump said Monday that he would sign the resolution, if approvedbythe Senate, and release the records.

Higgins later came to the House floor to support a GOP effort removing DelegateStacey Plaskett, D-U.S Virgin Islands, from the House committee on intelligence. Plaskettexchanged texts with Epstein during a 2019 hearing with Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen.

Epstein was aresident of theVirgin Islands and aconstituent of Plaskett’s at the time.Representing aU.S territory,Plaskett is anonvoting member of Congress. Higgins said, “She has crossed the threshold of reasonablesuspicionand therefore she wouldbeinvestigated.”

The Houseearlier had failed to censure Plaskett.

Aprominent financier, Epstein was convicted in 2008 of procuring achild for prostitution. He died by suicide in prisonwhileawaiting trial in 2019 on federal accusations that he trafﬁcked dozens of underage girls, someasyoung as 14 years old.

Epstein had associations with manyprominent celebrities andbusinessmen, including former President Bill Clinton, former prince AndrewWindsor,aswell as Trump.

His deathspurred widespread conspiracy theories that he was murdered, that he kept alist showing he had trafficked girls for powerful people, and thathewas blackmailing some of those who used thegirls.

Until elected to his second

term as president, Trump pushed conspiracy theories that were embraced by his supporters whoclaimed, without proof, that Epstein wasmurdered to stop him from blackmailing elitemen whose names were in his client list. Conservative media

ﬁgures claimed Democrats didn’t wantthe listtobecome public becausethey would implicate high-ranking party ofﬁcials.

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate. com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREENIKHINSON

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga stands with some of JefferyEpstein’sabusesurvivors on Tuesday outside the U.S.

Trump, Saudiprincemeeting cloudedbycomments

President dismissesU.S intelligence he hadculpability in reporter’s killing

BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON President

Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed U.S. intelligence ﬁndings that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman likelyhad some culpability in the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi as Trump warmly welcomed the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia on his ﬁrst White House visit in seven years.

The U.S.-Saudi relationship had, for atime, been sent into atailspin by the operation targeting Khashoggi, a ﬁerce critic of the kingdom. But seven years later,the dark clouds over the relationship have been cleared away.And Trump is tighteninghis embrace of the 40-year-old crown prince, whohesaidisanindispensable player in shaping the Middle East in the decades to come.

Trumpinhis defenseof the crown prince derided Khashoggias“extremely controversial” and said “a lotofpeopledidn’tlikethat gentleman.”

Prince Mohammed denies involvement in the killing of Khashoggi, who was aSaudi citizen and Virginiaresident.

“Whether you like him or didn’tlike him, things happen,” Trumpsaid of theinternationalincidentwhen asked about it by areporter during an Oval Officeappearance with Prince Mohammed. “But (Prince Mohammed) knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that. You don’thavetoembarrass our guest by asking aquestion like that.”

But U.S. intelligence officials determined that the Saudi crown prince likely approved the killing by Saudi agents of U.S.-based journalist inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, accordingtoU.S. ﬁndings declassiﬁed in 2021 at the start of the Biden administration.

Trump ofﬁcials, during his ﬁrst administration, refused to release the report

Prince Mohammedsaid Saudi Arabia “did all the right steps” to investigate

Khashoggi’sdeath.

“It’spainful and it’s ahuge mistake,” he said.

Trump, who saidthe two leaders have become “good friends,” even commended the Saudi leaderfor strides made by the kingdomonhuman rights without providing any speciﬁc detail.

“What’s he done is incredible in terms of humanrights and everythingelse,”Trump said.

President Joe Bidenlabeled theoil-rich kingdom a“pariah”state in the early days of his successful 2020 White House run.

After taking ofﬁce, his administration made clear the president would avoid direct engagement with the crown prince But eventually Biden determinedthat freezing out the Saudis was nottenable as oilprices spiked following Russia’s February2022 invasionofUkraine. Biden even paida visittoPrince Mohammed in Jeddah in July 2022 of that yeartourge theprince and fellow members of the OPEC+oil cartel to pump more oil to alleviate high gasprices.

Thecrown prince for his partannounced Saudi Arabia was increasing its planned investments in theU.S. to$1 trillion, up from $600 billion that the Saudis announced they would pour into the United States when Trump visitedthe kingdominMay Echoing rhetoricthat Trump likes to use, the crown prince used the momentto ﬂatterthe Republican leader by calling theU.S. the“hot-

testcountry on the planet” for foreign investment.

“What you’re creating is notabout an opportunity today. It’salso aboutlong-term opportunity,” PrinceMohammed said.

Trump’sfamily hasa strong personal interest in the kingdom. In September, Londonreal estate developer DarGlobalannounced that it plans to launchTrump Plaza in the RedSea city of Jeddah.

It’s Dar Global’s second collaboration with theTrump Organization, the collection of companies controlled by theU.S.president’s children, in Saudi Arabia.

Trump pushedback on suggestions that there could be aconﬂictofinterest in his family’s dealingswith the Saudis.

“I have nothing to do with the family business,”Trump said.

Trump’scomments about Khashoggi and defenseof his family’sbusiness in Saudi Arabia were blasted by human rights and government oversight activists.

Human rightsgroups say Saudi authorities continue to harshly repress dissent,including by arrestinghuman rights defenders, journalists,and politicaldissidents for criticismagainstthe kingdom. They alsonotea surge in executions in Saudi Arabia that they connectto an efforttosuppress internaldissent.

“President Trumphas Jamal Khashoggi’s blood on his hands,”saidRaed Jarrar,advocacy director forDAWN, a

U.S.-based group advocating fordemocracyand human rights in the Arab world that wasfoundedbyKhashoggi.

Jarrar added, “Trump has made himself complicit in every execution andimprisonment MBShas ordered since.”

Trump warmly received Prince Mohammed when he arrived at the White House Tuesday morningfor a pomp-ﬁlled arrival ceremony that included amilitary

flyoverand athundering greeting from the U.S. Marine band.

Technically,it’snot astate visit, because the crown princeisnot the head of state. ButPrinceMohammedhas taken charge of the day-to-day governing for his father,King Salman, 89, who hasenduredhealth problems in recent years.

Trump showedthe prince the newly-installed PresidentialWalkofFame that features gold-framed images of past presidents along the West Wing colonnade anda photo of an autopen signing the name of Biden in place of the Democrat’sofﬁcial portrait.

Later,Trump and ﬁrst lady Melania Trump welcomed thecrown princefor a black-tie dinner in the White House East Room. The boldface names who attended included Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, tech entrepreneur ElonMusk and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Trump at thedinner announced he was designating Saudi Arabia as amajor nonNATO ally.The designation, while largely symbolic, provides foreign partners with certain beneﬁts in the areas of defense, trade and security cooperation.

Thepresident also announced that the two leaders had signed anew defense

agreement, but the White House did not immediately release details of the pact. Ahead of the visit, the Saudis had signaled they were looking forformal assurances from Trumpdeﬁning thescope of theU.S.military protection for the kingdom.

“A stronger and morecapable alliance will advance the interests of both countries,” Trumpsaid. “And it will servethe highest interest of peace.”

Trump andPrinceMohammed will attend an investment summitatthe Kennedy Center on Wednesdaythatwill include the heads of Salesforce, Qualcomm, Pfizer,the Cleveland Clinic, Chevron and Aramco,Saudi Arabia’s national oil and natural gas company, where even more deals with the Saudis could be announced.

On the eve of Prince Mohammed’sarrival, Trump announced he had agreed to sell the Saudis F-35ﬁghter jets despite some concerns within the administration that the salecould lead to China gaining access to the U.S.technology behind the advanced weapon system. The White House announced the twoleaders formalized the F-35 agreement Tuesday as wellasadeal forthe Saudistopurchasenearly300 tanks from the U.S.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI

President DonaldTrump meets SaudiArabia’sCrown Prince Mohammed bin Salmaninthe Oval Office of theWhite House on TuesdayinWashington.

Mexico’s presidentrejects Trump’smilitaryoffer

Presidentsaidhe is readytostop drug cartels

BY FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ Associated Press

MEXICO CITY Mexico’s presidentonTuesdayruled out allowing U.S. strikes against cartels on Mexican soil,aday afterU.S.President Donald Trump saidhe was willing to do whatever it takes to stop drugs entering the U.S. “It’snot going to happen,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said. “He (Trump) has suggested it on various occasionsor he hassaid, ‘Weofferyou a United States military interventioninMexico, whatever you need to ﬁght the criminal groups,’”she said. “But I have told him on every occa-

sion that we can collaborate, thatthey can help us with information they have,but that we operate in our territory,thatwedonot accept anyintervention by a foreigngovernment.”

She inbaum said she had said this to Trump and to U.S. Secretary of StateMarco Rubio on previous occasions and thatthey have understood.

“WouldIwant strikesin Mexico to stop drugs? OK with me, whatever we have to do to stop drugs,” Trump said Monday,adding that he’s“not happy with Mexico.”

TheU.S. Embassy in Mexico shared avideo on Xlater Monday that included previ-

ouscomments from Rubio saying that the U.S.would not take unilateral action in Mexico.

Meanwhile, Mexican and U.S. diplomatsweretrying to sort out Tuesday what may have been an actual U.S. incursion.

On Monday, men arrived in aboat at abeach in northeast Mexico andinstalled some signs signaling land that the U.S.Department of Defense considered restricted Mexico’sForeign Affairs Ministry said late Monday that thecountry’snavy had removedthe signs, which appeared to be on Mexican territory.And on Tuesday, Sheinbaum said thatthe InternationalBoundary and Water Commission, abinational agency that determines the border between the twocountries, wasgettinginvolved.

The signs,drivenintothe sand near where theRio Grande empties intothe Gulf of Mexico, caused astir when witnesses saidmen in aboat arrived at the local beach known as Playa Bagdad and erected them.

The signs read in English and Spanish, “Warning: Restricted Area” andwenton to explain that it was DepartmentofDefense property and had been declared restricted by “thecommander.” It said there could be no unauthorizedaccess, photography or drawings of thearea.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico shared acomment from thePentagon Tuesday about the incident, conﬁrming that contractors putting up signs to markthe “National Defense AreaIII” had placed signs at the mouth of the Rio Grande.

“Changes in water depth

Zelenskyytovisit Turkey this week

He hopestostart talkstoend Russia’s invasion

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

and topography altered the perception of theinternationalboundary’slocation,” the statement said. “Government of Mexico personnelremoved 6signs based on their perceptionofthe international boundary’slocation.”

ThePentagonsaidthe contractors would “coordinate with appropriate agencies to avoidconfusion in the future.”

Mexico had contacted its consulate in Brownsville, Texas and then the U.S. Embassy in MexicoCity. Eventually,itwas determined that contractors working forsome U.S. government entity hadplaced the signs, Sheinbaum said.

“But theriver changesits course, it breaks loose and according to the treaty you have to clearly demarcate the national border,” Sheinbaum said during herdaily

press brieﬁng. The area is close to SpaceX Starbase, which sits adjacenttoBoca Chica Beach on the Texas side of the Rio Grande.

The facility and launch site for the SpaceX rocket program is under contract with the Department of Defense andNASA, which hopesto send astronauts back to the moon and someday to Mars. In June, Sheinbaum said the government was looking into contamination from the SpaceX facility after pieces of metal, plastic androcket pieces were reportedly found on the Mexican side of the border following the explosion of arocket during atest.

Theareaalsocarries the added sensitivityofTrump’s ordertorename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, which Mexico has also rejected.

that he would meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss “a just peace for Ukraine.”

“Wesee somepositions and signals from the United States,” he said. “Well, let’s seetomorrow.”

KYIV,Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday thathe will travel to Turkey this week in an attemptto jump-start negotiations on ending Russia’ s full-scale invasi on, which began nearly four years ago.

The Kremlin said that Russia would not be sending anyone to Turkey,and it was not immediately clear if there would be U.S. participation in the talks. Zelenskyy told anews conference in Spain

Zelenskyy’sstatement cameasUkraine’s military saidithad againusedAmerican-supplied ATACMS missilestoattack targetsinside Russia, although it didnot providefurtherdetails. Kyiv saysthat theuse of longerrange missiles is vital in preventing strikes against Ukrainian cities, while the Kremlin has warned that the use of American weapons to striketargets insideits territory risks greater pressure on Russian-U.S. relations Asenior Turkish official told The Associated Press that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff would join Zelenskyy in Turkey,but backtracked later in the day and saidWitkoff wouldn’tbe coming.

Zelenskyy didnot conﬁrm whetherU.S. representativeswould also take part.

Three U.S. officials said they were notaware of any imminent overseas travel by Witkoff, though they acknowledged he is not a government employeeand sometimes travelswithout U.S. government support. Theofﬁcials, whospoke on condition of anonymitybecause they were notauthorized to speak publicly about thematter,said Witkoff would be in Washington for much of this week to attend eventsrelated to astate visit by the Saudi crown prince on Tuesday and Wednesday Atop Turkish spokesman saidthe talks in Turkey will be held in Ankaraand will center on howtoestablisha ceaseﬁreand alasting settlement. They also will touch on Ukraine-Turkeyrelations, BurhanettinDuran, Turkey’s head of presidential commu-

nications, said on X. Turkeyprovided asetting for low-level talksbetween Ukraine andRussiaearlier thisyear,though the only signiﬁcant progress in Istanbul was on exchanging prisoners of war.U.S.-led internationalpeaceefforts have brought no breakthrough, either U.S. President Donald Trump hasexpressedfrustrationwith RussianPresident Vladimir Putin’srefusal to budge from his demands for putting an endtothe war

Heavy new American sanctions on Russia’s all-important oil industry,devised to push Putin to the negotiating table, are due to take effect on Friday Thesanctionsagainstoil companies Rosneft and Lukoil seek to starve Putin’s war machine of cash and halt itsgrinding war of attrition, whichhas claimed tensofthousands of lives in Ukraine.

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Sheinbaum

Zelenskyy

BY MELINA WALLING, SETH BORENSTEIN and ANTON L. DELGADO Associated Press

BELEM, Brazil As United Nations climate talks bubble to a critical point, negotiators on Tuesday were pressured to ensure that oil — along with fossil fuels coal and natural gas — won’t be burned in the future.

Although the conference is scheduled to run through Friday, the Brazilian presidency is pushing for an interconnected decision sooner on four issues that weren’t originally on the agenda. Meanwhile, dozens of nations — rich and poor banded together in a concerted call to deliver a detailed road map for the world to phase out or transition away from fossil fuels.

Former Ireland President Mary Robinson, a fierce climate advocate, was unusually optimistic Tuesday, comparing the talks in Belem, on the edge of the Amazon, to the climate talks that produced the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement that set a target for limiting Earth’s warming.

“This COP reminds me of Paris very much,” Robinson told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday

“I’m hoping for as good an outcome out of this difﬁcult environment as possible. We can get it, you know we can get it.”

Much of it will come to a head on Wednesday, the deadline set by COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago for a decision on four issues that were initially excluded from the official agenda: whether countries should be told to toughen their new climate plans; details on handing out $300 billion in pledged climate aid; dealing with trade barriers over climate and improving

reporting on transparency and climate progress.

The issue that’s getting talked about by more than 80 nations is weaning the world from fossil fuels. Two years ago, after much debate the U.N. climate talks in Dubai agreed on language for a “transition away from fossil fuels.”

But the following year the issue disappeared from view Now, many — but not all — countries are pushing for a detailed road map that would essentially give directions on how to phase out fossil fuels.

“People around the world are mobilizing on a massive scale, demanding concrete action for climate justice, particularly against the expansion of fossil fuel,” said Colombia’s Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres.

“Our categorical decision backed by science and by people has been to phase out fossil fuels. Despite being a producer country of oil and coal, we have chosen not to grant any new oil exploration contracts, nor any new coal mining titles.”

“We have to leave here with a call for a road map,” she said Tuesday “There’s no other way.”

Ed Miliband, the United Kingdom’s top official for energy and climate change, said the issue has united the Global South and North, “saying with one voice that this is an issue that cannot be ignored, cannot be swept under the carpet, and this is where the momentum is.”

That’s doubtful. Powerful oil-producing countries have opposed moving on a phaseout, and the United States — with President Donald Trump frequently calling climate change a “scam” — is skipping the talks.

COP30 President do Lago kicked off Tuesday’s action with a proposal that had 21 options for negotiators on four sticky and interrelated issues.

While the options in the draft text “are a ﬁrst step, what’s required now is to eliminate the options that add to delay and ignore the urgency of action,” said Jasper Inventor, deputy

peace International.

Tuesday was also a day for speeches from high-level ministers.

Sophie Hermans, the Netherlands’ deputy prime minister, said “the transition is no longer about setting targets. It is about executing them. And execution requires realism, planning and the ability to adjust when circumstances change.”

The documents ask leaders to hash out many aspects of a potential agreement by Wednesday so that much is out of the way before the ﬁnal set of decisions Friday, when the conference is scheduled to end.

Climate summits routinely go past their last day as nations have to balance domestic concerns with the major shifts needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions

Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sched-

uled to return to Belem on Wednesday and the deadline may be timed for him to push parties together or celebrate some kind of draft agreement, observers said. But many don’t think countries will actually be ready with everything Brazilian leaders have asked for by then. That timeline is “pretty ambitious,” said Alden Meyer, a senior associate at climate think tank E3G. Still, Brazil’s guidance for the summit, called COP30, has raised hopes for signiﬁcant measures to ﬁght global warming, which could range from a road map to move away from fossil fuels like oil and coal to more money to help nations build out clean energies like wind and solar

“There are important concessions we expect from all sides,” do Lago

program director of Green-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDRE PENNER

André Corrêa do Lago, COP30 president, right, and Ana Toni, COP30 CEO, talk at a news conference during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit on Tuesday in Brazil.

ShapingTomorrow’sLeaders

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ReachingonemillionchildrenfromacrossLouisianaandMississippiisasigniﬁcantmilestone.Itrepresents yearsofcommitmentfromeducators,volunteers,andcommunitypartnerswhobelieveinthelimitless potentialofyoungpeople.Itmeansclassroomsfullofstudentswhoseepossibilityinsteadoflimitation, andwhorecognizethatleadership,integrity,andperseverancearewithintheirreach.

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Thank youfor thesupport from ourpartners

XAVIER

Continued from page 1A

campus facilities, expanding student support services and boosting faculty recruitment.

In a statement Tuesday, Xavier President Reynold Verret said Scott’s latest “humbling and inspiring” gift would support those efforts, including the push to make the university more affordable for students from diverse backgrounds.

“This generous gift from MacKenzie Scott ﬁlls us with profound gratitude,” Verret said. “Ms.

Scott’s belief in Xavier’s mission strengthens our resolve to carry forward the legacy of Saint Katharine Drexel and prepare future generations to lead with truth, justice, and service.”

The ex-wife of billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Scott has pledged to give away half of her wealth during her lifetime. She has donated $19 billion in recent years to nonprofits, universities and other institutions across the country, including nearly $220 million to about 50 organizations in Louisiana. The gifts, which require no application and come with no strings attached, can be transformative

for the recipients and the people they serve. Scott has reportedly given well over $700 million to HBCUs this year including $38 million to Spelman College in Atlanta, $63 million to Prairie View A&M State University in Texas and $80 million to Howard University in Washington, D.C. She also gifted $70 million to the United Negro College Fund, which will invest the money in a shared fund for nearly 40 HBCUs, whose endowments tend to be significantly smaller than those of predominately White institutions.

The money provides “a oncein-a-generation opportunity” for

HBCUs to “build permanent assets that will support students and campuses for decades to come,” UNCF President and CEO Michael L Lomax said in a statement. The $38 million gift to Xavier comes at a challenging moment for the school, which enrolls about 3,200 students.

Last month, the university laid off nearly 50 employees, or about 6% of the school’s workforce, citing federal funding cuts and pending changes to federal student ﬁnancial aid.

Despite the layoffs, Verret has said that the school is on solid ﬁnancial footing.

Xavier was established in 1925 through the work of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and Mother Katharine Drexel, who was later named a saint. It is known for preparing students for medical professions, and historically it has sent more Black students to medical school than any other U.S. institution.

Working in partnership with Ochsner Health, Xavier is establishing a new medical school that is slated to open in the coming years pending its accreditation. Scott’s historic gift to Xavier, Verret said, “afﬁrms who we are and who we are becoming at a pivotal moment in our history.”

Continued from page 1A

help with the deductible, making the patient the informed consumer,” Cassidy said. “If we’re able to take the amount of money going into the enhanced premium tax credit and put it into a Flexible Spending Account, the rate you’re paying for your insurance does not have to change because what you’re doing is applying the enhanced premium tax credit to your deductible and to your copay.”

About 24 million working Americans, and 293,000 in Louisiana, use the pandemic-era tax credits to cover the gap between cost of health care insurance policies on the Affordable Care Act marketplace and what they can afford. Those subsidies are set to expire in six weeks, which would lead to an average doubling of policy prices and would force about 4 million people off health care insurance, according to the Congressional Budget Ofﬁce, a nonpartisan arm of Congress that estimates ﬁnancial costs of legislation.

Still, Republicans have balked at the cost of the program, which they argue was supposed to be a temporary pandemic-era beneﬁt. Extending the ACA subsidies would cost about $35 billion per year

Cassidy said his plan could be put in place faster than proposals seeking to overhaul the ACA, also known as Obamacare, because the administrative apparatus is already in place.

“I think we can ﬁgure that out about as easily as we can ﬁgure out what we would do if we just did a straight-out extension,” he said.

His plan isn’t quite what Democrats demand: to simply extend the tax credits, which expire Dec. 31. Nor is it what the Republicans want: no extension without signiﬁcant changes to Obamacare, which the GOP has tried to strangle since inception in March 2010.

Other ideas are being ﬂoated, as many Republicans fear the political repercussions of so many voters experiencing such a dramatic hike in health care costs. The plans range from creating a reinsurance fund to cover beneficiaries with preexisting conditions to a complete overhaul of the Affordable Care Act.

Trump voices support

President Donald Trump agrees with parts of Cassidy’s plan.

“The president and I are united,”

Cassidy said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Trump on social media backed the idea of the billions of dollars

“currently being sent to moneysucking insurance companies in order to save the bad health care provided by Obamacare, be sent directly to the people.”

Trump did not mention Cassidy, who is running for reelection in 2026. He is opposed by at least four conservatives contending they are more MAGA than the senior senator from Louisiana.

Dr Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the ACA, told CNN’s

“It’s a sweet spot: lower premiums, help with the deductible, making the patient the informed consumer. If we’re able to take the amount of money

committed to a Senate vote on the extension by mid-December

Most senators, including Cassidy, don’t think Republicans will go for a simple extension. Louisiana’s other senator, John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, recently told reporters “extending the status quo is just putting fresh paint on rotten wood.”

Cassidy said he had hoped to hold a hearing before the end of the month, but the Thanksgiving break begins at the end of the week and Congress will be out of town until Dec. 1. He has pitched his plan on the Senate ﬂoor, before Senate committees and at party gatherings.

which are paid directly to the insurance companies.

Rules also changed, allowing ACA marketplace access to working immigrants who are in the country legally but have not yet acquired citizenship. Other laws allowed states waive a five-year waiting period to cover immigrant children, regardless of their status. Louisiana is 1 of 37 states and the District of Columbia that chose the waiver Who qualifies?

U.S.

SEN.

BILL CASSIDy, R-Baton Rouge

“State of the Union” on Sunday that the administration is open to all options.

“But we have some major ﬂaws with the way these COVID-era subsidies were added,” he said.

Conservatives also have been pushing a similar-type plan being promoted by the conservativeleaning Paragon Health Institute that would redirect some of the ACA subsidies to individuals.

Complicated politics

An extension of the pandemicera tax credits was the key point in the 43-day federal government shutdown. Democrats demanded an extension as a condition for reopening the federal government.

As part of the deal to reopen government last week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.,

Cassidy would need Republican and Democratic support to reach the 60-vote threshold to forward his legislation. He would present a bill focused on the subsidies in December, then offer his broader idea in 2026.

In the House, though many Republican representatives advocate an extension, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, does not. Johnson says fraud, abuse and affordability need to be addressed along with the extension.

As the pandemic wound down, millions of people got their jobs back and no longer qualiﬁed for Medicaid even though their employment did not include adequate health insurance The Biden administration expanded who could qualify for the tax credits that helped cover the cost of the expensive policies.

Reacting to criticism that they were being fiscally imprudent, Democrats established an expiration date, Dec. 31, for the credits,

Qualifying for the tax credits and the amount of the subsidy is dependent on a complex formula that includes the policy chosen over six income ranges and the size of an individual household in comparison to the federal poverty level.

Eligibility is for workers without access to affordable insurance policies that range on the lower end with more credits from 100% of poverty: $15,560 for one person, $32,150 for a family of four, to $54,150 for a household of eight. The upper level of eligibility with less subsidies is 400% of poverty, which amounts to $62,600 for one person, $128,600 for a family of four and $216,600 for a household of eight. Republicans want to see caps on those levels. Democrats want to extend the enhanced credits for at least three years. If left unresolved, the government could shut down again at the beginning of February Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

BY COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON— The U.S. Education Department is handing off someof its biggest grant programs to other federal agencies as the Trumpadministration accelerates its planto shut down the department

The changes announcedTuesday represent amajor step forward for the administration’sdismantling of the department, which has mainly involved cutting jobs since President Donald Trump called for its elimination with an executive action in March.

Six new agreements signed by the Education Departmentwill effectively move billions of dollars in grant programs to other agencies. Most notable is one that will put the Department of Labor over some of the largest federal fundingstreams for K-12 schools, including Title Imoney for schools

serving low-income communities.

Opponentshave urged against such ashake-up,saying it could disrupt programs thatsupport some of thenation’smost vulnerable studentpopulations.

States rely on Education Department officials for expertise that other agencies might not have, said Angélica Infante-Green, Rhode Island’sK-12 education chief.

“People might think it’sjust fundingand givingthem the money,but it’snot ”Infante-Green said in an interview.“It is about how to co-mingle someofthe funds to educateachild. So ifachild is in special education but is also a multilingual learner and they’re in poverty,how do you use that to educate thechild holistically?”

Department officials said the programswill continue to be funded at levels set byCongress. They did notsay whetherthe changes would bringfurtherjob cuts at thedepartment, which has been thinned by waves of masslayoffs andvoluntary retirement offers.

“The TrumpAdministrationis

taking boldaction to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to thestates,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in astatement. “Cutting through layers of redtape in Washington is one essential piece of our ﬁnal mission.” The action leaves in place theEducation Department’s$1.6trillion student loan portfolio and itsfundingfor students with disabilities, thoughMcMahon hassuggested both would be better managed by other federal departments. Also unaffected is the department’sOfﬁce for Civil Rights, which works with students andfamilieswho bringallegations of discrimination McMahon andher staffhave spent months hammering outthe deals, which allow the department to lop off large parts of its footprint without action from Congress. It’s

being done through formalagreements that agencies often make with oneanotherwhentheirwork overlaps.

The Education Department tested theidea in June with adeal that moved adulteducation programs to Labor.The newagreements take it astep further and laythe groundwork formore.

Underthe new plan, Labor will oversee almost all grant programs that are now managed by the Education Department’soffices for K-12 and higher education. Along with the $18 billionTitle Iprogram, that includes smallerfundingpools for teachertraining, English instruction and TRIO, aprogram that helps steer low-income studentstocollege degrees. It will effectively outsource the department’sOffice of Elementary andSecondaryEducation andOfficeofPostsecondary Education, twoofthe agency’slargest units. Twomajor roles of thepostsecondary office will remain with the Education Department: oversight of student loan policy andthe ac-

creditation of colleges for eligibility to receive students’ federal ﬁnancial aid.

Another deal will put Health and Human Services in charge of agrant program for parents who are attending college,along with management of foreign medical school accreditation. The State Department will take on foreign language programs.

Aunion representing department workers said students, educators and familiesdepend on the agency’ssupport forschools.

“That national mission is weakened when its corefunctions are scattered across other federal or state agencies that are not equipped or positioned to provide the samesupport and services as ED staff,” AFGE Local 252 President Rachel Gittleman said. McMahonhas increasingly pointed to whatshe sees as failures of the department as she argues forits demise.Inits 45 years, she says it has become abloated bureaucracy while student outcomes continue to lag behind.

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Stocks drop after another jarring day

The U.S. stock market fell following another jarring day on Tuesday, as worries keep dogging Nvidia bitcoin and other Wall Street stars that their prices shot too high.

After quickly sliding to a morning loss of 1.5%, the S&P 500 clawed back nearly all of it before sinking again. It ﬁnished with a fall of 0.8% and pulled further from its all-time high set late last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 498 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.2%.

Nvidia was again the heaviest weight on the market, and its drop of 2.8% brought its loss for the month to more than 10%.

That’s a steep enough fall that Wall Street has a name for it: a correction.

What Nvidia does matters disproportionately to savers’ 401(k) accounts because its immense size means it’s the most influential stock on Wall Street. It singlehandedly steers the direction of the S&P 500 some days, after fervent demand for its artificial-intelligence chips helped it briefly top $5 trillion in total value.

Other high-ﬂying areas of the market have also been struggling lately Bitcoin’s price briefly fell below $90,000 in the morning, down from nearly $125,000 last month. It later recovered some of its losses and climbed back toward $93,000.

Microsoft partners with Anthropic, Nvidia

Microsoft said Tuesday it is partnering with artificial intelligence company Anthropic and chipmaker Nvidia as part of an AI infrastructure deal that moves the software giant further away from its longtime alliance with OpenAI. Anthropic, maker of the chatbot Claude that competes with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, said it is committed to buying $30 billion in computing capacity from Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform Nvidia will also invest up to $10 billion in Anthropic, and Microsoft will invest up to $5 billion in the San Francisco-based startup

The joint announcements by CEOs Dario Amodei of Anthropic, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, and Jensen Huang of Nvidia came just ahead of the opening of Microsoft’s annual Ignite developer conference.

“This is all about deepening our commitment to bringing the best infrastructure, model choice and applications to our customers,” Nadella said on a video call with other executives, adding that it builds on the “critical” partnership Microsoft still has with OpenAI.

Honda recalls 256,600 Accord Hybrid vehicles

Honda is recalling more than 256,600 of its Accord Hybrid vehicles across the U.S. due to a software error that may result in sudden loss of drive power

According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall covers certain Honda Accord Hybrids between the 2023 and 2025 model years. The error may cause part of these cars’ internal software to reset while driving, increasing the risk of crash or injury To address the error Honda dealers will reprogram the software free of charge. The NHTSA’s recall report noted that owner notification letters are scheduled to go out on Jan 5 but a spokesperson for American Honda confirmed Tuesday that the improved software is available now Drivers can see if their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using the NHTSA site or Honda’s recall lookup. Impacted Accord Hybrid owners may also contact Honda’s customer service at (888) 234-2138 Honda estimates that 0.3% of the 256,603 Accord Hybrids it’s recalling have the issue, which impacts the vehicles’ integrated control module central processing unit the NHSTA’s recall report notes.

Cloudflare resolves outage

Issues impacted users of everything from ChatGPT to New Jersey Transit system

BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP business writer

A widely used Internet infrastructure company said that it has resolved an issue that led to outages impacting users of everything from ChatGPT and the online

game, “League of Legends,” to the New Jersey Transit system early Tuesday By noon, Cloudﬂare said its engineers no longer saw some of the issues plaguing its customers, but that they were continuing to monitor for any further problems. Other platforms that experienced outages Tuesday included the social media site X, Shopify, Dropbox, Coinbase and the Moody’s credit ratings service. Moody’s website displayed an Error Code 500 and instructed individuals to visit Cloudﬂare’s web-

site for more information. New Jersey Transit said parts of its digital services, including njtransit.com, may be temporarily unavailable or slow to load. And New York City Emergency Management said there are reports city services are being impacted by the outage. The city is continuing to monitor for disruptions. In France, national railway company SNCF’s website has been affected. The company warned customers that “some information and schedules may not be avail-

able or up to date Our teams are working to restore these services as quickly as possible.”

Cloudflare, based in San Francisco, works behind the scenes to make the internet faster and safer, but when problems ﬂare up, “it results in massive digital gridlock” for internet users, cybersecurity expert Mike Chapple said. While most people think there’s a direct line between their digital device and a website, what actually happens is that companies like Cloudﬂare sit in the middle of those connections, he said.

Meta wins historic FTC antitrust case

Firm won’t have to break off WhatsApp, Instagram

BY BARBARA ORTUTAY AP technology writer

SAN FRANCISCO Meta has prevailed over an existential challenge to its business that could have forced the tech giant to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp after a judge ruled that the company does not hold a monopoly in social networking.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued his ruling Tuesday after the historic antitrust trial wrapped up in late May His decision runs in sharp contrast to two separate rulings that branded Google an illegal monopoly in both search and online advertising, dealing regulatory blows to the tech industry that for years enjoyed nearly unbridled growth.

The Federal Trade Commission “continues to insist that Meta competes with the same old rivals it has for the last decade, that the company holds a monopoly among that small set, and that it maintained that monopoly through anticompetitive acquisitions,” Boasberg wrote in his ruling. “Whether or not Meta enjoyed monopoly power in the past, though, the agency must show that it continues to hold such power now The Court’s verdict today determines that the FTC has not done so.”

The federal agency had argued that Meta maintained a monopoly by pursuing an expression CEO Mark Zuckerberg made in

Company plans

Move set to add 200,000 square feet, create 15 jobs

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

Plastipak Packaging said it will spend $53.8 million to expand its Rapides Parish manufacturing facility, a move that will create 15 jobs. The company will add 200,000

2008: “‘It is better to buy than compete.’ True to that maxim, Facebook has systematically tracked potential rivals and acquired companies that it viewed as serious competitive threats.”

During his April testimony, Zuckerberg pushed back against claims that Facebook bought Instagram to neutralize a threat In his line of questioning, FTC attorney Daniel Matheson repeatedly brought up emails — many of them more than a decade old — written by Zuckerberg and his associates before and after the acquisition of Instagram.

While acknowledging the documents, Zuckerberg has often sought to downplay the contents, saying he wrote the emails early in the acquisition process and that the notes did not fully capture the scope of his interest in the company But the case was not about the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp more than a decade ago, which the FTC approved at the time but about whether Meta holds a monopoly now Prosecutors, Boasberg wrote in the ruling, could only win if they proved “current or imminent legal violation.”

The FTC’s complaint said Facebook also enacted policies designed to make it difﬁcult for smaller rivals to enter the market and “neutralize perceived competitive threats,” just as the world shifted its attention to mobile devices from desktop computers.

Meta said Tuesday’s decision “recognizes that Meta faces ﬁerce competition.”

“Our products are beneﬁcial for people and businesses and exemplify American innova-

tion and economic growth. We look forward to continuing to partner with the Administration and to invest in America,” said Jennifer Newstead, chief legal officer, in a statement. The social media landscape has changed so much since the FTC filed its lawsuit in 2020, Boasberg wrote, that each time the court examined Meta’s apps and competition, they changed. Two opinions to dismiss the case — filed in 2021 and 2022 — didn’t even mention popular social video platform TikTok. Today, it “holds center stage as Meta’s fiercest rival.”

Quoting the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “that no man can ever step into the same river twice,” Boasberg said the same is true for the online world of social media as well.

“The landscape that existed only five years ago when the Federal Trade Commission brought this antitrust suit has changed markedly While it once might have made sense to partition apps into separate markets of social networking and social media, that wall has since broken down,” he wrote.

Emarketer analyst Minda Smiley said Meta’s win “is not necessarily surprising considering the lengths it’s gone to in recent years to keep up with TikTok.”

“But from a regulatory standpoint, Meta is far from out of the woods: next year, major social networks will face landmark trials in the U.S. regarding children’s mental health,” she added. “Still, today’s win is surely a boost for the company as it battles criticism and questions over how its massive AI spending will ultimately beneﬁt Meta in the long run.”

$53M expansion of La. manufacturing facility

square feet to its Pineville plant, a move that will add warehouse space and possibly up to ﬁve

FastStart, the department’s workforce recruitment and training team, for the expansion. The company will also use the state’s industrial tax exemption, an 80% property tax abatement on new investments, and the Quality Jobs Program, a cash rebate for up to 6%

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF CHIU

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during a Nov. 5 event at the Biohub Imaging Institute in Redwood City Calif.

Whenever the Holy Father is ready, I’ll take over, but it’s nice to have this time in between to get to know the archdioceses and get to know people,” Checchio said standing outside the cathedral after the two-hour Mass

Coming from one of the youngest dioceses in the nation in Metuchen, New Jersey, he said it’s an honor to learn the history of the New Orleans area. But above all, he appreciates the residents and their hospitality

“It’s just the people,” he said. “The people are so welcoming I’m grateful for that.”

The Mass began with a procession of servers carrying crosses and religious objects. The ringing of the tintinnabulum bell and smoke from incense ﬁlled the cathedral that welcomed in Checchio, Aymond and sea of dignitaries.

Every seat was filled, and the crowd stood to catch a ﬁrst glimpse of the new archbishop Dressed in white robes, members of the St. Louis Cathedral Choir and the Saint Joseph the Worker Parish Choir leaned over the edge of the balcony from the second ﬂoor to see the procession moving below them.

Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Pope Leo’s personal representative to the United States, presented Checchio with the Apostolic Mandate, the ofﬁcial document appointing him Aymond’s successor Pierre extended the support of Pope Leo and gave the mandate to Checchio, who presented it around the cathedral to those in attendance, including Checchio’s 88-year-old mother, Helen Checchio, his siblings, cousins and close friends. They applauded and cheered.

In his remarks, Pierre addressed both archbishops.

“This is an opportunity to thank you Archbishop Aymond for your many years of ministry as a bishop and, in particular, for your ongoing care for this Archdioceses of New Orleans. This is not goodbye,” he said. “Archbishop Checchio, we rejoice that the Holy Father bestowed you to this new ministry in the life of this historic local church. You bring to these people your steady judgment, a shepherd’s heart and a wealth of experience that will serve them with generosity and ﬁdelity.”

Checchio arrived in New Orleans in late September and has since visited local Catholic schools, attended numerous Mass services, held prayer services and met with survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

Aymond was permitted to continue his leadership past his 75th birthday last year to guide the church through the end of its bankruptcy resulting from the settle-

ment of abuse claims He will focus on the bankruptcy case as the new archbishop manages the more public-facing aspects of the role. Church ofﬁcials are meeting this

week with a bankruptcy judge to begin proceedings aimed at bringing the case to a close by the end of the year All 157 parishes, charities and other entities affiliated

with the archdiocese are expected to file for Chapter 11 beginning Wednesday The Mass was part of a two-day welcoming ceremony On Monday,

at a private vigil held at St. Dominic Church, Checchio, along with clergy, the faithful, and family, friends and bishops from across the nation gathered to pray for Checchio. According to the archdiocese, he made an Oath of Fidelity, where he promised his obedience and loyalty to Pope Leo and his successors as he guides New Orleans Catholics in their faith. In a culturally inclusive ceremony that represented the breadth of Roman Catholic tradition in New Orleans, a hymn was sung in both Spanish and English while a prayer was held in eight languages including Vietnamese, Spanish, English and Haitian Creole, before the a Communion was held. Cardinals, bishops and others from the crowd packed the streets of the French Quarter to walk to a reception that followed the service at the Old Ursuline Convent on Chartres Street.

“Thank you all if you who have gathered for this historic moment to welcome our new archbishop,” Aymond said in closing as he asked for prayers to for those who will continue to lead the New Orleans Archdioceses and the wider Catholic Church.

Staff writer Stephanie Riegel contributed to this report.

Email Desiree Stennett at desiree.stennett@theadvocate. com.

STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

The Rev. James Francis Checchio winks and waves to his family after a Mass of Welcome at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans on Tuesday.

The Rev. James Francis Checchio speaks at his Mass of Welcome at St Louis Cathedral on Tuesday.

by The Associated Pressshow250

Border Patrol agents arepoised to focus on neighborhoods and commercial hubs throughout southeastLouisiana, the outlet reported Tuesday.The agents plan to fan out across aregion stretching from NewOrleans through Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. Tammanyparishes north to Baton Rougeand into Mississippi.

The revelations signal that the Trump administration haschosen the Crescent City for what has emerged as asignature pieceofits anti-illegal immigration agenda: shock-and-awe raids in Democratic-led enclaves in which agents round up and detainhundreds of people, then move on to otherlocations The administration inrecent weeks sent Border Patrol agents to Chicago and Charlotte, NorthCarolina —Democratic-led cities far aﬁeldofwhere the border-focused agency has historically operated.

Border Patrol agents,who operateunder theDepartmentof Homeland Security’sCustomsand BorderProtection arm, are known within federal law enforcement for using more aggressive tactics than their counterparts in Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The administrationsentagents to those cities, both with large Hispanic immigrant populations, amid demand to ratchet up deportation numbers.

The deployments in both cities have been met with protests. In Charlotte, where the Border Patrol arrived over the weekend, the agency arrested at least one American citizen.

“If Chicago and Charlotte are any example, they’re unlikelyto be received particularly fondly by thepopulation in New Orleans,” said Jeff Asher,aNew Orleansbasedcrime analyst.

Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlinsaidina statement that the agency does notdiscuss “future or potential”operations.

“Every day, DHS enforces the lawsofthe nation acrossthe country,” McLaughlin said.

On Tuesday,local officials said they have receivedfew details about theoperation. Of more than adozen officials in NewOrleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish, which has Louisiana’shighest concentration of Hispanic residents,

none savefor Kirkpatrick said they hadcommunicated with Border Patrol aboutthe planned operation.

NewOrleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno,JeffersonParishPresident Cynthia LeeSheng,Kenner

Mayor Michael Glaser and most members of theNew Orleans and Jefferson Parish councils allsaid theyhave not been briefed on plans forthe operation.Somesaid theyhad learned of themthrough mediareports.

“Weabsolutely should be involved in these conversations, or at least receiveabrieﬁng,” said state Rep.Matt Willard, an incomingat-large New Orleans City Councilmember.“(Residents) will reach outtouswithquestions and frustrations. Currently,all Ican share with them is what has been reported by the media.”

New Orleans Mayor LaToya

Cantrell’s office, the Orleans ParishSheriff’s Office and theJeffersonParish Sheriff’s Office didnot respondtorequestsfor comment.

Moreno said in a brief statement that shehad received “no info” on the operation

Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley, whose agency works closely with ICE throughthe 287(g) partnership program, saidTuesday

he hasreceivednoinformation aboutthe operation.It’sunclear whetherBorderPatrol’ssweeps will remainwithin New Orleans or extend over the parish line into Jefferson, he said.

“The Kenner Police Department is readytosupport(Border Patrol), whatever the missionmight be,” saidConley,whosecityhas the highestconcentration of Hispanic residentsofany in Louisiana.

Kirkpatrick said her agency will “collaborate” with anyfederal agencythatoperates in the city Butshe emphasizedthatshe had “nocontrol over whether Border Patrol will be here.”

An NOPD spokesperson confirmed that Kirkpatrick has a meeting scheduled for this week with BorderPatrol officials but declined to provide further details about the meeting. Kirkpatrick noted that most immigration-related offenses arecivil, rather than criminal.

“Tobeinour country undocumented is illegal,”she said. “Tobe illegal is not criminal; this is civil. Sometimes we use illegal, and we assume (that’s) criminal. Police ofﬁcers are not going to be asking anyone their national or immigration status.”

tion in New Orleans could be called “Swamp Sweep,” whichthe AP reported, or “Catahoula Crunch, which CBS News reported.

New Orleans presents an attractive destination forthe administration’scrackdown, in part because it is aDemocraticcity in a Republican-led state. Republican state leaders, including Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill, have vocally supported Trump’simmigration agenda, including the proposed Border Patrol operation.

Preparations have rippledacross the city in recent days.

Jose,a Mexican-born construction company owner in the New Orleans area who asked to be identified only by his first name because he is in the process of applying for agreen card and fears retaliation, said he hasinstructed his 40 Hispanic workers to stay homebeginning Friday

Fear has gripped NewOrleansarea immigrant communities since federalauthorities ramped up immigration enforcement in recent months. Chatter about the impendingBorderPatroloperationstook the anxiety to anew level among his workers, Jose said.

Ledbya hard-charging Border Patrol ofﬁcial named Capt. Gregory Bovino, the agency’srecent operations in Chicagoand Charlotte yielded hundredsofdetentions andblowback from some local ofﬁcials over theagents’ tactics.

Border Patrol wasthrust into national headlines by its Chicago operation. The agency faced accusationsthere of draconian tactics, including agents rappelling from helicopters into ahousingcomplex. Dozens of people were arrested but ultimately neveraccusedof crimes,ProPublica reported.

The operation launched in Charlotte this weekend netted at least 130 arrests through Sunday,according to DHS ofﬁcials.More than 20,000 studentswere absent from Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools Monday amidfears over immigration raids, WBTV reported.

The sameday,DHS ofﬁcials said agents arrested aman accused of ramminga Border Patrol vehicle during an immigration sweep.

While it’sunclear how long that operation —dubbed “Charlotte’s Web” —willlast, ABCNewsreported that the agency could shift its presence to New Orleans as soon as this weekend.

Conﬂicting reports say the opera-

“Now everything is completely different,” the 22-year New Orleans resident said.

Rachel Taber,anadvocate and organizer with NewOrleansbased immigrant advocacy group Union Migrante, said immigrants and theirfamily members are contacting lawyers, giving people power-of-attorney in case they are detained and locating passports in the event they need to travel to reunite with family members.

WhileICE oversees immigration detention sites and deportation operations, Border Patrol agents have been active in Louisiana since Trumptook office. In somecases, they have monitored homes and vehicles of people accused of reentering the country after having already been deported. The agents then detained the people following traffic stops, according to multiple affidavits filed in federal court. Agents from the FBI have also been redirected to immigrationrelated dutiesinthe NewOrleans region. FBI offices are named as operationbases forthe forthcomingoperation in planning documents reviewed by the AP,the outlet reported. An FBI spokesperson did not respond Tuesday to questions about the operation.

Police chief discusses future of NOPD

Community advocates express concerns over transparency

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

With the New Orleans Police Department set to emerge Wednesday from a dozen years of federal court oversight, Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said this week that she isn’t plotting any major policy shifts once the reins come off.

“We will constitutionally police, and the more we constitutionally police, the harder you can fight crimes,” Kirkpatrick said. “Stay within the boundaries of the law, stay ethical, and ﬁght your little heart out. That’s my message, too. You can go out there and police your little heart out. And that’s

what I want you to do.”

In a lengthy interview Monday afternoon, Kirkpatrick and lead consent decree monitor Jonathan Aronie sought to tout the NOPD’s gains and ease public concerns as U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan prepares to grant a motion by the city and President Donald Trump’s Justice Department to end one of the nation’s broadest and longestrunning police reform pacts. Morgan is scheduled to cede her oversight at Loyola University Law School. A parade of police ofﬁcials past and present are expected for the 11:30 a.m. event.

The proceeding is available via livestream but closed to the public, a setup that drew complaints

from some community advocates of police reform. Aronie said Morgan isn’t planning on taking public testimony and could have granted the motion without a hearing but wanted a chance for ofﬁcials to trumpet the department’s transformation.

He said a ﬁnal report by the monitors will be released Wednesday to “kind of give the community and the Police Department a road map should they choose, which I hope they do, to continue the forward progress.”

To Kirkpatrick, the NOPD’s graduation from court oversight will allow her more leeway over department policy. It hits a top goal when she arrived in 2023, as

Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Morgan sparred over the court’s authority and after the monitors reported backsliding by NOPD.

Kirkpatrick left her last chief’s post in Oakland, California, unable to reach the end of similar court oversight of the Police Department. That consent decree remains in effect 25 years after it started. She said she found the situation in New Orleans “a stark contrast” from the West Coast.

“The monitor oversight in Oakland is abusive. Absolutely abusive,” Kirkpatrick said, adding that she did her homework on Morgan and the monitors before coming to the Crescent City

“I was not willing to be associ-

ated with any police department that was in that situation. I’m not going to do it anymore,” she said. “I wanted to be a part of New Orleans, but I also don’t suffer fools. Don’t do it, don’t do it well. And I wasn’t gonna do it.”

The consent decree that Morgan endorsed in January 2013 was nearly 500-point blueprint for changing an NOPD that federal civil rights investigators found among the country’s worst police forces.

It demanded complete rewrites of department policy, an overhaul of the NOPD’s training academy, new programs to grapple with misconduct investigations, a peer intervention program and a slew of data collection and reporting de-

School Board considers closure

Leah Chase faces enrollment challenges amid budget woes

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

As New Orleans’ only traditional public school struggles with low enrollment and a growing deﬁcit, school district leaders face an agonizing decision: Close the Leah Chase School or make deep cuts, including more than a dozen layoffs, ofﬁcials said Tuesday

If the Orleans Parish School Board decides to keep running the school, which opened last year, the district will need to lay off at least 15 central office employees and slash some districtwide programs to keep the school afloat, NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Fateama Fulmore told the board School Board President Katie Baudouin said board members should consider closing the school unless they are willing to make signiﬁcant cuts to the district budget

The board voted unanimously last year to replace a low-performing charter school with the Leah Chase School, the city’s ﬁrst permanent district-run school in two decades. Proponents hailed the new school as a symbolic move away from New Orleans’ all charter school system, while critics questioned the wisdom of opening a new school when the city’s school-age population is declining and many schools are underenrolled.

Since the Leah Chase School opened its doors in August 2024, it has struggled to recruit and retain students. It currently enrolls 343 students in grades K-5.

“The kids just aren’t there,” Baudouin said Tuesday The school’s startup costs and low enrollment have created a roughly $500,000 deﬁcit, which is projected to triple in three years. The district, which faced its own budget crisis this year, has covered the Leah Chase School’s funding shortfall.

But Fulmore argued Tuesday that the district cannot indeﬁnitely subsidize the school if it enrolls too few students to be ﬁnancially viable.

“I personally don’t think it’s fiscally sound to continue doing this in the way in which we are,” she told the board, “unless we significantly find children that are not here right now.”

District officials shared data

Tuesday that suggests the Leah Chase School continues to face en-

Rockin’ around

Judge denies Cantrell’s Vappie contact request

Prosecutors argue for restricted communications with ex-bodyguard

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

A federal magistrate judge on Tuesday denied Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s request to maintain unsupervised contact with her former police bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, while they face charges related to their alleged romantic affair and attempts to cover it up. Cantrell, who was indicted on Aug 15, is prohibited from interacting with Vappie without one of their lawyers present, according to the conditions of her release. Her lawyer, Edward Castaing, ﬁled a motion to remove the condition on Oct. 30. Castaing’s motion argued the condition is unnecessarily restrictive and violates federal laws on pretrial bonds. He noted the condition isn’t needed to ensure Cantrell shows up for court or the safety of the community

“Ms. Cantrell has never been, and never will be, a danger to herself, her co-defendant or anyone in the community,” Castaing wrote.

Castaing conﬁrmed that Magistrate Judge Karen Wells Roby denied the motion in a hearing on Tuesday Castaing said the ruling is subject to appeal and declined further comment.

Federal prosecutors argued the restricted contact is necessary to ensure Cantrell and Vappie refrain from conspiring to subvert the government’s case. They also noted that Vappie’s conditions of release were modiﬁed on Oct. 31 to mirror Cantrell’s when it comes to their communication.

Maintaining the same conditions for both co-defendants “minimizes the likelihood one defendant could leverage disparate contact conditions to beneﬁt their interests or discourage a co-defendant from cooperating with law enforcement authorities,” prosecutors wrote in a Nov 10 ﬁling.

Vappie was ﬁrst indicted in July 2024, and again in an 18-count su-

Jefferson audit finished more than a year late Parish works to regain lost bond rating

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office released Jefferson Parish’s 2023 audit on Monday, more than a year past the original deadline, as the parish works to repair its troubled finance department and regain its bond rating. The audit, originally due in June 2024, found that the parish lacked adequate policies and procedures needed to track its spending and complete financial statements on time. Auditors also said they had to correct errors in several major accounts and found nearly $425,000 in allegedly fraudulent payments made through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in 2021 and 2022 were not properly reported to all the required authorities.

EisnerAmper, who conducted the audit, attributed the ﬁndings to substantial turnover in key

management and accounting positions, as well as “insufficient oversight of the financial reporting process.” In a statement Tuesday, Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said the audit confirmed the parish’s financial statements are accurate and compliant with accounting standards, but that its findings “highlighted opportunities to strengthen internal controls and enhanced certain processes.”

She pointed to a corrective action plan included in the audit, which states the parish is working with consultant Deloitte LLC to overhaul its accounting policies, organizational chart and ﬁnancial management software

The parish contracted Deloitte in May 2024, and in September bumped up the price to $8 million. The audit for 2023, completed in September, is a major step toward Jefferson Parish getting its ﬁnancial house back in order after it lost its

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Workers assemble a towering Christmas tree in the atrium of One Canal Place in New Orleans on Sunday as the downtown mall prepares for the holiday season.

ORLEANS PARISH

EBRParishrecords detail traffickingcase

Suspectoffers authoritiesglimpse into operation

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Aman who authorities say worked for ahuman trafﬁcking operation led by aBaton Rouge married couple —including collecting moneyfromthe women forced to have sex with clients —claims he didn’tknow what kindofwork he would be doing before takingthe job, according to police.

Edyn “Chupito” Arevalo, 52, was booked into the parish prison last week on one count each of promoting prostitution, pandering and conspiracytocommithuman trafficking, accordingtorecords from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.

Arevalo worked under Maurilio“Primo” Vargas,40, making $700 aweek to facilitate meetupsbetweenclients and Vargas’ trafﬁcked women, according to authorities. Vargasand hiswife, Zabdi Guzman-Diaz, 40, were also arrested last week.

In an interviewwith authorities, Arevalo said the women were typically paid $50minimum per client. They were allowed to keep $25, with the otherhalfbeingcollectedbyArevalo to be delivered to Vargas, according to police.

Overall, records for Arevalo’s arrest shed light on how authorities say the prostitution andtrafficking operation worked on a day-to-day level.

The authorities descriptionof theoperation also shares similaritieswith the “El Perro” trafﬁckingoperation, which the Sheriff’s

Deputy accusedof bringing drugs in jail

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

AJefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested Tuesday morning and booked with malfeasance in ofﬁce after allegedly trying to smuggleillegal drugs into the Gretna jail, according to authorities.

Darius Johnson, 25, was also booked with having contraband in the correctional center,conspiracy to introduce contraband in the correctionalcenter and attempted drug distribution, said Sgt. Brandon Veal, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.

He is accused of trying to smuggle synthetic marijuana into the jail. Johnson was ﬁred, Veal said. He’d beenwith the department for about 11/2 years, assigned to inmate security at the jail. The Sheriff’s Office did not disclose what led authorities to open the investigation. Veal said additional arrests are possible. Ofﬁcials didnot immediately releasemore informationabout the arrest. Johnson was being held Tuesday at the jail where he formerly worked. Bail was set at $70,000.

CANTRELL

Continued from page1B

perseding indictment on Aug. 15 naming Cantrell as aco-defendant on charges of conspiracy, wirefraud charges, obstruction of justice and others Prosecutors claim they spent $70,000 in publicmoneyonromantic vacations disguised as ofﬁcial work trips between 2021 and 2024. Cantrell and Vappie also allegedly destroyed evidence,liedtoinvestigators and tried to intimidate or retaliate against city employees who refused to aid the cover-up or warned them about their conduct.

Email Ben Myers at bmyers@ theadvocate.com

Office bustedatthe same time last week.

Both involved arotating “menu” of womenofLatinAmerican nationalities, shared through WhatsApp chats each week, according to records. When speakingwith conﬁdential informants —who were working withthe Sheriff’s Office andother authorities —multiple women said they weren’tallowedtoleavethe residences and were kept in BatonRouge for only aweekbefore being trafﬁcked out of state, according to police.

Menus of women

Detectives received atip that Vargas andhis wife had been operating brothels on Holt Avenue since August 2024

Vargas would advertisetrafﬁcking victims as available for sexacts on aweekly menu shared through WhatsApp, according to records.Includedinthe messageswas each woman’sage, typicallybetween 23 and30, and nationality,including Salvadoran, Honduran, Venezuelan, Panamanian and Dominican, according to police.

Interested clients would then receive an address to go to meet thewomen

Hours of surveillance on the locationsshowed that clients were mostoften Hispanic males, 18 to 60 years old

In May,the first of multiple conﬁdential informants, wearing awire, was tasked with entering oneofthe brothels to collect information, according to arrest records.

This conﬁdentialinformant, as well as all others involved in the investigation,was given funds by detectives to use while surveilling inside the brothels, accordingtorecords.While money was given to the victims, theinfor-

SCHOOL

Continued from page1B

rollment challenges.

So far,22studentshaveranked Leah Chaseastheir ﬁrst choice for next school year during the enrollment periodthat began thismonth, ofﬁcials said. But 20 current Leah Chase students applied to transfer out of theschool,resulting in anet gain of justtwo students even as the school adds sixth grade next fall.

Board membershaveproposed adding artsoracademic programs to attract more students to the school,which is in the MarlyvilleFontainebleau neighborhood,but district projections show that would significantly widen the school’s deﬁcit.

NOLA Public Schools, which supports and oversees the city’s charter schools, had to build up central office infrastructure to run the Leah ChaseSchool. Now,ifthe school continues to enroll toofew studentstocover its expenses, the district will have to make spending cuts to keep filling the school’sbudget gap, Fulmore said. She noted thatthe district’sgeneral fund was depleted this year to address the school system’s $50million deficit.

POLICE

Continued from page1B

mands meant to bring the department up to constitutional snuff.

While the compliance workload willlightenonceMorgan lifts the consent decree, Kirkpatrick said she can’tpoint to any immediate or dramatic changes in the policy

Amongthe most controversial constraints that emerged from the consentdecree involved tight limits on vehicle pursuits,with NOPD ofﬁcers barred from chasing over nonviolentcrimes.

“I will maintain that policy because it is arisk issue,” Kirkpatrick said. She said she favors an expensive but safer option —the use of police drones.

“We’re not going to be chasing stolen vehicles. There will not be a change of our policy.We’re going to usetechnology.You’re goingto getcaught,” she said.

The City Council recently passed an ordinance enshrining principles of theconsent decree in city law, includinga use-of-force review board, the city ofﬁce that manages off-dutypolice details, and other pillars of theNOPD reforms. Kirkpatrick noted that theordinance “doesn’tmean every individual policy” will stay

This week’shandoff comes 10 months after Morgan approved a two-year “sustainment” planfor NOPD, finding that the depart-

mants did not engage in sex acts while taking partinthe investigation,according to police.

Theinformant in Maywas texted one of two Holt Avenue addresses by Vargas and wasled to abedroom with a woman when he arrived, police said.

As the informant left, they said they witnessedthe woman give a portion of the moneytoVargas

In October, the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce again sent an informant to the brothels on Holt Avenue. This time,the informantwas let into the building by Vargas’ wife, Guzman-Diaz, according to records.

Inside, the informant spoke with two women who had been seen on Vargas’“menu,”one who said shewas from Hondurasand the otherwho said shewas from Panama.

Theinformant also witnessed thata child wasinside theresidence, playinginthe living room

Later in October,another conﬁdential informant was sent into a Kennerresidence believed to be operated as abrothel by Vargas, according to records. Vehicles registered to Vargas, and which he hadbeen seen driving,were located outside the residence, police said. The informantsaidthey sawonly Vargas andawoman inside.

Again,the womandescribed the services being offeredand the related prices before conﬁrming to the informant that she wasn’t allowedtoleave the residence. The alleged victim said shewas originally from Puerto Rico, but came from Miami to work.

Speaking to Vargas, the informant learned that clients paid for15-minute sessions, usually costing $25, accordingtopolice. The victims wereavailable from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., withSaturdays

Critics of the board’sdecision to open anew school, including former stateeducation official Leslie Jacobs, have questioned using district resources to propup the school. They argue the board should consider closing the school andletting ahigh-performing charter school usethe space, which is among the district’shighest-quality facilities.

Allofthis has put pressureonthe board to take action.

“Do we want(Fulmore) to make significant cutsincentral office to sustain this one school site?” board memberOlin Parkerasked

Tuesday

If the Leah ChaseSchool remainsopen and expands toeighth grade in the 2027-28 school year,as planned, enrollment is projected to grow to 468 students. That is still slightlyless than thetotal at Lafayette Academy, thenow-shuttered charter school that Leah Chase replaced.

If the School Board decides to revamp the school to focusonthe arts, the annual deﬁcit would grow to $2 million,accordingtodistrict projections. If theboardopts for a“whole school” model, which would include academic interventions and additional arts and sports programming, the annual deﬁcit would balloon to $3.5 million, said

ment hadn’treachedfull compliance in every area but had come close enough to begin an exit. In one area —policing bias —Aronie acknowledged the department had notexactly reachedmeasurable compliance.

“I think it is fair to say that, sadly,somelevel of bias exists in alot of organizations well beyond police,” Aronie said. “Andifone were to think that aconsent decree is going to solve all of that, Ithink that’sarather impossibly high standard.”

‘Still much work to be done’ Aronie credited the reformsin NOPDpolicies andtransparency for helpinglocal whistleblowers uncover ahost of problems within the NOPD in recent years.

Research by UNO instructor Skip Gallagherrevealed scores of ofﬁcers overworkingoroverbilling on acombination of NOPD duty andoff-duty details,raising questions about why it was never ﬂagged under thereforms Separately,Julie Ford, aresearcher andsurvivor advocate, discovered thedepartment undercounted rapes for years, forcing it to revise itsaccounting.

“Think of howNOPD would have dealt with this in 2011 …They would have intimidated Julie Ford They would have pretended like it didn’texist. They would have hidden it,” Aronie contended. Gallagher, however,called it a failure of the federal monitorsto

Continued from page1B

thebusiest days, theinformant said. Vargas also told the informant that the women were sent to Kenner from Baton Rouge, usually oneata time, becausethere werefewer clients in Kenner,police said.

Vargas andGuzman-Diazwere arrested on Nov.6when police executedasearch warrantona residence on Holt Avenue in BatonRouge.Inside the housewere also two women from Mexico and twochildren.

During the search, detectives spoke withArevalo at aresidence across the street, but police said they were unaware at thetime that he was involved in the trafficking operation. He was arrested at thesame residence on Thursday Police said Arevalo admitted in an interview that he had been approached by Vargas with ajob opportunity.Hetold police he was unaware of the kind of work he would be doing, but drove with Vargas to New Orleans anyway There, he learned that his job would consist of providing security andcollectingthe money from thewomen at the brothel, policesaid.

Arevalotoldpolice he would either receive atext or hear a knock from aclient, let them in and thenleave while the sexual service was being provided. He addedthat he wouldn’tgofar as he didn’t“want anything to happentothe women.”

Victims would seebetween 10 and13clients aday,withArevalo collecting half of whatthe women collected for each session, he told police. He would then deliver the funds to Vargas in Baton Rouge each week,hesaid.

Email Quinn Coffmanatquinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

district CFO NyeshaVeal

Even in its current form, the school’soperational andstaffing costs are expected to grow as it adds agradeeach year

Fulmore noted that fewer federal dollars are ﬂowing to schools andthe district expects less local funding in the future because of declining sales and property tax revenue

“Ifit’sthe will of the boardfor the Leah Chase school to continue beyond the school year,” Fulmore said Tuesday,the district will have to free up funding by makingcuts.

Meanwhile, Leah Chase School is attempting to recruitstudents from ashrinking pool Parkersaidthe district has 3,800 fewer students now than it did eight years ago. Board member Carlos Zervigonsaidcharter leaders around the city have echoed similar concerns about declining enrollmentsand stretched budgets.

The board has “got to get really serious aboutshrinking the district and getting higher enrollment into fewer schools,” he said, “ifthe district’sgoing to be ﬁnancially sustainable.”

If the board opts to close the Leah Chase School, New Orleans would revert to afully charter school system.

respond when he alertedthemto time sheet fraud years ago.

“It’s nonsense. Ihave spent thousands of dollars on public records. I’ve had to sue. I’ve had to wait years,” he said. “That’snot the consent decree helping out. These guys gotpaid millions to oversee this, and when gross ﬂaws in the payroll system are pointed out they just stopped talking to me.” Ford is among those frustrated that Wednesday’s“ﬁnal”proceeding in the consent decree case won’tbeopen to the public.

“Members of thecommunity have taken time outofour livesfor years to attendmeetings andsubmit public comments to improve thisprocess and this police department,” Ford said. “I just hope this doesn’t set the tonefor future community involvement in ongoing reform efforts, because there is still much work to be done.”

Stella Cziment, thecity’sindependent policemonitor,argued thatthe parties missed achance to include the public. While the monitorcited space constraints, Cziment suspected afear of protesters.

“I think it’svery telling, that symbolism againthatthe public is not in theroom,” she said. “This cannotforever be an echo chamber of self-congratulatory voices.”

The event will be available to livestream via Zoom at https://consentdecreemonitor.com.

instate its rating, as it now must complete its 2024 audit.

“As we move directly into the2024 audit,our focus is on keepingJefferson Parish in a strong ﬁnancial standing while we work towardrestoring our bond rating,” Lee Sheng said. The audit said the parish ended 2023 with atotal net position of $2.9 billion out of an $850 million budget. It also noted the allocation of $84 million from the American Rescue Plan Act into the parish’spayroll, which then freed up asigniﬁcantamount of cash to be used at the Parish Council’sdiscretion.

The audit also found someaccounting errors thatwere corrected, including $162.6 million in drainage infrastructure improvements andrelated debt from 2009 to 2018 that the parish failedtoproperly record as part of its capital assets.

In the case of the rental assistance program,auditors said four instances of allegedfraud weren’treported to the parish District Attorney’sOfﬁce or the state Legislative Auditor’sOfﬁcealongside local andfederal authorities, as required by law

The document stated that one landlord falsified client documents to submit rental applications fraudulently,resulting in afraudulent payment of $354,550, while threetenants forged judges’ signatures on eviction notices to collect payments of $25,565, $25,500and $18,900.

All four cases are ongoing with law enforcement, the audit states.

Lee Sheng has attributed the parish’slost bond rating and related accounting problems to external factors like heavy turnover,unmanageable surges in emergencygrant funding and other organizational issues thatpredate heradministration.

Inspector General Kim Chatelainsaidina letter last month that poor management is to blame,and that the parish could becomeunsustainably dependent upon Deloitte for help.

The Jefferson Parish Council approved therecruitment of a headhunter at its last meeting to help find anew parish financedirector andaccounting director,after previous ﬁnance director TimPalmatier was moved into a“technical adviser to the parish president” role. ChiefAdministrative Assistant Victor LaRocca currentlyserves as interimfinancedirector,and Charles “Joey” Vasquez serves as assistant accounting director.The twowill be responsible forimplementing recommendations from Deloitte until August 2026, the audit states.

The2024 audit, nowfive months late, isn’texpected to be submitteduntil March 2026, despite Lee Sheng previously sayingitwould be complete by the end of this year.The Deloitte contract also likely will cost the parish millions more before the consultants’ work there is done, according to council Chair Scott Walker Awithdrawn bond rating is the equivalent of aperson losing their credit score, meaning the parish will have farmore difﬁculty borrowing money for capitalprojectsaslongasthe rating is pulled.

Once theauditsare back on schedule, the parish can request Moody’sand S&P Global Ratings to reinstate its rating, whichbefore thewithdrawal was oneofthe best scores possible Once reinstated, the agencies could either give Jefferson Parishthe sameratingas before or lowerit.

The lost rating has also resultedinthe freezeof$1.9 millioningrantsfromthe National Fishand Wildlife Foundation, and the downgrade of the east bank’sstate watergrade from “A” to “B,” Chatelain found in a38-page report publishedlast month.

Email Lara Nicholsonat lnicholson@theadvocate.com.

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Asprion,

Brad Barnish, Sheryl

Bradford,Dayle

Breazeale, McCune

Ford,Earl

HaynesJohnson, Deborah

JamesSr.,Thomas

LacroutsJr.,Melvin

Matthews,Allegra

QuinnJr.,Cyril

Smith,Jeanie

Sutton, Joseph

Wagner, Sandra

Washington, Donald

Weidenbacher, Raymond Williams,Leroy

EJefferson

Garden of Memories

LacroutsJr.,Melvin

QuinnJr.,Cyril

NewOrleans

DW Rhodes

Ford,Earl

Sutton, Joseph Lake Lawn Metairie Weidenbacher, Raymond Majestic Mortuary

Matthews,Allegra St Tammany

EJ Fielding

Bradford,Dayle West Bank

Mothe

Barnish, Sheryl Smith,Jeanie

Obituaries

Asprion, Brad

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Brad Wayne Asprion, who left us on October 24, 2025, at the young age of 55, in Cocoa, FL. Brad is survived by his proud and loving parents, Owen "Sonny" and Margo Roux Asprion, his younger siblings, Kim Asprion Beetz, Christopher and Ryan Asprion; and his nieces and nephews, Ashley and Dalton Beetz, and Hayden and Mallori Asprion. Brad grew up in Metairie, LA, and partici-

pated in playground sports. As an adult, Brad loved golf, watching football,boating, and living seaside, as well as all things relatedtoflying. He graduatedfrom Archbishop RummelHigh School, joined the Louisiana National Guard and attended Southeastern Louisiana University and the University of New Orleans. He later transferredtothe Texas National Guardand graduated from EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University with abachelor's degree. Bradjoined the UnitedStates Army as arotary-winghelicopter pilot and later servedasa medevac pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also served briefly with PHI Medical Transport in civilianlife. Brad retired from the UnitedStatesArmy as aChief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4) after 24 yearsofservice.Incivilian life, Brad also pilotedfixed-wingaircraft for Ameriflight and NetJets.

While Brad's family wishes to honor his memory and his years of service, it is also important to recognizethe hardshipsendured by allveteransand the challenges so many face in the aftermath of combat experiences. God bless the men and women who return from war but cannotremaininthe same world they left behind The family wishes to recognize the Wounded Warrior Project and asks foryour prayersfor Brad allveteransand theirfamilies. Amemorialservice willbeheldatSt. Benilde Church, 1901 Division St., Metairie,LA, on Saturday, January17, 2026,at10:00 a.m.

Barnish, Sheryl J.

Sheryl J. Barnish. d. No‐vember13, 2025. Sheryl J. Barnish,77, aresidentof Boutte,LA, passedawayon Thursday,November13, 2025. Visitation will be held atMothe FuneralHomes,in Marrero,LAonFriday, No‐vember21st from 9:30 am until 11 am.A funeralser‐vicewillbeheldinthe Mothe FuneralHome Chapelat11amwitha pri‐vateburialtofollow. The addressfor MotheFuneral Home'sMarrero location is 7040 LapalcoBoulevard Marrero,Louisiana,70072 Sherylissurvivedbyher sisterGenaDeSoto (Jimmy),niece JulieLandry (Shawn),nephewBrad Theriot (Dawn),niece Rechelle(Aaron),along withmanygreat nieces and nephewsincluding Haydenand Talan, whom she had aspecial bond with. Shewas preceded in death by herparents Charles William and GenalaneO’Donnell and her sister Kathleen Theriot. Sherylloved beingathome and enjoyedthe last years ofher life,livingwithher sisterand brother-in-law along with herniece,Julie Landryand family. Shewas a proudveteran of theU.S Navy. Moth has been funeralarr familykin share th memories

lencesonlineatwww.Mot heFunerals.com

Bradford, DayleLacour

Dayle Lacour Bradford, 84, passedaway peacefully surrounded by her family on November 15, 2025. She was born themiddle of nine childrenonNovember 20, 1940 to thelateLurry David Lacour and Estelle Dornier Lacour. She graduated fromUrsuline Academy in NewOrleans and receivedher bachelor'sdegree fromthe University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette (nowUL) where she was a Blue Key Darling and President of Delta Delta DeltaSorority.Her first job was at Charity Hospital where she met her future husband of 62 years, James Louis Bradford. Shortly thereafter,they married and movedto Covingtonwhere they raised five children. She was activeinher community and was amember of many organizations including theSt. Tammany Parish Medical Auxiliary, theCovington Garden Club, and theparent groups of every school her childrenattended. She was afounder of thefirst fundraiser forSt. Joseph Abbey now known as Deo Gratias.

Dayle was passionate aboutfamily,gardening, cooking,and entertaining At home, she could either be found in her large, welcoming kitchen making one of her famous desserts or tending to her beloved flowers. Christmas was her favoritetime of year where she puta greatdealof thought into giftsand how she woulddecorate her home forthe holidays. She builther life around her largefamily and her strong Catholicfaith.She treasured all family occasions, and laterinlife,reveledin spoiling her eleven precious grandchildren. One of herproudestaccomplishmentsinlifewas instilling her deep faith in her husband,childrenand grandchildren. She had a special devotion to the CarmeliteSisters of Saint Thereseaswellastothe monksand seminarians of St. JosephAbbey who enjoyed many fine meals at her table.

In additiontoher parents, Dayleispreceded in death by her cherished aunt,Lillian Ledoux;her best friend and sister, Alys JoyHurley;brothers L. DavidLacour Jr., Don Lacour, and Daniel Lacour. She is survivedbyher devotedhusband, James L. Bradford, Jr., M.D.; her children, Elizabeth Favrot (Cliff), James L. Bradford III (Charlotte),David Bradford (Anne), Julie Weldon (Kieran)and Rebecca Bradford; her 11 adoring dchild Cliffo d

vivedbyher siblings, Douglas Lacour, Dick Lacour, Debra McLaughlin and Dawn Thrash as well as many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

The family extends heartfelt gratitudetothe compassionate caregivers at Christwood Longleaf. In lieu of flowers,the family wouldwelcome donations to St Joseph Abbey.

AFuneral Mass willbe celebrated on Thursday, November 20, 2025 at St. JosephAbbey, 75376 River Road,St. Benedict, LA 70457 at 2:00 PM and the visitationwillbegin at 1:00 PM until service time. Interment willbeimmediatelyafter at St.Joseph Abbey Cemetery.

E.J. Fielding Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. Please sign the guestbookat www.ejfieldingfh.com.

Breazeale, McCune Anne

McCune Anne

Breazeale, thedaughterof Joshua and Meredith Breazeale, was born on October7,2025 and passed away five short hours later in her parent's arms, surrounded by family.She passed peacefully intothe arms of Jesus with many friends and family welcoming her into Heaven.

An obituary providesa background of the life of thedeceased, frombirthto death, to give athumbnail sketch of a"life well lived". Thiswouldnormallybea challenge fora 5-hour-old person, butnot for McCune

Although McCune was born on October 7, 2025, she beganlivingmuch earlier.At13weeks of pregnancy, Meredithand Josh were informedthat their daughter suffered froma medical condition, that in many cases, was "incompatible with life"once born, and that if she did survive,she wouldcertainly face many challenges However,until then, McCune was comfortable and fulloflife within her mother's womb. McCune sent words to her parents silentlythough her gentle kicks and flips telling them that, although unable to be with them outsideofthe womb,she was stillvery much present and aliveinside.

Most of us wait until we are bornbeforecelebrating our life,but not McCune

Knowing how little time McCune likely would have with them, Meredithand Josh quickly decided to give herthe best time any Momand Dad could give their child.

They madesure McCune traveled theworld! McCune,through her ultrasound picture, visitedthe

even at Charles Schwab Field in Omahawatching theLSU Tigers winthe WorldSeries(herdad's favorite) andmanyother places.

They say that themeaninginlifeistofind your gift -and yourpurpose in life is to give it away. We believe that McCune's meaninginlife, especially in ourworld today, wasto help turn people towards God. Thegreatest purpose that shehad -the greatest gift that shegave -was beingthe reason whypeople, whoshe didnot know nor meet, whomay nothave prayed daily, whomay not have hada strongfaithbut knew of herlikelyfateturned to God in prayer, thus renewing theirfaith. We are all better people because of hergift.

During hertimeonearth outside of thewomb, McCune's life was filled with watching the sunrise whileher parents warmly cradled herand told her aboutall of the wonderful people shewas goingto meetinHeaven. We should all be so lucky.

Although herlifewas brief, it wasimpactful on all those whoknewher Shewill be greatly missed. When we remember McCune,wewill recall a life well lived,however short and precious.

McCune is the daughter of Joshua and Meredith Breazeale; granddaughter of Nolan andMary Lambert andKeith and Sheila Breazeale; nieceofLogan andTaylor Samuel,Nolan PatrickLambert Jr., Ryan andJulie Darr, andDan and EmilyBreazeale; cousinto Caleb, Collin andHarris Darr, James, Luke andEli Breazeale and Mary Pippa Samuel;and great granddaughtertoNoraLambert, RamonaCason andLarry andCharlene Breazeale. Sheispreceded in death by heruncle, Benjamin Breazeale; cousins, Josiah andEzraBreazeale; and great grandparents Michael andShirley McCune,JohnD.Lambert Jr., andEmmittCason.

Afuneral mass for McCune will be held at St DominicChurch on November 22, 2025 at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to theCharlene Richard Foundation.

Earl Lee“Sonny” Ford, beloved husband, brother, uncle,and pillar of hisNew Orleans community,de‐partedthislifeonOctober 26, 2025, at theage of 91 Bornintoa familywhose history is deeply woven intothe fabricofBlack New Orleans, Sonnycame fromhumblebeginnings thatreﬂectedthe struggle, strength, anddignity of African Americanswho foughtfor theirrightful

profound obstacleswith courage andperseverance. Those earlyexperiences moldedhim into aman of quiet resilience,deep in‐tegrity,and extraordinary workethic.Sonny wasthe devoted husband of his high-school sweetheart, Jacquelyn “Jackie” Ford, who preceded himindeath onNovember28, 2004 Their marriage wasa life‐longlovestory,two young heartswho grew up to‐gether, stoodtogether,and spent decadesbuildinga lifeanchoredinloyalty,joy and unwavering devotion Sonny carriedher memory withtendernessfor the restofhis life.A master at his craft,Sonny spenthis entirecareer in construc‐tion, becoming known throughoutNew Orleans for hisskill,leadership, and dedication.Hecon‐tributedtothe construc‐tionofnumerousbuildings acrossthe city,leaving be‐hinda concrete legacy that generations will continue towalkthrough.Tohis coworkers,hewas atrust‐worthyleader; to younger workers,a patientteacher; and to thecommunity,a man whose handshelped shape theverycityhe loved.Sonny wasthe lov‐ing sonofHilda Caldwell and Robert Ford andthe cherished brotherofTom‐mie Ford,Eva Ford,and Jes‐teen Ford.Heloved hissib‐lings deeply,and thebond theysharedcarried through theirentirelives Sonny wasloved and beloved by many.His gen‐tle spirit,humblestrength, and quietcompassionleft anunforgettable imprint onevery life he touched. Whetherwithfamily, friends,neighbors,orthe men who worked beside him on jobsites,Sonny madepeoplefeel valued, respected,and trulyseen Toknowhim wastolove him—his presence brought comfort,his character earnedadmiration, andhis loveendured in everyrela‐tionshiphenurtured. He is precededindeath by his beloved wife Jackie,his parents,and severalloved oneswho went before him. Heleavestocherish his memoryhis sister Eva Ford, BrianFord, Andrea Johnson Harness, Roslyn Johnson,HaroldJohnson Jr.,TroyJohnson,Helena and JoeLopez,Jacquelyn Smith,and Patricia Smith; a host of nieces,nephews, great-nieces, greatnephews,and countless relatives andfriends who willforever carryhis legacyintheir hearts.A humbleman who never soughtthe spotlight, Sonny’s life is remembered through thebuildings he helpedcreate, thebonds hestrengthened, andthe lovehegavegenerously. Relatives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend his FuneralService at D.W. RhodesFuneral Home,3933 WashingtonAvenue,onFri‐day,November21, 2025 at 10:00 am.Visitationwill begin at 9:00 am.Inter‐ment: Lakelawn Metairie Cemetery. Arrangements byD.W.RhodesFuneral Home, NewOrleans,LA. Pleasevisit www.rhodesf uneral.comtosignthe guestbook andshare con‐dolenceswiththe family.

grandchild,Sutton Bradford. She is also sur-

watchinghis parentsand community push through

tains of Breckenridgeand

Ford,EarlLee 'Sonny'

Haynes Johnson, Deborah Ann

Deborah Ann Haynes Johnson was born to Calvin and Doris Haynes on November 17, 1951, in Birmingham, AL. At an early age, she gave her lifeto Christ.

Deborah is preceded in death by her mother, Doris B. Haynes;father and mother-in-law, Edward and Thelma Johnson, maternal and paternal grandparents, several maternal and paternal aunt and uncles, and 4brothers-in-lawand 1sister-in-law.

She leaves to cherish her memories her loving devoted husband of 45 years, Clarence Johnson; 3 children, Kevin, Shontrell & Shenell Johnson; 4grandchildren, 5siblings, 2sisters-in-law, and 2aunts Sheleaves alegacy and memories dear to many, and she will truly be missed by ahost of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, neighbors, coworkers and all those whose lives she has touched.

Relatives and friends of the familyare all invited to attend her Celebration of Life Service on Thursday, November 20, 2025, 10:00AM, at Franklin Ave Baptist Church, 8282 1-10 Service Rd, New Orleans, LA 70126. Visitation willbe held from 9:00AM until the hour of service. Internment Mount Olivet Cemetery, New Orleans, LA. Please visit www.pfsneworleans.com for full obituary,sign guestbook, and/or order flowers.A funeral service will be held from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM on 2025-11-20 at FranklinAvenueBaptist Church, 8282 1-10 Service

Thomas "Wayne" James Sr. passed before the sun rose on November 15th, 2025. Wayne was adevoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather neighbor and friend. His strong character and sly smile willbeimpossible to forget. He was 87 years old. Wayne was the son of Leroy and Catherine Hayden James, their second son to be born in Pass Christian. He watched as a small town was connected to the wider world by both Highway 90 and cable tv, telling stories of half the town watching T.V through astore window until the broadcast would end. He graduated from St. Joseph's High School, before studying radiologyat Charity Hospital in New Orleans. Wayne married Sally James in the summer of 1959. They would build a family together, raising three children in St. Paul's Parish. He went to the ends of the earth to finance their needs, often working two or three jobs. Yet, he never missed a chance to have agood time, cutting loose at Mardi Gras annually. Raising money for Catholic education remained aprioritylong after his children had graduated high school. He often volunteered for the CarnivalAssociation, the Seafood Festival, and theFriends of the Library, three institutions he saw as vital to the community of Pass Christian. Wayne retired after forty years of service at the Veteran Administration Hospital. His role as a grandfather and neighbor would consume his free time, often remarking "I retired twenty years ago and I'm still waiting on my day off." Flashing his sly smile to show he was kidding. You could find him rocking on the porch or piddling in the garage any day of the week. He would have astory, advice,ora helping hand for any visitor, be they stranger or friend. The chairs stillrock today in his memory. Thomas Wayne James Sr. is preceded into death by his parents, Leroy and Catherine; his loving wife of 65 years, Kathryn "Sally" Bishop James; and two daughters, Mary Elizabeth and Mary Beth James. He

is survived by hisbrother, David Hayden(Shirley) James;his three children, Kathryn Elizabeth James Sally Anne James, and Thomas Wayne (Amy) JamesJr; his grandchildren, Cameron Hayden James and Moira Elizabeth James; his great-granddaughter, BlairElizabeth James; and his longtime neighbor Mary Bourdin. In lieu of flowersplease senddonations to Holy Family Parish, Pass Christian MS,St. Vincent de Paul CatholicSchool,or Pass Christian Friends of theLibrary Visitationwillbeon Friday, November21, 2025, from 1- 2pmatHoly Family CatholicChurch, PassChristian.A Mass of ChristianBurial will be celebrated at 2pminthe church. The Riemann Family Funeral Home,Long Beach, is servingthe family.

Lacrouts Jr., Melvin J. 'Grumps'

Melvin J. Lacrouts,Jr., affectionately knownas Grumps"tothose who knewhim,passed away peacefullyonNovember 15, 2025, at theage of 69,in Metairie, LA.BornonNo‐vember12, 1956, in NewOr‐leans,LA, Melvin's life was one of passion, dedication, and joy, which he shared generouslywitheveryone around him. Melvin is sur‐vived by hislove of 27 years,Bridget Simpson. He was alovingfatherto Christi Siravo (Tom), Melvin J. Lacrouts III (Alyssa), andRiversM Lacrouts, anda doting grandfather to Alyssa, Mason,and Miles. He was the sonofthe late Melvin Lacrouts, Sr.and thelate Barbara AnnLacrouts, and a caring brothertoKenny Lacrouts, DannyLacrouts (Lisa), Mary Bordes (Mike) Kay Lemoine, andthe late DennisLacrouts(Mary Beth).His extended family ofnieces, nephews, greatnieces, andgreat-nephews willrememberhim fondly for hisplayful spirit and enduringlove. Aproud graduateofBonnabelHigh School in 1977, Melvin's athleticprowess wasevi‐dentearly on.Heplayed bothbaseballand basket‐ballinhighschool andcon‐tinuedtoshowcasehis tal‐entsinmen's softball leagues.His leadership and abilityonthe ﬁeld were recognized in 1989 whenhewas inducted into the GNOAL Hall of Fame,a testament to hissports‐manship andskill.Melvin's professionallifewas markedbyhis tenure as a top salesman at Kentwood Springs Water, where his charismaand dedication earned himthe respect and admiration of hiscol‐leagues.Later,hebrought his remarkable work ethic and infectiouspersonality toWillworkInc., where he was deeply lovedand ad‐mired.Beyondhis profes‐sionaland athletic accom‐plishments, Melvin wasa man of many interests. He was an avid fanofthe New Orleans Saints,and tailgat‐ing at LSUgames was among hisfavorite pas‐times.His love forgolfwas twofold;heenjoyed play‐ing just as much as he rel‐ished watching thesport Melvin'spassion fortravel often intertwinedwithhis lovefor baseball,ashe madeita pointtovisit MLB parks across thecountry However,the joyofhis life was spending time with his family, who broughthim immeasurable happiness. Melvin'slegacyisone of love, laughter,and theabil‐ity to make everymoment count with hisgreat sense ofhumor.His presence was agifttoall who had the pleasure of knowing him,and hismemorywill betreasured in thehearts ofhis familyand friends forever.MelvinJ.Lacrouts, Jr.'s life wasa beautifulta‐pestryofthe relationships henurtured, thegames he played, andthe liveshe touched.He will be pro‐foundly missed,but the stories of "Grumps" will continue to inspireand comfort thosewho were blessedtobepartofhis extraordinary journey. Rel‐ativesand friendsare in‐vited to attend hisMemor‐ial Services at Garden of MemoriesFuneralHome, 4900 AirlineDrive Metairie, LA70001 on Wednesday, November19, 2025. Visita‐tionwillbegin at 11:00 am witha Mass at 1:00 pm.To order ﬂowersoroffer con‐dolences,please visit

www.gardenofmemorie smetairie.com

Matthews, Allegra Rose Cooper

AllegraRose(Cooper) Matthews, born on Febru‐ary 20, 1959, in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana,entered eternal rest on Monday, November3,2025, sur‐rounded by love andfam‐ily.Allegra wasthe daugh‐ter of thelateBeverly Belle”Woodford andJohn EarlCooper andwas lov‐ingly raised by herdevoted grandparents, Alfred Cooper Sr.and Estelle Mae (Jefferson) Cooper.She shareda specialand en‐duringbondwithher bonus mom, HelgaElsa (Barkmann) Cooper,whom she loveddearly. At the age of eleven,Allegra was baptizedand confirmed at Bethlehem Lutheran Church alongsideher builtinlifelongbestfriend, Al‐fredDon Cooper III. From thatmoment, herjourney offaith andresilience began —one that shecar‐riedwithher throughout her life.Allegra wasedu‐cated in theNew Orleans publicand privateschool systems,attendingJayne Wallace Elementary,Holy Ghost Catholic School,and WalterL.Cohen Senior HighSchool.She proudly becamea member of the firstgraduatingclass of McMainMagnetHigh School.Furtheringher edu‐cation, sheattended SouthernUniversityatNew Orleans andXavierUniver‐sity. On August 28, 1976, Al‐legra marriedCalvin Matthews, andtwo chil‐drenwereborntotheir union:TashelgaMarie Matthewsand Calvin Chris” Christopher Matthews. Laterinlife, she met AnthonyRoyal,and to‐gethertheywelcomedher youngestdaughter, Angel‐ica "Bunnie" Jasmine Cooper.Throughouther life, Allegraworkedin manyroles that reflected her strong work ethicand lovefor people.She was employedatBud’s Broiler Restaurant, Kirschman’s Furniture Store, Rosen‐berg’sFurniture Store, and Ben Guillory StateFarmIn‐surance Company. She later became an entrepre‐neur, owning andoperat‐ing MatthewsTransporta‐tionService,where she faithfullytransported ele‐mentary school children for 11 years. Shealso ownedFranklinAvenue Bil‐liardsCenter, where she led an undefeated billiards teamfor threeconsecutive years.Inaddition,she workedwithWhite Fleet Cab Serviceasanowneroperator. AfterHurricane Katrina,Allegra relocated toHouston,Texas,from 2005 to 2010. Despitethe challenges, herspiritre‐mainedunshaken, andshe eventuallyreturnedtoher beloved NewOrleans —the citythatshapedher soul In 2022, shemoved to Mon‐roe,Louisiana,tolivewith her youngestdaughterfor a year before transitioning toFarmerville Nursing HomeinFarmerville, Louisiana.There,she was loved deeply by theresi‐dents andstaff, who quickly became an ex‐tendedfamilytoher.Alle‐gra wasfunny, outspoken, and strong,and she dancedtothe beat of her own drum.She wasknown for herboldpersonality,in‐fectiouslaughter, andthe loveshe freelygaveto everyonearound her. She willberememberedasa woman who livedonher own termsand loved deeply.She waspreceded indeath by herhusband, CalvinMatthews; herson Calvin“Chris” Christopher Matthews; herparents Beverly Woodford andJohn EarlCooper;her grandpar‐ents,AlfredCooper Sr.and

Estelle Mae(Jefferson) Cooper;her bonus mother Helga Elsa (Barkmann) Cooper;her brother, Lenzell “Lenny”Granville Cooper;and heruncles, Billy JoeCooper andAlfred “Fruit” DonCooper Jr.She lives on throughher loving daughters,TashelgaMarie Parrott (Damien) andAn‐gelica“Bunnie”Jasmine Cooper;her belovedbonus daughter, Cheryl Ann Banks (Damion),and her beloved bonus son, Melvin Lee (Phia).Six grand‐daughters —Leila Semone Matthews, Toni Tehillah Lowe, Olivia Monét Matthews, TaliyahParrott, Allana MarieFoucha, and CaliChristina Matthews— and onegrandson, Mathew Christopher Foucha.She alsolives on throughher beloved cousins— Alfred Don Cooper III, Edwin Cooper,JohnKennedy Cooper Sr., Dr.Maychelle Cooper Rodney,Stephon “Boo” Sawyer,Billy Sawyer, and NikiaSawyer— her honorarysister, Darlene JosephJones,aswellasa hostofother relativesand friends who lovedher dearly. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare all invited to attend theFu‐neral ServiceonSaturday, November29, 2025 at 9:30 amatCalvary Tabernacle C.M.E.Church,3629 Dryades St., NewOrleans, Louisiana 70115. Visitation willbegin at 8:30 am.Burial willbeprivate.Profes‐sionalarrangementsen‐trusted to Majestic Mortu‐ary Service, Inc. (504) 5235872.

Cyril“Cy”Aloysius Quinn, Jr.passedaway peacefullyonNovember 10, 2025. Cyrillived alife deﬁnedbyhis kindness humility, strong faith,love ofrunning,and devotion to his family. Cyrilwas the epitome of atruegentle‐man,alwayswilling to share histimeand talents withothers. Cyrilwas born inNew Orleans, LA on Oc‐tober 26, 1934, to thelate Cyril Aloysius Quinn, Sr and thelateKathryn Paul Quinn. Cyrillived in the neighborhoodsofGentilly and NewOrleans East,be‐foremovingtoMetairie after hisretirement. Cyrilis survivedbyand wasa de‐voted caretakerfor hissis‐ter Brenda Quinnuntil his death.Cyril attended St James MajorElementary School andgraduated from HolyCross High School in 1952. AftergraduationCyril wentontoattend Loyola UniversityinNew Orleans for 2years studying Busi‐nessAdministration. While studyingatLoyolaUniver‐sity, Cyrilfelta call to serve hiscountry anden‐listedinthe United States MarineCorps,serving our nationhonorably for5 years.After leavingthe U.S. MarineCorps Cyrilhad a long, fulﬁllingcareer at the USDANationalFinance CenterinNew Orleansfor over40years before retir‐ing.Cyril’sstrongwork ethic,kindness, andwill‐ingness to always help his colleaguesgainedhim a reputationfor beingthe guy youcould always de‐pendontoget thejob done. This hard-working reputationearnedCyril the nickname“Slack” forbeing everready to pick up the slack forany colleaguein need.Duringhis time working at theUSDACyril madelifelongfriends manyofwhomsharedhis passion forrunning.Cyril and hismanyworkfriends enjoyed participatingin the companytrack team and otherteamsportsthat competedagainst different companies around NewOr‐leans.Cyril’slovefor run‐ning ledhim to startthe

“Slack TrackClub” so he and hislikemindedfriends could enjoyrunning all yearlongtogether.Cyril’s passion forrunning led him to become afounding memberand past trea‐surer of theNew Orleans Track Club andwas in‐ductedintotheir 2013 Inau‐gural Hall of Fame class. Cyril againmadelifelong friends during his60plus years as amemberofthe NOTC. Cyrilwas well known to have an encyclo‐pedic knowledgeofdis‐tance runningand track and fieldstatistics, often abletorecitethe individual accomplishments andrace times of eliteathletesfrom around theworld.When Cyril wasnot runningor immersed in thestatistics ofrunning,heenjoyed pho‐tographyand taking pic‐tures of hisfriends at the races during theyear. Cyril was aregular volunteer at countless road races, Olympic trials,and youth track meetsthroughouthis life; he lovedgivingbackto the sportthathefeltgave him so much joy. Cyril’s loveoftrack and fieldcom‐petitions andhis fondness for travel ledhim to attend three summer Olympic games in Japanin1964, Mexicoin1968 andWest Germany in 1972 joyfully documenting each trip withcountless pho‐tographs.Cyril also trav‐elled to many othercoun‐tries capturingmemories ofhis tripswithpictures and always remembering tobring home souvenirsto friends andfamily. After movingtoMetairie, Cyril workedatPhidippides ShoeStore againmaking lotsoffriends sharinghis knowledge of runningwith customers andemployees alike.Cyril wasa faithful parishioner of St.Ann Catholic Church in Metairie where he attended mass withhis sister Brenda Cyril will be dearly missed byall who knew him, espe‐cially thefriends he made throughoutthe yearsat the USDA,the NOTC andin his neighborhood, thegang onRye Street,the regulars and employees at Panera Bread,and theemployees atGulfCoast Bank.Cyril’s familyand friendswould liketothank theemploy‐ees of HenicanHouse in Metairiewho patiently cared forhim this last year ofhis life.Friends arein‐vited to celebrateCyril’s lifeonThursday November 20, 2025, at Garden of Mem‐ories FuneralHomelocated at4900 AirlineDrive, Metairie, LA.The visitation willbegin at 10:00 am fol‐lowed by aCatholicMass and burial at 11:00 am.In lieuof flowersCyril re‐questsdonations to St JudeChildren’sHospital.

oneinneed.She ledwith her heartand ﬁercely loved andprotected those close to it.She enlightened those who came into con‐tactwithher aboutlove, acceptance, individuality, and empathy. In heryouth, she wasknown forher skill insoftballand basketball, alwayssharing storiesand guiding hergrandchildren todosimilar. Shewas an avidpoolplayerand sharedthishobby with her siblings, daughter,and manyfriends.She was everyone's'Nana'and en‐joyed spending time with her grandchildren, greatgrandchildren,and all those who choseher as their grandmother. Jeanie'slegacy, love,and heart will live throughher daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Jeanieissurvivedbyher daughterJerrica Cham‐pagne (Lyn); grandchildren BrittanySmith (Michael), LynnChampagne (Isiah), and Jaelyn Champagne; great-grandchildren Jere‐miahHenry,Isiah Sanders, Jr.,and Hayden St.Hilaire; stepmotherMinnie Williamson;brother Stan‐ley SmithIII; sister Becky Smith;and numerous niecesand nephews. Jeaniewas preceded in death by hermotherGeral‐dineRobinson, father Phil‐hiolSmith,stepfatherEu‐geneSummers,brother Larry Smith, nephew Justin Smith,and nieceLana Smith.A visitation will be heldatMothe Funeral Home, 2100 Westbank Ex‐pressway, Harvey, Louisiana,70058 on Friday November21, 2025 from 11:30am to 1:30pm.A fu‐neral servicewillbegin at 1:30pm, followed by inter‐mentatWestlawnMemor‐ial Park,1225 WhitneyAv‐enue,Gretna, Louisiana, 70056.

QuinnJr.,Cyril Aloysius 'Cy'

James Sr., Thomas 'Wayne'

Joseph Leonard'Nutt'

Joseph Leonard“Nutt” Suttondepartedthislifeon

Sunday, November 9, 2025

atthe ageof48. Joseph was theloving ﬁancé of Shantrell Jones. Sonof De‐andra Fisher andthe late CarlLone. StepsonofAu‐gustFisherand Iria Lowe FatherofDarrell Martin, Jovonta andJohonz Robertson,Kevian, Qu’ran, Sadeekiand Melody Sutton and Mahlek Clay.Brother ofShandra Sutton,Ajuan Briggs,Natasha Riley, Carl Williams,CarlSterling, CashmeirLewis,, Regine Johnson,Leonard Hayes and KevinWest. Preceded indeath by hisgrandpar‐ents, FreddieJohnson and Dorothy Sutton andEarl and Thelma Lowe.Two brothers: KevinBriggs and CarlFaggin. He leaves to cherish hismemoriesto his GodmotherTerry Banis‐ter anddevoted cousins CarlSuttonand Geanine SuttonHarris, also host of aunts, uncles,cousins,rel‐ativesand friends. Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyalsoemployees of SecureTek Protection of Louisiana,TulaneTowers, TempleScience &Math, BenjaminFranklinElemen‐taryand theCalliopeCom‐munity also pastors, ofﬁ‐cers, andmembers of Sec‐ond MorningStarBaptist Church areinvited to at‐tenda FuneralService at Rosenwald Gym, 1120 S. Broad St., NewOrleans,LA 70125 on Friday,November 21, 2025 at 11:00 am.Visita‐tionbeginsat10:00 am.In‐terment:Providence MemorialPark. Arrange‐mentbyD.W.RhodesFu‐neral Home,3933Washing‐ton Ave.,New Orleans, LA 70125. Please visitwww rhodesfuneral.comtosign the online guestbook

AlfredPattersonand Mary LouisWagner.Sandrais survived by her three daughters—Katrica, Tiffany, and Sheena (Kaishia)—tengrandchildren, and hersiblings Barbara, and Billy Jo Wagner

ACelebrationofLifewill be held on Thursday, November 20, 2025,at Dennis Funeral Home,1812 Louisiana Ave., New Orleans,LA. Visitation beginsat9:00 a.m., followed by services at 10:00a.m. Interment willbeprivate.

Washington, Donald

Donald Washingtonentered into eternalreston November 4, 2025 at age 45. Donald was bornJune 22, 1980 to Josephine Washingtonand Donald Bell. Affectionatelyknown as Graveyard Dino, he was agraduate of AlcéeFortier High School.His passion forothers was feltthrough his commitment to his family. Donald issurvived by his son Di'lvy Holloman, his father, devoted sister Karen Washington, cherished niece KaylaRed,and ahost of close family/ friends. He is precededin death by his mother, Josephine.OnThursday November 20, 2025atNew HomeMinistries on 1616 RobertC.Blakes Sr. Drive, Viewingat9AM,Service at 10AM thena private burial Streaming available via Facebook/YouTubebyNew Home Family Worship Center Professional Funeral Services Inc

Weidenbacher, Raymond Emile

Raymond E. Weidenbacher (Ray) died on November3,2025.He died at the age of 95. He was borninthe Ninth Ward of New Orleans on October 23, 1930.Hewas the sonof the late George Michael Weidenbacher, and Clementine Morris Weidenbacher In addition to hisparents Ray was predeceased by his wifePatricia Senna Weidenbacher,brother of the late Shirley

Weidenbacher Gilchrist and GeorgeFrank Weidenbacher (Navy). He is survivedbyhis five children and their spouses;Gay Ann Weidenbacher, Bonnie Weidenbacher Kuon(Paul), Susan Weidenbacher Howell,Scott Joseph Weidenbacher, Steven JosephWeidenbacher (Angelle); Grandchildren Justin Mills, Scott Lae (USAF), Dylan Kuon (Corita), ErinHowell,Joey Howell (Ashley),Hayden Weidenbacher and Hendrix Weidenbacher; Great Grandchildren Nora, Leela and AdiraMills, Caroline, James, John and Samuel Kuon. Also surviving are cousins Albert Weidenbacher (Beth), JoNell Dewhirst Savoy, Lynn Dewhirst Blalackand nieces Arlene Gilchrist Deborah Gilchrist,Andrea Gilchrist Bresuett, (Reggie), nephew Jimmy Gilchrist Raygraduated from FrancisT.NichollsHigh School (Rebels) in January 1950. In 1950 he received an Athletic Scholarship fromTulane University and earnedLetters in Football and Baseballfor threeconsecutiveyears, graduating in June 1954. Upon graduationhe worked for D.H.HolmIes C. for38years wherehe served as regional vice president in the early 1980'sand laterwent on to serveasvice president and directorofall stores in 1986. After his retirement from D.H. Holmesin1989, he was general manager for Lawrence'sBakery and from 1996-2005 was aconsultant and associateat Gabby's Restaurant and Lounge Ray'spassions included family,friends, being a friend, all sports (especially football, baseballand tennis),old westerns, cooking and loved seafood. He was an exceptional role model for his children and grandchildren,had an enormous heart and zest for life.He had adeepfaith in God and willbedeeplymissed and forever remembered forhis kindness, generosity, positiveattitude, wisdomand unwavering com-

mitment to family,loved onesand all things sports related.

On Friday, November 21, 2025, avisitationand funeral servicewillbeheld at St.Dominic Church, located at 775 Harrison Ave NewOrleans, LA 70124. Visitation willbefrom10 a.m. -12p.m. Mass will beginat12p.m., with burial to follow at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum, 5454 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124. In lieu of flowers you can send monetary donations to St. JudeChildren's Research Hospitalbymail to St.JudeChildren's Research Hospital,501 St. JudePlace,Memphis, TN 38105. Foronline donations visitthe St.JudeChildren's Research Hospitalwebsite. Please see Raymond's full obituary online at LakeLawnMetairie.com

Williams, Leroy 'Guitar Lightnin'Lee'

LeroyWilliams, affectionatelyknown to the world as "GuitarLightnin' Lee," entered into eternal rest on Thursday, November 6, 2025, Age83. BornAugust 23, 1942 in NewOrleans, Louisiana, to thelate Julius Williams Sr and Louise Williams. Raisedinthe Lower 9th Wardalongside his siblings, learning theimportance of family at an early age. Educated in theNew Orleans Public School System, he developed a deep passionfor music, ultimately becoming an acclaimedguitarist.Leroy

played alongside some of NewOrleans well known artists andwould later take histalents to the International stage. Leroy lovedplayinghis guitar, theLower 9th Wardand hisbeloved City. Employed by theCityofNew Orleans for years, working throughout many departments. AVeteranofthe United States Army, where he honorablyservedhis country. He wasproceeded in death by hisparents; thelateJulius andLouise Williams, siblings; Alice MaeMcCaskill, Julius M. Williams Jr (Big Sonny), Eloise Williams Burt, ArthurDave Williams. Leroy leaves to cherish his memory his children; Phoeneshia L. Jacques (Rene), Desmann D. Williams, Leroy Williams Jr Norman Williams, ChristopherL.Spears; Sister Elaine Thompson, devotedNiecesLorraine McCaskill, Louise Williams,

SuedaniaEvans(Everett), andDenise Crawford (Adam), Nephews Robert McCaskill andDwayne Thompson (Vickie);good friendPaulArtiguesand hisThunder Band, ahostof grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, cousins, friends, fellow musicians, and countless fans. Family and friends are invited to attendthe Celebration of Life Service on Saturday, November 22, 2025 for 10:00 am at NewOrleans Bible Fellowship Baptist Church,Minister Dwayne Thompson Officiant, 4430 Bundy Rd,NOLA70127. Interment: Providence Memorial Park. Special thanks Lorraine McCaskill &Elaine Thompson caregiversand Professional Funeral Services.

ROBINSON AND PERRILYNALEXIS-HARRIS, OWNERS 9611 HIGHWAY23, BELLE CHASSE,LOUISIANA 20 minutesfromdowntownNew Orleansand half ablock northofBelle Chasse NavalAir Station. Celebrating Life,One

Wagner, Sandra Faye

Sandra Faye Wagner, age65, passed away on November 9, 2025. She was the daughter of the late

OUR VIEWS

School districts should prepare as AI tests limits of discipline

Aschool disciplinary case out of Thibodaux seems at once unfathomable and yet all too familiar: A13-year-old girl bullied by classmates was herself expelled when she lashed out and hitone of her tormentors. The twist here is that the girl was the victimof acampaign of harassment in which deepfake nude photos of herwere shared amongher classmates. Deepfakes are images generated by AI that are often indistinguishablefrom real images. In the Thibodaux case, the boy who created theimages was charged with10counts of disseminating explicit images of another person created by artiﬁcial intelligence, according to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.More students could be charged.

Bullying has long been aproblem that schools must wrestle with. But in the age of AI, we worry that teachers and administrators are not preparing for the onslaught of issues that this technology adds tothe mix. These deepfakes are easily created by any middle schooler with average tech skills using widely available apps, and the psychological distress they can cause before school ofﬁcials have time to respond is very real.

That appears to be what happened on Aug. 26 at Sixth Ward Middle School in Lafourche Parish. The girl, whose name has not been released, reported the deepfake images toaguidance counselor and the principal of the school. Here’swhere the school and thedistrict could have made different choices had they had tools to understand truly what was going on —and to intervene before things got out of hand.

The principal did order the school resource ofﬁcer to investigate, but meanwhile, the photo continued to spread. When the photo was shared on the school bus that afternoon, she lunged at and struck one of the group of around six boys who were passing it around. She was expelled from campus for at least 45 days. After her family appealed, she was allowed to return. District ofﬁcials have defended the expulsion, and while some punishment may have been warranted, this was clearly excessive. And shamefully,there isnoaccount of what consequences, if any,were faced by the boys whoshared the photos.

The culture of “boys will be boys” is nothing new,ofcourse. Yet, these deepfake images can cause lasting injury,and schools would do well to take the problem seriously.That’s why we areencouraged that agroup of education leaders statewide is meeting on AI todiscuss how to disseminate best practices among districts, including how to teach students how to use these tools responsibly and ethically AI isn’tgoing anywhere, and we hope the next time adistrict faces asituationsimilarto the one in Thibodaux, it won’treact using the old playbook. As the sources and methods of bullying evolve, so must the policies to combat them.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. 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

Blatantmedia bias in Israel hostagerelease coverage

MSNBC, CNN, BBC and other news media coverage of Israel’sreaction to theslaughter of 1,300 Israelis on Oct 7, 2023, and more recently on Oct. 1213 as the Israeli hostages were being released, was shameful.

As part of the ceaseﬁre agreement, Israel released 2,000 Palestinians, including Hamas terrorists and murderers, in return for therelease of 20 living hostages and the bodies of those who died in captivity.OnOct. 13, as the Israeli hostages were being released, thenetworks equated the release of innocents with therelease of their captors, who had raped, tortured, burned alive and eviscerated 1,300 Israeli men, women and children on Oct. 7, 2023. The joyful reunion of the20 remainingIsraeli hostages with their families was juxtaposed withcoverage of celebratory scenes of reunions of the Hamas murderers with their families

To demonstratethe absurdity of this balancing act,just suppose theU.S.

captured the 9/11 terrorists whokilled 3,000 U.S. citizens. While they were imprisoned, we decided to release these murderers in exchange forU.S. citizens who were being held hostage by their terrorist counterparts in the Middle East.Given this example, can anyone imagine that coverage of the reunion of the U.S. hostages with their families would be “balanced” against scenes of the released terrorist murderers celebrating with their families. The release of the Israeli hostages and those who died in captivity is both heartening and heartbreaking. Their captors should be depicted as they are —killers without any moral compass. Israel eliminated/neutralized the scourge of the Middle East —Hamas, Houthis,Hezbollah and Iran —laying thegroundwork for peace. The media should recognize this truth with “no, ifs ands or buts.” That would be honest journalistic balance.

MAURYHERMAN NewOrleans

Cassidyour only hope to standagainst Trump

Sen. Bill Cassidy needs to stand up against thesuppression of free speech and against President Donald Trump’smanipulators, including his loyal supporters, who are playing this sick president intopronouncements, threatsand intimidations, promoting authoritarianism, fascism and even Naziism. He is our senator,and the only real voice we have in Louisiana. We pray that he may have the

Of all the cruel things that President Donald Trump and his administration have done, trying to “claw back” SNAPpayments that some states had sentout to SNAPrecipients strikes me as one of thecruelest. Now that the shutdown has ended, theimportant issue will be who controlsthe narrative of what happens next Will Trump win withhis narrative that everything in America is already affordable, so there is no need for help to citizenswithsoaring medical insurance costs andthat too many people already get SNAPbeneﬁts,

strengthtostandupfor the ideals and values that we as Americans enjoy We fully recognize Trumpand his minion, Gov.Jeff Landry,are trying to primary Cassidy.I suggest that registered Democrats either change their registration to “NoParty” or Republican in order to thwart any such attempt.

DR. ROBERT E. TREUTING NewOrleans

so more cuts are needed? Or will Democrats convince enough Republicans in Congress to truly address the affordability crisis facing so many Americans. We are in the midst of whatmany economists call a“K-recovery.” The top 20% of Americans are doing very well, particularly the billionaires. The bottom 80% are not doing so well, particularly those poorestamong us. Whosereality will win the day? Time, and the 2026 elections, will tell the story LOU IRWIN NewOrleans

Showing that protecting taxpayers and protecting wildlifecan go handin-hand, Sen. John Kennedy recently led an effort in Congress to stop the government from spending abillion dollars on the biggest slaughter of birds of prey ever attempted on Earth. Sen. Bill Cassidy stood with him in supporting ﬁscal sanity and animal welfare. They both deserve great thanks. Last year,the Biden administration announced aharebrained scheme to cull nearly half amillion owls in West Coast forests at an estimated cost of $3,000 per bird —over abillion dollars in total. Why? To stop them from competing fornests with anearly identical, threatened owl that lives in the sameforests. If that sounds crazy,it’sbecause it is. Sen. Kennedy argued powerfully that it shouldn’tbefor the government to decide which owls can live and which owls must die. Sen. Cassidy voted with him,and even though their efforts were thwarted by environmentalists and their allies in Congress, history will prove them right.

Thank you, Sen. Kennedy,and thank you, Sen. Cassidy,for supporting him

ZACH BENNETT senior policycounsel Animal Wellness Action

Ithink if things werecalled by exactly what they are, rather than by misleading names (think Affordable Care Act, Inﬂation Reduction Act), it would be easier to makebetter choices. Changing the clocks twice a year is inconvenient and unhealthy There is no daylight saving. We are just shifting the timeofthe daylight. The days are shorter in winter and longer in summer.Let’sstop the nonsense of thinking we are really changing anything. Daylight shifting timewould be easier to dislike and discontinue.

MARYP.LUPO,MD NewOrleans

We have New Orleans MayorLaToya Cantrell. We have New Orleans Mayorelect Helena Moreno. Maybewehave New Orleans Mayor-wannabe Jeff Landry,too.

In aMonday interview on FoxNews, Louisiana’sgovernor seemed to speak on behalf of all residents in the city of New Orleansthe way he answered aquestion posed by“America Reports” host Sandra Smith: Will New Orleans welcome U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents —an apparent reference to the Border Patrol agents whoare reportedlyheadingour way?

“Absolutely,” the guv responded without ananosecond of apause.

“When ICE is ready,wecertainly welcome them to comeintothe city and be able to start taking someofthese dangerous criminal illegal aliens offof our streets, and we’ve got aplace toput them at Angola.” He was referencing Louisiana Lockup, an immigration-speciﬁc detention center he created at theLouisiana State Penitentiarywith the help of his old pal from their days in Congress, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The penitentiary,AKA Angola, and lockup,AKA Camp J, are part of anationwideimmigrationlockup system.

With the use of Freedom of Information Act requests, the ACLUfoundout earlierthisyearthat the Trumpadministration was up to no good as it pushed to expand immigration detention facilities with as much as $45 billion.Asthe ACLU said months ago, “including at facilities notorious for misconductand abuse.” Can we say Angola?

So NewOrleans is going to be used to ﬁllthese cots? Feelstakeover-ish to me.

It wasn’t that longago that Landry said the State of Louisiana would help NewOrleans get out of itsend-of-theyear fiscal mess with LouisianaBond Commission approval only after using “all necessary measures tothoroughly review the city’sfiscal affairs and, if deemed necessary,appoint afiscal administrator.”

That feels like atakeover move to me. Fortunately,that move was averted with adeal to have the state’slegislative auditor monitor the booksconnected to a$125 million loan that the commission only approved.

During arecent interview on

WBOK’s “Good Morning Show,” which Ihost, thegovernor professed to know what’sgood for New Orleans.

“No governor has spent moretime in the city of New Orleansthan myself,” he said. “I’m working to trytomake the city of New Orleansa better,more hospitable place so we can attract peopleand businesses and folks can feel safe in that city.”

Landry and othersgive the impression that New Orleansisa crimeriddled city,unlike other partsofLouisiana. In reality,there are Louisiana cities and parishes with worse crime problems.

Now New Orleansmay be painted as even more dangerous, as the guv and hisfriendsinWashington argue that illegal immigrant criminals in New Orleans need to be picked up and locked behind bars in Angolabecause they’re the “worst of the worst.” But some are citizenswho haven’tcommitted crimes.

“People around Louisiana want their communities to be safe, irrespective of whether it’s criminal illegal aliens conducting violence or American citizens or Louisiana citizens,” Landry toldFox News. “If you go out there and break the law,we’re gonna put youinjail.”

Iagree, but why issue threats where there’snoevidence of problems?

Lastyear,the governor drew rebuke from many in New Orleanswhen his

people suggested that the way to ﬁx all that bothers so manyNew Orleanians was for the state of Louisiana to take over the New OrleansSewerage &Water Board. Don’tremember? Look at thereport.

That felt like atakeover idea to me.

Time after time, Landry says things —and does things—that sure make it seem like he wants to takeover the state’sbiggest economic contributor So, when Ihad achance to ask thegovernor directly about that, Idid.

“Ohno, no, no. Ican promise you Ido not want totake over the City of New Orleans. Inever did. Iwant the city of New Orleanstofunction well …” Landry told me that even if the city needed aﬁscal administrator,it wouldn’tbehis choice; it would be up to theattorney general, thetreasurer and the legislative auditor “Even under theworst-case scenario, thegovernor can’ttake over the City of New Orleans, so Idon’tthink anyone has to worry about any of that if that’s what they’re concerned about,” he added. Maybe not.But he carries abig stick, and how he frames things matters. Should we believe him?

Yes—when he stops threatening the city,and startsacting less like apredator and more like apartner

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Americansare going to geta little healthier

President Donald Trump cutdeals with the drugmakers Eli Lilly andNovo Nordisk to increaseaccesstoobesity drugs in amajor beneﬁttoAmerican public health. The agreements are awinwin-win —good for consumers, good for the companies andgood for Trump.

One of the most irrational superstitions of ourtime is thatBig Pharma, which has long been routinely delivering near-miraculous therapeutics to extend andimprove our lives, is apublic enemy.Its latest breakthrough is aclass of so-called GLP-1 drugs thatmake it easierto lose weight, andtoavoid associated serious health problems, fromType 2diabetes to heart disease.

The basic dynamic of the Trump deals is thatthe companies will, through lower prices, expand their market share, thus generating more revenue. The companiesalso gettariff reliefand expeditedreviewfor select drugs.

Health andHumanServices secretaryRobertF.Kennedy Jr., the MAHA leader with a paranoid streak about modern medical advances,has been hostile to GLP-1 drugs, the most famous of which is Ozempic, sold by Novo Nordisk.

If everyone could do as many pushups and pullups as the hyper-ﬁt 71-year-old Kennedy, perhaps we could turn ourback on GLP-1s. Certainly,RFK Jr.iscorrect that Americans should eat betterand work out more. But our body mass index hasbeen increasing for about 150 years, as we’ve made caloriescheaper and more abundant over time. As it happens, the things thatwelike to eatordrink thatare bad for us —fastfood,soda, chips, cookies— are cheap,convenient andtaste good

Evenifwemanagetoconvincepeople that theyshould eat more fruit, vegetables andlegumes, while taking aPeloton classevery day, noteveryone is going to do it as amatterof lifestyle constraints, individual preference or simple lack of willpower

There’s also the fact that once youput on weight, physiological changesmakeitmore difﬁcult to shedit.

About 40% of Americans are obese. Wouldn’t it be great for them —and for American societyatlarge,whichspends roughly $170 billion ayear on obesity-related medical costs —if there were asafe, relatively convenient way for themtoslim down?

The election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City mayor set off—for his fanbase, anyway —greatexpectations of amore “affordable” city. But the democraticsocialist hasn’tevenbeen sworn in, and some of his marquee promises are already history Start with freebuses. For acity dependent on public transportation, free buses are anice idea but also abad idea.Fares pay for the buses,and even if youplug that hole with anotherrevenue source, free buseswould siphon ridersfromthe subways, in effect defunding them. Mamdani spun visions of thestate raising taxestocover the $700 million in lost fares or ﬁnd the dough elsewhere. New York Gov.Kathy Hochul says she’snot interested in either notion. The governor’ssupport is essential: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority,which runs most of the region’smass transit, is astate agency Barring the unforeseen, thefree bus idea has left the terminal. Affordable housing? All opposed, raise your hands. Now deﬁne it ina New York (or San Francisco) context The cost of living in New York City has always been high. It’shighbecause the demand is intense and thesupply is limited for obvious reasons. It’s not Dallas or Omaha with prairies to sprawl into.It’sdensely built andmostly hemmed in by bodies of water At some point, people whowant cheaper housing or more space need to move to places that actually offer it. Generations of New Yorkers have done

that, with many moving back when their kids are grown. Even within theNew York metropolitan region, there are lower living costs than in thechoice partsofManhattan or brownstoneBrooklyn. Butthe Gen-Z professionals who power Mamdani demand thehot urban scenes while also fuming at the $20 their hip hangout charges for amartini. They should be mindful that Mamdanihas yet to propose government-run cocktail lounges. Also, there’snolaw against mixing drinks athome. It’snot true that therents only go up. They have historically dropped during crises: after the9/11 terrorattack, during the 2008 ﬁnancial meltdown and very much in the COVID pandemic’s grip. Mamdani could createcrises, reducing demand for New York City. His attacksonthe New York Police Department have created fear of acrime wave. Andhis vows to raise taxes on al-

ready highly taxed rich residents could cause an exodus of businesses and with them, jobs from the city That said, building moreresidential unitswhere construction makes sense would be helpful. Butbulldozing cherished neighborhoods for apartment blocks is sure to clash with quality-oflife concerns. Thus, one of Mamdani’sproposals crashedfaster than the Hindenburg He wanted to build “affordable elderly housing” on acommunity garden in the Nolitaneighborhood. The Elizabeth Street Garden is an acre of greenery oddly placed statuaryand whimsical paths offering pastoral escape from the hardscaped streetsoflower Manhattan. Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams just swooped in and had thecity-owned land designated as parkland. That immediately removed the Elizabeth Street Garden out of Mamdani’sand thedevelopers’ easy grasp.

Agood measure of the public’sfeelings on the subject could be found in thecomments following aNew York Times article aboutAdams’ move. Usually,any mention of Mamdani instantly rouses his devoted army to defend their hero. This time, support for his plan was virtually nil. Why couldn’the leave one lousy green oasis in lower Manhattan alone?

Mamdani ripped theoutgoing mayor for making his housing project “nearly impossible.” And that raises hope among many longtime New Yorkers that agood number of the new mayor’s other plans will be impossible, and not “nearly.”

Froma Harrop on X@FromaHarrop.

Lo andbehold, here it is. The GLP-1sstarted outasa treatment fordiabetes and have explodedinpopularity as weight-loss drugs. Trump’sreﬂex to make it easierfor people to obtain Ozempic andthe like —while, not incidentally,boosting his reputation as the nation’s foremost dealmaker —isthe correct one. Drug pricing is complicated,but by expanding the sale of the drugs direct to consumers, the companiescan reduce prices. Meanwhile, Medicarewill do more to cover the drugs, also bringing down their cost.

According to Gallup, about 12% of Americansreporthaving usedaGLP-1 drug at some point forweight loss, astunning increasefrom about6%inearly 2024. Not coincidentally, Gallup is also nowshowing aslight dip in obesity

From2008 —whenthe polling organization regularly beganasking about weight —to 2022, the percentage of obese Americans increased by 14 percentage points, to nearly 40%

Where anynumberoffashionable diets and continual government exhortations for more physical exertionhavefailed(before RFK Jr., Michelle Obama wasurging, “Let’sMove!”), drugs to slowdigestion and reduce the urge to eat areworking.

The percentage of Americans using GLP1s will inevitably keepgrowing, especially if prices continue to go down, if more oral GLP1s come online in addition to injectables, and if othermedical beneﬁts of the drugs emerge. GLP-1s easily could match the saturationlevel of statins, the cholesterol-reducing drugs. By allmeans, we should all eat more arugula.Until then, we have found apharmaceutical path to alleviating an ongoing health crisis. Trump andthe drug companies are to be congratulated for their creative cooperationto make it available to more Americans.

Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Gov. Jeff Landry, in background, listens as NewOrleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno speaks during the Fiscal Review Committee meeting at the State Capitol last week.

Rich Lowry

Froma Harrop

Will Sutton

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO Newyork City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, right, hugsSen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

BY GUERRYSMITH Contributing writer

After cracking The Associated Press Top25poll for the ﬁrsttime this year on Sunday,Tulane entered amuch more significant ranking Tuesday night.

The Green Wave landed at No.24as the sole Group of Five conference member in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night on ESPN —a positionthat carries huge implications if it can win its ﬁnal two regular-season games againstTemple and Charlotte. Currently in afourway tie in the loss column at the top of the American Conference, Tulane(8-2,5-1) wouldown tiebreakers against North Texas (9-1, 5-1), Navy (8-2, 6-1)and East Carolina (8-2,5-1)aslong as the Wave holdsontoits position.The Nov.25CFP rankings —which will come out next Tuesday —are the No. 2tiebreaker in the league’sprotocol for determining the two teams in the championship game and the host school for the title matchup. Tulanewould havetowin at home against Charlotte on Nov.29 to maintain that position. The 49ers are 1-9 overall and0-7 in theAmerican. Head-to-head results, theNo. 1 tiebreaker,will not be applicable because Tulane will not face North Texas or Navy in the regular season. Most analysts had predicted North Texas and James Madison would be ahead of Tulane, but the committee had other ideas. According to one metric, FPI, North Texas’ schedule strength is 107th out of 136 FBS teams and James Madison’s is 110th. Tulane’sis39th.

“First and foremost, theAmerican is areally good conference this year and areally top-heavy conference,” said new committee chairman Hunter Yurachek,the athletic director at Arkansas. “If you look at Tulane’sschedule, the fact that they went out of their conference and played three Power Four schools, winning two of those games, and had awin at Memphis and awin versus East Carolina, which is really coming on late. That’s what thecommittee saw in regards to Tulane.”

Yurachek replaced Mack Rhoades, who steppeddownfrom that role when he announced he was taking aleave of absence from his job as Baylor athletic director for “personal reasons” last week. Utah athletic directorMark Harlan then joined the committeeas its 12th member Nonconference opponents are the separator betweenTulane and North Texas. Both played South Alabama, but the Wave’sother

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Afront-runner has emerged in theLSU football coaching search.

OleMiss coach Lane Kiffin, who is in the midst of leadingthe Rebels to apotential College Football Playoffappearance next month, hasbecome the centralfocus of LSU’ssearch, sources told The Advocate on Monday The school alsosent aprivate plane to pick up Kiffin’s family in Oxford,Mississippi,onMondaysotheycould fly to Baton Rouge andtour the city.

LSUisn’t theonly school interestedin Kifﬁn.

He’sreportedly atop target forFlorida, and his family reportedly visited Gainesville, Florida, on Sunday.Kifﬁn also could stay at Ole Miss, which is eager to retain acoach whose led the Rebels to threeconsecutive 10-win seasons for the ﬁrst time in program history

ButifLSU wins thistightlycontested battlefor Kiffin’sservices, howwould he fit at LSU? Hereare the pros andcons of Kiffin taking the LSUjob.

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

Pro: Therésumé

Sincehewas hiredatOle Miss aheadof the 2020 season, Kifﬁn hasled the Rebels to a54-19 record, two New Year’s Six bowl appearances andnearlya trip to theCFP last year if it weren’tfor alate-season loss to Florida.

OleMissisalmost alock to make the CFPthis year at 10-1. The Rebels beat LSUback in Week 5, earned acritical road winover Oklahoma afew weeks later,and their onlylosscametoGeorgia on the road by eight points.

Don’tforget about Micah Peavy

While ﬁrst-round draft picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen have received most of theink so farthis seasonfor theNew OrleansPelicans, the team’ssecond-round pick is showing he belongs, too.

Peavy wasdrafted out of Georgetown mainly for his defensive prowess. But in Monday’s126-109 losstothe OklahomaCity Thunder hisoffensive game showed up as well.

Peavy’sprevious career-high was just four points. On Monday, he scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the ﬂoor

“It feltgreat,” Peavysaid. “In practice, I’mshooting and knocking down shots. To ﬁnally see it in agame feels good.I wish we could have got aWtoday,but Igot alittle positive out of it just getting my conﬁdence up forthe next game.”

He will look to carry over that success Wednesdaynight when thePelicans(2-12) wrap up their ﬁve-game homestandagainst the DenverNuggets (10-3).The Pelicanshavelostsix straight games. It’stheir second six-game losing skid of the season.

Peavy also hada career-high in assists (four),made3-pointers (two) and minutes played (24).

“Mycoaches aretellingmeto just keep playing with conﬁdence,” Peavy said. “The past fewgames I hadbeenturning down some shots. They told me to keep going, and I just let it ﬂy today.”

He grabbed four rebounds, one shy of his season-best in that category.Heplayed the second-most minutesoff thebench,trailing only Jordan Hawkins.

“I thought he came out and gave us great energy,” interim coach James Borrego said. “Crashing theboards.Defensively,hereally impacted that game. So I’mreally proud of him. He responded

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Tulane tight end JohnnyPascuzzi runs after areception against Florida Atlantic on Saturday at yulman Stadium.

Saints eye first NFL game in Paris

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

The New Orleans Saints are expected to play a regular-season game in Paris, perhaps as early as the 2026 regular season, Saints president Dennis Lauscha said Tuesday

Negotiations between the NFL and stadium officials in Paris are ongoing, but Lauscha said he expects them to be finalized soon and an official announcement to come from the league in the next few weeks.

“You might hear in the next couple weeks that we might be having a game internationally and that game may be in Paris,” Lauscha said at the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club on Tuesday. “We (the Saints) have the rights to the country of France and Monaco, so that makes so much sense, we think. We’re really excited about that (possibility).”

The NFL never has held a game in Paris, but league ofﬁcials have expressed interest in playing a game there in recent years. The site would be Stade de France.

NFL commissioner Roger

ASSOCIATED

Flag bearers march during the 2024 Summer Olympics closing ceremony at the Stade de France on Aug. 11 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. The Saints could be in line to play the first NFL game in Paris next season, which would take place in Stade de France.

Goodell has said the league hopes to expand its International Series to eight games next season and potentially double that total by 2030. The series has grown from a single game per year in England in 2005 to a seven-game schedule

in ﬁve countries this season.

“We’re working on it,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said last week, when asked about the Saints playing a game and potentially conducting a mini-camp or training camp in France. “We’ve

met with Prince Albert (of Monaco) and talked about trying to do something over there.”

In 2023, the Saints were granted the international marketing rights in France — the ﬁrst NFL club to select and be awarded the French market — as part of the league’s global markets program.

Benson and linebacker DeMario Davis led a Saints contingent that visited Paris in July to market and promote the team

Earlier this year, the Saints announced a strategic partnership with the Paris Musketeers, who play in the European League of Football, through which the team hopes to grow the American game while also increasing its own brand visibility in France.

An NFL game in Paris next season also would coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States, allowing for more marketing opportunities, Lauscha said.

“A lot of what we’re trying to do is help New Orleans out and highlight our city, particularly to those (people and events) in France,” Lauscha said.

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@ theadvocate.com.

Sanders’ debut marred by home break-in during game

BY JOE REEDY Associated Press

CLEVELAND Shedeur Sanders’ uneven performance in his NFL debut wasn’t the only bad thing to happen to him on Sunday

The Browns rookie quarterback discovered Sunday night that his home in Granger Township, a Cleveland suburb, had been burglarized during the game, a person with knowledge of the situation conﬁrmed to The Associated Press on Monday

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing Pro Football Talk was ﬁrst to report the break-in.

No suspects have been identiﬁed, the person said.

A statement released by the Medina County Sheriff’s Office to several media outlets said approximately $200,000 in property was stolen from the home.

The release said three people entered the home at 6:46 p.m. ET Surveillance cameras in the home captured video of the suspects en-

tering different parts of the home. The suspects were wearing masks and gloves and were seen leaving the home just before 7 p.m.

doing this interview Heck, he wouldn’t have been in any NFL locker room.

came and woke both of us up,” Rejzohn Wright recalls. “The rest is history.”

Rejzohn ended up following in his big brother’s footsteps and went to Laney, the beginning of a path that eventually led both of them to the NFL.

Beam was proud of his two former players, which is why he made to make the trip to Soldier Field on Oct. 19 when the Bears beat the Saints 26-14.

Little did Rejzohn know that would be the last time he’d ever see Beam, who was shot Thursday on the campus of Laney College and died a day later Now the Wrights have lost both a father and a father ﬁgure to gun violence.

Rejzohn reﬂected on both incidents Monday morning.

“That was a tough time,” Wright said about losing his father eight years ago. “So to have someone that I had never met to wake me up the next day and come get us and tell us he had our back for the rest of our lives, that meant everything. Then for him to actually have been there for us ever since. That’s a one-ofa-kind person.” If it wasn’t for Beam, Wright knows he wouldn’t have been sitting in the Saints’ locker room

Wright missed three months of high school after his father was killed, but Beam gave him a chance. A last chance, which is fitting since Laney was the backdrop for the fifth and final season of the Netflix documentary “Last Chance U.”

There was one lesson that Beam taught Wright that always will stick with him.

“Just be humble,” said Wright, now in his second season with the Saints. “For me, it was to be humble and to understand that I wasn’t good enough at the time. I was good, but I wasn’t great. He always kept me grounded.”

The relationship with Beam was rock solid, despite the poetic liberty the documentary sometimes took. The documentary itself, though, was a good thing for Wright.

“It was a one-of-a-kind experience,” he said. “I was 18 in a bad part of the world driving two hours every day to a junior college. It was unique. It put me out there recruiting wise.”

After his time at Laney, Wright played at Oregon State. He went undrafted in 2023 but ended up in training camp with the Carolina Panthers. They cut him at the end of camp, and the rest of that season was him working out for teams.

The Saints signed him after

Multiple calls and emails to the Medina County Sheriff’s Department seeking details were not returned to The Associated Press.

the 2023 season. He was placed on injured reserve during the 2024 season after a toe injury but came back and made the team this season. Wright has played in three games in 2025, with his playing coming on special teams.

But he believes his time is coming. Beam reminded him of that in Chicago.

“He told me to stay focused, stay in it,” Wright said. “He reminded me that I’m taking the steps that I need to become something in this league. Keep staying grounded and eventually it’ll come. Kinda like it did for my brother.”

His big brother currently has four interceptions, tied for fourth in the NFL. One of those four picks came in that game against the Saints with Beam watching. Another one came Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, two days after Beam’s death.

“I gained an angel,” Nahshon told the media after Sunday’s game. “He was watching over me.”

Watching over Nashon and Rejzohn just like he promised he would on that life-changing morning in 2017. Beam cared about everyone.

It’s why tributes from athletes such as Damian Lillard and Maxx Crosby ﬂooded social media.

“Beam had connections everywhere,” Rejzohn said.

Texans QB Stroud won’t play Thursday vs. Bills

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud is still recovering from a concussion and will miss a third straight game when the Texans host the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.

Stroud returned to practice Tuesday for the ﬁrst time since he was injured, but coach DeMeco Ryans said the short week didn’t leave enough time for him to be ready to play

The Texans also will be without safety Jalen Pitre, who will miss a third game also after suffering a concussion in the Nov 2 loss to the Broncos.

Davis Mills will start for a third week after leading Houston to wins over Jacksonville and Tennessee in the last two games to help the Texans (5-5) reach .500 for the ﬁrst time this season.

Titans lose receiver Ridley to a broken right leg

The Tennessee Titans put wide receiver Calvin Ridley on injured reserve Tuesday after he broke his right leg on their ﬁrst offensive play Sunday

The Titans signed James Proche from the practice squad to fill the roster spot. They also signed Lance McCutcheon and Kristian Wilkerson to the practice squad. Ridley ﬁnishes his second season with Tennessee (1-9) with 303 yards receiving on 17 catches and no touchdown receptions. Ridley led the Titans with 1,017 yards receiving in 2024.

He caught a 13-yard pass from Cam Ward on the Titans’ ﬁrst offensive play before being tackled by Azeez Al-Shaair and Calen Bullock. Ridley walked to the sideline where he rode a cart to the locker room with a broken ﬁbula.

Antetokounmpo expected to miss a couple of weeks

Sanders joins a growing list of NFL players whose homes have been burglarized during games. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan have dealt with break-ins since the start of last season.

The highly publicized rookie came into Cleveland’s game against the Baltimore Ravens with 12:43 remaining in the third quarter after Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion.

Sanders completed his first two passes, but not much went right after that. He went 4 for 16 for 47 yards with an interception and was sacked twice, finishing with a 13.5 passer rating as the Ravens rallied for a 23-16 victory Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, is expected to speak to reporters on Wednesday as the Browns begin preparing for Sunday’s game at Las Vegas. Sanders would get his first NFL start if Gabriel does not clear the concussion protocol.

Tulane coach Jon Sumrall spent time as an assistant at the University of San Diego and knew Beam from his time there.

“He had a heart for people,” Sumrall said. “He had a presence about him. He could be stern, but at the same time, loving and gentle. He had a really cool demeanor I was heartbroken. I still am.”

So are the Wright brothers. During the offseason, they would go back to Laney College and just sit and talk to the guy who was a father ﬁgure to them. They’d talk about everything from football to ﬁnances.

“He was just a super big part of our lives, even outside of just being a coach,” Rejzohn said. Rejzohn got the bad news Thursday during the Saints’ bye week as he was driving to Georgia. Funeral arrangements haven’t been ﬁnalized yet, but he is hoping to attend. He wants to be there for the Beam family just like the Beam family has been there for him.

“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here,” Wright said. “He came and got us out of a funk.” Where would Wright be if it wasn’t for Beam bringing him to Laney?

“I don’t know,” Wright said. “But if we’re being honest, probably nowhere.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers expects Giannis Antetokounmpo’s groin strain to keep the two-time MVP out for “probably two weeks.”

Rivers discussed the injury Tuesday while speaking on the “Courtside with Gale Klappa” podcast. “I don’t know what grade it is, but I know it’s not a bad one, so that’s good news for us,” Rivers said. “But yet still, probably two weeks he’ll be out And we’ll see Hopefully less, but most likely in that area.”

The left groin strain caused Antetokounmpo to leave during the second quarter of the Bucks’ 118106 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.

Rivers said afterward that he believed the injury occurred earlier in the game.

Injured hamstring forces

Alcaraz out of Davis Cup

Carlos Alcaraz will go another year without fulﬁlling his dream of winning the Davis Cup for Spain.

The top-ranked Alcaraz said Tuesday he’s heartbroken to withdraw from the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna, Italy, because of an injured right hamstring.

The decision was recommended by doctors, he said.

“I’m so sorry to announce that I won’t be able to play for Spain in the Davis Cup in Bologna,” Alcaraz said on X. “I have an edema in my right hamstring and the medical recommendation is not to compete.”

He was hurt during last week’s ATP Finals, where he reached the title match before losing to rival Jannik Sinner, and was diagnosed with muscle overload and swelling of his right hamstring.

PGA Tour golfer Perez first this year to join LIV Golf

Victor Perez of France is the first player this year to leave the PGA Tour for Saudi-funded LIV Golf, with the league announcing Tuesday he will join the Cleeks. Perez had joint membership on the PGA Tour and European tour with three European tour titles. He played only the French Open this year among tournaments that were not on the PGA Tour schedule. His best finish was a tie for ninth in the RBC Canadian Open. He replaces Frederik Kjettrup, who was relegated out of LIV Golf by not finishing in the top 48 on the points list.

Perez, who is No. 108 in the FedEx Cup and was in danger of losing his card,

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SUE OGROCKI Cleveland quarterback Shedeur Sanders responds to a question during a news conference after the Browns’ game against the Baltimore Ravens in Cleveland on Sunday.

SCOREBOARD

:00

Dal—Flournoy2pass from Prescott (Aubrey kick), 6:19. Fourth Quarter Las—Tucker 6pass from G.Smith (Carlson kick), 13:22. Dal—safety,11:39 A—62,625. Dal Las First downs 24 17 Total

Interceptions Ret.

Sacked-YardsLost

Punts

Fumbles-Lost

Penalties-Yards

Time of Possession33:36

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Dallas, J.Williams22-93,Davis 4-20, Luepke1-5, Prescott 4-(minus 4).Las Vegas,G.Smith 4-14,Jeanty 6-7,Mostert2-6. PASSING—Dallas, Prescott 25-33-0-268. Las Vegas,G.Smith 27-42-1-238. RECEIVING—Dallas, Pickens 9-144, Lamb 5-66, Ferguson 4-16, Luepke 3-36, Spann-Ford 1-4, Flournoy1-2, Turpin 1-0, J.Williams1-0 LasVegas, Bowers 7-72, Jeanty 6-27,Tucker 4-47, Lockett3-33, Mayer3-13,Mostert 2-7, Thomas 1-20, Bech 1-19 MISSED FIELD GOALS—None. Pro basketball

Youngblood 1-10-0 3. Totals4387 23-28 126. NEW ORLEANS (109) MurphyIII 6-9 2-218, Queen3-103-4 9, Missi 3-60-0 6, Fears 9-16 4-524, Jones 1-82-2 5, Matkovic 4-5 0-010, Peavy7-9 0-0 16, Alvarado 3-9 0-0 6, Hawkins5-110-0 11, McGowens 1-32-2 4. Totals 42-86 13-15 109. Oklahoma City 49 20 36 21 —126 New Orleans 24 32 24 29 —109 3-Point Goals—Oklahoma City 17-42 (Dort 4-6, Joe4-10, Gilgeous-Alexander 3-5, Holmgren 3-6, Youngblood 1-1, Carlson 1-3, Wallace1-4, Dieng 0-1, Hartenstein 0-1, Jay. Williams 0-1, Mitchell 0-4), NewOrleans1228 (MurphyIII 4-5, Matkovic 2-3, Peavy2-3, Fears 2-5, Jones 1-3, Hawkins1-5,Alvarado 0-4) Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Oklahoma City38(Holmgren 9),New Orleans 35 (Queen 8). Assists—Oklahoma City 30 (Gilgeous-Alexander8), NewOrleans 21 (Hawkins 6) Total Fouls—Oklahoma City 20, New Orleans 26. A—13,757 (16,867) College football Tuesday MIDWEST Akron (4-7)atBowlingGreen (3-7),n Umass (0-10) at Ohio (6-4),n W. Michigan (6-4)atN.Illinois(3-7),n StatsPerform FCSTop 25 Rec. Pts.Prev.

North Dakota State (56) 11-01,400 1 2.

Mariners made Naylor feel at home,sohestayed

BY ANDREW DESTIN AP sportswriter

SEATTLE Whether it was teammates, coaches, kitchen crew or clubhouse managers, Josh Naylor felt abundantly comfortable across histhree months with the Seattle Mariners. And thanks to afurry friend, Naylor felt rightat home. Aday removed from signing a$92.5 million, ﬁveyear contract, Naylor credited Seattle’sclubhouse Labradorretriever,Tucker,for helping win him over “When Ifoundout we had Tucker,heput me over the edge, man,” Naylor said with atoothy grin. “I love that little guy.” Naylor loves Seattle, and vice versa.

The 28-year-old free agent spent 54 games with the Mariners after being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks aheadofthe 2025 trade deadline and hit .299with nine homeruns, 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. Naylor endeared himself to the Seattle faithful with hard-nosed play,aswell as for giving away pairs of his cleats to kids.

“I always tell players, or even little kids Iwork with in theoffseason sometimes, like,play forthe little kid inside of you,”Naylorsaid.

“Always remind that kid that it’sjust agame, and you’re here to have fun, and you’re here to play hard, and you’re here to compete.”

Seattle reached Game 7 of theAmericanLeague Championship Series before losing to Toronto and falling one win shy of its ﬁrstWorld Series.After astellar postseason in whichhehit .340 with three home runs, ﬁve RBIs and two stolen bases, Naylor felt he hadunfinished business in Seattle.

“I wanted to come back to give this fan base and this city and my teammates and

theirfamilies aWorldSeries in the next ﬁve years,” Naylor said, “or multiple World Series or multiple pennants.”

Presidentofbaseballoperations Jerry Dipoto is conﬁdent Naylor canbeakey cog in winning the first World Seriesfor afranchise that started play in 1977.Hedescribed it as a“no-brainer” to bring Naylor back.

“Thiswas about as simple adecision as we could make organizationally,”Naylor said. “After acquiring Josh midseason at the trade deadline, the way he fit into our clubhouse, the community theway the fan base embracedhim.” Naylor didn’tfeel compelledtotest the open market. He felt confident in the Mariners’ core. Now Naylor will have the good fortune of hitting behind Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez, who finished second and sixth in MVP voting after the season.

Sticking in Seattle means agood deal for Naylor,who becameafather for the ﬁrst timethis year.With ahandful of family memberson hand for Tuesday’snews conference, Naylor discussedhis desire to settle down in theEmerald City

“I really would love to spend the rest of my career here andraise afamily here,” Naylor said, “and have my family come to Seattlemoreoften andwatch baseball games and hopefully win aWorld Series here.”

Naylor’sgreatest motivator is to win,which has been thecase more often than not across hisseven-year big league career

“This isn’tdone, in my opinion,” Naylor said. “We’vegot alot more to do and it’sexciting for not only them, but for me and the whole city.

AP PHOTO By DAVIDJ.PHILLIP

Josh Naylor rounds thebases for Seattle after hitting asolo home runagainst

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Kiffin denies getting an ultimatum from Ole Miss

BY WILSON ALEXANDER

Staff writer

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin on Tuesday denied a report that the administration gave him an ultimatum on making a decision about his future.

Kifﬁn, 50, is a top target for the head coach openings at both LSU and Florida. He has guided Ole Miss to a 10-1 record this season and likely the ﬁrst College Football Playoff berth for the Rebels.

“That’s absolutely not true,” Kiffin said Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN. “There’s been no ultimatum or anything like that at all. I don’t know where that came from, like a lot of stuff that comes out there

“Like I said, man, we’re having a blast. I love it here.”

The Athletic reported Monday that Ole Miss gave him an ultimatum to decide his future before the Nov 28 Egg Bowl against arch-rival Mississippi State. While Kifﬁn denied the report, ESPN said Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter asked Kifﬁn to make a decision by this weekend.

Ole Miss has offered Kiffin a contract extension, according to multiple reports, but it has not yet been signed. McAfee did not ask him any questions about LSU or Florida.

LSU officials arranged a private plane to bring several of Kiffin’s family members, including his exwife Layla Kiffin, to Baton Rouge for them to visit the city Monday, sources told The Advocate. They made a similar trip the day before to Gainesville, Florida. Kiffin was

not with them.

“I’m not worried about other stuff,” Kifﬁn said.

“I’m worried about making sure we win.”

Ole Miss has an open date this week before the Egg Bowl. The Rebels were No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night If they are not in the top four of the ﬁnal rankings, they will likely host a first-round playoff game Dec. 19 or 20. Kifﬁn has a 54-19 record in six seasons at Ole Miss. The Rebels have won at least 10 games in four of the past five years, the most successful stretch in program history His overall record is 115-53 across 14 seasons at Tennessee, USC, Florida Atlantic and Ole Miss.

Sugar Bowl CEO conﬁdent CFP games extension coming

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Sugar Bowl ofﬁcials are close to ﬁnalizing a six-year extension with the College Football Playoff to play a quarterfinal or semifinal CFP game annually in New Orleans through 2032, Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said Tuesday

“Of course, nothing’s done until it’s done and the ink’s dry, but we feel really optimistic,” Hundley said at the Greater New Orlean Quarterback Club on Tuesday

“We’ve been back and forth quite a bit (in negotiations) and are landed in a pretty good spot that will give us, in that six-year term, three (CFP) quarterfinal games and three semiﬁnal games. It’s exciting news for us.”

The Sugar Bowl, along with college football’s other “big six” bowls — the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach and Rose — has been a regular host for the CFP since

TULANE

Continued from page 1C

games were against likely playoff participant Ole Miss, Northwestern of the Big Ten and Duke of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Mean Green faced FCS foe Lamar, Western Michigan of the Mid-American Conference and Washington State of the transitioning Pac-12. James Madison (9-1, 7-0 Sun Belt) has beaten only one team (Old Dominion) that currently has a winning record. Earlier Tuesday after practice, Tulane coach Jon Sumrall played down the rankings’ signiﬁcance.

“Tiebreakers — don’t know them and don’t care about them,” he said.

“If we keep winning, I will care at the end.” Sumrall came armed with evi-

the tournament began with a fourteam playoff in 2014.

New Orleans will play host to the CFP championship game in 2028, officials announced last month.

It will mark the second time the city has hosted the event since the event went to a multi-team playoff in 2018.

“(New Orleans) is always going to be a part of the CFP,” CFP CEO Rich Clark said at the announcement of the 2028 championship game last month.

“I see New Orleans being a longterm partner with us.”

The Sugar Bowl hosted the CFP quarterﬁnal game between Georgia and Notre Dame last year It will play host to another quarterﬁnal game Jan 1 this season.

The future format of the CFP remains undecided. The CFP’s management committee has conducted multiple meetings to discuss future plans, which include a proposed expansion of the playoff to 16 teams,

dence for his feelings. Three weeks ago, Navy entered the coaches top 25 poll for the ﬁrst time all season at No 23 and lost 31-17 to North Texas. The following week, Memphis was 25th in the AP and CFP polls as the committee deemed the Tigers the best team from a Group of Five conference. They lost immediately to Tulane, giving up five touchdowns in the ﬁrst half.

Last week, South Florida was the only Group of Five team in the CFP ranking at No. 24. The Bulls then lost 41-38 to Navy, trailing from the 9:53 mark of the ﬁrst quarter until the end. Tulane faces Temple (5-5, 3-3) on Saturday in Philadelphia. The Owls lost by one point to Navy at home earlier this season and are coming off an open date.

“Nobody puts up a banner for a team that is ranked in Week 13 of college football,” Sumrall said. “Go look at the last three weeks for the

Georgia jumps to coveted No. 4 in CFP rankings

BY EDDIE PELLS AP national writer

Georgia nabbed the fourth and final projected first-round bye in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday, while undefeated Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M held onto the top three positions. The Bulldogs rose one spot thanks to Alabama’s loss to Oklahoma over the weekend a result that dropped the Crimson Tide six spots to No. 10 and lifted Oklahoma three notches to eighth.

The top four teams in the rankings released Dec. 7 will receive byes in this season’s playoff, which starts Dec. 19 with the 5-8 seeds hosting ﬁrst-round games on campus and concludes with the title game a month later

The selection committee endured a shakeup of its own last week, when chair Mack Rhoades, the athletic director at Baylor, abruptly stepped down and was replaced by Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek

This ranking, along with those coming out the next two Tuesdays, are all about positioning.

Two teams outside the committee’s top 12 would be in a bracket that assures spots for the five best-ranked conference champions.

Not that simple

Even though the No 13 Hurricanes have the Atlantic Coast Conference’s best ranking, their two losses in the ACC make them a long shot to play in the conference title game.

KIFFIN

Continued from page 1C

Kifﬁn’s résumé before arriving at Ole Miss is spottier He had a messy departure from Tennessee after just one 7-6 season, held a middling 10-8 record in his last season and a half at Southern Cal — after leading the Trojans to 10 wins in Year 2 — and posted an abysmal 5-15 record in less than two years as the Oakland Raiders head coach.

It leaves room for No. 16 Georgia Tech and No. 19 Virginia to become the Atlantic Coast Conference titleist, and could place added weight on Miami’s opening-week win over No. 9 Notre Dame in the ‘Canes’ push for an at-large spot.

Best of rest, bubble No 24 Tulane is now the third Group of Five conference leader in three weeks to own the projected ﬁfth automatic spot. The Green Wave’s spot in the bracket would also be contingent on winning the American Conference (and staying ahead of any other Group of Five champions), where they, along with Navy, East Carolina and North Texas all have only one loss At No. 5 was Texas Tech, followed by Ole Miss and Oregon. The bubble teams both come from the Big 12 — No. 11 BYU and No. 12 Utah

but nothing has been finalized. CFP officials have a contractual obligation to let ESPN know by Dec. 1 whether they want to expand the field beyond 12 teams.

If the playoff stays at 12 teams, quarterfinal games would be played on or around Jan. 1, Hundley said, with semiﬁnal games to follow on or around Jan. 10-14.

“We’ve been competing against cities like Las Vegas and Nashville and Orlando and Houston that have deeper pocketbooks than us for our very spot in the playoff,” Hundley said. “For us, it was important to stay at the top and to do whatever it took to make sure that we got that job done.

“We’ve still got work to do, but enough to where we felt good going forward, making some ﬁnancial commitments that needed to be made.”

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@ theadvocate.com.

team that’s ranked in our league. It hasn’t gone good for them. What’s Tulane going to do, freaking lose? I don’t know We better be ready to play because we’re playing a really good team.”

Lagniappe

Linebacker Sam Howard practiced Tuesday after sitting out Saturday against Florida Atlantic. He played against Memphis on Nov 7 less than a month after fracturing a fibula, leaving late in the second quarter after suffering what Sumrall labeled a bruise to the same leg. Sumrall said wide receiver Garrett Mmahat, a potential starter entering the season, had been cleared to play Saturday at Temple. His only game action came against East Carolina, when he caught two passes for 27 yards He missed the first five games and the most recent four with leg issues.

But if you believe in Kiffin’s reinvention ﬁrst as the offensive coordinator at Alabama and then as the head coach at Florida Atlantic before arriving in Oxford — then his recent track record suggests he can lead LSU to national championship-level heights.

Con: High school recruiting

Under Kiffin, Ole Miss has not landed a top-15 high school recruiting class in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite’s team rankings. The Rebels’ highest ranking is 16th, a marker they hit with their 2025 class. Ole Miss’ 2026 class is currently 20th in the nation. Under Kiffin, the program instead has landed most of its top talent through the transfer portal, adding top-five portal classes in each of the last four seasons and the No 1 class in 2024. But even if the portal always will be a critical part of LSU’s roster-building approach, tapping into the school’s uber-talented recruiting base in Louisiana is an essential aspect of the job. That base is also why Kiffin may have an easier time recruiting high school talent in Louisiana than in Mississippi, where the Rebels have to share the state with Mississippi State and — in comparison to Louisiana — pull from a relatively shallower pool of players. Kifﬁn does have a track record of signing top-10 recruiting classes while coaching in a state that has a plethora of talented high school players. He delivered top-three recruiting classes at USC in 2010 and 2011 before signing a top-10 class in 2012.

Pro: Finding, developing QBs Kifﬁn’s track record of developing quarterbacks and offenses may be second to none, at least at the collegiate level.

At Ole Miss, Kifﬁn turned Matt Corral into an NFL draft pick, helped Jaxson Dart become a first-round selection this year and is on the verge of making the

CFP with Trinidad Chambliss — a transfer from Division II Ferris State. Kiffin also coached Matt Barkley at USC, won a national championship with Jake Coker at Alabama and helped develop Jalen Hurts during his freshman year at Alabama in 2016. Even though those quarterbacks were not Heisman Trophy winners or top-10 picks, Kifﬁn’s scheme consistently got the best out of each player Ole Miss has been within the top 30 in the country in scoring every season under his leadership. USC averaged better than 31 points per contest, and Alabama scored more than 35 points a game each year he led those offenses.

Con: Possible wait, pay

Much of the debate around Kiffin’s candidacy at LSU, Florida or elsewhere revolves around whether that team would have to wait for Ole Miss’ CFP run to end before hiring him.

According to multiple reports, that may not be the case, as Ole Miss reportedly has told Kifﬁn he must decide on whether he’s taking the LSU or Florida job before the Rebels’ next game against Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Nov 28. Kifﬁn denied that assertion on Tuesday

Even if Kifﬁn decides to come to LSU before Ole Miss’ last game, the Tigers probably will have to sign him to a massive contract, one that could make him the highest-paid coach in college football. Sources have told The Advocate that LSU is willing to pay whatever it takes to bring in the coach it wants, but questions remain as to how a big contract for Kifﬁn could affect LSU’s ability to spend on its own roster

Pro: Kifﬁn’s familiarity LSU senior associate athletic director of football administration Austin Thomas worked with Kifﬁn at Ole Miss for two seasons as the program’s chief of staff and sports administrator (2022-23). Additionally Kiffin has worked alongside LSU assistant general manager Kevin Bolden, who was at Ole Miss for three seasons (2022-24) as the Rebels’ coordinator of recruiting strategy

If LSU hires Kifﬁn, and Thomas and Bolden stay with the program, the Tigers may have a leg up when it comes to putting together their roster for the 2026 season and beyond.

Staff writers Wilson Alexander and Scott Rabalais contributed to this report

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin watches LSU head to the locker room before their game on Oct. 12 in Tiger Stadium. Kiffin denied a report that Ole Miss gave him an ultimatum on making a decision on his future.

BASKETBALL

LSU shakes off first-half malaise to down Alcorn

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

For the second straight game, LSU had early struggles fending off a mid-major team.

This time, it was against winless Alcorn State. The Tigers trailed for 14:27 in the ﬁrst half.

The Tigers played more inspired after halftime to overpower their opponent 107-81 on Tuesday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center LSU (4-0) was led by Mike Nwoko with a career-high 29 points and nine rebounds. Dedan Thomas had 16 points and six assists. Entering the game LSU was winning by an average of 29.4 points per game, which was second in the Southeastern Conference. Nwoko made his presence known early as he scored his team’s first three field goals. The LSU center threw down a pair of dunks within the first 60 seconds, then had a hook shot. He went on to make his first seven shots and 12 of 15 for the game against Alcorn State (0-6).

Alcorn State wasn’t intimidated by the dunks as it shared the ball effectively and drained 3-pointers

The Braves showed early why they entered the game second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 3-point shooting (37.5%). They made 4 of 5 shots from beyond the arc to open the game. They went on an 11-0 run to take a 19-12 lead with 14:30 left in the ﬁrst half.

Alcorn State’s scoring burst happened when coach Jake Morton substituted all ﬁve starters out of the game at the 18:13 mark.

The LSU defense didn’t improve when the bench players entered the game. There was a bad sequence when LSU backup freshman point guard Jalen Reece poorly executed a handoff with fifth-year senior PJ Carter that led to a turnover and fastbreak layup.

On the next play, Reece hesitated to run around a screen away from the ball and sophomore forward Robert Miller threw the ball out of bounds. After the mistakes, the Tigers trailed 25-20 with 10:29 left in the ﬁrst half.

The LSU starters returned to bring some order to the game and recapture the lead after eliminating some of the 3-point looks and getting to the free-throw line. Jalen Reed made a catch-andshoot 3 to give LSU a 41-38 lead

with 3:07 left before halftime It was the Tigers’ ﬁrst lead since 8-6 with 17:34 left in the ﬁrst half. LSU led 50-44 at halftime behind Nwoko’s 12 points and Thomas with 10 points and three assists. Alcorn State shot 48% from the field and had 10 second-chance points compared to LSU’s 12.

A trend that helped the Tigers remain in control was their ability to draw fouls. They shot 22 free throws in the ﬁrst half and ﬁnished the game making 31 of 39.

Marquel Sutton imposed his will in the second half. The 6-foot-9 forward found his shooting stroke and pounded the glass, ﬁnishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds for LSU.

The Tigers also widened their lead in the second half because they were effective in cleaning up their misses, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds for 30 secondchance points.

Alcorn State shot 38% in the second half and 49% for the game.

LSU’s next game is against Omaha on at 7 p.m. Friday in the PMAC. Omaha is Sutton’s former team, where he stayed for three seasons and won the Summit League Player of the Year last season.

47%

3-point

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The LSU women’s basketball team doesn’t take many 3-pointers. It hasn’t since coach Kim Mulkey took over in 2021, and it isn’t now, with the ﬁrst ﬁve games of the season in the books.

But no team in the country is off to a hotter start from beyond the arc than the No. 5 Tigers (5-0), who are both taking and making more long-range shots than they did in each of the previous four seasons. Through five games, LSU is shooting 47% from 3-point range one of the key reasons it emerged from its win at Tulane on Monday with the nation’s top scoring offense.

“It’s not anything that we’re doing differently,” Mulkey said.

But the numbers look different. Maybe it’s merely a hot streak. An early-season mirage.

Or perhaps it’s a sign this LSU team is a bigger threat from 3-point range than each of the ﬁrst four groups that Mulkey put together during her tenure in Baton Rouge — and thus a more dangerous offensive team all together

The sample size is widening, and the Tigers aren’t cooling off.

They’ve already drained 40 3s on just 85 attempts. No Division I team that has taken more than 80 shots from beyond the arc is converting those looks at a higher rate. The nation’s second-most efficient 3-point shooting team (South Alabama) is making 43% of the shots it’s taking from long range.

LSU has hit at least six 3-pointers in all ﬁve games.

“I mean, we practice 3s the same way we have since I’ve been here, since I’ve been coaching,” Mulkey said “It might be just better recruiting, huh? Bringing in players that can shoot it.”

Flau’jae Johnson is 12 of 19 from 3-point range. Mikaylah Williams is 11 of 18. MiLaysia Fulwiley — the South Carolina transfer who shot just 26% from beyond the arc last season — is 8 of 20 (40%) after she drained five 3s in LSU’s win over Charlotte last Thursday Even freshman guard Bella Hines has contributed to the hot start. She’s hit a 3 in four of the five games, which means she’ll enter the Tigers’ next matchup Thursday at home against Alcorn State (7 p.m., SEC Network+) with seven long-range makes on 12 attempts. Last season, LSU didn’t hit its 40th 3-pointer until its ninth game

ä Alcorn State at LSU

7 P.M.THURSDAy SECN+

Dec. 1. This team hit that mark in the fourth quarter of just the ﬁfth game.

“We don’t have just one shooter,” Fulwiley said. “I feel like everybody on our team are shooters, and we got a lot of depth, and that gives us more conﬁdence to shoot it because we know that our post player is gonna grab the rebound if we miss, and we can shoot again.”

In its road win over the Green Wave, LSU needed two late free throws to scrape past the century mark for the ﬁfth game in a row, matching the SEC record for consecutive 100-point games that its national title team set in 2022. The Tigers won by 30 points, but they didn’t bludgeon Tulane like they did their ﬁrst four opponents.

The Green Wave, for instance, lost the last three quarters by only seven total points after it fell behind by 23 points at the end of the ﬁrst quarter Tulane also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds the fourth-most LSU has allowed a regular-season nonconference opponent to pull down in the Mulkey era.

The Tigers still won with ease, in part because they drained three of the ﬁve shots they took from beyond the arc in the decisive ﬁrst quarter

“There’s not a perimeter player that we have that is uncomfortable from the 3,” Mulkey said, “and I sit here and I really have to think, ‘We don’t have one perimeter player that the 3 is not in their range.’ Look, they come off the bench, and they’re going to jack it.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.

AP: NBA warns Warriors’ Green after face-off with fan

Golden State forward went chest-to-chest with Pelicans supporter

BY BRETT MARTEL

AP sportswriter

Golden State forward Draymond Green received a warning from the NBA after going nearly chest-to-chest with a fan during the Warriors’ 124-106 road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, a person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the NBA has not announced the warning.

The fan, who identiﬁed himself as Sam Green, 35, of New Orleans, was wearing a black polo with a Pelicans logo on it. He was standing and cheering after Draymond Green had been called for a shooting foul while guarding Pelicans forward Herb Jones during the game Sunday

Continued from page 1C

tonight and that was a bright spot, for sure.” As usual, he was tasked with coming off the bench and helping guard the opponent’s best player

While players began taking their positions along the key for Jones’ foul shots, Draymond Green strode over to the fan and stood just inches from him as they spoke to one another, with the fan holding

On Monday, it was Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s MVP last season. GilgeousAlexander ﬁnished with 23 points, eight points less than his 31.9 points per game average Peavy relishes those type of assignments.

his arms out on each side.

Game ofﬁcials quickly stepped between them and pulled Draymond Green away while ushers gathered and spoke with the fan.

“He just kept calling me a wom-

“That’s what I ask for,” Peavy said “I ask for them to put me on the best player because I think I’m one of the best defenders in the NBA. (The coaches allowing me to do that) means what I think about myself is true.” Peavy leans on Herb Jones for advice on how to guard certain players. Peavy’s locker is right beside Jones’ locker, so he’s always asking questions. “It’s great learning from a de-

an. It was a good joke at ﬁrst but you can’t keep calling me a woman,” Draymond Green said, clarifying later that the fan was calling him “a woman’s name.”

“I got four kids and one on the way,” Green added. “Just don’t be disrespectful.”

Draymond Green said game ofﬁcial Courtney Kirkland told him, “I got it. I’ve heard him over and over and over again. You’ve handled it well. Don’t get yourself in no trouble. I’ll take care of it. Courtney was great.”

Sam Green said he was heckling Draymond Green with chants of “Angel Reese,” because several of the Warriors’ star’s early rebounds resulted from his short-range misses, starting with a Golden State possession in which Green missed five straight shots and rebounded the first four. Draymond Green finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Sam Green said the NBA star shouted profanity at him and threatened to punch him out if he continued the “Angel Reese” taunts — a reference to the WNBA

fender like him,” Peavy said. “I want to be a ﬁrst-team defender like he was.” While Peavy wants to have a Jones-like impact on defense, he desires a Jose Alvarado-type impact off the bench.

“Energy,” Peavy said “I want to be that spark plug off the bench. I see how Jose goes in and he’s the

and former LSU star who set several LSU and SEC rebounding records.

“I wasn’t using profanity and for him to walk 12 feet off the court to come and get in my face like that, it was a little unnerving,” said Sam Green, who was given a warning by ushers but was allowed to remain in his front-row seat.

Draymond Green, who has been known to draw technical fouls, fines and ejections for his confrontational and emotionally combustible on-court persona, has been fined for fan interaction in the past. In 2022, he was fined $25,000 for what the NBA described as “directing obscene language toward a fan.” Green has been critical of fan behavior, saying fans face relatively few consequences for saying inappropriate things, and are in fact motivated to do so by the fact that players can be fined for engaging with them.

Green said Sunday night that he is accustomed to heckling at road games and that it generally doesn’t bother him.

spark plug, and I want to do that as well. Do whatever it takes to be on the ﬂoor and make winning plays Especially with my defense. That’s where I think I can help the team the most. And then knock down shots like I did today.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU guard Mikaylah Williams shoots over Charlotte’s Tanajah Hayes last Wednesday. Williams is 11 of 18 on 3-point shots.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is held back by referee Courtney Kirkland while talking to New Orleans Pelicans fan Sam Green during the first half Sunday at the Smoothie King Center

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU center Mike Nwoko goes up for a dunk in the first half against Alcorn State on Tuesday night in the PMAC. After trailing much of the first half, the 4-0 Tigers pulled away to a 107-81 victory.

LSU gymnastics schedule with times, TV is set

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

The 2026 LSU gymnastics schedule is now fully complete, with meet times and TV network/ streaming designations for each meet.

The Tigers start Jan. 2 with their annual Gymnastics 101 exhibition meet, moved from December for the ﬁrst time. The meet begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network+.

LSU’s regular-season opener will be Jan. 10 in the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in West Valley City Utah. The Tigers will compete at 3 p.m on ABC against reigning NCAA champion Oklahoma, Utah and California.

After LSU’s Southeastern Conference opener Jan. 16 at Georgia, the Tigers ﬁnally return home to the Pete Maravich Assembly Cen-

Ga. Tech, Pitt meet with CFP on the line

BY ALAN COLE Associated Press

ATLANTA A shot at the College Football Playoff is on the line for both No. 15 Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh ahead of a prime-time matchup Saturday night.

The Yellow Jackets (9-1, 6-1) will clinch a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Dec. 6 if they beat Pitt (7-3, 5-1), while a Panthers’ victory would keep them alive for the same goal heading into their regular-season ﬁnale against No. 14 Miami

“This is a championship game in its own right,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said Tuesday “That’s the way we’re viewing it, that’s the way we’re approaching it. It’s on everybody to get the job done.” Regardless of the outcome, the ACC standings remain in flux No. 19 Virginia, SMU, Miami and Duke are all in the mix for the title game, but Georgia Tech is the only team completely in control of its destiny

Key said simply put, games this time of year are “different,” and he doesn’t “shy away from that.”

Georgia Tech trailed Boston College (1-10, 0-7) 28-17 late in its game last week, but rallied to escape with a 36-34 victory Still, the scare against the conference cellar dweller coupled with a Nov 1 loss at N.C. State has created an uneasy feeling around the Yellow Jackets, particularly with their struggling defense.

Georgia Tech leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense, but resides near the bottom of 136 teams in total defense.

“I got after them pretty good,” Key said of his defense “But it’s telling them, ‘You’re good. Let’s fix it and go play that way.’” Pitt is coming off a disappointing game in its own right, albeit one with no bearing on ACC positioning. The Panthers stepped out of conference play and fell flat in a 37-15 defeat against No. 9 Notre Dame, but still would reach the conference title game with wins in their final two games plus one loss by either Virginia or SMU.

“We just take it one game at a time,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said “We treat everything the same. The word pressure is bad. Our guys know what they’ve got to do. They’ve got to go out and win one football game.” Pitt is seeking its third trip to the ACC title game under Narduzzi and ﬁrst since 2021, while Georgia Tech is aiming for its ﬁrst appearance since 2014.

ter for their ﬁrst regular-season home meet at 6:30 p.m Jan. 23 against Kentucky The meet will be televised on ESPN2, the ﬁrst of three meets on that network for LSU along with Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. at Missouri and Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. at Oklahoma.

The Tigers’ only meet not streamed or televised will be its appearance in the Podium Challenge, 4 p.m. March 1 in the Raising Cane’s River Center After a March 8 trip to Florida (5 p.m., SEC Network), LSU concludes the regular season at 7:30 p.m. March 13 against Arkansas on the SEC Network

The Tigers go Tulsa, Oklahoma, on March 21 for the SEC Championships, then return to the PMAC to host their ﬁrst NCAA regional since 2019 from April 3-5. If LSU advances, the NCAA Championships will again be held in Fort Worth, Texas, April 16-18.

2026 LSU gymnastics schedule Jan. 2: Gymnastics 101, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network+) Jan. 10: Sprouts Collegiate Quad@, 3

The Tigers shared the 2025 SEC regular-season championship with OU and won the SEC championship meet before going on to be the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA championships for the ﬁrst time. LSU returns 2025 NCAA vault

Reed’s leadership, talent propel Aggies

Quarterback has emerged as one of the best in the nation

BY KRISTIE RIEKEN Associated Press

COLLEGE STATION, Texas

Marcel Reed wasn’t always a quarterback.

He got his start in Pee Wee football as the team’s star running back. But it quickly became clear he could throw better than anyone on the team, so they implemented halfback passes for the young Reed

That wasn’t nearly enough to showcase his athletic ability and by ﬁfth grade he moved into the position that made him a star

He knew it was where he was supposed to be all along.

“It just felt natural, just because obviously I got to touch the ball every play,” he said. “So, who can complain about that?”

Years later, Reed has developed into one of the country’s top quarterbacks and a Heisman Trophy contender as he’s led the third-ranked Texas A&M Aggies to their ﬁrst 10-0 start since 1992.

Charisma and character

Aside from his physical gifts, Reed’s rapport with his teammates has helped him and the Aggies make a big jump in his second year as Texas A&M’s starter

“I have the charisma and the character just to be able to lead people,” he said. “I tell people a lot that the way I lead is kind of connecting with all of my teammates, not just on a football level, but just kind of understanding them.”

To that end, he made it a priority to know the names of everyone in the locker room from the stars to the walk-ons. And he’s not simply memorizing names He works to establish a relationship with each player, something he learned from his father, Rod Reed, a former Tennessee State coach.

“I try to make it known who I am as a person, not just a football player,” he said.

Teammates often rave about Reed’s leadership and credit him for much of Texas A&M’s success this season.

“Marcel has turned around this program for sure,” said linebacker Taurean York, one of the team’s three captains. “He’s the leader on the forefront of it and he’s out there playing his best in the biggest moments and that’s something that you can’t measure.”

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel

on Saturday in College Station, Texas. The

with 22 touchdown passes this season.

He’s also impressed those who have been in his shoes in the past. Jerrod Johnson, the QB at Texas A&M from 2007-10 who is currently the Houston Texans quarterbacks coach, said Reed is everything you want at the position.

“Just his command of the offense, he just looks like he’s in complete control,” Johnson said. “You can see he looks a lot more comfortable You can see his anticipation is a lot better than last year But just big picture-wise, man, you can see he’s a leader of that team.”

Making a name for himself

Reed made a name for himself as a dual-threat quarterback after throwing for more than 6,000 yards and 62 touchdowns, while rushing for over 2,000 yards and 38 more scores in high school Last season, he threw for 1,864 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions and added 543 yards rushing and seven TDs.

When the Aggies struggled down the stretch last year, losing three of their last four games to fall out of contention for the College Football Playoff, many criticized Reed for not being a strong enough passer Though he said the criticism didn’t bother him because he knew what he was capable of, he spent much of the offseason working on improving his passing skills and it’s clear his

hard work paid off.

This year, he’s thrown for 2,632 yards and leads the Southeastern Conference with 22 TD passes.

Reggie McNeal, who threw for 6,992 yards and ran for 1,889 yards for the Aggies from 200205, sees many similarities between himself and Reed. Though McNeal ﬁnished his A&M career before Reed was out of diapers, Reed named McNeal as one of the Aggies’ former quarterbacks who have inspired him.

“What he’s probably got more of than I had was the shiftiness,” McNeal said. “I made people miss but he’s more shifty than I am. So, it’s a joy to watch him play and it’s so similar to the things that I used to do back when I played. And the offense that he gets to play in is top notch and it ﬁts him perfectly.”

Bringing an edge to the Aggies

In addition to the other qualities that have elevated the quarterback this season, Reed has helped bring an edge to the Aggies that they lacked in recent years. He rufﬂed some feathers after Texas A&M cleared out the stadium with a 49-25 rout of LSU last month when he said Death Valley “didn’t do much to me.”

Reed doesn’t care if people were bothered by his comments.

“If it does, then do something better so it don’t irk you,” he said.

“That’s not my problem.”

Last week, Reed was asked about past Heisman moments as he enters the final two weeks of the regular season as A&M’s first contender for the trophy since Johnny Manziel won it in 2012. He mentioned Cam Newton and Manziel. Then on Saturday, after the Aggies fell into a 30-3 hole to South Carolina at halftime after three turnovers by Reed, it looked like his Heisman hopes and possibly A&M’s chances to make the playoff for the first time were slipping away

Instead, Reed had what could be his Heisman moment by spearheading the biggest comeback in school history in a 31-30 victory He finished with a career-high 439 yards passing, including 316 yards and three touchdowns in the second half to earn Associated Press player of the week honors.

“That probably should hold a lot of stock with Heisman voters, I would hope,” coach Mike Elko said. “He has elevated himself week in and week out. When we’ve needed him to step up and make plays to win football games, he’s done it. There’s been a lot made of some other people across the country when they’ve had opportunities to step up and make plays, and they were rewarded for it. I’d like to see our quarterback rewarded for it the same way.”

Rodgers could face Bears despite broken wrist

BY WILL GRAVES

AP sportswriter PITTSBURGH Aaron Rodgers might get a chance to say goodbye to one of his favorite places after all.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday there’s a chance that Rodgers and his fractured left wrist could play on Sunday when the Steelers visit Chicago. Rodgers injured his non-throwing wrist late in the ﬁrst half of Pittsburgh’s 32-14 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday While Tomlin said Rodgers wanted to come back in, the four-time MVP remained in the locker room for evaluation while backup Mason Rudolph helped the AFC Northleading Steelers pull away to improve to 6-4.

The 41-year-old Rodgers, the NFL’s oldest active player, will not need surgery on the wrist. He will not practice on Wednesday but what happens after that will depend on how Rodgers adjusts to the brace he will wear and how that affects his ability to operate normally Tomlin doesn’t expect pain tolerance to be an issue, though Rodgers will have to show he’s able to protect himself. Rudolph, who ﬁlled in capably in the second half against the Bengals, would start for Pittsburgh against the NFC North-leading Bears (7-3) if Rodgers can’t go.

Rodgers has a long history with Chicago, dating to his highly successful run in Green Bay earlier in his career He is 11-1 as a starter at Soldier Field and once

famously proclaimed he “owned” one of the NFL’s oldest franchises. Tomlin brushed aside the idea that Rodgers’ dominance over the Bears will play a factor in whether he plays.

“Aaron always wants to play Opponent has nothing to do with it,” Tomlin said “It’s his love affair with the game of football.”

Tomlin isn’t sure exactly when Rodgers suffered the injury though cameras caught Rodgers clutching the wrist after a seconddown heave to the back of the end zone with Pittsburgh driving late in the ﬁrst half. Rodgers was hit at the end of the play, though he did stay in to make one more pass, an incompletion to Roman Wilson. Rudolph completed 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals and will

practice with the starters until Rodgers returns.

Asked what kind of input Rodgers will have about returning, the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach chuckled.

“It’s his body, so certainly he’s gonna be a component of the discussion,” Tomlin said.

Rudolph gives Pittsburgh a reliable fallback option. The 30-yearold now in his second stint with the Steelers after a lengthy run as primarily a backup from 2018-23 — memorably won three straight starts at the end of the 2023 season to help the Steelers make the playoffs.

“He’s proven over his time here that he’s capable of coming in and playing winning football for us,” Tomlin said. “And that’s no small task.”

champion Kailin Chio for her sophomore season, 2021 U.S. gymnastics all-around champion Konnor

McClain for her junior campaign and sophomore Kaliya Lincoln, a 2024 U.S. Olympic alternate.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU gymnast Kailin Chio finishes on vault against Oklahoma on Feb 14 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVID J PHILLIP

Reed celebrates with coach Mike Elko after a game against South Carolina

Heisman Trophy contender leads the Southeastern Conference

AP PHOTO By MARK STOCKWELL Georgia Tech coach Brent Key looks on during warm-ups before a game against Boston College on Saturday in Boston.

BA CHI KITCHEN +BAR

3547 18th St., Metairie, (504) 584-8118 l 11 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. MondaytoWednesday, till9:45 p.m.ThursdaytoSaturday

Freshstart by themall brings big ﬂavors at fair prices

BY IAN McNULTY Staff writer

Aclatter of clams in their shells topped with fries brought to mind moules-frites. The mild curry sauce in which the clams steeped, andinto which the fries fell,made me think of curry fries from apub. Suddenly,I wanted acoldpint of beer in front of me, but then again, Iwas very pleased with the wine. It was ano-biggie, perfectly fine, anytime pinot grigio at just $12 for the bottle, aremarkable ﬁnd on arestaurantlist.

Ba Chi Kitchen+ Bar is still relatively new in Fat City, though I’ve been eating itsparticular take on Southeast Asian food for about adozen years. The proprietorsQuinn and Phat Vu are from aVietnamese restaurant family,related to TanDinh in Gretna and Café Minh in New Orleans.They opened their ﬁrst restaurant, Ba Chi Canteen, near the Uptown universities on Maple Street back in 2013.They relocated to Metairie two years ago,atthe timecitingthe poor condition of theﬁrstbuildingtheywereleasing (which wassubsequently demolished, apparently underscoringtheir point).

The fresh start brought an expanded menuthat pairs traditional pho andspring rolls next to kimchi fries and gyoza dressed up as if the dumplings were nachos. Add aspecialtyin wings and bacos (springy-soft steamed baobuns stuffed like tacos)and youhave Southeast Asian drinking food.

Ever since the unfortunate endofMoPho earlier this year, I’ve been looking for arestaurant with something likeits modern read on SoutheastAsian ﬂavors. Ba Chi is not adirect replacement, but it does hit the spot for its blend of traditional dishes and anext-generation, mix-it-up playfulness.

One of the specialtysoups, Phat Pheaux is adeluxebeef feast of apho with the familiar fatty brisket, leanroundeye and squishy beef balls, plusthe literally over-the-top addition of beef ribs arching out of the bowl. Itwas on my mind again with coolerweather rollingin.

My favorite of the chicken wing varieties has alemongrass sauce that tastes like atropical version of abuttery andpeppery New Orleans barbecue shrimp sauce. For something withmore of a brunch feel, try the bò né, essentially Vietnamese steak and eggs, withpâtétomix different bites against the crusty pistolette.

The newname of the relocated restaurant reﬂects that the restaurant does indeed function as abar now,with aseparate

Acouple of days after gettingone of the first Michelin Guide stars in Louisiana, chef SueZemanick,of Zasu, was back to work, even cleaning the frontdoor window.

Inside Mid-City’s surprise Michelin Star restaurant

CHELSEA SHANNON Staff writer

Inthe small kitchen at Zasu, thestaff was preparing for atypical Mondaydinnerservice as severalchefs from New Orleans andthe Gulf Coast were in SouthCarolina, eagerly waiting to learn if they’d earned acoveted Michelin Star

ButZasu owner and chef Sue Zemanick did notexpect any special recognition.

So she was withher staff on Nov. 3, preparingasthoughit wasany other day

Then, murmurs beganabout which restaurants were on the list, and “congratulations”texts started popping up on Zemanick’sphone

“I didn’tknowthat we would even be considered,” she said on theThursday after the announcement

The future Warbler Hotel is taking shape at 1923 St Charles Ave. in New Orleans.

shows off agift from afriend of awooden sheath for one of her knives that features the uniquely-designed Michelin star emblem.

Aftergetting the surprise of herlife, it took awhile for the shock to wear off as dinner service carried on.

“Wewere so busy at the restaurant, andI was able to celebrate thestar with my team, the front of the house,the back of the house, my family and friends, which made it even morespecial,” Zemanick said.

Zemanick opened Zasu with a New Year’sEve dinner to ring in 2019. Herrestaurant, tucked behind shrubs glittered with lights, stands on Carrollton Avenue —a deluge of cars with the occasional streetcar passing by on the busy street “I think alot of people didn’t

BY IANMcNULTY Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOSByCHRISGRANGER

Zemanick

Chef Sue Zemanick, of Zasu

BELOW: Potato pierogi are servedwithlentils at Zasu.

STAFF PHOTO By IAN McNULTy Vietnamese bò né, asteak and eggs dish servedhere withbone marrow, is on the menu at Ba Chi Kitchen +Bar in Metairie.

Thanksgiving dilemma

Dear Annie: This Thanksgiving Iwill be meeting my new boyfriend’sfamily for the ﬁrst time, and Iam already abundle of nerves.His mom is hosting abig traditional dinner at their home, the kind with aperfectly roasted turkey,gravy from scratch and about 10 different side dishes.She is known for her cooking, and apparentlyThanksgivingis her Super Bowl. There is just one problem. Iamavegetarian. Ihave not eaten meat in nearlya decade, not for attention but because it genuinely makes me feel better physically and aligns with my values. My boyfriend mentioned it to his mom, and she was polite, but Icould tell from her tone that she did not quite know what to make of it. She said something like, “Oh, she does not eat turkey? Well …Wewill ﬁgure something out.” Now Iampanicking. Ido not want to show up and seem ungrateful, picky,or worse, judgmental. Iwant

BA CHI

By The Associated Press

hismom to likeme, andI know howpersonal cooking canbe. Ihaveeventhought about just takinga small pieceofturkey tobe polite, but theidea of doingthat feels wrong anddishonest. On theother hand, Idonot want to makethe whole meal about me or cause awkwardness aroundthe table. ShouldIoffer to bring avegetarian dish to share? Should Ijustquietly ﬁllmyplate with sides and hope no onenotices? Or should Iexplain my choice more directly so it does not seem like Iambeing difﬁcult?

Ireally care aboutthis guy,and Iwould love to start off on the right foot with hisfamily.How can I stay true to myself while still beingagraciousguest?

—Nervous Vegetarian Dear Nervous: Youcan impress yourboyfriend’s momwithout eating the turkey.What mattersmost is not whatisonyourplate but your attitudeatthe table.

Continued from page1D

lounge, and acocktail menu running through Grimacepurple ube espressomartinis and rum-spiked Thai tea. If holiday shopping takes youtothe mall (which, in these days of lonely online shopping, actually counts abit more like shopping local), here’sa spot nearby for interesting foodand aglass of wine at the ﬁnish line. But on aweekday night, the clams, asoup big enough for two meals and a$12 bottle of wine to stretch the beverage dollar worked just right.

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@theadvocate com.

HOTEL

Continued from page1D

Warbler will be asix-story hotel with 58 rooms.

It’saprojectfrom Verdad Real Estate, led by principal Joe Mann. ANew Orleans native,heenvisions the Warbler as part of arevival along this part of lower St. Charles Avenue, creating a new upscale boutique hotel for visitors who want their lodgings to be part of their experience of New Orleans.

“This stretch just has so much potential,” Mann said. “Wewantedtobuild something worthy of the address on St.Charles Avenue,a place with charm and character and astory to tell.”

Mildred’sand Upstairs

To create the hotel’sfood and beverage program, Mann turned to his longtime friend Neal Bodenheimer,who is cofounder of the bars Cure and

Yes, youshould offer to bring avegetarian dishto share —something hearty and festive so you are adding to the meal, not subtracting from it. Bringing abeautiful side or casserole says, “I am thoughtful,” not “I am difﬁcult.” This way,you ensureyou have something to eat and you impress your boyfriend’smom withyour contribution. At dinner,begracious, compliment her cooking and focus on enjoying the company.Don’ttake apiece of turkey for thesake of being polite. Most hosts care far more about appreciation than appetite.

Ican tell you are akind person already because you care about not doing anything to take away from thedinner that your boyfriend’smom so graciously arranged. Stay true to your values, smile often and help withthe dishes when dinner’sover.That will win over any mom faster than a biteofturkey ever could.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com.

Peychaud’s and restaurants Vals andCane& Table. The hotel’sground floor will be home to Mildred’s, which Bodenheimerdescribes as amartini bar and restaurant inspired by Europeancafe culture.

“It will be polished,without being formal,” Bodenheimer said.

With about 60 seats between barand tables, it will be aplace for adrink and a bite, or afullmeal,with martinis central to theconcept, he said. Mildred’sisnamed forMann’s grandmother, and thechoice was in line with evoking apast generation with the new concept. Bodenheimerisworking withlongtimeCurecollaborator Kirk Estopinal on Mildred’saswell as the separate offerings for thehotel’s poolside lounge, called Upstairs, situated on the roof. If Mildred’sistofeel urban and contemporary, expect Upstairs to bemore coastal, breezy and casual.

To consult on theculinary side, they’ve partnered with Andrew Zimmerman,the chef at theChicago restaurant Sepia, which has held a Michelin Star since 2011.

The Warbler is theﬁrst hotel undertaking for Verdad, which has developed retail andself-storage projects around the country.Mann said it’spersonally significant for him to bring somethingnew and elegant to his hometown.

“Living here, you drive down that part of St. Charles Avenue everyday,and you can just see what it can be,” Mann said.

The Warbler is ablock from the landmark Pontchartrain Hotel, with its ownrooftop bar, whilea number of separate redevelopmentand new-build projectsare underway in the blocks nearby

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@theadvocate. com.

Today is Wednesday, Nov.19, the 323rd day of 2025. There are 42 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Nov.19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered theGettysburg Address at the dedication of anational cemetery at thesite of theCivil War battleﬁeld of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania.

Also on this date:

In 1959, Ford Motor Co. announced it was halting production of the unpopular Edsel.

In 1969, Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean madethe second crewed landing on themoon.

In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became theﬁrst Arab leader to visit Israel.

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader

Mikhail S. Gorbachev met forthe ﬁrst timeasthey began their summitinGeneva.

In 1998, Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr testiﬁed before the House Judiciary Committee during impeachment hearings against President Bill Clinton. (The full House approved two articles of impeachment against Clinton that December; Clinton waslater acquitted in a Senate trial).

In 2017, Charles Manson, the cult leader behind the murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles in 1969, died in a California hospital at the age of 83 after nearly a half-century in prison.

In 2022, ﬁve people were killed and 25 injured when ashooter opened ﬁre at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Today’sBirthdays: Talk show host Dick Cavett is 89.

Media mogul and philanthropist TedTurner is 87. Fashion designer Calvin Klein is 83. Poet Sharon Olds is 83. Sportscaster and former NFLwide receiver Ahmad Rashad is 76. Broadcast journalist Ann Curry is 69.

n TheAwe of ‘O’

In celebration of the Art of the American South, “O What aNight!” occurs annually as a fund- and awareness-raiser for the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. The sold-out Saturday night gala occurred in two locations within the museum complex,while the Thursday evening 6-8 p.m. patron party,whichwas sponsored by Beverly Dale,unfolded Uptown at thehome of Kaye Courington.Itwas jam-packed with eager art aﬁcionados, who got ajump start perusing thelive auction items to be sold twonightslater,reached for hearty hors d’oeuvres and admired the handsome residence. They also thanked hostKaye, who co-chaired “O What aNight!” along with Fern Watters. At the big bash,the ﬁrst shoulder rubbing, “O What AnEvening!,” took place in thePatrick F. Taylor Library with cocktails, asilent auction of 80-plusworks by regional artists, PalateNew Orleans appetizers, and Red Hot Brass Band’sspunky sounds. Then it was on to thegala tentsponsored by Entergy New Orleans| Entergy Louisianafor the Palate New Orleansseated dinner featuringamain course of steak (with agrateful tiptotoque Glenn Vatshell andsponsors The Jenkins familyand FirstDay Foundation);the live auction of 13 lots; the subsequent Paddle Raise; and with sponsorship by MichaelMimeles, pre-prandial entertainment by Jeremy Davenport,and fordancing,The Essentials.

CIRCUITING

The apex of “O” is the presentation of theOpus Awards and those for 2025 wenttoacclaimed media artist andNew Orleanian Dawn DeDeaux, aformer Prix de Rome recipient, founderofCamp Abundance and arecent bride to RobertYarber,painter andprofessor;and to RandyK.Haynie, owner andpresidentofHaynie &Associates, agovernment relations ﬁrm with ofﬁces in BatonRouge and Lafayette, who recently helped Ogden Museum acquirethe aboveTaylor Library and the Stephen Goldring Hall. He has received achievement and supporter awards from prestigious art groups.

Features of the festivitywere numerous, including Wendy Rodrigue and spouse Douglas Magnus‘s sponsorship of thedécor thatwas provided by ELEMENT and included ﬂorals by Mona’sAccents; thetop-selling live auction “Early Morning MagNOLA” by Gregory B. Saunders,and “Blades Day Dance II” by DeDeaux;and silentauction artby WilliamDunlap, Francis X. Pavy,Kimberly Ha,and Ruth Owens.

The who’swho, nicely turned outinblack tie,encompassed museum boardchair Jessie Haynes (ofﬁcers are Geoffrey P. Snodgrass, JasonWaguespack, and Justin Woods)and executive director William Pittman Andrew,the Helis Foundation Executive Director Ogden Museum of SouthernArt. Representing the foundation was president David A. Kerstein. Also within the titled throng were Lonnie Holley,Gayle Benson, Helena Moreno, CarlosCarmonaand David Pine, Christopher J.Alfieri,Debra J. Fischman,KayeCourington, Fernand Kevin Watters, Suzie and TedBloch, Bradley Sumrall, Jonathan Ferrara, Marky and Len Aucoin, Brady and Scott Cunningham,Arthur Roger,Kathryn and Jeff Scurlock,spouses Amy Pfrimmer and GregMiller,Kerri and Rene Sanchez,Vesta Fort,Jim Sheer,Catherine and Jason Kuuskraa, Judith “Judie” Oudt, and with KenBarnes, Roger Ogden, founder of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, “thelargest collection of Southern art in the world.” “O” whata site!

n An Apple aDay

The Louisiana’sGood Apple Luncheon 2025 at Arnaud’sfeatured former Gov John Bel Edwards (now,Fishman Haygood)asthe keynote speakerand master of ceremonies. Laurels bedecked Players Coalition and Jeremiah Brown —the co-founders were Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins —for the CommunityGood Apple Award, and for the Pro BonoGood Apple Award, Ronald J. ScaliseJr.,Tulane University Law School. More names to knowwereluncheon co-chairs Colleen Jarrott and Kathlyn Perez LA Appleseed Executive Director Adrienne Wheeler board president Sharonda Williams and immediate past president Ashley Harrison.Further board brass includes Hope Spencer,Elizabeth Carter,Alex N. BreckinridgeV Jarrott,Kent Lambert, LauraAvery, Michelle Antwi,Valerie Bargas, Judge Tiffany Chase, Philip Claverie Jr., RobertJ.David Jr.,Tiffany Davis, Micah Fincher,Kerii Landry-Thomas,Walt Leger III,Alainna Mire, Courtney Nicholson, Perez, Jeff Richardson,Sally Richardson, and S. Christie Smith IV JPMorganChase and Leger &Shaw attorneys and counselors were the DiamondSponsors. Louisiana Appleseed, which solves problems at the root cause “by advocating for access to justice, opportunity, andeducation”drew, as luncheon notables, most of the above, along with Judges Rose Ledet, John Davidson (retired), and Lakeisha Johnson;state Sen. Gregory Miller;state Reps. Nicholas Muscarello, Mandy Landry,and Dixon McMakin; Donna and John Fraiche; Carlos Alberto Monje Jr.; Martin Stern and ahost of others who complimented Shana Hayward on thedecorativetouches, relished atastymeal (including crab cakes and roasted chicken breast, and, forthe sweet ﬁnale, enjoyed cake pops by The BiteBoss.

n Luncheon legions

“The Fate of theDay” had double play,both as the felicitously well-attended 2025 Bureau of Governmental Research Annual Luncheon in theHilton New Orleans Riverside, and the first five words of speaker Rick Atkinson’s book. Introduced by historian and New Orleans native C.W.Goodyear,who goes by Charlie and wrote the eloquent biography “President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier,” Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, journalist and bestselling author Atkinson spoke to therapt audience. His subject was the prevention of polarization among nations and his latest book, “The Fate of the Day:America and Our Revolution at 250.” Questions and answers followed as did robust applause forthe keynote speaker,who describedhistory as astudy of character Rebecca Mowbray, BGR president and CEO, Samuel Zemurray Chair in Research Leadership, opened andclosed the excellent program that included remarksfrom 2025 board chair Steven W. Usdin, whowas joined by Melanee. The presentation was part of the Janet Howard Speaker Series in Governmental Research. The eponymous Howard, former head of BGR, wasinthe sold-out audience. So wererepresentatives from PresentingSponsors Hancock Whitney Bank and Ochsner Health and other sponsors; BGR board members, current (such as Graham Ralston, Ben Dupuy,David Rieveschl)and past;and such bold names as Helena Moreno,Anne Kirkpatrick, JP Morrell, Erroll Williams, John Hairston, David Mueller,Tim Poche, Matt Willard, JoeGiarrusso III, EugeneGreen, Michelle Woodfork, Simone Levine, Jason Williams,AimeeAdatto Freeman, Stephanie Hilferty, MikeFitz, Randy Haymon, Sally and JayLapeyre,Stephanie Grace,Anne and King Milling, Mark and Mindy Mayer, and from the Goodyear family,Charlie’sparents, Elizabeth and Chip,and his wife, Ellen.Post luncheon, people flocked to the Garden District Book Shop stand to buy Atkinson’s book. The “food of the day” —mixed greens, tasty chicken, potatoes au gratin, bourbon praline cheesecake—was duly appreciated and delicious.

John Bel

PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT

Randyand Daynese Haynie, Greg and Monica Stock

Pennyand Todd Francis

Robertyarber,DawnDeDeaux

Michael Deas, Christian Dinh, Sherry Owens

Kaye Courington

PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT

Charlie Goodyear,StevenUsdin, Rebecca Mowbray, Rick Atkinson

LouisFreeman Jr Nick Mueller

Vanessa Claiborne, Anne Banos

Carlin Conner,Jane Atkinson, Merritt Lane

Nicholas Muscarello Jeremiah Brown, Gregory Miller

Kathlyn Perez, Elizabeth Carter

RoseLedet, TiffanyChase

PHOTOSByREAGAN LAQUE

Edwards, DonnaFraiche, SharondaWilliams, Ronald Scalise

know about us, even though I’vehad alongcareer as achef in New Orleans. It’sjustkind of like hidden, alittle hidden gem,” Zemanick said

From the art on the walls to the foodonthe table, Zemanick’spersonality and family historyshine at the cozy Mid-City spot. Her favorite dish on the menu is the pierogi.Its current iteration is lentil and potato, served with mustardgreensand atomato chutney

She and one of her sous chefs, Olga Ramirez,work together to make the ﬁlling and prepare allthe pieces, so when someone orders this dish closely tied to Zemanick’sSlavic heritagethey can tastethe love that wentinto its preparation.

“I worked with this chef at Commander’s, and he told me that whenever you eat, you should think about eating with chopsticks, so every bite tastes good on its own. So when it comes together,it’smagic, because everythingisgood, so there’sreally very littleroom for error,” Zemanick shared Before coming to NewOrleans, Zemanick spent ayear as abutcher and taught culinary students howtoidentify, receive and butcherﬁsh.She traded the cold of upstateNew York for the warmth of the Crescent City.She has since continued hercareeroflearning and honing her skills, and she presents all of her efforts in her restaurant every night except Sunday Her menu focuses on using thebest ingredients shecan while staying true to her passion for seafood.

“The reason Imoved to New Orleans was because of the plentiful seafood that we have down here. Ireally focus on a lot of fish and local seafood, but Ialso like to bring in stuff from all over the world,” she explained. “There’ssomany different ﬂavors and textures that you get with ﬁshand seafood that you don’tget with beef

Many

or pork,and that’skind of why I focusonthat.”

During hertime in New Orleans, shehas received several accolades, including aJames Beard Award for Best Chef: Southina tie with chef Ryan Prewitt, and hasappeared on multiple television shows.

Butthe people in her life are what keep hergoing —her staff, fellow chefs, her husband and her two daughters. Her husband,Jorin Ostroska, said he felt Zemanick had been ﬂying under the radar for many years, and that he’sproud of his wife’snewfoundattention with thestar distinction.

“I know this means alot of work forher,but to seeher being recognized is really satisfying for me, because I’veseen her,inmyopinion, be underrecognized,” he said. Zemanick’srestaurant is now

part of aclass of restaurants around the world runbywomen that have earned aMichelin star.The chef is, however,the

dentalcoverage fortheir entire working life, through employer-providedbenefits. Whenthose benefits end with retirement, payingdental billsout-of-pocketcan come as ashock, leading people to put off or even go without care. Simply put—without dental insurance, there maybe an importantgap in your healthcare coverage

When



only woman to run arestaurant with astar in NewOrleans.

“It feels great to be awoman on that list, because alot of

times this is still amale-dominated industry,and to be at this level. It’sahuge deal for me,” Zemanick said.

Owning arestaurant hasn’t alwaysbeen aglamorous job. Zemanick is no strangertocleaningthe glass windows daily and taking out the trash. She’s familiar with the myriadwoes that restaurants face, especially during the long summersoflow reservations.

But the struggles that she faces are just asmall piece of the puzzle.

“I love cooking. Ilove making memories.I love making people happy,” Zemanick said.

Once the pierogi wereplated and brought to the table, Zemanick returned to the kitchen, whereshe and her team were sorting and chopping the ingredients as they prepared for yet another busy night.

Chef SueZemanick and kitchen assistant OlgaRamirez, back left, work in the kitchen at Zasu.

sCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Change begins with you. Socialize more with people who enjoy the same pastimes. Travel, companionship and embracing what motivates you will not be in vain.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) High energy is the best way forward. Don't count on outside help or empty promises. Focus inward and take advantage of an unusual opportunity that crosses your path.

CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) When opportunity knocks, open the door. Mix business with pleasure, and you'll discover a unique path that allows you to turn something you love doing into a profitable venture.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Think, and follow through. Knowing when to act will be the determining factor today. A unique plan, discipline and hard work are the keys to your best path forward.

PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Don't let anger rule when accomplishment will hit the jackpot. Happiness begins with you, the choices you make and how you execute what you know and do best.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Pay attention to financial and health matters. Keep your plans quiet until you have everything in place, and you'll face less interference throughout the day.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Take the initiative to do everything by the book. Dealing with institutions, government

agencies and authority figures will eliminate worry and uncertainty.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) A change in direction will catalyze a host of new beginnings Interaction equals opportunities and insight into how to utilize your skills to refresh your image and lifestyle.

CAnCER (June 21-July 22) It's up to you to initiate what you want. Take the steps to create the scenario that encourages you to move forward with pride and joy. A healthy lifestyle will help you look and feel your best.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Be careful what you say and do. Participating in events may backfire if you are too vocal regarding your beliefs and opinions. Put your energy toward something meaningful.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) An adjustment to how you handle your work and your associates will prove enlightening and rewarding. Socializing, networking or reconnecting with someone from your past will deliver benefits.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Look for opportunities, and you will discover something of interest. A change of location can help you use your attributes to gain confidence.

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: J EQuALs W

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

peAnUtS

zItS FrAnK And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

dooneSbUrY

bIG nAte

nea CroSSwordS

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

Jim Boren was a humorist and writer on “bureaucratese,” in which he poked fun at what he called “the vacuumental thinking and idiotoxicities of Washington.” He said, “I got the bill for my surgery. Now I know why those doctors were wearing masks.”

Some bridge players would benefit from being allowed access to a bridge doctor, who would explain how to keep a contract alive.

In this deal, South is in three no-trump. West leads a low club and East puts up hisjack.HowshouldSouthplantheplay? What would the doctor recommend?

In the auction, South considered rebidding three diamonds to show his six-card suit and game-invitational values. But he had two solid club stoppers and knew that usually nine tricks are easier to win than 11. (Note that five diamonds goes down, declarer losing one spade and two hearts.)

South seems to have nine top tricks: one spade, six diamonds and two clubs. However, that lead is annoying because it has cut declarer’s communication with the dummy. If he takes the first trick and cashesdummy’sdiamonds,hecannotget back to his hand. What would a doctor do?

The only chance is to duck the first trick, letting East win with his jack. If he does what most players would do, he will lead back a club. This allows South to win with his king and cash the ace, discarding both of dummy’s annoying diamonds. After that, South

Previous answers:

word game

toDAy’s WoRD — AFFECtED: uh-FEK-ted: Caused a change in someone or something.

Average mark 24 words

Time limit 35 minutes

Can you find 30 or more words in AFFECTED?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD — DIssuADEs

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Puzzle Answer ken ken

InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a

Well

the number of

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe

animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble

Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

tation of thesamein theirbid.Bidders should also includeinformation relative to theparticipa‐tion levels Bidder has managedonother prior projects Participationshall be counted toward meeting thecontractgoals only by business entities cer‐tiﬁed designated in the Program.The direct par‐ticipation goalcan be

ITB. Questions, answers, andall formsrequired will be posted on Central Biddingatwww.central bidding.com. BIDSUBMISSION: NOPB will accept electronic bids at www.centralbidd ing.comuntil 11:00 a.m. CDTonbyTuesday,De‐

throughdirect ownership, joint venture i i i p j participation,owner/op‐erator agreements,or sublease agreements for operations. Participation shallinclude work oppor‐tunities in planning,de‐velopment, construction, andoperation of thePro‐

DistrictCourt for theParishof Orleans,inthe above entitled cause,I will pro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, onthe ground

ﬂoorofthe Civil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onNovember 20, 2025, at 12:00 o'clock noon, the following described prop‐ertytowit:

ACERTAIN LOT ORPORTION OF GROUND, to‐getherwithall the buildingsan improvements thereon, andall ofthe rights, ways, means, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances,, advantagesand component partsthereunto belonging or in anywise apper‐taining thereto, situatedinthe First District of thisCityofNew Orleans,in squareNo686, bounded by South Clark, Banks and Palmyra Streets and Jefferson Davis Parkway, designatedas Lot No.21, mea‐suring 30 feet f h

g frontonSouth Clark Street,by 120 feet in depth between equal andparal‐lel lines. Allas morefully shown on print ofsurveymade byFGStewart Surveyordated September 1, 1952, andac‐cording to said surveysaidLot No. 21 com‐mences60feet 4 inches and5 lines from the cornerofBanks and SouthClark Streets.Accord‐ing to thesur‐vey of Adloe Orr, Jr.& Associ‐ates, Inc. dated June4,1962 said lot commences 60feet 4inches 5 lines(title) 60 feet7 lines(ac‐tual) form the cornerofBanks and SouthClark Streets;subject torestrictions, servitudes, right-of-way andoutstanding mineral rights ofrecordaffect‐ing theprop‐erty. THIS ACTIS MADE, AC‐CEPTEDAND SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING: Restrictions servitudes, right-of-way andoutstanding mineral rights ofrecordaffect‐ing theprop‐erty. THEFOLLOWING IS FORINFOR‐MATIONALPUR‐POSES ONLY: Theimprove‐ments thereon bearthe Munici‐pal No.332-334 S Clark St New Orleans,70119. WRIT AMOUNT: $577,855.91

Seized in the above suit, TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and thebalance

within thirty daysthereafter Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order.NoPer‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING.

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans RB 24 NEWMAN, MATHIS,BRADY & SPEDALE, APLC504-8379040

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 10/15/2025 & 11/19/2025 oct15-nov19-2t

PUBLIC NOTICESALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTION OF GROUNDBEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER2623 FRANKFORT STREET,THIS CITY, IN THE MATTERENTI‐TLED: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.vsDERRICK DOOLEY, (A/K/A DERRICK DOO‐LEY,SR.)AND JONATHANBUR‐DEN ANDANGEL BUCKHALTER SHULTER‐BRANDT,(A/K/A ANGEL BUCK‐HALTER, ANGEL NEU,ANGEL SHULTER‐BRANDT)

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-2688 By virtue of a WritofSeizure and Sale di‐rected to me by

y theHonorable JudgesofCivil DistrictCourt for theParishof Orleans,inthe above entitled cause,I will pro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, onthe ground ﬂoor of theCivil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue, inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onNovember 20, 2025, at 12:00 o'clock noon, the following described prop‐ertytowit:

THAT CERTAIN PIECE OR POR‐TIONOF GROUND, to‐getherwithall the buildings and improve‐ments thereon, and allthe rights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longing or in anywise apper‐taining,situated inthe THIRD DISTRICTofthe CITYofNEW OR‐LEANS,STATE OFLOUISIANA, inSQUARENO. 5294, bounded byFrankfort and EadsStreets, FranklinAvenue and SouthAv‐enue,desig‐nated as LOT“E4”onplanof subdivision by F.C.Gondolfo, Jr.,Surveyor, dated January5, 1944, annexed toact before Frank Macheca, NotaryPublic, dated February 18, 194, accord‐ing to which, saidlot com‐mences135 feet fromthe corner ofFrankfort Street and FranklinAvenue and measures 46feet fronton Frankfort Street, 46feet, 4inches and 4lines in width in the rear, by adepth onthe sideline nearer Franklin

Avenue of 90 feet, 11 inches and 2lines and a depthonthe other sideline of 101 feet,9 inchesand 5 lines.According toa survey by Gilbert,Kelly, Surveyors datedJune 20, 1946, redated March 7, 1970, saidpropertyis situatedinthe samedistrict and square and has thesame boundariesand designation as above andmea‐sures 45 feet front on Frank‐fortStreet,46 feet, 4inches and 4lines in width in the rear, by adepth onthe sideline nearerFranklin Avenue of 90 feet, 11 inches and 2lines title; 95feet,11 inchesand 2 lines actual and a depthonthe other sideline of 101 feet 9inches and 5lines and commences at a distanceof135 feetfromthe cornerofFrank‐fortStreet and Frankline Av‐enue.According toa plat of sur‐vey by J. J. Krebs &Sons, Surveyors, datedJanuary 31, 1959, an‐nexed to an act passedbefore NumaV.Bertel, JR.,Notary, dated March3 1959, said LotE4 measures 46 feetfront on Frankfort Street, 46feet 4inches and 4lines in width in the rear, 95 feet,44 inchesand 2 lines in depth onthe sideline nearerFranklin Avenue and101 feet, 9inches and 5lines in depth on its sidenearer EadsStreet. Having amunic‐ipaladdress of 2623 Frankfort Street,New Or‐

leans, LA 70122. WRIT AMOUNT: $52,584.34

Seized in the above suit, TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and the balance withinthirty daysthereafter. Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order.NoPer‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING. SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 25 ALBERTELLI LAW, P.A. 504732-3600

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 10/15/2025 & 11/19/2025 oct15-nov19-2t

PUBLIC NOTICESALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTION OF GROUNDBEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 4048 TALLTIMBERS DRIVE,THIS CITY, IN THE MATTERENTI‐TLED: LIBERTY BANKAND TRUST COM‐PANYvsMEL'S TRANSPORTA‐TION II, LLCAND MELISSA MICHELLE NOEL

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No:

2024-6700

Byvirtueof a WritofSeizure and Sale di‐rectedtomeby the Honorable JudgesofCivil DistrictCourt for theParishof Orleans,inthe above entitled cause,I will pro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, onthe ground ﬂoor of theCivil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onNovember 20, 2025, at 12:00 o'clock noon, the following described prop‐ertytowit: THAT CERTAIN PIECE OR POR‐TIONOF GROUND, to‐getherwithall ofthe buildings and improve‐ments thereon, and allofthe rights, ways, privileges, servitudes and advantages thereuntobe‐longing of in anywise apper‐taining,situated inthe FIFTHDIS‐TRICT of the CityofNew Or‐leans,Parishof Orleans,State ofLouisiana, designatedas LOT 14, SQUARE 11, of that part thereof known asTALLTIM‐BERSSUBDIVI‐SION, SECTION 4,bounded by TallTimbers Drive,TallPines Drive andSouth PostOak Av‐enue.saidLot commences on the east bound‐ary of Tall Tim‐bersDrive adis‐tance of 100 feet fromthe North‐eastcornerof the intersection ofTallTimbers Drive andTall Pines Drive, and thencemea‐sures 79.62 feet northeasterly alongTallTim‐bers Drive. Said

lothas adepth of113 feet along its northside, which is com‐mon with Lot13, depthsof55.69 feet and75.18 feet or atotal of 130.87 feet along itssouth side, which is commonwith LotsD and1 and awidth of 16.18 feet in the rearwhich is commonwith Lot 3. Improvements thereonbear MunicipalNo. 4048 Tall Tim‐bersDrive,New Orleans Louisiana

WRIT AMOUNT: $218,738.20

Seized in the above suit, TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and the balance withinthirty daysthereafter Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order.NoPer‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING. SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 3 NEWMAN MATHIS,BRADY & SPEDALE, APLC504-8379040

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 10/15/2025 & 11/19/2025 oct15-nov19-2t