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Guardjoins security forBayou Classic

Agencies to launch Quartersecurityzone

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

The Louisiana National Guard will be in New Orleans this week as visitors arrive forthe annual BayouClassic,providingsecurity

helpto state andlocal police agencies in what ofﬁcials called “eventbased support” unconnected to the longer-term deployment being sought by Gov.Jeff Landry In what has becomeanew standard forsecuring sections of down-

town during majorevents, the National Guard, Louisiana State Police and local law enforcement will implement an ”enhanced securityzone” from Fridaythrough Sunday that includes checkpoints, bag searches and aban on coolers,according to Jacob Pucheu, aspokespersonfor theLouisiana StatePolice.

Similar checkpoints in the French Quarterwere putinplace during Mardi Grasand Super Bowl LIXearlier this year after the deadly Jan. 1terrorist attack on Bourbon Street exposed vulnerabilitiesinthe city’s eventsecurity plans. The activation of the Guard comes as New Orleans is bracing

Dillardpresident outlines newvisionfor university

Black college in Louisianaand amember of theso-called BlackIvy League —the headwindsthe universityfaces have only intensiﬁed.

BY MARIE FAZIO

Staff writer

Nearly ayear afterMonique Guillory ofﬁciallyassumed the presidency of Dillard University —the oldesthistorically

Dillard’senrollmenthas stagnated at around 1,000students, while operational expenseshavegrown. At the same time, the156-year-old institutioncan sometimesget overlooked in NewOrleans’ crowded higher education market, where students have their pickofsix four-year institutions.

Meanwhile,like universities nationwide,itisbracing for a“demographic cliff” when the falling birth rate will result in fewer students, andreeling from the Trumpadministration’snew restrictions to federal ﬁnancial aid and slashed research funds. Dillardrecentlylost a$20 millionfederal grant that would have funded renovations to make campus buildings moreenergy efﬁcient and

Thanksgiving dinner prices down in La.

Drop in cost of aturkeykey factor in overalldecrease

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

The average cost of atraditional Thanksgiving dinner in Louisiana

is $44.70, aslight decrease from $45.84 last year,according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Themodest drop comes at a time when farmers arestruggling with highoverhead costs,the national turkey population continues to battle avianﬂu, and consumers arestartingtoseek nontraditional Thanksgiving meats.

Each year,the American Farm Bureau Federation computes the cost of atypical 11-item Thanksgiving dinner that serves 10 people

for its Thanksgiving Dinner Price Survey.Louisiana’sprice this year is nearly $10 less than the national average of $55.18, and the secondlowest overall price in the country, just behind Arkansas. The cost decrease was ledbya 16.3% drop in thepricefor aturkey in thepast year.Nationwide, a 16-pound turkey will go for $21.50 this year,comparedto$25.67last year

ä See DINNER, page 7A

forthe arrival of afederal Border Patrol deployment that hasput immigrant communitiesonedge Some 250 Border Patrol agents are expected to beginoperating in the New Orleans area in coming days. Moreover,two months ago Landry requested afederally

Judgetosses indictments of Comey, James

Rulings sayprosecutor illegally appointed

BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON— Afederal judge on Mondaydismissedthe criminal casesagainst former FBIDirector James Comey and New York AttorneyGeneral Letitia James, concluding that the prosecutor whobrought the chargesatPresident Donald Trump’s urgingwas illegally appointed by the Justice Department.

The rulings from U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie halt at least fornow apair of prosecutions that hadtargetedtwo of the president’smost high-proﬁle political opponents andamount to asharp rebuke of the Trump administration’s legalmaneuvering to installaninexperienced and loyalist prosecutor willing to ﬁle the cases.

The orders do not concern the substance of the allegations against Comey or James butinstead deal with theunconventional mannerinwhich the prosecutor, LindseyHalligan, was named to herpositionasinterim U.S. attorneyfor theEasternDistrictofVirginia.Defense lawyers said the Trump administration had no legal authority to make theappointment.Ina pair of similar rulings, Currie agreed and said the invalid appointment required the dismissal of the

See JUDGE, page 7A

Nick Hudson looksat turkeyswhile shopping at aRouses Market on Monday.

STAFFPHOTO

By MICHAEL JOHNSON

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

MoniqueGuillory, president of DillardUniversity, has taken stepstostabilizethe university in her firstyearatthe helm.

Melania Trump welcomes tree to White House

WASHINGTON First lady Melania Trump on Monday welcomed this year’sofﬁcial White House Christmas tree, awhite ﬁr from afarm in Michigan that arrivedbyhorsedrawn carriage.

The tree, which came from Korson’sTree Farms, arrivedonthe North Portico. It was deliveredby apair of Clydesdales named Logan and Ben in acarriagedriven by one of three men, all wearingtop hats, who were on board

“It’sabeautiful tree,”the first lady said as she circledthe carriage and posed for pictures.

The 181/2-foot tree will be displayed in the Blue Room.

Korson’s Tree Farms secured thehonor by winning theNational Christmas Tree Association’snational tree contest.The winner of that contest has produced the ofﬁcial White House Christmastree since 1966.

15-year-oldstuck on crane in Jerusalem rescued

JERUSALEM Fire teams on Monday rescued ateenager who wasstuck dangling for seven hours from a crane hanging 36 stories above Jerusalem.

The 15-year-old boy told rescue teams that he had climbed up the crane around midnightbecause he wanted to “see the view,” according to Israel’sFire and Rescue Service Videos showed the teentrapped on atinyplatform connecting metal cables and the crane’shook hanging precariously over ahigh-rise building. Fire teams arrivedinthe morning and scaled the side of the crane, after being alerted by abystander whosaw the boy,and pulledhim to safety.Eyal Cohen, aﬁre ofﬁcial, said it was one in anumberofcases in which young people in the city have been caught scaling tall buildings.

“This is aserious incident that ended in amiracle,” Cohensaid. Long-dormant volcano erupts in northernEthiopia

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia Along-dormant volcano erupted in northern Ethiopia over the weekend, sending ash plumes across theRed Sea toward Yemen and Oman.

The Hayli Gubbi volcano in the Afar region of Ethiopia erupted on Sunday,leaving the neighboring village of Afdera covered in dust.

Alocal administrator,Mohammed Seid, said there werenocasualties, but the eruption could have economic implications for the local community of livestock herders.

Seid told The Associated Press that there was no previousrecord of an eruptionbythe Hayli Gubbi volcano, and that he fears for the livelihoods of residents.

“Whilenohuman livesand livestockhavebeenlost so far, many villages have beencovered in ash and as aresult their animalshave little to eat,” he said.

Thai woman bound for cremation found alive

BANGKOK Awoman in Thailand shocked temple staff when she started movinginher cofﬁn after being brought in for cremation.

WatRat Prakhong Tham, aBuddhist temple in the province of Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok, posted avideo on its Facebook page, showing awoman lying in a white cofﬁninthe back of apickup truck, slightly moving herarms and head, leaving temple staff bewildered.

Pairat Soodthoop, the temple’s general and ﬁnancial affairs manager,told The Associated Press on Monday that the65-year-old woman’sbrother drove her from the province of Phitsanuloktobe cremated.

He said they heard afaint knock coming from the cofﬁn.

“I was abit surprised, so Iasked them to open the cofﬁn,and everyone was startled,” he said. “I saw her opening her eyesslightly and knocking on the side of the cofﬁn. She musthave beenknockingfor quite some time.”

According to Pairat, the brother said his sister had been bedridden for about two years,when her health deteriorated and she becameunresponsive, appearing to stop breathing two days ago. The brother then placed her in acofﬁn and made the 300-mile journey to Bangkok.

The temple manager said he was explaining how to get adeath certiﬁcatewhen they heard the knocking. They then assessed her and sent her to ahospital.

By ANDREWHARNIK

‘Peace ... won’t come overnight’

Ukraine,allies warn U.S. against rush to endRussia’swar

BY OLESIA SAFRONOVA, VOLODYMYRVERBIANYI and MICHAEL NIENABER Bloomberg News (TNS)

Ukraine and its European allies signaled that key sticking points remained in U.S.-brokered peace talks even as senior ofﬁcials hailed progress in winning more favorable terms for Kyiv from a proposalbackedbyPresident Donald Trump.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz lauded ameeting in Geneva on Sunday, whereUkrainian and U.S. negotiators came closer together,for resolving “some issues. Still, he cast doubtonan initial Trumpadministration demand forKyiv to cede territory and scale back its military —and said he foresaw no breakthroughthisweek.

“Peace inUkrainewon’t come overnight,”Merz told reporters in theAngolancapital Luanda on Monday as European Unionleadersmet with counterparts in the African Union. “Ukraine must not be forced into one-sidedterritorialconcessions—Ukraine must also beable to effectively defend itselfagainst aggression.

An initial draft of a 28-point plan caught Kyiv and Ukrainian alliesoff guard with its demands

thatthe war-battered na-

tiondrop its ambition to join NATO andsurrender territory in theeastern Donbas regions, includingareasRussiadoesn’t yet control.

But U.S.and Ukrainian officials said theyhad worked over details of apeace blueprint. It has now been narrowed down to anew list of 19 proposals, aperson familiar with the matter said.

Trumphimself signaled progress.A dayafter assailing the Ukrainian leadershipfor failing to show gratitude,Trump said in aTruthSocial post Mondaythattalks may be gaining traction. “Don’t believe it until you see it but something good just maybehappening,” he posted.

Anydiscussions involving territorial issues, which are at the crux of apotential settlement, will likely be tackled at the meeting between the Ukrainian and U.S. presidents, Ihor Brusylo, the deputychief of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, told Bloomberg Televisioninaninterview Monday

The country’sNATO membership wasn’toff thetable —and “is one of theprovisions that can be asecurity guarantee for Ukraine,” Brusylo said.

Zelenskyy said Monday

that talks hadreached a“critical moment” as he signaled thatdiscussions over territory and sovereignty would prove difﬁcult

“Putin wants legal recognition of what he has stolen —tobreak the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty —and this is the main problem,” the Ukrainian leader said in aspeech distributed by his ofﬁce. Russia on Monday balked at the new proposal.Putin’sforeign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov said his country “learned this morning about the European plan, which, at ﬁrst glance, is completely unconstructive anddoesn’t suitus,” accordingtothe Interfax news service.

Putin on Monday discussed the U.S. proposals with TurkishPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan, theKremlin said in a statement. Turkey has played theroleofintermediary at various points in the conﬂict, including by hosting talks between Ukrainianand Russian ofﬁcials.

Putin told Erdogan that theproposals in principle could form the basis for a peace agreement,according to the Kremlin.

Any agreementwould require sign-off by Zelenskyy,Trumpand Russian President Vladimir Putin.

U.S. labels Cartel de los Solesa terror organization

BYREGINA GARCIACANO Associated Press

Maduro

CARACAS,Venezuela President DonaldTrump’sadministration has ramped up pressureon Ve nez uela n President Ni co lá s Maduro by designatingthe Cartel de los Soles as aforeign terrorist organization. Butthe entity that the U.S. government alleges is led by Maduroisnot acartel perse. Thedesignation,published Monday in theFederal Register,isthe latest measure in the Trump administration’s escalating campaign to combat drug trafﬁcking into the U.S. In previewing the step about aweek ago,Secretary of State Marco Rubio ac-

cused Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, of being “responsible for terrorist violence” in the Western Hemisphere. Themovecomes as Trump evaluates whether to takemilitary action against Venezuela, which he hasnot ruledout despite bringing up the possibility of talkswith Maduro. Land strikes or other actions would be a major expansion of the monthslong operation that has included amassive military buildup in theCaribbean Sea and striking boatsaccused of trafﬁcking drugs, killing morethan 80 people.

Venezuelans began using thetermCartel de los Soles in the 1990s to refer to high-ranking military officers who had grown rich from drug-running As corruption expanded nationwide, first under the late President Hugo Chávez and then under

Pentagon says it’s investigating Sen. Mark Kelly

Former Navy pilotjoinedinvideo urging troops to defy ‘illegal orders’

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and BEN FINLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON ThePentagon announced Monday it is investigating Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona over possible br each es of military law after the former Navy pilotjoineda handful of other lawmakers in a video that called for troops to defy “illegal orders.”

The Pentagon’sstatement, posted on social media,cited afederal law that allowsretired service members to be recalled to activeduty on orders of thedefense secretary for possible court martial or other measures.

It is extraordinary for the Pentagon,whichuntil President Donald Trump’ssecond term had usually gone out of its way to act and appear apolitical,todirectlythreaten asitting member of Congress with investigation. It comes afterTrump ramped up therhetoric by accusing the lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” in asocial media post days after the video wasreleased last week

In itsstatementMonday, the Pentagon suggested thatKelly’sstatements in the video interfered with the“loyalty, morale, or good order and disciplineofthe armed forces” by citing the federal law thatprohibits such actions.

“A thorough reviewof these allegationshas been initiated to determine further actions, which may includerecall to active duty forcourt-martialproceedings or administrative measures,” thestatement said.

Kelly saidheupheld his oath to theConstitutionand dismissed the Pentagon investigationasthe work of “bullies.”

“If this is meant to intimidate me andother members of Congress fromdoing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’twork,”Kelly saidina statement.

Kelly was oneofsix Democratic lawmakers whohave served in the military or intelligence community to speak “directly to members of the military.” The other lawmakersare Sen. Elissa Slotkin andReps. Jason Crow,Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan, whoare seen as possible futureaspirants for higheroffice andelevated theirpolitical proﬁles with thevideo’swide exposure.

Kelly,who wasa fighter pilot before becoming an astronaut and then retiring at the rank of captain, told troops that “you can refuse illegal orders,” while other lawmakers in thevideosaid they needed troops to “stand up for our laws our Constitution.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saidKelly wasfacing investigation because he is the only oneofthe lawmakers who formally retired from the military and is still under the Pentagon’s jurisdiction.

Troops, especiallyuniformed commanders, do have specific obligations to reject orders that areunlawful, if they make that determination. While commanders have military lawyers on their staffs to consult with in makingsuchadetermination, rank-and-filetroopswho are tasked with carrying out those orders are rarely in asimilarposition andoften have to rely on their superiors. Broad legal precedence also holds that just following orders —colloquially known as the “Nuremberg defense,” as it was used unsuccessfullybysenior Nazi officials to justifytheir actions underAdolf Hitler— doesn’t absolve troops.

Maduro, itsuse loosely expanded to police and government officials as well as activitieslike illegalminingand fuel trafficking. The“suns” in thename refer to the epaulettes afﬁxed to the uniforms of high-ranking militaryofﬁcers.

Theumbrellatermwas elevated to aMaduro-led drug-trafficking organization in 2020, when the U.S. JusticeDepartment in Trump’sﬁrsttermannounced the indictmentof Venezuela’s leader andhis inner circle on narcoterrorism and other charges.

“It is not agroup,”said AdamIsaacson, director for defense oversight at the Washington Office on LatinAmerica organization. “It’snot likea group that people would ever identify themselves as members. They don’t have regular meetings. They don’thave ahierarchy.”

Kelly

VENEZUELA

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, attendsa lunch meeting in October withPresidentDonald Trumpatthe White House.

Appeals court hearsAP access case

BY DAVID BAUDER AP media writer

WASHINGTON TheAssociated Press and the Trump administration renewed their argument Monday over apresident’sability to limit media accessto journalists he disagrees with, resuming acourtroom dispute with potential First Amendment implications that began last winter when the president announced that he had renamed the Gulf of Mexico. President Donald Trump restricted the AP’saccess to events in smaller spaces like the Oval Ofﬁce and Air Force One, leading the news outlet to sue. Alower federal court ruled that Trump improperly retaliated against the outlet because it did not follow and refer to the body of water as the Gulf of America.

The U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington prevented the ruling from taking effect —effectively leaving it up to the White House to determine the AP’saccess.A athree-judge panel from that court, two of them Trump appointeeswho voted against AP as part of aseparate appellate panel last spring, heard arguments Monday on an appeal of the lower court’s ruling. No immediate ruling was issued. Since the dispute began, the White House has given Associated Press writers sporadic access to limitedspace events at the White House.APphotographers have received much more frequent access.

The AP reports and produces for thousands of news outlets and other organizations around the world.

Administration plans review of refugees

BY REBECCA SANTANA and ELLIOTSPAGAT Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration plans areview of all refugeesadmitted to theU.S. during the Bidenadministration, according to amemo obtained Monday by TheAssociated Press.

The review is likely to sow confusion and fear among thenearly 200,000people who fled war and persecutiontocome to the United Statesduring that period.

Thememo, dated Nov.21, said that during the Biden years, “expediency” and “quantity” were prioritized over “detailed screening andvetting” and thatwarranted the comprehensive review and “re-interview of allrefugees admitted from January 20, 2021, to February 20, 2025.”

Advocates of the refugee program say that refugees aregenerally some of the most vetted of allpeople coming to theUnited States and that they often wait years to be able to cometo America.

The memo,signedbythe director of U.S.Citizenship andImmigration Services, Joseph Edlow,also immediately suspended green card approvals for refugees who came to theU.S. during the stated time period.

People admittedtothe U.S. as refugeesare required to apply for agreen card one year after they arrive in the country and usually ﬁve yearsafter that can apply for citizenship.

The Biden administration admitted 185,640 refugees from October 2021 through September2024. Refugee admissions topped100,000 last year,with the largest

numbers coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo,Afghanistan, Venezuela and Syria.

Refugeeadvocates immediately slammed news of thereview,saying that it will traumatizepeople who have already gone through extensive vettinginorder to make it to the U.S. in theﬁrst place.

“This plan is shockingly ill-conceived,”saidNaomi Steinberg, HIAS vice president of U.S. policy and advocacy.“This is anew lowinthe administration’s consistently cold-hearted treatmentofpeople who are already building newlives and enriching the communitieswhere theyhave made their homes.”

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, theDepartment of Homeland Security and the White Housedid not respond to requestsfor comment.

WhiteHouse circulates plan as Trumppledges health care ﬁx

BY SEUNG MIN KIM The Associated Press

WASHINGTON TheWhite House is circulating aproposalthatwould extend subsidies to help consumers pay forcoverageunder the Affordable Care Act for two more years, as millions of Americansface spiking health care costs when the currenttax credits are setto expire at theend of theyear.

The draft plan suggests that President Donald Trump is open to extending aprovision of thehealth carelaw,sometimes called Obamacare, as his administration andcongressional Republicans search for a broader policy solution to afight that haslong flummoxed the party.The White House stresses that no plan is final until Trump an-

nounces it

The subsidies were at the heartofthe Democrats’ demandsinthe government shutdown ﬁght that ended earlier this month.Most Democratic lawmakers had insisted on astraight extension of the tax credits, which expire at the endofthe year as acondition of keeping the government open Eligibilityfor the health lawsubsidies, whichwere put in place during theCOVID-19pandemictohelp people affordhealth care coverage, would be capped at 700% of the federal poverty level, according to two people with knowledgeof the proposal. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss aWhite House proposal that is in draft form.

The baseline tax credits

that wereoriginally part of theAffordable CareAct were capped at 400% of the federalpoverty level,but that cut-off was suspended becauseofthe temporary COVID-era credits that allowedmiddle-and higherincomepeople to benefit from subsidies,too.

The White House would alsorequirethose on federal health care plans, regardless of thetype of coverage, to paysome sort of premium for their plans. Thatwouldeffectively end zero-premiumplans for those withlowerincomes, addressing aconcern from Republicans that the program hasenabled fraud. Oneoption is arequirement that everyonepay 2% of their income, or at least $5 per month, for lower-tier plans

Feds renewbid forEpstein transcriptsrelease

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRYNEUMEISTER Associated Press

NEW YORK TheJustice Department on Monday renewed its requesttounseal grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’ssex trafficking cases, arguingthey should be made public under anew law requiringthe government to open its files on the late financier and his longtime confidante.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton cited the Epstein Files TransparencyAct —passed by Congress last weekand signed into law by President Donald Trump —incourt filings asking Manhattan federal Judges Richard M. Berman and Paul A. Engelmayer to reconsider their decisions to keep the material sealed. The Justice Department interprets the transparency act “as requiring it to publish the grand juryand discovery materials in this

case,” said the eight-page filings,which also bear the namesofAttorneyGeneral PamBondiand hersecondin-command, DeputyAttorney General Todd Blanche. The filings are among the first public indicationsthat theJustice Departmentis workingtocomplywiththe transparency act, which requires thatitrelease Epstein-related filesina searchable and downloadable format by Dec. 19. The JusticeDepartment asked Berman and Engelmayer for expedited rulings allowing the release of the grand jury materials, which contains testimony from law enforcement witnesses but no victims,arguing that the newlaw supersedes existing court orders andjudicialpolicies that “would otherwise prevent public disclosure.” In its filing Monday,the Justice Departmentsaid any materials made public could bepartiallyredacted to prevent thedisclosure of thingslike victims’identify-

ing information.

In an order lateMonday Engelmayer invited Maxwell and victimsofMaxwell and Epstein to respond by Dec. 3tothe government’s request. The government must respond to their filings by Dec. 10. The judge said he will rule “promptlythereafter. The transparency act compels theJustice Department, the FBI and federal prosecutorstoreleasethe vast troves of material they’ve amassed during investigations into Epstein’sdecadeslong sexual abuseofyoung womenand girls. Thelaw mandates the release of all unclassified documentsand investigative materials, including files relating to immunity dealsand internal Justice Departmentcommunications about whom to charge or investigate Berman has previously said that the grand jury transcripts in Epstein’scase amount to about 70 pages, alongwith aPowerPoint

Former Democratic Sen. Doug Jones announcesrun forAlabama governor

BYKIM CHANDLER Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, whose 2017 election renewed hope for Alabama Democrats,announcedMondaythatheis running for governor of Alabama in 2026. Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after ﬁling campaign paperwork withthe Secretary of State’sOffice. His gubernatorial bid could set up arematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, theRe-

publicanwho defeated Jones in 2020 andisnow running for governor.Both candidates have party primaries in May before the Novemberrace “I am running for governor of Alabama,” Jones said in acampaign video posted on social media. “Folks in Alabama deserve agovernorwho is goingtofight for them.” He will do an ofﬁcial campaign kickoffnext month.

Jones’ entry into the race

comes after weeks of speculation and teasing about a possible run as Jones worked to promoteDemocrats in the Deep South state. Jones,alawyer and former U.S. attorney best known for prosecutingtwo Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for Birmingham’sinfamous 1963 church bombing,was elected to the Senatein2017. Jones was the last Democrat elected to statewide ofﬁce in Alabama.

slideshow and calllog.The only witness to testify was an FBI agent who “had no direct knowledge of the facts of the case,” Berman noted in his prior ruling.

The FBI agent testiﬁed on June 18, 2019, and July 2, 2019. The July 2session ended with grand jurors voting to indict Epstein. He was arrested on July 6, 2019 and found dead in his jail cell on Aug. 10, 2019.

The sameFBI agent testiﬁedbeforethe Maxwell grand jury,which met in June andJuly 2020 and March 2021, theJustice Department has said. The only other witness wasa New York City police detective.

BY JULIAFRANKEL and NATALIEMELZER Associated Press

JERUSALEM The U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza HumanitarianFoundation,set up to distribute aid to Gaza as an alternative to the United Nations but which Palestinians said endangeredthe livesof civilians as they tried to get food,saidMondayitwould shutter operations.

The foundation had already closed distribution sites after aU.S.-brokered ceaseﬁre took effect six weeks ago in Gaza.Itannounced Monday that it was permanently shutting down, claiming it had fulfilled its mission. “Wehave succeeded in our missionofshowing there’s abetter way to deliver aid to Gazans,” foundation Director John Acree said in a statement.

The operations of the foundation wereshrouded in secrecy during its short time in operation, andthe group never revealed its sources of fundingand said little about the armed contractors who operated the sites.

It said its goal was to deliveraid to Gaza withoutit being diverted by Hamas.

Palestinians,aid workers and health officials have said thesystem forced aidseekers to risk theirlives to reach thesites by passing Israeli troops who secured the locations. Soldiers often opened fire,killing hundreds, according to witnesses and videos postedtosocial media. The Israeli military says it only fired warning shots as acrowd-control measure or if its troops were in danger

The foundation said there was no violenceinthe aid sites themselvesbut acknowledged the potential dangers people faced when traveling to them on foot.

However, contractors workingatthe sites, backed by video accounts, said the American security guards fired live ammunitionand stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scrambled for food.

Acree said that the group would hand off itsworkto

the U.S.-led center in Israel overseeing the Gaza ceaseﬁre, called the Civil-Military Coordination Center Also on Monday, Israel’s defense minister clashed publicly with the military’s chief of staff over the army’s latest probes of its failures in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Palestinian militants that sparked the IsraelHamas war. Israeli Defense Minister IsraelKatz hadsaid earlier that he would order are-examination of the military’s latestinternalreview into what happened Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-ledmilitants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people to Gaza. He also said he wouldbe freezing new appointments in the armypending the conclusions of this new review Israel’sgovernment has long resisted theestablishment of astate commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7attack. In response, military Chief of StaffLt. Gen.Eyal Zamir said in asharply worded statement Mondaythatthe defense minister’smove was “puzzling” and “not substantive.” He said that freezing appointments would harm the military’s“capabilities andits readiness forthe upcoming challenges” and claimed he would continue to “holdposting discussionsas planned, in accordance with his authority.” The army“is the only body in thecountry that hasthoroughly investigated its own failuresand takenresponsibilityfor them,” wrote Zamir.“If anyfurtherexaminationisrequiredtocomplete the picture, it must take the form of an external, objective and independent commission” that will also probe “the interface between the military echelon and the political echelon.” Moments after Zamirput outthe statement, Katzdoubled down on his decision, releasing astatement saying he “respects”the military chief of staff, “who knows very well that he is subordinate to the prime minister, the defense ministerand the government of Israel.” He addedhe“does notintend to argue in the media” andreasserted his authority to decide on military appointments.

• 6cupsofcrumbledcornbread (I bake then letstale for 3or4daysbeforeuse)

• 3cupsofwhite bread stale

• 3/4of1cup vegetableorchicken stock 3eggsbeaten

• 11/2 cupsofchopped onion

• 11/2 cupschopped celery

• 1bellpepperchopped

• 1bunch of greenonion chopped

• 1bunch of parsleychopped

• 1lb. pork sausage 1lb. of bacon (I use JimmyDeanmaple or sage)

• Salt,black,and white pepper to taste

1. Frythe baconuntil crispy,removefrompan andcrumble.Fry thesausage,removefrom panand crumble.

2. Fryall theseasonings in thebacon/sausagegreaseuntil wilted andcaramelized.Add back in thecookedsausageand bacon.

3. Mixall stalecrumbledcornbread andwhite breadinalarge bowl.Add in thebacon, sausage,and wilted ingredientswiththe crumbled breads

4. Gently mixinthe stockand eggsintothe bowl with therestofthe ingredients.

5. Put mixtureintoalarge,greased baking dishand bake at 325degrees foranhour. Youcan addextra breadcrumbsand afew pats of butter on topfor acrisp look

• 1large head of freshcauliﬂower

• 2/3cup of Monterey Jack cheese shredded 2/3cup of sharp cheddar cheese shredded 1/2cup of imported Parmesan-Reggiano cheese shredded

• 1/2cup heavycream

• 2tbsp oliveoil or butter

• 2or3clovesofgarlic

• Salt,black pepper andalittlewhite pepper to taste

1. Cutcauliﬂowerintoﬂoretsand arrangeitinagreased baking dish. In adoubleboilerheat thecream,add sauteed garlic andlet simmer on lowfor no more than 10 minutes.

2. Next add half of theMontereyJackand Cheddarcheeseand stir abit,thenadd half of the Parmesan-Reggiano cheese

3. Simmer,constantlystirring with awhisk,until it meltsand is asmoothsauce (mediumto thickconsistency,not runny).Pourthe cheese sauceoverthe Cauliﬂower.

4. Then topwiththe remainingshreddedcheesemixturesand then topwiththe ParmesanReggiano before puttingitinthe oven.Cover with foil,bakeat325 degreesfor 35-45minutes(untilcauliﬂoweristender).Thenremovefoiland bake at 350degrees for10 minutesorunitl cheese is

andatasty brownontop

5. Foranaddedtwist youcan add an ounceoftriplesec in thecheesesauce,orevensome

2 2LLiters iters

resilient to natural disasters.

Guillory, a New Orleans native who has spent her career in higher education, has taken some initial steps over the past year to stabilize the school and, she hopes, put it on an upward trajectory She has restructured some positions and added new services to bolster the student experience.

Now, as she tries to attract more students to the university and elevate its proﬁle, she wants to reinvigorate Dillard’s academic programs, better prepare students for the changing job market and tell the school’s story to a broader audience.

“We’re reimagining the future for this institution like so many institutions are having to do now,” she said. “This is a bit of an existential crisis for higher education.”

Guillory would seem well positioned to carry Dillard into the future while honoring its New Orleans roots.

Dillard was formed from the merger of two universities established in New Orleans after the Civil War to educate newly freed slaves and other Black residents

As a child, Guillory rode her bike under the campus’s grand oak trees and past its stately white buildings when visiting her aunt, who lived around the corner in Gentilly She attended St Mary’s Academy, a Catholic school that has historically served Black girls and young women, and Tulane University After graduating, she spent most of the next three decades working at institutions across the country including several historically Black colleges and universities

In April, she returned to her hometown to become Dillard’s provost. Just six weeks later the university’s president, Rochelle Ford, abruptly stepped down and Guillory was handed the reins at a crucial moment for the university Its finances had faltered after years of declining enrollment and rising operational costs. It took another hit this year after the Trump administration canceled a $20 million “Community Change Grant” Dillard was set to receive through the Environmental Protection Agency part of a wave of funding cuts. About $11 million was supposed to go toward parts of the campus infrastructure that haven’t been

Continued from page 1A

funded deployment of 1,000 National Guard troops in Louisiana cities to support law enforcement.

Landry has said that he hoped troops would arrive in New Orleans ahead of Thanksgiving But at a news conference on Monday, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and New Orleans Police Department Assistant Superintendent Hans Ganthier emphasized that the National Guard has long assisted local law enforcement during major events and stressed that they would be in town for event security only

“We are aware that residents may have some concerns about National Guard presence and we want to be clear that the National Guard will not be here for immigration enforcement,” Ganthier said.

There has been no word from the state or President Donald Trump’s

substantially updated in two decades since Hurricane Katrina, Guillory said. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, said last month that he is ﬁghting to revive the grant, saying the government must support HBCUs, which he called “the heartbeat of our communities.”

At a campus ceremony last month celebrating Guillory’s new presidency, she acknowledged the uncertainty and “unprecedented chaos” that has rattled many college campuses recently, but said the Dillard community will make it through.

“Let us take solace in realizing we as a people have endured far worse,” she said, “and our presence here today is a testament of that resilience.”

Guillory has started making changes she hopes will strengthen the school, but it is still a work in progress.

Over the past year she has replaced most of the university’s top administrators, most recently hiring a new chief ﬁnancial ofﬁcer To cut costs, she merged some

administration about when or whether Landry’s request will be approved New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director Collin Arnold said the Bayou Classic activation will be paid for by the state.

Noel Collins, a spokesperson for the Louisiana National Guard, said it was considered “event-based support, which is routine.”

Collins declined to comment on whether troops were expected to assist with security during any other events or whether they would remain in New Orleans following the Bayou Classic.

It’s not clear how many troops would be deployed to help with the enhanced security zone, which will extend from Canal Street to St. Ann Street, between Royal and Dauphine streets.

Collins declined to share details about the number of guardsman that will be activated. Landry’s ofﬁce declined to comment on the activation Ganthier said that while the

staff positions and redeﬁned job descriptions. She also added some new positions, including a digital media specialist.

To increase revenue, much of which comes from tuition, the university will have to attract more students

Dillard’s enrollment has steadily declined from about 2,200 students before Hurricane Katrina, to around 1,300 students before the pandemic, to roughly 1,000 students today Guillory said she wants to grow that number by a few hundred students

But as more people question the return on investment of a liberal arts degree, Guillory has to convince students that Dillard is worth the $20,000 annual tuition. One way she plans to do that is by requiring every student to be trained in the use of artiﬁcial intelligence, part of her broader vision of modernizing the university’s general education requirements. She said some faculty members might have resisted incorporating AI into their courses in the past, but now they recognize that stu-

National Guard is not typically activated for Bayou Classic, they would assist this year in light of the Bourbon Street attack.

“They realized it’s a big event and we really don’t want any of what happened Jan 1 to be an issue,” Ganthier said. He noted that the National Guard was also activated during the Sugar Bowl this year, which it typically does not participate in.

A law enforcement ofﬁcial who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly said that joint public safety plans call for additional National Guard activations during New Year’s and Mardi Gras.

“There is no indication that they will remain in between the events,” the ofﬁcial said.

While the French Quarter Enhanced Security Zone marked an unprecedented level of security when it was ﬁrst established by local law enforcement ahead of the Super Bowl just weeks after the terror attack — it appears to have become the new status

dents will need to be AI literate to thrive in the evolving economy

“There is no ﬁeld that is not going be impacted by machine learning and AI,” she said, adding that universities need to do better at “staying ahead of technological trends.”

Guillory who is also trying to ramp up fundraising, said she is “cautiously optimistic” about Dillard’s ﬁnancial stability

Meanwhile, her administration is re-evaluating the school’s academic programming with an eye toward the future. She wants the university to lean into New Orleans culture, which could mean expanding arts programs and building deeper ties with the community Next fall, the university will begin offering scholarships to music, theater and choir students.

She’s also following a liberal arts college playbook, touting the school’s small size as a selling point.

“Students are drawn to the closeknit community Dillard has,” Guillory said.

In hopes of retaining more stu-

quo security protocol for large events.

Visitors to the French Quarter also encountered bag searches and checkpoints from the Friday before Mardi Gras through Ash Wednesday this year

Cantrell said residents should expect heightened enforcement for upcoming holidays.

“This will be our process,” Cantrell said. She also emphasized that the National Guard’s involvement in enforcement was not connected to the planned Border Patrol sweeps. Cantrell, who has remained quiet about the immigration crackdown interspersed comments about it into her message about the city’s readiness to host Bayou Classic on Monday

“We want to follow the law, we want to calm anxiety and again rely on trusted information,” Cantrell said. “This is not our ﬁrst time in terms of moving through events. We know we’re a destination city and we welcome people from all around the world and

dents, Guillory has bolstered mental health services and other student supports.

Freshmen are required to meet with a mental health counselor for an assessment to determine if they are struggling with anxiety or depression. They also are placed on “care teams” of about 20 freshmen who receive support and outsidethe-classroom learning experiences from assigned faculty and staff members.

Lucine Flores, president of Dillard’s Student Government Association and a senior criminal justice studies major, said most of Guillory’s changes are helping move the university in the right direction.

Many issues remain, such as low attendance at campus events and desperately needed infrastructure work, Flores said. But she feels certain Dillard’s tight-knit community of students and faculty will stay committed to the school.

“To be a student at Dillard is like being from New Orleans,” she said. “We just have to persevere with everything going on.”

again we’re doing that for the 52nd annual Bayou Classic.”

Ganthier said more than 400 NOPD ofﬁcers would also be deployed for Bayou Classic Weekend.

The event-packed holiday season typically sees the NOPD run up a high bill on overtime hours to staff shifts amid a long-standing ofﬁcer shortage. But with the city facing a $160 million deﬁcit, it is unclear how the city will manage those expenses in the coming months.

“That is something that was already budgeted for because it was in this year’s budget,” Cantrell spokesperson Terry Davis told reporters Monday The city didn’t budget for police overtime in its 2025 budget, according to Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack, who has pointed to that budgeting ﬂaw as a major factor in the city’s budget crisis. Davis did not respond to a followup question about how police overtime costs for Bayou Classic would be paid for.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Monique Guillory, right, president of Dillard University speaks with Jason Brown, of Houston, as he talks about his son’s enthusiasm for attending the school on Friday.

Woman in 2014 Slender Man stabbing found after fleeing

BY TODD RICHMOND and KATHY MCCORMACK Associated Press

MADISON, Wis

The search for a missing Wisconsin woman who almost killed her sixth grade classmate more than a decade ago to please horror character Slender Man ended Sunday night when police discovered her sleeping outside an Illinois truck stop Morgan Geyser, 23, was found at a truck stop in Posen, Illinois, about 170 miles south of Madison, police said early Monday

The Madison Police Department said Sunday that Geyser had cut

DINNER

Continued from page 1A

The average cost for a turkey in Louisiana is $15.48 this year, just 4 cents higher from 2024.

“Things are just generally working themselves out after those COVID highs,” said Neil Melancon, assistant communications director for the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.

An all-time high price of $28.96 for turkey was set in 2022, largely due to an avian ﬂu outbreak crippling the bird population. The turkey population is at a 40-year low this year due to the disease, which has affected 183 million of all birds in the country Wholesale prices are up 40% for turkey, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Melancon said consumers aren’t seeing the market pressures on turkey this year since much of the stock was stowed away in preparation for Thanksgiving this year

Shoppers may feel a squeeze on turkey prices next year when the low population of turkeys makes its way through the slaughterhouse. But demand may fall for the bird as consumers turn their attention toward more affordable

JUDGE

Continued from page 1A

cases. “All actions ﬂowing from Ms. Halligan’s defective appointment,” including securing and signing the indictments, “were unlawful exercises of executive power and are hereby set aside,” she wrote A White House spokeswoman said the rulings will “not be the ﬁnal word on the matter” and Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed at an unrelated news conference that the Justice Department would pursue an “immediate appeal.” The department may also look to bring the cases again.

The challenges to Halligan’s appointment are just one facet of a multiprong assault on the indictments by Comey and James, whose multiple other efforts to dismiss the cases were still pending at the time of Monday’s rulings. Both have separately asserted that the prosecutions were vindictive and emblematic of a weaponized Justice Department. Comey’s lawyers last week, in moving to get his case tossed out, seized on a judge’s findings of a constellation of grand jury irregularities and missteps by Halligan. James likewise has cited “outrageous government conduct” preceding her indictment.

“I am grateful that the court ended the case against me, which was a prosecution based on malevolence and incompetence and a reﬂection of what the Justice Department has become under Donald Trump, which is heartbreaking,” Comey, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of making a false statement and obstructing Congress, said in a video statement

In a separate statement, James, a Democrat who has pleaded not guilty to mortgage fraud allegations, said “I am heartened by today’s

off her electronic monitoring device and left her group home on the capital city’s west side. She was last seen about 8 p.m. Saturday with an adult acquaintance, the department said.

Geyser was found with a 42-yearold man who was charged with criminal trespassing and obstructing identiﬁcation, Posen police said. He has since been released from custody Geyser was expected to appear in court in Cook County on Tuesday morning for a hearing on extradition to Wisconsin.

Geyser’s attorney, Tony Cotton, had said that he did not know what happened with his client. He told

The Associated Press in an email Monday morning that he had not yet spoken with Geyser and did not know what the circumstances of her departure were.

Posen police posted a Facebook statement Monday morning saying ofﬁcers were dispatched to the truck stop for a report of a male and female loitering behind the building. When officers arrived, they found Geyser and the man sleeping on the sidewalk.

Geyser initially gave ofﬁcers a false name and repeatedly refused to provide her real name, the statement said. She ﬁnally told them that she didn’t want to tell them who she

types of meats.

“What generally happens is, when prices for one meat climb high, people tend to look for other sources of protein to mitigate that,” he said.

Grocers tend to use turkey as a

“loss leader,” or an item that they know may not garner a lot of revenue, so they price it low to boost sales of other items in their store,

Associated Grocers CEO David Politz said

“We’ve done a lot of aggressive

victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country.” She said she remained “fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue ﬁghting for New Yorkers every single day.”

At issue in Currie’s rulings is the mechanism the Trump administration employed to appoint Halligan, a former White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience, to lead one of the Justice Department’s most elite and important ofﬁces.

Halligan was named as a replacement for Erik Siebert a veteran prosecutor in the ofﬁce and interim U.S. attorney who resigned in September amid Trump administration pressure to file charges against both Comey and James. He stepped aside after Trump told reporters he wanted Siebert “out.”

The following night, Trump said he would be nominating Halligan to the role of interim U.S. attorney and publicly implored Bondi to take action against his political opponents, saying in a Truth Social post that, “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility” and “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED NOW!!!”

Comey was indicted three days after Halligan was sworn in by Bondi, and James was charged two weeks after that.

Though attorneys general do have the authority to name an interim U.S. attorney who can serve for 120 days, lawyers for Comey and James argued that once that period expires the law gives federal judges in the district the exclusive say of who gets to ﬁll the vacancy By making a successive interim U.S. appointment and bypassing the role of courts, defense lawyers said, the Justice Department did an end-run around well-established law

“The 120-day clock began running with Mr Siebert’s appointment on January 21, 2025. When that clock expired on May 21, 2025, so too did the Attorney General’s appointment authority,” Currie wrote. “Consequently, I conclude that the Attorney General’s attempt to install Ms. Halligan as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was invalid and that Ms.

was because she had “done something really bad” and suggested they could “just Google” her Ofﬁcers took her and the man into custody without incident.

Geyser pleaded guilty in 2017 to being a party to attempted ﬁrstdegree intentional homicide in connection with the 2014 attack on her classmate, Payton Leutner. Geyser claimed, though, that she wasn’t responsible because she was mentally ill. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren ordered her committed to a psychiatric hospital for 40 years, and she was sent to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute.

about $9.66 for the bird — with a $75 purchase of other food. Oak

Point Fresh Market is offering a free Honeysuckle or Food Club turkey up to 14 pounds with a minimum $75 purchase.

Wisconsin law allows people who are committed in criminal cases to petition for release every six months. Geyser petitioned four times before Bohren ﬁnally signed off in January. Prosecutors urged the judge not to approve the release, saying that she couldn’t be trusted.

“Morgan is not more dangerous today,” Cotton said at the March court hearing. The judge concluded that Geyser wasn’t trying to hide anything. She was ultimately released after a ﬁnal plan was signed in September and placed in the Madison group home.

ing will have to fund productions costs, squeezing their margins for farmers.

promotion this past month and will continue throughout the end of the year to make sure that we are very, very low priced on all those staples that people need,” Politz said.

Associated Grocers provides procurement and accounting services to retail partners along the Gulf Coast, including local grocers Calandro’s Supermarket, Hi Nabor and Matherne’s Market.

Hi Nabor is offering a Grade A frozen turkey up to 14 pounds at $0.69 per pound cashing in at

Halligan has been unlawfully serving in that role since September 22, 2025.”

The Justice Department had defended Halligan’s appointment but revealed last month that it also given Halligan a separate position of “Special Attorney,” presumably as a way to protect the indictment from collapse. But Currie said such a retroactive appointment could not save the cases.

“The implications of a contrary conclusion are extraordinary,” the judge wrote. “It would mean the Government could send any private citizen off the street — attorney or not — into the grand jury room to secure an indictment so long as the Attorney General gives her approval after the fact. That cannot be the law.”

Though the defendants had asked for the cases to be dismissed with prejudice, meaning the Justice Department would be barred from bringing them again, Currie instead dismissed them without prejudice.

Comey was indicted just days before the statute of limitations in his case expired, which could complicate any effort to reﬁle the case. One of his lawyers, Patrick Fitzgerald, said in a statement that Currie’s decision “further indicates that because the indictment is void, the statute of limitations has run and there can be no further indictment.”

Judges have separately held that several other interim U.S. attorneys — in New Jersey, Los Angeles and Nevada — have served in their positions unlawfully but have permitted cases brought by their ofﬁces to proceed. But lawyers for Comey and James had argued that Currie’s ruling needed to go even further because Halligan was apparently the only prosecutor who presented evidence to the grand juries.

Comey has for years been one of Trump’s chief antagonists Appointed FBI director in 2013 by President Barack Obama, Comey at the time of Trump’s 2016 election was overseeing an investigation into whether the Republican’s presidential campaign had conspired with Russia to sway the outcome of the race Furious over that investigation, Trump ﬁred Comey in May 2017. James has also been a

For years, customers who purchased a Hormel Cure 81 Spiral Ham at Rouses Market got a free Butterball frozen turkey Prices are holding steady at similar costs to last year for most items including fresh Butterball turkeys, Bruce’s Yams, hams, mirlitons and Kitchen Basics stocks. CEO Donny Rouse said the grocery chain works with its local and national suppliers to keep prices as consistent as possible. Some categories such as poultry have had strong supply and stable costs, which helped the store hold prices again this year “A few fresh items have seen tighter availability or higher wholesale costs,” Rouse said in a statement.

The farmer’s share of every dollar spent on a Thanksgiving dinner in Louisiana is about $5, according to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. That’s about $4 more than the average farmer’s share year-round.

But farmers may not see the high return on the holiday meal. Overhead costs for needs like fertilizer and fuel have risen, and the returns from consumer spend-

frequent target of Trump’s ire, especially since winning a staggering judgment against him and the Trump Organization in a lawsuit al-

Fertilizer costs jumped to record highs in 2022, according to USDA data. Commonly used nitrogen fertilizers anhydrous ammonia and urea peaked at $1,600 per ton and $1,000 per ton, respectively, that year

“Even though there’s a lot more money being passed around, that’s not necessarily getting back to the farm,” Melancon said. While the cost for turkeys dropped, other Thanksgiving staples have risen in price. Sweet potatoes have typically been associated with holiday meals but have grown in versatility and increased demand for the crop. Coupled with a shrinking number of sweet potato producers, the price is climbing. In Louisiana, a 3-pound bag of sweet potatoes costs $2.89 on average, up from $2.75 last year Farmers have struggled with suboptimal weather conditions and a labor-intensive process to harvest the crop, according to the LSU AgCenter

“The issue is that you have a highly perishable commodity, so small changes in harvest and environmental conditions can play a can have a great deal of impact on the available supply,” Melancon said.

leging he defrauded banks by overstating the value of his real estate holdings on ﬁnancial statements. An appeals court overturned the

ﬁne, which had ballooned to more than $500 million with interest, but upheld a lower court’s finding that Trump had committed fraud.

Comey

James

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Shoppers search the shelves at Rouses Market on Monday.

NOLA.COM | Tuesday, November 25, 2025 1bN

N.O. simplifies light, signal repairs

New system aims to tackle backlog

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

New Orleans’ Depart-

ment of Public Works is streamlining how it tracks streetlight and trafﬁc signal repairs, part of an effort to tackle a backlog of outages that’s left segments of the city’s busiest streets in the dark for months

The department will schedule repairs and handle service requests and inspection reports through an in-house public-facing asset management system, instead of relying on outside vendors to monitor and repair more than 54,000 streetlights citywide, officials announced last week.

La. group challenges law for carbon storage

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

A central Louisiana group opposed to carbon capture and storage has asked a state judge in Baton Rouge to declare laws allowing companies to use private land for such projects an “egregious and overt trampling” of landowners’ state constitutional rights.

In a lawsuit brought Thursday, Save My Louisiana and several of its members leveled that accusation as they seek to block enforcement of state laws allowing carbon capture companies to create underground storage “units” on private land for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

At a news conference outside the Baton Rouge courthouse, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Mark T. Guillory, one of the named plaintiffs in Save My Louisiana, argued that the Legislature improperly gave those powers in a way that doesn’t serve the public good

“The Legislature is prohibited from creating special laws for special people. Well, that’s what this is. It’s a special law for a special group of people,” said Guillory a resident of Rapides Parish. “This is not a utility issue. These are private companies for private gain, and we’re saying that you’re violating the Constitution.”

Filed in the 19th Judicial District Court, the lawsuit was brought against the state, naming Gov Jeff Landry and Dustin Davidson, secretary of the Department of Conservation and Energy, as defendants in their ofﬁcial capacities.

Since being granted authority to do so by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in early 2024, Davidson’s department handles the permitting of carbon capture wells It also regulates pipelines that begin and end inside the state’s boundaries.

A spokesman for the department declined to comment Thursday, citing the pending litigation

Carbon capture and sequestration takes waste carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that would normally be emitted into the atmosphere from fossil fuel-based industrial processes and injects them deep underground for permanent storage

Proponents see this process as a safe way to cut emissions that contribute to climate change and rising average global temperatures. It also presents a way for Louisiana’s fossil fuel-based industries to offer low-carbon products to increasingly important foreign markets.

Scientists say Louisiana’s sedimentary geology is perfect for long-term storage, with existing techniques already used to pump CO2 into the ground and push up oil and gas from depleted reservoirs.

Under the new system, which ofﬁcials say should be available to the public by early 2026, Public Works has logged over 1,500 outage requests and completed nearly 800 repairs since October

The move comes over a year after the New Orleans Ofﬁce of Inspector General

dinged the department for failing to adequately maintain its 460 traffic lights and recommended that ofﬁcials launch an asset management system that could track routine and preventive light maintenance. Inspector General Ed Michel’s 20-page report found the agency regularly failed to update maintenance and performance data in the city’s 311 system and that staff relied on handwritten

logs and an office whiteboard to track outages.

The city’s new approach aims to chip away at a backlog of over 4,400 service requests for downed or malfunctioning streetlights and traffic signals, according to data obtained by The Times-Picayune this month.

“Our goal is to reduce the 311 backlog using asset management,” Public Works Director Rick Ha-

thaway said in October Public Works oversees a broad range of city functions, from maintaining 1,500 miles of roadway to parking enforcement. But it’s struggled in recent years to address basic problems that have been blamed on stafﬁng shortages and budget constraints. Without adequate inhouse staff, the department

CELEBRITy SIGHTING

U.S. tennis star

Coco Gauff makes a surprise appearance at Joe Brown Park

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

The kids gathered in Joe Brown Park in New Orleans East, tennis shoes laced tight and rackets in hand, unaware they’d soon get a chance to share the court with a champion.

Coco Gauff, the world No. 3-ranked women’s tennis player and winner of the 2023 U.S. Open and 2025 French Open, arrived at the park Monday afternoon.

She surprised dozens of players from A’s & Aces, a year-round tennis and tutoring program that partners with the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, as she worked with them in a tennis clinic and celebrated the refurbishment of the courts through a U.S Tennis Association program created after her 2023 U.S. Open victory

“If it bounces, you’re safe,” Gauff told the younger kids during a game where they tried to catch a ball hit from the other side of the net.

Gauff moved through three different courts, eventually making her way to a group of older kids who were powerfully zipping the ball back and forth.

“Oh, y’all are hitting for real,” she said, jumping in to join them.

Kids in the background cheered her on

“Oh, my God!” some yelled as she hustled around, whisking a ball back over to score a point.

Joe Brown Park has 10 outdoor tennis courts and the USTA program, through the Open Legacy Initiative, spent $110,000 to resurface them and provide new nets and other trappings. The work was completed in

May and the courts have been used by adults and kids who are offered free tennis lessons through NORD’s partnership with A’s & Aces.

“It’s an amazing day for the A’s and Aces community that someone like Coco Gauff is coming here to see us and play with the kids. They’ll have this experience for the rest of their lives,” said A’s & Aces co-founder Anna Monhartova

“This just adds to the importance of the program, making sure that our kids have an opportunity in New Orleans East to play on ﬁrst class tennis courts,” NORD CEO Larry Barabino Jr said.

Gauff, who has won 11 tennis titles, including the two majors earned $3 million in prize money from her U.S Open victory It was matched by the USTA to rehabilitate tennis courts at schools, parks and other public facilities across the U.S. in a nod to Gauff who grew up playing in the community courts of her native Delray Beach, Florida

Jim Ewers, A’s & Aces co-director, lauded Gauff for her in-person visit.

“Not only is she a world-class ten-

nis player, she’s a world-class human being. For her to take time out of her schedule and be here, holy mackerel,” he said.

New Orleans is one of more than 100 facilities chosen by Gauff’s family to receive improvements, starting with her hometown last spring.

Gauff on Monday said New Orleans holds a special place in her heart, it being the birthplace of her father and former coach Corey Gauff. Her mother, Candi Gauff, attended Xavier University A host of extended family live in the River Parishes.

“New Orleans is an important community to me,” Coco Gauff said “I grew up coming here. I love the food.”

The event closed out with a brass band and Coco Gauff danced with a group of kids before the Kinfolk Brass Band proceeded around the tennis court.

Gauff followed, umbrella in tow Staff writer Rod Walker contributed to this report.

Instructor Nicholas Crockens, right, tosses a tennis ball to his students taking part in a NORD tennis clinic.

STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

U.S. tennis player Coco Gauff shows Vyom Chilveoy, 8, where to hit the ball during her visit to a New Orleans Recreation Development Commission tennis clinic at Joe Brown Park in New Orleans on Monday

ä See STREET, page 2B

Cold front to usher in chilly weather

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

Thanksgiving week has started and some south Louisiana thunderstorms are possible early in the week before a cold front comes in for a chilly Turkey Day This week’s weather will be a roller coaster ride” with higher temperatures and days closer to fall, WWL-TV meteorologist Payton Malone said. Most of the state will see a near 20-degree drop in temperatures before Thursday

According to the National Weather Service’s forecast, the chance of showers sits around 50% on Tuesday with a high near 82 degrees. At night, there is a slight chance of rain and a low near 62, according to the weather service for New Orleans

The risk of rain should drop Wednesday as a cold front begins to lower the temperature to a high near 71 and an evening low around 48 degrees. Thanksgiving should be sunny but chilly with a high near 63 degrees and an evening low around 49. The chilly weather should

continue into Friday with a high near 63 degrees and an evening low around 54

There is a small risk of severe weather in the Baton Rouge and Hammond areas such as thunderstorms and damaging wind gusts mainly into Tuesday morning, State Climatologist Jay Grymes said. It will also cool down Wednesday and Thursday, with the Thanksgiving high forecast to be 63, with a low of 43. Acadiana and Lake Charles will see similar weather patterns, with a small chance of

severe storms headed into Tuesday and temperatures dropping for Thanksgiving Day.

North Louisiana has a higher chance of isolated severe storms going into Tuesday morning. The Shreveport area saw rain Sunday night and the rain was forecast to continue through Monday, according to theNational Weather Service in Shreveport.

There is a slight chance of damaging gusts of wind and brief tornadoes, mainly north of Interstate 10, according to the weather service.

Zach Bryan to kick off LSU concert series

Multiplatinum artist is first of ‘Death Valley Live’ marquee shows

Staff report

Multiplatinum artist and Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Zach Bryan will perform in Tiger Stadium on March 28, LSU announced.

Bryan will kick off LSU Athletics’ “Death Valley Live” series inside legendary Tiger Stadium, marking the first show there since 2022 when Garth Brooks played the venue in front of a crowd of more than 100,000.

Announced last week, “Death Valley Live” will include a series of marquee shows at the 100,000seat stadium, according to a news release. Opening acts for the Bryan show include Caamp, an American folk band, and J.R. Carroll.

Bryan is set to embark on an international tour from March to October of next year, with 40 concerts planned across Europe and North America. The prospect of another Tiger Stadium show after three years without one came about earlier

CHALLENGES

Continued from page 1B

But public opposition has emerged as projects to store potentially tens of millions of tons per year in CO2 under rural central and western Louisiana as well as in parishes east and south of Baton Rouge — have begun cycling through early testing and state permitting.

These critics say the technology remains a still-unproven concept that could damage aquifers if leaks occur and create a public safety risk through transport pipelines that could leak from the corrosive effects of CO2. The state laws at issue allow companies to create “units” or deﬁned swaths of land that can be tens of thousands of acres — for carbon storage.

Companies must get at least 85% of the landowners in the unit to agree to payments under a lease deal and can then force the remaining landowners to accept storage leases even if they are opposed. In practice, carbon storage companies and industries have used their own land or focused storage

this month, when the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council approved a tax deal to give cityparish sales tax dollars collected on March 28 and May 23 at the

areas under lands where single, large owners, such as timber companies, hold all or a signiﬁcant part of the storage area. Companies have also looked to the state, such as the water bottoms under Lake Maurepas and state wildlife areas.

CO2 storage uses tiny spaces, or pores, in rock layers thousands of feet below ground that are often close to a mile below most drinking water aquifers. Under state law, landowners hold these “pore spaces,” just as they do for what is on the surface.

This method of creating units mirrors a longstanding practice in oil and gas drilling, but plaintiffs’ attorney W. Alan Pesnell argues the process still amounts to a condemnation that, unlike other government takings, isn’t reviewed by a judge and isn’t for a public purpose, like a road or bridge.

“In effect, that’s you taking my property for use by that private person because it’s his CO2 that’s stored there, not mine, not the state’s, not a nonproﬁt entity that does public work, but a private entity that owns this gas, or liquid,” Pesnell said.

Earlier lawsuit

The lawsuit tries to draw a dis-

stadium back to entertainment promoters. The two dates are the only known ones mentioned for potential acts at the venue. According to a news release

tinction with oil and gas units. It argues that, with those units, the oil and gas under someone’s property isn’t truly owned by anyone until it’s brought to the surface. These units are created to share in proﬁts from the sale of the oil and gas. The lawsuit claims carbon capture units are not the same: “This is the state requiring landowners to receive and store a dangerous chemical under their land for private entities and pay for the same through tax credits and subsidies.”

Lucrative federal tax credits, known by the tax code section name “45Q,” and some federal loans and grants are helping ﬁnance the storage projects.

The expropriation power pipeline companies have to lay new CO2 lines — it allow them to take property for fair market value after court review — has also been a hot-button issue. Though the lawsuit doesn’t delve into those laws directly, Pesnell believes if a court accepts his theory of the law on storage units, a ruling could likely overturn those laws as well. In the past session, legislators upped the percentage required

Thursday LSU Athletics said “Death Valley Live” was put together in partnership with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Visit Baton Rouge and the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership — formerly known as the Baton Rouge Area Chamber “Stadium shows are one component of the music ecosystem that we are building together to make the Capital Region a more attractive place to live, work, and play,” Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership President and CEO Lori Melancon said last week.

Bryan is known for his hits including “Something in the Orange,” “Dawns” with Maggie Rogers, and “I Remember Everything” featuring Kasey Musgraves.

More recently, his song “Pink Skies” has gone viral on TikTok.

This won’t be Bryan’s first headlining show in a Louisiana football stadium. In July 2024, he made a tour stop at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans for a concert that attracted about 40,000 fans.

Email Patrick Sloan-Turner at patrick.sloan-turner@ theadvocate.com.

for the creation of storage units from 75% to 85% and made it harder for companies to use expropriation power for CO2 lines, forcing them to have a court declare their pipelines are for a public purpose. This isn’t the first time state laws or federal rules clearing the path for carbon capture in Louisiana have faced a court challenge.

The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and other environmental groups sued the EPA in February 2024 after the agency rule granting the state primacy over carbon capture injection permits.

A little more than a year later, in May, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the case on the grounds that the groups didn’t have standing to bring the suit because they didn’t have an “injury in fact” and their claims of injury were too speculative.

The Save My Louisiana lawsuit has plaintiffs who live or own land in the target area for carbon storage and carbon pipeline projects. Some of those named plaintiffs also claim they were threatened with expropriation by storage companies if they didn’t accept lease deals.

2 killed in ﬁery crash near Manchac

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

Two people were killed in a ﬁery, three-vehicle crash on the elevated Interstate 55 near Manchac on Saturday night, State Police said.

State Police identified one of the victims as Lula Kinchen, 88, of Hammond. The identity of the other victim had not yet been released.

State Police said an Infiniti SUV heading north crashed into the rear of a Honda CR-V just before 9 p.m. Saturday near the Manchac Bridge in St. John the Baptist Parish. After hitting the Honda, the Inﬁniti crashed into a Nissan Maxima.

The Inﬁniti and Maxima both “became engulfed in flames,” State Police said.

Kinchen, who was a passenger in the Nissan, was taken to an area hospital where she died, State Police said. The driver of the Inﬁniti died at the scene, they said.

The driver of the Honda was not injured. Due to the severity of the crash, State Police said it couldn’t be determined if the occupants of the Nissan and Infiniti were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.

Toxicology tests are pending, State Police said. The crash remains under investigation.

STREET

Continued from page 1B

has relied on emergency contracts for repairs in recent years, and has struggled to ﬁnd contractors.

The issue has long-frustrated residents and business owners who say a lack of adequate streetlights is a public safety concern.

“Well-lit streets promotes safety,” Garden District resident Sophie Martinez said. “We’re also a city that caters to pedestrians and bicyclists. We want to maintain a walkable city.”

Days before a fatal Oct. 30 hitand-run at Prytania and Third streets, Martinez said she noticed the corner had two streetlights down and reported it to 311.

“I thought, ‘Geez, it’s really dark and this is a busy street,’ ” she said.

LOTTERY

SUNDAY, NOV. 23, 2025

PICK 3: 7-9-6

PICK 4: 5-9-0-9

PICK 5: 9-5-6-6-7

Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS

Audiffred, Fay

Gaines,Sterling

Reff,Jimmie

Mercadel Sr., Gerald

Gaines,Sterling

Obituaries

Audiffred, Fay Laiche

Audiffred; her brothers, Edwin Laicheand Lawrence Laiche Jr;and her parentsLawrence "Papa Squint"Laiche and Altheanne Laiche"Mawmaw Laiche" Fay willberemembered forher livelyspirit, her love of flowers and birds, her impeccable elegance, and the kindness and beautyshe brought into the lives of everyonewho knewher

Shewillbeprofoundly missedand forever cherished Funeral serviceswillbe held at StThomas the ApostleParishin Naperville, Illinois

Gaines,Sterling Joseph 'Joe'

Obituary for Fay Anne Laiche Audiffred Fay Anne Laiche

Audiffred, 83, passed away peacefully on November 21,2025, at Covenant Living at Windsor Park in Carol Stream,Illinois. Born on October 20, 1942, in Good Hope, Louisiana, Fay carried avibrant, joyful spirit throughout her life. She married her Leon Godchaux high-school sweetheart, Sidney Joseph Audiffred, Jr., sharing more than five decades of love and partnership until his passing in 2018. Together they made their homes in Washington, Illinois where they raised their two children, Amy Audiffred and Doug Audiffred. and later in Decatur/Forsyth, Illinois. After Sid's passing, Fay residedinValleyPark, Missouri,before moving back to Illinois to The WindsorPark community in Carol Stream Faywas known for her grace, creativity, and unmistakable spark. Aclassy redhead with agift for cooking and baking, she filled her home with warmthand celebration. She was also an accomplished seamstress and crafter. Her love of gardening became asignature of her life. Fay created breathtaking garden spaces wherever she lived and earned magazine features and multiple awards from the Decatur Garden Club for her artistic floral designs and tablescapes. In fact, she held the prestigious position of President of the Decatur Garden Club for many years. Atrue hostess at heart, she delighted in creating beautiful meals, elegant presentations, and welcoming spaces for familyand friends. She also cherished her collections of angels, artwork, and pottery. Above all, Fay adored her family. She was adevotedmother and afun joyful, deeply loving grandmother. She leaves behind her children, Amy and Doug (Debbi); her grandchildren Eric (Jo) Audiffred Jordan Zauner, Brian Audiffred, Grace Audiffred, Sydney Fay AudiffredZauner, and Joe Audiffred; her great-grandchild Theodore Audiffred; and her beloved sister,Lynne Acosta. Proceeded in death by her husband, Sid

Sterling Joseph Gaines entered eternalreston Sunday, November 16, 2025 atthe age of 77.Hewas a nativeofNew Orleans, LA and aresidentofMarrero, LA. Sterling wasa graduate ofGeorgeW.CarverHigh School.“Joe”,ashewas af‐fectionatelyknownbyfam‐ily andfriends wasa re‐tired employee with Louisiana DOTD-CCC. De‐voted husband of 55 years toLaVerne TillmanGaines. Beloved father of Dana (Darius,Sr.)Brown, and Raquel(Darrick) Hamilton Son of thelateHarry J. Gaines, Sr.and AnnieMae Gaines. Bonus sonofHar‐rietGaines. Grandfatherof Diamond,Darius, Jr and Demiere Brown, BrianM Adams,Jr.,and Shante’M Adams.Great grandfather of Demi Love Brownand ZaydenM.Adams.Brother ofDeniseBellock,Contrella Norman, Sylvia Gaines, Melinda Hill,Tammy (Mer‐win)LeBlanc,Harry (Eu‐nice) Gaines,Jr.,Ricky (Adaline) Patterson,Guy (Marie) Patterson, Sr., Henry Roussell,III, Roder‐ick (Chiquita) Roussell,and the late StanleyJ.Gaines, Larry Gaines,Phyllis GainesCampbell andBar‐bara(Andrew) Cavalier Grandsonofthe late Jules Brown, Beatrice Brown Gardner, CorneliusGaines,

andGriffinEdwards.Son in law of thelateJosephTill‐man,Sr.,and IdaRuthTill‐man.Devoted Uncleto ChristieHarrisand An‐toinette Jones. Brother-inlaw of Terronce Tillman, the late Joseph Tillman, Jr CherylAnn (Morris) LeBlanc,NikitaDelaney and EffieGaines. Godfather ofQuana White. Close friendofDouglas White, Sr.,the late Ernest Tross, Sr. andPeter Willis Sr also survivedbya host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relativesand friends. Residents of theHaydel Manor Subdivison,Rela‐tives andfriends of the family, also pastors, offi‐cers, andmembers of WhiteChapelBaptist ,New HopeBaptist Church,and all neighboringchurches are invitedtoattend the Celebration of Life at New HopeBaptist Church 434 7th St.Gretna, LA on Wednesday,November26, 2025, at 11:00a.m. Pastor JohnMason officiatingPastorWarrenE.Johnson HostPastor. Visitation will begin at 9:00am until ser‐vicetimeatthe abovenamed church.Interment: New Hope CemeteryGretna, LA.Arrangements byDavis Mortuary Service 230 Monroe St.Gretna, LA Toviewand sign theguest‐book,pleasegotowww davismortuaryservice.com. Face MasksAre Recom‐mended.

Surtain. He is survived by his mother Brenda Mc‐Connell Mercadel,siblings Jude(Lillie), Marcell, Chris, StevenMercadel, Javon White, andsisterMonique Myles.Grandchildren Bloom andDillion Mer‐cadel,Aunt Lois (David), and closecousinDonna Alsosurvivedbymany niecesand nephews, cousins,a plethora of Mer‐cadel relatives, and friends.Geraldwas pre‐ceded in deathbyhis fa‐therGeraldMichael Mer‐cadel,grandparents Josephand Marguerite Mc‐Connell,MarcelMercadel, and Florence T. MercadelMagee. Family andfriends are invitedtoattend Ger‐ald’s CelebrationofLife Service on Tuesday, No‐vember25, 2025, at St Peter Claver Catholic Church,located at 1923 St Phillip Street,New Orleans, LA70116. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m.,withthe service a.m.Int atStL 300 N. Orleans book On ditionb 0600. Li

Mercadel Sr., Gerald Reff, Jimmie Jimmie Reff born 11/05/ 1953 enteredintoa peacefulsleep 11/09/2025. He wasthe son of the late IreneMartinReffand late Leroy WilsonSr. He was theproud father of Anitra(Steve)Brown, Jimmie(Darlene)Reff Jr, Candice(Dawer) Rojas; Lovinggrandfatherto ChristopherBrown,Justin Brown,Daysha Reff, Aniyah Reff andJosiah Reff. Stepdaughter: Myesha Stevenson Jimmie is survived by hissiblings: Alphonse(Janice) Reff, Doris(James)Howard lly

Mercadel Sr., Gerald Phillip'Tootie'

Gerald “Tootie”Phillip MercadelSr. passedaway onNovember18, 2025, at the ageof65. He wasa man of many hats—tax‐man,educator, teacher, and businessman, whose kindnessand commitment touched everyone in his community.Geraldwas the beloved father of his5 chil‐dren, WhitleyMercadel, GeraldMercadelII(Reyna), Brandon Mercadel (Jonta’) Alex Mercadel,and Ashanti

TUESDAY11/25@3

andDonavin D. Boyd Own‐ers/FuneralDirectors Step Companywhere he washighly respected for hisworkethicand dedication.Heretired proudly in January2025. We wouldliketoextend heartfelt thanks to Aunt Lottie Bell Moseman Cousins Angela and MarlonBradford and Denise and Charles(Mickey)Walker for their care andsupport duringour fathersbrief illness. Also to my sister CandiceReffRojas for her constantdedication,love andsupport. He leaves behinda host of Aunts, uncles, cousins,nieces, nephews, extended relativesand friends, whowill forever cherish the love he shared. His gentle spirit andkind hearted naturewill remain with all whoknewand lovedhim.

OUR VIEWS

Congress can’t punt on expiring ACAhealthcare subsidies

Since it was passed 15 years ago, theAffordable Care Act has provided apath formillions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands here in Louisiana, toobtain healthinsurance. Yetdebatesabout the program and its costs have periodically roiled Congress, as they did again during the budget negotiationsearlier this year that led to the longest shutdown in the nation’shistory

The key issue this timewas latepandemicera enhanced tax credits that madepremiums for policies purchased on theACA exchanges far more affordablethan they would have been otherwise.Those credits, which cost the federal government about$35 billion per year, areset to expireatthe end of December.

The shutdown hinged on whether they would be extended, as Democrats wanted, or ended, as most Republicans prefer The credits are utilized by some 24 million Americans, including nearly 300,000people in Louisiana.Ifthey weretoexpire,many customers’ insurance bills would morethandouble, andsomewould triple or even quadruple;The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which favors extending the program, says that premiums for a60-year-old couple in Acadianaearning $85,000 would rise from $7,225 to $36,539 if Congress doesn’tact. TheCongressional Budget Ofﬁce estimates that about four millionAmericans wouldbepushed off of insuranceentirely

Even though the government has reopened, the issue remains unresolved.

Louisiana Republican andSenateHealth committee chair BillCassidy is pushing an alternate plan that would allow low-income workersand small businesses who now get these credits to instead direct the money intotax-freeaccounts anduse the fundsasthey choose, either to purchase acheaper policyand pay the highercosts of health insurance or purchase ahigher-cost plan.

There are other optionsonthe table, including several proposed by Republicans. President Donald Trump has said he’sopentosending more of the money directly to individuals but has not gotten behind aspeciﬁcplan to accomplishthatgoal.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has committed to holding avoteonextending the credits by themiddle of nextmonth The House has made no such commitment.

We are glad to see Cassidyworkingtocome up with asolution to what is aknotty problem

We also must note, however,thattimeisrunning very short to make signiﬁcant policychanges before customers’ bills come due. Aone-year extension of the credits would give Congress time to explore alternativeswithout leaving constituentsinthe lurch.

City’s fiscal crisis a result of poor oversight

New Orleansisinanextreme crisis, essentially bankrupt in ﬁnancing, leadership and management.

City Council membersand thecity’s chief administrative ofﬁcer revealed In October that the city did not have money for payroll for theend of the year.This “cash crisis” reportedly arose from “burning through nearly $200 million in reserve funds due to thecity’sfailure to budget for overtime.”

The City Council membersclaimed they were blindsided. However,the fault lies with theCity Council that is legally responsible for setting and overseeing the city’sbudget and spending. Instead, thecouncil scrambled to borrow from Peter to pay Paul even though the city cannot repay Peter Somecity leaders and managers want to blame others.

Ultimately,the fault lies with the city’s elected and management personnel. The New Orleans citizens are not responsible for andshould not pay for this awful and unnecessary deficit created by thecity’sincompetence. Instead, in the short term,the city’s elected leadership andsenior managementare responsiblefor these errors; and they should either be fired, furloughed or work without pay until the city establishes aproper and reliable financial system In thelong term, the city’scharter should be revoked and replaced with abalanced, responsible administration subject tointensive independent inspection and supervision so that thecitizens do not have to pay forthe failures of our leadership and management.

THOMAS WAGNER NewOrleans

Struggle of Palestiniansrightly aconcern

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

On Oct. 17, Iwas walking with a friend, Deborah H., toward the Backstreet Cultural Museum,when she tripped and fell and was rendered unconscious. Twowomen whowere across the street immediately came to our assistance (They wererunning aclothing distribution forthe homeless at the Treme Center.) along with aman whowas managing the Treme Center The ladies guided the ambulance to us, and the gentleman brought someice to put on our friend’shead wound. In the rush to get Deborah to the hospital, we never got their names. Iwanted to try in this way to thank them and to say their kindness was much appreciated. Their concern and help are typical of the people of NewOrleans, and we are grateful. Deborah is doing just ﬁne after having been cared foratUniversity Medical Center

ANDREWWIESENTHAL, MD San Francisco, California

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

I’m writing to share my sincere admiration for Indivisible NOLA’s rigorous inclusion of local Palestinian liberation movement organizations and their solidaritypartners in the recent “No Kings” mobilization. I’d also like to uplift and applaud Indivisible NOLA for the group’sforward-thinking decision to feature alocal leader with the Palestinian YouthMovement among the day’sshortlistofspeakers. I’m not amember of Indivisible NOLA, and Idonot presume to speak forthem. That said, Itake Indivisible NOLA’s prominent inclusion of Palestine in theirNoKings programming as aclear rejection of calls for capitulation and anticipatoryobedience. This paper appearstohave fallen considerably short of Indivisible NOLA’s example.

Time and again, we’ve seen this paper runarticles that embrace akind of obsessive self-censorship on the issues of Palestine. Anycapitulation to theanti-democratic imperatives of President Donald Trump and his racist, pro-Israel allies will not stop their assaults on free speech, and in the

end, fascism comes for collaborators just thesame. Indeed, inclusion of pro-Palestinian liberation voices couldn’tbemore urgent or timely.It’sclear that the inhumane treatment of Palestinians by Israel (andbythe U.S.) is more prologue than exception —aharbinger of aracist future only made possible by sustaining Israeli impunity.Militarized policing, racist immigration enforcement and detentionand even Orwellian surveillance programs all examples of rising racist state violence hereinthe U.S. —are in fact echoes of Israel’sown bigoted, lawlesscolonial, U.S.-enabledprojections across Palestine. To fight for democracy here, or anywhere, is to fight forPalestinian liberation againstIsrael’sapartheid regime and ravenous settler-colonial enterprise. Palestinianliberation is thecenter of any progressive struggle in our time and denying or censoring this reality only undercuts our fight.

JOSH TEITELBAUM NewOrleans

The front page of the Nov. 4paper says all we need to know about the choices our society has made. Some people eat at Michelin-starred restaurants. With food banks running out of food, somepeople don’teat at all. Acountry that can’tfeed its people has failed the basic test of humanity And the solution is clear.Take alittle caviar from the ultra-wealthy to buy bread forthe struggling.

M.A. SHEEHAN NewOrleans

Thereare plenty who couldworkin fields

We urge Cassidy’scolleagues in theSenate andour delegationinthe Housetoworktoward asolution that allows people to maintain access to health care they can afford, without interruption. Any potential legislation will have to clear the 60-vote threshold in the Senateand alsopass the House before headingtothe White House. Butwecan think of few more important issues, especiallyheading into theholiday season, than makingsureLouisianansdon’tstart thenew year withoutaccessto health care. If illegal immigrants are deported, “Who will pick our crops?” was asked by aprevious letter writer They should be picked by the millions of healthy adults whoare

(Black) American history from the Netherlands

Fornearly two years,those who paused before the 8,301 graves of Americans who died freeing Europe from Nazi rule encountered acommemorative panel honoringthe Black military personnelburied in the American Cemetery in Margraten who foughtfor freedom abroad while being denied it at home.

spoke of the incongruity of Blacks ﬁghting for freedom in Europe while beingdenied freedom at home.

them in the past?”

He went on to argue thefollowing: “I want to know,and Ibelieve every colored American,who is thinking, wants to know.”

Until it was quietly removed, almostcertainly as part of the Trump administration effort to cleanse American history from conﬂict andnegativism andto play down the separate contributions of minorities.

The removal sparked areaction that is anything but quiet. The development hasbeen front-page news in theNetherlands, lawmakers are beseeching American ofﬁcials to returnthe panel, and relatives of those buried in the cemetery in the southernpart of the Netherlands are angry —and heartbroken.

The removalofthe commemoration —like an article on baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson’smilitary service record that was initially removed from aPentagon website —isconsistent with the administration’seffort to erase what it called “illegal DEI and ‘diversity,equity, inclusion and accessibility’ (DEIA) programs.”The article about Mr.Robinson, who desegregated major-league baseballin1947, was restored —exactlythe treatment ofﬁcials in the Netherlandsare hopingto winwith the Margraten panel, which speaks of how the Black soldiers were “ﬁghting on two fronts.”

That phrase is adirect reference to an effort, prominent in black circles yetall but unknown among whites, called the “Double-V,” or “Double Victory”campaign.Itbegan witha1942 letter to theeditor of the Pittsburgh Courier,the leading Black newspaper andone with anational audience, that

Thedrivetostrip references to the achievements of various groups, especially minorities,iscongruent with theWhiteHouse offensive to removeany scent of negativismorsingle-interest matters in portrayals of American history.“The exhibitions in Margraten are not intended to promote an agenda critical of America,” American Ambassador JoePopolo, who visited the cemeteryMonday,said on the Xsocial mediaplatform. He donated $827,900 to the Trump2024 campaign.

But the record of Black involvement in World WarII, including digging gravesatMargraten,and the irony of Blacks’commitment to foreign freedom while lackingitdomestically,isnot solely part of African-American history, nor is it inherently negative. It is immutably part Americanhistory more broadly, especially since theDouble-V campaign is considereda precursor to thecivilrightsmovement,which is indisputably amajor,and now widely celebrated, element of the country’shistory

The Double-V campaign came after James Thompson, a26-year-old Courier reader from Wichita, Kan., wrote the newspaper posing Six Questions, which we mightregard as Black analogues to the Four Questions Jews ask at Passover,itself amoment of reﬂection aboutfreedom:

“Should Isacriﬁce my life to live half American? Will things be better for the next generation in the peace to follow? Woulditbedemanding too much to demand full citizenship rights in exchangefor the sacriﬁcing of my life? Is thekindofAmerica Iknow worth defending?WillAmerica be atrue and pure democracy after this war? Will Colored Americans suffer still theindignities that have been heaped upon

Mr.Thompson, who eventually was awarded the Soldiers Medal, thehighest honor for non-combat situations, for his service in thesegregated QuartermastersCorps in theIndia-Burma theater,died 26 years ago.

It took six years after the Thompson letter,and an order from President Harry Truman, todesegregatethe armed forces. It took adozen yearsfor theSupremeCourt to issue itsschooldesegregation decision. It took 22 years, marches,and sit-ins around the Southfor Congress to pass thelandmarkCivil Rights Act.

Butthe involvement of Black Americans in World WarII, despite having no answers tothe Six Questions that Mr.Thompson posed in his letters, remainsone of the most poignant parts of the liberation of Europe from Nazi tyranny

The Dutch today remain grateful for the Allied effort, but also mindful of thesacriﬁce of Blackswho fought for liberty for others without possessing it themselves.

“The panels that no longer have a place in thevisitor center of the American Cemetery in Margraten tell the story of astruggle by Black American soldiers on two fronts: against the enemy and against racism,” said Bas Albersen, spokesman for Emile Roemer, governor of the southernmostDutch province. “They fought for afreedom they themselves did not have.”

Oneofthe tragedies of our time is that Americans, about to celebrate 250 years of freedom,have to be told this from someone 3,750 miles from Washington.

Email DavidShribman at dshribman@post-gazette.com.

Tech makespie crustaseasyas... pie

Thanksgiving is the best of all holidays, marrying the festivity of Christmas with the patrioticspirit of July Fourth. Also, Thanksgiving is the premier celebration of my favorite food in the world: the American pie. Ilove it so much that I start celebrating weeks early,carefully rolling out my pie crusts and freezing them so Ican pop them into the oven on the morning of the Big Day Four years ago, Iwrote along essay lamenting the decline of adish that was once so fundamental to our tables that it spawned the phrase “As American as apple pie.” These days, if we haven’tgone low-carb, we’re more likely to bring out cake, brownies or ice cream than agood old-fashioned pie. But at Thanksgiving, it still retains pride of place, even if some despicable quislings have defected to pumpkin cheesecake. The pie, like many ﬁne traditions, wasavictim of technological change. For centuries, it was undemanding compared with other desserts hence the saying “As easy as pie.” A brownie needed expensive chocolate; acake required exact proportions of ingredients and agreat deal of muscle to creambutter and sugar by hand or whip egg whites into aleavening foam.

Apie needed minimal ingredients: salt, ﬂour,water and fat.You could throw acrust together in afew minutes, roll it out and ﬁll it with practically anythingyou had on hand, in whatever amounts you had available.

Acentury of rising incomes, global supply chains and technological change upended those calculations. Today,even anovice can make acheap and reliably excellent cake from scratch in under 20 minutes thanks to innovations such as commercial baking powder,standardizedmeasures and electric mixers. Good pie crust is

Whether it’s store-bought or homemade, topping off some pie with freshwhipped creambrings it to the next level.

comparatively ﬁddly and uncertain. Addtoo little water,and it won’thold together; add too much,and thegluten in your ﬂour will become overexcited, giving your pie crust the consistency of well-used cardboard. Then there’s rolling the thing out,which is awhole other adventure.

Allthis takes skill and experience, and those talents atrophied as more people took the easy way out. This Thanksgiving, many cooks will use alistless store-bought crust or buy abakery pie that will have begun to stale before it is served. It’savicious cycle: The less often people make pie crust, the less ability they have to make them, and the less reason they have to do so, becauseatthis point, many Americanshave never had a gloriously tender,sublimely ﬂaky homemade pie crust. They don’tknow what they’re missing. My last two columns have been about romanticizing the past and the impossibility of recapturing some imaginedgolden age. Butwhile nostalgia politicsisadead end, nostalgia itselfisnot We should rue the good things that have been lost, pie crust among them. Better yet,weshould rescuethem whenever we can

The happy ending to this story is thattechnological change has made

pie crust easier —not as easy as cake, maybe, but still something acompetentbeginner can master with asmall amount of effort. Food processors simplify thelaborious process of cutting fat intoﬂour,and chef J. Kenji Lopez-Alt has developed not one but two foolproof pie crust recipes for novices who own such amachine. I’d encourage readers who think pies are too difﬁcult to give one atry,roll them out (videos on the internet will show you how to do this), then put them in thefreezer to await Thanksgiving morning.

ButI’d also ask them to think about how technology might be used to recapture other things they miss. Childhood foods you’velost, for example.At theend of my father’slife, Imanaged to reproduce his beloved snow pudding, anow-forgotten lemon dessert that turnsout to be delicious and easy to makewithanelectricstandmixer. Then think bigger:Could safer selfdriving carsrevive theonce-common sight of children playing in thestreet? Could aproductivityboom driven by artiﬁcial intelligence give us more time to investinour communities? Could manufacturedhousing make it easier to form families, or might robotsreverse our demographic decline by taking over thedreary housework that kids generate?

Ican feel the technology skeptics chaﬁng at such optimism —what about all the downsides of technological change we can see everywhere? Why should the next round of “progress” be any different?Fair enough; I’m not claiming that further innovation will give back some of the things technology has taken from us. I’m only suggesting that it could. Whether it does will depend on how we choose to usethe next round of inventions just as thefutureofAmerican pie depends on what you and Ichoosetoput on our table this Thanksgiving. MeganMcArdle in on X, @asymmetricinfo.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —The month they areborn, all Ohio children can be enrolled in aprogram that sends abook (“The Little Engine That Could”) addressed to them personally.This introduction to an indispensable ingredient of success and happiness —reading —isapublic-private collaboration with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,embraced by Gov.Mike DeWine and some other governors. The 400,000 children currently in the program will receive 59 more books, one amonth, until at age 5they receive “Look Out Kindergarten, Here ICome!” In 15 of the poorest Ohio counties, where health care can be distant, aDeWine programsends to schools abus equipped for eye examinations for children. Three weeks later,glasses arrive and some children suddenly see the blackboard clearly Such granular-level government, touching people directly,began in 1976 for 29-year-old DeWine whenhewas elected county prosecutor, 10 presidential administrations ago. Gerald Ford was president. When 33-year-old DeWine wona state Senate seat in 1980, Democrat Jimmy Carterwas president, having carried Texas while defeating Republican Ford, who wonIllinois. The past really is another country Ohio was, and for ageneration remained, a swing state and bellwether.In28of30presidential elections, 1896 through 2012, it favored the winner.Today it is bright red, having beencarried three times by Donald Trump. DeWine, whose fatherhad aseed business nearby,grew up in Yellow Springs, asmall, hyper-progressive college town (Antioch) —the Paris Commune of the Midwest. He began, as he remains, aconservative Republican. At age14in 1961, he named his puppy Barry to honor Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater,the GOP’s1964presidential nominee who blazed Ronald Reagan’strail. Donald Trump, DeWine says, has been an accelerant, not an ignitor,ofthe rightward drift of working-class Ohioans, whichbegantwo decades before Trump entered politics. Ohio wasanearly cauldron of U.S. industry: Standard Oil created by Cleveland’sJohn D. Rockefeller; tires from Akron (Firestone, Goodrich, Goodyear); steelmills in Ohio’snorth, consumer goods in the south (Cincinnati’sProcter &Gamble, Kroger groceries). But people and capital are mobile, and DeWine says his primary task today is “bringing in people.” He lately has been reassuring Cleveland’sSherwinWilliams, the paint people, that the state will produce sufﬁcient chemistry and other PhDs. DeWine does not speak ill of today’spresident. Some unspoken inferences are, however,unavoidable. Nationally,there are more than 400,000 unﬁlled manufacturing jobs, while ICE warriors, dressed for combat on Iwo Jima, swarm U.S. communities, deporting workers.

Education is the health of any state,soDeWine has emulated Mississippi’ssuccess with “science of reading” instruction. He made himself the villain by doing what many local officials flinched from: banning smartphones in schools, where suddenly screen-deprived students began talking together during lunch. Every Ohioan is eligible for some state school-choice aid. DeWine, too,has noticed that some poor counties have high-performing schools because they have high percentages of intact families: for example,Ohio’sAmish. After serving as Ohio’slieutenant governor, four terms in the U.S. House, two terms in the U.S. Senate, two terms as Ohio’sattorneygeneral, and now asecond term (he is term-limited) as governor,DeWine and his wife, Frances—they metinfirst grade —will soon retire.Theymight, however,continue hosting ice cream socials because they have Midwestern DNA.

In his congressional years, he and Francesliked living in suburban Washington with Republican and Democratic legislators as neighbors, before neighborliness became politically risky.The DeWines missed 4-H and Little League,sothey returned to achanging Ohio.

In the past 30 years, its cities have become bluer,and small towns and rural countieshave becomeredder,which DeWine does not ascribe primarily to economics —deindustrialization. Much of that occurred in the 1970s and 1980s “without,” he says, “changes in voting patterns.”

“Wehave sorted ourselves out politically,” he says, because “the culture of Democrats became offensive.” House Speaker TipO’Neill, who died in 1994, wasinoffensive, but blue-collarDemocrats “can’trelate to those they see on TV now.” Ohio has produced, loosely speaking, seven presidents, eight if you count, as some Ohio chauvinists do, UlyssesS.Grant, an Ohioan until leaving at age 17 for West Point. But before bracing for that bleak future, savor DeWine’s almost half-century in politics. It has been, unlike today’s politics of schoolyard snark and empty gestures (see: today’svice president), adigniﬁedpolitical vocation.

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com

PHOTO

BHOFACK /GETTy IMAGES

George Will

David Shribman

ega McArdle M n

SPORTS

OFFTHE SCHNEID

BY LESEAST

Contributing writer

Zion Williamson scored 29 points, Yves Missi and Saddiq Bey had doubledoubles, five other teammates scored in double ﬁgures,and theNew Orleans Pelicans ended anine-game losing streak by defeating the Chicago Bulls 143-130 on Monday night in theSmoothie King Center Missi ﬁnished with season-highs of 14 points and 13 rebounds, Bey added 18

points and 12 rebounds, Trey Murphy scored 20,Jose Alvarado had16, JeremiahFears scored 15, Bryce McGowens hada season-high 11 and Micah Peavy chipped in 10 for the Pelicans (3-15),who will face the Memphis Grizzlies at 7p.m Wednesday at home.

Herb Jones (right calfstrain) missed hissecond consecutive game and will be re-evaluated in approximately one week.

Jordan Poole, who was diagnosed with a quadstrain on Nov.7,has been cleared to resume on-courtbasketball activities,but

no timetable has been set for his return. AyoDosunmu scored 26, Coby White had22, Josh Giddeyhad 21,Jalen Smith scored 13, Jevon Carter put in 11, and Tre Jones had 10 points and 11 assists to lead the Bulls (9-8).

New Orleans had itshighest-scoring ﬁrst quarter,second quarter andthird quarter of the season on itsway to aseason-high point total, surpassing the previous high of 124 in aloss to theLos Angeles

ä See PELICANS, page 5C

Next LSUcoach facesmajor rebuildonoffense

LSUquarterback Michael VanBuren is tripped up tryingtoescape thepocketinthe third quarter ofthe game againstWesternKentucky on SaturdayatTiger Stadium.

If it was notclear already,the first thing the newLSU head coach has to do became obvious over thepast month.Whether it’sLane Kifﬁn or someone else in charge, theoffenseneeds to be stripped down to thestuds and rebuilt.

ä LSU at Oklahoma, 2:30 P.M. SATURDAy,ABC

Saints to tryout embattled KTucker

BY MATTHEWPARAS and LUKE JOHNSON Staff writers

TheNew OrleansSaints will host kickerJustin Tucker for atryout Tuesdayasthe team exploresits options over whethertomove on from Blake Grupe, coach KellenMoore conﬁrmed Monday.

The invite marks the 36-year-old’s ﬁrst workout with an NFLteam since he served a10-gamesuspension after allegations thatheacted inappropriately during massage-therapy appointments.

ä Saints at Dolphins, NOON SUNDAy,FOX

In January 2025, the Baltimore Bannerreported thatsix different women accusedTuckerofinappropriate behavior during massage sessions from 2012-16. Weeks later,10more women came forward with additionalaccusations, whichtheysaidincluded Tucker exposing himself intentionally and leaving ejaculate on the massage table. Mooresaidheand theteam would need to have “further conversation” withTuckerabout theallegations— whichthe kickerhas denied —before deciding whether to offer him acontract “You just want to get to know the people andget to know maybe the circumstance here and there,” Moore said. “Certainly,hehad asuspension in the league.Heserved that suspension. Obviously, there’ssome information to collect. This will be aworkout, and we’ll see allthatstuff that takes place.” Tucker’s suspensionendedNov.11 after being handed down in June. His agent told ESPN then that Tucker was “disappointed” in the punishment but wouldnot appeal thesuspensionto“put this difﬁcult episode behind him.” “Justinhas always strivedtocarry himself in away that would make his familyand community proud,”said Robert Roche, Tucker’sagent. “He stands by his previous statements.” Moore said no decision has been made on Grupe’s future after the Saints kickermissedtwo crucial kicks in Sunday’sloss to the Atlanta Falcons. Butthe team is exploring other alternatives, which Moore said will include Tucker,free agent and former

LSU’soffensive issues stood out more than ever in a13-10 win Saturdaynight over Western Kentucky.LSU had not scored less than21pointsagainst anon-power conference opponent since2000, when it lost 1310 to UAB during Nick Saban’s ﬁrst season With oneregular-season game and abowl left, LSU still has notscoredmorethan25points against an FBS team this season.

It hasnot gone through an entire season withoutdoing thatsince at leastthe Division Isplit in 1978, andthe chances of exceeding that mark are low against No. 8Oklahoma on Saturday

Maybe LSU will geta favorable matchup in thebowl game,but it does nothaveone against the Sooners.Oklahomahas allowed an average of 14 points and 81 yardsrushingper game,both thebestmarks in the SEC. Its 41 sacks and110 tackles for loss lead thecountry,and the LSU offensive line could be down multiple starters.

“I don’tknowifthey have a weakness on their defense for

See LSU, page 4C

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is carried off the field by his teammates after making agame-winning fieldgoal against the San Francisco49ers on Dec 1, 2019, in Baltimore, Md.

Vanderbilt ends LSUsoccer’sbestNCAATournamentrun

Staff report

The LSU soccer team’srecordbreaking season came to aclose with a1-0 loss to Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Monday in Nashville, Tennessee. Both Vanderbilt and LSU entered the game hoping to earn aﬁrst-ever trip to the Elite Eight. Thanks to a goal by Melania Fullerton in the 65th minute, the No. 1-seededCommodores are riding a12-game winning streak into aquarterﬁnalcontest against No. 2-seededTCU, with

the game to beplayed eitherFriday or Saturday at theVanderbilt Soccer Complex. The Horned Frogs advanced Mondaybytopping NorthCarolina in agamedecidedbypenaltykicks in Fort Worth,Texas. On asoggy afternoon in Nashville,Vanderbilt broke the scoreless tieafter Grace Freeman sent aheader past apairofLSU defenders, the balllandinginfront of the goal.Fullerton was there to take advantage with awell-placed shot, sending the ball into theback of the

net for her ﬁrst goal of the season. Courtney Jones also was credited with an assist on thegoalfor hercross toward the backpost, connecting with an unguarded Freeman. LSUappeared ready to tie the matchinthe 73rd minutewhen Vanderbilt committed afoul in the box, awarding theTigers apenalty kick. Senior midﬁelder Ida Hermannsdottir —who was 9of10onpenalty kicksinher career enteringthe match —was denied by Vanderbilt

keeper SaraWojdelko,who was quicktothe ball and cameupwith asave toward the bottom left of the goal. Wojdelko, who proved to be the hero in penaltykicks forVanderbilt in theSEC Tournament title game winoverLSU earlier this month, tallied four saves Monday LSU keeper Audur Scheving, a junior from Iceland, helped keep her team in the contest with atotal of six saves. Vanderbilt produced morescoring opportunitieswithseven shots

on goal along with 13 corner kicks. LSU hadfourshots on goal andonly two corner kicks.

LSU,which never had advanced past the second round of the NCAA postseason previously,saw its season ﬁnishwitha record of 15-6-4. Vanderbilt rolls on witha markof 18-3-2. The Tigers earned theirfifth consecutive postseason bid under sixth-year coachSian Hudson, who has a61-42-22 markduring hertimeasheadcoach in Baton Rouge

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Alexander

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

The Pelicans’ bench stands up after guard Jose Alvarado made several consecutivepoints against theChicagoBulls during the first half of their game at the Smoothie King Center on Monday. The Pelicans snapped

The

Huskies still No. 1 after narrow win

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

UConn passed its first test of the season to remain No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll on Monday

The Huskies received 30 of the 32 ﬁrst-place votes from a national media panel after beating No. 6 Michigan 72-69 last Friday in the Naismith Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase.

South Carolina, UCLA and Texas followed UConn. That trio heads to Las Vegas this week for a Thanksgiving tournament that will have the Bruins and Longhorns facing each other The Gamecocks play Duke in the other game Wednesday. The second day of the tournament is the next day LSU remained ﬁfth with Michigan staying in the sixth spot after the close loss to the defending

champions.

Maryland, TCU, Oklahoma and Iowa State rounded out the top 10. The Cyclones are in the top 10 for the ﬁrst time this season.

Rising Hawkeyes

Iowa made the biggest jump in the poll this week, climbing eight places to No. 11. The Hawkeyes knocked off then-No. 7 Baylor in the WBCA Showcase in Florida to remain unbeaten. It’s the team’s best ranking since Caitlin Clark led them to the NCAA championship game in 2024.

Falling down

North Carolina State, Baylor, Southern California and Oklahoma State all dropped in the poll after losses. The Wolfpack were stunned by Rhode Island and fell nine places to No. 25. The Bears fell eight spots to 15th after losing

to Iowa. The Trojans dove seven places to 18th after a two-point loss to Notre Dame. The Cowgirls dropped to 24th after a loss at St. John’s.

Conference supremacy

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

No. 3 UCLA vs No. 4 Texas, Wednesday A top ﬁve showdown in Las Vegas with two teams that made the Final Four last season. The Bruins have a size advantage with Lauren Betts while the Longhorns have one of the top players in the country in wing Madison Booker

Arizona jumps to No. 2 behind Purdue

BY AARON BEARD AP basketball writer

Purdue remained at No. 1 in

The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll, while Arizona jumped to No. 2 to continue its opening-month rise after another impressive win against a ranked opponent

The Boilermakers (6-0) earned 46 of 61 ﬁrst-place votes in Monday’s poll to remain at the top after beating then-No. 15 Texas Tech by 30 to win the Baha Mar Championship in the Bahamas.

The Wildcats (5-0) earned 11 ﬁrst-place votes to jump two spots. That came after last week’s win at then-No. 3 UConn, part of a run that began with a victory over reigning NCAA champion Florida in Las Vegas and a win against a ranked UCLA team in Los Angeles.

Arizona was ranked No. 13 in the preseason AP Top 25, but jumped to No. 5 after the Florida win before inching up to No. 4 last week

The top tier

Houston, which spent a week at No. 1 earlier this month, slid a spot to No. 3 to make room for the Wildcats, while Duke and UConn rounded out the top ﬁve.

Louisville, Michigan, Alabama, BYU and Florida rounded out the top 10, with the Crimson Tide rising from No. 11 after its win against then-No. 8 Illinois in Chicago.

Rising No. 11 Michigan State had the week’s biggest jump, climbing six spots after beating Kentucky in the Champions Classic No. 17 Tennessee climbed three spots, while No. 16 North Carolina and No. 23 N.C. State each rose two spots. In all, 11 teams moved up from

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JESSICA HILL Arizona guard Jaden Bradley, left, is guarded by UConn guard Malachi Smith in the second half of a game Wednesday in Storrs, Conn. last week’s poll.

Sliding

Kentucky’s 17-point loss to the Spartans triggered the week’s biggest fall of seven spots to No. 19, while the 13th-ranked Illini and 20th-ranked Red Raiders each tumbled ﬁve spots. In all, six teams fell from last week’s poll.

Status quo Six teams stayed locked in last

week’s position, including ﬁve of the top 10 teams and No. 14 St. John’s.

Comings and goings

No. 24 Vanderbilt and No. 25 Indiana were the new additions to the poll, replacing Wisconsin (No. 23 last week) and Kansas (24th) The Commodores spent one week at No. 24 last season, which before Monday stood as the only AP Top 25 ranking for the program since December 2015.

Bengals receiver Chase apologizes for spitting

CINCINNATI Ja’Marr Chase apologized Monday for spitting on Jalen Ramsey during the fourth quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov 16. Chase was suspended by the NFL for Sunday’s game. His statement of apology was addressed to his team, the Bengals and Steelers organizations and the NFL community but the star wide receiver did not mention Ramsey by name. According to the NFL Players Association database, Chase was docked at least $448,333 in base salary as a result of the suspension.

Chase is fourth in the league with 79 receptions and ﬁfth in receiving yards with 861. He led the NFL in catches, receiving yards and touchdown catches last season.

Sanders to make second NFL start against 49ers

Shedeur Sanders will make his second NFL start on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns host the San Francisco 49ers. Dillon Gabriel is expected to be Sanders’ backup after he cleared concussion protocol.

Sanders is the first Browns rookie QB to win his ﬁrst start since Eric Zeier in 1995. It was the 11th time that a rookie has started for Cleveland since its return in 1999.

Sanders said after the game that he felt very relaxed.

Sanders took his first NFL snaps during the second half of Cleveland’s 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Nov 16. He came into the game when Gabriel suffered a concussion late in the ﬁrst half

Georgia’s Daniels released from team after his arrest

Georgia offensive lineman Nyier Daniels has been dismissed from the team following his weekend arrest on multiple charges resulting from a high-speed police chase in the city of Commerce.

According to the Jackson County, Georgia, jail log, Daniels was booked at 10 a.m. Sunday on three felony charges, including ﬂeeing or attempting to elude a police ofﬁcer, and 10 misdemeanor charges.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Monday that Daniels was no longer on the team. Daniels, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound redshirt freshman from Newark, New Jersey, has appeared in three games this season. Georgia’s final regular-season game is Friday against No. 23 Georgia Tech.

Mets trade OF Nimmo to Rangers for INF Semien

The Texas Rangers and the New York Mets have agreed on a trade to send Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien to New York in exchange for outﬁelder Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo, who has played all 10 of his big-league seasons with the Mets, just completed the third season of the $162 million, eight-year contract he got after becoming a free agent for the ﬁrst time after the 2022 season. Semien has three seasons and $72 million remaining on the $175 million, seven-year contract he signed with the Rangers in December 2021. That was at the same time they also in free agency added World Series MVP shortstop Corey Seager on a $325 million, 10-year contract.

Rockies interim manager

It is the second straight year the Jayhawks, who lost to Duke in the Champions Classic last week, have fallen out of the poll at least once. Before last season, Kansas had been ranked in every poll but one — missing one week during the 2020-21 season played amid the COVID-19 pandemic — dating to the 2009-10 season. Conference watch

The Southeastern Conference didn’t have a team ranked higher than eighth, yet posted the biggest overall haul of any conference with seven ranked teams, including No. 21

and

The

Schaeffer gets full-time gig

DENVER The Colorado Rockies have promoted Warren Schaeffer to full-time manager, the team said Monday Schaeffer assumed the role on an interim basis after the Rockies fired Bud Black, the winningest manager in franchise history, in May following a 7-33 start. The Rockies ﬁnished the season 43-119 and in last place in the NL West.

Schaeffer becomes the eighth full-time manager in club history. The 40-year-old has been a member of the Rockies organization for over a decade.

Black initially found success with Colorado when he led the Rockies to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017 and ’18. They haven’t ﬁnished with a winning record since.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEVEN SENNE

UConn forward Sarah Strong, center, celebrates with guards Azzi Fudd, left, and KK Arnold in a game against Utah on Sunday in Uncasville, Conn.

Huskies have been No. 1 all season.

SCOREBOARD

Time of Possession31:48

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—TampaBay,Tucker12-42, White 7-38, Mayﬁeld 4-19,T.Johnson 2-12, Bridgewater 1-6, Wright 3-6. L.A. Rams, K.Williams 12-46, Corum 7-24 PASSING—TampaBay,Bridgewater 8-15-062, Mayﬁeld 9-19-2-41.L.A. Rams, Stafford 25-35-0-273.

at N.Y. Jets, noon

at Indianapolis, noon Jacksonville at Tennessee, noon L.A. Rams at Carolina, noon New Orleans at Miami, noon SanFrancisco at Cleveland, noon Minnesota at Seattle, 3:05p.m. Buffalo at Pittsburgh, 3:25 p.m. Las Vegas at L.A. Chargers, 3:25 p.m. DenveratWashington, 7:20 p.m. Monday N.Y. Giants at New England, 7:15 p.m. LATE SUNDAY

L.A. Rams 34, TampaBay 7 TampaBay 07 00 —7 L.A. Rams 14 17 03 —34

First Quarter LAR—Adams 1pass from Stafford(Mevis kick), 4:32. LAR—Durant 50 interception return(Mevis kick), 1:42. Second Quarter LAR—Parkinson 5pass from Stafford(Mevis kick), 10:46. TB—T.Johnson 14 pass from Mayﬁeld (McLaughlin kick), 5:03. LAR—Adams 24 pass from Stafford(Mevis kick), 3:10. LAR—FGMevis 40, 1:02. Fourth Quarter LAR—FGMevis 52, 13:35. A—75,545. TB LAR First downs1420 Total Net Yards193 333 Rushes-yards29-123 19-70 Passing 70 263 Punt Returns 1-15 1-8 Kickoff Returns 2-48 0-0

at Philadelphia, 7p.m.

L.A. Clippers at L.A. Lakers,10p.m. College football

National schedule Tuesday’s games EAST Bowling Green (3-8)atUmass (0-11)

3:30 p.m. MIDWEST W. Michigan (7-4)atE.Michigan (4-7), 6:30 p.m. Thursday’s games

SOUTH Tuskegee (0-1)atAlabama St. (9-2), 2p.m. Navy (8-2)atMemphis(8-3),6:30 p.m. Friday’s games

EAST Ohio (7-4)atBuffalo(5-6), 11 a.m.

SOUTH Mississippi (10-1)atMississippi St. (5-6), 11 a.m. Georgia Tech (9-2)vs. Georgia(10-1)at Atlanta, 2:30 p.m.

MIDWEST Iowa (7-4)atNebraska (7-4), 11 a.m. Utah (9-2)atKansas (5-6), 11 a.m. Kent St. (4-7)atN.Illinois(3-8), 11 a.m. Indiana (11-0)atPurdue (2-9), 6:30 p.m.

SOUTHWEST Temple (5-6)atNorth Texas(10-1), 2:30 p.m. TexasA&M (11-0)atTexas (8-3), 6:30 p.m. FARWEST Air Force(3-8) at Colorado St. (2-9),2 p.m. San Diego St. (9-2)atNew Mexico (8-3), 2:30 p.m. BoiseSt. (7-4)atUtah St. (6-5), 3p.m. Arizona (8-3)atArizona St. (8-3), 8p.m. College basketball

Men’s stateschedule

Sunday’s games East Tennessee State 97,UL-Monroe 55 Tulane 93, Boston College 90, OT

McNeese 92,GeorgeWashington 86 Monday’s games California-Riverside83, Grambling74 McNeese 73,Murray State 60 Mississippi State 81, UNO 78 UL at California-Davis, n Tuesday McNeese vs.Middle Tennessee, 4p.m.

Wednesday UNO at TexasTech,noon Southeastern at North Carolina-Wilmington, 6p.m. Indiana State at Louisiana Tech,6:30 p.m.

Friday McNeese vs.Garner-Webb, at Wilmington, NC., 11 a.m. Nicholls at Tulane,2p.m. Jackson State at UL, 7p.m. LSU vs.Drake,8:30 p.m.

Men’s national scores Monday’s games EAST American 113, Marywood 53 Buffalo78, VMI70 Central Connecticut 108, Sacred Heart106, OT East TexasA&M 70, FairleighDickinson65 Green Bay80, Iona 75 Houston 78, Syracuse 74, OT Liberty 79, Vermont 73 Paciﬁc86, StonyBrook 58 Siena 73, Holy Cross69 Towson 62, Rhode Island 55 UMBC 102, NotreDame of Maryland 52 SOUTH Bellarmine 70, The Citadel58 Belmont 94, St. Francis (PA) 57 Elon 88, Appalachian State 53 Florida GulfCoast92, Oral Roberts 88 George Mason 92, Ohio 69 George Washington 92, Middle Tennessee79 Jacksonville 69, Bethune-Cookman64 James Madison80, Florida International 72 Kennesaw State 89, Rice84, OT Louisville 87, Eastern Michigan 46 Northern Kentucky 82, Eastern Kentucky 71 Seton Hall 85, North CarolinaState 74 Tennessee 85, Rutgers 60 Toledo 75, Troy 68 UAB81, Southern Illinois73 William &Mary 74, UTEP 63 Youngstown State 67, GeorgiaSouthern 61 MIDWEST Bowling Green 71, Bucknell 66 Bradley 88, Princeton64 Charleston 78, Evansville 59 Cincinnati 94, NJIT 67 Illinois87, TexasRio Grande Valley73 Iowa State 83, St. John’s82 Kansas 71, NotreDame61 LIU 75, Missouri State 61 Lindenwood 80, Kansas City 67 SOUTHWEST Baylor 81, Creighton 74 TexasState 93, TexasLutheran41 FARWEST Oakland 83, Lamar 68 UC San Diego 91, Temple 76 UMass 73, Oregon State 65 USC 70, Boise State 67 Women’s state schedule Sunday’s games UCLA 88, Southern 37 UL-Monroe 62, Lamar 47 Louisiana Tech 93, Stephen F. Austin 66 Monday’s games West Virginia 83, McNeese 63 Virginia 69, NorthwesternState 48 Tuesday Southern at Washington, 8p.m. Northwestern State vs.Nebraska/Purdue Fort Wayne, 5p.m./7:30 p.m. UL-Monroe at Clemson, 6p.m. UL at Memphis, 7p.m. Wednesday McNeese vs.OhioState/Belmont,atNassau Bahamas,10a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Houston Christian at UNO,1p.m. Louisiana Tech at Baylor, 2p.m. Thursday Tulane vs.Elon, at U.S. VirginIslands,12:30 p.m. Friday Tulane vs.Boise State/North Dakota, at U.S. Virgin Islands, TBA UL vs.High Point, at Alario Center, noon LSU vs.Marist, 7p.m. Women’s national scores Monday’s games EAST Columbia73, Binghamton 60 Duquesne 58, Kent State 53 Georgetown 93, Elon57 Iona 63, Wagner 57 Middle Tennessee 54, Providence 48 Monmouth 72, Marist 64, OT Rutgers 67,Siena 61 Saint Joseph’s 74, Penn 53 St. John’s 71, Central Connecticut46 SOUTH Alabama 80, Harvard60 Auburn 59, UTSA42 Central Arkansas 67, Samford44 Coastal Carolina87, Presbyterian38 Florida 59, Florida Atlantic51 Georgia State 62, StonyBrook 61 Hampton 76,DelawareState 59 Mississippi State 65, Alcorn State 51 Ole Miss 102, Longwood 50 Troy 74, Montana State 60 UCF 94, South CarolinaState 49 MIDWEST Indiana State 102, Saint Mary of the Woods50 Minnesota 57, South Florida 45

WILD —PlacedF Vinnie Hinostrozaoninjured reserve. MONTREAL CANADIENS —Assigned F Joshua RoytoLaval (AHL) NEW JERSEY DEVILS —AssignedF Shane LachancetoUtica (AHL). ActivatedF Cody Glass from injuredreserve NEW YORK ISLANDERS— Assigned DMarshallWarren to Bridgeport (AHL). NEW YORK RANGERS —AssignedDScott Morrow to Hartford(AHL). PITTSBURGH PENGUINS —Recalled C/F TristanBrozfromWilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL). Assigned DHarrison Brunicke to Wilkes/Barre/Scranton. Assigned DJackSt. IvanytoWilkes/Barre/Scranton. SANJOSESHARKS —Recalled DVincent Iorio from San Jose (AHL). TAMPABAY LIGHTNING —RecalledDMaxim GroshevfromSyracuse(AHL). VANCOUVER CANUCKS —Assigned GJiri Patera to Abbotsford(AHL). RecalledGNikita Tolopilo from Abbotsford(AHL). Major League Soccer AUSTINFC—SignedMFErvin Torres to a homegrowncontract. CHICAGOBEARS— SignedLBDominique Hampton, TE QadirIsmail, andDLJeremiah Martin to the practice squad. Placed TE NikoloKalinic on practice squad injured reserve. CINCINNATI BENGALS —WaivedQBSean Clifford.

BY EDDIE PELLS Associated Press

TheCollegeFootball Playoff and ESPN are giving conferences nearly eightmore weeks toﬁgure outwhatthe next versionofthe postseason tournament will look like. The CFP on Monday announced theextensionofthe deadlinefrom Dec. 1toJan.23withthe clear hope that the Southeastern and Big Tenconferences can come to some sort of agreement on their vastly

differingproposals

Next season marks thebeginning ofasix-year,$7.8 billion deal that ESPN made to televise the CFPgames. The deal brings with it anopportunity to expand the postseason from the current 12team format. Under provisions that establishedthe playoff, the SECand BigTen will decide on its next iteration,but they are far apart. TheSEC has been pushing fora bracket heavy with at-large berths chosen by aselection committee.

Over thesummer,a popularidea to come out of the league’s meetings awarded automatic bids to ﬁve teams andmade the other 11 at-large.Earlierthis season, commissioner Greg Sankey said he has been “amazingly consistent” that he is notafan of automatic qualiﬁers.

Most otherconferences, including the Big 12 and Atlantic Coast, are in favor of this sort of format.

Butthe BigTen has advocated for expanding theplayoffs to as manyas28teams, with as many

as sevenautomatic bids going to its own conference andthe SEC. That’saformat that would likely replace league title gameswith a round of play-in contests forthe automatic berths andturnthe postseason into alonger, NFL-style affair If the conferencescannotagree on anew format, they would stick withthe 12-team bracket in place this year,inwhich ﬁve conference champions get automatic bids and seven more make it as at-large teams.

The new deadline gives the parties four days afterthis year’s playoff concludestoreach an agreement.

“While no change to the current format is deﬁnite, this extension will allow the Management Committeeadditional time to evaluate the second year of the expanded playoffand ensure any potential modifications arecarefully considered, fullyvetted, and in the bestinterestsofstudent-athletes, schools, and fans,” said the CFP’s executive director,Rich Clark.

LSU not ruling Nussmeier out of ﬁnale yet

BY WILSON ALEXANDER

and REED DARCEY Staff writers

LSU interim coach Frank Wilson on Monday left the door open for quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to play this week and updated the status of several other injured starters ahead of the regular-season ﬁnale against Oklahoma.

“We’re going to try to see what he looks like (Tuesday) in practice,” Wilson said. “He was good in treatment this weekend. Real early on this Monday to project, but we’ll give him a go at it and see how he feels and probably midweek be able to give you a better answer to that.”

Nussmeier has not played since Nov 8 against Alabama after he aggravated an abdominal injury Wilson has said. According to multiple reports Sunday, Nussmeier is doubtful to play LSU faces No. 8 Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m. Saturday

Michael Van Buren is in line to start for the third straight game. He completed a combined 63% of his passes for 423 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in one-score wins over Arkansas and Western Kentucky the past two weeks.

LSU had a long list of other injuries.

I’m hopeful that he’ll be able to play his best from a health standpoint in this upcoming game.” Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman TyreeAdams, who started the ﬁrst seven games before suffering a high-ankle sprain, is “progressing,” Wilson said. Though he has a “chance” to return against Oklahoma, it’s unlikely he will play until a bowl game.

Kiffin quiet on future Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin declined to answer almost every question related to his future at a weekly news conference Monday Kifﬁn is considered the top target in coaching searches at LSU and Florida. An announcement on his future is expected Saturday, the day after No. 6 Ole Miss plays Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.

“You can keep going,” Kifﬁn said at one point. “I’m not going to answer them. That’s three of them. You got another one?”

Special kickoff unit

Wilson said Monday that LSU used a special coverage unit Saturday for the opening kickoff of its win over Western Kentucky

The whole 10-man group, Wilson said, was comprised of senior walk-ons “who had played little or had never played at all” in their collegiate careers.

“We wanted to do (them) the honor,” Wilson said, “of giving them a chance to set the tone for the day.”

Kickoff specialist Aeron Burrell booted the ball out of the end zone for a touchback, giving the group of walk-ons a chance to run toward the LSU student section Wilson said he didn’t publicize the move before the game because he didn’t want the Hilltoppers to take advantage of it.

Offensive linemen Braelin Moore and Ory Williams are “doubtful,” Wilson said. Moore has been the starting center all season, and Williams started the past two games at tackle. They both suffered lower leg injuries in a 13-10 win over Western Kentucky Wilson said he felt “hopeful” about linebacker Whit Weeks (ankle), running back Caden Durham (neck), wide receiver Aaron Anderson and cornerback Mansoor Delane (core muscle) being able to play against the Sooners. After missing four games, Weeks played in a limited capacity against Western Kentucky He changed out of his pads at halftime and spent the rest of the game with a walking boot on his right leg.

The only question Kiffin answered was about how important it is to him to ﬁnish out the season with Ole Miss, which could reach the College Football Playoff for the ﬁrst time.

“Very important,” Kiffin said.

“I’ve never thought of anything different than that.”

“Whit came out of the game feeling good,” Wilson said. “We wanted to limit his opportunities so he could be at his best in this game

Kiffin declined to answer other queries, including what he will consider in his decision, his thoughts on a meeting last Friday with the Ole Miss athletic director and chancellor, and whether he had made a choice already

“They got a chance to go out there and play in Tiger Stadium,” Wilson said, “and they’ll forever be able to say that to their children for years to come. ‘I ran out. I played in that stadium,’ and not just in a warm-up fashion but in an actual game.

“So that was our gift that our senior walk-ons earned through their preparation. I’m just very proud of them.”

Coaches say to ignore records in Bayou Classic

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Southern is in a very different position entering the 52nd annual Bayou Classic compared to last year When the Jaguars arrived to play Grambling last season, they already had clinched their Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division crown. This time around, Southern (1-10, 0-7 SWAC) is searching for its first conference win. Last year, the program was under the stewardship of first-year coach Terrence Graves, who earned the job after winning the 50th annual Bayou Classic a year earlier as the interim Southern coach. In 2025, the team will be led by interim coach Fred McNair, who will lead the Jaguars for a fifth game when they face Grambling (7-4, 4-3) at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Caesars Superdome. Despite the contrasting situations, one thing remains unchanged — records don’t matter when these longtime rivals meet. Second-year Grambling coach Mickey Joseph will not allow his team to overlook its opponent, which has beaten the Tigers in the previous three seasons.

ä Southern vs. Grambling 1 P.M. SATURDAy, NBC

“You throw the records out the door,” Joseph said at the Bayou Classic news conference Monday

“We won’t look at their record. We know they have a really good football team. They ran into some injuries just like everybody else, and they haven’t played their best ball. But they’re going to play their best ball come Saturday because of the magnitude of this game.”

McNair said his team, which hasn’t won a game since Aug. 30, is excited to play the ﬁnal game of the season He said that when he met with his players Sunday, they “looked locked in.”

When asked whether a victory over a rival would help lift the spirits of the program after a down season, McNair said that it would be a ﬁne way to end the year

“You know, you love to win them all, but you’re gonna have those downfalls, gonna have those roller-coaster rides,” he said. “So as a coach, my job is to get those guys ready to play and play hard each and every week. So a win on Saturday would be a great win for this program.”

had the chance to coach his uncle, Bobby Holly, at Louisiana Tech, so it’s a tough-nose family He’s going to run hard, but we’re going to have gap integrity to slow Trey down.” The Tigers have been missing one of their star players in redshirt sophomore quarterback C’zavian Teasett, a transfer from Southern. He hasn’t played since their 26-24 win over Jackson State on Oct. 25. He took a hard hit with two minutes left in the game and was taken to the hospital via an ambulance.

When Joseph was asked for an update on Teasett, a Grambling spokesperson said, “Next question.”

A player who will boost the Jaguars’ chances of achieving success is redshirt sophomore running back Trey Holly The LSU transfer was “banged up,” missing his ﬁrst game of the season in Southern’s 35-30 loss to Texas Southern on Nov 15. McNair said that his starting running back practiced during

the bye week and will practice harder this week in preparation for Grambling.

Grambling is aware of Holly’s explosiveness. He is fourth in the SWAC in rushing yards with 808.

“We have to have gap integrity when it comes to Trey Holly,” Joseph said. “He’s a good player I

McNair said he understands this rivalry even more now as the interim coach of Southern, but he will continue to preach to his team to compete on Saturday as if it were any other game. The former Alcorn State coach was asked how much he has been considering his future after the Bayou Classic. He didn’t directly answer whether he has, but he said the focus is on coaching Saturday “What I’m thinking about now is trying to get these guys together, ready to play here with this Bayou Classic, and get these guys locked in to play this game,” McNair said.

Underwood’s solid season can be special with upset of OSU

BY LARRY LAGE Associated Press

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Bryce Underwood stepped onto Michigan’s campus nearly a year ago as the nation’s top-rated recruit, after flipping his commitment to play for LSU, and all eyes have been on No. 19 on the field and on an 18-year-old quarterback off it He even has a documentary ﬁlm crew following him.

Underwood has not quite lived up to the hype and yet, matching it might have been out of reach for anyone. His recruitment involved former Michigan quarterback and seventime Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and one of the world’s richest people, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, leading to him expecting

LSU

Continued from page 1C

sure,” LSU interim coach Frank Wilson said. LSU has to face that on the road with a College Football Playoff berth on the line for Oklahoma. Wilson said LSU will keep trying to find ways to score, but even he called it “a tall task.” The offense has averaged 22.6 points per game, lacks a clear identity and has scored touchdowns on only 50% of its red-zone trips.

It is what it is at this point One’s time would be better spent trying to ﬁgure out what the next coach

to make more than $10 million in the new era of college athletics.

Underwood has been mostly solid on the ﬁeld, averaging just under 200 yards passing a game with nine touchdowns and five interceptions for the 15th-ranked Wolverines (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten) in a season that has met modest expectations The 6-foot-4, 228-pound dual-threat player ran for 114 yards in a game and has scored ﬁve times on the ground.

He is coming off one of his better games, completing 70% of his passes for 215 yards with two touchdowns in a 45-20 win over Maryland.

“This whole season, we’ve been preaching, ‘Peak at the perfect time,’” Underwood said Saturday

“I feel like it’s coming along.”

If he can help Michigan upset ri-

has to work with going into next year

There are some players who LSU can build around. Running backs Harlem Berry and Caden Durham have shown promise, and they could form a productive tandem with better blocking. Sophomore tight end Trey’Dez Green emerged this year with a team-high five touchdown catches so far Redshirt junior center Braelin Moore has played well. Aaron Anderson is a reliable receiver when healthy and even though he was honored on senior night, he has another year of eligibility After that, LSU may not have another proven starter However, there are others who LSU might retain in order to keep developing

val and top-ranked Ohio State (110, 8-0) in The Game on Saturday at the Big House, his season will be regarded as special.

That won’t be easy

Even though the Wolverines have won four straight games in the rivalry, they are double-digit underdogs, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

The Buckeyes are giving up a nation-low 7.64 points a game with linebacker Arvell Reese and by safety Caleb Downs flashing enough talent to be projected as one of the top picks in the 2026 NFL draft.

“We’ve got another football game ahead of us, so just be the best us every single day throughout this week,” Underwood said.

Underwood kicked off his week of preparation with a late-night

them and see what they become. Multiple offensive linemen fit that description even though the unit has not played well this season. So does sophomore quarterback Michael Van Buren and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Kyle Parker, as well as several other young players. But LSU clearly has to fill a lot of holes through the transfer portal. First and foremost, LSU needs a quarterback. It has only two on scholarship who can return next season, and it doesn’t have a quarterback committed in the 2026 recruiting class. The Tigers must find a transfer who can start right away Van Buren has been inconsistent in limited action, and although he

ﬁlm session Sunday with receiver Donaven McCulley and was back at Schembechler Hall early Monday morning to meet with offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey

“He works his tail off,” coach Sherrone Moore said. “He’s so humble about it. He roots for his teammates, and is so close with his teammates. And to me, that’s such an awesome piece.

“In this world today, he could be about himself very easily and not think about the team at any point.”

Underwood plays a team game, but his fame has made him one of four freshmen to be featured in “5-Star,” a docuseries that will begin streaming on Paramount+ on Dec. 2.

A four-person production crew began following Underwood and those close to him — in August.

“He’s about to play in front of 100,000 — with expectations,” personal quarterback coach Donovan Dooley says in the ﬁrst episode during a preseason practice. “And, they don’t want to even hear ‘You’re young.’” Underwood’s father, Jay, agreed.

“They don’t even care,” he said. “Age is not even a factor anymore.”

Underwood became the fourth freshman to start at quarterback for college football’s winningest program and despite making much more money than any of his teammates, they appreciate his humility

“He’s a celebrity outside of the building,” senior tight end Marlin Klein said.

And, inside it?

“He’s the most humble 18 year old I’ve ever met,” Klein said.

could improve over the offseason LSU needs another option to compete with whoever returns. An elite quarterback can cover up a lot of deﬁciencies. However as LSU showed this year, an offense can’t do much without better blocking upfront. It’s unclear at this point how many transfer offensive linemen LSU will try to sign. The only player without another year of eligibility who received regular playing time this season is right guard Josh Thompson. Everyone else could return, but with how much the offensive line struggled, LSU likely will try to ﬁnd a few immediate starters. At the skill positions, LSU needs a physical running back and another tight end. It also will need to revamp its wide receiver room. The two leading receivers, Barion Brown and Zavion Thomas, are seniors. Anderson and Parker could return, but they both play in the slot. Otherwise, LSU has a group of unproven players who would need to take an offseason leap. The Tigers may need two or more transfer receivers. It will not be cheap to rebuild the offense, which could complicate things as LSU competes for transfers. A lot of these are premium positions. But a construction project such as this has to be done right, and that’s where the next coach needs to start.

PHOTO By CHRIS TODD

Southern interim coach Fred McNair, center, talks to Cam’Ron McCoy and Ashton Strother before Southern’s game against Alcorn State on Nov. 8. Southern takes on Grambling in the Bayou Classic on Saturday

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, left, walks the sidelines during a game against Western Kentucky on Saturday at Tiger Stadium

LSU sees transfer as ideal Jones’ replacement

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

The departure of Jared Jones left a big hole in the middle of LSU baseball’s lineup, but Grand Canyon transfer Zach Yorke has no intention of trying to be the next Jones. “I’m not really trying to replace him,” Yorke said Monday “I’m just going to try to be myself and help my team win as much as I can.”

But LSU coach Jay Johnson is still betting on Yorke to be a major contributor and Jones’ replacement at ﬁrst base ahead of its 2026 season opener against Milwaukee on Feb. 13. Based on what Johnson saw during the fall, he is conﬁdent in Yorke becoming that kind of player

“He has plenty of power, and that’s the thing that grabs everybody’s attention,” Johnson said.

“But he doesn’t have to sell out to hit with power, and I think that al-

lows you to make a really positive contribution no matter what type of game (is being played).” Yorke’s power is obvious when he steps onto the diamond. He is 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds. He’s also Grand Canyon’s all-time leader in home runs and RBIs since the program made the transition to Division I, and last season he blasted a career-high 13 homers and posted a 1.079 on-base plus slugging percentage.

Like with Jones, Yorke is a proven middle-of-the-order bat and, as he noted Monday, knows how to pull the ball in the air to generate that power

A major difference between him and his predecessor is the amount of swing and miss in their games. Jones struck out in more than a quarter of his plate appearances in each of his three seasons at LSU. Yorke has struck out no more than 13.7% of the time in a single campaign

PELICANS

Continued from page 1C

Clippers. The Pelicans surpassed that total midway through the fourth quarter on Monday

The Pelicans led by 16 points at halftime, but the Bulls twice got within eight points early in the third quarter New Orleans rebuilt the lead to 22 before taking a 108-93 advantage into the fourth quarter Chicago crept within eight points in the ﬁnal two minutes but couldn’t get any closer

The score was tied five times and the lead changed hands six times before the Pelicans finished the first quarter with a strong push.

Alvarado came off the bench to score eight points and add six assists, and New Orleans held a 37-30 lead at the end of the period. It was the most points scored by the Pelicans in a ﬁrst quarter this season, surpassing the 34 they had at Dallas last Friday night.

Williamson and Murphy scored

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

LSU kicker Cade York and practice squad kicker Charlie Smyth. Grupe has missed a league-high eight kicks in 2025. Before the allegations, Tucker was regarded as one of the best kickers in the NFL. He spent 13 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and was named to seven Pro Bowls. He was released in May 2025 in what Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta classiﬁed as “a football decision.” Tucker struggled in 2024, missing 10 total kicks — three more than his previous worst season He made 22 of 30 ﬁeld goal attempts last season and missed two extra points.

“He’s been a really good kicker for a really long time,” Moore said when asked why the Saints would consider signing Tucker

“He’s had a ton of success. He’s been a leader for Baltimore for a long time. He’s been one of their leaders for an extended period of time, with a very successful team.

six points each as New Orleans began the second quarter with an 18-3 run to take a 22-point lead their largest of the season. The Pelicans wound up with

their highest-scoring ﬁrst half of the season, surpassing the 67 they scored in the season opener at Memphis, and led 74-58 at halftime.

“So obviously, there’s been some stuff that’s been unfortunate He’s gone through an experience, and I think it’s about collecting what that experience was, and we’ll evaluate the football aspect of it, and we’ll evaluate everything else as well.”

The Saints’ exploration of Tucker comes three years after the team also tried to trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who served an 11-game suspension after more than 20 women accused him of inappropriate sexual conduct during massage-therapy sessions.

Asked whether the Saints plan on reaching out to the women who accused Tucker of misconduct, Moore said the team would do “due diligence” on the situation.

Moore also was asked what he would need to hear from Tucker to feel comfortable enough for the Saints to sign him.

“(There’s) going to be some personal dialogue between myself and (general manager) Mickey Loomis,” Moore said. “We want to go through that process and have those conversations And again,

at Grand Canyon. The Lopes don’t play in the Southeastern Conference, but the contrast in styles at the plate is still stark.

“That type of hitter can be successful in a small ballpark, in a big ballpark,” Johnson said, “on a day the wind’s blowing in, the wind’s blowing out.”

Yorke credits his bat-to-ball skills to his summer baseball days in high school, when his coaches would have him try to hit pinto beans with a wooden bat.

“I kind of have always been good at slapping the ball the other way when I need to,” Yorke said, “and then in certain situations, trying to do more on the pull side. But yeah, I feel like I learned how to hit for the whole ﬁeld and have an approach before I learned how to hit for power.”

Yorke pairs his strong contact skills with a patient approach at the plate. He had more walks than

strikeouts in each of his three years at Grand Canyon. Jones’ on-base percentage was north of .400 last season.

Yorke’s patience is a trait that also stands out to Johnson.

“I just have always understood that (with) my skill set, I can manipulate the ball that I can hit,” Yorke said. “If I can’t hit it, I don’t swing at it So usually it’s a ball.”

York is the power-hitting first base/designated hitter who LSU added to help fill the power void left by Jones, who finished third all-time in career home runs at LSU. But even if he doesn’t blast 22 homers in 2026 — the same number of long balls Jones hit last season — he’s still expected to be a significant piece of LSU’s new-look lineup.

“He’s the exact perfect hitter for us to bring in with the corresponding pieces that (we have),” Johnson said.

QB Daniels back to practice but unlikely to play on Sunday

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP national writer

WASHINGTON Jayden Daniels returned to practice for the Washington Commanders on Monday after missing the past two games with a dislocated left elbow, but coach Dan Quinn said the reigning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is unlikely to play next weekend against the Denver Broncos.

“He has not been cleared for contact,” Quinn said about his starting quarterback. Also back on the field were starting receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown. McLaurin has missed seven of the past eight games with a quad injury; Brown has missed all but two games this season and has been on injured reserve since Oct. 15 with a groin injury Washington opened Brown’s 21-day practice window Monday Daniels hurt his elbow in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 2 when his non-throwing arm bent awkwardly as he braced himself while being tackled in the fourth quarter. Washington already was down by 31 points at the time, and Quinn acknowledged the next day that it was a mistake to still have his starting quarterback in the game. Tests showed that Daniels tore ligaments in the elbow but did not

need surgery Daniels then was absent for defeats against the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins, part of a six-game skid that dropped Washington to 3-8 a year after reaching the NFC championship game. The Commanders then had their bye week and will return to action Sunday night by hosting Denver (9-2).

Asked whether there was any thought given to shutting down Daniels for the season, Quinn replied: “That’s not something we really discussed internally.”

After appearing in 20 of Washington’s games last season, including the playoffs, Daniels already has had to sit out ﬁve starts, nearly half of the schedule. He missed two games with a sprained left knee and one with a bad right hamstring before the elbow problem. Washington is 1-4 with backup Marcus Mariota starting at quarterback. He has thrown for seven touchdowns and ﬁve interceptions. Daniels has eight touchdown passes and two interceptions, completing 105 of 168 passes 62.5% — for 1,184 yards. He also has run 54 times for 262 yards and a pair of scores. As a rookie, Daniels completed 331 of 480 throws — 69% — for 3,568 yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions He also gained 891 yards on 148 carries with six TDs.

we were not in Baltimore. We were not part of that process.

“So it’s about having those conversations as you go through this thing. We’ll keep that private as we go through it.”

Fuaga’s ankle

When he lined up as a member of the scout team in practice last week, Taliese Fuaga could tell his ankle still wasn’t right.

The Saints right tackle has been dealing with a high-ankle sprain for the past three weeks, and even though returning to the ﬁeld was a positive step, the pain was still sharp enough that Fuaga knew he wasn’t going to be able to play in Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

“It was very achey,” Fuaga said. “Certain movements didn’t feel so good.”

This week will require a waitand-see approach Fuaga said he’s feeling better but plans to get reps in practice and “see how it goes” before determining whether he can play Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. The Saints have missed the

former first-rounder, who has missed two straight games because of the ailment and three overall in 2025.

Recovering from a high-ankle sprain isn’t uncharted territory for Fuaga. He said he dealt with a similar issue at Oregon State, which he said has helped him in rehabbing this time around.

At practice last week, Fuaga participated on a limited basis. He said he mostly worked out on the side of the field but got a few team drills at the end of the week. Though he’s usually a starter, Fuaga said he worked with the scout team so he could go against pass rushers such as Carl Granderson and Cam Jordan so he could “get some good reps in.” Fuaga also was spotted with a notable wrap around his ankle, which he joked was a “big old boot.” He said he’s using a newer kind of brace that has become more apparent around the league when treating high-ankle sprains.

“I feel like this is a faster recovery than I had in college,” he said.

Kamara TBD

Moore did not have much of a substantive update on running back Alvin Kamara, who exited Sunday’s game against Atlanta in the first quarter with a knee injury and did not return.

“We’ll see how that progresses,” Moore said. “We’ll get more detail tomorrow.”

The injury occurred when former Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss tackled Kamara near the sideline, causing Kamara’s lower half to twist awkwardly as he landed on the turf. Kamara had been dealing with an ankle injury for several weeks that had left him limited in practices.

Devin Neal handled the majority of the snaps in Kamara’s absence, recording 61 yards from scrimmage (43 receiving, 18 rushing) on 12 touches.

“We’ll see if (Kamara’s) available this week,” Moore said. “If he’s available, awesome. If not, Devin I thought did an awesome job hopping in there and competing.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey, bottom right, recovers a loose ball as he collides with Chicago Bulls player Patrick Williams in the first half of their game at the Smoothie King Center on Monday.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Pelicans forward Micah Peavy, left, directs teammate yves Missi as they set up a play against the Chicago Bulls during the first half of their game at the Smoothie King Center on Monday

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NICK WASS

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is helped off the field after he injured his arm during a play on Nov. 2 in Landover, Md

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU head coach Jay Johnson thanks the fans during the championship ring ceremony on Oct. 25 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

Questions percolate after Sunday NFL games

BY ROB MAADDI AP pro football writer

The Kansas City Chiefs saved their season. The Philadelphia Eagles gave critics more fuel. The Los Angeles Rams made a dominant statement. There were more questions than answers Sunday in the NFL Patrick Mahomes did just enough to rally the Chiefs to a 23-20 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Kansas City’s dominant defense gave him the opportunity. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit forced the Colts to go three-and-out on their ﬁnal four possessions. The Chiefs shut down the NFL’s leading rusher, holding Jonathan Taylor to 58 yards on 16 carries. Colts coach Shane Steichen inexplicably gave Taylor the ball only once on the last three drives of regulation. Mahomes threw for 352 yards but didn’t have any touchdowns. He looked skittish at times under pressure, rushing his reads and hurrying his passes.

The Chiefs (6-5) couldn’t afford another loss as they ﬁght to make the playoffs after winning nine straight AFC West titles, reaching eight consecutive conference championship games and winning

three Super Bowls

They’ve got a long way to go and a tough game at Dallas (5-5-1) coming up on Thanksgiving Day. Mahomes and the offense need to get in sync for Kansas City to have a shot.

“We’re still not where we want to be at but this was big,” Mahomes said. “Getting that win against a really good football team and kind of proving it to (ourselves) that we can play this kind of football game where it’s not always pretty I think now we just have to build off that momentum. It’s going to be a short week We’re playing a good team in the Cowboys, and they can score some points and they have a lot of great players. It’s about rebounding fast, trying to be better, even better this next week going into a big environment, big game and trying to get that win.”

The Colts (8-3) have gone from 7-1 to a team that is going to have to battle to win the AFC South. They’ll face division rivals Jacksonville (7-4) and Houston (6-5) four times over the remaining six games. Their other two opponents are Seattle (8-3) and San Francisco (7-4)

Steichen trusted Daniel Jones to win the game in Kansas City, electing to put the ball in his hands down the stretch instead of giving

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback

Indianapolis Colts linebacker

game Sunday in Kansas City, Mo.

it to Taylor to protect a lead. Jones couldn’t deliver He was 3 for 9 for 17 yards on the ﬁnal four possessions.

“I felt there was a lot of stuff that I wanted to get called that I felt good about in the pass game and we just weren’t efﬁcient doing it and it starts with me,” Steichen said.

Eagles collapse

The reigning Super Bowl champions built a 21-0 lead in Dallas

and looked like they were on their way to snapping Dak Prescott’s 18-game winning streak at home against NFC East opponents.

Jalen Hurts was connecting with A.J. Brown and it seemed Philadelphia would quiet some of the drama surrounding the two superstars.

But the offense regressed, giving Prescott and the Cowboys an opportunity to come back and win 24-21.

The Eagles (8-3) have a comfort-

able lead over Dallas (5-5-1) and are in position to become the ﬁrst repeat champion in the division in two decades. But Philadelphia fell behind the Rams (9-2) in the race for the No. 1 seed.

A sluggish offense isn’t playing up to its standard. Saquon Barkley ran for only 22 yards on 10 carries, and the passing attack just hasn’t found its rhythm.

Rams dominate

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were no match for Matthew Stafford and the Rams.

Stafford continued his MVPcaliber campaign with another stellar performance against an overmatched defense and Los Angeles cruised to a 34-7 victory over Tampa Bay

The 37-year-old Stafford has thrown 30 touchdown passes and only two interceptions this season. “I got great teammates. I get to throw to a bunch of great players, stand behind a good

Texas defense struggling going into Texas A&M matchup

BY JIM VERTUNO AP sportswriter

AUSTIN, Texas No. 16

Texas ﬁnally has its offense clicking. It’s the defense that is now causing concerns ahead of a huge rivalry game vs. No. 3 Texas A&M with slim playoff hopes on the line.

A unit that carried Arch Manning and Texas through the first half of the season is now giving up big plays and big points. Texas (8-3, 5-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 17 CFP) has surrendered at least 30 points in the last four games. The Longhorns will look to clean it up against a challenging opponent in the undefeated Aggies (11-0, 7-0). Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed has emerged as a late-season

Heisman Trophy contender as he engineers and offense that can grind down opponents with a bullish run game or carve them up with speedy receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver

The Aggies are chasing a berth in the SEC title game. The Longhorns need a win not for just state pride, but to keep alive any hope of making the College Football Playoff ﬁeld for the third consecutive season.

“We’re chasing, trying to make big plays,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday of his defense, noting several games worth of broken assignments that have led to big plays and touchdowns.

In last week’s 52-37 win over Arkansas, the last-place team in the

SEC, Texas allowed points on the Razorbacks’ ﬁrst four drives. The previous two games, it was fourthquarter collapses as Vanderbilt and Georgia both scored 21 points in the ﬁnal period.

The Commodores scored 21 points in a rally that ended after a failed onside kick in the final minute.

Georgia scored 21 points to turn a close game into a blowout that put Texas’ playoff hopes on life support

“It was a lot of veteran players who have played some high level football for us,” Sarkisian said about some of the mistakes

Senior safety Michael Taaffe, a preseason All-America selection owned up to that.

“I’m deﬁnitely one of those guys,” Taaffe said. “Just do your job, no-

body needs to be super human. A lot of times we hurt ourselves more than the offense hurts us.” Reed and the Aggies have put plenty of hurt on opposing defenses. He recovered from a dismal ﬁrst half against South Carolina to lead a second-half comeback for the ages as Texas A&M rallied from a 27-point halftime deﬁcit to win 3130.

Texas bottled up Reed last year when the Longhorns won 17-7 and didn’t allow the Aggies an offensive touchdown. But Texas players know they face a better, more mature Reed on Friday Reed has been sacked just nine times this season. And Texas has struggled of late against a run of dual-threat quarterbacks. Vander-

bilt’s Diego Pavia, Georgia’s Gunner Stockton and Arkansas’ Taylen Green all moved the ball well against Texas.

Taaffe said he got to know Reed when they made a commercial together for a hamburger restaurant chain.

“The quarterback at Texas A&M and the safety at Texas, you don’t really want them to be friends,” Taaffe said. “But it was really hard not to like him.”

Texas played last week without injured linebacker and leading tackler Anthony Hill Jr., an elite sideline-to-sideline defender who also has four sacks and two interceptions. His status to return from a hand injury was still unclear Monday

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL

Patrick Mahomes, left, is tackled by

Germaine Pratt during the second half of a

Singer,actor,blues guitarist and bandleader Deacon John Moore arrivesatGallier Hall for his 80thbirthdaycelebration in 2021. |

STAFF FILEPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Deacon John hasbeena NewOrleans musiclegend fornearly70years

‘MAN FOR ALL SEASONS’

BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

If you were awell-knownNew Orleans musician in the 1950s and ’60s, “Deacon” John Moore probablyplayedguitar on your hit record and/orsang at your funeral Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint, Dr John,Walter “Wolfman”Washington, Snooks Eaglin —hesang all of them home.

“It all goes back to the name,” he theorizes.

In high school, his “preaching” style of singing inspired his drummer to christenhim “Deacon John,”atwist on aname mentionedinRoy Brown’s “Good Rockin’ Tonight.”

At first, Moorewasn’tsure about being a“deacon.” He thought he’dbemistaken for a gospel singer and lose bookings.

“But when Igrew older and wiser,Ifound outitwas aGodgiven name, because there’s two thingsI do the most in life Icomfort people in times of sor-

“DEACON” JOHN MOORE “

doing

yet.”

row,attested by the hundreds of funerals thatI’ve sang sinceI was in elementary school.

“Andthe other thing is, Ibring joy in their big celebrationsin life: your prom, your wedding, your birthday party, your debutante party. Now 84, he’s“just doing God’s work.That’swhy he’s letting me stay alittle while longer,because my work is not done yet.”

BYLINDSEY BAHR

If youthink gifts formovie loversbegin and end with Blurays andcineplexgift cards, thinkagain. There’slotsofways to get creative (and impress) theﬁlm fan in your life. Youcould alwayssplurge on aSundanceFilm Festivalpass (starting at $350 for the online edition,$4,275 for an in-person express pass) for its last edition in ParkCity,Utah,

‘You gottaoutlive ’em’

For the Thanksgiving Eve “Tribute to Art Neville and Eddie Bo” at Tipitina’sonWednesday, Moorewilljoin CyrilNeville, Ivan Neville,Jon Cleary, IanNeville, Tony Hall, Stanton Moore, Jelly Joseph, River Eckert, MarilynBarbarinand Amelia Neville to salute twoofNew Orleans’ legendary pianists and composers.

He’sconnected to both. Art Neville wasone of his musical heroes and briefly played in Moore’sband in the 1970s. And Moore joined Bo’sband right out of high school.

“I can’tbelieve Ihad the opportunity and privilege to play in Eddie Bo’sband,” he says.

During nearlyseven decades as afull-time musician, Moore never went on tour because he neverhad ahit record to promote. Instead, he specialized in “miscellaneous casual engagements” in his hometown: “I was the man for all seasons.”

ä See DEACON JOHN, page 2D

could help the Christopher Nolanfan in your life brush up on “The Odyssey” before next July with Emily Wilson’s translation(at bookstores.) Here are afew of ourother favorite ﬁnds this holiday season for all kinds of movie fans. TheCelluloid card game Who’sthe biggest ﬁlmbuffin

PHOTO By MICHAEL P. SMITH/ THE HISTORIC NEWORLEANS COLLECTION Deacon John Moore in 1982 at an event at Tyler’s on Magazine Street.

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday, Nov 25, the 329th day of 2025. There are 36 days left in the year

Today in history: On Nov 25, 1963, the body of President John F. Kennedy was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery after a funeral procession through Washington, D.C. An estimated 1 million people lined the somber procession route. Also on this date:

In 1986, the Iran-Contra affair erupted as President Ronald Reagan and Attorney General Edwin Meese revealed that proﬁts from secret arms sales to Iran had been diverted to Nicaraguan rebels.

In 1999, Elian Gonzalez, a 5-year-old Cuban boy, was rescued by two sport ﬁshermen off the coast of Florida, setting off an international custody battle that eventually saw him repatriated to his father in Cuba. In 2001, as the war in Afghanistan entered its eighth week,

MOVIE

Continued from page 1D

25 years, from “Bottle Rocket” through “The French Dispatch,” the mammoth package includes new 4K masters, over 25 hours of special features, and 10 illustrated, chicly clothbound books, as well as essays from the likes of Martin Scorsese and James L Brooks. $399.96.

Mise en Scènt candles

Home movie nights need the right atmosphere, and this femaleowned, Brooklyn-based company creates (and hand pours) candles inspired by favorite movies

Their bestselling and sometimes out of stock — “Old Hollywood” candle will bring you back to the silver screen’s golden age with the smell of “deep, smoky and worn-in leather,” which might be ideal with TCM playing in the background. The “Rom Com” scent evokes the feeling of a “meet-cute in a grocery aisle” with something clean, fresh and ﬂoral (maybe for watching “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” or “Materialists”). There’s also a “French New Wave” candle that would work well with Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague.” Other scents include “Mystery,” “Fantasy,” “Macabre,” “Villain Era,” “Bad Movie” and “Main Character.” Starting at $24. An alternative streamer

If Netﬂix is too pedestrian for the cinephile in your life, the Kino Film Collection offers a robust and rotating lineup of classic and current art house and indie films. Categories include Cannes Favorites (like Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Dogtooth”), Classics (like “The General,” “Metropolis” and “Nosferatu”) and New York Times Critics’ Picks (like Jafar Panahi’s “Taxi” and Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border”). At $5.99 a month or $59.99 year, it’s also less expensive than the Criterion Channel ($10.99/month, $99/ year) and Mubi ($14.99/month, $119.88/year).

Baby’s first movie book

These adorable and beautifully illustrated board books take parents and kids on a journey through genres, from “My First Holly-

CIA officer Johnny “Mike” Spann was killed during a prison uprising in Mazar-e-Sharif that erupted while he was interviewing detainees, becoming the first American combat casualty of the conflict

In 2016, Fidel Castro, who led his rebels to a victorious revolution in 1959, embraced Sovietstyle communism and deﬁed the power of 10 U.S. presidents during his half-century of authoritarian rule in Cuba, died at age 90.

Today’s birthdays: Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is 85. Actor John Larroquette is 78. Dance judge Bruno Tonioli (TV: “Dancing with the Stars”) is 70. Musician Amy Grant is 65. Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter is 60. Rapper-producer Erick Sermon is 57. Actor Jill Hennessy is 57. Actor Christina Applegate is 54. Former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb is 49 Television personality Jenna Bush Hager and twin sister Barbara Pierce Bush, daughters of former President George W. Bush, are 44.

wood Musical” and “My First SciFi Movie” to the very niche “My First Giallo Horror” and “My First Yakuza Movie.” There are also three box sets available for $45 each Oscar-winning “Anora” ﬁlmmaker Sean Baker called them his “go-to gifts for new parents.”

From ’lil cinephile Starting at $15 Pajamas fit for a Demon Hunter

Rumi’s “choo choo” pajama pants would make a cozy gift for days when you ﬁnd yourself chanting “Couch! Couch! Couch!” Don’t understand what any of that means?

Don’t worry the “KPop Demon Hunters” fan in your life will. Available from Netﬂix. $56.95.

A Roger Deakins memoir

Even if you don’t know the name Roger Deakins you certainly know his work — simply put, he’s one of the greatest working cinematographers in the business. His credits include “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski,” “No Country for Old Men,” “Sicario,” “Skyfall” and “1917.” Fittingly his memoir “Reflections: On Cinematography” is uniquely visual, with never-before-seen storyboards, sketches and diagrams. The 76-year-old Oscar winner also looks back on his life, his early love of photography and how he found his way into 50 years of moviemaking, where he’d find longstanding partnerships with some of the great auteurs, from the Coen brothers to Sam Mendes and Denis Villeneuve. Hachette Book Group. $45. Dive into Chloé Zhao’s ‘Hamnet’ Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao, actor Jessie Buckley and photographer Agata Grzybowska collaborated on a gorgeous coffeetable book about “Hamnet,” opening in theaters in limited release on Nov 27 and expected to be a major Oscar contender The film, based on Maggie O’Farrell’s story, which won the National Book Critics Circle prize for fiction imagines the circumstances around the death of William Shakespeare’s 11-year-old son and how it may have influenced the writing of “Hamlet.” The coffee-table book, called “Even as a Shadow, Even as a Dream,” is not a making-of, or behind-the-scenes look in any conventional sense, but an otherworldly, haunting companion piece of carefully chosen images and words Mack books. $40.

DEACON JOHN

Continued from page 1D

He’s performed at every New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

He’s played for White fraternities and Black social aid and pleasure clubs, for Carnival queens and chitlin circuit crowds, for Jewish weddings and Greek weddings, at countless proms — including Jazz Fest producer Quint Davis’ prom — and nightclubs.

Now he is paying tribute to the late Bo and Neville, just one manifestation of his longevity

Another? He performed at the original Dew Drop Inn, the legendary Central City rhythm & blues nightspot, in the 1950s, then at the reborn Dew Drop’s grand reopening in 2024.

“If you can’t beat ’em,” Moore says with his trademark cackle, “you gotta outlive ’em.”

Part of the clique

John Moore sang in his elementary school choir and high school glee club. A skilled guitarist, he turned pro in 1957 before he’d even graduated.

Because he didn’t go on tour, he was always available for local recordings sessions. His friend and fellow guitarist George Davis cowrote “Tell It Like It Is” and invited Moore to play guitar on Aaron Neville’s recording of the song.

Moore’s guitar is also on Ernie K-Doe’s “Mother-in-Law,” Robert Parker’s “Barefootin’,” Irma Thomas’ “Ruler of My Heart,” Professor Longhair’s “Big Chief,” Lee Dorsey’s “Working in the Coal Mine,” Benny Spellman’s “Fortune Teller” and Chris Kenner’s “Something You’ve Got,” among many others.

He contributed to a slew of Minit Records releases in the early 1960s, many written and produced by Allen Toussaint.

“I got into the clique,” Moore said. “I was fortunate to be among the top-flight recording guitar players at that time. We did a whole lot of work for Allen Toussaint.”

He believes his light, Creole complexion contributed to never having a hit of his own.

“Unfortunately I was unmarketable. In order for them to record you and market you, you had to look like the music. I wasn’t Black

enough and I wasn’t White enough, so I didn’t ﬁt into the established categories for Black or White entertainers in New Orleans.

“I played with some of the great producers and writers and artists, but when it came down to the record companies, they didn’t have a category for me. Is he jazz? Is he blues? Is he R&B? Is he rock ’n’ roll?”

In reality, he was all of them. He had to “carve my own identity out” as a self-described musical “chameleon” who adapted new musical styles so he could keep working. He’d wear Jimi Hendrix-style fringed vests while cranking out psychedelic rock or platform shoes to pump out disco. More recently he’s favored a fedora, suit and tie.

“Consistency is the virtue of small minds,” he says. “Whenever a wave (of music) came on, I jumped on it, because I knew that was the way to get the gigs. I was able to play multiple markets simultaneously.”

Missed opportunity

His biggest career blunder may have been turning down “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” when composer Al Reed offered it to him. Moore thought the lyrics about an adulterous affair might sully his clean, “Deacon” image. So fellow New Orleans singer Danny White recorded “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” in 1962 and cashed in.

“There’s nothing sadder than a missed opportunity,” Moore said. “If I wasn’t so young and foolish, I could have had a big hit and traveled all over Anyway, here I am, back where we started.” In 2003, businessman, attorney, songwriter and author Cyril Vetter underwrote a project called “Deacon John’s Jump Blues.” Recorded live at the Orpheum Theater, it featured Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Henry Butler, Davell Crawford, the Zion Harmonizers and Teedy Boutte showcasing the music that bridged big band swing and early rhythm & blues and rock ’n’ roll. Originally released as a CD and DVD, “Deacon John’s Jump Blues” was recently reissued as a vinyl LP Moore is still proud of the album and Vetter’s belief in him: “The right guy came along at the right time.”

The same is true of Deacon John. For more than 60 years, he’s been the right guy at the right time in New Orleans music.

“I’ll tell you like Ernie K-Doe said: I’m just good, and that’s all there is to it.”

This story is based on an interview from a recent episode of “Let’s Talk with Keith Spera,” which airs on WLAE-TV and WWNO 89.9 FM.

Email Keith Spera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Deacon John dances on the Blues Tent stage during the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

Deacon John performs during the Black Men of Labor’s 27th annual Living Celebration in 2022 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in New Orleans.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Boeing won’t carry astronauts on flight

Boeing and NASA have agreed to keep astronauts off the company’s next Starliner flight and instead perform a trial run with cargo to prove its safety Monday’s announcement comes eight months after the ﬁrst and only Starliner crew returned to Earth aboard SpaceX after a prolonged mission Although NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams managed to dock Starliner to the International Space Station in 2024, the capsule had so many problems that NASA ordered it to come back empty, leaving the astronauts stuck there for more than nine months.

Engineers have since been poring over the thruster and other issues that plagued the Starliner capsule. Its next cargo run to the space station will occur no earlier than April, pending additional tests and certiﬁcation.

Boeing said in a statement that it remains committed to the Starliner program with safety the highest priority NASA is also slashing the planned number of Starliner ﬂights, from six to four If the cargo mission goes well, then that will leave the remaining three Starliner ﬂights for crew exchanges before the space station is decommissioned in 2030.

Skechers investors say they got a bad deal

Skechers investors are suing company executives and Skechers owner 3G Capital over what they say was an unfair sale price in an acquisition earlier this year

3G Capital took the Manhattan Beach-based sneaker company private in a $9.4 billion deal that closed in September and reﬂected a share price of $63 per share.

In a class action complaint filed this month in Delaware Chancery Court, hedge funds and other large Skechers investors accused the company and 3G Capital of arranging a non-independent deal that shortchanged minority shareholders.

The deal undervalued the company as its shares were taking a beating because of a volatile federal tariff policy, the complaint said. The deal also benefited Skechers President Michael Greenberg and other controlling shareholders, according to the plaintiffs.

Plaintiffs seeking a higher share price were unable to reach an early settlement with Skechers after the company made an offer that was slightly higher than the original price, Bloomberg reported this week According to court documents, 3G Capital had offered a price of $73 per share in March this year, but lowered its offer after Trump’s tariff “liberation day” on April 2. Investors are now pressing ahead with the case, according to Bloomberg.

Skechers said it would not comment on pending legal matters Sinclair makes bid to buy E.W. Scripps

NEW YORK Sinclair has submitted a bid to buy out E.W Scripps for $7 per share, in a deal that could bring further consolidation across America’s local TV news landscape. Under the proposal which Sinclair disclosed Monday, the broadcast giant would acquire all of Scripps’ outstanding shares that it doesn’t already own. Sinclair has already upped its stake in Scripps recently — accounting for nearly 10% of the company’s class A common stock as of Nov 17, per regulatory ﬁlings. The proposed $7 per share price tag would consist of both cash and stock. If approved, the deal would give Scripps’ shareholders about a 12.7% stake of the combined company upon closing. Sinclair is requesting a response from Scripps by Dec. 5.

Alphabet rally boosts stock market

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

The U.S. stock market rallied on Monday, at the start of a week with shortened trading because of the Thanksgiving holiday

The S&P 500 climbed 1.5% for one of its best days since the summer and added to its jump from Friday, ﬁnding some strength following a shaky few weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 202 points or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 2.7%.

Stocks got a lift from rising

hopes that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in December, a move that could boost the economy and investment prices.

The market also beneﬁted from strength for stocks caught up in the artiﬁcial-intelligence frenzy Alphabet, which has been getting praise for its newest Gemini AI model, rallied 6.3% and was one of the strongest forces lifting the S&P 500. Nvidia rose 2.1%.

Monday’s gains followed sharp swings in recent weeks, not just day to day but also hour to hour,

caused by uncertainty about what the Fed will do with interest rates and whether too much money is pouring into AI and creating a bubble. All the worries are creating the biggest test for investors since an April sell-off, when President Donald Trump shocked the world with his “Liberation Day” tariffs.

Despite all the recent fear, the S&P 500 remains within 2.7% of its record set last month.

“It’s reasonable to expect that stocks will experience periods of pressure from time to time, which, historically, is quite healthy for

longer-term strength,” Anthony Saglimbene, Ameriprise chief market strategist, wrote in a note to investors.

Several more tests lie ahead this week for the market, which could create more swings, though none loom quite as large as last week’s proﬁt report from Nvidia or the delayed jobs report from the U.S. government for September

One of the biggest tests will arrive Tuesday, when the U.S. government will deliver data showing how bad inﬂation was at the wholesale level in September

TRAVELERS ON EDGE

After shutdown’s cancellations, delays, Tuesday expected to be busiest day

BY RIO YAMAT Associated Press

The turbulence caused by the longest U.S. government shutdown may still be fresh on the minds of travelers this Thanksgiving, but experts say preparing for the usual holiday crush of winter weather heavy trafﬁc and crowded airports can help ease the jitters.

“I think the shutdown at this point is history for air travel. The airlines understand this time of year so well. They know exactly what they need to do,” said Sheldon H. Jacobson, an airport and airlines operations expert. “The real challenge is making sure travelers can help themselves.”

Travel forecasts point to packed airports, roads and trains.

A week after lifting the unprecedented ﬂight restrictions it placed on commercial airlines during the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration is preparing for its busiest Thanksgiving week in 15 years, with more than 360,000 ﬂights scheduled between Monday and next Tuesday That’s more than 17.8 million people who will be screened at airports, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday at a news conference that air traffic controller staffing levels have stabilized in time for what he says will be the busiest Thanksgiving on record for travel, while the head of the FAA reassured passengers that they can “fly with confidence” this week.

AAA projects 1.3 million more travelers will be on the roads than last year, pushing the total number of people traveling by car to at least 73 million.

Winter weather

You can’t control the weather, but you can control how prepared you are if a storm hits. If your ﬂight is canceled or delayed, will you drive instead or postpone or cancel your trip? Knowing your options ahead of time can reduce stress if a storm leaves you stranded

The Weather Channel offers a Thanksgiving weekly forecast highlighting major airports and highways that could be affected by bad weather including snow ice and rain — along with a free online tool in the Weather Channel app that shows how or if your travel route might be impacted.

Forecasters on Monday warned of ﬂooding rain and the possibility of severe thunderstorms from Texas to Arkansas and Louisiana into Mississippi that could cause problems for airports in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Houston.

By Monday afternoon, over 750 flights into and out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport were delayed and about 100 canceled while at Love Field more than 100

MrBeast,

Travelers stand in line at a

week.

ﬂights were delayed and nearly 70 canceled, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.

On Tuesday, the FAA’s busiest day with more than 52,000 flights scheduled, forecasters say rain is expected in the Paciﬁc Northwest and in much of the eastern U.S. Airports in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington, D.C. could be impacted, according to the Weather Channel.

Another winter storm in the central U.S. could also take shape late Friday into Saturday “The details will come into better focus over the next few days, but anyone traveling home after Thanksgiving should check in on the evolving forecast and be ready for changing conditions,” said Matt Sitkowski, science editor-in-chief at the Weather Channel.

What to pack

Jacobson, whose research contributed to the design of TSA PreCheck, recommends starting your packing by unpacking.

Check every pocket in case TSA-restricted items, like full-sized bottles, were left behind from a previous trip. This simple scan can help you get through security faster, especially when airports are crowded.

If you’re traveling with gifts, Jacobson suggests wrapping them at your destination because TSA agents may need to open them.

When deciding which clothes and shoes to pack, James Belanger vice president of

meteorology at the Weather Company, said to check the “feels like” temperature for a better sense of the weather, especially for those not used to the cold.

And don’t forget a REAL ID is required to ﬂy within the U.S., or bring another accepted form of ID, like a passport or military ID. People with iPhones can now also add their U.S. passport details to Apple Wallet, which can be scanned at participating airports if travelers don’t have a REAL ID. More than a dozen states already accept some form of a mobile ID at airport checkpoints, and travelers can go to the TSA website for more details.

Road trip ready

Whether driving is your top choice or backup plan, AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz suggests checking your tires, car battery and fluids, then hitting the road with a full tank of gas as early as possible to avoid traffic Last year, AAA said, it responded to nearly 600,000 emergency roadside assistance calls during the Thanksgiving travel period to help drivers stranded by dead batteries, flat tires and empty tanks.

According to an analysis by Google Maps:

n Trafﬁc on Wednesday is expected to be 14% heavier than usual between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. with peak trafﬁc from 1 p.m to 3 p.m

n On Thanksgiving Day, the roads will be busiest between noon and 3 p.m.

n When it’s time to head home, avoid driving from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday when trafﬁc is heaviest.

Rockefeller Foundation to spark youth philanthropy

Charitable organizations create strategic partnership

BY JAMES POLLARD Associated Press

NEW YORK One of the most storied American philanthropies is teaming up with the internet’s biggest creator to instill young people with a concern for what they call the world’s “most vulnerable” populations. Beast Philanthropy, the charitable organization started by MrBeast founder Jimmy Donaldson, and the Rockefeller Foundation announced a strategic partnership Monday The idea is to pair Donaldson’s unique ability to capture youth attention spans with

the foundation’s 112-year history of using its resources and technology to tackle global problems.

Speaking together ahead of a Nov 21 video shoot at MrBeast’s Greenville, North Carolina, studio, the partners complimented the respective strengths they hope to exchange with each other

“I’ve spent my entire life making YouTube videos. They’ve spent their entire lives helping people,” Donaldson told The Associated Press. “Obviously, they have a team who’s way more experienced than me in helping people, but being able to pull on their knowledge and wisdom is amazing.”

“I just want to download their

brains into our team’s brains,” he added.

Dr Rajiv Shah, the president of the Rockefeller Foundation, said the philanthropic sector has long failed to capture the hearts and minds of hundreds of millions of young people.” He said MrBeast can help them engage young people, inspire hope and communicate their work more accessibly

Most people have a natural desire to help others, according to Shah, but we teach ourselves that world problems are “too big and too complicated” to solve. He pointed to MrBeast’s video in Zambia, where they provided a village with solar-powered electricity and

clean water wells.

“What Jimmy’s already done is show that you can change that dramatically,” Shah said “If we can get people believing that they can make a difference through this collaboration, we will have achieved something really unique and really special.”

The move signals Donaldson’s continued attempts to evolve an organization with sprawling interests that include an entertainment studio, food brands, his own James Patterson book deal and, most recently, a limited time theme park in Saudi Arabia. He brought on venture capitalist Jeff Housenbold as CEO last year and then hired more new executives as a series of controversies threatened his ambitions ahead of his Amazon Prime reality game show’s release.

Shah Donaldson

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TONy GUTIERREZ

ticketing gate at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport last

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Use your resources, ask questions, learn new skills and master the art of acceptance and change. An open mind and heart will lead to personal and financial victory.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Observation will help you zero in on possibilities. Ask questions and consider what you need to add to your roster to turn your plans into something tangible.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Turn the dial up, speak and act on your own behalf, gather information and set a reasonable budget.Onceyougainmomentum,you'll discover how quickly doors open.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Put your finances, health and any legal matters first and foremost. Neglecting to pay on time or to deal with issues that can lead to complications or loss will come back to haunt you.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Take initiative instead of complaining. Travel or educational pursuits will help you find answers and discover the best way to reach your goal.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Make changes for a good reason, not out of anger, emotional frustration or to one-up someone. You owe it to yourself to recognize what's best for you and to take the path that offers the highest returns.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Learn from your experience and make better choices. You are overdue for a change that offers the freedom to discover what's possible.

You have two choices: follow or lead the way.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Opportunities are prevalent if you look for them. Stop waiting for things to come to you; actively seeking what makes you happy will boost your ego and encourage selfsufficiency.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Take charge and follow through on your promises. Include loved ones to ensure you maintain good relationships and receive the support necessary to reach your goals.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Refuse to let ego or anger compromise what you hope to gain or achieve when dealing with others. Pay more attention to selfimprovement and compromise, and less to getting your way.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Put some effort toward increasing comfort and convenience. Fixing up your space to stimulate personal or professional growth will be energizing. Your happiness is in your hands, so make it happen.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Keep the fire burning. Keeping an open mind, engaging in conversation with like-minded people and embracing new beginnings will lead to a world of promising options.

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: F EQUALS G

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe peAnUtS zItS

And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

dooneSbUrY

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

G.C. Lichtenberg, an 18th-century German physicist and philosopher, wrote, “The greatest events occurwithoutintention playing any part in them; chancemakesgoodmistakesandundoes the most carefully planned undertaking. The world’sgreatest events are not produced —they happen.”

That assertion would not meet with universal agreement. However, at the bridge table, missing achance to make acontractcan be abad mistake.Let’s see if youcan producethe winning linein today’s deal.

Southisinthree no-trump. West leads the spade queen. How should declarer play?

South’stwo-no-trumpresponseshowed abalanced10-12pointswithnofour-card major.(Southmight have made alimit raise in diamonds, especially if via atwodiamond invertedminor-suit raise,but we much prefer no-trump to aminor. Yes, Ihave noticed that five diamonds is laydown.) First,a defensive point. Eastmust either signal encouragement with his seven or, even better, throw the king onto the table. West would not have led thequeen without thejackand nine Southstarts withseven toptricks: one spade,threehearts,onediamondandtwo clubs. But giventhat hisspade ace will have evaporated by tricktwo, he cannot afford to lose the lead until he is home.

Thenaturalinstinctistotakethediamond

wuzzles

finesse.Butthereisasecond,admittedly unlikely,chance.Beforegamblingonthe diamonds, cashdummy’sclubace and king. Herethe queen drops anddeclarer has nine winners viaone spade, three hearts,one diamondand four clubs. If the club queen does not appear, South crosses to his hand with aheart and runs the diamond 10. ©2025 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrewsmcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle whichcreates adisguised word,phrase, name, place, saying, etc.For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Wordsthat acquire four lettersbythe addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” arenot allowed. 3. additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” maynot be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words arenot allowed.

toDAY’s WoRD BAcKLIt: BAK-lit: Illuminatedfrombehind.

Average mark 15 words

Time limit 20 minutes

Can you find 19 or more words in BACKLIT?

YEstERDAY’sWoRD —LuXuRIEs

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought

loCKhorNs

Jesus is Lord!Heiscoming back andall will bend the kneetoHim. G.E. Dean

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.

GramS Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a

Well

Scrabble

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

$64.13 second

y Mitchell,Sr. ,Orleans ParishCivil District Court CaseNo. 2025-11098 is applyingfor authorityto sellatprivate sale,the whole interest of THE SUCCESSIONS OF LEONA GREEN MITCHELL,WIFE OF/ANDHENRY MITCHELL, SR.onterms ofFifty-ThousandDollars ($50,000) forthe whole undivided interest,less related fees,commis‐sions,costs and/or ex‐penses, in theimmovable propertydescribed as follows,towit: THAT CERTAINPIECE OF GROUND, together with all thebuildings andim‐provementsthereon,and all therights, ways,privi‐leges,servitudes, appur‐tenances, andadvan‐tages thereuntobelong‐ing or in anywiseapper‐taining,situatedinthe fourthdistrictofthe City ofNew Orleans, Stateof Louisiana designated By the letter "B"inSquare no. 314, Bounded by Third,Fourth, So.Franklin and So.Liberty Streets ona sketch made by C. Uncas Lewis, Deputy City Surveyor, datedMay 14 1919 annexedtoact be‐foreF.J.Drayfus,notary public, datedJune2,1919 ﬁledfor record June 2, 1919. Accordingtowhich sketchsaidportion of ground commenceat a distanceofthirty-two feet,six inches (32' 6") fromSo. LibertySt. and measurestwenty-sixfeet (26’)front on ThirdStreet bya ﬁrstdepth on the sidelineseparatingit fromlot “C”nearest to So.