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Archdiocese of NewOrleans emergesfrom bankruptcy

BY STEPHANIERIEGEL Staffwriter

In alandmark ruling,a federaljudge has approved a$230 million settlement between the Archdiocese of New Orleans and hundredsofsurvivors of clergy sex abuse, markinganend to one of the darkest chapters in the 232-year history of the local Roman Catholic Church. Thearchdiocese confirmed that theplan was approved on MondaybyJudge MeredithGrabillinU.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

The planisset to go into effectlater this month and will create asettlement trust funded over severalyears. The archdiocese will contribute $70 million, with $60 million coming from its parishes and charities, $30 millionfrom settling insurers and $70 million in anticipated proceeds from the pending sale of Christopher Homes, a portfolio of low-incomeelderly senior housing It will be distributed among eligible abuse survivorswith payments beginningassoon as the ﬁrst quarter of 2026.

The plan will also establish new, tougher child protection and abuse reporting policies, which the archdiocese has vowed to uphold.

In astatement Monday,Archbishop Gregory Aymond said he waspleased that abankruptcy process that beganin2020 hadﬁnally ended, and said he hoped that survivors of abuse would “ﬁnd some closure.”

Afederal judgeon Monday signed off on aplan for the Archdiocese of New Orleans to payat least $230 millionto hundredsof survivors of clergysexual abuse.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Trumppromises$12 billioninaid forfarmers

BY SEUNG MINKIM, JOSH FUNK and DIDI TANG Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump announced a$12 billion farm aid package on Monday —a boost to farmers who have struggled tosell

theircrops while gettinghit by rising costs afterthe president raised tariffs on China as part of abroader tradewar He unveiled the plan Monday afternoon at aWhite House roundtable with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers from farmstates, and farmers who thanked him for the help.

“With this bridge payment, we’ll be able to farm another

year,” Iowa farmer Cordt Holub told Trumpduring the event. Rollins put theimmediate value of theprogram at $11 billion— moneythatthe White House saidwill offer one-time paymentstorow-crop farmers. Another $1 billion will be put aside for specialty crops as the administration works to better understand thecircumstances forthose farmers, Rol-

lins said. Theaid will move by theend of February,she said.

“Welooked at howthey were hurt, to what extentthey were hurt,” Trump said, explaining how the administration came up with the size of thepackage. Trump said the money forthe program will come from tariff revenue.

Farmers have backed Trump

ä See FARMERS, page 5A

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

The Carnival season traditionally starts on Kings Day, Jan. 6, said to be the momentin the Bible when the three kings reached baby Jesus in Bethlehem.But in 2026, the parading season in New Orleans may start abit early The New Orleans Police Department on Friday issued apermit foranew parade that will roll through the French Quarter and Central Business District on Jan. 5. According to NOPD spokesperson Aaron Looney,the Mystic Kings Krewe hasgottenthe green light to present the parade, pending the payment of fees due one week before the procession rolls. On Monday,founder Cecil Roebuck said

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Gov.Jeff Landry has appointedEvelyn Grifﬁn, adoctor who has worked on maternal mortality and voiced skepticism aboutvaccines, to be Louisiana’snext surgeon general.

“Herclinical experience, her leadershipinadvancing maternal health,and her dedication to strengthening the doctor-patient relationship make her the exact right choice for this role,” Landry said in arelease Monday announcingGriffin’sappointment. “With Dr.Griffin stepping in, I’mconfident Louisiana is in good hands and headed toward ahealthier,stronger future.” Evelyn Griffin appointedLa.

ä See GRIFFIN, page 4A

Aymond

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Benin says coup bid left casualties on both sides

LAGOS, Nigeria The short-lived coup in Benin left “casualties on both sides” of the government forces and the mutinous soldiers, authorities said Monday as security forces intensiﬁed the search for the coup leader who was on the run.

The military takeover attempting to overthrow President Patrice Talon, which lasted a few hours before authorities announced it had been foiled, was the latest in a series of recent coups across Africa most following a similar pattern of disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, security crises and youth discontent.

In a statement detailing Sunday’s events, Government Secretary Edouard Ouin-Ouro said the mutinous soldiers attacked Talon about 5 a.m. before being “overwhelmed by the ﬁerce resistance of the loyal soldiers.”

Authorities said although several arrests have been made over the coup, its apparent leader remained on the run and was being hunted. Two senior military officers held hostage by those attempting the coup had also been released, ofﬁcials said. Authorities did not specify the number of casualties.

An ongoing investigation into the coup will “identify all the perpetrators and their sponsors whoever they may be” and will assess the damage in the aftermath, Ouin-Ouro said in the statement issued after a highlevel cabinet meeting chaired by the Benin leader

ABC signs Kimmel to contract extension

President Donald Trump won’t be getting his wish. ABC said Monday it has signed late-night comic Jimmy Kimmel to a oneyear contract extension.

Kimmel’s previous, multiyear contract had been set to expire next May, so the extension will keep him on the air until at least May 2027.

Kimmel’s future looked questionable in September, when ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for remarks made following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Following a public outcry, ABC lifted the suspension, and Kimmel returned to the air with much stronger ratings than he had before.

He continued his relentless joking at the president’s expense, leading Trump to urge the network to “get the bum off the air” in a social media post last month. The post followed Kimmel’s monologue on Trump and the Jeffrey Epstein ﬁles Kimmel will be staying longer than late-night colleague Stephen Colbert at CBS. The network announced this summer it was ending Colbert’s show next May for economic reasons, even though it is the top-rated network show in late-night television.

Man marks 15K spins on Disney ‘Cars’ ride

SANTA ANA, Calif. — For a Disneyland enthusiast who marked his 15,000th spin Monday on an auto-racing attraction inspired by the animated ﬁlm “Cars,” it’s not about winning. It’s about the ride.

Jon Alan Hale said he was eager to try out the Radiator Springs Racers ride at Disney California Adventure after undergoing gastric bypass and knee replacement surgeries in 2010 and 2011. He said he quickly found himself hooked on the ride, which debuted in 2012, and began tracking his races in a notebook, jotting down his car’s color, lane and whether he wins or loses “I fell in love with the ride,” said the television technician from Brea, California.

Hale said he started carrying a sign to mark every hundredth ride, and remembered how Disneyland workers clapped when he reached 1,000.

On Monday, Hale took the ride with friends who work at the theme park while wearing a “Cars” themed cap and holding a 15,000 sign.

Hale said he’s visited the Anaheim, California, resort known as the “Happiest Place on Earth” more than 1,100 times. He said he’s taken the ride on average 13 times each visit, largely thanks to the fast-moving line for single riders.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARIAM ZUHAIB

Justices likely to back Trump’s firing power

High court hears case on removing independent agency board members

BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Monday seemed likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies, signaling support for President Donald Trump’s ﬁring of board members.

The court’s conservative majority suggested it would overturn a unanimous 90-year-old decision that has limited when presidents can ﬁre agencies’ board members — in part to try to ensure decision making free of political inﬂuence — or leave it with only its shell intact

Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the crux of the issue is that the ofﬁcials who direct the agencies “are exercising massive power over individual liberty and billiondollar industries” without being accountable to anyone.

Liberal justices warned that a ruling sought by the administration to overturn the decision known as Humphrey’s Executor would give the president, as Justice Elena Kagan said, “massive unchecked, uncontrolled power.”

Agencies that have been in place for a century or more also would be robbed of their expertise, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said.

“So having a president come in and ﬁre all the scientists and the doctors and the economists and the Ph.D.s and replacing them with loyalists and people who don’t know anything is actually not in the best interest of the citizens of the United States,” Jackson said.

No president before Trump has sought to wrest control of the agencies that regulate wide swaths of American life, including nuclear energy product safety and labor relations But the six conservatives, including three appointed by Trump, seemed more concerned about issuing a ruling that would endure than handing too much power to Trump.

Their rhetoric was reminiscent of the presidential immunity case in 2024 that allowed Trump to avoid prosecution for his efforts to undo the 2020 election results. The court is writing a decision “for

the ages,” Justice Neil Gorsuch said then. Solicitor General D John Sauer, who argued the immunity case for Trump, defended the president’s decision to ﬁre Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter without cause and called on the court to jettison Humphrey’s Executor

Sauer said the decision “hasn’t withstood the test of time” and had enabled a “headless fourth branch” of government, the administrative state that conservatives and business interests have been taking aim at for decades.

Chief Justice John Roberts referred to Humphrey’s Executor as “a dried husk.”

The conservative side of the court already has signaled support for the administration’s position, over the liberals’ objection, by allowing Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be removed from their jobs even as their legal challenges continue.

Members of the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission also have been ﬁred by Trump.

The only ofﬁcials who have so far survived efforts to remove them are Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve governor, and Shira Perlmutter, a copyright official with the Library of Congress The court has suggested that it will view the Fed differently from other independent agencies, and Trump has said he wants her out because of allegations of mortgage fraud Cook says she did nothing wrong.

A second question in the Slaughter case could affect Cook Even if a ﬁring turns out to be illegal, the court wants to decide whether judges have the power to reinstate someone.

Gorsuch wrote earlier this year that fired employees who win in court can likely get back pay, but not reinstatement. That might affect Cook’s ability to remain in her job. The justices have seemed wary about the economic uncertainty that might result if Trump can ﬁre the leaders of the central bank. The court will hear separate arguments in January about whether Cook can remain in her job as her court challenge proceeds.

Kavanaugh signaled that he is inclined to side with Cook, describing as an “end run” the idea that an illegally ﬁred ofﬁcial would only be entitled to her salary

Bullets in Mangione’s bag convinced police he was suspect in CEO’s death

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK Moments after Luigi Mangione was handcuffed at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, a police ofﬁcer searching his backpack found a loaded gun magazine wrapped in a pair of underwear

The discovery, recounted in court Monday as Mangione ﬁghts to keep evidence out of his New York murder case, convinced police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, that he was the man wanted in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan ﬁve days earlier

“It’s him dude It’s him 100%,” an officer was heard saying on body-worn camera video from Mangione’s Dec. 9, 2024, arrest, punctuating the remark with expletives as the ofﬁcer combing the bag, Christy Wasser, held up the magazine Wasser, a 19-year Altoona police veteran, testiﬁed on the fourth day of a pretrial hearing as Mangione sought to bar prosecutors from using the magazine and other evidence against him, including a 9 mm handgun and a notebook found during a subsequent bag search.

The testimony shed light on the critical minutes after Mangione was spotted at the McDonald’s and the sometimes unusual steps police ofﬁcers took in collecting evidence critical to tying him to the crime

Mangione’s lawyers argue the items should be excluded because police didn’t have a search warrant and lacked the grounds to justify a warrantless search. Prosecutors contend the search was legal and that police eventually obtained

a warrant.

Wasser, testifying in full uniform, said Altoona police protocols require promptly searching a suspect’s property at the time of an arrest, in part for dangerous items.

On body-worn camera video played in court, Wasser was heard saying she wanted to check the bag for bombs before removing it from the McDonald’s Despite that concern, she acknowledged in her testimony Monday that police never cleared the restaurant of customers or employees.

Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges. He appeared in good health on Monday pumping his ﬁst for photographers and chatting with his lawyers as testimony resumed

The hearing, which was postponed Friday because of Mangione’s apparent illness applies only to the state case. His lawyers are making a similar push to exclude the evidence from his federal case, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty

Prosecutors have said the handgun found in the backpack matches the ﬁrearm used in the killing and that writings in the notebook showed Mangione’s disdain for health insurers and ideas about killing a CEO at an investor conference.

Thompson, 50, was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for his company’s investor conference on Dec. 4, 2024. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police have said “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Habba resigns as top federal prosecutor in N.J.

Court had ruled ex-Trump lawyer had been serving unlawfully

White House, representing him in court and frequently appearing on cable TV news on his behalf.

BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, Alina Habba, resigned Monday as the top federal prosecutor for New Jersey leaving the job after an appeals court said she had been serving in the post unlawfully

In a statement posted on social media, Habba assailed the court’s ruling as political, but said she was resigning “to protect the stability and integrity” of her ofﬁce.

“But do not mistake compliance for surrender,” she said, adding that the administration would continue its appeal of the court rulings ousting her from the position. “This decision will not weaken the Justice Department and it will not weaken me.”

Habba is one of several acting U.S. attorneys around the country to have their appointments by the Trump administration challenged on the basis that they stayed in the temporary jobs longer than the law allows. She said she would remain with the Justice Department as a senior adviser to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Her former duties will, for now, be split between three Justice Department lawyers.

Habba, 41, was appointed in March to serve a temporary term as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey a powerful post charged with enforcing federal criminal and civil law

Once a partner in a small New Jersey law ﬁrm, Habba was among Trump’s most visible legal defenders before his return to the

But she had a partisan bent and no experience as a prosecutor New Jersey’s two Democratic senators indicated they would block her conﬁrmation in the U.S. Senate. She brought a trespassing charge, eventually dropped, against the Democratic mayor of Newark, New Jersey, stemming from his visit to an immigration detention center Habba later charged Democratic U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver with assaulting a federal agent during the same incident McIver says she didn’t assault anyone. The case is pending. As ke d abo ut Habba’s resignation on Monday, Trump lashed out at the Senate over its tradition of refusing to act on nominees if they are opposed by the senators representing the state involved.

“It’s a horrible thing. It makes it impossible to appoint a judge or a U.S. attorney,” Trump told reporters at the White House “I guess I just have to keep appointing people for three months and then just appoint another one, another one. It’s a very sad situation. We’re losing a lot of great people.”

When Habba’s term expired in July, a panel of federal judges appointed one of her subordinates to the role. But Bondi promptly fired the replacement, blaming Habba’s removal on “politically minded judges.”

A lower-court judge’s finding that Habba was unlawfully serving in the position soon triggered a monthslong legal standoff, prompting confusion and delays within New Jersey’s federal court system. Then, earlier this month, a federal appeals court in Philadelphia disqualified her from serving in the role.

A rider bikes on Nov 24 past construction in front of the U.S Supreme Court in Washington. The high court on Monday seemed likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies.

Zelenskyy meets with European allies in London

Leaders discuss U.S. peace plan, Ukrainian security

BY JILL LAWLESS and ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

LONDON President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met British, French and German leaders in London on Monday in a show of European support for Ukraine at what they called a “critical moment” in the U.S.-led effort to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer held talks with Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the British leader’s 10 Downing St. residence to try to strengthen Ukraine’s hand amid mounting impatience from U.S. President Donald Trump.

After the meeting, Starmer Zelenskyy and the other leaders called Kyiv’s European allies, urging them to keep up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The leaders all agreed that now is a critical moment and that we must continue to ramp up support to Ukraine and economic pressure on Putin to bring an end to this barbaric war,” Starmer’s ofﬁce said in a statement.

“This is the furthest we’ve got in four years, and we welcome the fact that these talks are continuing at every level,” said Starmer’s spokesman, Tom Wells. He added that “intensive work” will continue in the days ahead, although “there are still outstanding issues.”

Macron’s office said the session allowed the leaders “to continue joint work on the U.S. plan in order to complement it with European contributions, in close coordination with Ukraine.”

Answering reporters’ questions in a WhatsApp chat later Monday, Zelenskyy said the current U.S. peace plan differs from earlier versions in that it now has 20 points, down from 28, after what he called some “obvious anti-Ukrainian points were removed.”

On security guarantees, Zelenskyy said the main

questions to be resolved are:

“What if after the end of the war, Russia will start another aggression? What will the partners be ready for? What could Ukraine count on?”

The answers to these questions “must be in the core of the security guarantees for Ukraine,” he said. In an exchange with re-

porters on Sunday night,

Trump appeared frustrated with Zelenskyy, claiming the Ukrainian leader “hasn’t yet read the proposal.”

Zelenskyy said Monday that Trump “certainly wants to end the war Surely, he has his own vision. We live here, from within we see details and nuances, we

perceive everything much deeper, because this is our motherland.”

Starmer, Macron and Merz took a more supportive stance toward Kyiv in comments before their Monday meeting, which lasted about two hours. The U.K. leader said the push for peace was at a “critical stage,” and

stressed the need for “a just and lasting ceaseﬁre.”

Merz, meanwhile, said he was “skeptical” about some details in documents released by the U.S. “We have to talk about it. That’s why we are here,” he said. “The coming days could be a decisive time for all of us.” European leaders are working to ensure that any ceaseﬁre is backed by solid security guarantees both from Europe and the U.S. to deter Russia from attacking again Trump has not given explicit guarantees in public.

Zelenskyy said late Sunday that his talks with European leaders this week in London and Brussels will focus on security, air defense and long-term funding for Ukraine’s war effort. He said Monday that Ukraine needs support from both Europe and the U.S.

“There are some things we can’t manage without the Americans, things which we can’t manage without Europe, and that’s why we need to make some important decisions,” he said at Downing Street.

Palestinian aid agency: Israeli police ‘forcibly entered’ compound

BY MEGAN JANETSKY and JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press

JERUSALEM Israeli police

forcibly entered the compound of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees in east Jerusalem early Monday, escalating a campaign against the organization that has been banned from operating on Israeli territory The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, or UNRWA, said in a statement that “sizable numbers” of Israeli forces, including police on motorcycles, trucks and forklifts, entered the compound in the Palestinian neighborhood of

Sheikh Jarrah.

“The unauthorized and forceful entry by Israeli security forces is an unacceptable violation of UNRWA’s privileges and immunities as a U.N. agency,” the statement said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s Office said that he will meet with President Donald Trump on Dec. 29, although Israel did not confirm the location of the meeting. On Monday, Netanyahu met with U.S ofﬁcials in Jerusalem about collaboration on the U.S.-brokered plan on the future of Gaza. The raid was the latest in Israel’s campaign against the agency, which provides

aid and services to some 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, as well as 3 million more refugees in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.

Photos taken by an Associated Press photographer show police erecting an Israeli ﬂag on the compound, and police cars on the street. Photos provided by UNRWA staff show a group of Israeli police officers in the compound.

Police said in a statement they entered for a “debt-collection procedure” initiated by Jerusalem’s municipal government, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The agency was established to help the estimated 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were driven out of what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of the Israeli state. UNRWA supporters say Israel hopes to erase the Palestinian refugee issue by dismantling the agency Israel says the refugees should be permanently resettled outside its borders.

For months following the start of the Israel-Hamas war that began on Oct. 7, 2023, UNRWA was the main lifeline for Gaza’s population during Israel’s offensive there.

Throughout the war, Israel has accused the agency of

being inﬁltrated by Hamas, using its facilities and taking aid — claims for which it has provided little evidence. The U.N. has denied it Israel also has claimed that hundreds of Palestinian militants work for UNRWA UNRWA has denied knowingly aiding armed groups and says it acts quickly to purge any suspected militants.

After months of attacks from Netanyahu and his farright allies, Israel banned UNRWA from operating on its territory in January The U.S., formerly the largest donor to UNRWA halted funding to the agency in early 2024. UNRWA has since strug-

gled to continue its work in Gaza, with other U.N. agencies, including the World Food Program and UNICEF, stepping in. Tamara Alrifai, UNRWA’s director of external relations and communications, said UNRWA has been excluded from ceaseﬁre talks.

“If you squeeze UNRWA out, what other agency can ﬁll that void?” Alrifai said. On Monday, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian called UNRWA “a stain on the United Nations” which has “perpetuated the problem” of Palestinian refugees. “UNRWA has proven its enormous failures and it’s time for it to be dismantled,” she said.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIN CHEUNG Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, from left, talks Monday with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the doorstep of 10 Downing St. in London.

GRIFFIN

Continued from page 1A

Grifﬁn is a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the top vaccine advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She was appointed to the committee by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has campaigned against vaccines. Last week, ACIP voted to end a three-decade-old recommendation that all infants get the hepatitis B vaccine and instead issue weaker guidance for some newborns Grifﬁn supported that decision

The decision enraged many in the medical community including U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, who also is a medical doc-

tor He said the rate of hepatitis B infections among infants dropped dramatically after the birth dose recommendation was introduced. “This makes America sicker,” he said of the ACIP vote.

In a news release announcing her appointment, Landry’s office said Griffin’s “work included a focus on reducing maternal morbidity and mortality.” In recent years, Louisiana’s maternal mortality rate, which has been ranked as the fifthhighest in the nation, has caused alarm, as has its high infant mortality rate. In 2020, infants died at nearly twice the rate as those in other states.

Grifﬁn replaces Ralph Abraham, who recently left the statewide post to take a top position at the CDC He drew scrutiny for his decision to end mass vaccination campaigns in the state and for casting doubt over COVID-19 vaccines.

Grifﬁn praised Abraham’s leadership in a statement about her appointment.

“The outstanding leadership of Dr Ralph Abraham, his dedication, vision, and steady guidance have shaped the Surgeon General Ofﬁce that I now have the privilege to build upon,” she said. “I am committed to safeguarding the integrity of the patient-doctor relationship by upholding informed consent and respecting individual rights.”

As surgeon general a new position created by Landry’s administration — Grifﬁn will be responsible for guiding health policy in the state.

Griffin has repeatedly questioned the COVID-19 vaccine, though medical consensus says the vaccine lowers the risk of signiﬁcant illness from the virus and saved millions of lives during the

COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am very, very skeptical,” Grifﬁn told a church congregation in 2024. “For a lot of us, the COVID experience has really opened our eyes You know that I have a lot of concerns. One of those concerns, I would say, is about the COVID vaccine.”

In a December 2021 meeting of the Louisiana House Committee on Health & Welfare, Grifﬁn questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, noting that doctors in the 1950s said smoking was safe.

“I am vaccinated; however, I do not believe in cookie-cutter medicine or mandates, especially for new therapeutics,” Grifﬁn said.

“We hope and pray that they will be able to not only receive what is given to them but they will know the healing of God’s love,” Aymond told members of the media gathered on Poydras Street outside the federal courthouse.

“This has been a long process.”

The committee that represents abuse survivors declined to comment on the settlement.

Grabill’s confirmation of the plan is a key milestone in a case that has tested the faith of New Orleans’ 500,000 Catholics and shined a new light on ugly church secrets that were hidden for decades.

During a nearly threeweek confirmation hearing that concluded last week, Grabill said she hoped that a resolution to the bankruptcy would bring healing and help the church and abuse survivors move forward.

“(This plan) can be viewed as a first step toward reconciliation,” she said Thursday “The relationship across the board has been severely damaged and we want to view this confirmation as a first step in rebuilding trust.”

Costly and contentious

The confirmation comes more than five and a half years after Aymond placed the nation’s second-oldest Catholic diocese under Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection. The move was sparked by dozens of clergy abuse lawsuits ﬁled against the archdiocese in the 18 months after Aymond in late 2018 released a list of clergy members credibly accused of raping and molesting local children.

At the time of the bankruptcy filing, Aymond told the Vatican that the archdiocese was not insolvent but, rather, was using the bankruptcy reorganization process as a way to equitably settle the growing number of lawsuits. He had been advised, he said, that the case could likely be resolved within a year at a cost of about $7 million. It went on far longer than he expected and legal fees alone have topped $50 million.

The case will go down as one of the longest and costli-

est of some 40 church bankruptcies around the country. It will also be remembered as one of the most contentious cases, with Grabill herself referring to it in 2023 as “a knife ﬁght since day one.”

From the get-go, the case was mired in legal sideshows, including accusations that an attorney for the survivors had violated a gag order in the case. Grabill ﬁned the attorney a record $400,000 and removed his client from the committee that represents survivors.

There were also yearslong fights over discovery, with attorneys for the survivors accusing the church of refusing to turn over ﬁnancial information they needed to get a clear picture of church assets.

Along the way, several judges recused themselves because of conﬂicts of interest, underscoring the complicated relationships in New Orleans’ tight-knit Catholic community

There were also media spectacles that fueled acrimony between the two sides, including a disclosure that the New Orleans Saints organization had provided pro bono crisis communications help to the archdiocese and a criminal search warrant for clergy abuse records served on the archdiocese by Louisiana State Police investigators.

By mid-2024, Grabill was growing impatient and began to push for a settlement between the archdiocese and the court-appointment committee that represented abuse claimants, whose numbers continued to swell as the case dragged on. She hired a third mediation expert to join

two existing mediators to bring the two sides together

A few weeks later, the two sides filed competing settlement proposals that illustrated the gulf between them. The archdiocese’s plan offered $62.5 million, not including potential insurance settlements. The survivor committee called for more than $900 million, suggesting that funds could be generated, in part, by selling paintings and stained glass windows from the historic St. Louis Cathedral.

As 2024 came to a close, Grabill gave the two sides 60 days to show real progress toward a settlement, saying, “I have no problem being the ﬁrst judge to dismiss one of these cases.”

Progress and pain

The new year brought the real progress the judge had demanded. In July the archdiocese and the survivors committee filed the joint settlement plan, making a signiﬁcant step forward.

But a key group of attorneys who represented more than 100 survivors in the case including those who suffered some of the worst abuse at the hands of the church’s most egregious predators — opposed the plan Given that two-thirds of abuse survivors would need to approve it, the group’s opposition threatened to blow up the deal.

More intense negotiations followed. In September, the group of opposing survivors and their lawyers got on board, virtually assuring its approval. A few weeks later, nearly 500 survivors voted in favor of the plan. Only two opposed it

The COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be safe in most instances, the CDC said in previous statements before changing its guidance this year under Kennedy In a 2023 Louisiana Senate Health & Welfare Committee meeting, Griffin also testified in support of a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

A confirmation hearing was held over three weeks in late November It included testimony from Aymond and concluded with emotional statements from nearly two dozen abuse survivors. Almost all who testified said they supported the plan but that it will never make up for the abuse they suffered.

“What the trauma has done to us will not ever end,” said Neil Duhon, who was abused and raped as a 15-year-old by one of the church’s most notorious abusers, the late Lawrence Hecker New, leaner church

The archdiocese is emerging from bankruptcy with a smaller footprint than it had before. In the years since the case was ﬁled, the archdiocese has shed its nursing home business, sold off more nearly $20 million in old church and school buildings and has a deal pending to sell Christopher Homes.

It also has consolidated 11 of its more than 100 parishes, which Aymond said in 2023 was not directly related to the bankruptcy but the result of changing demographic patterns, a shrinking population and, in some parishes, declining church attendance and participation in the sacraments. At the time, he said

Griffin is an obstetrician-gynecologist. She attended the Ross University School of Medicine and completed her residency at LSU in New Orleans, according to Landry’s office She is one of the first robotically trained gynecologic surgeons in the region, it said. On Monday, Landry’s office and the Louisiana Department of Health did not provide further details about Griffin’s experience working on maternal morbidity and mortality A spokesperson for the latter agency said Griffin was not available for an interview Griffin is a native of Poland. Her family immigrated to Canada, where she grew up. She moved to Baton Rouge with her husband after college.

more consolidations were on the horizon, though none were forthcoming. Those hard decisions will now be made by his success, Coadjutor Archbishop James Checchio, who was named in September to succeed Aymond and is serving alongside him until the case is resolved.

Before the end of the year, parishes and charities will be required to put up $60 million toward the settlement. The archdiocese has declined to disclose how much each individual parish and charity will be responsible for Court documents do not say Archdiocese ofﬁcials have said the money will come from a variety of sources, including sales of parishowned real estate, surplus parish funds and contributions from donors. For an instance, an anonymous donor covered the contribution required of Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, the archdiocese has conﬁrmed. It declined to provide the name of the donor or the amount of the contribution.

In a statement on the issue last month, the archdiocese said, “Through the efforts of pastors and others, funds have been identiﬁed and allocated from the Catholic family of parishes and agencies that enable the additional debtors to make their contributions with minimal impact to their ministry and operations.”

Also outstanding was the final determination on how one of the church’s insurers, Travelers, will compensate survivors, and when. On Monday, WWL Louisiana reported that the insurer had agreed in principle to a $75 million payment that would add to the survivors’ settlement. Though the settlement becomes effective later this month, it will be several years before the settlement trust is fully funded. Survivors could begin receiving some of the funds they are entitled to as soon as spring 2026. Before that can happen, an independent claims administrator will evaluate each claim to determine how much each survivor will receive.

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

Checchio

FARMERS

politically,but his aggressive trade policies and frequently changing tariff rates have come under increasing scrutiny because of the impact on the agricultural sector and because of broaderconsumer worries.

The aid is the administration’slatest efforttodefend Trump’seconomic stewardship and answer voter angst aboutrisingcosts. Trump has been dismissive of the affordability issue at times, but on Tuesday,heisset to traveltoPennsylvaniato talk about how his administration is trying to address a concern that is important for voters.

Chinapurchases slow

Soybeansand sorghum were hit the hardest by Trump’strade dispute with China because more than half those crops are exported each year with most of the harvest going to China.

In October,after Trump met ChineseleaderXiJinping in South Korea, the White House said Beijing had promised to buy at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of the calendar year,plus 25 million metric tons ayear in each of the next three years. China is the world’slargest buyer of soybeans, but in recent years it hasincreasinglybeen

shiftingits purchases over to Braziland other South American nations.

Chinahas purchased more than 2.8 million metric tons of soybeans since Trump announced the agreement at the end of October. That’s only about one quarter of what administration ofﬁcials said China had promised, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said China is on track to meet its goal bythe endofFebruary, which is two months later than the White House originally promised.

“These priceshaven’t comein, because theChinese actually used our soybean farmers as pawns in the trade negotiations,” Bessent saidonCBS’ “Facethe Nation,” explaining why farm aid was needed.

Thesizeofthe $12 billion aid package is roughlythe

value of total U.S. soybean exports to China in 2024 and halfthe total exportsofU.S farmgoodstoChina in 2024.

Surgingcosts

Farmers appreciate the aid package, but they say it’s likely only adownpayment on what’sneeded and government aiddoesn’t solve the fundamental problems of soaring costs anduncertain markets. During Trump’s ﬁrst term,hegave farmers more than$22 billion in aid payments in 2019 at the start of his tradewar with China and nearly $46 billion in 2020, although that year also included aid related to the COVID pandemic.

Farmers say want to make aproﬁt offselling theircrops —not relyongovernment aid to survive.

“That’sastart, butIthink

Float builder Carly Langford worksona float slated forthe first Mystic Kingsparade, scheduled for Jan. 5.

KINGS

Continued from page1A

he’s prepared to pay the required amounts: $16,000 for the parade permit, $12,000 for cleanup and $5,000for insurance by the prescribed time.Hesaidthe inaugural parade will be small, featuring just three —ormaybe four —ﬂoats with50riders.

At his cramped Mid-City den, Roebuckled atourof two large floats under construction. One is shaped like an enormous king cake with agiant king cake baby as figurehead. The other is aking’s castle,surmounted by domed towers. Roebuck said the floats will be lit with strands of LEDs. There’s plenty of work to be done.

TheJan. 5parade will begin on the river end of Elysian Fields Avenue and thenfollow amore-or-less straight Uptown path along North Peters, Decatur and Tchoupitoulas streets to Poydras Street, where the parade will turn left and end near the Hilton Riverside hotel.

When plans for the parade were first made public in April, Roebuck originally envisioned aconsiderably longer parade that would include Canal Street, Elks

Place and St. Charles Avenue, butthat was trimmed by the NOPD. He’d also hopedtoinclude three live camelsinthe procession, which were thought to be the mode oftransportation of the biblical kings. He’snow unsure ifcamels will be part of the picture Originally,Roebuck hoped to remain anonymous, as is thecustom of theleaders of some Carnival organizations. ButCity Council President JP Morrell namedhim during ascathing Facebook video in May In thevideo,Morrell said the proposed MysticKings parade was“acompleteand total scam.”

The City Council president drewa distinction between the sort of small paradethat Roebuck envisioned andthe much larger, city-sanctioned Mardi Gras float parades thattakeplace later in the season, in the days before

we need to be looking for some avenuestoﬁnd other funding opportunities and we need to getour markets going.That’s where we want to be able to make aliving from,” saidCaleb Ragland, aKentucky farmer who serves as president of the American SoybeanAssociation

Most at risk areyounger farmers and those whorent —instead of own —their land because they don’t have much ability to borrow against the equity in their farms. If farmers can’tmake ends meet this year,there could be additional consolidationinthe industry with giant industrial farmsgetting biggerand the number of smaller family farmers continuing to shrink.

Iowa farmer RobbEwoldt

is in adifﬁcult positionbecause he only owns160 of the 2,000 acres he farms. So he sayshe’sselling some of his equipment that’snot essential and looking into whether he can pickupsome overnight trucking jobstohelp raise somecash.

“Itistothe point whereI don’twanttosaddlemykid with the kind of stress that my wife and Iare under right now,” Ewoldt said.

But fourth-generation Minnesota farmer Darin

Johnson said he’s more optimistic that most farmers will be able to endure this latest trade war

“A lot of farms are pretty well-establishedand they have theequitytobeable to still keep borrowing money to get through tougher times like this,” Johnson said.

Soybeans

Soybeans and sorghum were hitthe hardest by President DonaldTrump’s trade dispute with China, the world’s largest buyer of soybeans.

Trumphas also been under pressure to address soaring beef prices. Trumphas asked the Department of Justice to investigate foreign-owned meatpackers he accused of driving up the price of beef, although he has not provided evidence to back his claims. On Saturday,Trump signed an executive order directing the Justice Department and FederalTrade Commission to look at “anti-competitive behavior” in food supply chains —including seed, fertilizer and equipment —and considertaking enforcement actionsordeveloping new regulations.

Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Washington, Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, contributed to this report.

Fat Tuesday.Heeven questioned thelegitimacy of Roebuckcallinghis parade riders akrewe.

He also questioned Roebuck’s business practices, accusing him of not completing thebuilding of ﬂoatsfor aMobile, Alabama, Mardi Gras paradein2023. Roebucksubsequentlysaid he was unjustly blamed for the episode.

Whentoldthatthe Mystic Kings parade had been permitted, Morrell reiterated his criticismofRoebuck’s parade plans, doubling down on his use of the term “scam ”

“Toportrayitself as alegitimateMardi Gras krewe, when none of the criteria is met, is ascam,” Morrell wrote in an email. However, theCityCouncil president did acknowledge Roebuck’s right to produce aparade. “Anyone throwing aparade is entitled to apermit if they pay for sanitation, NOPD andthe related permitfees,” he wrote.

Roebuck said spaces are still available for riders. The costtoride is $500, which includescostume, throws and admission to apost-parade party.

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate. com.

Mystic Kings’ crown-shaped doubloons

STAFF PHOTOSByDOUGMacCASH

HOOLEy

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Boeing’s acquisition of Max supplier complete

Boeing said Monday it has completed a $4.7 billion purchase of key supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which builds fuselages for the giant aerospace company’s 737 Max jetliners, including an Alaska Airlines aircraft that suffered a doorpanel blowout last year

The deal, in the works for over a year, also brings Boeing’s largest provider of spare parts in-house. CEO Kelly Ortberg called it a “pivotal moment” for Boeing’s future.

“As we welcome our new teammates and bring our two companies together, our focus is on maintaining stability so we can continue delivering high quality airplanes, differentiated services, and advanced defense capabilities for our customers and the industry,” Ortberg said in a statement

Boeing previously owned Wichita, Kansas-based Spirit but spun it off in 2005. Reabsorbing the company, which is not related to Spirit Airlines, reverses a longtime Boeing strategy of outsourcing major work on its passenger planes — an approach that faced mounting criticism in recent years as manufacturing problems at Spirit disrupted production and delivery of popular Boeing jetliners, including 737s and 787s. ICEBlock app sues

Trump administration

The maker of an iPhone app that flagged sightings of U.S. immigration agents sued the Trump administration for free speech violations on Monday alleging that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi used her “state power” to force Apple to remove the app. Apple in October removed ICEBlock and other apps from its app store after Bondi said they put Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at risk by enabling people to track ICE activity in their neighborhoods.

The lawsuit from ICEBlock app maker Joshua Aaron argues that the government’s actions violated the First Amendment.

“We’re basically asking the court to set a precedent and afﬁrm that ICEBlock is, in fact, First Amendment-protected speech and that I did nothing wrong by creating it,” Aaron said in an interview Monday “And to make sure that they can’t do this same thing again in the future.”

The lawsuit asks a federal judge to protect the Texasbased software developer from prosecution, alleging “unlawful threats made by Attorney General Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, ICE Acting Director Todd M Lyons, and White House Border Czar Tom Homan to criminally investigate and prosecute Aaron for his role in developing ICEBlock.” IBM buys Confluent data streaming platform

IBM said Monday it’s buying data streaming platform Confluent in a deal worth $11 billion that will help bolster the technology company’s artiﬁcial intelligence strategy

The two companies signed a “deﬁnitive agreement” for IBM to acquire all of Conﬂuent Inc.’s issued and outstanding common stock for $31 per share in cash, which represents a value of $11 billion. Confluent is an open source data streaming platform that “connects, processes and governs” data and events in real time, the companies said in a joint statement. It specializes in preparing data for AI and keeping it “clean and connected across systems and applications,” they said.

The deal means IBM’s client companies can deploy AI services better and faster “by providing trusted communication and data ﬂow between environments, applications and APIs,” IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said. “Data is spread across public and private clouds, data centers and countless technology providers.”

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

Paramount makes move for Warner Bros.

BY CHRISTOPHER PALMERI Bloomberg News (TNS)

The ﬁght over the future of Hollywood just got nastier

Paramount Skydance Corp. launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. at $30 a share in cash on Monday, just days after the company agreed to a deal with Netﬂix Inc.

The bid tops Netflix’s offer of $27.75 in cash and stock. Paramount’s offer is for the entirety of Warner Bros., while Netﬂix is only interested in the Hollywood studios and streaming business.

“WBD shareholders deserve an

opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company,” Paramount

Chief Executive Ofﬁcer David Ellison said in a statement on Monday. “Our public offer, which is on the same terms we provided to the Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors in private, provides superior value, and a more certain and quicker path to completion.”

Paramount, the parent of CBS, MTV and other media businesses, instigated the battle several months ago when it made multiple offers for Warner Bros. The company decided to put itself up for sale in October and received sev-

eral rounds of bids from Netﬂix and Comcast Corp. Under terms of the Friday deal announced with Netflix, Warner Bros. will continue with plans to spinoff its cable TV networks, including CNN, TNT and Discovery Channels, before the planned merger closes. Paramount had privately argued that its $30 a share offer was greater than Netﬂix’s, although that depends on the value investors place on the shares they receive in the spin off.

The company said Monday its offer for the entirety of Warner Bros. gives shareholders $18 billion more in cash than the Netﬂix bid. Paramount has also argued that its transaction is more likely

to be approved by regulators because Netﬂix has a much larger share of the streaming TV market than Paramount+ “We’re really here to ﬁnish what we started,” Ellison said, speaking on CNBC.

When asked about the deal on Sunday, President Donald Trump said the Netflix transaction will “go through a process” and that “it is a big market share. It could be a problem.”

If Warner Bros. does break its current agreement it will be required to pay Netﬂix a $2.8 billion fee, one typically borne by the new acquirer Netﬂix has agreed to pay $5.8 billion to Warner Bros. if the deal falls through or doesn’t win regulatory approval.

Car prices are going up, but don’t blame tariffs just yet

Automakers absorbing extra costs is a key factor

BY LUKE RAMSETH The Detroit News (TNS)

New car prices didn’t spike after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs in the spring, as some experts and dealers projected

But prices on many models are now pushing notably higher — and analysts said carmakers recouping Trump’s higher import costs is a key factor

Consider a recent analysis that found automakers are implementing more aggressive price increases on 2026 model-year vehicles compared to when 2025s were hitting dealership lots last year.

Cloud Theory, which tracks car inventory on dealer websites across the country, found the average marketed price increase on 2026 models was nearly $2,000, compared to an approximately $400 uptick during last year’s model year changeover This year, 23 models have at least a $2,000 price hike; last year, there were just nine.

“What I think is different this year is you have a lot of cost increases that are $1,000 or $1,500 or more, $2,000 or more,” said Rick Wainschel, Cloud Theory’s vice president of data and analytics, whose analysis looked at 2026 models with at least 2,000 vehicles in inventory

“I think that’s a big change and a big shift that’s occurred, and it’s hard to point to any other catalyst for that (except for) tariff costs that the OEMs have had to absorb for the last eight months, and will likely have to absorb going forward,” he said.

Any increase comes on top of average car prices that were already hovering around $50,000. Pair that with stubbornly high interest rates, and the average monthly car payment is now $766, according to Edmunds. com Inc., up more than 3% from a year ago.

A record share of subprime borrowers has been falling behind on their auto loans this fall.

Yet the huge car sticker price increases tied to tariffs — which analysts originally warned might tally anywhere from an extra $5,000 to $15,000 per vehicle haven’t come to pass.

Among the reasons: competitive pressures between rival automakers, concern over blowback from Trump, large pre-tariff vehicle inventories that gave companies a lag time before pricing adjustments were needed, as well as policy adjustments that reduced the pain of the tariffs themselves.

Automakers opted to absorb many of the extra costs in the near term.

But if you’re shopping for a new car right

now or plan to in the coming months, experts said it is likely tariffs will cost you in one way or another, even if it’s tough to discern exactly how Automakers haven’t been eager to publicly disclose any connection between tariffs and their pricing adjustments.

Vehicle destination charges those mandatory fees for transporting the car to the dealership are rising, revealing one area where automakers “might be trying to make up a little bit of the costs,” said Erin Keating, an executive analyst at Cox Automotive Inc.

There are also signs of automakers pulling features out of certain models in a bid to trim costs while holding the same sticker price, a phenomenon known as shrinkﬂation. And then there are indications of carmakers offsetting their tariff costs with higher 2026 model-year MSRPs.

“Automakers really held their prices throughout the ’25 model year, and we’re starting to see a bit (of an impact) in ’26,” said Stephanie Brinley, an auto analyst with S&P Global Mobility “But it’s being wrapped up in different ways, so it’s very difﬁcult to suss out.”

Car companies often adjust pricing on new model-year vehicles, whether due to minor repackaging of features and trim levels, or full overhauls that include new technology and freshened sheet metal. Brinley said that means there’s no clear way for consumers to ﬁgure out where those extra tariff costs might’ve been tacked on.

Keating agrees the tariff impacts have been hard to pin down. Average car prices

have been rising steadily much of this year — with September reaching an all-time high above $50,000 — but she said some of that uptick would have been expected anyway because of normal inﬂation.

The analyst now feels conﬁdent that those initial shocking projections of price hikes in the 10% to 15% range aren’t going to happen: “The market just won’t bear it,” she said. Automakers appear to be settling into their new normal under Trump. They’ve secured at least some tariff relief on parts and vehicles imported from certain countries, while simultaneously feeling the benefits of Trump’s moves to loosen federal vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards.

A September J.P Morgan report estimated combined tariff costs on vehicles and parts will amount to $41 billion in the ﬁrst year, rising to $45 billion in year two and $52 billion in year three.

The bank expects automakers and consumers to ultimately share the burden equally, which could lead to a 3% increase in new vehicle prices: “This will hit consumers hard,” the report said, “especially as many are already struggling to afford new vehicles.”

Wainschel, the Cloud Theory analyst, said average prices listed on dealer websites have only increased a few hundred dollars per vehicle since the tariffs took effect in early April. But that’s because automakers have pushed an increasing number of affordable models and trims into the market, which has helped hold the overall average price down.

Wall Street drops back after hitting record heights

NEW YORK U.S. stocks pulled away from their record heights on Monday The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% for just its second loss in the last 11 days, but it remains within 0.6% of its all-time high set in October The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 215 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite edged down by 0.1%. Berkshire Hathaway weighed on the market and fell 1.4% after announcing a shake-up of some of its top leadership. Todd Combs, who had been CEO of the company’s

GEICO insurance business, is leaving for a job at JPMorgan Chase, while Chief Financial Officer Marc Hamburg will retire next year Netflix dropped 3.4% after Paramount announced a bid in hopes of trumping Netflix’s

Trumpsaysboatstrikesurvivors triedtoright vessel

BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON President

Donald Trump on Monday

justified theU.S.military’s decision to ﬁre asecond missile in aheavily scrutinized attack on aboat in the Caribbean Sea by claiming that two suspected drug smugglers were trying to right the vessel after it had capsized in the initial strike.

Trump also backtrackedon whether he was open to releasing the video footage of the second strike. Last week, Trump told reporters he saw “no problem” in releasing the footage, but on Mondayhe said he would leave the de-

want to see that because thatboat was loaded up with drugs,” Trump said on Monday

When asked by areporter abouthis comments last week suggestinghewas open to releasing footage of the second strike,Trump denied thatwas his position and bitterly attacked thereporteras “obnoxious” and “terrible.”

“Whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is OKwith me,” Trump said.

Trump, however,last Wednesday in an exchange withreporters about the strike footagesaid: “Whatever theyhave we’d certainly release.”

including some controlled by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. At least 87 people have been killed in 22 knownstrikes. Trumphas broadly justifiedthe campaign as necessary for his administration to stem the flowoffentanyl and other illegal drugs into the UnitedStates. He claims the U.S. is in armedconflict with narco-terrorists.

cision to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Republicanadministrationisfacing calls from Democratic lawmakersto release footage of the Sept. 2operation in theCaribbean

Sea, which killed nine people aboard the boatinaninitial strike andthentwo more who managed to survive

“They weretrying to return theboat back to where it could ﬂoat, and we didn’t

Judgewants whistleblowerto testifyinNoemcontemptprobe

BY SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press

Afederal judge investigating whether Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should face acontempt charge over flights carrying migrants to El Salvador said Monday he wants to hear from awhistleblower and top Justice Department ofﬁcial.

Theorder for testimony ratchets up the extraordinary clash between the judicial and executive branches.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington ordered the government to make Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign available fortestimonyonDec.16.

Boasberg wants to heara day earlier from ﬁred Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni.

In March, Boasberg ordered the Republican administration to turn around two planes carrying Venezuelan migrants. Instead, the planes landed in El Salvador hours later,touching off the contemptprobe. Boasberg is trying to determine whether theadministration willfully ignored hisorder and should be referred for prosecution on acontempt charge.

Reuveni has ﬁled awhistleblower complaint alleginga Justice Departmentof-

ﬁcialsuggestedthe Trump administration mighthave to ignorecourtorders as it preparedtodeportVenezuelanmigrants it accused of being gang members. The administrationhas said the allegations are untrue.

The Justice Department has said Ensign conveyed Boasberg’soral order and asubsequent writtenorder to the Department of Homeland Security. In awritten declaration submitted to the court Friday, Noem said she made thedecision not to return theplanes to the U.S.after receiving“privileged legal advice” from theHomeland SecurityDepartment’s acting generalcounsel and “through him from the seniorleadership of theDepartmentofJustice.”

12 FBIagentsfired forkneeling

during protestsue to getjobsback

BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON Twelve former FBI agents ﬁred after kneeling during a2020 racial justice protest in Washington sued Monday to get their jobs back, saying their action had been intended to de-escalate avolatile situation and was not meant as a political gesture.

The agents say in their lawsuit that they were ﬁred in SeptemberbyDirector Kash Patel because they were perceived as not being politically afﬁliated with President Donald Trump

But they say their decision to take akneeonJune4, 2020, days afterthe deathof George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, has been misinterpretedaspolitical

expression

Thelawsuit says the agents were assigned to patrol the nation’scapital during aperiod of civilunrest prompted by Floyd’sdeath.

Lacking protectivegear or extensive training in crowd control,the agents became outnumberedbyhostile crowds they encountered and decided to kneel to the ground in hopes ofdefusing the tension, the lawsuit said. The tactic worked, the lawsuitasserts —the crowds dispersed, no shots were ﬁred and the agents“saved American lives” that day

“Plaintiffs were performing their duties as FBI SpecialAgents,employing reasonable de-escalation to prevent apotentially deadly confrontationwith American citizens: aWashington

Massacrethat could have rivaled the Boston Massacre in 1770,” says thelawsuit, which was ﬁled by attorneys withthe Washington Litigation Group.

TheFBI declined to commentMonday

The lawsuit in federal court in Washington represents thelatestcourtchallenge to apersonnelpurge that hasroiledthe FBI, targeting both top-ranking supervisorsand line agents, as Patel has worked to reshape thenation’spremier law enforcement agency

Besides the kneeling agents, other employees pushed out in recent months have worked on investigationsinvolving Trumporhis allies and in one case displayedanLGBTQ+ flag in his workspace.

The Sept. 2operation was thefirst in whathas become amonthslong series of American strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern PacificOcean that theadministration saysare targetingdrugsmugglers working on behalf of cartels,

Hegseth said in aFox News interview Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California that ofﬁcialswerereviewingthe video, but he did not commit to releasing it. “Whatever we were to decide to release, we’d have to be very responsible” about it,” Hegseth said.

The Pentagon on Monday did not immediately respond to arequest for comment on thestatusofHegseth’s review or confirm Trump’s assertion that the suspects appeared to be trying to turn

over the vessel before the second strike was ﬁred. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are demandingthat the Pentagon hand over “unedited video of strikes” against drug cartels to Congress, threatening to withholda quarter of Hegseth’stravel budget if it doesn’t. The provision is included in the $900 billion defense bill the House is expected to vote on later this week. Over theweekend,Sen TomCotton, the Republican wholeads the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he would notoppose public release of the footage. But Cotton,amongthe top lawmakers on national security committees who were briefed by the Navy admiral commanding those strikes, is splitting with Democrats over whether military personnelacted lawfully in carrying out the second strike to kill the two survivors.

Noem

JanRisher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Cooking up something different

Insects find their placeonmenus at theBug Cafe

Most chefs work with butter, herbs and maybe alittle spice Alexandra Lambert works with crickets —and loves every minute of it. As an entomologist at the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans, Lambert calls herself the Insectarium’shead chef.

“I make all the food here atthe Bug Cafe,” Lambert said. “I don’t really cook much outside of here, but Ilike it because bugsare easy They just taste like whatever you cook ’em with —and Ihavea heavy seasoning hand.”

Watchingpeopleapproach the Bug Cafe’scounter and take that ﬁrst hesitant crunch delights her. She said she gets alot of joy out of other people enjoying her entomological culinary creations, with her favorite being the Cricket King Cakeshe makes herself.

Like most chefs, she likes to switch up the menu —dips one week, dry goods the next,then some form of insect cookie

Just before Thanksgiving, the Bug Cafe, located in the Insectarium inside the Audubon Aquarium, was serving the Cricket Pumpkin Pie she had made, alongwith cheesy garlic crickets,sweet and salty mix (powdered sugar, cinnamon and salt-roasted crickets) and Jazzy Crix (roasted crickets with honey mustard seasoning).

“It’stotally safe, Ipromise,” said Blaze Weir,who works at the Insectarium. “They taste alittle bit

ä See RISHER, page 2B

Renovations begin

celebrated the start of renovations on the 46-year-old terminal, which closed in 2019 after it was incompatible with two new passenger ferries the agency purchased.

sengerswho,since theterminalclosed, have been exposed to the elements when boarding the ferry.The rampwill also be accessible to riders with disabilities and people with bikes and scooters.

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

Six years after newferries came online andits gates were shuttered, the Algiers Ferry Terminal will receive a$11 million makeover aimed at improving rider safety and access across theMississippi River New Orleans Regional Transit Authority ofﬁcials and other leaders on Monday

The project, which is expected to be completed by early 2027, is aimed at enhancing ferry transitfor residentsand tourists who regularly take thewater routebetween Algiers Pointand the foot of Canal Street. New additions include an upgraded passenger boardingramp, acommunity plaza with dining,event space and retail opportunities and public restrooms, an amenity the facility hashistorically lacked.

The covered pedestrian ramp will also answer long-held complaints frompas-

Asecond ﬂoor will house administrative ofﬁces and aseparate project —totaling $15 million —will cover new landingbarges.

“This investment reﬂects our commitment to strengthening the ferry system and enhancing the waterfront and supporting regionalconnections,” said RTA CEO Lona Edward Hankins.

At the ceremony Monday,officials saidthe renovation is part of astringof projects aimed at better connectivity between the east and west banks, such as the $326 million East-West Bank bus rapid transit system.That project, although years away from completion, would offer faster bus service between NewOrleans East, the Central Business Districtand Algiers.

The groundbreaking also comes two years after the RTAcompleted anew $43 million terminal for the Canal StreetAlgiers Point Ferry Built to accommodate both vehicles andpedestrians on the ferry,the stateowned terminal closed in 2019 whenthe RTAreplaced its aging boats with new catamaran-style passenger boats.

The terminal became defunct, and the vehicle access ramp adjacent to the terminalbecamethe ferryentry pointfor pedestrians.

But as construction moves forward, questions remain over long-term solutions fora permanent funding sourceto keep theCanal Street-Algiers Point ferry fully operational.

BYBEN MYERS Staff writer

Arthur Morrell, who spent decades representing New Orleans as acriminal court clerk and in theState Capitol, hopes to makea return to politics by way of avacantstate Senate seat.

Morrell on Thursday announced hiscandidacy for thestate Senate’sDistrict 3seat based in New Orleans, threeyearsafter he retired as clerk of criminaldistrict court and as the city’schief elections ofﬁcer

Theseat represents swathsof Gentilly,New Orleans East and riverfront neighborhoodsstretching from Marigny to Holy Cross,

as well as the Lower 9th Ward and St.Bernard Parish. It became vacant after Joseph Bouie in August beganhis tenure as chancellor of SouthernUniversity at New Orleans. The electionisFeb. 7, and qualifying begins Dec. 17.

Morrell, 82, saidthatifelected he’d focus on ways tomake New Orleans moreaffordable,including by lowering propertytaxes and car insurance premiums. He also said he wants New Orleans’ government to keep moreofthe tax revenue it now sends toBaton Rouge.

“Wehave good people here who are educated, and theycan’tstay here becausethere’snoopportu-

nity,orbecause the cost of living is starting to go up so much,” said Morrell in an interview on Monday. “You’ve got to look for ajob, and another place to live.” Morrell earned his lawdegree from Southern University at New Orleans andservedinthe state House District97seatfrom1984 to 2006. In that timehechaired the House’sLocal andMunicipal Affairs Committee and served on its Appropriations, Ways &Means, Commerce and Criminal Justice committees.Healso chairedthe Black Legislative Caucus forfour years. After serving in theLegislature he then ran and won the clerkship, ajob he held for 16 years before he decided not to run for reelection Instead, he ran for secretary of state thefollowing year,ﬁnishing

fifthamong eight candidatesin the primary with 11% of the vote. Morrell said he stepped away from thecriminalclerk seat to take abreak after nearly four decades in elected ofﬁce, but that he wasalways planning acomeback. “I like to stay busy.I don’treally plan to ever retire. I’mjust an active person,” Morrell said. Morrell holds ahousehold name in NewOrleanspolitics: hisson, JP,held the state Senate District 3seat Morrell nowseeksfrom 2008 to 2020. JP Morrell was elected to an atlarge New Orleans City Council seat in 2021, won asecond term this year andisthe council’spresi-

STAFFPHOTOSByCHRIS GRANGER

NewOrleans Regional Transit Authority officials and other leaders do aceremonial digMonday in frontofthe AlgiersFerry Terminal to celebrate thestart of a$11 millionmakeoverfor the facility

New Orleans council may weigh winter utility rule

Advocates push for gas shut-off moratorium

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

With temperatures dropping, consumer advocates are urging the New Orleans City Council to flex its regulatory muscle and temporarily ban utilities from shutting off gas and electricity services for residents until March.

On Monday, organizers gathered outside City Hall to demand that council members enact a new moratorium on disconnections through March 1, pointing to rising natural gas prices which hit a three-year high this month — and increasingly volatile weather patterns.

“No one should have to choose between heat and food, light and medicine, and survival and electricity bills,” said Frederick Bell Jr an organizer with the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a nonproﬁt advocacy group, which held the event on Monday alongside the Energy Future New Orleans Coalition.

The proposal already has the backing of at least one council member and could be considered as early as Wednesday, when the council is scheduled to hold a joint meeting of its utility and climate change committees.

“These are very difficult and uncertain times economically and people are struggling not

with things they want but with services they need to survive!”

District E Council member Oliver Thomas wrote in an email Monday, expressing support for the proposal. The six other council members didn’t respond to emailed requests for comment on Monday

The council regulates both Entergy New Orleans, which provides electricity for nearly 200,000 residents, and Delta Utilities, which supplies gas to about 109,000 residents Both utilities are scheduled to provide updates at Wednesday’s meeting.

Entergy ofﬁcials, for their part, are opposed to the idea. In a statement, Beau Tidwell, a spokesperson for Entergy New Orleans, said, “Any suspension of disconnects carries with it the risk of already-struggling customers falling further and further behind.”

He encouraged customers to visit billtoolkit.entergy.com “to access resources for help managing and paying their bills.”

Entergy New Orleans couldn’t immediately provide numbers on how many customers have been disconnected so far this year

Sarah McLaughlin Porteous, vice president at Delta Utilities, said the utility follows council regulations and doesn’t disconnect service on weekends, holidays the day before holidays or on Fridays. She said Delta Utilities offers deferred payment programs and is working with the United Way to develop a ﬁnancial aid program for customers.

She also pointed to the LowIncome Home Energy Assistance

Program, which provides federal funding to help cover energy bills

The nonproﬁt Total Community Action administers that program in New Orleans.

The council already prohibits disconnections during extreme weather conditions, but has also taken steps in recent years to enact more wide-ranging bans. That included a monthslong moratorium on shut-offs in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic and in 2022 after record-breaking heat and a spike in natural gas prices sent bills soaring.

Jesse George, a policy director at the Alliance for Affordable Energy, said they hope to eventually convince the council to pass a permanent moratorium on shut-offs and “declare utility access a human right.”

In 2022, about 38,000 Entergy New Orleans customers, or nearly 1 out of every 5, entered into deferred payment plans to keep the lights on amid soaring energy bills, though ofﬁcials at the time told council members that only about 4% of the company’s 209,000 customers have ever faced a shut-off.

Last week, natural gas futures rose to their highest price since December 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to a prolonged surge in the price of the fuel. Natural gas is trading 60% higher than a year ago, closing at $5.28 per million BTU on Friday Entergy New Orleans uses natural gas to produce much of its electricity and passes the costs of the fuel on to ratepayers.

2 found dead in Money Hill home

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce is investigating the deaths of two people found with what appeared to be gunshot wounds on Monday in the Money Hill subdivision near Abita Springs.

Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the home in the gated community just before 7 a.m in response to a 911 call from a neighbor, the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce said. A woman was found dead near the front door of the house, while a man’s body was located inside, it added.

The Sheriff’s Ofﬁce said in its news release that it is an “ongoing investigation,” but that it believes “all involved individuals are accounted for.”

A neighbor who called 911 on Monday morning said in an interview he was walking his dog by the side of his house around

6:30 a.m. when he saw the woman’s body She appeared to have been shot and was lying in a gray sweatshirt on her brick patio, the neighbor said.

The neighbor, who asked not to be identiﬁed, said he immediately called 911 The woman’s sweatshirt had blood in its center when he saw her, he said.

“It was a horrible sight,” the man said in the interview with The Times-Picayune. “It’s just a tragic thing.”

The news release said deputies found the bodies at a residence on Orchard Row in Money Hill, a large gated community with a golf course and clubhouse

The Coroner’s Ofﬁce has not yet identified the victims or the cause of death, but both appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds, spokesperson Suzanne Carboni said

The neighbor said a woman and man lived together at the home, but that he did not know

the couple well. He would sometimes see the woman gardening, he said.

“They kept to themselves,” the neighbor said. He said he had never seen or heard them ﬁght His last conversation with the man was about a month and a half or two months ago, when the man said he was looking to move. On Sunday night, he thought he may have heard three or four gunshots, he said. He wondered if someone was test ﬁring a new gun. He said lots of people have guns in the neighborhood and also hunt in the area.

“I didn’t really think anything like that would happen around here,” he said.

He said he has lived at his home on Orchard Row for more than a year and that the couple was living there when he moved in He said the woman was in her late 20s or 30, while the man older.

Police: Man steals car with child inside

Authorities track vehicle via cellphone

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

Authorities say a 10-year-old boy was sitting inside a car parked outside a Kenner store when a thief drove off with the vehicle on Sunday.

The suspect, Mackenzie Switzer, 36 arrived at the business in a car that had been reported stolen in New Orleans. Switzer was later arrested while trying to take a third vehicle at another business in Metairie, according to Kenner Police Deputy Chief Mark McCormick.

Kenner ofﬁcers were dispatched to a store in the 200 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Kenner about 1:45 p.m. after they received a call from a woman who reported that her car had been taken, McCormick said.

The victim told investigators she’d parked her 2023 Nissan Rogue out front and left her son in the running vehicle while she ducked into

the store, according to authorities. Switzer pulled into the Kenner store’s parking lot driving a stolen Chevy Malibu, McCormick said. For unknown reasons, Switzer decided to switch vehicles, ditching the Malibu for the victim’s Nissan Rogue, according to authorities. As Switzer began to drive away, the 10-year-old opened the car door and got out of the vehicle. He was unharmed, McCormick said. But the boy left his cellphone in the car Police began pinging the device to track the stolen vehicle, McCormick said. Authorities followed the Nissan to a car dealership in the 8700 block of Airline Drive in Metairie. That’s where ofﬁcers found Switzer trying to enter another vehicle, according to McCormick.

Switzer was arrested and booked with simple kidnapping, carjacking, possession of stolen property, felony theft and other trafﬁc violations. He was being held Monday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. Bail was set at $150,000.

RISHER

Continued from page 1B

like sunﬂower seeds. You already eat bugs — you can see here how many bugs the typical American will have in just one year.”

As he shared the chart with rather shocking bug numbers, we talked about getting over the mental hurdle of eating a bug. He said that we’ve been told most of our lives that bugs are dirty — but, in fact, they are just another animal that can be raised in controlled environments, fed clean lettuce and treated like any other food source.

Which is exactly how the crickets they cook with at the Insectarium are grown on a hygienic farm in Toronto.

“They reproduce really fast — so it’s a sustainable food source, that’s for sure,” Weir said. He had my attention. I began studying the chart showing how many insects or insect fragments are allowed in common foods per 100 grams — roughly half a cup.

Still, Weir and I agreed: with enough seasoning, you almost forget the bug at the center In fact, the cheesy garlic crickets were tasty — and when I helped make the peppermint chocolate cricket bites, I mean, who can argue with chocolate?

about 950;

n In macaroni or noodle products, about 7,000; n In hops, about 25,000; n In coffee beans, about 136,080.

After my head stopped spinning, Lambert arrived and explained that we had to put on our “bug chef gear” before we started cooking.

She removed a silicone mold of a variety of insects and containers labeled “chocolate,” “peppermint” and “crickets.” Though I had never deliberately cooked with insects before, from there the recipe was just like normal cooking. We melted both white and dark chocolate, carefully added it into the molds, along with crushed peppermint and crickets.

At one point, Lambert suggested I take over putting the chocolate in the molds. I couldn’t help but experiment with the swirling of the chocolates as I added in the crickets.

Meanwhile, families were steadily eating the other insect treats at the nearby counter The kids never hesitated.

Continued from page 1B

“We are looking at all opportunities to fund the ferry,” Hankins told the RTA board of commissioners in September The agency has struggled to fund the ferry since the city removed the Crescent City Connection bridge toll-tag system, which provided about $10 million annually and it receives little support from the state

The state Department of Transportation and Development dedicates $4 million each year, but the money primarily funds the Lower Algiers-Chalmette ferry In recent years, the agency has turned to the city and the state Legislature to plug the gaps and avoid potential service cuts. Last year, the RTA requested $7 million from the city’s general fund, of which the council approved $3 million toward operations. RTA ofﬁcials do not anticipate

any service disruption next year as the agency has received some funding through a state subsidy, and has budgeted funds to fully cover ferry operating costs through 2026, a spokesperson said. “We need (the ferry) and it’s more than ridership,” U.S. Rep. Troy Carter D-New Orleans, said Monday. “It’s a landmark, it’s a part of our community, and as long as there’s breath in my lungs, we will ﬁght to make sure there’s always an Algiers community ferry.”

Fair warning that you may want to skip the following list if the thought of eating bugs still grosses you out, but here are the facts regarding the potential number of insects or insect fragments consumed each year by food products, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and based on the maximum allowable number of insects.

It’s important to note that not all food contains insects, but here is the data:

n In canned or frozen berries, about 2; n In frozen broccoli, up to 60; n In ground cinnamon, up to 800; n In a half cup of ground pepper,

As Lambert and I ﬁnished each mold of holiday treats, Lambert placed them in the fridge so they could harden. Then, we popped them out of the molds to save for future adventurous eaters and I have to admit, they were delicious. I’m not suggesting that crickets will replace gumbo anytime soon. However, the more time I spent at the Bug Cafe, the more I realized the real surprise wasn’t the crickets. It was how quickly curiosity can beat out fear especially in a state where trying something new is practically a love language.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Regional Transit Authority CEO Lona Edwards Hankins center speaks Monday inside the Algiers Ferry Terminal, where she and other officials announced a multimillion-dollar renovation for the facility across the Mississippi River from downtown New Orleans.

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Alex Lambert spoons crushed roasted crickets into peppermint chocolate treats.

Davis,Arlene

Endom,Franklin

Jackson, Barbara

Lynch, Mary

Prescott,Sarah

Raine, Elsie

Walker,Jack

NewOrleans

DW Rhodes

Davis,Arlene

EstelleJWilson

Jackson, Barbara

Obituaries

Davis, Arlene

Arlene Davis, 62, de‐partedthislifeonTuesday, December2,2025 at Uni‐versity MedicalCenter. She was born January9,1963to the late Alma Davisand James Robinson.Arlene grewupinHollygrovecom‐munity andwas theeldest ofsix siblings.She re‐ceivedher educationat PaulD.Dunbar, Preasley HighSchool,and Alcee Frotier High School.She was baptizedatMount RockBaptist Church where shebegan herlife‐longwalkoffaith.Arlene was aremarkablewoman whose love forher commu‐nitywas unmatched. She had awarmspirit, agener‐ous heart, anda presence thattouched everyone she encountered.ToknowAr‐lenewas trulytoloveher Arleneleavestocherish her memory four daugh‐ters: Shantell, Rhonda Diontrell, andArleasha Davis;three sons:Robert (Tiffany), Ronnie andTroy Davis;one sister,Pamela Davis McCloud; andtwo brothers, Jamesand Kevin Davis.She is also survived by28grandchildren,two great-grandchildren,two godchildren,and ahostof familyand friends. Sheis precededindeath by her parents;her stepfather; three daughters: Jontrell, Robinette,and Monique Davis;three sons:Ronald, Ryan, andJonathanDavis; two brothers:Toddand TheronDavis;and two grandchildren.Arlene’slife was atestament to strength, love,and re‐silience.Her memory will

foreverliveoninthe heartsofthose who knew and lovedher.Relatives and friendsofthe family are invitedtoattend Fu‐neral Services at D.W. RhodesFuneralHome, 3933 WashingtonAve., New Or‐leans,LA70125 on Wednes‐day,December10, 2025 at 10:00 am.Visitationwill begin at 9:00 am until 10:00 am. Interment: Providence Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to D.W. Rhodes FuneralHome, 3933 Wash‐ingtonAve., New Orleans, LA70125.Pleasevisit www rhodesfuneral.comtosign the online guestbook share memories andcon‐dolencestothe family.

Endom, Franklin Vincent

Franklin "Frank" V. Endom Jr.passed away peacefully on December3 2025,following complicationsfromsurgery. He was 87. Visitation willbeheld at St.Aloysius Catholic ChurchonFriday, December 12, 2025,from9:00 to 10:00am, followed by the Mass of Christian Burialat 10:00am. To view the obituary and signthe online guestbook, please visit www.churchfuneralservic es.com

BarbaraGloverJackson, age 77,entered eternalrest onTuesday,December2, 2025. Beloveddaughterof Louis andthe late LeeDora Williams Glover.She was educatedinthe New Or‐leans Public School System and wasa graduate of Booker T. Washington Se‐niorHighSchool.Barbara was along-time andhappy employeeofthe Afro AmericanBook Stop and anavidreader. Herhob‐bieswerecrocheting, read‐ing,watchingand dis‐cussing movies,and she alsoloved shopping online One of herfavorite colors was shades of blue.Bar‐baraisprecededindeath byher mother,Lee Dora Williams-Glover, grandpar‐ents,LouiseJohnson,Wal‐

lace andHarriet Williams She leaves to cherishher memories, abeloved father Louis Glover andgodson Henry Smith, Jr., herbest friendfor over 50 years, VictoriaLewis,a former husband,UlyssesJackson, devoted cousinsBarbara Holloway, Lois LeBeaud, Lynette S. Dickerson, An‐tionette andDeniseSmith, OciejeanS.Clay, dedicated friends Queen Esther and Kenyatta King,and ahost ofcousins,other relatives, and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamily, also Pastor, Ofﬁcers,and Mem‐bersofSaint John'sFamily Worship Center,and all neighboring churches are invited to attend theCele‐bration of Life Servicefor Barbara Glover Jacksonat Saint John'sFamilyWor‐shipCenter, 2404 S. RocheblaveStreet,New Or‐leans,LA, on Wednesday, December10, 2025, for 10:00 a.m. Pastor Derran E. Middleton ofﬁciating. Visi‐tationfrom8:00a.m.until 10:00 a.m. (service time)at the Church.Interment:Mt. OlivetCemetery, 4000 Nor‐man MayerAvenue,New Orleans,LA70122. Arrange‐ments entrustedtoEstelle J.WilsonFuneralHome, Inc.,2715 Danneel Street, NOLA70113. Information: (504) 895-4903. To sign on‐lineguest book please visit www.estellejwilsonfh.com.

Mary KathleenLynch, a cherished soul,departed this world on November 30, 2025, in Katy, Texas,leaving behind alegacy that will resonate throughthe heartsand livesshe touched.BornonJune 9, 1952, Mary exemplified a life rich withpurpose, dedication, and apassion for creativitythat enveloped her careerand personal interests.

Mary's legacy is carried forthbyher belovedfamily.She is survived by her loving husband, Michael and her children, Dennis Christopher Lynch (Leslie Rotenberry) of Wylie Texas,and Karen Anne Roegge (Stephen) of Carrollton, Texas. Her grandchildren, Blake VickLynch, Ian Vick-Lynch, Parker Vick-Lynch, William Joey Lynch, and Bennett Roegge,aswellasa loving greatgranddaughter, will foreverhonorher memory. Mary also leavesbehind her cherished siblings: brotherMichaelRhodes

(Nancy)ofLouisiana,sister PatriciaRhodesLasome (Michael)ofMaryland, and sisterRuthHouser of Brookshire, Texas Though her parents, DustyRhodesand Dorothy Kellam Rhodes, precede her in death, Mary's spirit willcontinue to blaze brightly throughthe lives of allwho had theprivilege of knowing her. As her family gathers to reminisce about herlife,itis with fondness and gratitude that they celebrate theindelible mark she left on their hearts.

Prescott, Sarah Sarah Prescott, 88, of Crestview, FL passedaway December 5, 2025. Arrangementsare being handled by Emerald Coast Funeral Home in Ft. Walton Beach, Fl. www.emeraldco astfuneralhome.com

Raine,ElsieAnn 'Elise'

ElsieAnn "Elise"Raine, born in NewOrleans, LA on February 14, 1933, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at theage of 92. Elise was alife-long residentof NewOrleans. She was the daughterof thelate LeroyLaCourand thelate RuthLacour. Loving wife of thelate

Stafford J. Raine.Loving motherofPaulRaine (DrewLandis), BarryRaine (RobBaumgartner)and thelateAndreaL.Raine.

Thefamilykindly invites you to share thoughts, fondestmemories, and condolencesonline at www.MotheFunerals.com

Walker, Jack Kenneth

We honor and rememberour belovedJackK Walker, wholeft us on May 5, 2024 at theage of 92. He wasa cherished son, brother, uncle, husband, father, and life partner, knownfor his warmth, wit andcharm. Born on May23, 1931 in Riverdale,Georgia, Jack was commissioned as a U.S. AirForce officerin 1954, mastering celestial navigation and serving in thefirst-ever air refueling squadron.During his career,herelocated many timeswithhis wife Mary andtheir fivechildren. He wasonactive alert during theCuban MissileCrisis, and served twocombat tours in Vietnam. In 1973, he retiredfromthe Air Forceand workedasa salesman for the J.A HoernerCompanyinNew Orleansfor many years alongside hisnephews. During theseyears, Jack

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enjoyed classical music, running, photographing nature'sbeauty,playing bridge,and square dancing with his wife and their NewOrleans friends. After herdeathin2013, he moved to Florida to be close to hisdaughter, and soon became an enthusiasticbridge player.Hewas luckytofindlove asecond time with hispartner Joan with whom he shared many happy years. Jack will be remembered for his mischievoussense of humor and enjoyment of a nice glass of wine with a goodmeal Jackissurvivedbyhis belovedpartner Joan Feehanand herfamily; his childrenEvan Walker (Lynn), MartinWalker (Kim), PatrickWalker, Eugenia Davis (Larry),and Mary Aponte (Bill); his ten grandchildren, twogreat grandchildren, andmany dear friends at Freedom Plaza. He waspredeceased by hisbeloved wife, Mary HoernerWalker. We will come together to honor and celebrate Jack's life on December 10 at Arlington National Cemetery.Inlieuofflowers, the familykindly requests donations be made to Disabled American Veterans, in Jack's memory. Jackwill be deeply missed. Afuneral service will be held from9:00 AM to 10:30 AM on 2025-12-10 at Arlington National Cemetery,1 Memorial Avenue.

Lynch,MaryK

Jackson, BarbaraGlover

OUR VIEWS

Tulane’s CFP berthgives statereason to cheer

Even adecade ago, any mention of the Tulane University football team seriously competing forthe nationalchampionship would have sounded like the punch line for ajoke. Now, though, all eyesare on Tulane, whichpunched its ticket to the College Football Playoffover the weekend.

All of Louisiana should congratulate theGreen Wave for reaching the championship playoffs and creating asecond program in the state (in additiontoLSU) that consistently competes at such ahigh level. Congratulations also arein order for the manner in which thisNew Orleans university has handled the coaching carousel that is now atrademark of collegefootball. Finally,please allow us thisslightly puckish suggestion: Isn’tittime for Tulane andLSU to resume an annual rivalry?

Let’srecap: This season marksthe seventh in thepasteight in which Tulane will play in abowl game. Its record in the last four years is43-12, andthree years ago it won an epic 46-45 Cotton Bowl victory overatraditional powerhouse, the University of Southern California. This is heady stuff for aprogram that in the prior 19 years had won only 78 of 225 games.

Tulane earned its trip to the playoffs this year even as head coach Jon Sumrall is leaving for much greenerﬁnancial pastures at the University of Florida, aschoolwith some 40,000undergraduates compared to Tulane’s8,500. Tulane and Sumrall, though, are handlingthe transition with composure and class, with Sumrall enthusiasticallycontinuing to coach theWaveintothe postseason. Louisiana, meanwhile,beneﬁtsfrombeing a state known for two consistently winning programs, not just one. With playerrecruiting being anational rather thanregional matterthese days, it behooves astate to look likeafootball mecca,withthe two programs mutually reinforcing that impression.

All of which leads to thebeneﬁtsthatcan accrue to both schoolsifthey renewtheir oncetraditional annual game. Just as theIronBowl betweenAlabama and Auburn drives home the impression of that state’sfootball supremacy,a game between LSU and Tulane could become a nationaldrawing card for both.

People forget just how big adeal theTulaneLSU game once was. After Tulane fell asingle yard short of upsetting LSU at theend of the 1972 season, the 1973 rematch drewanastonishing 86,598 fans —which then byfar wasthe largest football crowd ever in the South. The rivalry remained supremely competitive for thenextnineyears, with LSUwinning sixtoTulane’sthree, with two of LSU’swinsbeing nailbiters withinthree points.

Imagine what ahuge andbeneﬁcialspectacle —what ahelluva hullabaloo —sucharenewed in-state rivalry could be.

Either way,asTulane enters the playoffs, let’s all say avery hearty “Roll, Wave!”

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

ClosingofAdler’s is endof afondly remembered era

Ijust learned one my favorite stores in New Orleans,Adler’s, is closing. Werlein’sMusic Store and Adler’s JewelryStores areprecious memories of my childhood in the Crescent City. Saturday mornings, Iroamed Werlein’sand bought sheet music. My ﬁrst piano came from Werlein’s. At Adler’s,Ilooky-looed and drooled over the treasures they sold. Werlein’sisgone, but whenever I visited homelater in life, Icould still roam through and buy treasures in

Adler’s Along lifetime after my childhood in New Orleans, Imet and learned to love an elderly lady in an emeritus writing class in Orange County,California. She, one day,wrote about part of her family who started astore in New Orleans, named Adler’s. We developed awarm and fun friendship. Sadly,she is gone and, soon, Adler’s will be gone. Life, Iguess, moves on. REISS DUPLESSIS Palm Desert, California

needs fiscal oversight

Yes, Gov.Jeff Landry should have appointed afiscal administrator to govern spending decisions in New Orleans. We are just now attempting to stave off afiscal crisis that threatened to leave city employees without pay How did we get to this crisis? Why was it only just discovered after our most recent election? Why did city leaders “find” new money when threatened by afiscal administrator?

In thelast election, voters were asked to compound New Orleans’ ﬁscal calamity by voting for morethan half abillion dollars in new bonds. The goals were laudatory: affordable housing and infrastructure improvements. These are pressing mattersofconcern, but we cannot afford to issue these new bonds. We must pursue these goals with more exacting means. New Orleanians are struggling to stay in their homes with thehigh cost of living, taxes and viciously high insurance rates.

I’ve never driven over theBelle Chasse Bridge. Ilive upriver from NewOrleans, and I’mnot even sure where it is.

Butalocal politician has decided that it’sa “failed public-privatepartnership” that “prioritized corporate proﬁtsover theﬁnancial well-being of aworking-class community.”

Ihave driven over bridges (andon highways) withprivatefunds as well as public money In every instance, I’ve known that aportion of the tolls went into both pockets. Andit’sworked very well, saving millionsoftax dollars while

The question on theballot deceived voters by saying that no one would face atax increase in the first year Butwewill, after the first year.And we’re all going to pay it —not just wealthy individuals or corporations. The interest rate alone is breathtaking —upto8%interest —roughly double theaverage forevery other municipalityinthe United States. Why is theinterest rate so high? Years of fiscal mismanagement that these new bonds would exacerbate. Votersshould not be deceived. No one in New Orleans wants to give up local control to Baton Rouge. That is understandable. But fewresidentsofNew Orleanslikely believe that our fiscal house is in order —our current crisis would belie any such belief. It is unfortunately high time that Landry impose afiscal administrator to preside over ourcity’s bankruptcy JOHN EAST NewOrleans

sharing thecost of building or renovatingthe infrastructure. Every passenger on every airline does the same because every airport charges “landing fees” that add to the cost of the tickets each passenger pays.

Butnopolitician seemed to object when former Mayor Mitch Landrieu opted to build abillion-dollar terminal rather than renovating the existing one.

Methinks stateSen. Patrick Connick doth protest too much. RUSS WISE LaPlace

In acourse Iteach on the Robin Hood legend, we recently discussed aballad entitled “Robin Hood and the Bishop.” Toward the end of the ballad, Robin Hood demands that the bishop take off his cloak, revealing beneath it 500 pounds in gold and silver —during the Middle Ages, asmall fortune.

Reports of the New Orleans archdiocese’ssex abuse crisis and its bankruptcy proceedings have made for painful reading. For instance, one recent article reports that “Some parishes,” among them ones where alleged abusers served, “have millions of dollars in net assets, not including parish-owned real estate worth millions more,” according to financial documents filed by the archdiocese in connection with the bankruptcy One salutary effect of reading these reports is the realization that, for a very long time now,the church has secretly put its financial interests above its pastoral concerns. The cloak of secrecy has comeoff. Many children have been injured. Rank-and-file Catholics have been deceived.

MICHAEL P. KUCZYNSKI NewOrleans

Reading the Jefferson Parish discussions with its fire department, Igot a chuckle. Sounds like atime management issue. Some firefighters are working 100 hours per pay period?

Assuming that’satleast time-and-ahalf pay.Yet starting pay is muchless than flipping burgers, with achance of life-threatening injury.Isuggest hiring more firefighters, paying, say $25 per hour for a60-hour week max, would pay for the new hires. Icertainly would not apply with that starting wage. WILLIE BROWN Mandeville

were notlistening to

It looks to me that an important point was missed by many writers concerning Calvin Duncan’slopsided win over the incumbent Darren Lombard for clerk of criminal court. That point was the endorsement of Lombard by Gov Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill. In Orleans Parish, this was the “kiss of death.”

JAMES

THORNTON NewOrleans

Tammany, EBRmoney woes signal deeperproblems

At ﬁrst glance,the St. Tammany ParishMosquito Abatement Districtand the East Baton Rouge Parish library system may appear to have little in common. One kills insects; the otherlends books. But over the last year, both agencies have foundthemselves in a similar pickle:being targeted by otherelected ofﬁcials over their budgets. The reason is simple. Thoseagencies, because of dedicated taxes,are well funded. And others are not.

AndasLouisiana voters have grown increasingly tax-averse in recent years, especially when it comestothe undedicated taxes over which local ofﬁcials have authority, theshare of revenue over which parish councils and police juries have authority has shrunk. But the demands on that funding have not. And that has left parish government ofﬁcials, like East Baton Rouge MayorPresidentSid Edwardsand St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper, in atough position.

Not only are they required to provide theregular services that many of us think the parish is responsible for, such as roads, drainage, permitting and thelike, they are also required by the LouisianaConstitution to provide some funding for certain officesand facilities, like the district attorney, coroner and the jail. And per the constitution, those requirements do not fall on cities or towns. So in East Baton Rouge Parish, the city of St. George appropriated its share of the 2% salestax that previously flowed into the city-parish general fund. But none of St. George’s revenue is going to the constitutional offices. The city-parish mustbear the full burden. The EBR budget crunch hasforced Edwards to begin amassive seriesof cuts. District Attorney HillarMoore’s office is looking at more than a10% cut in his local funding, something he has said is untenable.

In St. Tammany,the situationissimilarly grim. In the budget approvedearlier this month, District Attorney Collin Sims’ ofﬁce is looking at a30% cut in itsparish funding for prosecutions No one denies that criminalprosecutions are an essential formofgovernment. These ofﬁcialsdon’twanttocut the funding for district attorneys. But they have no choice.

That’show the EBR libraryand St.

While only asmall number of us live to be 100, everyone’sbirthday has acentenary date. For historians who seem mostly to be of the liberal persuasion and obituary writers (ditto)the 100th anniversary of aconservative’sbirth usually resultsin one of the following: ignored, diminished with attachment of “right-wing” or “so-called ” and my personal favoritethat is rarely attached to aliberal, “controversial.”

Tammany mosquitoabatement ended up in the crosshairs.

In BatonRouge, Mayor-President Sid Edwards’ Thrive EBRplan would have rededicatedsomeofthe library tax and$52 millioninreserve funds to the general fund. Thatwould have, in turn, helpedminimize cutstothe district attorney and other constitutional ofﬁces among others.

In St.Tammany,Simsand his allies have takenaim at the parish’smosquito control, arguing that it is overfunded andinefﬁcient. The play here may be to save voters money on mosquito control in the hopes it will later help persuade themtodevotemoretothe court system. The obstacletoboththese plans?

Voters EastBaton Rouge voters rejected Edwards’ Thrive EBR planinNovember.

In St.Tammany,votershaven’tyet been asked to reconsider the mosquito controltax. But Sims and others would do well to be wary Six timesinthe last several years, voters have rejected taxes to fund criminal justice. They might well agreewith Sims to reduce themosquito controltax, but then decline to send that extra money his way.And he would be back tosquare one. It would be easy todismiss theseaslocal politicalsquabbles whose outcomes barely stretch beyond parish lines.

But they’re emblematic of abigger problem. And that goes back, in part, to the constitutional ofﬁces mentioned above. Putting theburden for their local funding on parish governments is unnecessary and forces them into a yearly political competition for fund-

ing. This has two bad outcomes. First, some services,like district attorneys, suffer and are forced todo morewithless.

Second, the formula creates confusionamong voters. District attorneys areelected on acycle completely apart from parish government.Some of their districts include multiple parishes Sims, for instance, oversees prosecutions in St.Tammany and Washington parishes.

Theyare notapartofparishgovernment.Yet it’s parish government thatis requiredbythe constitution to provide some of their funding.

And becauseit’sparishgovernment thatneeds funding and so often asks voters for new taxes,district attorneys end up suffering at the ballot box becausefolks aredissatisﬁed with how their road has been ﬁxed.

This may have seemed aworkable structure when the Louisiana Constitutionwas ratiﬁedmorethan ahalf-century ago, but it makes little sense now The only solution is somesortof signiﬁcant constitutional overhaul. Louisiana desperately needs asimpler and moretransparent structure that lays out theresponsibilities and mechanisms for fairly funding essential government functions. And it’s time to split criminaljusticefunding from parish governments entirely Given today’spolitical environment, arational, sober, methodical approach to this seems like atall ask. But the need isn’tgoing away

Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate.com.

Respectabilityisoverrated thesedays, or so oneinfers from reading thedueling romantic narrativesoftwo formerlytop-tierjournalists, whose sagaofheartbreak andbetrayal has captured themedia’s attention andprobably that of a fewmovie directors.

It’s allwildly delicious. Imean,it’sterrible, just terrible The past week’sbreathless chatter is about theonce-engagedcouple,Olivia Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza, who can’t stop sharing their downfalls anddenouements.If you’re just tuning in, Nuzzi was 21 in 2014 whenshe beganwriting for theDaily Beast aboutPresident Donald Trump. She landeda plum job at age24asWashington correspondent forNew York magazine Somewhere alongthe line,she andanother star political writer Ryan Lizza, who was ﬁred by theNew Yorker on allegationsofsexualmisconduct(whichhe denied) during the#MeToohysteria, fell in love, became engagedand secured acontract to cowriteabook aboutthe 2020 election. Then news brokethatNuzzi hadbeen “sexting”withRobert F. Kennedy Jr., while covering him during his run forpresident. Thisisthe ultimate no-no in the universe of journalismethics

The engagement went bustalong with the book, andNuzzilosther magazine gig. Whereupon she went into exile, moved to Los Angelesand wrote asoon to be released book,“American Canto,” reportedly typedonher cellphone while hiking. Sure.

Nuzzi,now 32, hasreinvented herselfinHollywood fashion. The NewYork Times recently publisheda splashy storyabout herbook, accompaniedbyphotos of avampyblack-clad, platinum-blond Nuzzi, who nowlivesinMalibu andgets around in awhiteMustangconvertible. I’mremindedofa populargirlsleuthbook series from childhood that starred Connie Blair, who was always tossing on asummerfrock and jumpingintoher sporty roadster while also employing herfeminine wiles to gettothe bottom of things. Youhavetogive agirl herdue.From ayoung age, Nuzzi seemstohaveknown andgotten what shewants, notjustjobsbut also men.Kennedy, aboutwhomshe wrote in 2023, wasapparently too delicious to pass up. Calling him “the politician”throughout herbook,she said she loved hiseyes, “blueasthe flame” andhis insatiable appetites in allthings.She hasmaintained they weren’t sleeping together but writes in the book aboutseeinghim floss his teeth.When do people usually floss, areporter might wonder Reacting to Nuzzi’s stage-managed resurrection,Lizza just addedextra spicetothissaucy story.Herevealed in his Substack newsletter that his former bride-to-be also hadanaffair with 2020 presidential candidate MarkSanford, while crafting aprofile of theformer South Carolina governor alreadyinfamous for his own extramarital proclivities.In2009, Sanford disappeared from home andofficefor several days, allegedly to hike theAppalachianTrail, when he was really visiting his loverinArgentina,who happened to be ajournalist. His forayintosmall-brainactivities washardly afirst forpolitics, but Sanford’s very public betrayal of his family and his state, as he tearfully put it in anews conference apologia, foreshadowed theease withwhich he apparently entered intoalustyalliancewithNuzzi while shewas datingLizza.

This year is the centenary of two towering individuals in the conservative movement, neitherofwhom received the respect they deserved among the ruling political, historical and media classes. Ispeak of William F. Buckley Jr.and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Before 2025 expires, Ioffer some reﬂectionsand admiration for these two. Bill Buckley almost single-handedly held the conservative fort until reinforcements arrived. Far from being mean-spirited, Buckley used his extensive vocabulary and rapier wit to disarm liberal opponentsinways they didn’trecognize until it was too late to respond. His line about preferringto “entrust the governmentofthe United States to the ﬁrst 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of HarvardUniversity” wasaclassic undermining of what we now call the “woke” agenda of that school of “higher learning.”

Aquestioner once asked Buckley,

“On television, you are always seated. Does this mean you can’tthink on your feet?”Buckley’simmediate response: “It’svery,very hard to stand up carrying the weight of what Iknow.” Coming from anyoneelse that might sound prideful,but theline had aconsiderable amount of truth in it and theaudience laughed. He was incredibly smart and was hisown encyclopedia. Ionce introduced him at aWashington event: “Bill, Idon’tmind you writing acolumn,orbeing the author of many books, or piloting ayacht, but when youbuilt aharpsichord from scratch and played it at Carnegie Hall, don’t you think that’s pouring it on alittle too much?” Clearly,hewent through thegift line more than once. Margaret Thatcher was hated by theBritish Left because she almost single-handedly destroyed thesocialist programsthat had harmed much of thecountry’s social, economic and political infrastructure. Herpolitical opponentswould never admit they were wrong, despitethe evidence. Respondingtothe collectivism and overreliance on government in her day,Thatcher recalled abasic principle:“Thereisnosuch thing as society There are individual men andwomen, andthere are families. Andnogovernment candoanything except through people, andpeople must look tothemselvesﬁrst.”

Another Thatcher line that should have been quoted during therace for

New York Citymayor,which was won by Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani: “The problem withSocialism is that you eventually run out of other people’smoney.”

In an article for theperiodical Modern Age: AConservative Review titled “The Woman Who Made Britain Great Again,” Christopher Sandfordwrites: “In her first termalone, she oversaw measures that lowered inflation from an annual rate of 18 percent (andrising) to 5.5 percent (andfalling). She introduced legislation to curb union militancy (and) privatize(d) inefficient stateindustries,” among many other reforms. Sandford wraps up his summation of Thatcher’sremarkable life: “Toher critics, Thatcher will always be the steely-eyed operator more concerned with advancing her essentially puritanical view of theworld than with the consensus politics we seem to demand in the West today.For others, she remainsthe last recognizably great Britishprime minister,one who embodies theparadox of serving as her nation’sall-but-unchallenged leader for eleven years, while seeing herself as an outsider constantly beset by an inert political establishment.” Count me amongthe “others.” Twogreat minds whose ideas and philosophies would still work should modernpoliticians again embrace them.

Email Cal Thomasattcaeditorstribpub.com

The image of Lizza burrowedinhis Substack bunkerbanging outhis lamentations while his sexyexhawksabook from thepages of the Times feels tragic andsad.This newiteration of Nuzzi, though entertaining, is abackstab not just to herformer ﬁancé, but to alljournalists who, toiling forinsubstantial compensation, wouldn’t considergetting romantically involved with a source or subject. The last thing female journalists need is ahigh-proﬁle climberglamorizing theHollywood-created impressionthat female reporters tradesex forscoops. Some do, I’ve noticed,but they arethe rare exceptions.

Nuzzi’s canto, which came outDec. 2, is saidto be primarily abouther RFK affair,Trumpworld andthe twisted effects she thinks the latter had on herand thecountry.MuchasIdislikecontributing to thefurther diminutionofthe Fourth Estate, I’ll read thebook,aswellas“Unscripted,” a newmemoirbyCheryl Hines, RFK’s wife.Hines reportedly is fuming aboutNuzzi’sclaim in the Times story that Kennedy wanted her to have his baby andthathe’d takeabulletfor her Mainly,I’m piquedbycuriosity. What makes someonelike Nuzzi tick?Why doesn’tshe care aboutthe things other ethically minded journalists obsess about— transparency, credibility, integrity andthe trust they build withreaders? Whatever theanswers,Nuzzi andothers likeher are badfor journalismand, therefore, bad forthe country.Evenifshe’s self-aware enough to reveal truthsabout theworld she helpedshape, thisis surelyone instance where it isn’tquite fair to blame Donald Trump.

Email Kathleen Parker at kathleenparker@washpost.com

Faimon Roberts

Cal Thomas

Kathleen Parker

STAFF FILEPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

East Baton RougeMayor-PresidentSid Edwards chats withstaffers after his tax proposalswere defeated on Nov. 15

HALL CALL

Tulane staysin-house, hirespassing game coordinatorasheadcoach

BY GUERRYSMITH

writer

Contributing

Passinggamecoordinator Will Hall is being promoted to Tulane head coach, a source conﬁrmed Monday morning.An introductory news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday Hall, 45, had an incrediblysuccessful stintasthe Green Wave offensivecoordinator in 2019-20 under former coach

Willie Fritz before arough three-and-ahalf-year tenure as head coach at Southern Miss.

With LSU transfer Justin McMillan at quarterback in 2019, Tulane producedthe third-highest totals in school history forpoints (33.1per game)and yards (444.9 per game). With freshman MichaelPratt taking over three games into 2020, the Wave uppedits scoring average to 35.4 ppginthe 11 games Hall

coached before leaving for Southern Miss.

The only times Tulane scoredata higher clip were the 12-0 seasonin1998 and theCotton Bowl-winning season in 2022. Hall —anAmory,Mississippi, native andthe sonofMississippi high school coaching legend Bobby Hall —did not have ahappy homecoming when he

Pels fall despiteQueen’s triple-double

BY LES EAST

Contribuing writer

Harrison Barnes scored 24 pointsand DylanHarper added 22 as theSan AntonioSpurs held off the New Orleans Pelicans 135-132 on Monday night in the Smoothie King Center Stephon Castle had 18 points, Julian Champagnie scored17, De’Aaron Fox hada14, Keldon Johnsonscored 12 and former Pelican Kelly Olynyk scored 11 for the Spurs (16-7).

Rookie Derik Queen had 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10assists for the Pelicans while recording his first career tripledouble. Trey Murphy scored 32, Herb Jones returned from an eight-gameabsence due to astrained right calf to score 17, Saddiq Bey had17and Jose Alvarado put in 10 to lead the Pelicans (3-22), who lost their seventh game in arow and will face the Portland Trail Blazers

Tipton

on Thursday night.

Jones had threepoints and an assist, and Queenadded six points as NewOrleans scored the first 11 points of the third quarter to trim the Spurs’ lead to 77-68.

Barnes made alayup for San Antoniotocurbthe Pels’momentum, but Queenscored 10 more to help the Pelicans inch in front, 91-90.

Thescore wastiedfourtimes before Queen made two free throws for thelast of his 21 points in the third quarter to give NewOrleans a102-100 lead enteringthe fourthquarter

Jones scored thePelicans’ﬁrst six points ofthe fourthtohelp them take a109-107 lead,but theSpurs scored thenext eight points to take asix-point lead.

New Orleanswent41/2 minutes without making aﬁeld goal and San Antonio went on a10-1run to

ä See PELICANS, page 3C

BYROD WALKER Staff writer

Mason Tipton touched the football only once Sundayin theNew OrleansSaints’ game against the Tampa BayBuccaneers. But what he didinthose nine seconds he had the ball in his handset thetonefor the Saints’ best win of what has been atrying season. The speedy Tipton returned theopening kickoff 54 yards, allowing Tyler Shough andthe offense to takethe first snap at the Bucs’ 45-yard line. The Saintsscored six plays later on theirway to asurprising 24-20 victory over the NFC Southleading Bucs. “It’sreallyjustread, seethe hole, and hit it withspeed and

ä Panthers at Saints, 3:25 P.M. SUNDAy,FOX

makeithappen,” Tipton said. It was just the 12th time the undrafted second-year receiver hasreturned akickoff. He never diditinhigh school in Akron, Ohio,and he never did it in college at Yale. He returned punts, but never kickoffs. It became abigger role for him when theSaints traded Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks in November “Sheed was oneofmyclosest homies,” Tiptonsaid. “For what agreat dude he is, he is also a good teacher.Soseeing what Sheed could do andtaking what he did and applying some of

Tulane’s coaching gamble needsto payo

Will Hall is getting asecond chance. That leaves twobig questions: Will Tulane fans be willing to give him one? And can he take advantage of it?

Hall wasnamed the 35th head coach in Tulane football history Monday.He inherits aprogram widely considered the best in the Group of Five ranks, one being supported with arelatively robust NIL collective and more internal support than any previous timein school history

Hall has massive shoes to ﬁll in succeeding Jon Sumrall, the Green Wave’swildly popular and successful head man wholed the program to unprecedented heights in his twoseasons on Willow Street. It’s the opportunity of alifetime for Hall, the genial 45-year-old native of Amory,Mississippi.

The newsofHall’shiring generated mixed reactions among fans and industry observers. They ran the gamut, from Category 5outrage and incredulity to morereserved apathy and discontent.

Hall’spromotion was celebrated in coaching circles, where he is widely respected forhis offensive acumen. That’snosurprise given Hall’sbackground. His father,Bobby Hall, is a legend. He is one of the winningest coaches in Mississippi high school history and an inductee into the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame.

During Hall’sprevious tenure at Tulane under head coach Willie Fritz, the Green Wave set records foroffensive proliﬁcacy.Sumrall, an excellent judge of coaching talent, rushed to hire him back into the fold after Hall wasdismissed at Southern Miss last season. That’sastrong endorsement.

Likewise, Hall wasextremely popular among Green Wave players and support staff. He might not have been the people’schoice forthe job, but he wasdeﬁnitely the Wave program’s choice to succeed Sumrall.

That said, this is abig gamble. There’snogetting around that his tenure at Southern Miss wasaCategory 5disaster.Despite coaching in astate where he had numerous ties and connections, his teamswent 14-30 and the Golden Eagles wereanembarrassing 1-11 in his ﬁnal season, failing to win a gameagainst an FBS opponent. What’s more, Charles Huffmade it look even worse when he came in and improved

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATTHEW HINTON

Tulane passing game coordinator Will Hall, right,watches the team warm up before agameagainst Charlotte at yulman Stadium on Nov. 29.

JASONBEHNKEN

widereceiver Mason Tipton returnsthe openingkickoff against theTampa BayBuccaneers on Sunday in Tampa, Fla.

SAINTS, page

Jeff Duncan

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Pelicans center Derik Queen defends San AntonioSpurs forward

Harrison Barnes at the Smoothie King Center on Monday

Big Ten ties record for Top 25 teams

BY DOUG FEINBERG

AP basketball writer

The Big Ten matched The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball record with nine ranked teams as Nebraska entered at No. 24 on Monday

The conference set the mark last year on Dec 2 and this week has three teams in the top 10 alone.

UConn still is No. 1, receiving 23 ﬁrst-place votes from a national media panel. Texas garnered the other nine votes to remain second The top 10 was unchanged this week. South Carolina and UCLA stayed third and fourth with LSU and Michigan next. Maryland was seventh after rallying to beat Minnesota in double overtime Sunday TCU, Oklahoma and Iowa State rounded out the ﬁrst 10. The Cyclones play in-state rival No 11 Iowa on Wednesday

Other Big Ten teams in the poll include No. 16 USC, No. 20 Washington, No. 21 Ohio State and No. 25 Michigan State. The Cornhusk-

ers are ranked for the second consecutive season after starting 9-0.

“I’ve been honored to be a part of this league for the last 13 seasons, working on year 14, where I’ve watched the league just get better and better,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “And then when you have that type of improvement, and then add the four West Coast teams that are tremendous as well, I just think it added another top four teams to an already great league.”

Tennessee’s milestone ranking

The 18th-ranked Lady Vols appeared in the poll for the 800th time in the 50-year history of the rankings. Tennessee had a stretch of being in the Top 25 for 565 straight weeks, a record later surpassed by UConn. Conference supremacy

The Big Ten took over the top spot with nine teams while the Southeastern Conference was next with eight. The Big 12 has four and

the Atlantic Coast Conference has three. The Big East has one.

Struggling ACC

The ACC had a rough week, going 3-13 against the SEC in the conference challenge The ACC saw its run of having at least one top 10 team in every poll end earlier this season after 453 consecutive weeks.

Games of the week

No 1 UConn at No. 16 Southern California, Saturday The Huskies head across the country for one of the few ranked games left on their schedule. The two teams have met a few times over the last couple of seasons, including in the NCAA Tournament regional ﬁnal in 2024 and 2025. UConn won both of those matchups while the Trojans were victorious in Connecticut during a regular-season game.

No. 2 Texas vs No. 13 Baylor Sunday The two former Big 12 rivals will tip off in the Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational in Fort

Arizona takes No. 1; Purdue slides to No. 6

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP basketball writer

Arizona took over the top spot in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday, a reward for a perfect start to the season that includes a quartet of wins against ranked foes, including a lopsided victory over Auburn last weekend. Purdue, which had spent the past three weeks at No. 1, slid to sixth following its 81-58 home loss to Iowa State and the entire poll got a shakeup as only two teams remained in the same spots from last week.

The Wildcats received 33 of 60 first-place votes from a national media panel to claim No 1 for the ﬁrst time since Dec. 11, 2023, and only the third time since the 201314 season. They edged No 2 Michigan, which earned 19 first-place votes, thanks in part to wins over Florida, UConn and UCLA, along with their 97-68 romp over the thenNo. 20 Tigers on Saturday night

“Obviously it’s nothing you shy away from,” Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd said of being No 1. “You know, you’re at Arizona. The big stage It’s part of being at a program like this. But we have bigger things on our mind.”

The Wolverines also moved up one spot for their best ranking since March 2021 Duke claimed seven ﬁrst-place votes and moved up to No. 3. And the Cyclones parlayed their big win in West Lafayette, Indiana, into a six-spot climb to No. 4 and a ﬁrst-place vote. Iowa State has never been ranked No 1 in the AP poll era, which began with the 1948-49 season.

“They stole our spirit,” said Purdue coach Matt Painter, whose team tied a record for largest margin of defeat at home as the nation’s No. 1 team. “Our reason for having a high frustration level was them They’re damn good. They took us

to the woodshed.”

UConn remained ahead of Purdue at No. 5 after beating Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse last week. Houston was seventh, Gonzaga climbed three spots to eighth, Michigan State was ninth and BYU rounded out the top 10 after a week of high-proﬁle matchups across college basketball.

Louisville dropped ﬁve spots to No. 11 after losing to Arkansas. Alabama remained at No. 12, followed by Illinois, North Carolina and Vanderbilt, the only unbeaten team left in the SEC and one of just eight left in Division I men’s basketball. Texas Tech was next, followed by the Razorbacks who jumped eight spots after also beating Fresno State last week. Florida fell to No. 18 following its 67-66 loss to the Blue Devils, while Kansas moved up to No. 19 and Tennessee ﬁnished out the top 20.

The last ﬁve in the poll were Auburn, St. John’s, Nebraska, Virginia and UCLA.

es to Syracuse and Illinois. Purdue and Louisville each fell ﬁve spots.

In and out

The No. 23 Huskers are 9-0 for only the third time in school history, and they have won 13 straight dating to last season, the thirdlongest run in school history. The ranking is their best since they were 21st the second week of the 2014-15 season.

Rising and falling Arkansas was No. 14 in the preseason poll, nearly dropped out entirely, but made a big jump this week back to No. 17 following its two wins. Iowa State’s climb to No. 4 has been a steady one since it was ranked 16th in the preseason poll. Tennessee tumbled seven spots to No. 20 this week following loss-

Nebraska and Virginia both made their poll debuts, replacing Indiana and USC. The Cavaliers did not receive a single vote last week but earned enough to join the rankings at No. 24. UCLA also returned to the rankings while Kentucky dropped out. Conference watch The Big 12, Big Ten and SEC lead the way with six ranked teams apiece, but the Big 12 has the nation’s No 1 team. It also has four in the top 10, while the Big Ten has three and the SEC none. The ACC has four ranked teams, the Big East two and the West Coast one.

LSU DT Breaux reveals he plans to enter portal LSU defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux is planning to enter the transfer portal, he conﬁrmed Monday on social media.

Breaux, a Ruston native, joined the Tigers in 2024 as an edge rusher The former three-star recruit moved to the interior of the defensive line not long after he enrolled, then carved out a role at that spot in both seasons he played at LSU. In 2025, he played roughly 25 snaps per game in a rotational role, according to Pro Football Focus, tallying 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.

Now, Breaux is leaving LSU alongside defensive line coach Kyle Williams. The portal doesn’t ofﬁcially open until Jan. 2, but players on teams that ﬁred their head coaches can enter before then.

Commanders TE Ertz out for the season after injury

ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee, coach Dan Quinn said Monday

The 35-year-old Ertz was injured when he was hit on an incomplete pass from backup quarterback Marcus Mariota in the third quarter of Washington’s 31-0 loss at the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday

“I hate seeing those happen. Got a chance to connect with Zach last night a little bit, just because I’ve had a relationship with him,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said.

“I’ve always just thought the absolute world of him as a player.”

This was Ertz’s second season with the Commanders and his 13th in the NFL. He ranks ﬁfth in league history among tight ends with 825 catches.

Colts QB Jones out for season, backup also hurt INDIANAPOLIS The Indianapolis Colts will be without starting quarterback Daniel Jones the rest of this season. Coach Shane Steichen confirmed Monday the expected news Jones tore his right Achilles tendon and the surprise news backup Riley Leonard injured his right knee Sunday, too. Jones was injured in the ﬁrst half of Sunday’s 36-19 loss in rainy Jacksonville. He crumpled to the ground, reaching toward his calf despite not being hit on the play Leonard replaced Jones on Sunday, going 18 of 29 for 145 yards and one interception in his most extensive action since Notre Dame lost last year’s national championship game.

Memphis hires Huff as Silverfield replacement MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis has hired Charles Huff as its football coach after his one season at Southern Miss.

Athletic director Ed Scott announced the hiring Monday with Huff replacing Ryan Silverﬁeld, who left for Arkansas on Nov 30. Huff went 7-5 with Southern Miss this season after taking over a program that went 1-11 in 2024. That was the program’s best regular-season record since 2019. The six-win turnaround was one of the biggest improvements in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season. The Tigers are playing North Carolina State in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 19 in Tampa. Interim coach Reggie Howard will oversee the Tigers in the bowl game.

Magic star Wagner out with high-ankle sprain

ORLANDO, Fla Orlando Magic leading scorer Franz Wagner has a high sprain of his left ankle that will likely keep him out for multiple weeks.

The Magic announced the diagnosis on Monday after an MRI exam on Wagner, who was injured in the ﬁrst quarter of their game at New York on Sunday when he was fouled hard while going up for a dunk and landed awkwardly on his left leg The team said Wagner’s return would depend on his response to treatment, but high sprains often take about a month to heal.

Orlando hosts Miami on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup in-season tournament. Wagner is 23rd in the league with an average

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RICK SCUTERI

Arizona guard Brayden Burries celebrates after scoring against Auburn during a game on Saturday in Tucson, Ariz.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CAROLINE BREHMAN

UCLA center Lauren Betts, left, and forward Angela Dugali, right, reach for the ball during a game against Oregon on Sunday in Los Angeles

Big improvement

LSU 6-5 sophomore Koval asserting herself in paint

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The plan for Kate Koval was clear Once she transferred from Notre Dame to the LSU women’s basketball team, she’d help the Tigers replace what they had lost in the offseason. Rebounding. Rim protection. Interior scoring

It was obvious that Koval, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, had the size and skill to address those needs. She just needed to prove she could do so in the large role she was expected to play for coach Kim Mulkey at LSU — one of the teams the center from Ukraine considered joining when she was one of the ﬁve best recruits in her high school class.

Koval had potential. But after she helped turn the tide of the No. 5 Tigers’ (10-0) win over Duke, then turned in a career-best scoring night Sunday against UNO, it looks like she’s starting to live up to it.

“(Koval’s) a big presence in there for us,” Mulkey said Sunday “She played good against Duke, and I think her conﬁdence is really, really high right now

“Not that she wasn’t confident (before), but she’s finishing shots that make us better.”

Koval started each of LSU’s ﬁrst ﬁve games but after she struggled Nov 17 in a win over Tulane, Mulkey began toying with different starting front-

court combinations. Koval has come off the bench in each of the ﬁve contests the Tigers have played since they beat the Green Wave, a string of games in which she’s found ways to play some of the best basketball of her career

Last year Notre Dame played Duke twice — once in the regular season and once in the ACC Tournament. Koval played nine minutes in the first game, then 15 in the second. She scored a combined 11 points. Koval’s role is much larger now. No LSU post player saw more run than Koval last Thursday when the Tigers beat the Blue Devils on the road. She scored 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting that night to pair with four rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. LSU outscored Duke by 27 points in the 26 minutes she played. On Sunday against UNO, Koval scored 22 points on 9-of-9 shooting That performance was her seventh double-digit scoring output of the season. Last year, Koval scored at least 10 points only six times.

Across her last ﬁve games, she’s averaging 14.2 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 72% from the ﬁeld — the kind of production that Mulkey envisioned Koval could give LSU when she was recruiting her out of

high school.

“(LSU) was a better fit for me,” Koval said Oct 30. “I feel like my game, and me as a person, I needed something new I needed a change.”

Koval is grabbing 7.4 rebounds per game enough to narrowly edge East Carolina transfer Amiya Joyner for the team lead. She’s already pulled down at least 10 boards in four games this season after she did so only three times all of last year

That’s all the rebounding work the Tigers have needed Koval to provide so far Through 10 games, LSU is corralling even more boards each night this season (50.2) than it did in its nonconference matchups last year (47.2), when Aneesah Morrow was grabbing misses at one of the top rates in NCAA history

Only two Division I teams are rebounding at a higher rate than the Tigers. Koval’s improvement is a large reason why

“She doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low,” Mulkey said after LSU’s Nov 20 win over Alcorn State. “I always like to pick on her and say she’s like the grandmother-type. She’s always encouraging everybody, and she understands you’re gonna have good days and bad days.”

Except Koval has had more good days than bad days lately, which is an encouraging sign as SEC play nears.

McMahon admits recent shooting ‘concerning’

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

LSU basketball suffered its ﬁrst setback of the season Sunday after a solid start to the campaign.

Coach Matt McMahon’s team thoroughly was outplayed in its 82-58 loss to No. 16 Texas Tech (7-2) on Sunday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, in the Coast 2 Coast Challenge. McMahon said LSU (8-1) was overwhelmed from the 3-point line, which was the difference in the game.

The Tigers went 4 of 24 from beyond the arc, and Texas Tech was 13 of 27, making nine in the first half The putrid 3-point shooting followed LSU from its previous game, when it went 3 of 19 in a 7869 overtime win at Boston College on Wednesday

“It’s concerning,” McMahon said after the game Sunday. “You come off the second half where we struggled to make shots on the road at Boston College then you come out today, and once again, 26% from the ﬁeld, 2 of 13 (from the 3-point line).

“I thought we rushed a couple, but we got pretty good looks from behind the line in the first half, but we didn’t make any And so now you’re playing in transition against a really explosive offensive team. Texas Tech made us pay for our offensive shortcomings.”

LSU’s primary strategy was to limit post player JT Toppin, a preseason

All-American who entered Sunday as the only player in the nation averaging more than 22 points and 11 rebounds per game. While the LSU frontcourt held him to 11 points and 15 rebounds, Texas Tech was on fire from the perimeter. Christian Anderson, the second-leading scorer for Texas Tech scored 27 points and made 5 of 9 shots from beyond the arc, primarily pull-ups. McMahon said the 6-foot-3 point guard “just dictated the whole flow of the first 20 minutes” on his way to scoring 20 in the first half. As Texas Tech followed his lead from deep range, the Tigers were unsuccessful in that area. LSU shooting guard

Max Mackinnon, a teambest 44% 3-point shooter, missed all ﬁve of his attempts and was 0 of 9 from the field. Starting forward Marquel Sutton, who has made the secondmost 3s for LSU, went 0 of 4 from beyond the arc.

Remedying this shooting problem will be a priority for McMahon’s team ahead of its game against SMU (91) at 7:30 p.m Saturday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. “There’s disappointment, but I think our players need to know we have a good team,” McMahon said. “We have high-character guys who are all about the team. They’ll be hungry to get back on the practice ﬂoor this week and get better and prepare for our next opportunity against a really good SMU team.”

PELICANS

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take a 117-110 lead midway through the period.

BY MARK LONG AP sportswriter

GAINESVILLE, Fla. Florida guard Boogie Fland bought a hundred tickets for friends and family to watch him play at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. It will be an expensive homecoming.

Fland grew up in the Bronx and will play at the iconic venue for the second time in as many seasons when the reigning national champion and 18th-ranked Gators (5-3) continue their daunting nonconference slate against No. 5 UConn (8-1).

“I’m excited. I’m going to play in front of my peoples,” Fland said Monday “It doesn’t get no more exciting than that, especially in December, cold, Madison Square Garden, an NBA arena. I’m ready.” Fland probably needs to play better for the Gators to have a chance against the Huskies in a rematch, of sorts. Florida knocked UConn out of the NCAA Tournament in March.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore who played his freshman year at Arkansas was a bigmoney acquisition for Florida in the transfer portal, a do-it-all point guard who was supposed to help replace AllAmerican Walter Clayton But Fland is shooting 39%

from the ﬁeld, including 25% from 3-point range, and nearly has as many turnovers (14) as assists (17).

He had a crucial giveaway in the ﬁnal minute of a onepoint loss at Duke last week. It took him two days to get over it.

“That comes with basketball,” he said. “You just got to watch ﬁlm, get better don’t let it happen again. You got to let it fuel you.”

Playing in front of familiar faces could help.

He put up 20 points and seven assists in the Razorbacks’ 89-87 victory against Michigan at Madison Square Garden a year ago. He had roughly 200 friends and relatives on hand for that, and many of them are coming back for his return.

Fland grew up about 35 minutes from the arena and attended games as a kid — not to see the New York Knicks, though. He was a LeBron James fan and made a handful of trips to see his superstar idol as often as possible

Although Fland might have a crowd cheering his name, the Gators realize UConn will be the bigger draw in New York City Florida can counter some of that with fewer turnovers and better shot-making — the biggest areas of concern for coach Todd Golden a month into

the season.

Florida, which returned its top four big men from last year’s title team, has one of the best frontcourts in the country Getting up shots and getting putbacks and second chances are part of Golden’s approach. But the Gators are turning the ball over on nearly 20% of their possessions.

“If this team could start living around the 16% or 15% turnover rate, we’re going to give ourselves a great chance to be a really, really good team for the rest of the year,” Golden said.

It starts with Fland, who didn’t have an assist against the Blue Devils. Florida managed only four as a team, the program’s fewest since also finishing with four against Marshall in 2019.

“I think we’re too unselfish,” Fland said.

It also might be that Fland and fellow guard Xaivian Lee have passed up too many shots, the result of the duo hitting just 22 of 97 shots (22.7%) from 3-point range. They insist it will turn, and there might not be a better venue for Fland to get going than one close to home.

“It’s going to come with time,” Fland said. “It’s a mindset. Basketball’s like a rhythm. You got to ﬁnd that rhythm. And when you ﬁnd it, you should be good.”

Murphy made a dunk and a 3-pointer to give New Orleans a 130-129, and the lead changed hands three times after, the last on Harper’s game-winning drive with 9.1 seconds left

After a timeout, the Pelicans inbounded to Alvarado, who drove to the basket and kicked back to Queen

who missed a 3-pointer Fox made two free throws and Bey missed an attempted tying 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Pelicans. Alvarado made a 3-pointer to pull the Pelicans within 26-23 before the Spurs closed the ﬁrst quarter with a barrage from beyond the arc. Champagnie made consecutive 3-pointers, and Fox added one during a 9-2 run that gave San Antonio its biggest lead, 35-25, at the end of the period. The Spurs made 5 of 8 3-pointers and New Orleans made 2 of 8.

King Center on Monday.

Champagnie and Fox continued the hot shooting by making consecutive 3-pointers to start the second quarter Micah Peavy’s dunk provided the Pelicans’ ﬁrst points, but Barnes scored eight and Harper had seven of the 11 he would score in the period as San Antonio took its biggest lead of the half, 68-43. New Orleans crept within 17 points twice before the Spurs held a 77-57 halftime lead after making 11 of 19 3-pointers compared to 4 of 17 for the Pelicans.

Pelicans guard Saddiq Bey is defended by San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell at the Smoothie

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU forward Marquel Sutton takes the shot against Florida International forward Eric Dibami on Nov. 13 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU forward Kate Koval defends against Charlotte guard Tanajah Hayes on Nov. 12 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

ä Louisiana Tech at LSU, 5 P.M. SATURDAy, ESPNU

Chiefs’ playoff hopes dim after loss to Texans

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs trailed the Houston Texans 17-10 with just over six minutes remaining Sunday night. They had the ball at their own 35-yard line, and their chances of making the playoffs hinged on what would come next. For nearly a decade, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs had come through in precisely this kind of dire situation.

This season hasn’t been like the rest.

Kareem Hunt was bottled up on ﬁrst and second downs. Mahomes threw incomplete on third. Rather than punt and play defense on fourth down at their own 41, Chiefs coach Andy Reid elected to go for it, and Rashee Rice dropped an easy pass over that middle that would have given Kansas City a ﬁrst down and kept its comeback hopes alive.

The Texans went on to add a ﬁeld goal in the final minutes, giving them a 20-10 victory inside Arrowhead Stadium.

“We had chances,” Mahomes said afterward, “and we didn’t execute it.”

It didn’t help that the Chiefs were down to their fourth-string tackle with Josh Simmons on injured reserve, Jawaan Taylor inactive and Wanya Morris hurting his knee on the ﬁrst play of the game. Or that top cornerback Trent McDuffie also hurt his knee

But injuries are a part of the game, however ﬂuky they might be Rather the Chiefs lost because of the same things that have troubled them all season: inopportune penalties, dropped passes, failed pass protections and blown coverages. In fact, the Chiefs had at least six dropped passes against Houston, including one by Travis Kelce in the closing minutes, right before Mahomes was picked off for the third time in the game.

“Listen, he’s a great player,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “but we have to make sure we catch the ball. It’s not for lack of effort out there. The ball went through their hands. It happens. But these guys are great players.”

Therein may lie the biggest reason for such disappointment among Kansas City fans this season: The Chiefs do have great players. Arguably just as good, top to bottom, as last year. But they went 15-2 and reached a third straight Super

Bowl with that team, and unless they get a whole lot of help, they’ll be sitting out the playoffs entirely this season.

“We’re 6-7. We have four games

Moore said Sunday a ‘growth’ opportunity for kicker Smyth

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

Charlie Smyth played in his second NFL game on Sunday One week after nailing a 56-yard ﬁeld goal and converting an onside kick against the Miami Dolphins in his NFL debut, Smyth went 1 for 2 on ﬁeld goals in a 24-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Smyth missed a 48-yarder and made a 30-yarder Smyth also had a fourth-quarter kickoff that didn’t make it into the landing zone, giving the Buccaneers possession at the 40-yard line. Saints coach Kellen Moore said a game like that will be good for Smyth.

“I think it’s going to be a great game for him to evaluate and take a growth opportunity, both at kickoff and field goal situations,” Moore said. “We’ll get Charlie ready to go. Resiliency and facing adversity Perfect. He gets to have a game where he misses one, and he gets to respond the way he needs to.”

Granderson rising

Carl Granderson finished Sunday with five tackles, including two tackles for loss, and a pass deﬂection. It was the third time this season Granderson has had multiple tackles for loss in a game. On the Bucs’ second possession, Granderson stuffed running back Bucky Irving for a 7-yard loss on fourth and 1. It was the start of things to come. The Bucs were 2 of 7 on fourth downs and 3 of 13 on third downs.

Did Granderson feel like his stop of Irving set the tone for the day?

“The tone was set during the week in practice,” Granderson said. “My play was just icing on

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what he did to what I can do, just sitting behind him and seeing his examples is what helped me.”

The 54-yard kickoff return was Tipton’s second-longest of the season. He had a 75-yarder two weeks ago against Atlanta to start a drive at the Falcons’ 16

The goal, of course, is to take one to the house.

“I’m going to keep hearing about it until I do,” Tipton said. “It takes everybody to spring the holes. I’m proud that we are putting it all together.”

Tipton was also a star baseball player in college, so he can appreciate his role as a returner being compared to a leadoff batter.

“That’s a good way to put it,” he said. “If I can start the game with a big return, it kinda ignites the whole team, especially the offense Great ﬁeld position and really get the drive going. I deﬁnitely look at it that way as a play to get everybody going.”

Tipton received one of the game balls from coach Kellen Moore after the win.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JASON BEHNKEN

New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth, center, watches his missed field goal go left druing a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Tampa, Fla.

the cake to get everybody going. We’ve just been feeding off each other on the defensive end to get the offense out there balling.”

O-line shuffle

Offensive lineman William Sherman was forced into action in the fourth quarter to replace right tackle Asim Richards, who left the game with an ankle injury Richards was in the game ﬁlling in for usual starter Taliese Fuaga, who is also dealing with an ankle injury Sherman was signed to the Saints practice squad in August, then added to the active roster last week.

“Proud of him,” Moore said of Sherman. “Hopped in there. He is a guy who has been ready at any moment.”

Injury updates

Moore didn’t have any updates on Fuaga, running back Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle) or safety Justin Reid (knee) on Monday All three starters missed Sunday’s game.

“We’re just going to have to get some work in today and see how they respond,” Moore said. “All three will still be questionable.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.

“I think momentum is a big part of the game and people underestimate it. To open the game like that deﬁnitely showed Tampa and their fans that we are coming here to win the game, and we weren’t going to just lay down and let them win.”

TERRELL BURGESS Saints safety

“It was big,” Moore said Monday of Tipton’s return “Start fast. Obviously (slow starts) was something that we’ve tried to navigate for a number of weeks now and obviously there has been some frustration associated with that. No better way to start the game that way than to have the kick return to put us in the plus-50 category Then for our offense to play execution football early in that football game and score a touchdown was big for our team.” It was just the second time the Saints have scored a touchdown in the ﬁrst quarter all season. The other time was against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth game of the season. The players on defense appreciated the fast start from the special teams and offense.

“I think momentum is a big part of the game and people underestimate it,” safety Terrell

Burgess said “To open the game like that deﬁnitely showed Tampa and their fans that we are coming here to win the game, and we weren’t going to just lay down and let them win.” For Tipton, the goal is to keep improving at a role that he wasn’t familiar with when he reached the NFL.

“The way I’ve looked at it, I can get the ball in my hands,” Tipton said “I’ve got speed and I’ve got space, and with that I can make plays. I look forward to getting better at that and mastering that.

“I’m a wideout at heart and that’s what I’ve always done. Being a kick returner is a way to help the team and improve field position and create explosive plays. I have the talent and capabilities to make the returns, and that’s how I’m trying to take it every day.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

left. We can ﬁnish the season 10-7 and we can have a shot at the playoffs if the cards fall right,” Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “We control how we ﬁnish

NFL admits to blown call in Ravens’ loss; Harbaugh unsatisﬁed

BRIAN WACKER

The Baltimore Sun (TNS)

BALTIMORE A day after the Ravens suffered a crushing defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, the NFL admitted that it got wrong one of three controversial calls that went against Baltimore.

In the second quarter, defensive tackle Travis Jones was flagged for unnecessary roughness on long snapper Christian Kuntz as he charged through the gap during a Chris Boswell ﬁeld goal. It was ruled that the contact rose to being unnecessary against a defenseless player and that any forcible contact can’t be made, referee Alex Moore explained in a pool report after the game. But that was incorrect, the league said in a call on Monday initiated by coach John Harbaugh, Ravens assistant and former NFL referee Tony Michalek and general manager Eric DeCosta.

“They told me I had permission to state this, that it was a wrong call,” Harbaugh said of the call with NFL rules analyst and club communications liaison Walt Anderson and senior vice president of ofﬁciating administration Perry Fewell. “It should not have been called.

“It has to be forcible conduct with the head and neck area. That’s the rule It’s not forcible contact with a defenseless player It’s not whether you run a player over, trying to block a ﬁeld goal. That has nothing to do with it. It’s forcible contact to the head and neck area.”

The Steelers accepted the penalty, took the field goal off the board and scored a touchdown on the next play to take a 17-3 lead and went on to win 27-22.

The ﬁnal tally was also impacted by an apparent Isaiah Likely touchdown that would have put the Ravens in front with just under three minutes remaining in the game that was overturned by replay

The tight end hauled in a 13-yard pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson in the end zone, landed on his right foot, took another step with his left and then just before taking a third step had the ball stripped out of his extended hands by cornerback Joey Porter Likely had the ball extended throughout the catch but the ball squirted from his grasp after taking two steps but not a third and a touchdown was called. NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth said in the pool report that Likely obtained control and had both feet in bounds but did not have an “act common to the game” proceeding it, which would have been getting a third step down.

Less than 24 hours later, Harbaugh was still not satisﬁed with the ruling or explanation.

“Am I comfortable? No,” he said.

“Do I think it needs more clariﬁcation? Yeah. It’s about as clear as mud right now. That’s how I feel about it.

“It didn’t clear anything up, it didn’t make it any easier to understand either one of the two calls. They’re very, very hard to under-

stand how they get overturned. But they did, and that’s where it stands.”

Asked if he thought the overturned touchdown cost the Ravens the game, he said, “You never know what costs you a game.”

The other call Harbaugh was referring to was when quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared to have a batted pass intercepted at the line of scrimmage by linebacker Teddye Buchanan at Pittsburgh’s 32-yard line with 7:01 remaining in the game and Baltimore trailing 27-22.

Initially, it was ruled that Buchanan had possession of the ball as he pulled it from the quarterback’s grasp with the two men falling to the ground. But replay overturned the call, ruling that Rodgers was down with possession of the ball.

“The offensive player had control of the ball as he was going to the ground,” Butterworth said. “There was a hand in there, but he never lost control of the ball and then his knees hit the ground.”

When Harbaugh was asked if he questioned why the Likely play was ruled not a catch but that Rodgers play was ruled one, he said that was part of the conversation with the league.

“You’re going to the ground, you have to have control of the football, you have to survive the ground when you make a catch,” he said Monday “I mean, that’s what a catch is. You can’t say the time element’s like that and he satisﬁes the time element when you’re going to the ground The time element doesn’t apply to going to the ground. It’s pretty clear cut.”

While there also wasn’t much solace in the explanations, Harbaugh stopped short of blaming the calls on the outcome.

“We move on,” Harbaugh said. “It’s our job to make it right. You’re not going to expect everything to go your way

“If we become the type of team that overcomes these types of things then you become the type of team that can go far.”

Baltimore will next play the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ED ZURGA

Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale, right, scores past Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner during a game on Sunday in Kansas City Mo.

AP PHOTO By NICK WASS

Baltimore Ravens head coach

John Harbaugh greets fans before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in Baltimore.

left,during their game on Sept. 20 in Oxford,Miss. Ole Misswon 45-10.

Sumrallhas simple approach to rematch: ‘Wegotta play better’

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

Defensive tackleSantana Hopper admittedhehad tried to forget all about Tulane’s September defenestration at the hands of Ole Misswhen he talked Sunday about the Dec. 20 rematch in theCollege Football Playoff (2:30 p.m., TNT).

Nothing went right in a45-10 loss that was every bit as lopsided as the score indicated at Vaught Hemingway Stadium, which is ahouse of horrors for theGreen Wave. It was theworst margin of defeat since its last visit to Oxford, Mississippi, whenthe Rebels won 61-21 in 2021.

Wide receiver Bryce Bohanon is the only current team member who played in that one,but September’sloss should be fresh in everyone’s mind. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passedfor 307 yards and rushed for aseason-high 112 in his second start for Ole Miss.

“I don’tremember too much of that game,” Hopper said, smiling slightly.“Youtry to flush those type of games, but he (Chambliss) can slingthe ball. We have to ﬁnd away to make plays up front and lock people down in the backend.”

Slowing down Chambliss, who threw for 3,016 yards and 18 touchdowns as asurprise successstory as atransfer from DivisionIIFerris State, will be priority No. 1for 11th-seeded Tulane (11-2) against No. 6seed Ole Miss (11-1). He did pretty much anything he wantedas the Rebels scored on eight oftheir ﬁrst nine drives.

Backing up Austin Simmons at the beginning of the year,hehad startedfor the ﬁrst time aweek earlier against Arkansas. He never came out of thelineupagain.

“He’sgot askill set that is hard to defend,” Tulanecoach JonSumrall said. “He can makeall the throws

He’sgot great short-area quickness. He gets to top-end speed fast.He’sinstinctive as arunner He sees the throw gamewell. He has great touch.He’saccurate. He’sgoingto playwell. We gotta play better.”

Thatisateam-wide theme. A whopping 161/2-point underdog, the Wave knowsitiscapable of a stronger performance across the board.

“Just the adversity we faced, that loss brought us closer together,”offensive tackle Derrick Grahamsaid. “We’re more connected, more jelled andmore detailed in everything we do ”

They alsohave asomewhat secret weapon. Running back Jamauri McClure ripped offgains of 10 and11yards in garbage time to spark Tulane’sonly touchdown drive in theﬁrst meeting, but he hadonlythree carriesasa deep reserve.

Ole Miss is tied for 85th nationallyinaverage percarry allowed (4.33). Arkansas,Georgia and Mississippi State rushed for more than 200 yards against the Rebels. Expect asteadydose of McClure, who ranaseason-high 22 times for 121 yards while startingagainst North Texas on Fridayinthe American Conference championship game.

“JamauriMcClure canbea great factor forus,”Grahamsaid. “The way he’s been running the past couple of weeks has been huge for our success on offense, so I’m reallylookingforward to himgoing out there and competing and playing his best brand of football.”

Sumrall believesthe familiarity of playing at Vaught Hemingway Stadium should help. For starters, theWave knows thevisitors’ locker room will be pink andwhich sidelineitwill be on,meaning he will not have to go over any of the details he typically talks about before atrip.

“I don’tknowifit’salot easier, but it’sa better feeling knowing what you are going to seewhen you get out there at this point,” Hopper said. “They have gotten better. We have gotten better,sowe’ll seewhat everybody will comeup with.”

Aspecial prize awaits the Wave if it pulls the huge upsetand becomesthe first Group of Five school to win aplayoff game —a Jan.1date in the Caesars Superdome withNo. 3seed Georgia in a Sugar Bowl quarterﬁnal. Tulane’s last appearance in the Sugar Bowl wasin1940 against Texas A&M.

“That would be cool,”Sumrall said. “It won’tbecool if we get our (butt) beat. We gotour (butt) beat thelast time we played Ole Miss. I don’twanttoget our(butt) beat. I want to play good. If we can play good and get to the other side of it, thenthat would be cool. What would notbecool is getting our (butt) beat again.”

ThreeQBs amongHeisman finalists

The Associated Press NEW YORK Notre Dame running back JeremiyahLove, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin are the ﬁnalists for the Heisman Trophyfor the top player in college football.

On Monday night, the Heisman Trophy Trust announced the ﬁnalists, who are invited to NewYork

DUNCAN

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the Golden Eagles’ recordbysix wins in his ﬁrst season Hall’s Southern Miss tenure was so bad it completely tarnished and overshadowed the successful tenures he had as ahead coach at Division II West Alabama and West Georgia, where he won multiple championships and went a

for the award presentation Saturday night Love is fourth in the Bowl Subdivisionin yards rushing (1,372), ﬁfth in per-game average (114.33) andthird with 18 rushingtouchdowns for the ninth-ranked FightingIrish,who missed on aCollege Football Playoff bid and opted not to playinabowl game. Mendoza has guided the Hoosiers to aNo. 1ranking andthe top lineofthe 12-team CFPbrack-

collective56-20.

WasHall’sfailure because of a lack of internal support, as some have said,oralack of proﬁciency? History is littered with successfulcoordinators who failed to make thetransition to the head coachingranks.

One can assume that Tulane athletic directorDavidHarris drilled deeply into Hall’stenure in Hattiesburg and felt comfortable with it because this hire largely will deﬁne his tenure as AD. Hall

et, throwing for 2,980 yards and anational-best 33 touchdown passes while also running for six scores.

Pavia has thrown fora schoolrecord 3,192 yardsand 27 touchdowns,and is theﬁrst Heisman ﬁnalistfor the No. 13 Commodores Sayinled theBuckeyestoaNo.1 rankingfor most of the season, throwing for 3,329 yards while tyingfor second nationally with 31 touchdown passes.

strongly was considered for the job from theoutset but clearly wasn’tthe ﬁrst choice.

Tulane went all-in on LSUdefensive coordinator BlakeBaker and was forced to scramble after he left him at the altar.That left Harris behind theeight ball, and before he had time to pivot,two of his top backup options —Toledo coach Jason Candle and Huff at Southern Miss —quickly bolted for UConn and Memphis, respectively

OleMissexpects to face adifferent GreenWaveteam

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Ole Miss head coach Pete Goldinghas warned hisRebelsplayers this week to expect adifferent Tulane team in their College FootballPlayoffrematch Dec. 20 than the one they defeated three monthsago. Ole Missrouted the Green Wave 45-10 on Sept. 20 at Vaught Hemingway Stadium. The loss was Tulane’smost lopsided in four seasons. TheRebelsscored on eight of 10 offensive possessions and outgained Tulane 548282 on total yardageina runaway victory

“Obviously, coming out of the game, created some turnovers, played reallywellonoffense,a lot of explosive plays, but …that feelslike years agoatthis point, right?” Golding saidatapress conference on Sunday with local reporters in Oxford,Miss. “Itwas earlyinthe season,and they’ve played really well lately.And they’recoming off areally good gameand got someconﬁdence in winning the conference championship (a 34-21 winagainst North Texas) and created alot of turnovers, so we know we’re going to have ourwork cut out forus.”

Golding,41, has experience with rematches from hisfiveyear tenure on thedefensive staff at Alabamafrom 2018-22. In 2021, theCrimson Tide beat Georgia 41-24 in the SEC championship game, only to turn around and lose to the Bulldogs 33-18 in theCFP championship gameﬁve weekslater.Seniorquarterback Jake Retzlaffendured his worst game of the season, completing just 5of17passes for54yards with an interception.

“You can’tget away from who you are,” Golding said. “Butyou look and evaluate that ﬁrst game andwhatweretheytryingtoaccomplish. What did they have that theydidn’ttake advantage of that we got to prepare forthat they’re going to come back with, so it’sa good combinationof, OK,what was the plan there, what did they attack, what was theirgame plan, andthen, all right now,how are theygoing to complement it and

window dress it to get to the same concepts with different ways.

“So it’sgood to have somecomfortabilitywithit, butalsoour guys got to understand that that wasyears ago. What happened in that gamehas no indication what’s going to happeninthis game. And ourpreparationhas to be on point.And we gottobe readytorolland have really good plans and have agreat week of practice.”

Golding, whowas promoted fromdefensive coordinator two weeks ago after Ole Miss head coachLaneKifﬁn left for LSU, said Tulane has earned the respect of theRebelsstaffand roster withtheirimprovement in recent weeks. Tulane haswon ﬁve consecutive games, includingfour straight by double-digit margins.

“First, Ithink they’re very well coached,” Golding said. “They do areally good job. Really well coached on offense. Iwas really concernedabout them coming in (to Oxford) the ﬁrst time we played. They’re multiple in personnel and obviously got aquarterback with experience that I thoughtpresented alot of problemscoming into the game.”

Golding, aHammond native whoserved as the defensive coordinator at Southeastern Louisiana in 2012 and 2013, said he Facetimed with Tulane head coach Jon SumrallonSaturday night to catch up andtalkabout the potential matchup. Sumrall has accepted the head coaching job at the University of Florida, so the two arenow part of an exclusive fraternity of SEC head coaches

“Usdefensive guys, man,there ain’talot of us, so we gotta stick together,”Golding quipped. “Obviously,Jon andI go wayback.I recruit Louisiana. Obviously,he’s been at Tulane. My brother lives down in New Orleans, so Iget down thereand seehim. Ithink theworld of (Sumrall). …I was just congratulating him on aheck of ayearand obviouslytalking aboutsome of the Florida transition and was just messingwith him,but really just congratulating him.”

In theend, Hall was selected over Kennesaw State head coach Jerry Mack and Miamioffensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. Not exactly the Holy Trinity of head coaching prospects, but the timingofthe hiring cycle and Baker’slateabout-face did Tulane and Harris no favors. Make no mistake, this is abig risk.

The Tulane program is at an all-time high in termsofinterest, support and success. The

Continued from page1C

took theSouthern Miss job. The Golden Eagleswent 14-30inhis timethere and 10-30against FBS competition,beatingonly two teams that ﬁnished with winning records. One of them wasTulane in 2022, when Southern Miss went 7-6 and beat Rice in the LendingTree Bowl. Hall was fired seven games into the 2024 season with a1-6 record after the GoldenEagles lost to Arkansas State 44-28 for homecoming. He visited Tulane for apractice soon afterward and coach Jon Sumrall hired him

as passing game coordinator before spring practice this season to assist offensive coordinator Joe Craddock. Thecombination helped Tulane qualify for theCollege Football Playoff for theﬁrst time in school history

“It’sjustbeen ablessing for me to gethere,” Hall saidduring preseason camp. “I just want to help. Anything Ican do to help, Iwant to help. Joe’sbeen awesome. I wouldn’tbehere if Joe didn’twant me here, and I’m very indebted to him for that.”

Hall enjoyed much more successasacoach in Division II, going25-11 at West Alabama from 2011-13 and 31-9atWest Georgia from 2014-16. He then had singleyear stints as offensive coordina-

tor at UL (2017) andtight ends/ assistant head coach at Memphis (2018). He inheritsa jobthat has become oneofthe best among GroupofFive conference schools. Tulane is 43-12 since the start of 2022 —tied with Notre Dame for theﬁfth most victories in the FBS behind Georgia, Ohio State, Oregonand Michiganduring that time. The Wave is 31-5 in the American Conference, counting its results in fourconsecutive championship-game appearances. Willie Fritz left for Houston after the American championship game in 2023.Sumrall will leave for Florida when Tulane’s CFP run ends. Alwayspopular with the play-

ers he coaches,the personable Hallhad averyclose relationship with Pratt, whom he recruitedto Tulane,and he received an ovation when Tulane athletic director David Harris introduced him to them as Sumrall’sreplacement Monday It was the end of acircuitous search. Tulane zeroed in on LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker to take thejob late last week, but he decided Fridaytoremainin his position under new coach Lane Kifﬁn, forcing the search to be revamped. According to one source, it almostappeared as if Tulane’s playoff berth underSumrall made prospectivecoaches leery about having to live up to thathigh standardright away Several coaches whointer-

program has major momentum thanks to the efforts of Fritz and Sumrall. With the competition at American Conference rivals Memphis, UTSA, South Florida and Navy moreintense than ever the Wave cannot afford to take a step back. Hall is getting the kind of second chance fewget in life. He needs to makethe mostofit. The future of Tulane football, and indirectly Harris’ tenure as AD, depends on it.

viewed with Tulane took other jobs, including Billy Napier (JamesMadison), CharlesHuff (Memphis) and Bob Chesney (UCLA).Other candidates includedMiami offensive coordinator ShannonDawson,who interviewedSundaynight; Kennesaw State head coach Jerry Mack, who won the Conference USA championship in his first season;Craddock;Tulane defensive coordinatorGregGasparato;and Oregonco-defensive coordinator Chris Hampton, who served as Fritz’sdefensive coordinatorin2021-22. WhetherHallcan persuade Craddock or Gasparato to stay remains to be seen.Neither is accompanying Sumrall to Florida.

Tulane defensivelinemen Santana Hopper,third fromleft, and Tre’Von McAlpine, right, pressureOle Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss,

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO

Then-Ole Missdefensive coordinator Pete Golding runs drills during warmups before agame against UL-Monroe on Nov. 18, 2023, in Oxford,Miss. Nowthe Rebels head coach, Golding is preparing for a CollegeFootballPlayoff game against Tulane.

NBACupquarterﬁnalsget underway this week

BY TIM REYNOLDS Associated Press

All eight teams left in therunning for the NBA Cup are now playing for ashot at going to Las Vegas for the tournament semiﬁnals, along with achanceofpicking up more than $500,000 per playerasareward for claiming the title. And for the OklahomaCityThunder,there’ssomething more:Historyisatstake.

The NBA Cup quarterfinal games —Miami at Orlando,New York at Toronto,Phoenix at Oklahoma City,and San Antonio at the Los Angeles Lakers —are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. The winners will head to Vegasfor semiﬁnal games this weekend.

If the Thunder beats the Suns, it will improveto24-1thisseason and tie Golden State for the best 25-game start in NBA history

There are also cash incentives: Players on the quarterfinalist teams have already assured themselves of $53,093 apiece in abonus, with two-wayplayers gettinghalf that much. Atrip to the semiﬁnal round doubles that to $106,187.

Asemiﬁnal win guarantees players $212,373 in bonus money,and players with standard contracts on the Cup-winning roster will get $530,933 apiece.Again,two-way players get half of whatever the bonus amount is.

Wheretowatch andlisten

All seven remaininggames— the quarterﬁnals, semiﬁnals and ti-

tle game —are on Amazon Prime. Some quarterfinal gameswill also get local-market coverage, while the semifinals and final are Primeexclusive.

ESPN Radio will also broadcast the three games from Las Vegas thesemiﬁnals on Saturday and the title game onDec. 16.

Heat at Magic

5p.m.Tuesday

Records: Heat 14-10, Magic 14-10

Season series: Magic leads2-0 (Magic 125, Heat 121 in Orlando on Oct. 22;Magic106, Heat 105 in Orlando on Dec.5).

NBA Cup history: Heat is 7-5 all-time in Cupgames,inquarterfinalsfor first time, qualified for knockout stage this year by winning Eastern Conference wild-cardat3-1;Magic is 10-3 all-time in Cup games, in quarterfinals for second consecutive year,won East Group Bthis yearat4-0, seeking first semifinal appearance.

Outlook: It’ll bethe thirdofﬁve meetings between theSunshine State rivals this season, and the first two were down-to-the-wire thrillers in Orlando. Heat has lost three straight forthe ﬁrst time this season. Magic just got Paolo Banchero back from an injury, then lost Franz Wagner to an injury in alossat New York on Sunday Knicks at Raptors

7:30 p.m. Tuesday Records: Knicks 16-7, Raptors 15-10

Season series: Knicks lead 1-0 (Knicks 116, Raptors 94 in New York on Nov.30).

ASSOCIATED

Thunder players Chet Holmgren, rear,Isaiah Hartenstein, left,and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrate duringthe second half of an NBACup game on Nov. 26 in Oklahoma City.The Thunder cantie forthe best 25game start in league historywith awin over Phoenix on Wednesday.

NBA Cup history: Knicks are 10-4 alltime in Cupgames, are theonly team in the NBA to reach theCup quarterfinals in all three years of the event,won East Group Cwith 3-1 record, seeking first semifinal berth; Raptors are 6-6all-timein Cup games, in quarterfinals for first time, won EastGroup Athis year at 4-0.

Outlook: Knicks have won seven of their pasteight games and 14 of their past 18. Knicks are 0-2 in quarterﬁnalgames in Cupplay, losing by acombined 32 points.

.Raptors have hadwildups and downs this season. Theystarted 1-4, then went unbeaten in four Group Stage games in Cup play

during astretch wheretheywent 13-1. Problem is, they’re 1-5 since that stretch. Suns at Thunder 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Records: Suns 13-10, Thunder 23-1 Season series: Thunder leads 1-0 (Thunder123, Suns 119 in OklahomaCity on Nov. 28).

NBA Cup history: Suns are 9-4alltime in Cup play, in quarterfinals for second time (2023),seeking first semifinal appearance, qualified for knockout stage thisyear by winning WesternConference wild card at 3-1; Thunderis10-5 all-timeinCup play,inquarterfinals for second consecutive year

SCOREBOARD

Bay28, Chicago21 L.A. Rams45, Arizona 17 Houston 20, Kansas City10 Open: New England, Carolina, N.Y. Giants, San Francisco Monday’s game Philadelphia at L.A. Chargers, n Thursday Atlanta at TampaBay,7:15 p.m. Sunday Arizona at Houston, noon BaltimoreatCincinnati,noon BuffaloatNew England, noon Cleveland at Chicago, noon L.A. Chargers at Kansas City,noon Las Vegas at Philadelphia, noon N.Y. JetsatJacksonville, noon Washington at N.Y. Giants,noon Carolina at New Orleans, 3:25 p.m. Detroit at L.A. Rams,3:25 p.m. Green BayatDenver, 3:25 p.m. IndianapolisatSeattle, 3:25 p.m. Tennessee at San Francisco,3:25 p.m. Minnesota at Dallas, 7:20 p.m. Monday Miami at Pittsburgh, 7:15 p.m. LATE SUNDAY Houston 20, KansasCity 10 Houston 37 010—20 Kansas City 00 10 0—10 First Quarter Hou—FGFairbairn 35,4:18 Second Quarter Hou—Marks 9pass from Stroud (Fairbairn kick), 9:31. ThirdQuarter KC—Hunt 2run (Butker kick), 10:00. KC—FGButker 36,1:50 Fourth Quarter Hou—Ogunbowale 5run (Fairbairnkick), 7:01. Hou—FGFairbairn 28,:30 A—73,611. Hou KC First downs 14

Total Net Yards268

Rushes-yards31-82

Passing 186

Punt Returns

Kickoff Returns

Comp-Att-Int

Sacked-YardsLost

Punts

Fumbles-Lost

Penalties-Yards

Time of Possession31:58

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Houston, Marks 26-68, Ogunbowale 1-5, Stroud 2-5, Chubb

1-1. Kansas City, Mahomes 7-59, Pacheco 9-30, Hunt 12-30, B.Smith 1-7 PASSING—Houston, Stroud 15-31-0-203. Kansas City, Mahomes 14-33-3-160. RECEIVING—

1-8, Smith-Schuster 1-5,Mahomes 1-(minus 10). MISSED FIELD GOALS—Kansas City, Butker 43.

lost last year’sﬁnal to Milwaukee, wonWest Group Athis year at 4-0. Outlook: Oklahoma Cityneeds a wintomatch Golden State (24-1 in 2015-16) forthe best 25-game start in NBAhistory Thunderguard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 445 points in Cup games, second-most in tournament play behindMilwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo (453). Phoenix is 10-0when holding teamsto113 points or less, 3-10 otherwise. SpursatLakers

9p.m. Wednesday Records: Spurs 15-7, Lakers 17-6 Season series: Lakers 1-0 (Lakers 118, Spurs116 in Los Angeleson Nov. 5).

NBACup history: Spurs are 5-7 alltimeinCup games, are in quarterﬁnals for ﬁrst timeand won West Group Bthis season at 3-1; Lakers are NBA-best 13-2 in Cup games, are in quarterfinals for second time, won West Group Cthis season at 4-0and won the inaugural title when the event was called the In-Season Tournament in 2023. Outlook: Lakers guard Austin Reaves is having abreakout season and looking very much like an All-NBA player,plus has appeared in more Cup game wins (13 wins in 15 contests) than anyone still in thisyear’stournament. LeBron James is coming off aseason-high 29 points in Lakers’ win at Philadelphia on Sunday Spurs are 8-4 with Victor Wembanyama in the lineup —and have morethan held it down sincehestrained hiscalf, going 7-3 in his absence.

XboxBowl Frisco,Texas

vs.Missouri

8p.m. (ESPN2) Dec. 19 Myrtle BeachBowl Conway, S.C. KennesawState vs.WesternMichigan, 10 a.m. (ESPN) Gasparilla Bowl Tampa, Fla Memphis vs.N.C.State,1:30 p.m. (ESPN) College FootballPlayoff First Round No. 11 Alabama (10-3) at No. 8Oklahoma (10-2),7 p.m. (ESPN/ABC) Dec. 20 College FootballPlayoff First Round No. 10 Miami (Fla.) (10-2) at No. 7Texas A&M (11-1),11a.m. (ESPN/ABC) No. 17 Tulane (11-2) at No. 6Mississippi (111),2:30 p.m. (TNT/HBO Max) No. 19 JamesMadison(12-1) at No. 5Oregon (11-1),6:30 p.m. (TNT/HBO Max) FCSplayoffs Quarterﬁnals Friday At Bozeman, Mont.: Montana St.(11-2) vs StephenF.Austin(11-2),8 p.m. Saturday At Stephenville, Texas: Tarleton St.(12-1) vs Villanova (11-2),11a.m. At Missoula, Mont.: Montana (12-1) vs South Dakota (10-4),2:30 p.m. At Davis, Calif.: UC Davis (9-3)vs. IllinoisSt. (10-4),4 p.m. College basketball Men’sstate schedule Sunday’s games TexasTech 82, LSU58 Louisiana Tech 89, Ecclesia College 37 StephenF.Austin96, UL-Monroe 76 NorthwesternState 76, Southeastern 68 Monday’s games Southern Miss 68, Grambling60 Texas95, Southern 69 UNO 84, Incarnate Word 83 Tuesday’s games Arkansas Baptist at UL-Monroe,noon McNeese at Rhode Island, 6p.m.

PRESS PHOTOByGERALD LEONG

A final, forlorn look at what remains

inside the abandoned Lindy Boggs hospital before it’s torn down

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

When the levees failed during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the basement of the 187-bed Lindy Boggs Medical Center filled with floodwater, systems shut down and a crisis ensued. Nineteen patients died before the place could be evacuated, and the hospital building hasn’t been occupied since. It sits in limbo at the start of Norman C. Francis Parkway in Mid-City marked with graffiti tags as big as billboards.

former medical

But the forlorn building’s days may be numbered. On Nov. 15, voters approved bond issues that will fund the demolition of the beacon of blight as soon as 2026. Most people will happily say good riddance to the eyesore

For some, though, the impending doom of the 66-year-old modernist behemoth has wetted their curiosity For reasons unclear, old and abandoned buildings have a certain allure. Some of us just naturally long to know what’s left inside. On a recent Thursday afternoon, a trio of Times-Picayune reporters were given one last glimpse inside the Mid-City landmark

No Trespassing

Bear Cheezen, an adjunct lecturer in real estate development at Tulane University and a member of the Urban Land Institute, is an authority on big, abandoned properties in New Orleans.

He sometimes takes his students on tours of decrepit buildings, then he assigns them to write up some sort of development strategy. Cheezen is accustomed to the sort of dark, ominous interiors that would make most of us shudder With the permission of property owners Bill Hoffman and Paul Flower, Cheezen unlocked the heavy chains on the gates, and passed out

‘It made me think of all the years I missed out on in her life.’

Above: A sign asks voters to back funding for the demolition of the former Lindy Boggs Medical Center. The measure was recently passed.

Left: Graffiti by AZ covers a support inside the medical center The facility hasn’t been occupied since Hurricane Katrina.

A dance at Angola gives fathers, daughters a moment to reunite

A prisoner at the Louisiana State Penitentiary embraces a loved one before a father-daughter dance held inside the lockup in Angola on Nov. 22.

BY SARA CLINE Associated Press

BATON ROUGE Leslie Harris has missed most milestones in his daughter’s life while serving a decades-long sentence in Louisiana for armed robbery and is unlikely to get out before her prom, her graduation and maybe even her wedding.

But for one night at Louisiana’s largest maximum-securi-

ty prison, Harris made his own moment with his 17-year-old daughter while donning a custom tux and clutching a bouquet of roses: reuniting at the prison’s ﬁrst father-daughter dance, where they embraced to Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” at a pink-heavy party this month that was widely shared on social media. “Seeing her in a dress, crying and running to me just broke me down,” said Harris, who has nine years left on his sentence, in a phone interview from the Louisiana State Penitentiary “It made me think of all the years I missed out on in her life.” The lockup is the latest in the U.S. to hold a daddy-daughter dance, including one in Washington, D.C., that was featured in the Netflix documentary

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Graffiti fills the former chapel at the Lindy Boggs Medical Center in New Orleans.

Graffiti artist AZ uses imperfections of the wall to create a creature inside the

center

Forholiday gifts, thinkoutside thewraptosavetrees

Dear Heloise: We’ll be spending hours wrapping Christmas and Hannukah gifts in afew weeks, using alot of paper sourced from forest trees that would be better left standing. Ihate wrapping! I’ve come up with an alternative that has saved me hours of work —and saves trees as well!

seconds to “wrap” apresent in!

Ibuy pretty holidaythemed cloth on sale. Ithen make simple rectangular bags in a variety of sizes and sew aribbon on the outside near the top of the bag. These bags can be used over andover again, and they take only

Youcan even choose prints that reflect therecipient’sfavorite activity (fish for my fisherman husband). Youdon’tneed to be fussyabout thesize; I just make book-sized, shirtsized, andlarge toy-sized bags.Byusing avariety of prints, my tree looks very festiveonChristmas morning! Thanksfor sharing. Kathleen Braico,via email

Physical newspapers

Dear Heloise: At 83 yearsofage, I prefera physical newspaperthat gets deliveredtothe front door before breakfastasI like to eat and

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday,Dec. 9, the 343rdday of 2025. There are22 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Dec. 9, 1979, scientistscertiﬁed the global eradication of smallpox, adisease which killed an estimated 300 million people in the 20th century

Also on this date:

In 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the ﬁrst animated TV special featuring characters from the “Peanuts”comic strip by Charles M. Schulz,premiered on CBS.

In 1990, Solidarity founder LechWałesa won Poland’sﬁrst free presidential election since 1926.

In 1992, the ﬁrst U.S. Marines made apredawn beach landing in Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope; they were met by hundreds of reporters awaiting their arrival.

In 2006, the space shuttle Discoverylaunchedonamission to add to and rewire the International Space Station.

DANCE

Continued from page 1D

“Daughters” last year.InLouisiana, prison ofﬁcials say thedance could become anothertraditionat the rural lockup in Angola, which every October hosts the country’s last remaining prison rodeo. It has more than 6,300 prisoners, including dozens of people on death row,and is on the same grounds where anotorious lockup was converted intoanimmigration detention facilityinSeptember Assistant Warden Anne-Marie Easley said she hoped the dance would bring asenseofhope that canbeelusive in aprison where many are serving decades-long or life sentences. For some men, it was achance to reunite with their daughters for the ﬁrst time in months or even years —an opportunity to rebuild relationships andheal wounds. Forothers, it meant anight where they wouldn’tbeseen as an inmatebut rather adad.

The prison picked nearly 30 inmates to participate due to good behavior,among other factors. Videos posted from the event showed fathers in tuxedos complete with pinkboutonnieres —breaking down in tears astheir daughters ran up to them in sparkly dresses, shrieking withexcite-

In 2013, scientists revealed that NASA’sCuriosity rover had uncovered signs ofanancient freshwater lakeonMars.

In 2019,anisland volcano off New Zealand’scoast called Whakaari, or White Island, erupted, killing 22 tourists and guides and seriously injuring several others. Mostofthe 47people on the island were U.S. and Australian cruiseship passengers on a walkingtour with the guides.

In 2021,a cargotruck jammed with migrants crashed in southernMexico, killing at least53 people and injuring dozens more Today’sBirthdays: Actor Judi Dench is 91. Actor Beau Bridges is 84. World Golf Hall of Famer TomKite is 76. Actor John Malkovich is 72. Singer Donny Osmond is 68. Actor Felicity Huffman is 63. Empress Masako of Japan is 62. Democratic Sen. Kirsten GillibrandofNew York is 59. Rock singer-musician Jakob Dylan (Wallﬂowers) is 56. Actor Simon Helberg is 45. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist McKayla Maroney is 30. Actor Nico Parker is 21.

ment. They reunited in themiddle of apink carpetoverlayed with petals, with breezy drapes hanging overhead. Adance space was setupinthe prison’s Biblecollege The dance was put on by God BehindBars, which hosts other reunificationeventsand religiousservices in prisons nationwide. In videos the group posted before the dance, some prisoners said they wanted to apologize for all theyears they missed. Others called the dance the most important prison visit of theirlives. Thenight included themen surprisingtheir daughterswith aline dance after weeks of practice. For Harris, thebest part was whenhe andhis daughterslow danced to “Butterfly Kisses,” a song about adad’s unconditional love for his daughter

In that moment,Harrissaid memories rushedback of life before prison, when hisdaughter was just 2years old. Howshe wouldsleep on his chest, play with his hair and how he would buy her little dresses.Beforethe night wasover,hegave heraBiblewith passages he highlighted.

“That’sreallythe heart of it at theend of theday,” said Jake Bodine, founder of God Behind Bars. “Show these individuals who is counting on them and once they realize theweightof that, theywillholdthemselves accountable for change.”

read the newspaper.Our newspaper company has stopped printing aphysical newspaper on Mondays and on mostholidays.Icertainly do not want toeat breakfast in front of my computer while Itry to read the news (and perhaps spill coffee on my keyboard). So, that is my wordonnewspapers —Marvin Tiffany, in York, Nebraska Newwedding trends

Dear Heloise: Iamchiming in on Carla W.’s lament concerning her granddaughter’splan to charge her gueststoattendher wedding. This totally takes away from aguest’s sense of respect and value. To witness theexchange of

vows and pledge to support the couple emotionally and spiritually is aprivilegeand duty.But to pay for this privilege? No way! Someweddings these days have gotten out of hand while losing their heart. So much money goes to “putting on ashow”that is over in several hours. In addition, there are extravagant bridesmaid and groomsmen getaways beforehand, aprerehearsal dinner for out-of-town guests, and abrunch theday after the wedding. Brides and groom everywhere, consider amodest yet meaningful ceremony and reception that will be fondly remembered by all who attend. Start anew trend! —Anne

R., in San Jose, California

Pickingupdoggy doo-doo

DearHeloise: Ikeep asmall pail with awell-ﬁtting lid at my house and place atrash bag liner into the pail. When walking the dog, Iuse doggy bags to pick up the poop, carry it home, and put it into the pail. When the weekly garbage collection is due, Itie aknot in the liner and place it in the trash. It’s best to keep the pail ashort distance from your door and in the shade. Rinse it out weekly and let it air-dry.Problem solved! —C Bram, via email

Email heloise@heloise.com.

someonehad setuphousekeeping in asmall, second-story room adjacenttoanaccessible roof,which they’d used as an outdoor patio.

Agraffiti museum

ﬂashlights before passing through aground ﬂoor door intodarkness. He said to be carefulnot to tripon anyfallen clutter.And to look out for hypodermic needles.

The interior had long ago been emptied of furniture and equipment. There were holes in the walls hereand there, possibly caused by scrappersscrounging for copper or other metal. Electrical conduits that once led to light fixturesdangledlike tentacles from theceiling. In thejiggling beams of flashlightsand the sunangling through occasional open windows, the place had ajagged, unsettling geometry. Everyshadowed hallway and stairwell seemed to simultaneously lead on forever,and go nowhere.

Crying forhelp

Cheezen said he’s from asmall town near Charleston,South Carolina. He studied at Clemson Universityand cametoNew Orleans 11 yearsago to work with the Woodward Interests, helping redevelop thetowering International TradeMart building intothe Four Seasons hotel.

With abackground in real estate development, Cheezen explained, you’re always looking for potential, always asking, “what’s the best version”ofabuilding? In the caseofunused mega-structureslikethe formerLindy Boggs Medical Center, “they’re either pristine or they’re crying for help.”The old hospital was certainly in the latter category Pilesofdiscardedclothes lay here and there in theenormous interior, butthere wasn’t much evidence of long-termhabitation. Though Cheezen said that once,

Cheezen saidhedoesn’tmind wandering old buildingsbyhimself.

“I wouldn’tgowalking around the hospital at 2a.m.,” he said. “But in the afternoon, yeah.” Most of thetrespassers he might encounter “are harmless,” he said, and he doesn’t“go in heavy handed.” He just tells them the place is off-limits and they depart. Back when it was new, the hospital chapel must have been splendid, with its 12-foot-tall windows, curving mezzanine and oculus skylights.

But nowitlooks like something out of “MadMax,” adystopian ceremonial space, coated with grafﬁti.

Spray-painted wallsare everywhere inside the old hospital. In a way,it’sastreet art gallery,where graffitiwriters created unhurried, detailed aerosol murals. All are quiteillegal,ofcourse, but few have theantisocial tone of vandalism. One sees manya familiar tag in the ensemble: REZNOR, UTER, DEVOT,etc. But the most prolific graffiti writer of the Lindy Boggs Medical Center art community by far is someone knownonly as AZ.

An angry, frustrated energy AZ —who wasborn in Kansas City andhas called NewOrleans homefor more than adecade— is in thenightmare business. His masterful murals feature monsters, lostchildrenand tormented souls screaming with angst. He paints almost purely in black and white, with asketchy style that looks like enormous charcoal drawings.

AZ’s characters often seem to reach out menacingly toward spectators. To encounter his images in thedarkened cavern of along-

abandoned hospital is chilling. In the mazeofempty roomsand corridors, he’s found the perfect context forpsychological dread.

The underground artist, whodeclined to share his full nameout of concern for possible prosecution, says he doesn’tbelieve in ghosts. But he does perceive that places can have certain vibes. He likes to paint in the abandoned hospital because nobody bothers him there. But honestly,hesaid, he feels a certain angry,frustratedenergy in the building. After all, explained, the hospital wasthere to help people;thatwas itspurpose.But for the past 20 years, it hasn’tbeen able to perform its mission.

In his long, intimate acquaintance with forlorn real estate, Cheezen has become aconnoisseur of grafﬁti. He has no use for simplistic tagging and cursory scribbles scattered through the hospital —especially on the uppermost ﬂoors. But he admires AZ and afew of the others.

An albatross

Thelaststoponthe tourwas a thrilling visit to the roof, which provides an unparalleled view of northern Mid-City.Then it was time to shufﬂe back through the darkness, down the scary stairwells, to the door

Cheezen said he’srelieved to knowthatthe hulking hospital is doomed to destruction.

“The city deserves to be freed of that albatross,” he said.Justlookat the site, he said, at the intersection of the Norman C. Francis Parkway, the Laﬁtte Greenway and Bayou St. John. From an urbanist point of view, he said “it’severything you could put on aChristmas list.”

“I’mexcitedtosee the next chapter,hesaid.

Email Doug MacCashat dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

Hints from Heloise

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Address emotional and financial situations and ease your mind. Fretting instead of being proactive will affect your health and well-being. Be honest with yourself and others.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Look for opportunities by attending functions that integrate what you enjoy doing with professional possibilities. Be bold, unique and confident as you blaze forward.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Reinvent yourself and how you want to use your skills. A change of location or people in your life requires common sense. Don't believe everything you hear.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Talks, discipline and innovative ideas will flourish. Communication will help you plan to move forward and deal with people who are trying to stop you from achieving your goals.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) You can build a solid platform if you are positive and forthright. Traveling, communicating and finishing what you start are the keys to your success.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Think twice before you let your emotions escalate and lead you down a slippery slope. Know your limits, your attributes and your goals, and focus on what's possible.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Change is within reach. Thoughts, followed by actions, will get you where you want to go. Don't

hesitate to walk away from situations that are standing between you and happiness.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Go through the proper channels, and you'll have no regrets. Talk to authority figures, map out a plan and head in a direction that encourages growth and prosperity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Time is money, and the journey you start today will help expand your awareness. Attend events that offer insight and help you make connections that allow you to express your attributes.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept 22) Fixate on what's important. Focus on domestic matters that need tweaking to ensure nothing festers behind closed doors. Change begins with you and your ability to lead the way.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Get into the fast lane before someone beats you at your own game. Reach out; be the one to make a difference by leading the way. Refuse to let laziness cost you or cause you to cut corners.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Let your creative imagination lead, and you'll dazzle others with your insight and innovative suggestions. Don't hesitate to broaden your horizons and to venture into new territory.

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: T EQUALS B

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Molieresaid,“Ifyousuppressgrieftoo much, it can redouble.” Atthebridgetable,suppressingknowledge about responder’s redouble can cause grief. Yesterday, we learnedthat after the opener bids one of asuit and the next player makes atakeout double, responder’sredouble promisesatleast 10 highcardpointsand denies good support forpartner’s suit.Intoday’s deal,you will seethat responderredoubles,then supports hispartner’sheart suit. This shows exactly three-card supportand game-invitational values, 10-12 support pointsand eight losers. (With astronger hand,responderwouldjump-rebidthree hearts, agameforce.)Opener leapsto four hearts. Notethat opener’ssecond-roundpass wasforcing.Eithertheopeningsidebuys thecontractortheinterveningsideplays in something doubled for penalty. And if Southhad immediately rebidinhearts, it would have shown aminimum (or subminimum) opening bid. Also, East’s twodiamond advance promised no strength. He wasjust indicatingapreference for thatsuit over spadesand clubs Against four hearts, West leads the diamond queen. Easttakes dummy’s king with hisace, cashes the diamond 10, then shifts to aspade. How should Southcontinue?

West surely has the spade king for his double. So Southisthreatened with four losers: one spade, one heart and two diamonds.Heshouldwin withhis spade ace,cashthe club king, playa club to dummy’s queen, and discard the spade queen on the club ace. Then he leads a trump and claims shortlythereafter ©2025 by nEa,inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAY’s WoRD FIctItIous: fik-TISH-us: Imaginary.

Average mark12words Timelimit 30 minutes

YEstERDAY’s WoRD —PAssIVItY

Can you find 20 or morewords in FICTITIOUS? pass

vista vita tipsy

rewards evil forgood,evilshall not depart from his house.” Proverbs 17:13

wuzzles

loCKhorNs Opposing

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.

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