The Acadiana Advocate 12-11-2025

La.’s Medicaid contract decision has deep roots

Dispute stems from drug prices, pharmacy benefit managers

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana’s last-minute decision this month not to renew a $4.2 billion contract with UnitedHealthcare to provide Medicaid benefits for roughly 330,000 people is the latest front in a larger battle some state officials are waging against major health companies over prescription drug prices.

That decision, made weeks before new health policies are set to take effect, caught legislators off guard and raised concerns about disruptions for patients. The Louisiana Department of Health has said it will transition recipients to one of the five other existing companies providing Medicaid services.

The problem does not appear to be with the UnitedHealthcare contract itself — in fact, the Health Depart-

ment asked lawmakers last month to renew it Attorney General Liz Murrill has tied it to another issue: a lawsuit over pharmacy benefit managers. Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, negotiate drug prices on behalf of health plans. OptumRx has provided that service for the state government, and its parent

ä See CONTRACT, page 5A

UL leader says deficit reduced to $10.5M

At town hall, Kolluru outlines steps taken to address shortfall

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

In a packed town hall Wednesday afternoon, University of Louisiana at Lafayette interim President Ramesh Kolluru outlined for faculty and staff the steps that have been taken to address the school’s financial woes.

During the hour-and-a-half town hall, Kolluru told the more than 200 attendees that he and previous interim President Jaimie Hebert had taken steps to eliminate most of UL’s $25 million deficit and $25 million recurring annual budget shortfall. Through cost-cutting measures, including contract cancellations and position eliminations, Kolluru said the deficit for the current fiscal year was down to about $10.5 million.

“It has been a very difficult time,” he said during the meeting. “We know the magnitude of the problem. We know we are going to collaborate. We are going to come together to solve that problem.”

“It has been a very difficult time. We know the magnitude of the problem. We know we are going to collaborate. We are going to come together to solve that problem.”

RAMESH KOLLURU University of Louisiana at Lafayette interim president

Kolluru’s announcement came with a caveat and a plea: Getting to that financial position is, in part, contingent on departments cutting 10% of their spending.

“If we don’t implement that financial discipline that we agreed upon at the beginning of (the fall 2025 semester), that number will not be achievable,” he said. “When that number is not achievable, that bottom-line number becomes much more daunting.”

ä See

N.O. sees fewer arrests, quieter protests in Border Patrol sweep

Local businesses report labor shortage concerns to officials

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

When U.S. Border Patrol agents descended onto New Orleans one week ago as part of President Donald Trump’s federal immigration crackdown, local organizers and Democratic officials braced for

mass arrests. Images from Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina foreshadowed what could happen. Border Patrol agents in recent months made thousands of arrests, wielded aggressive tactics and clashed with protesters in both cities.

But so far in Louisiana, where the Border Patrol operation is dubbed “Catahoula Crunch,” agents appear to have netted fewer arrests — with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security citing the overall number as dozens

without giving specifics. They’ve targeted home improvement store parking lots, worksites and a car wash. Some U.S. citizens and permit-holders have been taken for questioning and then released.

And despite criticism from advocates and some local Democratic officials, the scope of the arrests around New Orleans — and the intensity of responsive demonstrations — has remained more muted than in other cities, where mass

ä See SWEEP, page 4A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill have been embroiled in a legal battle with major health companies over prescription drug prices.

Customs and Border Patrol Commander

Gregory Bovino, center, walks with Border Patrol agents in Kenner on Friday.

STAFF

PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Miss. man ordered freed after illegal sentence

A man illegally sentenced to 15 years in prison for a crime that carries a maximum penalty of five years behind bars is set to walk free, after Mississippi Gov Tate Reeves granted him clemency on Wednesday.

The Mississippi Court of Appeals ruled in May that Marcus Taylor’s sentence was illegal, but did not commute his sentence because Taylor had missed the deadline to apply for post-conviction relief. After rehearing the case last month, the court reversed course, ordering Taylor’s release.

Taylor accepted a plea deal in February 2015 for conspiracy to sell a Schedule III controlled substance. Both the trial court and Taylor’s plea petition incorrectly listed the maximum sentence as 20 years, according to the appeals court. Upon the state’s recommendation, a judge sentenced Taylor to 15 years.

“This is about justice, not mercy,” Reeves said in a statement.

“Mr Taylor has served more than 10 years of his sentence, and further service of this sentence in excess of the five-year statutory maximum constitutes a mischarge of justice.”

San Francisco woman gives birth in a Waymo

SAN FRANCISCO Self-driving Waymo taxis have gone viral for negative reasons involving the death of a beloved San Francisco bodega cat and pulling an illegal U-turn in front of police who were unable to issue a ticket to a nonexistent driver.

But this week, the self-driving taxis are the bearer of happier news after a San Francisco woman gave birth in a Waymo.

The mother was on her way to the University of CaliforniaSan Francisco medical center Monday when she delivered inside the robotaxi, said a Waymo spokesperson in a statement Wednesday The company said its rider support team detected “unusual activity” inside the vehicle and called to check on the rider as well as alert 911.

Waymo, which is owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, declined to elaborate on how the vehicle knew something was amiss.

The taxi and its passengers arrived safely at the hospital ahead of emergency services.

Jess Berthold, a UCSF spokesperson, confirmed the mother and child were brought to the hospital. She said the mother was not available for interviews.

2 buildings collapse in Fez, Morocco, killing 22

RABAT, Morocco Two adjacent four-story buildings collapsed overnight in the Moroccan city of Fez, killing 22 people in the second fatal collapse there this year, authorities said Wednesday. Morocco’s state news agency, MAP, reported that the two buildings housed eight families. Sixteen people were injured and taken to the hospital Authorities said the neighborhood had been evacuated and search and rescue efforts continued.

It was unclear what caused the collapse or how many people were unaccounted for Authorities said an investigation had been opened. MAP reported that the structures were built in 2006 during an initiative called “City Without Slums.”

Fez is Morocco’s third-largest city and one of the hosts of this month’s Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup. It is best known for its walled city packed with medieval souks. It’s also one of the country’s poorest urban centers, where aging infrastructure is common

Such building collapses are not uncommon in Moroccan cities undergoing rapid population growth. A collapse in May in Fez killed 10 people and injured seven in a building that had been slated for evacuation, according to Moroccan outlet Le360.

Building codes are often not enforced in Morocco, especially in ancient cities where aging, multifamily homes of cinderblock are common. Though the buildings that collapsed Wednesday had been built according to code, the Hespress news outlet reported, additional floors had been added to the structures.

Aid into Gaza falls short, figures show

Amount agreed upon in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire hasn’t come, according to analysis

BY JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press

JERUSALEM Aid deliveries into Gaza are falling far short of the amount called for under the U.S.brokered ceasefire, according to an Associated Press analysis of the Israeli military’s figures as humanitarian groups say the shortfall is severely impacting the strip’s 2 million people.

Under the October ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Israel agreed to allow 600 trucks of aid into Gaza a day

However, Israel’s own figures suggest that an average of only 459 trucks a day have entered the Gaza Strip between Oct. 12, when the flow of the aid restarted, and Sunday, according to an AP analysis. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid entry, provided the figures.

COGAT said that roughly 18,000 trucks of food aid had entered Gaza from when the ceasefire took effect until Sunday, amounting to 70% of all aid that had entered the territory since the truce.

This means that COGAT estimates that including the rest of the aid items that are not food, such as tents and medicines — a total of just over 25,700 trucks have entered Gaza. That is well under the 33,600 trucks that should have gone in by Sunday, under the terms of the ceasefire.

In response to the AP analysis, COGAT insisted Wednesday the number of trucks entering Gaza each day was above the 600 mark but refused to elaborate why the figures don’t match or provide raw data on truck entry

COGAT used to give daily figures of trucks entering Gaza during the war but stopped doing so

when the ceasefire began. Rights groups say that is because it controls the crossings and has sole access to track how much aid and commercial goods are entering Gaza.

The United Nations and aid groups have often said the amount of aid entering Gaza is far lower than COGAT claims.

The U.N. says only 6,545 trucks have been offloaded at Gaza crossings between the ceasefire and Dec 7, amounting to about 113 trucks a day. That’s according to its online database. The U.N. figures do not include aid trucks sent by organizations not working through the U.N. network.

A Hamas document on Saturday provided to the AP put the amount of total aid trucks that have entered since the truce at 7,333.

This week, the U.N office for humanitarian affairs, known as OCHA, stressed a “dire” need for more aid for Gaza, saying Israeli restrictions on aid have bottlenecked recovery efforts.

Humanitarian groups say lack of aid has had harsh effects on much of Gaza’s residents, most of whom were forcibly displaced by war Food remains scarce as the Palestinian territory struggles to bounce back from famine, which hit parts of Gaza during the war

Since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire began on Oct. 10, the price for a 26.5-pound cylinder of cooking gas has shot up to $406, about 18 times what it was before the war

That has left many residents relying on firewood for both cooking and to stay warm as temperatures plunge ahead of winter including the 23-member Abed family in the northern city of Jabaliya.

“We are living under the rubble and sleeping on torn sheets We collect some firewood, and cut sponges to start a fire,” Marwan Abed 62 told the AP from under the crumbling concrete of his house. He said firewood is the only way “to keep the children warm” and to prepare coffee.

Rwanda-backed rebels say they’ve seized strategic city

BY WILSON MCMAKIN Associated Press

DAKAR, Senegal Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 said that it had taken control of the strategic city of Uvira in eastern Congo on Wednesday afternoon, following a rapid offensive since the start of the month and on the heels of a U.S. attempt to quell violence from the conflict

The announcement, made on social platform X by M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka encouraged citizens who fled to return to their homes. Uvira is an important port city on the northern tip of Lake Tanganyika and is directly across from neighboring Burundi’s largest city, Bujumbura.

M23’s latest offensive comes despite a U.S.-mediated peace agreement signed last week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington. The accord didn’t include the rebel group, which is negotiating separately with Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating. However, it obliges Rwanda to halt support for armed groups and work to end hostilities.

Residents of Uvira reported a chaotic night where Congolese army troops fled, and gunfire was reported throughout the city

Congo Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya said in a speech that more than 100 people had died in the latest offensive, while not explicitly acknowledging the rebel takeover of the city Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, which had hundreds of members in 2021 Now, according to the U.N., the group has around 6,500 fighters.

While Rwanda denies that claim, it acknowledged last year that it has troops

rebels escort government

and police

and missile systems in eastern Congo, allegedly to safeguard its security U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

In a statement Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa urged M23 and Rwandan troops to cease all offensive operations and for the Rwandan Defense Forces to withdraw to Rwanda.

On Wednesday morning, the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed the Congolese armed forces for the recent ceasefire violations in a statement on X.

“The DRC has openly stated that it would not observe any ceasefire, and was fighting to recapture territories lost to AFC/M23, even as the peace process unfolded,” the statement said.

Earlier this year, M23 seized Goma and Bukavu, two key cities in eastern Congo, in a major escalation of the yearslong conflict.

Musk says DOGE only ‘somewhat successful’

BY BILL BARROW Associated Press

Mega billionaire Elon Musk, in a friend-

ly interview with his aide and conservative influencer Katie Miller, said his efforts leading the Department of Government Efficiency were only “somewhat successful” and he would not do it over again.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who also owns the social media platform X, still broadly defended President Donald Trump’s controversial pop-up agency that Musk left in the spring before it shuttered officially last month. Yet Musk bemoaned how difficult it is to remake the federal government quickly and he acknowledged how much his businesses suffered because of his DOGE work and its lack of popularity

“We were a little bit successful. We were somewhat successful,” he told Miller, who once worked as a DOGE spokeswoman charged with selling the agency’s work to the public. When Miller pressed Musk on whether he would do it all over again, he said: “I don’t think so. Instead of doing DOGE, I would have, basically, built worked on my companies.”

Almost wistfully, Musk added, “They wouldn’t have been burning the cars” — a reference to consumer protests against Tesla.

Still, things certainly have turned up for Musk since his departure from Trump’s administration. Tesla shareholders approved a pay package that could make Musk the world’s first trillionaire. Musk was speaking as a guest on the “Katie Miller Podcast,” which Miller, who is married to top Trump adviser Stephen Miller launched after leaving government employment to work for Musk in the private sector The two sat in chairs facing each other for a conversation that lasted more than 50 minutes and spanned topics from DOGE to Musk’s thoughts on AI, social media, conspiracy theories and fashion.

Miller did not press Musk on the inner workings of DOGE and the controversial manner in which it took over federal agencies and data systems.

Musk credited the agency with saving as much as $200 billion annually in “zombie payments” that he said can be avoided with better automated systems and coding for federal payouts. But that number is dwarfed by Musk’s ambitious promises at one time that an efficiency commission could measure savings in the trillions. Miller has not responded to an Associated Press request for comment.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

M23

soldiers

who surrendered to an undisclosed location in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jan. 30.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

Displaced Palestinians repair their tents at a tent camp on the beach Wednesday after stormy weather in Gaza City, Gaza Strip.

arrestsand protests flared up

“Strictly from an enforcement standpoint, there has not been anywhere near the same increase in enforcement we’veseenelsewhere,” said Jeff Asher, aNew Orleans-based crime analyst.

Federal officials have repeatedly declined to provideafull tally of people detained in the operation that commenced on Dec. 3, and thetotal number remains murky Butbased on reports from acombination of U.S. officials, immigration attorneys, advocacygroups and media citations, Border Patrol agents appear to have detained just afew dozen people in the New Orleans metro area in the operation’s first week.

Alaw enforcement memo reviewed SundaybyThe Associated Press said agents had arrested 38 people in two days. Federal agents in Chicago,incontrast,arrested about 1,900 people from early September through mid-October, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest data fromthe University of California, Berkeley Deportation Data Project.InCharlotte, where agents operated in force for five days, DHS said 425 people were detained.

Immigration attorneys andlocal officials cite abevy of factors in explaining why the New Orleans operation hasemerged, at least so far,asrelatively quiet by thestandards of the Trump administration’sinterventions in Democraticled cities. New Orleans has amuchsmaller immigrant populationthan those cities, leading local officials tosay the operation’sgoal of 5,000 arrests may be all but impossible to achieve.Support forthe operation from local policeagencies, which have been at odds with federal agents at times in other cities, may also have limited clashes withfederal agents. And sweeps in Charlotte and Chicago gave organizers in New Orleans time to studyBorderPatrol’stactics.

“The community has done an excellent jobofprotecting themselves and each other,” said Jeremy Jong,a New Orleans-based immigration attorney

There are still surefire signs of the operation’simpact: Businesses say they’re strugglingto hire workers, school attendance hasdeclined and attendance at Spanish-language churchservices has dropped. Some business leaders have called Republicanstate officials to complain.

Lt. Gov.Billy Nungesser said Wednesday he has received “a dozencalls” from business owners facing labor shortages as staff with valid work permits stay home out of fear of being detained by immigration agents.

Border Patrol agents also appear

to be expanding theirfootprint in southLouisiana while detentions have continued. Agents detainedatleast three more people early this week in the Baton Rouge area, according to eyewitnesses, two of whom were pulled from acar after agents smashed their windows.And BorderPatrol CommanderGregory Bovino, who is leading the operation,said Wednesdayonthe social mediasite Xthat his agentshad

made new arrests in Slidell and Covington.

ADHS spokesperson did not respond Wednesday to questions from The Times-Picayune |The Advocate. Bovino and other DHS officials have touted the operation’s progress. “Weare arresting criminal alien(s) across alarge swath of southern Louisiana,” Bovino said Wednesday on X. New Orleanshas also not seen

thekinds of volatileprotests that becamewidespreadinChicago during the Border Patrol’soperation there.Inthose, protesters and journalists at times faced tear gas and rubber bullets.

News reports about those incidents prompted court officialsin New Orleans’ U.S. DistrictCourt for the Eastern District to brace for apotential waveofcases against demonstrators accused of assaulting federal law agents charges that became commonin other citiesthe administration has targeted. One Washington, D.C., man was charged with assaulting a federal agent forthrowing asandwich at him. (He wasacquitted.)

Claude Kelly,the chief federal public defender in New Orleans, saidhis office had prepared to potentially represent an influx of defendants facing chargesstemming from clashes with federal agents.

“But to date,wehavenot seen those,” Kelly said.

Demonstratorshavegathered since thestart of the operation in downtown New Orleans and Kenner,where BorderPatrolagents have been the mostactive.

An entourage of protesters in the Jefferson Parish city blew whistles and shouted warnings to residents last week as Bovino and his agents moved through residential areas. But there were no physical confrontations between agents and demonstrators.

Some residents have welcomed

Bovino. At the close of the operation’s first day,Bovino and his men strolledunencumberedthrough the Central Business District. And on Friday,Bovino stopped to use the restroom and buy snacks at a gas station on WilliamsBoulevard in Kenner with agaggle of journalists in tow

He declared that the bag of pork cracklins he pickedwas “really good forthe keto diet.” Customers snapped selfies with him.Outside, aman hoisted asign thanking ICE. Bovino handedhim atrinketin the shape of acoin and told him he “loved” him before getting back in his unmarked SUV and riding to his next location. Some criticshavesaidthe New Orleans operation has led to more pageantry than huge numbersof arrests.

Forthose who have been detained, the effect is “obviously horrible,” said Jong, the immigration attorney “But (Bovino) creates this giant spectacle where he goes through the CBD in New Orleans, promising to lock everyone up,” Jong said. “What does he have to show for it? 19 people aday? With as much time, expense, planning, money andwaste of taxpayerdollars they’ve expended, it doesn’t seem like he’sachieved his stated aims here.” Staff writersLaraNicholson and Sophie Kasakove contributedto this report.

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Customs and Border Patrol agents question occupants of avehicle theypulled overinKenner on Friday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT

Wilma Fuentesyells at Customsand Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and some of his agents as theywalk through aneighborhood duringanimmigration crackdown in Kenner on Friday

DEFICIT

“It’snot just a$10.5 million gap that we have,” he added,“it would likely be abigger gap.”

Kolluru broke down thechanges that have occurred since July to bring that $50 million total deficit downtoabout $10.5 million

n $6 million in increased revenue through increased enrollment, increased tuition and financial controls in July and August.

n $10 million in cuts through a hiring freeze, travel freeze,restrictions on spending accounts and onlyallowing departments to access60% of their budgetsin September

n $9.9 million in cost savings throughcontract cancellations, payroll reductions and retirements in October through December

n $13.6 millionestimated incost savings with each department making 10% reductions to their current fiscal year budgets.

The payroll reductionsthis fall included the elimination or consolidation of more than 80 positions, including among vicepresidents on campus. During his presentation, Kolluru also announced an interim reorganization structure, in addition to hisposition and Hebert’sposition, including:

n Vice Provost Dianne Olivier

n Vice President for Administration and FinanceEdwinLitolff

n Vice President for Intercolle-

company,UnitedHealth Group, also owns UnitedHealthcare Gov.Jeff Landry,who was then attorney general, sued UnitedHealthcare and OptumRx in April 2022,alleging they used the complexity of their business model to inflate the prices of drugs. The company denies the allegations.

Landry also alleged the companies violated the terms of their contracts with the statebynot providing documents the state requested, which UnitedHealth Group also denies. The lawsuit hasbeen mired for years in procedural fights.

It’sthat dispute that spurred Murrill on Dec. 2to write aletter to theDepartment of Health urgingit not to renew UnitedHealthcare’sMedicaidcontract.

“This is very simple Iexpecta companythat makes millions of dollars off the state to comply with our laws to remain eligible for that contract,” Murrill said in aTuesday statement.

The lawsuit and axed contract are only two ways Landry and Murrill are fighting over drug benefits. Landry recently pushed for legislation restricting PBM ownership of pharmacies, and Murrill is prosecuting multiple other lawsuits related to that issue.

Landry’s2022 lawsuit accuses United Healthcare and OptumRx, one of the largest PBMs in the country, of exploiting thecomplex prescription drugsupply chain to inflate prices

giate Athletics Bryan Maggard

n Vice President for Research and Innovation Kumer Das

n Vice president of student success is currently unfilled n Student Affairs—Dean of Stu-

dentsPatricia Cottonham

n Vice President for Strategic Impact andEconomicDevelopment Geoff Stewart

n Chief of Staff and Economic Development Lauren Emert

UL hasbeen without apermanent leader since July when longtime President Joseph Savoie stepped down. Hebert was initially named interimpresident. While Hebert was leading the

school,heannounced the deficit and implemented manyofthe cuts and changes that have been made this fall. Hebert stepped back into his role of provost in November after asking thesystemthatoversees UL to lethim stepdownand put Kolluru in his place.

The meeting came amid rumors that the University of Louisiana System, whichoverseeseight schools including UL, would ignore its own rules and bylawsto appoint Kolluru to the permanent position without forming asearch committee.

Instead,itacquiesced to Hebert’srequest and announced it would hold asearch committeebut did notprovide anydetails about the search at the time.

TheULsystem is holding aregular board meeting Thursday and is expected to give an update on the search.

UL’s financial woes surfaced in Januarywhenthe LouisianaLegislative Auditor’sOffice released its annualaudit forthe athletics department and noted a$12.6 million deficit forthe department. And in March, the Legislative Auditor’sOffice released its annual audit forthe university as awhole and noted four findings mostly relatedtotimelybilling andproper controls surrounding grants. Two months later,then-VicePresident forAdministrationand Finance Jerry Luke LeBlanc resignedfrom his position.

Contact AshleyWhiteatashley. white@theadvocate.com

and overcharge Louisiana’s Medicaid program for those drugs.

“Defendants not only know that their business models generate overpayments, they count onthe complexity of thesystem to getawaywith it,” Landry argued inthe lawsuit. “Defendants have caused the State to grossly overpay for Medicaid services in Louisiana by measures of billions of dollars.”

UnitedHealthcare and OptumRx said in response that they “specifically deny the existenceof, or their participation in,any scheme, deceptive or unfair practice, or anyother wrongdoing.”

Landry,inhis initial court filing, said thepricespaid or charged for drugs as they move through the supply chain arelargely asecret.

Thatsecrecy,heargued, allows PBMs to “unlawfully” extract profits and increase “the costsfor thepartythat ends up paying the final bill —inthis case the Medicaid Program.”

He argued that, under the state’sMedicaidcontract with UnitedHealthcare,the HealthDepartmentand the AttorneyGeneral’sOffice have theright to audit or inspect records related to it Landry’soffice had begun a yearearlier reviewing the state’sMedicaid contracts with UnitedHealthcare and OptumRx for potential fraud, waste and abuse.

He alleged that, months later,the companieshad only provided some of the data requested,and the state lacked the necessary information to determine if drug costswere being inflated. He argued that represented afailure to abideby the termsofthe agreement and

abreach of contract

UnitedHealthcare, in a statementTuesday,said it has “been consistently responsive to theState’srequest for data,records and documentation.

Murrill, who served as the state’ssolicitor general during Landry’stenure as AG, took over the case when she became attorney general and Landry became governor in 2024.

Thecase is ongoing, but it’stiedupinprocedural battles.OnNov.12, the Louisiana SupremeCourt issued aruling telling the state appealscourt it was required to revisit an earlier decision in the case regarding attorney fees, which United hasasked the high court to rehear.That request is currently pending. In aseparate issue, the healthcompanies argued that theLouisiana Constitution forbids thestate from hiring aprivatefirm on a contingency-fee basis unless it has authorization from the Legislature. Theyargued the state’s 2023 contract with theprivate firm SalimBeasley was invalid under that law

Thedistrict court initially threw out the health companies’ claim,but the1st Circuit Court of Appeallast month overruled that decision, saying that the claim is legitimate and returned the issue to the lower court.

That decision came the day after legislatorsapproved renewing UnitedHealthcare’sMedicaid contract —and 10 days before Murrill sent aletter telling the Health Department not to moveforward. Both Murrill andLandry this year have picked other public fightswith PBMs.

In thefinal daysofthe legislative session in June, Landry pushed for aban on vertical integration of pharmacy benefit managers, which would have madeit illegal for pharmacy benefit managerstoown pharmacies in Louisiana.

Landry drummedupsupport for thevertical integration ban from dozens of state lawmakers, who argued health care giantsand their PBMs weretaking advantageofpatients and pushing smaller,independent pharmacies outofthe market

Thegovernor’smoveelicited aquick and aggressive lobbying campaign against the proposal by CVS, which said its more than 100 Louisiana pharmacies would have been forced to close. The company initiated a text messagecampaign to customers, calling on them to contacttheir electedofficials to opposePBM vertical integration ban. Murrill, in response, begananinvestigation into CVSoverthe text campaign

The vertical integration measure failed to advance on the last day of the legislativesession.

But twoweeks later,Murrill and Landry announced Louisiana was bringing three lawsuitsagainst CVS.

The Louisiana officials alleged CVS improperly used customer data for political lobbying, abused its market power to increase drug costs andcausedeconomic harm to independent pharmacies.

CVS has denied the allegations,and the lawsuits are ongoing.

The Health Department earlierthis month was also set to end its Medicaid contract with Aetna, which is

STAFFFILE PHOTOByBRAD KEMP

Ramesh Kolluruwas appointed interim presidentofthe University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Nov. 13.

owned by CVS. But on Tuesday, the Health Department announced it wouldrenew the Aetna contract

Trump says U.S. has seized oil tanker near Venezuela

BY AAMER MADHANI and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela as tensions mount with the government of President Nicolás Maduro

Using U.S. forces to seize an oil tanker is incredibly unusual and marks the Trump administration’s latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States.

The U.S. has built up the largest military presence in the region in decades and launched a series of deadly strikes on alleged drugsmuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The campaign is facing growing scrutiny from Congress.

“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually,” Trump told reporters at the White House, later adding that “it was seized for a very good reason.”

Trump did not offer additional details. When asked

what would happen to the oil aboard the tanker, Trump said, “Well, we keep it, I guess.”

The seizure was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the Navy, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official added that the seizure was conducted under U.S. law enforcement authority

The Coast Guard members were taken to that ship by helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford, the official said. The Ford is in the Caribbean Sea after arriving last month in a major show of force, joining a fleet of other warships that have been increasing pressure on Maduro.

Video posted online by Attorney General Pam Bondi shows people fast-roping from one of the helicopters involved in the operation as it hovers just feet from the deck.

The Coast Guard members can be seen in later shots of the video moving throughout the superstructure of the ship with their weapons drawn.

Bondi wrote that “for mul-

tiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day Locked out of global oil markets by U.S. sanctions, the state-owned oil company sells most of its output at a steep discount to refiners in China.

The transactions usually involve a complex network of shadowy intermediaries, as sanctions have scared away more established traders. Many are shell companies, registered in jurisdictions known for secrecy. The buyers deploy so-called ghost tankers that hide their location and hand off their valuable cargoes in the middle of the ocean before they reach their final destination.

Maduro did not address the seizure during a speech before a ruling-party organized demonstration in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. But he told supporters that the country is “prepared to break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary.”

Maduro, flanked by senior

officials, said only the ruling party can “guarantee peace, stability, and the harmonious development of Venezuela, South America and the Caribbean.”

During past negotiations, among the concessions the U.S. has made to Maduro was approval for oil giant Chevron Corp. to resume pumping and exporting Venezuelan oil. The corporation’s activities in the South American country resulted in a financial lifeline for Maduro’s government.

Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from office.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the U.S. seizing of the oil tanker cast doubt on the administration’s stated reasons for the military buildup and boat strikes in the region.

“This shows that their whole cover story that this is about interdicting drugs — is a big lie,” the senator said. “This is just one more piece of evidence that this is really about regime change — by force.”

The seizure comes a day after the U.S. military flew a

House passes sweeping defense policy bill

BY STEPHEN GROVES and BEN FINLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON The House voted to pass a sweeping defense policy bill Wednesday that authorizes $900 billion in military programs, including a pay raise for troops and an overhaul of how the Department of Defense buys weapons

The bill’s passage comes at a time of increasing friction between the Republicancontrolled Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration over the management of the military The annual National Defense Authorization Act typically gained bipartisan backing, and the White House has signaled “strong support” for the must-pass legislation, saying it is in line with Trump’s national security agenda. Yet tucked into the over-3,000-page bill are several measures that push back against the Department of Defense, including a demand for more information on boat strikes in the Caribbean and support for allies in Europe, such as Ukraine.

Overall, the sweeping bill calls for a 3.8% pay raise for many military members as well as housing and facility improvements on military bases. It also strikes a compromise between the political parties — cutting climate and diversity efforts in line with Trump’s agenda, while also boosting congressional oversight of the Pentagon and repealing several old war authorizations. Still, hard-line conservatives said they were frustrated that the bill does not do more to cut U.S. commitments over-

seas.

“We need a ready, capable and lethal fighting force because the threats to our nation, especially those from China, are more complex and challenging than at any point in the last 40 years,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, the GOP chair of the House Armed Services Committee.

Lawmakers overseeing the military said the bill would change how the Pentagon buys weapons, with an emphasis on speed after years of delay by the defense industry It’s also a key priority for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the armed services panel, called the bill “the most ambitious swing at acquisition reform that we’ve taken.”

The legislation next heads to the Senate, where leaders are working to pass the bill before the holiday break.

Several senators on both sides of the aisle have criticized the bill for not doing enough to restrict military flights over Washington. They had pushed for reforms after a midair collision this year between an Army helicopter and a jetliner killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft near Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport. The National Transportation Safety Board has also voiced opposition to that section of the bill.

Lawmakers included a provision that would cut Hegseth’s travel budget by a quarter until the Pentagon provides Congress with unedited video of the strikes against alleged drug boats near Venezuela. Lawmakers are asserting their oversight role after a Sept. 2 strike

where the U.S. military fired on two survivors who were holding on to a boat that had partially been destroyed.

The bill also demands that Hegseth allow Congress to review the orders for the strikes.

Trump’s ongoing support for Ukraine and other allies in Eastern Europe has been under doubt over the last year, but lawmakers included several positions meant to keep up U.S. support for countering Russian aggression in the region.

The defense bill requires the Pentagon to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment stationed in Europe unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S interests.

Around 80,000 to 100,000 U.S. troops are usually present on European soil. It also authorizes $400 million for each of the next two years to manufacture weapons to be sent to Ukraine.

Additionally, there is a provision to keep U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, setting the minimum requirement at 28,500.

The bill makes $1.6 billion in cuts to climate changerelated spending, the House Armed Services Committee said. U.S. military assessments have long found that climate change is a threat to national security, with bases being pummeled by hurricanes or routinely flooded.

The bill also would save $40 million by repealing diversity, equity and inclusion offices, programs and trainings, the committee said. The position of chief diversity officer would be cut, for example.

Congress is putting an offi-

pair of fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela in what appeared to be the closest that warplanes had come to the South American country’s airspace. Trump has said land attacks are coming soon but has not offered more details.

The Trump administration is facing increasing scrutiny from lawmakers over the boat strike campaign, which has killed at least 87 people in 22 known strikes since early September, including

a follow-up strike that killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of a boat after the first hit. Some legal experts and Democrats say that action may have violated the laws governing the use of deadly military force. It was not immediately clear Wednesday who owned the tanker or what national flag it was sailing under. The Coast Guard referred a request for comment to the White House.

cial end to the war in Iraq by repealing the authorization for the 2003 invasion. Supporters in both the House and Senate say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the U.S. Democrats criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, for stripping a provision from the bill to expand coverage of in vitro fertilization for active duty personnel An earlier version covered the medical procedure, known as IVF, which helps people facing infertility have children.

Atmosphericriver hasdrenched Washingtonstate

BY SETH BORENSTEIN AP sciencewriter

Warm water and air and unusual weatherconditions tracing back as farastropical cyclone flooding in Indonesia helped supercharge stubborn atmospheric rivers that have drenched Washington state with almost 5trillion gallons of rain in the past seven days, threatening record flood levels, meteorologists said.

The worst and most persistent of the heavy rains will linger to douse the same location through late Thursday and early Friday morning before the river of moisture should lessen and move around abit. But the West Coast likely won’tsee an end to the firehose” of moisture until theweek of Christmas, said Matt Jeglum,acting science chief for the National Weather Service’swestern

region.

Atmospheric rivers are long, narrowbands of water vaporthatform over an ocean and flow throughthe sky, transporting moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes.The PacificNorthwest getsacoupledozen each year,more than other partsofthe West Coast,meteorologists said.But they’re notusuallythisbig.

Wednesday’sdownpours coupled with Monday’srains have ledtoforecasts of record-setting flooding, particularly on the Skagit River, which flows through northern Washington and empties into the Puget Sound, said Washington state climatologist GuillaumeMauger.

“The atmospheric rivers, theARs, arecontinually reloading,” said former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist Ryan Maue, nowaprivate meteorologist.

“The amount of rainfall in the three-weekperiod could be, you know,20to30inches.

That’squite extreme.”

BY JILLLAWLESS and ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press

LONDON Writer Sophie Kinsella, whose effervescent rom-com “Confessions of aShopaholic” sparkeda millions-selling series, died Wednesday,her familysaid She was 55 and had been diagnosed with brain cancer

Thefamily saidin astatement on Kinsella’sInstagram account that “she died peacefully,with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy

“Wecan’timagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life,” the family said.

Kinsella, who also published under her real name, MadeleineWickham, announced in April 2024 that she had been diagnosed more than ayear earlier with glio-

blastoma, an aggressive form of braincancer.

“I didnot sharethis before because Iwanted to make sure that my children were able to hear andprocess the news in privacy and adapt to our ‘new normal,’”she said at thetime.

Kinsella published10 “Shopaholic” novels startingin2000 with “TheSecret Dreamworld of aShopaholic,” titled“Confessionsofa Shopaholic” in theUnited States,aswellasother fiction.Her bookshavesold more than 45 million copies worldwideand have been translated intodozensof languages.

Kinsella did not grow up intending to be awriter.One of three girls born to teachers in London,she played piano and violin as achild and also composed music. She told author-publisher Zibby Owensonher podcast,

MaerySchine, 11, is helped out of arescue

NorthwestU.S.getting trillionsofgallons of rainfall

workers withChehalis Fire after evacuating withher father Patric, second from left, following flooding after heavy rains in the region TuesdayinChehalis, Wash

adds to that, said meteorologistJeffMasters,co-founder of Weather Underground and now at Yale Climate Connections.Because it’s so warm,a lot moreofthat moisture is falling as rain than snow,hesaid. These storms“have been supercharged by the chain of events that began two weeks ago”much farther westthan Hawaii, Maue said.

Maue added: “I wouldn’t want to livethere. Not right now.”

of rain sinceThursday,Jeglum said.

He pointed to an area near Indonesiathat saw deadly flooding from tropical cyclones. That coincided with anaturalseason weather pattern that moves around every 30 days or so —the Madden Julian Oscillation —which Maue said was the strongest it has been this timeofyear in decades.

Using rain gauge observations, Maue estimated almost 5trilliongallons morethan enough to fill Oregon’sCrater Lake or more than 18,000 Empire State Buildings —fell in the area over thepast week.One weather station at Mount Rainiermeasured21inches

“Those numbers are big, but are notunheard of,” Mauger said.

Themoisture originated a few hundred miles north of Hawaii, where the Pacific is acouple degrees warmer than normal. That fuelsthe atmospheric river even more and then warmer air

“Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books,” that the idea of writing never crossed her mind. “It wasn’tmychildhood ambition.Iwasn’tthe child walking around saying, ‘I’m goingtowrite anovel one day.’”

Kinsella enrolled at Oxford University to studymusic but switched to the politics, philosophy and economics program after one year While at college, she met

musician Henry Wickham and fell in love. The couple had four sons and adaughter. After graduating, Kinsella began working as a financial journalist andspenther commute reading. The ideato write fiction herself began to takeshape on the train, and she worked on her first novel during her lunch hours. She published her first novel, “The Tennis Party,” in 1995,asMadeleine Wickham.Soon after,she left her journalism jobtofocuson writing. Six other books followed.

An otherwise normal shopping excursion sparked the idea for writing herfirst “Shopaholic” novel

“I remember looking around me and thinking ‘Weall shop. We talk about it. We do it. We rejoiceinit. We make bad decisions. Why hasn’tanybody written about this?’”Kinsella said in 2019

It sent out waves that helpedcarry an “unbroken line of moisture” and energy from the Indonesia event toward theAmericas. A high-pressure ridge off the California coast pushed the atmospheric river system north, further funneled by unusualwarmth over Russia

and cold over Alaska. And Washington became the bullseye. In aworld madewarmer by the burning of coal, oil andnaturalgas,atmospheric riverstorms will be bigger and wetter,according to studies, computer models and meteorologists. Astudy earlier this year found that mayalready be happening. Looking at events since 1980, researchers calculated that the storms have increased in thearea they soak by 6% to 9%, increased in frequency by 2% to 6% and are slightly wetter than before. Aquick analysis by ClimateCentral looking at theheavyrainfound that ocean temperatures under theatmospheric rivers are 10 times more likely to be warmer than normal because of human-caused climate change. Air temperatures in the Pacific Northwestare much warmer than normal, andthat’sfourto five times morelikely because of climate change, said Climate Central meteorologist Shel Winkley

on “The Sunday Salonwith Alice-Azania Jarvis” podcast. Kinsella created astory about Becky Bloomwood, a 20-something financial journalistindebtfrom ashopping habit she can’t(or won’t) kick. The novel contained hilarious back-and-forth correspondence with bill collectors and banks,where she would make excusesfor late payments. Kinsella said those letters were one of the most fun bits to write There was also alove story with ahandsomebusinessman whom Becky met while on assignment.She went on to marry and have aminishopaholic daughter in future books.

Thehumoroustoneof “Confessions of aShopaholic”was achange from her earlier books, so she decided to submit it to herpublishers underapen name. Her middle name was Sophie and

Kinsella washer mother’s maiden name. The publishers said yes, and “Shopaholic” was published in 2000 under her pseudonym. The novel, blending humor with acautionary tale aboutgetting in over your head with debt, was an immediate success. Kinsella said Becky was a modern everywoman whose behavior was “what you wouldn’tdoyourself, but maybe youwould if youwere in absolute extreme circumstances.And that’swhatshe finds herself in all the time.” Bloomwood’sfurther adventures followedinbooks including “Shopaholic Takes Manhattan,” “Shopaholic Ties theKnot” and“Shopaholic &Sister.”

The first two“Shopaholic” books were adapted into the 2009 film “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

boat by rescue

Kevin Faulk’s daughter dies at 30

Staff report

Tanasha Faulk, the daughter of local football legend Kevin Faulk and his wife, Latisha, died unexpectedly Saturday at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center

No details on the death of Tana-

sha Faulk, 30, have been released, but foul play wasn’t suspected.

Tanasha Faulk is the couple’s second daughter who died suddenly In September 2021, Kevione Faulk died at the age of 19, serving as a student worker for LSU’s football program at the time.

Tanasha Faulk, who has three daughters, was a 2014 graduate of

Carencro High. According to her obituary, family was the center of Tanasha Faulk’s life, especially her three daughters. “Being their mother brought her so much joy and she was immensely proud watching them grow and learn,” her obituary reads. “Tanasha also found joy in holidays, birthdays, family gather-

ings, and especially Mardi Gras. She loved to cook and was happiest when preparing meals that brought people together Her generosity, laughter and loving nature created a sense of home wherever she went.”

Visiting hours for Tanasha Faulk’s funeral service will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church in Carencro. A Mass of Christian burial will then be at 11 a.m., followed by inter-

ment at the Evangeline Memorial Gardens in Carencro. Kevin and Latisha Faulk, who have been together since middle school, also have a son, Kevin

and then a three-time Super

‘A LITTLE MORE CHEER’

Acadiana families host festive light displays for all to enjoy

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

This time of year, families around Acadiana turn their homes into a stage celebrating all things festive — from Christmas trees and nativity scenes, to glowing tableaus and holiday greetings of all kinds. These are the families that go all out with exterior illumination and yard decor, adding to the cheer of the season for their neighbors and passersby It’s a labor of love, with hundreds of hours

(and thousands of bulbs) going into building destination displays that will only be up for a few weeks. For the past 30 years, the Myers family has gone allout in decorating their house on Julia Street in New Iberia for the holiday season. The resulting display now has a name and a Facebook page, “Joy on Julia” — and homeowner Clint Myers said that joy is exactly what the work brings him each year “My wife and I, we love

Lafayette schools name students of the year

Touchet Jr congratulated the students who were celebrated at their schools Tuesday morning.

actively participated in their community, according to LPSS.

The honorees are Milton Elementary fifth grader Avery Eaton, L.J. Alleman Middle

“The academic success, thoughtful essays and strong interviews required for this honor speak to their hard work and character,” he said in a statement “I am proud of the growth of every LPSS student, and these honorees show what is possible in our schools.”

The winners will compete at the zone level next. Students who advance will then compete at the regional level later this year

Five men indicted in Southern University hazing death

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

Five men were indicted by an East Baton Rouge grand jury Wednesday on charges in connection with the hazing death of Southern University engineering student Caleb Wilson. Isaiah Earl Smith, 29, Caleb McCray, 24, and Kyle Thurman, 25, were arrested in March following an investigation into the Feb. 27 incident. The three Baton Rouge men were each indicted on felony hazing charges. McCray was indicted on charges of manslaughter while Thurman and Smith were indicted for obstruction of justice. Winston Craig Sanders, 22, and Jaydn Landrum, 24, were indicted on principal to felony hazing and obstruction of justice. Sanders, of Monroe, and Landrum, a Texas man, have yet to be arrested. Nineteenth Judicial District Commissioner Nicole Robinson issued arrest warrants for their respective charges on Wednesday The grand jury also indicted Smith Thurman, Sanders and Landrum on nine misde-

meanor counts of hazing apiece. McCray received seven of the misdemeanor indictments. The panel determined there wasn’t sufficient evidence to pass down indictments for Jaylen Grissom, a 21-year-old Houston-area man. Prosecutors sought to charge him with principal to felony criminal hazing for aiding and abetting in Wilson’s fatal beating. The state also aimed to convince the grand jury to indict Grissom on nine counts of

See HAZING, page 4B ä See COCOA, page 4B ä See DISPLAYS, page 4B

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

eighth grader Shya Hebert and Lafayette High senior Lincoln Trumps. Lafayette Parish Superintendent Francis

Eaton Hebert Trumps

STAFF

PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Christmas decor fills the yard of a youngsville home belonging to Rochelle and Tre Dupuie in Lafayette on Tuesday.

The home of Clint and Jennifer Myers is decorated for Christmas on Julia Street in New Iberia.

STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN

OUR VIEWS

Lake Borgne marsh projecta good step

We were gratified to seethe completion earlier this month of the state’slargestmarshbuilding effortto date

The Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project in St. Bernard Parish, which officiallyhad a ribbon-cutting on Dec. 2, added more than3,000 acres of marshland to areas that had previouslybeenopenwater.Tobuild it,contractors dredged and deposited enoughsedimentto fill theSuperdome three times over,about 15 million cubic yards.

The completion of the four-year,$115 million projectrepresents amajor winfor thestate’s coastal restoration efforts, which aim to combat Louisiana’s land loss crisis. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Executive Director Michael Hare hailedthe project.

“By any measure —onscale, engineering complexity,environmental value —thisproject stands as one of the greatest achievements to date completed by CPRA,” he said at theribboncutting.

Superlatives aside, the addition of thousands of new acres of marshland,some of which was alreadysproutingcordgrass, is agoodthing for Louisiana.

But sunny statements aboutthe project come at cloudy times for the state’scoastalfuture Overall ratesofsubsidence andland loss are not expected to slow.The state calculates that it loses about one football field of land every 100 minutes. Over the last century, about2,000 square miles of Louisiana land have been lost. Thosestark figures were thereasonsbehind the creation of the CPRA and itsproductionof anew master plan for coastal restoration every five years. But the funds to pay for projectssuch as Lake Borgne largely come from BP oilspill money, which will end in 2031.

In addition, earlier this year,the state officially canceled two centerpiece projects in the plan, the Mid-Barataria and Mid-Breton sediment diversions. Those projects would have diverted grit-laden river water into the marshesoneither side, attempting to mimic theprocesses that built the delta in the first place

But they were both controversial, especially with local fisherman who feared thatthe impacts on their local waters would harm their livelihoods. Andinthe case of Mid-Barataria which broke ground in 2023 after yearsofstudies and planning, the cost had climbedfar beyond the original estimates.

CPRA chairman Gordon Doveand Gov. Jeff Landry believe that dredging, as wasdoneat Lake Borgne, is amore effective waytobuild landata lower cost.

At Lake Borgne, the new acres lie along the southeastern shore of the lake, near two popular marinasthathave longprovided adeparture point for Louisiana fishermen andduckhunters. Officials hope the new marsh at Lake Borgne will last even longer thanits expectedlife span of 20 years. So do we. Theappearanceofnew marshland is awelcome sight, onewehope is repeatedmanytimes in thefuture.

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

CFIndustriesbenefits farawayshareholders

CF Industries’ impending “Blue Ammonia” project, thelargest in theworld, is one they announce with pride. In every press release, there are promises of good jobsand economic prosperity.

The same promises have been made since CF’s first day in Donaldsonville. However,local residents have only struggled with rising taxes, theclosing of small businesses and the destruction of aonce vibrant culture that is now only amemory.The people are still waiting for CF’s prosperityto trickle down.

Meanwhile, CF does better every year.In2024, they reached profits of $2.27 billion ($1.5 billion of which landed in the pockets of shareholders) This begs thequestion: When local businesses can’tsurvive and nearly 50% of Donaldsonville live in poverty, who is CF’sdevelopment truly benefiting? The prosperity is reserved for theelite few —shareholders who have never even set foot on Donaldsonville soil. Their facilities neighbor our homes.

Their practices emit thousands of tons of ammonia annually —pollution that only the residents are forced to inhale. How exactly does their growth benefit thecommunities that they’re built on? As it turns out,itdoesn’t Evidently,they trytheir best to contribute as little as possible. There’snopaper trail detailing CF’s tax contributions, but there’sample evidence of their many avenues to dodge taxes. Louisiana’sIndustrial TaxExemption Program, forexample, exempts CF from property taxes —in addition to many other tax-reducing incentives. On top of those exemptions are thebenefits that CF receives from theLouisiana “Quality Jobs Program,” which offers severalmoreincentives in exchange for expanding operations in the state. In reality,the proposed $2.1 billion investment in blue ammonia is not an investment in Donaldsonville or our people —it’saninvestmentintheir own shareholders.

KARALEIGH LOYA organizer in training, Step Up Louisiana

Consider poll workerswhenselecting voting machines

Although the existing voting machines work very well, the machines are very old and need to be replaced. Thenew system will be selected based on many requirements, including the requirementfor a“paper trail” to back up theaccuracy of the voting machine data. Amajor consideration of the selected system must be acomprehensive training component for three groups:

1. The staff at the state and local levels who will implement the new system;

2. The large cadre of citizen election commissioners who will work theelections;

3. The general public whowill have to use thenew machines. Iamamember of the second group, which consists of many senior citizens who may not makethe transition to anew system. The recruitment and training of election commissioners will be amajor challenge forelection officials. The working hours on an election day are long and the compensation is not great.Hopefully,officials will be able to recruit asufficient number of citizens as commissioners to makeany new voting system work.

KENNETH A. PERRET Baton Rouge

Ourdemocracy must allowfor disagreement

Iamdeeply distressed by President Donald Trump’srecent statements about amember of Congresswho expressedaview he disagreed with. Ratherthan my words, consider the words of Armygeneral and President Dwight “Ike”Eisenhower: “If we allow ourselvestobepersuadedthat every individual, or party, thattakes issue

That’smy neighbor

That’smyneighbor ICEiscoming after He painted my living room, Repaired the damaged sheetrock, Patched the leak in my roof

When he came back after months away (he went wherever he could find work) He came over to console me about my wife’sdeath.

Yes, he is from Honduras, but

Just like you and me he is here

Because he has adream of freedom

Justice, equality and opportunity forhis family

He has his papers but that doesn’t seem to matter

He looks brownsohemust be one of them.

Meanwhile, our president puts up moregold gilding; Tears downthe East Wing (he promised he wouldn’ttouch it)

By now we know he lies constantly He courts favor with People of the Lie.

Shaking hands with the Saudi murderer

Who lies just like him (“knew nothing about it”)

While his family brokers billiondollar deals.

Meanwhile, I’mwatching “The American Revolution,”

Seeing how desperately our ancestors suffered forfreedom

What kept them fighting through snow,ice and defeat?

Adream of freedom from tyranny

Yet, now,that past seemsforgotten

As just enough were deceived by the wannabe king

And gave away their democracy to alying tyrant.

My sadness is so deep, but then up surges the outrage: Icannot, will not submit to this tyranny of lies.

JIM O’NEILL Metairie

withour own convictions is necessarily wicked or treasonous, then indeed we areapproaching the end of freedom’s road. …Our dedication to truth and freedom, at home and abroad, does not require-and cannottolerate-fear, threat, hysteria and intimidation.”

ROBIN MOULDER Baton Rouge

Murrilland Landry should

notlimit Medicaid providers

Attorney General Liz Murrill is taking an animus againstpharmacy benefitmanagers way too far.Consequently, hundreds of thousands of Medicaid recipients might be moved intocoverage they think is lessoptimal than their current plans. This is bad governance. And though Murrill self-identifies as arock-solidconservative, there is nothing conservative about it The whole scenario, as described below,might at first sound complicated, but bear with me. The essential stateof playwill be clear soon enough. Here’sthe news: In concert withMurrill and apparentlyather behest, newly appointed Louisiana Medicaid Director Seth Gold on Dec 2sent aletter to United Healthcare sayingthe state won’trenew the company’scontract that (asofNov 1) serves 333,246 LouisianaMedicaid enrollees. LouisianaHealthSecretary Bruce Greenstein told the Louisiana Illuminator,which firstbrokethe story, that his department intends to move United’senrollees to one of four other providers in the next twoweeks, using acomputer algorithm to trymatching recipientswith the company best able to handle their cases Gold originally sent asimilar dismissal letter to another provider Aetna, but this newspaper reportedon Tuesday that Aetna’scontract will be renewed after all. Murrill had told the Illuminator that her office was near a settlement with Aetna’s parentcorporation, CVS, in amultipronged legal dispute she and Gov.Jeff Landry have waged against it and against United for how they operate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

ingthe currentdecisions. She also said United is somehow not compliant with state law and “has engaged in frivolous attacksonthe AG’scontracting authority as well.” She did not specify which laws allegedly are being broken. OK, after that convoluted background,here’swhere thesituation actually gets simple.

Trump’sjob is to stay focused on theeconomy

Essentially,Murrill is cutting out United in a fitofpique.

Here’show: As this newspaper reported, healthchief Greenstein told aNov.20state legislative hearing that theLandry administrationsupported extending the contracts for all six companies currently providing MedicaidcoverageinLouisiana. Greenstein specifically argued that cutting the numberofproviders would be adisservicetorecipients.Lawmakerscomplied by voting to extend the contracts

was President Donald Trump’s first Commissioner of theAdministration on Disabilities and is affiliated with several national conservative outlets, said cutting the number of providers is inherently problematic. She said doctorsand pharmacies often accept Medicaid business from only one provider, and “algorithms aren’tpeople” with the ability to consider individual needs and “people with disabilities need to have relationships withnearby” pharmacies anddoctors.

PBMs essentially are middlemen, for prescription drug coverage, between pharmaceutical companies and insurers. Murrill confirmed to the Illuminator that the PBM-related lawsuitsare driv-

GIFT GIVING TIME!

Thevery next day,the Louisiana First Circuit CourtofAppeal sided with United in the lawsuit Murrill is wagingagainst the company.Within 11 days, theadministration completely reversed course and canceled the very contract extension for which it had requested approval.

How,pray tell, could United Healthcare becompliant with state law on Nov.20, then actually win alawsuit, and then haveMurrill quickly adjudge it noncompliant? The court ruled against Murrill and for the company, so how is the company the one that’s noncompliant?

Meanwhile, why should anyone be confident the statehealthdepartment can move333,000 people to other plans in just two weeks? Granted, the state is giving recipients90days to switch to yetanother plan if they don’tlike the onethe algorithmassigns. But why moveenrollees at all? If they like United’sservices, why make them scramble? Melissa Ortiz, awheelchair user who

Holidayoffice parties are happening,and gift swaps are apopular event at manyofthem. Itlookslikesomeone’s about to getanexciting present! So,what’sgoingonin this cartoon? youtell me. Be witty,funny, crazy,absurd or snarky —just trytokeep it clean.There’snolimit on the number of entries.

The winning punchline will be lettered into the word balloon and runonMondayinour printeditions and online.Inaddition, thewinnerwill receivea signedprint of thecartoon alongwith acool winner’sT-shirt! Some honorable mentions will alsobelisted. To enter,email entries to cartooncontest@theadvocate.com.

Allentries must include your name,home address and phone number.Cell numbersare best The deadline for all entriesismidnight on Thursday HappyHolidays, everyone!— Walt

It could mean life or death, she said: Even “an infected pressure sore” can “kill awheelchair user in 72 hours.” Moreover,why would aconservative administration try to limit competition?Isn’tacentral tenet of conservatismthat market competition is good, and the more the better? Indeed, one of Murrill’sown complaints in her three suitsagainst CVSisthat itsbusiness practices allegedly limit competition. How is it bad for CVS to limit competition,but OK for thestate to limit aseparate competition that 12 days earlier it had encouraged?

Readingbetween thelines, Murrill’s real beef, no matter how little legal relevance it has, seemstobethe “frivolous attacks” she says the company made against her What,are her feelings hurt?

This is quite consistent, though, with her earlier lawsuit against CVS, where one of her main complaints was that CVS dared send electronic messages opposing an anti-PBM law she was supporting. The First Amendment doesn’t seem tomean much to our attorney general. Enough is enough: The Landry administration should immediately re-reverse course and keep United Healthcare as aprovider.Real lives are at risk.

Email QuinHillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

TheplantosaveCongressfor theGOP

White House Chief of StaffSusie Wiles says she has aplanfor keeping Congress in Republican hands in next year’smidterm elections. In an interview with the onlineshow “The Mom View,” Wiles said she hasn’tinformed the president about her plan, but said it involves putting him on the roadto sell to voters what he believesto be his and the RepublicanCongress’spolicy successes. The big question is whether more than the most dedicated Trump supporters will buy it.

goalofa continued GOP congressional majority

1. This is not about you, but about the nation. Stop bragging and displaysome humility.

Cal Thomas Quin Hillyer

One of those who claim Trump has not done as good ajob as he promised is the retiring (but farfrom shy) Rep. MarjorieTaylor Greene, R-Ga. She told Lesley Stahl on “60 Minutes” that Trump has failed to keep domestic policyashis top priority.Inher resignationvideo, Greene said the president has forsaken the MAGA base, specifically pointing to his support of the crypto and pharmaceutical industries. She alsodoesn’tlike his saber-rattling with Venezuela and what she regardsashis failure to put “America first.”

As one who is also an experienced public speaker,Ioffer these suggestions which, based on past performance, he is unlikely to accept, but which in my judgment would help achieve his

2. Stop the swearing and namecalling.Ithelps no one and turns offindependents(and perhaps some of the Christian base)who voted for you in past elections

3. Stick with theeconomy and promise even moregood news to come as gas and other prices decline. Tell voters nottochange horses in midstream when theother “bank” is so close

4. Featureateach one of your rallies people who have been helped by your policies. Select them carefully so they don’tengage in theworship of you as so oftenoccurs in your sycophantic “Cabinet meetings.”Personalstories aremorepersuasive than your often ramblingand repetitive speeches.

5. Remindthe audience of thepolicies of the Bidenera that resulted in high inflation, which led to high costsand theopenborder which has allowed so many criminals intothe country who have contributed to rising crime rates in major cities.

6. Keep raising thefraud issue which hascontributedtothe debt.Especially

hammer MinnesotaGov.Tim Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar,D-Minn., for themassive fraud in COVIDspending, some of which allegedly was funneled to terrorist groups at home and overseas.

7. Ask voterswhy they would even consider voting for Democrats who caused the current problems and canbe reliedontoperpetuatethemifthey win acongressionalmajority.

8. Tell voters that if Democrats do win acongressionalmajority,itwill mean moreinvestigations and more impeachment as before. Do voters really want to go down thatdead-end road again, wasting timeand money on thingsthatdon’t affect their lives?

9. Keep the speeches short.Brevity makes people remember more of what you say than blathering on for an hour or more.

10. Stop repeating what you have said dozens of times before, unless it is to drive home important pointsonthe economy.Don’tever mention the “stolen election” of 2020.

11. Useagood speech writer and stick to the script.Noad-libbing. There’smy“top 10” (plus one) list. Youcan thank me later,ifyou ever read it, or use any of thesesuggestions. Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@tribpub.com.HeisonX,@CalThomas

If you wanttosee whyPresident Donald Trumpisvisited Pennsylvania to talk about affordability,and whyheisplanning rallies on the topic around the country in coming weeks, just look at the simple question asked in the new Harvard CAPS Harris poll: “What would you say are the mostimportant issues facing the country today?” The question wasopen-ended, and respondents could name morethan one issue. The top concern, named by 36% of those surveyed, wasprice increases, inflation and affordability.The No.2issue, named by 29%, was the economy and jobs. Put them together,and economic issues werebyfar the mostimportant issue named by the voters in the poll.

After that came anumber of issues that rank high on the importance scale, but not as high as the economy: health care, immigration, corruption, crime and drugs, federal budget deficits, terrorism and national security,taxes, guns and afew more.

Those are the major concerns. At the bottom of the list, that is, those issues named by fewer than 5% of respondents, were: foreign policy at 4%; political correctness and cancel culture at 4%; the Israel-Hamas-Iran conflict at 4%; defense at 3%; policing at 3%; Jan. 6at3%; antisemitism at 2%; and other,miscellaneous topics.

It is, of course, the world’sleast surprising newsthat the economy and affordability are at the top of voters’ concerns. The reason Trump is traveling to Pennsylvania and beyond to talk about affordability is that we are entering an election year,and asignificant number of voters, including someTrumpsupporters, believe the president has spent too much time paying attention to topics at the bottom of the voters’ list —namely foreign policy —and not enough timeonthe topic at the top of the list.

Americans elected Trumplast year,inpart, because former President Joe Biden had made such amess of the economy.Today,Trump points out, correctly,that he is dealing with the hangover of the inflation of the Biden years. “We’re bringing prices waydown,” Trumpsaid on Monday.“Youcan call it ‘affordability’ or anything you want—but the Democrats caused the affordability problem,and we’re the ones that are fixing it.”

But Trumpisstuck dealing with aparticularly sticky problem,explained by this simple statement: When inflation is going down, prices are still going up. Under Biden, inflation hit 9.1%, the worst in ageneration. But when the rate of inflation goes down, as it has —it’snow 3% —that meansprices are still going up, just at alower rate than during Biden’stimeinoffice. In Biden’slast year in office, he and other Democrats would often brag about inflation going down. That didn’tsit well with voters who knew,through their own painful experiences, that prices were still rising. The way out of the messwas not to makemisleading claims but to combine low inflation with rapidly increasing wages.

Trumpismaking real progress on that. “Wages are rising faster than prices —this is so important,” Fox Business’ Larry Kudlow, aformer Trumpeconomic adviser,said this week. “Wage incomefrom the latest numbers is plus 5.3%. Now, the core personal consumption deflator —that’sthe Fed’sinflation measure is 2.7%. That meansworking folks’ take-home pay is now ahead of prices by 2.6%. And there’s alot morecoming, with tax refunds next year and the One Big Beautiful Bill. In [Trump’s] first year,wages are already clobbering prices, and that’sthe wayitshould be.”

Still, it will take sometimefor wages to catch up with the cumulative effect of the Biden inflation. Plus, Trump’stariffs have raised some prices, although not nearly as much as predicted. With less than ayear until the 2026 midterm elections, Trumpwill depend on the economic benefits that Kudlow predicted to actually become areality

Trump’seconomic program has always been pretty simple: Cut taxes, cut regulation and makeenergy cheaper.The energy part, where prices can go downdramatically,has always been the key to his plan to bring downinflation.

“Energy has come downincredibly,” Trump told Politico in an interview this week. “When energy comes down, everything because it’s so much bigger than any other subject. But energy has come downincredibly When that happens, everything comes down.”

So now Trumpispreparing for2026 with a new emphasis on affordability.Ofcourse, he still has to deal with other issues; no president can focus on just one thing. But when voting is less than ayear away,it’savery good idea to listen to the voters’ concerns.

Byron York is on X, @Bryon York.Email him at byronyork@yorkcomm.com.

Byron York

La.Supreme Courtfinds no corruption at Family Court

Butone justice pushes back on report

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

If the state’sonly dedicated family court is the den of corruption someleaders fear, the Louisiana Supreme Court didn’t find it, according to along-awaited report released to lawmakers this weekonthe Family Court of East Baton Rouge. But one Supreme Court justicesays hiscolleagues didn’tlook nearly hard enough. Justice Jefferson Hughes III, who has led an unusual probe of the family court, issued ascathingretort Monday.Hughes alleges the family court is led by arunaway cabal of lawyers and judges who wield abusive tactics upon “unfavored” litigants at will.

The court often wrings litigants dry and smears them, itsjudges prone to abusing theircontempt powers to “beat the nonfavored parent into submission,” Hughes wroteina letter to state Rep. Kathy Edmonston, RGonzales, who helped spur the court review

The court’s14-page report andHughes’incendiary reply have put two opposing spins on adowntown Baton Rouge courthouse that handles divorce and custody matters in Louisiana’smost populous parish.

DISPLAYS

Continued from page1B

Christmas,” he said. “When Iwas growing up, my family never decoratedanything outside, but my parentswould take us to drive and see all these lights. I just knew it was something Iwanted to do once Ibecame an adult, and it just progressed until Igot it —well, not exactly where Iwantit. I’m out of yard space.”

Area light displays runthe gamut from demure twinkle lights to holiday-themed lasers,radio-programmed shows and explosions of color and cheerthat reflectthe household’spersonality.The Myers’ display shows off decades of collection and tradition —while the Frank home in the LaPlace neighborhood of Lafayette represents the beginnings of tradition. Their neighborhood, colloquially named “Fightingville,”partnered with Basin Arts this year to host an inaugural public holiday

COCOA

Continued from page1B

idea: use acup of cocoato help people in need. Now at the age of 15, he has raised more than $100,000 through the annual cocoa stand, donating each year’s proceeds to local nonprofits “It’sgrownmuch more than Iever expected,” he said.“Seeingmyfamily friends and even people I don’t know cometogether has been amazing. It shows something unique about Aca-

HAZING

Continued from page1B

misdemeanor hazing, to no avail. According to police, the alleged hazing took place at awarehouse in the 3400 block of Woodcrest Drive, just off Greenwell Springs Road. Wilson and eight other Omega Psi Phi pledges lined up in order of height for afraternity ritual. During theritual, McCray and company took turns punching thepledges in the chest four times with apair of black boxing gloves, according to police reports. Wilson, a20-year-old Kenner native,collapsed after

What comes of it is uncertain.Inhis letter, Hughes suggeststhe Legislature could disband the family court altogether The dispute comesmore than ayearafterthe Supreme Court, in response to astate Senateresolution supported byEdmonston and others, appointed aretired judge to studythe Baton Rougefamilycourt and report back.

Basedinpartonthat review,Monday’s report from Judicial Administrator Sandra Vujnovichonbehalf of the Supreme Courtlargely absolves the family court’s four judges of dirty dealing. It describes amostly smooth operation beset by some fundingneeds and other areas to shore up doubtsover favoritism

“Most importantly,there were no signs of unethical or illegal actionsoregregious misconduct or mismanagement,” thereport states.

Thecourt said it arrived at its view based on an earlier report from the appointed judge, James Kuhn, along with aresponse and interviews with the family court judges.

Kuhn, aformer appeals court judge and former colleagueofHughes, was given broad powers to study the court, includingthe ability to hand-pick divorceand custody cases to decide.

He wentonto adopt a half-dozen cases fromother judges before theSupreme Courtdeclined to extend his

terminFebruary

One of those cases, Ragland v. Ragland, has drawn intense interest from Hughes.

It involves Katherine Diamond, whohasn’tseen herchildren without supervision for yearsbased on abuse allegations deemed credible by one of the court’sjudges, Pam Baker Diamond has accused Baker andothers at the family court of racketeering, andshe’srallied support from thelikes of Baton Rouge GOP leader Woody Jenkins, Edmonstonand Hughes. Their involvement has drawn criticism andat leastone complaintofjudicialmisconductagainst Hughes, who has shown up at least four court proceedings in Diamond’scase, speaking up at two of them.

Hughes has an ongoing defamation lawsuit against TheTimes-Picayune |The Advocate, former editors and its lawyer about reporting in 2019 related to his pastconduct as adistrict court judge decades ago.

He has described himself in courtasa member of a committee to study the family court that also includes Edmonston.

Critics,including the family court judges, have suggested Kuhn wasmore interested in stepping into Diamond’scase and ahandful of othersthanhewas in studying courtoperations. The family court judges flatly denied Kuhn’s claim

stroll past lighted homesin theneighborhood, with hot chocolate for participants and holiday-themed installations fromlocal artists along theroute.The Frank homeonMadison Street will be part of the stroll on Saturday, and they chose to decorate this year with a simple “GermanChristmas Market”theme to jointhe community fun. “It’s excitingtohave something blooming forthe

diana.”

Each year,Myersselects adifferent organizationto receivethe fundraiser’s proceeds.Pastbeneficiaries include St.Joseph Diner, the American Cancer Society, Junior League of Lafayette, Boys&Girls Clubs, CatholicCharities of Acadiana and more. This year,he selected Second Harvest Food Bank of Acadianaafter being struck by the scaleofits work.

“They make 38 million mealsper year across Acadiana,” he said.“We toured their warehouse and it was

community,and Iwanted to be apart of it,” said Claire Frank. “Plus, IloveChristmas lights.Itencourages people to do something that brings alittlemorecheer to the season.”

Like the Myers family,the Dupuies of Youngsville also discovered that once you go all-in with lights, it’s hard to pullback.Their house on AcresDrive attracts aline of cars during peak lightviewing season, and Ro-

that he interviewed them and their staffs.

In its report Monday,the Supreme Court largely sided with those judges.

The high court rejected Kuhn’srecommendation that the court adopt the use of hearing officers to speed alongcases, for instance, finding it would actually slow them down.

The high court also tempered Kuhn’smost pointed criticisms of the judges, including a finding that they fostered perceptions of favoritism by allowing attorneys free roam of an inner hallway by their chambers.

The Supreme Court, however,agreed with an allegation from Diamond that thefamily court charges people excessive and illegal fees for court transcripts, at $6.50 per page plus a $5 administrative feeper transcript. Thecourt’sreport states the family court is violating state law “on its face” and isn’talone.

“Recent research indicates that many court reporters in Louisianaare operating in violation” of thelaw,the report said. The Judicial Council of Louisiana may soon recommend standardizing court transcript fees across thestate, thereport states Hughes panned theSupreme Court’s positive appraisal of the family courtinhis six-page letter Though his redrawn district no longer includesthe family court, Hughes wrote that his “study” of the family

chelle and TreDupuie found that they love the creativity so much,they now decorate extravagantly for Halloween, too.

“Wechange theyardlayoutalmosteveryyear,” saidRochelle Dupuie. “We wonbestdecoratedyardin Youngsville and have been recognized by several Facebook groups andsites.Now, everyone knowsabout our house.”

“Itsounds corny,but we do it forthe smiles and thejoy it brings.It’struly achance for us to bring afew minutes of peace and happiness to anyone who comes by.And our neighbors love it —wehave actually inspired severalof our neighbors as well, and their displays keep growing, too. Allofthe neighborhood kids love to come andhang out in the cul-de-sac and watch the displays.”

Thesedecorationsare meantfor an audience, and homeowners say that they love watching people slow down and take in their work. Christmas light viewing is a common tradition for fami-

amazing to see howmuch food they prepare for families in need.”

Myers’ homemade hotcocoa continues to be the fundraiser’sstar attraction.He prepares it using asecret family recipeand offersa toppingstable with candy canes and marshmallows

This year’smug features festive alligators and crawfish. As he preparestohost the event for the final time, he believes it is theright moment to passthe tradition on.

“Thiswill be my finalyear as the spearhead,” he said. “I’ll

court continued after Kuhn leftthe post.

If the SupremeCourt found Kuhn’scriticisms to be tooharsh, Hughes arguedthathis formercolleague didn’t go nearly far enough.

“While Judge Kuhn citesa public perceptionoffavoritism, Ibelieve thelinehas crossedtoactual favoritism,” Hughes wrote.

He describeda klatch of family court lawyers and judges prone to hashing out cases over drinks.

“Those in the ‘club’ receive efficient service, while those not in the club, especially proselitigants whohave run out of options for representation, are treated as pariahs,” Hughes wrote.

“Staffsmirk, rolltheir eyes, and call out, ‘Security, Security!’whentheyapproach.”

Hughes described coercion, bloated contempt-ofcourt judgments and other economic arm-twisting fromthe family court’s judges.

“Another tacticisthe closing of the courtroom to isolate and intimidate,” Hugheswrote. “The nonfavored litigant can be screamed at and threatened with jail when no one is there to witness.”

He added: “It is well known thatwhena certain lawyerappears before a certain judge,thatlawyer never loses” in the family court. Hughes did not name them

lies, and Facebook pages like the “Landers Family Christmas Light List”helpdirect people to lighted homes and neighborhoods in Lafayette Parish that are worth the trip. The Dupuie house is on the list, withdozensofothers categorized by ZIP code and type of display

The bigger the display,the more time, money and technical know-how is required to make it happen —but according to Clint Myers, the biggest reward is in beingabletouse hishometo help bring the community together

“On weekends, my wife and Iwill sit out front,” he said. “We’ll give out candy andjust talkwiththe random people walking down thesidewalk. On anyother day,you wouldn’tget acomment from anybody —no hello or anything. Butwith Christmas and the lights, everyone’ssojoyful. That means alot to me.”

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

still be helping, butIthink it’stime to pass it down to someone who can carry on the flame.”

All proceeds from mug sales, cocoa purchases and online donationssupport Second Harvest Food Bank. Live music will be performed by his grandfather’s group, the CoteauGrove Band, along withDustin Gaspard.

Donations can also be made at nohunger.org/emile.

Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.

he was punched and experienced amedical episode. Instead of calling 911, fraternitymembers waited to take Wilson to ahospital and initially told authorities he collapsed at alocal park. The case was assigned to 19th JDC Chief District Judge DonaldJohnson. The five men are set to be arraigned in his courtroom Jan.15.

Outsidethe courthouse, District AttorneyHillar Moore described the 56-count indictment as “very longand very thorough”and said his investigatorscontinue toseek more information

“We’re still looking at evidence; we’re looking at cellphones,”hesaid. “We

hope thatwewill recover moreinformation. We may return back toagrand jury for some more indictments if that information ever comesforward.Sothisisan ongoing matter.But at this point, the substantial players have been indicted.”

Prosecutors, in theindictments, allege fraternity members endangered the pledges and someofthe defendantstried to persuade witnesses to give false information to investigators to avoid arrest. Wilson,aformer trumpet player forSouthern University’s famed HumanJukebox marching band, was honored in the Legislature this year during aceremony in theHouse chambers.

Statelawmakers also proposedananti-hazing house bill in Wilson’sname. Moore announcedthat Baton Rouge will host anational anti-hazing conference next year.Wilson’sfamily is expected to attend, as well as loved ones of former LSU student Max Gruver,an 18-year-old freshmanwho died of alcohol poisoning from ahazing ritual in September 2017.

Several organizations will converge to mapout prevention plans to deter hazing on college campuses and at universities nationwide.

“I’m impressedwiththe evidence that we have in this case. Ithinkitwill be substantial, andwhen

anyone acrossthe United States sees theinformation that we have, they will be extremely mad and upset that these kids were subject to this type of activity. And that this youngman died because of that,” Moore said.

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PROVIDED PHOTO Emile Myers servers hot cocoa at his annual holiday fundraiser

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

The Fightingville home of James and Claire Frank is decorated withthe theme of aGerman Christmas market.

SPORTS

‘WHEELS’ UP

Saints’run game stretchesits legs with QB Shough as catalyst

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Nearly every time Tyler Shough went to hand off the ball in Sunday’swin over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the defense in front of him would pause for asplit second to see what the New Orleans Saints quarterback was going to do

Wasittruly asimple handoff? Would the rookie take it on his own?

TheSaints used the hesitationtotheir advantage.

“I thought Tylerhaving that ability to run the football obviously playeda factor into it,” coach Kellen Mooresaid

“It,” in this case, was aSaints rungame that had one of its better outings of the season, amuch-needed performance for agroup that was held to under90yards in seven of its previous eight gamesbefore beating its NFC South rival.

Shough was a“big part” of why the

“(There’san) element of keeping them honest. Being able to have the defense on their toes, not knowing who has the ball, and I’ve gottocontinue to do my job of that on certain plays. That’sanelementIfeel like Ican continuetogrow at and be good at.”

TyLER SHOUGH, Saints quarterback

Saints finished with 139 yards rushing on 32 attempts,Moore said.Against Tampa Bay,the 26-year-old rookie racked up 58 yards on five attemptsbefore his two kneel downs. He also ran for two touchdowns.Beyondthe numbers, the mere threatofShough helped unlock theteam’s rushingattack

The Saints, for instance, used an 11-yard gain from Shough on their first drive to set up their first touchdown of the afternoon. Just one play after the rookie quarterback’skeeper on arun-pass option, New Orleans ran the same conceptagain —but handed it off to rookie running back Devin

Justlikelast season, UL starting pitcherJRTollett mayhavethe opportunitynearthe topofthe Cajuns’ weekendrotation withChase Morgan out indefinitely with an injury.

Deggshappy with UL’s pitchingdepth outoffall

BY KEVIN FOOTE

Staff writer

UL baseball coach Matt Deggs wishes he could magicallymake junior left-handerChase Morgan healthy Morgan is out indefinitely with aback injury,which could jeopardize his entire 2026 season “I don’tknow,we’ll see,” Deggs said. “Everybody respondsdifferently.Wetried to rehab andwegot close acouple of times,but out of an abundance of caution, we just wanted to take it slow.” Battling nagging injuries last

season, Morgan finished 4-3 witha 3.52 ERA while allowing 60 hits in 611/3 innings with 24 walksand 74 strikeouts.

“It’ssomethingthat’sjustnot going to get better without some treatment,” Deggssaid. Despite that unfortunate news, Deggsleft thefallseason encouraged aboutthe prospectsofthe pitching staff for theupcoming season. For one, thetransition with new pitching coachTaylor Sandefur has gone well.

BY LARRYLAGE AP sportswriter

Neal instead for the touchdown.

Then in thethird quarter,Shoughtook off for a34-yard touchdown —again on an RPOwhere he ran to his left.

Keeping Shough involved maybea way to spark arun game that hasn’thad aton of successthis season.

“(There’s an) element of keeping them honest,” Shough said. “Being able to have thedefense on their toes, not knowing who has theball, and I’ve got to continue to do my job of that on certain plays. That’san element Ifeel like Ican continue to grow

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Michigan fired footballcoach Sherrone Mooreon Wednesdayafter finding evidence of an “inappropriate relationship with astaff member,” astunning endtohis short tenure thatsaw the Wolverinestakeastep back on the fieldafter winning the national championship andgetting punishedbythe NCAA.

“This conductconstitutes aclear violation of university policy, and UM maintains zero tolerance for suchbehavior,” athletic director Warde Manuelsaid in astatement. The announcement did not include details of the alleged relationship. Moore, whoismarried with threeyoung daughters, did not return amessage from The Associated Press seeking comment. The 39-year-old Moorewas 9-3 this year after going8-5 in hisdebut season He signeda five-year contract with abaseannualsalary of $5.5 millionlast year.According to the terms of his deal, theuniversity will nothavetobuy out the remaining years of Moore’scontract because he was firedfor cause. College football’swinningest programissuddenlylookingfor a thirdcoach in four years, shortly after abusy cyclethatincluded Lane Kiffinleaving playoff-bound Mississippi for LSU. Moore, theteam’sformer offensive coordinator,was promoted

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

LSU and offensive coordinator

Charlie Weis Jr.struckanamended three-year deal thisweek, according to acopy of his updated term sheet included Wednesday in ameeting agenda for the LSU board of supervisors. The revised agreement came after Ole Miss expressed interest in keeping Weis past the College Football Playoff. Weis now will make $2.5 million peryear through 2028, and the deal includes an annual“look-in period” after every season designed to makehim the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the SEC. If necessary,LSU will give him araise so his salary exceeds the highest annual compensation of any other SEC offensive coordinator before incentives. The first look-in period will takeplace at theend of this season through March 1. At first, Weis signed athree-year,$6 million deal on Nov.30after coming to LSU with new head coach LaneKiffin, according to acopy of his original term sheet obtained by The Advocate through apublic records request. That wasadjusted within the past week. After his departure withKiffin, Weis returned to Ole Miss last weektolead the Rebelsoffensethrough the CFP. Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding told reporters Sunday “and at the end of this thing, whether that’shim being the OC at LSU or him being the OC here, that’s up to him and his family.” Weis signed his new deal Monday,and Ole Miss hiredEastCarolina offensive coordinator John David Baker the next day The deal is set to be approved Thursdaybythe LSU boardofsupervisors along with term sheets for Kiffin,

to lead the Wolverinesafterthey won the 2023 national title. He succeeded Jim Harbaugh, who returned to the NFL to lead the Los Angeles Chargers. The 18th-ranked Wolverines (93, 7-2 Big Ten) areset to play No 14 Texas on Dec.31inthe Citrus Bowl. Biff Poggi, who filled in for Moore whenhewas suspended earlier this season, will serve as interim coach. Moore, in hissecondseason, was suspended for two games this year as part of self-imposed sanctions forNCAAviolations related to asign-stealing scandal. The NCAA added athirdgame to the suspension, which would have kept Mooreoff thesideline for next year’sopener againstWest-

ern Michigan. Moore previously deleted an entire 52-message text thread on his personal phone withformer staff memberConnor Stalions, who led the team’ssign-sealing operation. The texts were later recovered and shared with the NCAA. Just afew years ago, Moore was Harbaugh’stop assistant and regarded as arising star Moore, who is from Derby,Kansas, didn’tstart playing football until his junioryear of high school He played forButler County Community College in Kansas and as an offensive lineman for coach Bob Stoops at Oklahoma during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

Weis

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at the Caesars Superdome on Nov. 23.

On TV

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O-lineman Fuagabackatpractice

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

After missing lastweek’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Taliese Fuaga was back on the New Orleans Saints practice field Wednesday

The right tackle has missed four games this yearfor variousreasons, having dealt with knee and back injuries as well as aninjury to his other ankle. If being back at practice is asignhecould be available this weekend against the Carolina Panthers, the timing works out for the Saints.

Fuaga’sprimary backup at right tackle, Asim Richards,missed Wednesday’spractice because of an ankleinjuryhesufferedin the fourth quarter of lastweek’s game. New Orleans was down to third-string tackle WilliamSherman late in Sunday’swin.

He was one of three starters who was ruled out becauseofan injurylastweek, but he wasthe only one of those three to practice Wednesday.Neitherrunning back Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle)nor safety Justin Reid (knee) participated. Reid waspresent forthe prac-

Continued from

at and be good at.” Running the football always has been something that Shough insisted he could do. It was an element of his game at Oregon and Texas Tech, two colleges that relied on designed quarterback runs.In 2020 for Oregon and thenin2022 for Texas Tech, Shough had more than 200 yards rushingineach season on more than 65 attempts. But then Shough’sinjury history —two broken collarbones and afractured leg —caused ashift. When Shough transferred to Louisville in 2024 for his final collegiate season, the Cardinals placed less of an emphasis on his legs. This was done partly to keep him healthy, but Louisville also ran apro-style offense that asked Shough to stay in the pocket.

The Saintsaren’tasking Shough to run at the same rate he didathis first two stops in college, but they aren’tafraid to use him, either. The New Orleans coaching staff, like Shough, believes his injuries were more of abyproduct of unfortunate circumstances than a player prone to gettinghurt. The quarterback’sbroken collarbone

tice. He workedoff to theside with the athletictraining staff and stood by to watch the rest of thesafeties go through positional drills. Reid injured his knee early in theSaints’ Week 13 loss to the Miami Dolphins

“He was able to do some work with those guys as he continues to build back up,” coach Kellen Moore said of Reid. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Kamarahas missed eachofthe last twogames since injuring his knee in the first quarterofthe Saints’Week 12 loss to the Atlanta Falcons

Asked whether there was apossibility Kamara would miss the remainder of the season, Moore declined to getintoany specifics other than noting the Saints did not place Kamara on injuredreserve.

“We’ll just see how this thing progresses,” Moore said. “You neverwant to throw timelines on these things to make them concrete. He’sdoingeverything he can.”

Rookie Devin Neal hasserved as the lead back in Kamara’sabsence, turning his 37 touches into

153 yards fromscrimmage and a touchdown in the last twogames Neal also was listed on Wednesday’sinjury report as alimited participant

ThePanthersare comingoff a bye andappear to be relatively healthy,with only two limited players listed on theirinjury report in linebacker CaludinCherelus and corner Jaycee Horn,bothof whom are recovering from concussions

Record watch

Saintsquarterback TylerShough could etch his name into thefranchise record booksinacouple of different spotsthis weekend against the Panthers. Because theSaints have not traditionally turned to rookie quarterbacks in starting roles, several franchise records for rookie quarterbacks arewithinrange for Shough despitethe fact that he is in line to make just his sixth career start He needs 106 yards passingto break the Saints’ rookie passing yards record, which was set last season by SpencerRattler (1,317). Shough also needs two touch-

in 2021, for instance, came when Shough landed awkwardly on a dive to theend zone rather than a defendercrushing him on the run.

His 2023 season-ending leg injury occurred on ahip-drop tackle in the pocket.

“There’s stilltimes when it’s advantageous,” Moore saidearlier this season. “Part of the component is (you’ve got to)pick and chooseyour opportunities.”

That decision extends to quarterbacks. The coach said signal-callers havetobesmart about when to fightfor extrayards andwhen to getout of bounds. Not countingkneel downs, the rookie has 23 rushing attempts in seven games. Nearlyhalf—

13 —have come on either RPOs or designedruns. The other 10 have come on Shough scrambling, which has been an effective weapon (including his18-yard, go-ahead scoreagainst Tampa Bay) Shough doesn’t seem to be putting himself in any extra danger when he runs.Heslides,gets out of bounds and gives himself up when appropriate.

On Wednesday, Shough recalled an instance when he opted toavoid Bucssafety Antoine Winfield rather than try to “truck him” foran additional few yards

“I think four years ago, Iprobably would’ve tried something stupid and tried to hurdle or truckhim or whatever,and I’ve gotten hurt,”

Orioles sign former Mets sluggerAlonsofor 5years

The Baltimore Orioles agreed to a$155million, five-yeardealwith slugger Pete Alonso, aperson with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday

It’s amajor movefor aBaltimore team that vowed to be aggressive after alast-place finish in the AL East. Alonso hit .272 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs forthe New York Mets, posting an .871 OPS that was his highest since he hit 53 homeruns as arookie in 2019. Alonso, afirst baseman who turned 31 on Sunday,hit 264 homersoverseven seasonswiththe Mets. He’searned All-Star honors five times, including each of the past four years.

CommandersQBDaniels

to miss startvs. Giants

Quarterback Jayden Daniels will sit out the Washington Commanders’ game at the NewYork Giants on Sunday after aggravating his injured leftelbow last weekend.

Coach Dan Quinn said WednesdaythatDaniels did notre-dislocate the elbow —which originally washurt in aloss to the Seattle Seahawks on Nov.2—when the reigning AP NFLOffensive Rookie of theYearwas knockedtothe ground after throwing an interception in Washington’s31-0 loss to the Vikings on Sunday “Landing on it, like full-on” was theissue,Quinn said, noting that an MRI exam Monday and further testing this weekshowed “no structural setbacks.”

He said team doctors advised him to keep Daniels off the field againstthe Giants (2-11).Marcus Mariota will start for Washington.

Raidersquarterback

downstobreak Archie Manning‘s record (six) set back in 1971.

Technically,both of those recordscould be claimed by Aaron Brooks (1,514 yards and nine touchdowns), who made his NFL debut in aSaintsuniform in 2000.But Brooks was not arookie, having spent the startofhis career with theGreen Bay Packers.

OldMan Rivers

Earlier this week, the Indianapolis Colts madenational headlines when theysigned44-year-old Philip Rivers to thepractice squad.

Rivers, wholast played in 2020 andwas recently named asemifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is coming back to help a Colts team that lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones to aseason-ending injury in the midst of aplayoff push.

Riversisnearly seven years older than Moore, who is in his first season as the Saints head coach.

“I think it’sawesome for(Colts head coach Shane Steichen)and Philip to be back together,” Moore said. “It’s cool to see, and obviously gives them alittle bit of aboost in the situation they’re in.”

Shoughsaid. “But you’re going to try andget the first down, and I feel like I’ve had the opportunity to learnfrom that where you’re notplaying scared,but you’re not playing dumb, either.”

Aquarterback’smobility always hasbeenanimportant part of Moore’soffense.

As an offensive coordinator,Moore called plays forDak Prescott, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts —all threats to take off and extendplays. Before Shough took over for the Saints this season, Spencer Rattler also used his legs afair amount. Moore liked to say thatthe second-year quarterback ranthe “fakest 4.9 ever.”

ButShough’sspeed hasbeen forcing defenses to account for him. AccordingtoNext GenStats, the second-round pickhas the second-most carries(20) and thirdmost rushing yards (95) for his position over the last three games. Shough,who rana 4.63 40-yard dash at the combine,clocked 19.43 mphonhis 34-yard touchdownrun.

“Everyone kind of counts out his wheels,but …that’sanother part of hisgamethat’s very underrated,” Neal said of Shough. “People are, hopefully, startingtonotice.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

Smith questionable vs. Eagles HENDERSON, Nev.— Raiders quarterback Geno Smith did not practice Wednesday because of ashoulderinjury,placing hisstatusfor Sunday’s game at Philadelphia in question. Coach Pete Carroll termed Smith’sstatusasday-to-day. Kenny Pickett, who wasJalen Hurts’ backup last season with theEagles, took first-team snaps in practice. Smith injured his right (throwing) shoulder in the third quarterofSunday’s24-17 loss to Denver. He was not available for commentWednesday. Pickett replaced Smith and completed 8of11passesfor 97 yards and atouchdown.

“Coming in late, Ididn’tmuch workwiththe first-team guys at all,” Pickett said. “So the fact Ican go outthere andget some (Wednesday) would be huge.”

Keydefensiveplayer

for Hoosierstomiss CFP

Defensive end Stephen Daley is expected to miss the College Football Playoff after getting injured during No. 1Indiana’sBig Ten championship celebration.

Coach Curt Cignetti made the announcement Wednesday

Asocial media video showed Daley landing awkwardly on his right leg while high-fiving fans after the Hoosiers completed a13-10 victory over Ohio State to capture their first Big Tentitle since 1967.

Daley played akey role for the Hoosiers after transferringfrom KentState to Indiana this season. He had 38 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 51/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup this season, earning allBig Tenhonorable mention honors. The Hoosiers will face the winnerofNo. 8Oklahomaand No. 9 Alabama.

Mavericks centerLively to miss rest of season

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively is set forseason-ending surgery on his ailing right foot, another setback forthe promising but oft-injured player

Theteam saidWednesday the surgerywillbeperformed by Dr James CalderinLondon. The Maverickspreviously said Lively was seeking multiple medical opinions as discomfort in the foot lingered. Lively’s final gameofthe season was a118-115 victory over New OrleansonNov.21. He then sat the second night of aback-to-back aftermissing 10 of the previous 14 gamesbecause of aknee injury.The foot issuearose after his return.

The 21-year-old Lively will have missed 148 of apossible 246 games by the end of his third season.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough runs the ball against Atlanta Falcons at the CaesarsSuperdome on Nov. 23

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

NewOrleansSaints offensivetackle Taliese Fuaga, right, competes in the firsthalf against the NewEngland PatriotsonOct. 12 in the Caesars Superdome. Fuaga returnedto practiceWednesday and could playSundayagainst the Carolina Panthers

LSU’sthird-leading rusher enters portal

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU sophomore runningback

Ju’Juan Johnson is planning to enter the transfer portal, he confirmedwith The Advocate on Wednesday Johnson was third on theTigers in rushing yards and carries while averaging 4yards per attempt this season. He began the yearasa clear part of LSU’srotation at running back with three or more carries in five of LSU’s first six games, but he faded down the stretch.He had only10carries over LSU’s final six contests.

Johnson, afour-star recruit from Lafayette Christian in the 2024 class, arrived at LSU as asafety but moved to running back midway through his freshman year. He then transitioned to quarterback to begin this season, but moved back to the backfieldafter freshman JT

LSU

Continued from page1C

defensive coordinatorBlake Baker,and eight other new coaches and staff members, according to the board’sagenda.

The board is expected toapprove previously reported terms for Kiffin, Baker,head of strength and conditioning Nick Savage, cooffensive coordinator and tight ends coach Joe Cox, passing game coordinatorand wide receivers coach George McDonald, and director of player personnel Mike Williams.

LSU is set to approve atwo-year deal for new offensivelinecoach Eric Wolford that will pay him an average of $937,500 per year,and atwo-yeardeal fornew quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens worth $350,000 per year.With Wolford confirmed as the offensive line coach, LSU needs only arunning backs coach to completeKiffin’s offensive staff.

Wolford has coached offensive lines in the SEC for the past nine seasons. He worked at South Carolina from 2017-20 before spending ayear at Kentucky.He then worked as the Alabama offensive line coach for two seasons until Nick Saban retired. After that, Wolford returned to Kentuckyfor the past two years until headcoach Mark Stoops was fired. Wolford will replace LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis, aBaton Rouge native who was with the Tigers for the past five years.

LSU also is hiring director of football operations Thaddeus Rivers to atwo-yeardealworth an average of $312,500 and director of recruiting Dwike Wilson to a two-year deal worth an average of $287,500 as several key staff roles change under Kiffinand general manager Billy Glasscock

All the term sheets for the assis-

MICHIGAN

Continued from page1C

His coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Louisville beforemovingontoCentralMichigan,where he caught Harbaugh’s attention. Harbaugh hired him in 2018 as tight ends coach. Moorewas promotedtooffensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator in 2021, when the Wolverinesbouncedbackfroma 2-4, pandemic-shortened season and began athree-year run of excellence that culminated in the school’sfirst national title in 26 years. He worked his way up within the

Pavia, Leawin topSEC awards;two Tigers honored

BY MARK LONG AP sportswriter

Vanderbiltquarterback Diego Pavia, his coach Clark Lea and Texas A&M pass rusher Cashius Howell won top individualhonors from The Associated Pressfor the 2025 Southeastern Conference season.

Lindsey was suspended fromthe team.

Johnson finishes hisLSU career with 259 totalyards from scrimmage. He had 17 catches for 72 yards to go along with 151 yards on theground this season. He had 36 total yards from scrimmage as afreshman

WithoutJohnson, LSU still has leading running backsHarlem Berry andCaden Durham set to return nextseason.Berry emerged as akey piece of the running back rotation this season as afreshman. Durham has battled injuries, butthe sophomore started as afreshmanand has averaged more than 5yards per carry duringhis time at LSU.

LSU didnot sign anyrunning backs fromthe 2026 class, meaning that it will have to turn to the transferportaltoadd more depth at the position.

tant coachesand staff membersinclude aclause that requires them to pay300% of their then-current salary if they terminatetheir agreement without cause before the end of March. Allofthem would owe 100% of their buyout after that date if they take another college job. However,Weiswould not have to pay anything if he leaves after the 2026 season.

Weis first overlapped with Kiffinasa graduate assistant at Alabama, and he worked with him at both Florida Atlantic and Ole Miss. They have to overhaul an LSU offensethatranks 108thinthe country in scoring at 21.8 points per game. LSU firedoffensive coordinator Joe Sloan in the middle of the season after dismissinghead coach Brian Kelly LSUalso temporarily adjusted the compensationand incentives packagefor runningbacks coach Frank Wilson, who was named interim head coach after Kelly was fired. Wilson earned $1.05 million this year,which was paid through monthly installments. He will make $169,583 more per month in November andDecember while he serves as interim coach.

Wilson receivedanadditional $10,000 for hisone regular-season SECwin against Arkansasand $50,000 formakingabowl game. He would earn $100,000 if LSU beatsNo. 21 Houston in the Texas Bowl.After the game, Wilson can leave before Marchwithout havingtopay abuyout even though he hasanother year on his contract.

Wilson’s futureatLSU is unclear He hasexpressed adesiretostay and had conversations with Kiffin, but he said Tuesdayhedoes not expect clarity until after the Texas Bowl.On3 reported Wednesday that Wilson is anametoknow in Texas’ search foranew running backs coach. None of LSU’sother offensive coaches from this past season are expected to be retained.

Wolverines staff and filled in as interim coach for four games during the 2023 championship season while Harbaugh servedtwo suspensions for potentialNCAA rules violations

Moorealso served aone-game suspension during that year related to arecruiting infractions NCAA case.

Earlier in the2023 season, Michigan State fired coach MelTucker for cause after he engaged in what he described as consensual phone sexwith an activist and rapesurvivor. In 2012, Arkansas firedcoach Bobby Petrino because of asordid scandal that involved amotorcycle crash, an affair with awoman who worked for him and being untruthful to hisbosses.

In results released Wednesday, the AP named Pavia the conference’s offensive player of theyear, Lea the coach of the year for asecond straight season and Howell the defensive player of the year Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy,asophomore who transferred from UL-Monroe, was namedthe league’s newcomer of theyear.Tennessee receiver Braylon Staley was named freshman of the year LSU’sonly two representatives on thetwo all-SEC teams came fromthe defense.Both senior cornerback Mansoor Delane and seniorsafety AJ Haulcylanded on the first-team defense.

Pavia, aHeisman Trophy finalist who led the Commodores to their first 10-win season in school history,completed 71% of hispasses for3,192 yards. He accounted for 4,018 totalyards and 36 touchdowns,including 27 passing. He led the SEC and rankedfourth nationally witha171.5 passer rating.

Leahas been instrumental in Pavia’sdevelopment and the rise of the program. Vandy has 17 wins over thelasttwo seasons —the team’s best two-year stretchin nearlya century —and have sold outgames along the way.That success made Leaacandidate at

First-team offense QB —DiegoPavia, Vanderbilt, 6-0, 207, Gr.

RB —Ahmad Hardy,Missouri, 5-10, 210, So.

RB —Kewan Lacy,Ole Miss, 5-11,210, So. WR —Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee, 6-5, 200, R-Jr. WR —Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma, 5-10, 182, R-Jr.

TE —Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt,6-4, 235, Gr.

OT —Cayden Green, Missouri, 6-5, 324, Jr.

OT —Kadyn Proctor,Alabama, 6-7,366, Jr.

OT —Keagen Trost, Missouri, 6-4, 316, Gr.

OG —DJCampbell, Texas, 6-3, 321, Sr.

OG —Wendell Moe Jr., Tennessee, 6-2, 330, R-Jr. C—JakeSlaughter,Florida, 6-5, 303, R-Sr.

First-team defense

DE/Edge —Cashius Howell, TexasA&M, 6-2 248, R-Sr.

DE/Edge —Colin Simmons, Texas, 6-3,240, So. DT —WillEcholes,Ole Miss, 6-3,310, So.

DT —Christen Miller, Georgia, 6-4,310, R-Jr.

LB —CJAllen, Georgia, 6-1, 235, Jr.

LB —Xavier Atkins,Auburn, 6-0, 210, So.

LB —AnthonyHill Jr Texas, 6-3,238, Jr.

CB —Mansoor Delane, LSU,6-0, 190, Sr.

CB —Daylen Everette, Georgia, 6-1, 190, Sr. S—A.J. Haulcy,LSU,6-0, 222, Sr.

other programs andprompteda contract extension last month.

Lea also wasnamed the SEC’s coachofthe year in 2024 after leading the ‘Dores to a7-6 mark. Howell leads the league and is tiedfor fourth nationally with 111/2 sacks. He has 151/2 sacks in two years with theAggies. He spent hisfirst two seasonsatBowling

S—BrayHubbard, Alabama, 6-2, 213, Jr. First-team specialists PK —Tate Sandell, Oklahoma, 5-9, 182, R-Jr. P—Grayson Miller, Oklahoma,5-10, 200, Jr. All-purpose —KCConcepcion, TexasA&M, 5-11, 190, Jr. Second-team offense QB —TySimpson, Alabama, 6-2, 208, R-Jr. RB —Jadan Baugh, Florida, 6-1, 231, So RB —MikeWashington Jr., Arkansas, 6-2, 228, Sr. WR —KCConcepcion, TexasA&M, 5-11, 190, Jr WR —BrenenThompson, TexasA&M, 5-9, 170, Sr. TE —RohonJones, Arkansas,6-3,242, Sr. OT —Cayden Green,Missouri,6-5, 324, Jr. OT —TrevorGoosby,Texas,6-7,312, So. OG —Ar’maj Reed-Adams,Texas A&M, 6-5, 325, Gr. OG —Micah Morris, Georgia, 6-4, 330, R-Sr. C—DrewBobo, Georgia, 6-5, 305, Jr. Second-team defense DE/Edge —QuincyRhodes Jr., Arkansas, 6-6, 275, Jr. DE/Edge —R Mason Thomas,Oklahoma, 6-2, 249, Sr. DT —Gracen Halton, Oklahoma,6-2,292, Sr

Green.

Hardy led the SEC with 1,560 yards rushing, including 300 against Mississippi State last month, and scored 16 touchdowns. Staley caught 64 passes for 806 yards and six TDs. The 2025APAll-SEC team, as selected by media members who regularly cover the league.

DT —ChrisMcClellan, Missouri, 6-4, 323, Sr LB —JosiahTrotter, Missouri, 6-2, 237, R-So LB —TaureanYork,Texas A&M, 5-10, 227, Jr. LB —OwenHeinecke, Oklahoma,6-1,227, R-Jr. CB —Colton Hood, Tennessee, 6-0, 195, R-So. CB —Ellis Robinson IV,Georgia,6-0,180, R-Fr S—Michael Taaffe,Texas,6-0,189, Sr S—WydettWilliams Jr., Ole Miss, 6-2, 210, Sr. Second-team specialists PK —Peyton Woodring, Georgia, 5-10, 190 P—Brett Thorson, Georgia, 6-2, 235, Sr All-purpose —RyanNiblett, Texas, 5-10, 187, So. Individual awards Coach of the Year —Clark Lea, Vanderbilt OffensivePlayerofthe Year —QBDiego Pavia,Vanderbilt DefensivePlayerofthe Year —DECashius Howell, TexasA&M Newcomer of the year —RBAhmadHardy Missouri Freshman of the year —WRBraylonStaley, Tennessee

BASEBALL

Continuedfrom page1C

“He’sdonesome incredible stuff with these guys,”Deggs said of Sandefur.“The communication between him and the pitchers has been outstanding. It’sbeen such a blessing to have him. He’s made an immediate impact.”

Deggs sees alot of potential optionsasstarting pitchersfor the Cajuns,includingjuniorrighthander JR Tollett, who ended last season as the staff’s ace. Then there’sveteran southpaw Andrew Herrmann.

“He was throwing 80 miles an hour last year.He’sback up to 89 and looking like his old self again,” Deggs said of Herrmann.

There’salsoTyRoman from San JacintoJuniorCollege,who is “a

6-3 lefty whoreally knowshow to pitch.”

Seniortransfer lefty Tyler Papenbrockisanother candidate, and Deggsidentified Cody Brash andGarretCarter —bothrighthanders from Tyler Junior College—and freshman southpaw BryceWilson from Chalmette as showing promise in the fall.

There’salsoachance Murphy Brooks could return from an injury “He’salmost fully cleared,” Deggs said. “He madehuge strides in the fall.”

Offensively,Deggs said he left the fall season feeling comfortable with most of thepositions,especially at shortstopwith Slidell native Blaze Rodriguez. William CareytransferRigobertoHernandez is an option at second base, while Drew Markle makes the movetothird base

and Lee Amedee settles in at first base.

Noah Lewis stood out in center field, andOklahoma State transfer Donovan LaSalle is expected to add power to the lineup.

Jose Torres returns at catcher with plenty of depthbehind him in Mississippi State transfer Steven Spalitta, who could also DH or play in the outfield, and freshman Colt Brown.

“We’ve gottogoout andkind of re-establishwho we areasa program coming off of last year,” Deggs said. “The team’sgoing to have to establish that and establish their ownidentity andput it from aleadership standpoint, acompetestandpointand just abrotherhood hasbeenreally good.”

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

Vanderbilt quarterback DiegoPavia celebrates atouchdown during agame against

18 in Nashville, Tenn.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOS By GEORGE WALKER IV

Vanderbilt head coachClark Lea watches histeam warmupbefore a game against Kentucky on Nov. 22 in Nashville, Tenn.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU running back Ju’Juan Johnson high steps away fromWestern Kentucky linebacker Jaylen Wester in the fourth quarter on Nov. 22 at TigerStadium.

Sweet treats

Hopelessly devotedtocookies?

Trythisspicedtake on classicoatmeal

BY AMY DREW THOMPSON Orlando Sentinel (TNS)

Iampuzzling overwhatto call these cookies. For roughly 20 years,they’ve justbeen oatmeal cookies, becausethese are the ones we make. They have dried cranberries instead of raisins, because all of the people in the world who have been scarred by raisins have scarred me with their raisin trauma. Not really.I just like dried cranberries.

They’re colorful and fall-seasonal, and they go very nicely with the ginger that’salsobeen added to this warm, wonderful, seasonal cookie.

There’sanobvious namewe could give these cookies (hint: it rhymes with oatmeal-raisin), but sadly, that name is trademarked, and Idon’twant any trouble. And so, as Igoabout putting this story on the editorial budget, Iamstruggling. Iwant to call them cranberry-ginger oatmeal, but then it’spointed out to me that the oatmeal part should go first. Because they are, first and foremost, oatmeal cookies. And while oatmeal cookies, by any other name, still taste as sweet, the combination herein, to us, is perfection. Bake them alittle longer,and they’vegot more color and bite. Alittle less and they are chewy

They’re also wonderfully welcoming at their spicy,little cookie party.So, if you’re the sort who likes to meld the whole chocolate and oatmeal thing, might Isuggest some mini-dark or milk chocolate morsels?

Ginger is another thing.Iuse more than the below,which is a semi-neutralized recipe that I *think*, along time ago, came from acookbook. Ihonestly can’tremember.I just like them spicy.So, if you love ginger,use more. And if you like raisins, be loud and proud and use them, with or without the cranberries. And as Iamwrapping up this cute little blurb aboutcute little cookies, amighty bellow comes from the kitchen downstairs. Aclever one, too.

“How about CROATMEAL?!” Ladies and gentlemen, we have awinner

GingeryCroatmeal Cookies (or whatever you want to call them)

Makes roughly 30-35 cookies. Recipe is adapted by Amy DrewThompson.

December in New Orleans doesn’tarrive withawhisper; it crashes through the door like your favoritecousin who forgot to knock, arms full of presents and acooler of something inviting. The air turns crisp enough to makeyou reach for that jacket youswore you’d never need. Suddenly,the city transforms into something that feels like coming

THESEASON OF FOOD ANDLOVE

Kevin Belton

home, even if you’ve never left. This is themonth when New Orleansremembers what it does best:Gather people around tables that groan under theweight of love disguised as food. Walk through any neighborhood in December and you’ll catch it, that unmistakable scent of somebody’sgrandmother’skitchen working overtime. Pralines cooling on wax paper.Apot of gumbo that’sbeen simmering since dawn,

its roux dark as Mississippi mud and twice as rich. Red beans that have been talking to aham hock all day long, learning its secrets. This is the food that doesn’tjust fill your stomach. It fills the spaces between people, the gaps that distance and time try to wedge between us. The holiday markets pop up like mushroomsafter rain —the French Market overflowing with handmade ornaments and the smell of hot beignets mixing with cinnamon and pine. Jackson Square fills with carolers who can’thelp but add alittle jazz to “Silent Night,” because even our Christmas songs need to swing. And everywhere, everywhere,

See HOLIDAY, page 6C

PHOTO By MONICA BELTON

Sticky Sweet Glazed Ham

110-pound spiral cut ham

½cup brown sugar

1can regular Coca-Cola

1tablespoon cornstarch, optional Cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to

350 F. Coat alarge roasting pan with cooking spray and place the ham in the pan.

2. Rub the brown sugar all over the ham, making sure to get it in between the slices

3tablespoons butter

¼cup shallots, sliced 2cloves garlic, minced

32 ounces fresh Brussels sprouts, cored and halved

¼teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch black pepper

¼teaspoon paprika

¾cup heavy cream

¾cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded ½cup Gruyere cheese, shredded 6slices cooked bacon, crumbled Minced fresh parsley,for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375F Add butter to alarge ovensafe pan or skillet and heat overmedium heat. Add Brussels sprouts, shallots and garlic, seasoning with kosher salt, black pepper and paprika. Saute, stirring occasionally,about 5-8 minutes.

3. Pour thecan of CocaColaover the ham

4. Cover theham andbake for90minutes, basting every 30 minutes.

5. Uncover and bakefor 30 minutes more or until ham is browned and caramelized.

6. Remove the ham from the panand place on aserving platter.Spoon the glaze from thebottom of thepan over the ham.See optional

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

step below if youprefer a thicker glaze. TO THICKEN THE GLAZE: Pour theham glazefrom the bottom of the roasting paninto asmall pot and bring to a simmer.Whisk together the cornstarch with2 tablespoons of coldwater.Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pot, whisking constantly Bringtoa boil andcookfor 1minute or until glaze is thickened.

2. Remove pan from heat, pour in heavy cream. Sprinkle shredded cheddar and gruyerecheese all over the Brussels sprouts. Top with crumbled bacon and bake about 12minutes, until cheese is meltedand bubbly

HOLIDAY

Continued from page5C

tables arebeing set, chairs borrowed and extra leaves being added to accommodate one more, two more, however many show up. December is when the city stops pretending to be anything other than what it is: Abig, messy,beautiful family reunion that lasts all month long because food is just love you can taste. That’sthe thing about December in New Orleans There’salways room for one more at the table. This is the month when we pull out our mama’srecipes, written on index cards stained withdecades of use. When we argue goodnaturedly about whether

the potato salad needs more mustard (it does) and whether the greens needmore vinegar (they definitely do).When welet thekids lick the spoon from thecakebatter and pretend we don’tsee them sneaking cookies before dinner

Therestaurants know what’sup, too. They’reservingRéveillon dinnersthat honor theold Creole tradition of late-night feasting after midnightMass. Turtle soup, oyster dressing, mirliton casserole —dishes that connect ustothe generationswho came before, who also gathered in December, who also understood that thebest gift you can give someone is aseat at your table and aplate piled high As we head toward the newyear,New Orleans doesn’tget quieter —itgets

3. Sprinkle with additional black pepper andminced parsley if desired.

fuller.Fuller of laughter, fuller of stories, fuller of thekind of memories that stick to your ribs better than any roux. Becausehere, we know the truth: December isn’t about the decorations or the presents. It’s about the people squeezed around your table, the food thatbrings themthere,and the love that keeps themcoming back.

Kevin Belton is resident chef of WWL-TV and has taught classes in Louisiana cooking for 30 years. The most recent of his four cookbooks, “KevinBelton’sCookin’ Louisiana: Flavors from the Parishes of the Pelican State,” was published in 2021. EmailChef at chefkevinbelton@gmail. com.

MiniatureChicken PotPies

Makes 12 mini chicken pot pies. Recipe is by GretchenMcKay,Post-Gazette,with crust recipe by Martha Stewart.

FOR CRUST:

2½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more forwork surface

1teaspoon sugar

1teaspoon fine salt

1cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

¼to½cup ice water FOR FILLING: 4tablespoons butter

2carrots, peeled and diced

2celeryribs, diced 1medium onion, diced ½cup chopped button mushrooms, optional ½cup all-purpose flour, unbleached

1½ cups chicken stock or broth

¾cup milk or half-and-half

1teaspoon dried parsley

1teaspoon dried thyme Salt and pepper,totaste

3cups cooked and chopped chicken breast from arotisserie chicken

¼cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for optional garnish

1. In afood processor, pulse together flour,sugar andsalt. Add butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse meal,with afew pea-size pieces of butter remaining.

2. Sprinklewith¼ cup ice water, then pulse until dough holds togetherwhen

POTPIES

Continued from page5C

because its flaky and butterytexture goes well with both sweet and savory fillings. Also, it’seasy to follow and requires only ahandful of ingredients. This dough is so forgiving that it’s pretty hard for even novice cooks to mess it up. While you can, and prob-

squeezed betweenyour fingers, but still looks alittle crumbly.Ifnecessary,add more water,a tablespoon at atime. (I used the full ½ cup.) Be carefulnot to overmix; it will make thedough tough.

3. Divide dough in half, turneach piece out onto a piece of plastic wrap and gentlyshape into adisk. Wrap it tightly in the plastic, then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 20-30 minutes while youprepare the filling.

4. Preheat oven to 375 F.

5. In alarge sauce potor Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celeryand onionand cook until vegetables are softened,about 5minutes, then stir in chopped mushrooms. Continue cookingfor another 2minutes

6. Add flour and stir well to cover thevegetables, and cook for 1-2 minutes to eliminate raw flour taste. Slowly pour in chicken brothand milk,a little at time, andstir occasionally untilitforms asmoothsauce. Let sauce simmer until it thickens, about 5minutes, then add herbs.Mix to combinewell andseason to taste withsalt

ably should,makechicken pot pieina9-inch

Lemonjuice savesthe day

Dear Heloise: Ihave two thermal mugs. Oneisfor coffee, and one is for tea. They can’t be used in themicrowave or in the dishwasher.Toget thestainsout, Iboil somewater and put it in themugs. Ithen add acouple of squirts of lemon juice. Ilet it soak until thewater gets cold. Later when Iwash them with my other dishes, thestainsjust wipe away Ialso use this method to get therust out of my shower curtains. Iboil a pot of water withseveral squirtsoflemon juice. I movethe pot of water into thesink, add in the shower curtain (tamping it down

By The Associated Press

and pepper

7. Stir in cubed chicken andParmesan cheese, if using. Set aside while you roll out dough.

8. Roll out dough on floured surface and cut out 24 circles with a4½-to-5-inchbiscuit cutter or glass. (I used a Tupperwarelid for thebottom anda slightly smaller pint glass for thetop layer.)

9. Lightly butterorspray a12-cup muffintin with nonstick cooking spray.Place a rough round intoeach muffin cup, withside hanging over 10. Divide chicken mixture between the cups,place another round on top and fold theoverhang inward. Crimp theedge witha floured fork.

11. Cutafew vents in the top of the dough toallow steam toescape, sprinkle with alittlegrated Parmesanand place in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling outaround theedges.

12. Allowpot pies to cool on thecounterfor about1015 minutes before serving, then gently run aplastic knife along the edges to lift each pie out without breaking the delicate crust.

occasionally), and launder it as usual after the water has gone cold. I admit Igot this hint from awoman’smagazine. It worked so wellwith the shower curtain that Itried it on the mugs, and it worked forthem,too. —Liz Nass, via email

Screw-on bottle caps

Dear Heloise: Somescrewon caps require one to press in and turn the cap, which can be daunting. Mouthwash bottles are just one example. What Ido after my first use is to snip off the twoextension tabs, which lock the cap when it’stwisted. Iuse toenail clippers. Then Ireuse this

TODAYINHISTORY

aloft in the command module.

Today is Thursday, Dec. 11, the 345th day of 2025. There are 20 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Dec. 11, 1936, Britain’sKing Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson; his brother, Prince Albert,became King George VI. Also on this date:

In 1816, Indiana was admitted to theUnion as the 19th U.S. state.

In 1946, theUnited NationsInternational Children’sEmergency Fund (UNICEF) was established.

In 1972, Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan guided lander Challenger to atouchdown on the moon,where he and Harrison “Jack” Schmittwould becomethe last two Apollo astronauts to walk on the lunar surface. They returned to Earth three days later with astronaut Ronald Evans, who remained

In 1978, nearly $6 million in cash and jewelry were stolen from the Lufthansa cargo terminal at New York’sJohn F. Kennedy Airport; the “Lufthansa Heist,” the largest cash robbery in history at the time, wasimmortalized in the film “Goodfellas.”

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed legislation creating a$1.6 billion environmental “Superfund” to pay forcleaning up hazardous chemical spills and toxic waste dumps.

In 1997, morethan 150 countries agreed at aglobal warming conference in Kyoto, Japan, to control the Earth’sgreenhouse gases.

In 1998, majority Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee pushed through three articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, over Democratic objections.

In 2008, former Nasdaq chairman Bernie Madoff was arrested, accused of

modified cap forfuture bottles so that Ionly have to wrestle with anew cap once with each purchase. TomDiNapoli,inBatonRouge Openingstuck-onlids

DearHeloise: Iwantedto write in regarding arecentletterfeaturing Mara Trotter’shint on opening lids on jars: Pleasetellher abetterway to open the lid on ajar is to taparound the lid with the handle of asilverware knife. Afew taps around the lid will make it easiertoopen, and youdon’t have to turn it upside down to tapiton the countertop! —Michele Cruz, via email

Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

running amultibilliondollar Ponzi scheme that wiped out the lifesavings of thousands of people and wrecked charities. (Madoff died in April 2021 while serving a150-year federal prison sentence.)

In 2020, the Supreme Court rejected alawsuit backed by President Donald Trumptooverturn Joe Biden’selection victory, ending an attempt to get legal issues that were rejected by state and federal judges before the nation’s highest court.

Actor Rita Moreno is 94. Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is 82. Singer Brenda Lee is 81. Singer Jermaine Jackson is 71. Rock musician Nikki Sixx (Mötley Crüe) is

Actor-comedian Mo’Nique is 58. Hockey Hall of Famer Daniel Alfredsson is 53. Rapperactor Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) is 52. Author Colleen Hoover is 46. Actor Rider Strong is 46. Actor Alexa Demieis35. Actor Hailee Steinfeld is 29.

Hints from Heloise

PHOTO By MONICA BELTON

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Visualization will have an impact on how you think and what you do next. Put your emotions aside and let common sense be your guide. Don't feel pressured; time is on your side.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) A change of scenery will be a wake-up call. Rethink what's brought you to the place you are now, and you'll discover how to replenish what's turned sour or led you astray.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Be a leader, not a follower. If you let someone manipulate you instead of following your heart, you'll end up backtracking. Life is about choices; do what's best for you.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Take your time; observe, plan and prepare to make your next move. Don't share too much information or leave yourself vulnerable to those eager to take credit for your ideas.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Question your motives; emotions can distort facts. Verify information before you act on it. It's vital to keep your plans and routine simple, doable and within budget.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) A change is within reach. Weigh the pros and cons when dealing with financial, health and legal matters. Consider how much you are paying for your lifestyle and how much you receive for your services.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Engage in something that raises your awareness. Cre-

ate a plan, engage in discussions with like-minded people and generate a stir that encourages doing something that makes you feel good about yourself.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Do what matters most to you. Your surroundings will influence your attitude and productivity. Make home improvements that put your mind at ease, and implement a sensible budget.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Socializing and entertainment don't have to break the bank. Get a makeover, formulate a plan for a healthy lifestyle or replace what's no longer of use with something that energizes you.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Check out subsidy offers that can lower your overhead. A change can have a positive impact on your life. It's time to shake things up and rethink your long-term strategy. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Take a trip, mentally or physically, that will encourage positive change. Reviewing your options and considering your past, present and future will help you gain perspective regarding the possibilities.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Open the doors of communication; network, socialize and discuss your thoughts, feelings and potential agenda. Verify information before you begin.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

ToDAy's cLuE: P EQuALs c

CeLebrItY CIpher For better or For WorSe

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

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

After aone-level suit opening and a takeout double, if the responder bids a suitattheone-level,itisnaturalandforcing(and does not deny 10 points).Anonjump newsuit at the two-level is weak.

An example is the North hand in today’s diagram. Responder bids two diamonds over West’s double. And after East passes, South takes ashot at three no-trump.

Westleadshisfourth-highestheartand East puts up the 10. Howshould South proceed?

When in no-trump, always start by counting your toptricks —your immediate winners. Here South has six: two hearts (given the lead),two diamonds and two clubs. If he is going to get three more tricks,heneeds to establish dummy’s diamonds and get back into the dummy to cash thenew winners.

What is declarer’sdummy entry?

Right —the heart queen. But that will be an entryonly if South can lead twice toward the queen, once to make West take hisking andoncetowin with the queen.

So, declarer’s first key play is to win trick one with theheart ace.

Then he should cash the diamond ace and continue with the diamond nine. When West plays low twice, Southmust overtake with dummy’s10. If East could winthe trick, the diamonds would be breaking 3-2 and all wouldbewell. Here,

though, when East discards, declarer continues with twomore rounds of diamonds.And eventually he will forcethat dummy entry in heartstoget home. In case you are wondering, if the responder had had, say, 11 high-card points, not five, he wouldhave had to start with aredouble.

©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four

thought

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

Pride cankeep us from the Lord.The Lord honorstrue humility. G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Stocks rise after the Fedcuts rates

NEW YORK The U.S.stock market rosetothe edge of its record on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve cut its main interest rate to bolster the job market, and hopes strengthened for more cuts to come in 2026.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.7% and finished just shy of its all-time high, which was set in October.The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 497 points, or 1%,and the Nasdaq composite rose0.3%.

Wall Streetloves lower interest rates because they can boost the economy and send prices for investmentshigher, even if they potentially make inflation worse.

Traders are now bettingona 71%chance that the Fedwill cut the federal funds rate at least twice next year

That’supfrom the 64% chance seen shortly before the Fed announced its decision, according to data from CME Group.

The Fed also announced a program where it will buy shorter-term Treasurys to help keep the financial systemrunning smoothly

It’snot alarge-scale programlike past efforts by the Fed to buy bonds to keep interest rates low and stimulate the economy,but it helps keep shorter-term rates lowerthan they otherwise would be

On Wall Street, GE Vernova flew 15.6% higherafterthe energy company raised its forecast for revenue by 2028, doubled its dividend andincreased its program to buy back its own stock.

Palantir Technologies added 3.3% after saying theU.S. Navy will use its artificial-intelligence platform as part of a$448million program.

On thelosingend of Wall Streetwas GameStop, which fell 4.3% after reporting weaker revenuefor the latest quarterthananalystsexpected The video-game retailer’s profit topped forecasts, though. Alltold,the S&P500 rose 46.17 points to 6,886.68. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 497.46to48,057.75, and the Nasdaq composite gained 77.67 to 23,654.16. In stock markets abroad, indexesweremixed amid mostly modest movements across Europe and Asia.

Cracker Barrel lowers revenue forecast

Cracker Barrel posted lowerthan-expected sales in its fiscal first quarter and trimmed its revenue forecast for the year as it continued to feel the fallout from abotched plantorevamp its logo and restaurants. The Lebanon, Tennesseebased restaurant chain said Tuesday its revenue fell 5.7% to $797.2 million in thethree months ending Oct. 31.That was lower than the $800million Wall Street anticipated, according to analysts polled by FactSet.

Cracker Barrelsaid it now expectstotal revenue of $3.2 billion to $3.3 billion in its2026 fiscal year.That’sdown from $3.35 billion to $3.45 billion previously Cracker Barrel announced in August that it was simplifying the chain’slogoaspartof alarger plan to modernize the chain’s dark, antique-filledrestaurants. But the move had disastrous consequences. Fans didn’tlike that the new logo didn’tinclude Cracker Barrel’slongtime mascot, an overall-clad man leaningon a barrel, or the words “Old Country Store.” They also rebelled against thestore redesigns. Cracker Barrelbacktracked aweek later,saying it would keepthe logo. In September, the company alsosuspendedits plans to remodel stores. The chain operates around 650 restaurants nationwide, with many in Texas, Florida andTennessee.

THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business

FederalReserve cuts keyrate

BYCHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve reduced its key interest rate by aquarter-point for the third time in arow Wednesday but signaled that it may leaveratesunchanged in thecoming months, amovethat could attract ire from President Donald Trump, who has demanded steepreductionstoborrowing costs.

In astatement released after a two-day meeting, the Fed’srate-setting committee suggestedfurther

rate cuts would depend on signs that the economy is faltering. And in aset of quarterly economic projections,Fed officials signaledthey expect to lower rates just once next year Wednesday’scut reducedthe rate to about 3.6%, thelowest it hasbeen in nearlythreeyears. Lower rates from theFed can bring down borrowingcostsfor mortgages,auto loans,and credit cards over time, though market forces can also affect those rates

ThreeFed officialsdissented from the move, the most dissents in sixyears and asign of deep divisions on acommittee that traditionally worksbyconsensus. Two officialsvoted to keep the Fed’s rate unchanged, while StephenMiran, whom Trump appointed in Septem-

ber,voted for ahalf-point cut. December’s meeting could usher in amore contentious period for the Fed. Officials aresplit between those whosupport reducingrates to bolsterhiring and those who’d prefer to keep rates unchanged because inflation remains above the central bank’s 2% target. Unless inflation shows clear signs of coming fully undercontrol,orunemployment worsens, those divisions will likely remain.

step back and evaluate where the economy heads next.

Powelldid,however,rule out an increase in rates. And Trump could name anew Fed chair as soon as later this month to replace Powell when his term ends in May.Trump’snew chair is likely to push for sharper rate cuts than many officials maysupport.

At anews conference following the announcement of the rate cut, Powell signaled thatthe Fed’skey rate was closetoalevel that neither restricts or stimulates theeconomy

As aresult, officials can now take a

Astark sign of the Fed’sdivisions was the wide range of cuts that the 19 members of the Fed’sratesetting committee penciledinfor 2026. Seven projected no cuts next year,while eight forecast that the central bank would implement two or morereductions. Four supported just one. Only 12 out of 19 members vote on rate decisions.

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON —Winningbids for offshore oil and natural gas rightsWednesday were twice as high as the average price of the last lease sale —setting up Louisianatoreceive hundredsofmillions of dollars forcoastal restoration andhurricane protectionprojects The winning bidsgenerated $279.4 million at an averageof$1.5 million each, according to theU.S. Department of the Interior’sBureauofOcean Energy Management, which oversaw the sale for the rightstoexploreand exploit oil and gas reserves under theGulf’s sea floor.Thatcompares with an $842,817 average in March 2023, the last time rights were leased in the Gulf.

Thirty companies submitted 219 bids for tracts off the coasts from Texas to Alabama. Butthe lion’sshare of bids were clustered 120 to 140 miles south of MorganCity and Houma in waters thatare about 265 feet deep.

Chevron USAInc.and BP Exploration made themost bids overall, mostlyinthis area. Both companies already have existing leases in the region.

“It’sagreat dayfor American energy independence,” HouseMajority Leader Steve

BY MEG JAMES Los Angeles Times (TNS)

Congressional Democrats are sounding alarms over the deep involvement of Saudi Arabian and other Middle Eastern royal families in Paramount’sproposed bid for Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery owns CNN, HBOand thehistoric WarnerBros. film and television studios in Burbank.

Latelast week, the Larry Ellison-controlled Paramount came up short in the bidding for Warner Bros., in part, over the Warner board’sconcernsabout Paramount’sdeal financing. On Monday, Paramountlaunched ahostile

Scalise,R-Jefferson, saidWednesday. “We saw astrong interest in today’slease sale, andI’m proud that millionsofdollars from this sale will go directly to Louisiana’scoastal restoration andhurricaneprotection efforts.”

Louisiana receivedabout $156 millionin 2024 from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. The state should receive morerevenues this year under GoMESA, in which the federal government shares aportion of its revenues from energy production with states bordering the federal waters. Scalise recently got thecap increased for theparticipating states.

“The new law finally increases theamount of revenue sharing dollars Louisiana is eligible to receive from offshore lease sales, like the oneheld today,that will result in millions in newfunding forour state’svital coastal restoration efforts,” said KristiTrail, executive director of the PontchartrainConservancy,based in New Orleans.

The Governor’sOffice reports that 15% of thestate’stotal employment —306,750 jobs —issupportedbythe energysector.That work generates about $25.5 billion in annual statewide earnings.

“These leasesales put Louisiana to work andputs ourstate at the forefront of furtheringAmerica’senergy dominance,” saidTommy Faucheux, president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil &Gas Association. “We are creating jobs, strengthening energy security,and delivering vitalfundingtore-

takeover of Warner Bros., appealing directly to Warnershareholders —asking them to sell their Warner stock to Paramount for $30 ashare.

Paramount’sgambit hasthrown the auction,and Warner board’s selection of Netflix’s$72 billion deal, into doubt. Paramount has long insisted that it represents the best partner for Warner Bros., in part,because of theEllison family’scozy relations with President Trump. Thecompany hastrumpeted its ability to gain the blessing of theTrumpadministration.

Paramount’s bid is heavily backed by Saudi Arabia, AbuDhabi and Qatar’ssovereign wealth funds. Thethreeroyal families

store Louisiana’scoastline.”

Wednesday’sBig Beautiful Gulf 1lease sale wasthe first of 30 scheduled to take place over the next decade.

Erik Milito, president of National Ocean Industries Association,a Washington-based trade group foroilfieldservices industry, said energy producersneed aregularcadence of lease sales to plan properly

“Knowing that BigBeautiful Gulf 2is coming in March 2026 allows companiesto plan, study and refine their bids,” Milito said. “Lease sales are foundational to U.S. energy production.”

Annual lease sales slowed under the Biden administration as part of an effort to lower carbon emissions that contribute to global warming.

Conservationists argue that increasedoil andgas activityisbad forthe environment both on and offshore.

“The Gulf is alreadyoverwhelmedwith thousands of oil rigs and pipelines, and oil companies are doing aterrible job of cleaning up after themselves,” said Rachel Mathews, asenior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity,anadvocacy nonprofit based in Washington.

“There’snothing remotely beautiful about selling off more of our public waters to the fossil fuel industry and putting Gulf wildlife at an even higher risk of dying in oil spills.”

Email Mark Ballardatmballard@ theadvocate.com.

have agreed to contribute$24 billion —twice the amount the Larry Ellisonfamily has agreed to provide in financing for Paramount’s proposed $78 billiontakeover of Warner Bros. Discovery,according to regulatory filings. Trump son-in-lawJared Kushner’sprivate equity firm, Affinity Partners, would also have an ownership stake. On Wednesday,U.S. Reps. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., andAyanna Pressley,D-Mass., called on WarnerBros.’board to recognizethe consequences of selling the legendary company,which includes news organization CNN, to foreign governments. “This transaction raises national

security concerns because it could transfer substantial influence over one of the largest American mediacompanies to foreign-backed financiers,” Liccardo and Pressley wrote. Transactions “foreigninvestors with governance rights, access to non-public data,orindirect influence over content distribution creates vulnerabilities that foreign governments could exploit,” the lawmakers wrote. Paramount, in its regulatory filings, said the threeMiddle Eastern families had agreed to give up voting rights and arole in the company’sdecision-making —despite contributing more than half the equity needed forthe deal.

STAFFFILE

PHOTOBy SOPHIA GERMER

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