The Acadiana Advocate 12-15-2025 by The Advocate

ZYDECOLEGENDS

ABOVE: Aribbon-cutting is held Friday for the unveilingofamural that pays tribute to legendary zydeco musician brothers Clifton and Cleveland Chenier at The Funky FleainSunset.The mural was designed and painted by Louisiana artists Liz and Jed Cornett.

RIGHT: C.J. Chenier,his wife, Anita Chenier,and their granddaughter Kelsey Arvie, 3, attend the muralunveiling.

PHOTOSByROBIN MAy

Crashesalong new Amtrak routecause concern

Miss.plans to installmore lights,gates at crossings

BYPOET

WOLFE andMARTHASANCHEZ Staff and Sun Herald writers

Geneva Ellegant sat outsideher Alabama home on aTuesday morning, remembering her daughter’switty humor, gift for painting and beautiful singing voice.

“She was my easy child,” Ellegant said of Tavianna, whowent by Tavi. Nearlythreemonths earlier,Tavi Ellegant had left work with herboyfriend, Chase Craddock, to return to theirhome in Long Beach, Mississippi, wherethe couple caredfor hisfatherand grandmother. As they crossed thetracks in Pass Christian, Mississippi, an Amtrak train on the new MardiGrasroute betweenNew Orleans and Mobile struck their vehicle. Both were killed. She was 24, and he was 31.

Since the crash, Geneva Elleganthas fearedthat fatalcollisions like the onein Septembercould become more common along the line, where some crossings—including the one whereher daughter died —have only ﬂashing lights and no gates.

Twomore crashes have occurredalong the servicesince: One in Gautier,Mississippi, in November thatkilled a40-year-old man, and another in Irvington, Alabama,

Fewwith criminal records netted in La.sweeps

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Like their predecessors in Chicago and North Carolina, the federal government’s southLouisiana immigrationsweeps set outtoarrest violent criminals. Since the operation started, officials have touted arrests of “murderers, rapists and pedophiles.” But by the government’sown count, fewerthan 10% of people captured in the sweeps launched the ﬁrst weekofDecember around New Orleans have criminal histories of any kind. On Thursday,eight days into theoperation, the Department of Homeland Securityissuedthe ﬁrst comprehensive tally of people thesweepshavecaptured,saying 250 people hadbeen arrested across Louisiana.

Some details— including thegeographic

BY KRISTENGELINEAU,

SYDNEY Twogunmen opened ﬁre during aHanukkah celebration on Sydney’s BondiBeach,killing15people, includinga child,ofﬁcialssaidMonday, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calledanact of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the nation. The shooters were father and son, authorities said. The massacre at one of Australia’s most popular beaches followed awave of antisemitic attacks that have roiled thecountry over thepastyear, although

China warns against Japanese militarism

China warned against a return of Japanese militarism at a memorial ceremony Saturday honoring victims of a wartime massacre, while refraining from directly criticizing Japan’s leader amid escalating tensions between the two nations

Speaking at a ceremony in Nanjing, Politburo member Shi

Taifeng recounted the violence of the Japanese capture of the city in December 1937. He said that under the leadership of the Communist Party, China had then beaten the invaders and become a great nation.

Shi, who heads the party’s powerful organization department, also said that any attempt to revive “militarism” and undermine the postwar order would fail. While he didn’t mention Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi by name, that’s likely a reference to the view in China that her push for stronger national defense reﬂects a desire to revive the country’s past militarist policies

“History has proven and will continue to prove that any attempt to revive militarism, challenge the postwar international order and undermine world peace and stability is doomed to failure,” said Shi at the gathering of about 8,000 people.

This year is the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, with Beijing hosting a mass military parade in September to celebrate Japan’s defeat and exit from the continent.

China claims that 300,000 people were killed after the fall of Nanjing, which was the capital of the Republic of China. That claim for the number of dead is disputed by some historians.

Flight near Venezuela avoids ‘midair collision’

WASHINGTON A JetBlue ﬂight from the small Caribbean nation of Curaçao halted its ascent to avoid colliding with a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker on Friday, and the pilot blamed the military plane for crossing his path.

“We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot said, according to a recording of his conversation with air trafﬁc control. “They passed directly in our ﬂight path. They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous.”

The incident involved JetBlue Flight 1112 from Curaçao which is just off the coast of Venezuela, en route to New York City It comes as the U.S. military has stepped up its drug interdiction activities in the Caribbean and is also seeking to increase pressure on Venezuela’s government.

“We just had trafﬁc pass directly in front of us within 5 miles of us — maybe 2 or 3 miles — but it was an air-to airrefueler from the United States Air Force and he was at our altitude,” the pilot said. “We had to stop our climb.” The pilot said the Air Force plane then headed into Venezuelan air space.

The Pentagon referred The Associated Press to the Air Force for comment. The Air Force didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Schumer announces split with husband

Person of interest detained in shooting Hamas confirms death of top commander

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI, AMANDA SWINHART and HOLLY RAMER Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A person of interest was in custody Sunday after a shooting during ﬁnal exams at Brown University that killed two students and wounded nine others, though key questions remained unanswered nearly 24 hours after the attack

The attack Saturday afternoon set off hours of chaos across the Ivy League campus and surrounding Providence neighborhoods as hundreds of ofﬁcers searched for the shooter and urged students and staff to shelter in place.

The lockdown, which stretched into the night, was lifted early Sunday, but authorities had not yet released information about a potential motive.

Col. Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief, said Sunday afternoon that the person in custody was in their 20s and that no one has been charged yet Perez, who previously said the person was in their 30s and that no one else was being sought, declined to say whether the detained person had any connection to Brown.

The person was taken into custody at a Hampton Inn hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, about 20 miles from Providence, where police ofﬁcers and FBI agents remained Sunday, blocking off a hallway with crime scene tape as they searched the area.

The shooting occurred as ﬁnal exams were underway Brown canceled all remaining classes, exams, papers and projects for the semester and told students they could leave campus, underscoring the scale of the disruption and the gravity of the attack.

As police scoured the area for the shooter, many students remained barricaded in rooms while others hid behind furniture and bookshelves. One video showed students in a library shaking and wincing as they heard loud bangs just before police entered the room to clear the building.

College President Christina Paxson teared up while describing her conversations with students both on campus and in the hospital.

“They are amazing and they’re supporting each other,” she said at a news conference. “There’s just a

lot of gratitude.”

The gunman opened fire inside a classroom in the engineering building, firing more than 40 rounds from a 9 mm handgun, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Two handguns were recovered when the person of interest was taken into custody and authorities also found two loaded 30-round magazines, the official said. One of the firearms was equipped with a laser sight that projects a dot to aid in targeting, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity

One student of the nine wounded students had been released from the hospital, said Paxson. Seven others were in critical but stable condition, and one was in critical condition.

Durham Academy, a private K-12 school in Durham, North Carolina, conﬁrmed that a recent graduate, Kendall Turner was critically wounded. The school said her parents were with her Providence leaders said residents would notice a heavier police presence, and many area businesses announced Sunday that they would remain closed. A scheduled 5K run was postponed for a week. Mayor Brett Smiley said he visited some wounded students and was inspired by their courage, hope and gratitude. One told him that active shooting drills done in

high school proved helpful.

“The resilience that these survivors showed and shared with me, is frankly pretty overwhelming,” he said. “We’re all saddened, scared, tired, but what they’ve been through is something different entirely.”

Investigators were not immediately sure how the shooter got inside the first-floor classroom at the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the School of Engineering and physics department. The building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices, according to the university’s website.

Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, was in the lobby working on a ﬁnal project when she heard loud pops. Once she realized they were gunshots, she darted for the door and into a nearby building where she waited for hours.

Eva Erickson, a doctoral candidate who was the runner-up earlier this year on the CBS reality competition show “Survivor,” said she left her lab in the engineering building 15 minutes before shots rang out.

The engineering and thermal science student shared candid moments on “Survivor” as the show’s ﬁrst openly autistic contestant. She was locked down in the campus gym following the shooting and shared on social media that the only other member of her lab who was present was safely evacuated.

By The Associated Press

JERUSALEM Hamas on Sunday confirmed the death of a top commander in Gaza, a day after Israel said it had killed Raed Saad in a strike outside Gaza City

The Hamas statement described Saad as the commander of its military manufacturing unit. Israel had described him as an architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war in Gaza, and asserted that he had been “engaged in rebuilding the terrorist organization” in a violation of the ceaseﬁre that took effect two months ago.

Israel said it killed Saad after an explosive device detonated and wounded two soldiers in the territory’s south.

Hamas also said it had named a new commander but did not give details, adding that it had the right to “respond to the occupation’s aggression.”

The strike on Saturday west of Gaza City killed four people, according to an Associated Press journalist who saw their bodies arrive at Shifa Hospital. Another three were wounded, according to Al-Awda hospital. Hamas in its initial statement described the vehicle struck as a civilian one. Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of truce violations.

Israeli airstrikes and shootings in Gaza have killed at least 391 Palestinians since the ceaseﬁre took hold, according to Palestinian health ofﬁcials. Israel has said recent strikes are in retaliation for militant attacks against its soldiers, and that troops have fired on Palestinians who approached the “Yellow Line” between the Israeli-controlled majority of Gaza and the rest of the territory

On Sunday, Israel’s military said it had killed a “terrorist” who crossed the line and approached troops in Gaza.

Israel has demanded that militants return the remains of the ﬁnal hostage from Gaza and called it a condition of moving to the second and more complicated phase of the ceaseﬁre That lays out a vision for ending Hamas’ rule and seeing the rebuilding of a demilitarized Gaza under international supervision

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Comedian Amy Schumer says she and her husband, chef Chris Fischer, have decided to end their marriage Schumer, an actress, author and writer, announced the planned split in a social media post on Friday “Blah blah blah Chris and I have made the difﬁcult decision to end our marriage after 7 years,” Schumer wrote. “We love each other very much and will continue to focus on raising our son. We would appreciate people respecting our privacy at this time. Amicable and all love and respect! Family forever.” Schumer and Fischer were married in February 2018 in Malibu, California. Their son was born in May 2019. The two starred together in the Food Network show “Amy Schumer Learns to Cook” and the HBO miniseries “Expecting Amy” that documented her difﬁcult pregnancy

Storm drops heavy snow in Northeast

By The Associated Press

A weekend storm sent temperatures plunging well below zero in the Midwest and dumped heavy snow on parts of the Northeast on Sunday, creating many airport delays and slick roads as the Paciﬁc Northwest braced for more rain after days of ﬂooding and mudslides.

The storm began Saturday and brought up to several inches of snow in the New York-New Jersey metro area, the region’s first significant snowfall of the season. Light snow fell over parts of New England. The storm was expected to weaken by Sunday night, followed by arctic conditions with overnight windchill temperatures at or plummeting below zero degrees.

Crews and contractors were out plowing and treating roads in New Jersey, where the state Department of Transportation advised people to avoid unnecessary travel. Salt spreaders and plows

worked overnight to clear snow from roads and bike lanes, the New York City Department of Sanitation posted online. Pennsylvania temporarily reduced speed limits on interstates to 45 mph. There were over 1,000 ﬂights delayed and more than 100 cancellations at U.S. airports due to the weather, according to the ﬂight tracking site FlightAware.

Meanwhile, a blast of arctic air swept south from Canada and into parts of the northern U.S The National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota, said Sunday was the coldest morning of the season so far It was minus 10 at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, with temperatures as low as minus 22 in some communities.

In the Pacific Northwest, which has seen catastrophic flooding that has forced thousands of people to evacuate, more rain and wind was expected in the region as early as late Sunday forecasters said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEVEN SENNE

A bouquet of flowers rests on snow Sunday on the campus of Brown University in Providence, R.I., not far from where a shooting took place Saturday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADAM GRAy

A father pulls his children on a sled Sunday in the Brooklyn borough of New york City

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

BROWN UNIVERSITY

Ultra-conservative candidate wins in Chile

BY ISABEL DEBRE and NAYARA BATSCHKE Associated Press

SANTIAGO, Chile Ultra-con-

servative José Antonio Kast

secured a thumping victory in Chile’s presidential runoff election Sunday, defeating the candidate of the leftist governing coalition and setting the stage for the country’s most right-wing government in 35 years of democracy

With over 95% of the vote counted, Kast won more than 58% of the votes as Chilean voters overwhelmingly embraced his pledge to crack down on increased crime, deport hundreds of thousands of immigrants without legal status and revive the sluggish economy of one of Latin America’s most stable and prosperous nations.

His challenger, communist candidate Jeannette Jara who served as leftist President Gabriel Boric’s popular labor minister, had just over 41% support.

social welfare measures in Boric’s government and hails from a workingclass family that protested against the 1973-90 military dictatorship, Jara was a dramatic foil to her rival.

Bolivia.

Kast’s supporters erupted into cheers in the street, shouting his name and honking car horns. His campaign spokesman, Arturo Squella, declared victory from the party headquarters in Chile’s capital of Santiago.

“We are very proud of the

“Democracy spoke loud and clear,” Jara wrote on social media, saying that she called Kast to concede defeat and congratulate him on his successful campaign.

work we’ve done,” he told reporters. “We feel very responsible for this tremendous challenge of taking charge of the crises that Chile is going through.”

Kast’s election represents the latest in a string of votes that have turfed out incumbent governments across Latin America, vaulting mainly right-wing leaders to power from Argentina to

On the surface, the two candidates in this tense presidential runoff could not have been more different, fundamentally disagreeing on weighty matters of the economy social issues and the very purpose of government.

A lifelong member of Chile’s Communist Party who pioneered significant

Kast, in contrast, is a devout Catholic and father of nine whose German-born father was a registered member of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party and whose brother served in the dictatorship He had previously struggled to win over moderate voters in two failed presidential bids.

His moral conservatism, including ﬁerce opposition to same-sex marriage and

abortion without exception, had been rejected by many in the increasingly socially liberal country The admiration he has expressed for the bloody military dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet also sparked widespread condemnation in his campaign against President Boric four years ago. But in the past few years, fears about uncontrolled migration and organized crime have roiled the country Enthusiasm for a hardline approach to crime spread, dominating the election and boosting Kast’s law-and-order platform.

Attacker in Syria was recent recruit to security forces

BY ABBY SEWELL Associated Press

BEIRUT A man who car-

ried out an attack in Syria that killed three U.S citizens had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months earlier and was recently reassigned amid suspicions that he might be affiliated with the Islamic State group, a Syrian ofﬁcial told The Associated Press Sunday

The attack Saturday in the Syrian desert near the historic city of Palmyra killed two U.S. service members and one American civilian and wounded three others. It also wounded three members of the Syrian security forces who clashed with the gunman, interior ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said.

Al-Baba said that Syria’s new authorities had faced

shortages in security personnel and had to recruit rapidly after the unexpected success of a rebel offensive last year that intended to capture the northern city of Aleppo but ended up overthrowing the government of former President Bashar Assad.

“We were shocked that in 11 days we took all of Syria and that put a huge responsibility in front of us from the security and administration sides,” he said. The attacker was among 5,000 members who recently joined a new division in the internal security forces formed in the desert region known as the Badiya, one of the places where remnants of the Islamic State extremist group have remained active.

Al-Baba said the internal security forces’ leadership had recently become

suspicious that there was an infiltrator leaking information to IS and began evaluating all members in the Badiya area. The probe raised suspicions last week about the man who later carried out the attack, but ofﬁcials decided to continue monitoring him for a few days to try to determine if he was an active member of IS and to identify the network he was communicating with if so, alBaba said. He did not name the attacker At the same time, as a “precautionary measure,” he said, the man was reassigned to guard equipment at the base at a location where he would be farther from the leadership and from any patrols by U.S.-led coalition forces.

On Saturday the man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security

Zelenskyy offers to drop NATO bid but refuses to cede territory

BY STEFANIE DAZIO and CLAUDIA CIOBANU Associated Press

BERLIN Ukrainian President Volodymyr

Zelenskyy on Sunday voiced readiness to drop his country’s bid to join NATO in exchange for Western security guarantees, but rejected the U.S. push for ceding territory to Russia as he held talks with U.S envoys on ending the war Zelenskyy sat down with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The Ukrainian leader posted pictures of the negotiating table with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sitting next to him facing the U.S. delegation.

Responding to journalists’ questions in audio clips on a WhatsApp group chat before the talks, Zelenskyy said that since the U.S. and some European nations had rejected Ukraine’s push to join NATO, Kyiv expects the West to offer a set of guarantees similar to those offered to the alliance members.

“These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression,” he said. “And this is already a compromise on our part.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cast Ukraine’s bid to join NATO as a major threat to Moscow’s security and a reason for launching the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Kremlin has demanded that Ukraine renounce the bid for the alliance membership as part of any prospective peace settlement.

Zelenskyy emphasized that any security assurances would need to be legally binding and supported by the U.S. Congress, adding that he expected an update from his team following a meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. military ofﬁcials in Stuttgart, Germany

The U.S. government said in a social media post on Witkoff’s account after the ﬁve-hour meeting that “a lot of progress was made.”

Washington has tried for months to navigate the demands of each side as Trump presses for a swift end to Russia’s war and grows increasingly exasperated by delays. The search for possible compromises has run into major obstacles, including control

of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, which is mostly occupied by Russian forces.

Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the part of the Donetsk region still under its control among the key conditions for peace, a demand rejected by Kyiv Zelenskyy said that the U.S. had ﬂoated an idea for Ukraine to withdraw from the Donetsk and create a demilitarized free economic zone there, a proposal he rejected as unworkable.

“I do not consider this fair, because who will manage this economic zone?” he said.

“If Ukrainian troops withdraw 5-10 kilometers then why do Russian troops not withdraw deeper into the occupied territories by the same distance?”

Zelenskyy described the issue as “very sensitive” and insisted on a freeze along the line of contact, saying that “today a fair possible option is we stand where we stand.”

Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov told the business daily Kommersant that Russian police and national guard would stay in parts of the Donetsk region even if they become a demilitarized zone under a prospective peace plan.

Ushakov warned that a search for compromise could take a long time, noting that the U.S. proposals that took into account Russian demands had been “worsened” by alterations proposed by Ukraine and its European allies

Speaking to Russian state TV in remarks broadcast Sunday, Ushakov said that “the contribution of Ukrainians and Europeans to these documents is unlikely to be constructive,” warning that Moscow will “have very strong objections.”

Merz, who has spearheaded European efforts to support Ukraine alongside Macron and U.K Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said Saturday that “the decades of the ‘Pax Americana’ are largely over for us in Europe and for us in Germany as well.”

He warned that Putin’s aim is “a fundamental change to the borders in Europe, the restoration of the old Soviet Union within its borders.”

Putin has denied plans to restore the Soviet Union or attack any European allies.

officials who were having lunch together and opened ﬁre after clashing with Syrian guards, al-Baba said. The attacker was shot and killed at the scene.

Al-Baba acknowledged that the incident was “a major security breach” but said that in the year since Assad’s fall “there have been many more successes than failures” by security forces.

In the wake of the shooting, he said, the Syrian army and internal security forces “launched wide-ranging

sweeps of the Badiya region” and broke up a number of alleged IS cells. The interior ministry said in a statement later that five suspects were arrested in the city of Palmyra.

The U.S. has had forces on the ground in Syria for over a decade, with a stated mission of ﬁghting IS, with about 900 troops present there today

Before Assad’s ouster Washington had no diplomatic relations with Damascus and the U.S. military

did not work directly with the Syrian army Its main partner at the time was the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the country’s northeast. That has changed over the past year Ties have warmed between the administrations of U.S. President Donald Trump and Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former leader of an Islamist insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that used to be listed by Washington as a terrorist organization.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATIAS DELACROIX

José Antonio Kast, presidential candidate for the Republican Party, arrives to vote during the presidential runoff election in Santiago, Chile, on Sunday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ESTEBAN FELIX

Supporters of José Antonio Kast, presidential candidate of the opposition Republican Party, celebrate preliminary results after polls closed for a presidential runoff election in Santiago, Chile, on Sunday

Jara

Pope criticizes prison overcrowding at special Mass

Leo XIV holds service for detainees, guards

BY NICOLE WINFIELD and PAOLO SANTALUCIA Associated Press

ROME Pope Leo XIV criticized prison overcrowding and insufﬁcient inmate rehabilitation programs on Sunday as he celebrated a special Mass for detainees, guards and their families in the ﬁnal event of the Vatican’s 2025 Holy Year

The Vatican said an estimated 6,000 people signed up to participate in the weekend pilgrimage, including representatives from big detention facilities in Italy and prison volunteers, wardens and prison chaplains from 90 countries.

Included were a few groups of inmates who received special permission to participate, according to the Italian penitentiary chap-

SWEEPS

Continued from page 1A

spread of where arrests were made remain unclear. But so far, the operation’s targets appear to be grouped in two main categories.

The smallest but most visible, group includes the 23 people who DHS says have criminal records — less than a tenth of the overall number of detainees, based on the agency’s arrest ﬁgures

Those with criminal histories have convictions or arrests on charges that range from armed robbery to aggravated kidnapping, along with less severe offenses like driving under the inﬂuence and public urination

The other group comprises far more detainees — dozens, according to immigration attorneys representing them — who are accused of no violations aside from living in the country without permanent authorization to do so, such as a green card or U.S. citizenship.

Federal officials have sought to highlight detainees with violent criminal histories in media releases, social media posts and video snippets promoted by conservative activists who have embedded with Border Patrol agents. “Operation Catahoula Crunch arrests even more criminal illegal alien rapists, thieves, gang members, human smugglers, and abusers,” one news release headline blared. Among the most notorious with criminal records: a Vietnamese man convicted of a slew of crimes in Dallas in 1989, including aggravated robbery and kidnapping, court records show He was released on parole after serving time in prison DHS said the man, Binh Van To, had been convicted of homicide, but Texas court records indicate that charge was dismissed.

Far larger than the number of detainees with criminal records is the number who have been accused of no wrongdoing, had applied for permanent legal residency and held papers authorizing them to live and work in the country while that process played out. Some people with no authorization also appear to have been detained.

Business owners, immigration attorneys and family members of detainees last week recounted multiple cases of loved ones or employees being taken into custody despite holding work permits.

Homero López, an immigration attorney whose Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy organization is representing dozens of people detained in the raids, said a number of them held work permits or other protections granting them permission to live in the United States while awaiting the outcome of green card or asylum applications.

Many of those detainees had been granted deferred action — a discretionary

lain’s association. In his homily, Leo acknowledged the oftentimes poor conditions prisoners

protection where the federal government agrees not to deport victims of parental abuse, crime, workplace mistreatment or other injustices while they complete the permanent residency process.

As President Donald Trump’s administration expands its deportation agenda with shock-and-awe sweeps in Chicago, North Carolina and now Louisiana, the results of the operation officials are calling Catahoula Crunch highlight how the administration is increasingly focused on jailing and deporting people once seen as safe from immigration enforcement. Those include people who had temporary permission to live and work in the country because the federal government had granted it to them.

“Policywise, it just doesn’t make sense — we don’t want to be locking anyone up who doesn’t pose threats to the community,” López said. “This administration has decided to not exercise that discretion.”

A DHS spokesperson disputed the idea that the operation is falling short of its target of detaining criminals.

“DHS is targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens — including murderers, rapists, gang members, pedophiles, and terrorists,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

Permit holders detained

Before Border Patrol agents arrived in New Orleans, the agency gained notoriety in Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina, for targeting businesses and neighborhoods known as hubs for Hispanic residents. Violent protests erupted.

Louisiana has so far seen only peaceful demonstrations against Border Patrol’s presence, but the agency’s tactics have been similar: Through targeting home improvement store parking lots and worksites, agents have netted people with work permits, as well as some with U.S. citizenship or permanent legal resident status who have been held for questioning, then released.

Louisiana employers recounted numerous cases of people with work permits being detained. One man from Guatemala, 21-yearold Baltazar Jax Macario, had a work permit and has lived in the country since 2021, according to a person familiar with his case who asked to remain anonymous because they feared retaliation. Macario was detained along Williams Boulevard in Kenner on the operation’s ﬁrst day In a viral Facebook post last week, Kenner roofing contractor Shane Mulkey said his company lost four employees who had work permits. He suggested that people who complain about Hispanic immigrants taking American jobs should apply for those openings.

“Our loss is your gain,” Mulkey said. “I see all the posts about Hispanics taking American jobs. Here is your

face even in wealthier countries. He called for a sense of charity and forgiveness to prevail for prisoners and

those responsible for guarding them.

“Here, we can mention overcrowding, insufficient

commitment to guarantee stable educational programs for rehabilitation and job opportunities,” he said, adding that patience and forgiveness are needed.

“On a more personal level, let us not forget the weight of the past, the wounds to be healed in body and heart, the disappointments, the inﬁnite patience that is needed with oneself and with others when embarking on paths of conversion, and the temptation to give up or to no longer forgive,” he said.

As the last big event of the 2025 Jubilee, the Mass in many ways closed out the Holy Year that Pope Francis inaugurated Christmas Eve 2024, which had as its main thrust transmitting a message of hope especially for those on society’s margins.

During his 12-year pontiﬁcate, Francis had prioritized ministering to prisoners to offer them hope for a better future. On Dec. 26 last year

Francis traveled to Rome’s Rebibbia prison to open its Holy Door and include the inmates in the Jubilee cel-

chance, the moment you have been waiting for.”

McLaughlin in a statement to The Times-Picayune | The Advocate last week acknowledged that people who hold work permits are targets of the administration’s deportation agenda.

“Employment authorization does not confer legal status,” McLaughlin said. It remains unclear exactly how many people with work permits and other forms of authorization have been picked up in sweeps, which recently expanded west to Baton Rouge.

Organizers with local advocacy group Mision Migrante estimated that between 60 and 75 people have been detained since Tuesday In the town of Walker, agents smashed a car window and physically restrained two men, according to eyewitnesses, leaving glass shards and blood on the ground in a parking lot. Their legal records were unclear, but they did not appear on DHS’ lists of people with criminal records.

Media outlets reported on two other cases last week of detained permit-holders.

One, 38-year-old Kenner mother Vilma Cruz, had her car window smashed as Border Patrol agents moved to detain her, according to an interview with her son. Another, a Kenner auto shop worker, Rosell Callejas, was swarmed by agents and taken away after arriving for a work shift, according to his boss.

Another man with a work permit and pending green card application, Darwin Padilla, in an interview described being followed home by Border Patrol agents in Kenner After he spoke to the agents from inside his home and explained that he had documents, the agents left, according to interviews with Padilla and his wife, Leslie Padilla.

Later, agents returned to the house and posted a form on the door ordering Darwin Padilla to show up for an appointment Friday morning with documents to prove his status, Leslie Padilla said.

The family’s attorney went to the address listed on the form, she said, but the agents had given them the site of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s old Central

Business District ﬁeld ofﬁce, which has relocated. No one was there to receive them.

Leslie Padilla said the demands for her husband’s documents feel like an intimidation tactic.

“This is definitely a low blow,” Leslie Padilla said. “We are doing everything that we need to. We have been diligent when it comes to his case we have ﬁled every form they’ve asked for, we have provided them with everything that we have been advised to.”

Who can be deported?

Of 23 people detained in the operation whom DHS said had criminal records 22 men and one woman the agency identiﬁed 14 with arrests or convictions for violent acts or sex crimes.

The remaining nine were accused of violations such as drug possession, vehicle theft, driving under the inﬂuence, reentering the country after having been deported and a trafﬁc offense.

One man had been arrested for public urination and disturbing the peace.

To, who DHS described as a Vietnamese national with convictions for aggravated

robbery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and aggravated assault, had been living in Westwego after his release from a Texas state prison on parole years earlier, according to public records. He was rearrested by Border Patrol agents on the ﬁrst day of the south Louisiana operation.

To told reporters after his arrest that he welcomed the idea of being deported to Vietnam, though he had little connection to the country

“I’d be grateful to go to Vietnam, even though I don’t know nothing,” he said. “I came over here when I was so young.”

A DHS news release said

To had a previous homicide conviction. A Dallas County, Texas court docket, however, says that his 1989 homicide charge was dropped around the time he was convicted of other counts. Dallas County court officials did not immediately respond to requests for detailed records of the case. To and people who know him could not be reached.

It was unclear whether U.S. ofﬁcials would seek to deport To and another Vietnamese man detained in Louisiana, Hung Ngoc Tran, back

ebrations. Leo recalled that visit in Sunday’s homily, as well as Francis’ Holy Year appeal for governments around the world to offer prison amnesties and pardons, which are a mainstay of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee tradition. In Italy, prison overcrowding is a long-standing problem that has been denounced by the European Court of Human Rights and humanitarian organizations. Antigone, an Italian prisoner advocacy group, said Italian prisons are now at 135% overcapacity, with more than 63,000 people detained in facilities with fewer than 47,000 beds. Italian prison authorities received 5,837 complaints of inhuman or degrading treatment last year 23.4% more than in the previous year, Antigone said.

The Mass was the ﬁnal big Jubilee event of the 2025 Holy Year which Leo will ofﬁcially close out on Jan. 6 when he shuts the Holy Door of St. Peter’s.

to Vietnam. Vietnamese nationals are among those the administration has deported to “third” countries to which they have no connection as it seeks to accelerate deportations.

McLaughlin, the DHS spokesperson, did not respond to an inquiry about the inconsistencies in To’s criminal record. Asked about the agency’s plans to deport To and Tran, she defended the administration’s practice of third-country deportations without providing speciﬁcs on the men’s cases.

“If an illegal alien’s home country is not taking them they’re not taking them for a reason: they are dangerous criminals. That doesn’t mean they get to stay in the United States,” McLaughlin said. “That is why these third-country agreements, which ensure due process under the U.S. Constitution, are so essential to the safety of our homeland and the American people.”

One man touted by DHS as a detainee of the Border Patrol-led operation was swept up by a different agency, records show A special agent from Homeland Security Investigations investigated Carlos Roberto Guardado-Ramirez and ICE arrested him, the records say In an afﬁdavit charging GuardadoRamirez, of Honduras, with felony illegal reentry last week, an HSI agent wrote that Guardado-Ramirez had reentered the country after being deported in 2006. He was arrested Dec. 3 the same day Border Patrol launched its operation — by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers in LaPlace, according to the afﬁdavit.

His mugshot appeared the next day in a DHS news release touting Border Patrol arrests.

Staff writers Sophie Kasakove and Quinn Coffman contributed to this report.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Cmdr Gregory Bovino, center, walks with Border Patrol agents on Dec 5 through a neighborhood in Kenner

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO

Leo XIV delivers his speech Sunday as he celebrates a Mass on the occasion of the Jubilee of Prisoners in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

theauthorities didn’tsuggest those and the shooting Sunday were connected.It was the deadliest shooting in almost threedecades in a country with strictgun control laws.

One gunman, a50-year-old man, was fatally shot by police. The other shooter,his 24-year-old son, was wounded and was being treated at ahospital, said MalLanyon, New South Wales police commissioner Police saidone gunman was known to security services, butLanyonsaidauthorities had no indication of aplanned attack.

Those killed were between 10 and87years old, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told reporters. At least 42 others were being treated at hospitalson Monday morning, severalof them in acritical condition

“What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism,anact of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, that is associated with joy,associated with families gathering,associated with celebrations,” Albanese said Monday

“It is forever tarnished by what has occurred.”

The violence erupted at the end of asummer day when thousands had ﬂocked to Bondi Beach, an icon of Australia’scultural life. They included hundreds gathered for the Chanukah by theSea event celebrating the start of the eight-day Hanukkah festival.

The festivities included face painting and apetting zoo. Then mayhem erupted. Chabad,anOrthodox Jewish movement that runs outreach worldwide and sponsors events during major Jewish holidays, identiﬁed

CRASHES

Continued from page1A

last week, in which the driver survived. Both of those crossings had gates and caution lights.

The rising number of collisions since the line began operating in August has raised concerns amongsome residents about whether existing safety measures are sufficient to prevent more crashes.Sometransportation leaders say the recent incidents may be coincidental and urge drivers along theroute to be vigilant as train trafﬁc increases.

Now,the safety measures along the Mississippi coast are beginning to shift. The state’sDepartment of Transportation plans to install lights and gates at all crossings along the coast and intends to add more gates in Pass Christian in the coming months, according to Josh Stubbs, director of aeronautics and rails at MDOT

The addition of Amtrak in aregion already busy with freight operations means “more chances each day for somethingtohappen,” Stubbs said. Louisiana and Alabamawere among the top 10 states for highwayrail grade crossing collisions in 2024, with 176 collisions, 76 injuries and nine deaths combined, according to data provided by Operation Lifesaver Still, Stubbs said it remained unclear whether the crashes involving the Mardi Gras service pointed to broader safety issues, noting there are no comparable

one of the dead as Rabbi Eli Schlanger,assistantrabbiat Chabad of Bondi and an organizer of the event. Israel’sForeign Ministry confirmed thedeath of an Israeli citizen, but gave no further details. French President Emmanuel Macron announced aFrench citizen, identiﬁed as Dan Elkayam, was among thosekilled. None of the victims have been publicly named by Australianauthorities. The gunmen haven’tbeen officially named either Butstories of thevictims began to emergeinlocal news outlets onMonday Larisa Kleytman told reporters outside St.Vincent’s Hospital that her husband, Alexander Kleytman, was among the dead, according to TheAustraliannewspaper. The couple were both Holocaust survivors.

routes in theregion to analyze the collision numbers.

“Hopefully,” headded,“it’s just some sadcoincidences.”

Safety efforts

Amtrak’s return to the Gulf Coast has been popular.More than 420 people, on average, ride the trains between New Orleans and Mobile each day. The Southern Rail Commission last week calledthe route “one of themostsuccessful service launches in Amtrak’s history.”

Transportationleaders say Amtrak’s return also carries severalrisks.The Gulf Coast is apopulous area with dozensofrailroad crossings. Kimbler Sloan, the executive directorofa nonproﬁt rail safety group called MississippiOperation Lifesaver, said younger residentsacross theregion may still be getting used to more frequent Amtrak trains.

“Wetry our best to push safety,”saidSloan, who oftenreminds drivers that trains cannot stop quickly “But there’sonly so much that we can do to spread the message.”

On the Mississippi coast, state and nonprofitleaders have sought to improve safety at railroad crossings. Mississippi Operation Lifesaver placedbillboards near railroad crossings in Gulfport and Biloxi asking drivers to be cautiousnear thetracks. The nonproﬁt has also targeted railroad crossing safety advertisements that popuponcellphones when people are near train tracks.

MDOT ﬁnished leveling inclines around railroad cross-

Police said emergency services were called about 6:45 p.m., responding to reports of shots being fired. Video by onlookersshowed people in bathingsuits running from thewater as shots rang out

Separate footageshowed twomen in blackshirtsﬁring with long guns from a footbridge leading to the beach.One dramaticclip broadcast on Australian television showed aman appearing to tackle and disarm one gunman, beforepointing the man’sweapon at him, thensetting the gun on the ground.

Minns called theman,identiﬁedbyrelatives to Australian media as fruit shop ownerAhmed al Ahmed, a “genuine hero.”

Arsen Ostrovsky,alawyerattending the Hanukkah ceremony with his wife and daughters, was grazed in the

ings this year in LongBeach in an attempttostop semi trucksfrom getting stuck on the tracks, and there are plans to expand theproject to PassChristian, Gulfport and Biloxi.

The safety equipment at each crossing is installed and maintained by CSX, the large freight railroad that owns much of the track, after consultation with state andlocal highway ofﬁcials, who determine thetype of equipment required,according to aCSX spokesperson.

Regulations forrailroad crossings vary by state, and Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama do not require gates or flashing warning signs at everycrossing, according to the U.S. DepartmentofTransportation. The only minimum requirement is acrossbuck sign.

Even at crossing gates, drivers sometimes go around them, Amtrak spokespersonMarcMagliari said. In Gautier and Irvington, the trains hit drivers whomaneuveredpast the lowered gates.

“The gates areanenhancement of awarning device,” Magliari said.

“It’snot a force ﬁeld.”

Thethreecrashes along the Gulf Coast corridor,he added, are “not necessarily some factor of percentages morethan somewhere else.”

Magliari said Amtrak prepares for situations like the oneinIrvington by providingeducational materials on railroad safety,including guidanceonwhattodoif your vehicle is on the tracks as atrain approaches. He said the company plans to continue those efforts along

head by abullet. Ostrovsky said he moved from Israel to Australia two weeks ago to work for aJewish advocacy group.

“WhatIsaw today was pureevil, just an absolute bloodbath. Bodies strewn everywhere,” he toldThe Associated Pressinanemail from the hospital. “I never thoughtwould be possible here in Australia.”

Lachlan Moran, 32, from Melbourne, told theAPhe was waiting for his family when he heardshots.

“I sprinted as quickly as I could,”Moransaid. He said he heard shooting off and on forabout ﬁve minutes.“Everyone just dropped all their possessions andeverything and were running and people were crying anditwas just horrible.”

Albanese vowed theviolence would be met with“a moment of national unity

the Gulf Coast, where there had been no Amtrak service for more than 20 years.

“We’re going to keep up theefforts,” Magliari said. “We’re certainly not letting up.”

‘Ithurts’

GenevaEllegant doesn’t have asolution to prevent crashes like theone that took herdaughter’slife, but she believes there should be stronger safetymeasures along the GulfCoast corridor

“These trains arecoming

where Australians across the board will embrace their fellow Australians of Jewish faith.” Some of his political opponents and Israel’s government accused him of not having done enough to prevent such ahorror Australia, acountry of 28 million people,ishome to about117,000 Jews,according to officialfigures. Antisemitic incidents, including assaults, vandalism, threats andintimidation,surged more than threefold in the country during theyear afterHamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, andIsrael launched awar on Hamasin Gazainresponse, the government’sSpecial Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal reported in July Last year,the country was rocked by antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.Synagoguesand cars were torched, businesses and homes graffitied and Jews attacked in those cities, where 85% of the nation’sJewish population lives.

Albanese in August blamed Iran for two of the attacks and cut diplomatic tiesto Tehran.

Israel urged Australia’s government to address crimes targeting Jews.

PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu saidhewarned Australia’sleaders months ago about the dangers of failing to take actionagainst antisemitism. He claimed Australia’sdecision —inline with scores of other countries— to recognize aPalestinian state “pours fuelonthe antisemitic ﬁre.”

“Your government did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia and the resultisthe horriﬁc attacks on Jewswesaw today,” Netanyahu said. Authorities were not looking for anyone else in connectionwith the massacre, said Lanyon. Police pledged a“thorough” investigation he added.

through residential areas,” she said, “and there needs to be better indicators because this is going to happen more frequently,especially now that Amtrak is back.”

She spent Tuesday morning remembering her daughter’sloving nature and her close relationship with Craddock,her boyfriend of more thantwo years. Ellegant showed aphotograph of the couple smiling.

“Ifyou look at her face in this picture,” she said, “that’sgenuine happiness.” She also described her

Further inquiries are likely to be announced. Twoimprovised explosive devices were found at the scene. Bomb disposal experts rendered them safe. Lanyon described them as “rudimentary”devices that would have been detonated by awick rather than aphone or electronically Minns said therewould “almost certainly” be gunlaw changesafter themassacre. The 50-year-old gunman who wasshot dead was found to have six firearms when lawenforcementraided the property wherehe’dbeen staying, police said.

Questions about how he was able to acquire them gathered pace on Monday,in part because mass shootings in Australia are extremely rare. A1996 massacre in the Tasmaniantown of Port Arthur,where alonegunman killed 35 people, prompted the government to drastically tighten gun laws, making it much moredifﬁcult to acquire ﬁrearms.

Afterthe massacre,messages ﬂooded in from leaders around the world.

King CharlesIII saidhe and Queen Camilla were“appalled and saddened by the mostdreadfulantisemitic terrorist attack.” UnitedNationsSecretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres said on Xhe was horriﬁed, and his “heart is with theJewish community worldwide.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in apost on X: “The UnitedStates strongly condemns the terrorist attackinAustralia targeting aJewish celebration. Antisemitism hasnoplace in this world.”

McGuirkreported from Melbourne, Australia, and Graham-McLay from Wellington, NewZealand. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in TelAviv, Israel, and Mustakim Hasnath in London contributed to this report.

daughter’screative streak —her sketchbook ﬁlled with drawings she hadmade for her little brother,her Gothic fashion style and her love forsewing. The crash reopened a wound for Ellegant, who lost her son years ago. She said she is trying to push through the grief,adding, “You don’t get over this, but you do get through it.”

“Itjust, it hurts,” she said. “Itreally hurts.”

Email Poet Wolfe at poet. wolfe@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK BAKER

Kolluru lays out UL financial plan

Interim president aims to maximize revenue potential

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

Addressing the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s ﬁnancial issues is twofold, according to interim President Ramesh Kolluru.

“We need to cut so that we can maintain and manage our financial situation,” he said during a faculty town hall last week. “But it was also important to connect that and couple that with a strategy for growth.”

Aquarium takes in sea turtles for medical care

35 being rehabbed from ‘cold stunning’ event

BY CHAD CALDER Staff writer

Audubon Aquarium Rescue is caring for 35 critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles that were injured by the cold in New England last month.

The turtles were part of a large “cold stunning” event in which frigid air and water affected their ability to swim and eat and caused them to wash ashore. The New England Aquarium initially treated and stabilized the turtles, some of them suffering from dehydration and pneumonia.

They were then ﬂown to New Orleans by a plane chartered by Greater Good Charities, and Audubon Aquarium Rescue workers gave each one a physical. Some are still not eating as they should.

“Some of these turtles arrived in rough shape; they will need more extensive rehabilitation than others,” said Gabriella Harlamert, Audubon Aquarium Rescue stranding and rehab coordinator “We are monitoring each of them constantly and are hopeful all 35 of these turtles will heal and return to the Gulf in the spring.”

It’s not the ﬁrst time this has happened. Last year, 15 cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were ﬂown in from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for rehabilitation.

In the meantime, the rescue team has given the turtles names corresponding to rocks and minerals, including Jade, Mica, Opalite, Pebble, Aquamarine, Onyx, Quartz and Coal.

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are the most endangered in the world

Audubon Aquarium Rescue is authorized to rehabilitate sea turtles by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and marine mammals by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is the only entity in Louisiana responsible for the rehabilitation of live marine mammals and sea turtles.

Audubon Aquarium Rescue asks that if anyone sees a stranded marine mammal or sea turtle, live or dead, report it to (877) 942-5343.

Kolluru outlined potential paths for increasing revenue in the same meeting in which he updated stakeholders about the state of the university’s deﬁcit. Those possible revenue generation streams include focusing on student enrollment and retention, monetizing physical

assets, focusing on ready-applied contracts, assessing philanthropy and evaluating auxiliary and retail opportunities.

Former interim President Jaimie Hebert, who served in the position for about four months before re-

turning to his position as provost, announced in September that UL had a $25 million deﬁcit on top of a recurring $25 million budget shortfall.

Through cost-cutting measures, including contract cancellations and position eliminations, Kolluru said he expects the university to end the ﬁscal year in June with only about $10.5 million left of its deﬁcit.

Cost-cutting alone isn’t a sustainable way for the university to ﬁx its financial problems, Kolluru said. He’s proposed a plan that includes restructuring the vice presidents’ ofﬁces and will focus on increasing revenue through a variety of options.

“I want us to build together a student success-centered university,” he said “What might that look like is part of what motivated the (pro-

Honoring our heroes

ABOVE: Volunteers lay wreaths on veterans’ graves in honor of their sacriﬁces Saturday at Fountain Memorial Funeral Home & Cemetery during the Wreaths Across America ceremony

RIGHT: Members of the Acadiana Veterans Honor Guard post the colors during the Wreaths Across America ceremony

Man in jailbreak sentenced in Mardi Gras killings

Groves last to be found after May escape

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

Derrick Groves,

the sentences, to be served

NEW ORLEANS

history of violence, also pleaded guilty to manslaughter in two separate cases. He was awaiting sentencing for seven months before the escape. Groves catapulted to national infamy following the May 16 jailbreak. He was among the escapees with the most violent histories and he was the last caught, spending nearly ﬁve months on the run before being apprehended at a home in Atlanta on Oct. 8. He is still facing a charge of

simple escape tied to the jailbreak. At his sentencing, Waldron castigated Groves for the acts he was convicted of.

“The defendant’s crimes were clearly egregious in nature,” Waldron said.

Groves, who is being held at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola with the other nine escapees, appeared in court wearing an orange jumpsuit. He frequently turned in his swivel chair and glanced around the courtroom as Waldron addressed his crimes.

PHOTO PROVIDED By AUDUBON AQUARIUM RESCUE Staff of Audubon Aquarium Rescue work on Kemp’s ridley sea turtles injured by the cold in the Northeast

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

ä See KOLLURU, page 4B

Kolluru

It’s time to putsome limitson political parties

Iwas impressed with Philip Frady’sNov.17letter in which he succinctly summarized Republicans as destroying parts of government, whether or not vital, and Democrats as maintaining the status quo, no matter howoutdated or calcified. It is unfortunate that the parties have retreated into their ideological corners, making it difficult, if not impossible, to reach common ground. Trust is hard to find. The blood sport of one party’swin is only possible when the other loses.

The U.S. Constitution leads off with the phrase “Wethe People.” We have lost asense of renewal in that legislative power has, over time, accumulated to party leaders, neutralizing regular representatives through appointments, seniority,rules andprocedures.

Our recent and current history of leaders looks like agerontocracy where it is not unusual for elected ofﬁcials to lack full mental abilities or to die in ofﬁce.This rot must be cut out, like cancer

To correct this state of affairs, we must break the grip on power to encourage new ideas and enforce turnover of representation andleadership. Ipropose anew Amendment 28 to the U.S. Constitution relating to longevityof service

1. No person is eligible for federal elective ofﬁce who will have attained their 75th birthday as of thedate they are elected.

2. No legislative elected ofﬁcial may serve for more than 18 consecutive years in their respective chamber

3. No Supreme Court appointee may serve for more than 20 years or serve past their 80th birthday

4. Congress may makesuch rules regarding this amendment as it deems appropriate. Politicians will not willingly giveuppower.The abovemay notcorrect everything, but it’s a start. TERRI SANTACOLOMA NewOrleans

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

AREWELCOME.HEREARE

YOUR VIEWS

Take semi-pro sports leaguesout of colleges

Let’sface it, college sports today is not the collegesports of yesterday.With NIL and the open transfer portal, it has become a “semi-professional” occupation. Some“student”athletes are worth millionsand switch universities faster than professional athletes swap teams. With that said, Iwould like to see “the big three” (college football, baseball and basketball) taken out of college leagues and made into farm teams for professional organizations. These professional organizations would have to use the college stadiums and retain thecollegemascots and names. They would paycoachesand staff. It is not fair to regular universitystudents to have to compete with thecurrent college athlete. Astudent studying chemistry,biologyoragriculture does not have thesame monetary opportunity as someone who can possiblythrow, catch or dribble aball in a

game. Butthat chemistry,biologyoragriculture student might go on to cure diabetes, develop anew system to save wetlands or develop anew variety of grains to feed the world.

Iknow all the funds for the sports foundationsare supposed to be separated from the “general” funds, but Ireally do not believe that is the fact. When LSU or any other universityhas to pay out millions to aﬁred coach and then hires anew coach formillions more, Iknow theuniversity and state taxpayers are on the hook for the payout.

So what Ineed from my state is not awinning football team but better civil infrastructure (likestreets and bridges) that is rated at least a“B” level. Ineed the public schools ﬁxed so all statechildren can read, write and do basic math.Ifwecan accomplish that, then we could attract new industry

CLAUDETTE OSTER

Baton Rouge

Enforcing immigrationlaws makesour communitiessafer

Imoved to Louisiana acouple of years ago and as amother of two, Icouldn’tbehappier with the“Catahoula Crunch.”The federal government stepping up and enforcing our laws in apartnership with Louisiana’slaw enforcement agencies is exactly what we needtobring order to southeastern Louisiana.

Gov.Jeff Landry has been calling for this kind ofoperation since President Donald Trumpwas elected about ayear ago, making thecase that both state action and federal assistance is necessary in cases where local cooperation is limited or public safetyconcernspersist. The White House recently ramped up the federal supportthat we so desperately need, includinganupcoming National Guard deployment to assist with state requests, as well as Border Patrol operations. While we

don’thave all the details yet, Trumpseems eager to work with agovernor whoisserious about removing criminal elements from our communities.

I’m so sick of symbolic gestures and empty promises. Law enforcementtargeting individuals withdangerous criminal records who are in this country illegally is ano-brainer if we want safe neighborhoods and high-trust communities. Ifully support the federal government enforcing our laws. It’s actually the whole purpose of its existence. By removing those who live here unlawfully,especially those with criminal backgrounds, we uphold therule of law,protect thepublic and send aclear message to would-be lawbreakers. Anything less is an attack on those of us who are still playing by therules.

ANNA CHAPMAN Baton Rouge

Attack on nursing profession couldcome back to hauntus

The Trumpadministration’sdecision that nursing, physical therapy, public health, social work and many other skilled positions are no longer considered professions is as ludicrous as it is insulting. This means that people pursuing these degrees will have extremely limited access to federal loans; formany,this meansthey will not enter these training programs. It is curious what the Trumpadministration thinks is professional. The Oxford dictionary definition of profession is atype of job that needs special training or skills, especially one that needs ahigh level of education. All of these attributes are true of these professions. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, whohas adegree in French and ran the WWE, is considered trained enough to run this very important department. Pete Hegseth, whoholds abachelor of arts and wasatalk show host, runs the Department of War. Ihave abachelor of science in nursing, amasters in public health and adoctorate in epidemiology and 40 years of experience serving the public. Without loans, which I paid back in full, Iwould not have had this opportunity Ifind this decision supremely insulting. Since the overwhelming majority of these professions are held by women,Ifind this to be a blatant attack on women. Iurge our representatives to reject this political maneuver and remind Congress, where the average age is 58 years, that they may regret this decision when they seek health care and the workforce is not there to help them

PATRICIA KISSINGER NewOrleans

Fewwereoutraged when Obama targeted U.S. citizens deemed threats

TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone 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.

Lawmakersconspired

Louisiana’s closed primarysystem for 2026 is apernicious assault on voters. Why should partyafﬁliation on thevoter registration form dictate the slateofcandidates I’m allowed to votefor?

Worse, this dictateisa pre-votelimitation even before the slate of candidates is known. Sure,one can make aspecial effort to change theregistration before theelection, but why should voters have to jump through this needless hoop,potentially every election? Whyare choices of candidates across party lines notallowed? Free and fair?Hardly Party afﬁliation on the registration form maybeinformative for statistical purposes, but otherwise should merely be relegated to

afootnote.

In this state, Republican afﬁliation is just over 35%, but Republicans are 70% in the House and 72% in the Senate. It is not hard to believe that something is very wrong. Both Republicans and Democrats are complicit in their stranglehold of party politics to thegeneral disadvantage of voters. Gov. Jeff Landry and acompliant Legislature madethis change because, at this momentin power,they can, without voter input. Their quest for power knows no bounds as their foot is ﬁrmly on thenecks of voters. This is thestuff of authoritarian regimes, like Iran. Shameonthe governor and theLegislature.

JILL KAPLAN NewOrleans

Regardless of how you feel about the administration targeting suspected drug runner boats in the Caribbean, please consider this. The outrage coming predominantly from the leftisfocusing on these attacks as illegal and potentially warcrimes. However,during the Obamayears, the U.S. governmentconducted drone strikes that resulted in the deaths of Al Qaedasupporting U.S. citizens, notably Anwar al-Awlaki, his 16-year-old son and two others. Calling him an “imminent threat” to the U.S., al-Awlaki was targeted; the other three, while not speciﬁcally targeted, were“collateral damage” of drone strikes.

The ACLU called it an “extrajudicial execution” that violated the constitutional rights to due process of U.S. citizens. The ObamaDepartment of Justice argued it was lawfulacts of war. Do you recall the samelevel of outrage?

Iwould argue the case forthe legality of attacking these drug runners is stronger than the targeted killing of U.S. citizens, regardless of their support for terrorists.

JOHN POULOS

Baton Rouge

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

The north video board welcomes newLSU head football coach Lane KiffinonDec. 1atTiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.

COMMENTARY

GIFT GIVING TIME!

What agift! We received758 entries in this final Cartoon Caption Contest.These were just what we were looking for… hilarious,off-the-wall and incredibly creative! Our winnerbrought homethe top prize with aquirky, laugh-out-loud take on the drawing.Well played, everyone! As always, when we have duplicate entries, and we always do, we pick theearliestsent in.

On apersonal note, as manyofyou know, Iwill be retiring at the end of December.I started this contest in 2014. Sincethen, therehavebeen 232 contest winners, almost 7,000 finalistsand literally tensof thousandsofpunchlines emailedin.

Ihaveread each one of themmyself.With thehelp of my phenomenal wife, Jodie, we have selected the finalists and winners youultimately read in thepaper

The entries have come from all overLouisiana, the United States and other countries.Theyhavebeen sent in by young children, students,people of every profession and retired folks, all with aterrificsense of humor and adesire to share their creativity.Ithas been such apleasure connecting with all of youthrough this contest.With that said, for onelast time,great job! Happy holidays —Walt

SIDHEBERT,SLIDELL: “WhenIasked for a cubicle, Ididn’t expect this!”

JIM FLOCK, HARAHAN: “I expect everyone to be back at their desk working in the next 15 minutes.And, Julie, see me in my office.

DAVID DELGADO,NEW ORLEANS: “I bet you neverknewshe was aventriloquist!”

CINDY MANSFIELD,PRAIRIEVILLE: “OK! OK! y’all can have Christmas off! Just let me out of here!”

JAMES R. SILVERSTEIN, NEW ORLEANS: “If this doesn’t getmea promotion, nothing will.

BRYANRUIZ(5TH GRADE), PHILLIS WHEATLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL, NEW ORLEANS: “Atleast put some holes in the box!”

CHARLES THEAUX, PONCHATOULA: “This is definitely going on your performance appraisal.”

RICHARD MILLER, BATONROUGE: “Hey, it’s Brian Kelly.I’ll giveback half the buyout if you letmeout of here.”

BRUCETAMPLAIN, LAPLACE: “I’vetold youa thousand times, my nameisnot Jack.

RALPH STEPHENS,BATON ROUGE: “you cannot simply swap me!!! If youwant a divorce, youare going to have to paya lawyer!!!”

JAYDARDENNE, BATONROUGE: “Here’sa hint: I’m bigger than abreadbox and smaller than Lane Kiffin’scontract.”

SHELBYROTOLO, METAIRIE: “I hope HR has a sense of humor thisyear!”

D. SABRIO, METAIRIE: “This’ll teach me not to take long naps at my desk!”

DON RANDON, GRETNA: “OK …let me out and I’ll increase your bonuses!”

MARTHA STARNES,KENNER: “Help! She’s trying to swap me for ascented candle!”

JIM WILLIAMSON, MANDEVILLE: “OK, youcan have the office withthe window!”

RORY STEEN, LITTLE ROCK,ARK.: “This is why we can’t have nice traditions.”

BRUCEBLANCHARD, COVINGTON: “OK,OK, Ipromise nevertosay,‘Think outside thebox!’ again. Just getmeout of here.”

STEPHEN R. BARRY,NEW ORLEANS: “Relax… It’snot abonus.Those aremuch smaller!”

DAVID TRIPP HANEMAN, METAIRIE: “Whoever opens thispresent gets araise!”

TIM PUJOL, MAUREPAS: “Dammit, Gladys! youcan’t swap your manager!”

SHERILINDSEY, BATONROUGE: “Whycouldn’t youjust buy afruit cakelikenormalpeople?”

GINA VILLAVASO,NEW ORLEANS: “Well, you knowI’m not another coffee mug.

KAREN POIRRIER, LUTCHER: “Point me to the employeebreak room!”

GISELEPRADOS,METAIRIE: “I promise to quit singing ‘Grandma Got Run Over By AReindeer.’”

RICH WOLF,WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND: “I only microwaved fish in the office one time!”

ZORA WHITE (AGE 10), NEWROADS: “Well, that wraps up everything!”

Trump’sobsession with Somali immigrants is sinister

Sometimes one crisisseemstolead to another for President Donald Trump and he’sgot plenty of trouble brewing.

For months now,Trump’sapprovalratinghas taken abeating for theknock-on effects of the government shutdownand the ongoing Epstein files fiasco. In November,his administration came under fire over newly reported details about the airstrikes on purported drug traffickers in the Caribbean, which seem to indicatethat wounded people were deliberately killed in violation of the conventionsofwar.Trump also responded to the shooting of two NationalGuard soldiers in Washington by an Afghani refugee(who had formerly worked with American intelligence in Afghanistan)bysuspending all Afghani immigration cases,leading many critics to decry the move as collective punishment. Amid all this anguish, Trump took the opportunity at acabinetmeeting to double down on collective punishment against another immigrant group that he doesn’tlike: Somali Americans.

On Nov.21, Trump postedonsocial media that he was revoking Temporary Protected Status for Somalis living in Minnesota.

“They contribute nothing,” Trump told reporters in aramblingtirade in the Tuesday cabinet meeting. “I don’twant them in our country.”

Trump further averred thatthe wartorn East African country from which they ﬂed “stinks” and thatthey are “garbage.” Even for Trump, who onceinfamously dismissed African nations as“shithole countries,” themalevolence and vulgarity of his anti-Somali outbursts was stunning. And whatend did he imagine was being served?

Casting abroad shadowofsuspicion on immigrants, especially from nonWhite and Islamic nations, has been a yearslong pattern for Trump andhis deputychief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller

But the Somali angle likely hasmuch to do with the recent Trump administration tack of punishing blue states and Democratic political leaders. The largest Somali expatriate community in the U.S. residesin Minnesota,home to Rep. Ilhan Omar and Gov.Tim Walz, two favorite objects of Trump invective.

Some 80,000people of Somali birth or ancestry resideinthe state, and the vast majority are U.S. citizens.Omar emigratedfrom Somalia in 1995 as achild. Minnesota’s Somali communityhas takenapublic relations hit recently following reports of the U.S. Department of Justice’sprosecution of individuals involvedinawide-ranging scheme to defraud Minnesota and federal government programsduring and after the COVID-19pandemic.

As muchas$250 million was bilked by upwardof75defendants,and theDOJ investigation, started during theBiden administration, centers on anonproﬁt group called Feeding Our Future, which worked with the MinnesotaDepartment of Education and U.S. Department of Agriculture to distributemeals to children. The defendants, who aremostly but notall members of the Somali community,submitted false invoices and meal count sheets, setupbogus programs for autistic childrenand took or gave kick-

backs for participation in the fraud. It’s disgraceful behavior,and it’s good thatthe fraudsters are being prosecuted. However,Trumpcould not help himself from taking theoutrage across theline of collective calumny

Picking up on allegations by Christopher Rufo, asenior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute, and Ryan Thorpe, areporter for the institute’sCity Journal, thatmoney stolen from Minnesota programs has gone to al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group that controls parts of Somalia, Trump branded the MinnesotaSomali community “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” and vowed to send them “back to wherethey came from.”

Rufo’sclaims, you won’tbesurprised to learn, are unsubstantiated. Aformer U.S. attorneyfor Minnesota told the Minnesota Star Tribune that thedefendants his ofﬁceprosecuted “werelooking to get rich, not fund overseas terrorism.”

But Trump and the MAGA faithful never let facts —or, to be charitable,the absence of evidence —get in the way of agood conspiracy theoryabout immigrants.

“Wecan go one way or the other,and we’regoing to go the wrong way,ifwe keep taking in garbage into our country,” Trump said. “IlhanOmar is garbage. She’sgarbage! Her friends aregarbage!”

In response to thepresident,Omar fortunately kept her cool. “I hope,” she said graciously,“he getsthe help he desperately needs.”

From your lips to God’s ear,Congresswoman.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47 page@gmail.com.

President Donald Trump gotwhat might be considered some good news recently, though most of the major American media ignoredit. According to aUKDaily Mail/J.L. Partners survey,the president’s approval rating increased from 45% to 47% between Nov.21and Dec.4.The poll included1,000 registered voters who participatedin online surveys; the margin of erroris3.1%, so it could be awash, but at this point anygood news is aplus for the administration.

The administrationalso took credit for lowergas prices,whichitsaidhad fallen to under$3agallon nationwide, except in California,where the average price for agallonofregularis$4.36 as of Dec. 6. State andfederal excise taxesincrease the costtoanaverage of $4.50 for regular, the highest in the nation. Even in California,gas prices arelower than they have been in recentyears.

Democrats areconspiring to make “affordability” their only issue ahead of the midterm elections. Theymay be setting atrapfor themselves, not only because it hasbeen the policies of the previous Republican administrations that have experienced delayedpricedrops, but because what’shappening in the current economy bearsa strong resemblance to another scenario 40 yearsago.

Remember the “misery index?” That was the labelappliedtothe economic policiesofJimmy Carter, who presided over double-digit inﬂation, double-digit mortgage ratesand double-digit unemployment. Ronald Reagan faced these economicchallenges as he entered ofﬁce in 1981.

Democrats won 26 seats in the House in the 1982 midterms, padding their majority,largely because prices for everything remained high. Reagan and members of his administrationsaid what is nowbeing said by Trump —thatthings would get betterand thatittook timetorepairthe damage causedbyCarter’sfour years in ofﬁce.

The repairs would come, but it took nearly allofReagan’sfirst term before voters could feel it. Reagan wasalso confronted with the twin monsters of inflationand stagflation. He cut taxes, eliminated unnecessary regulations and spurredinvestment. By 1984, whenhe ranfor reelection and won in alandslide, it was“Morning in America,”the theme of ahighly effective political ad

President Trump is emulating Reagan by cutting taxes, deregulating and shrinking the size andcost of government. He says his tariffs arebringing in trillions of dollars andhas promised “rebate checks” for the poor andmiddle class.

The UK Daily Mail poll credits the twopoint uptickinTrump’sapproval rating to stabilizing prices,resulting in “spending records over the Thanksgiving holiday, despite concerns over an affordability crisis whichTrump hasbranded a‘Democrat scam.’Black Friday and Cyber Mondaybroke online spending records. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, $44.2 billion was spent online alone,” according to an Adobe Analyticsreport.

In addition, the stock market’supward trend continues, fattening the 401(k) and othermutualfund accounts forretirees andthose still working.

The president hashit the road to “sell” his economicplan, as Reagan did. He should remind voters how we have seen this playout before and the results. He might aska question that should be more thanrhetorical: “Why would you consider returning to power those Democrats and their policiesthatcausedthe economic problems, instead of voting for Republicanswho arestarting to make headway in solving them?”

Democrats andtheir media allieswill try to closevoters’ eyes and urge them to rely exclusively on “feelings.”

Trump andcongressional Republicans should askvotersiftheywish to return to the Carterand Bidenpast, or move forward with Reagan-like policiesthat produced abrighter economic future.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub. com. He is on X, @CalThomas.

WINNER: Charles Smith, St. Rose

Cal Thomas

Clarence Page

FitFêtebringsmarathonbacktoNew Orleans

BY DESIREESTENNETT Staff writer

Next fall,a newtwo-day festival at City Park hopes to help New Orleans take abrief break from rich roux and sugar-drenched beignets and insteadput arenewed focus on movement andhealth, ofﬁcials announced Thursday Called Fit Fête, the event is bringing amarathon back to NewOrleans the ﬁrst time the city has hosted a26.2-mile race since 2019. Created in partnership withthe City Park Conservancy,New Orleans &Co., health and wellness company WellNXT and others, Fit Fête will be held Nov.13-14,2026. It’smeant to encourage private andpublic sector workers across the city to get up fromtheir chairs and move.

“What started as a marathonweekend idea scribbled in anotebook 12 months ago,with adouble loop marathon course starting and finishing in City Park, has become afull weekend of community games and whole wellness,” said Bill Burke, president and race director for Premier Event Management, whichalso partnered toorganize the weekend-long festival. The last full marathon in thecitywas the Rock ‘n’ RollNew Orleans Marathon in 2019, before the COVIDpandemic forced cancellations. Organizerstried to revivethe popularroute that went through the French Quarter,but endedupwitha scaled-back version along thelakefront last held in 2022 —after the city said it couldn’tprovide enough policeofﬁcers forthe long route.

There are several shorter races in thecity,like

KOLLURU

Continued frompage1B

posed) redesign and the restructure.”

Thebiggest priority for Kolluru is student retention and expansion. He called enrollment the “lifeblood of the university” and said “no amount of money we bring in through any other source at this university is equivalent to what we get in enrollment.

To help with that, Kolluru asked Hebert to lead astudent retention task force, focused on keeping students enrolled who may be at risk of dropping out between the fall and spring semesters.

Kolluru also wants to maximize student enrollment for the summer semester and find ways to reengage with students who started at the university but for some reason or another never gradu-

GROVES

Continued from page1B

While Waldron said he respected Groves’right to afair trial in the jailbreak case and did not referto him as an escapee,hewas comfortablesaying Groves wasafugitive from the law who failed to appear for his court dates. He said Groves’ actions meanhe will likely be more isolated whileserving hislifetime sentences.

“He will be avery lonely man,“ Waldron said.

Reﬂecting on Groves’ life leading up to the shooting, Waldron held up apaper with two names he had writtenonit—Groves’ grandmother Kim Groves and notoriously corrupt New Orleans policeOfﬁcer Len Davis. Davis, who led adrug ring for years, ordered the murder of Kim Groves in 1994

the popular Crescent City Classic 10K and Kenner’s Ole Man River Half Marathon, held Saturday.The Louisiana Marathon is held in Baton Rouge.

Fit Fête’sNew Orleans Marathon route is adouble loop throughCity Park and alongthe lakefront, beginning at the New Orleans MuseumofArt, rounding theeastern edge of Lakeshore Drive and ﬁnishing on CityPark’sRoosevelt Mall. Runners whodon’t make thecutoffpoint by acertain time will be sent to theﬁnishline, but there will alsobea half marathon, amarathonrelay anda 5K race as partofFit Fête.

“FitFête reﬂects exactly what CityParkstrives to be, aplacewhere our community can grow stronger together,”saidRebecca Dietz, president and CEO of City Park Conservancy, in astatement

ated. He alsosaid he wants to focus on student well-being to support their mental and physical health while they’re on campus

The landandbuildings theuniversity owns will be assessed todetermine if anything can be sold and to maximize the venues thatit has, Kollurusaid. He wants the university’sauxiliary andretail assetstobeassessedfor potential monetization and other “nontraditional” ways to create revenue.

He wants to focus on philanthropy and micro-giving. One way will be through the creation of acampaign called the Louisiana ImpactFund, designedto work with supporters,donors and alumni who areinterested in investinginthe university’s longterm success.

“This is amultifacetedapproachthatweare pursuing,” Kollurusaid

in the Lower9th Ward.Kim Groves had filed apolice brutality report aboutDavis. Waldron told Derrick Groves he had inﬂicted the same pain hisfamily felt to the families of Jacksonand Robinson Waldron also heldupcolumns by Advocate|TimesPicayune columnist Will Suttonthataddressed interest in turning thejailbreak into amovie and the moment when DerrickGroves smiled and blew akissduringhis capture.

The judge said he wished Derrick Groves’ life had played out more likeaninspirational story of aboy who followed theexample set by hisgrandmother andcommitted himself to serving others,maybe even becoming aNew Orleans police officer and honoring thebadge Davis sullied.

“That would have been a beautifulstory worthy of Hollywood,”Waldron said.

The weekend’sevents also will be centered at TadGormley Stadium, where anew amphitheater is planned along with$8 million worth of upgrades over the next year anda half.

“Hosting this inaugural eventatTad Gormley Stadium and across the park underscores howvital accessible, active public spaces aretoNew Orleans’ future,” Dietz said Health events allyear

Besides the races, Fit Fête will include multisport communitygames forparticipants from local and regional companies. Thegames include aseries of teamand individual sports competitions where teams can earn points and otherteam-buildingexercises, ablood drive and a food drive. Points will alsobeearned throughout the year to pro-

moteemployee wellness and community engagement.The events start with thepopular Crescent City Classic 10K in April, followed by the Pickle Ball FestinAugust and other events yettobeannounced

Forthose less competitive, New Orleans-style brass-beat cardio and mobility classes are also planned, alongwithcooking demos that takeCreoleand Cajun classics and remix themwith alighter touch.

There’seven ashaded Breathe Courtyard for meditation and sound baths, an obstacle course area for children and onsite screening and physical therapy consultations

“This is more than aseries of events,” said Walt Leger III, president and CEOofNew Orleans & Co. “It’s amovement. A momentwhere business

meetsbetterment.Where beads, beats and balance collide. Wherewesay ‘yes to living whole —not just on race day or game day but everyday.” Companies interested in participating can visit nolafitfete.com for more information.

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

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becoming ‘moreand more dominant,’ Page 2C

Saints earn comeback win, stun Panthers

Rookie QB Shough takeshits, Smythkicks game-winnerto upsetNFC Southrival Carolina

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Tyler Shough emerged from the medical blue tent late in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers with his helmet inhand Thequarterback —and the New Orleans Saints —had avoided adisaster.After takingahardhit on fourthdown, thequarterback appeared shaken up and then spent a few minutes beingevaluatedbythe team’s medical staff.

But Shough was clearedto return.

He had aballgame to win

The rookie quarterbackled back-to-back

scoringdrivestopull off a20-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers, again crushing an NFC South rival’shopes in agamethey needed to create separation in the division.

Shough ﬁnished with 272 yards on 24 of 32 passing, but it was his fourth-quarter comeback that propelled theSaintstotheir second straight win, marking the ﬁrst time all year that New Orleans holds awinning streak.

Howdid he do it? Well, there’s his arm.

ButCharlie Smyth doesn’t make a47-yard, game-winning field goal without Shough againtaking another bone-crushing hit on aslide that gotNew Orleans into rangefor thego-ahead kick.

With 12 seconds left, Shough scrambled up themiddle for four yards, but on his way to the ground, Panthers safety Lathan Ransom

Saints kicker Charlie Smyth reacts after kickinga game-winning 47-yard field goal against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome The Saints won20-17.

6 8V EN TU RE SB OW L

Becoming aleader

Senior linebackerWilliamsfulfillspotential with Ragin’ Cajuns

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

As rough aride as UL’s 2025 season has been for many,redshirt senior linebackerTerrence Williams won’t be rememberingitwithout abig smile and afeelingofaccomplishment

The former Many High School two-way performer began hiscareer with theRagin’Cajunsasa running back and was abig part of the offense for twoseasons. Duringthattime, the bruisinginside runnerrushed for 477 yards and two scores on 135 carries andalso caught 11 passes for48 yards and ascore. Then came abig positionchange to defense during bowl preparation two years ago. His ﬁrstseason at linebacker resulted in spotty playing time, ﬁnishing with20tackles in 14 games.

This season, Williams is UL’s second-leading tackler “Oh man,it’sbeenfun,” said Williams, whose Cajuns will

play Delawareat7:30 p.m. in the68Ventures BowlonWednesdayinMobile, Alabama. “Ifyou would have toldmethree, four,ﬁve years ago, coming intocollege, thatI’ll be changing position and playing linebacker,Iwould have never thought, but it’s been remarkably fun.”

In fact, Williams said his motherrecentlysenthim ascreenshot of hisﬁrstgame“really,reallygetting snaps,” andhis response was, “‘Ihadn’thad fun like thatinareal long time,’ so it’s been fun.”

From the start of the transition, UL’s staffbelieved the position change would better suit Williamsand this season has supported that claim.

“I feel like I’ve played good,” Williams said. “At times, I’ve played notuptopar,but Ifeel likeIplayedsolid throughout theseason and done my part.” Through theregular season, Williams finishedwith 90

Ifyou would have told me three, four, five years ago, coming into college, that I’ll be changing position and playing linebacker,I would have never thought, but it’s been remarkably fun.”

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL linebacker TerrenceWilliams, shown herepressuring Marshall’squarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, emergedasthe Cajuns’second-leading tackler thisseason.

TERRENCE WILLIAMS, UL linebacker

STAFFPHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Versatile Williams makes strides

LSU junior guard hitting tough shots, improving defense

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Opposing teams can take space away from Mikaylah Williams. But that kind of tight defense probably isn’t preventing her from draining a difﬁcult shot or hitting an open teammate anymore.

Louisiana Tech learned that lesson Saturday when Williams helped the LSU women’s basketball team find its offensive groove in the Compete 4 Cause Classic and pick up its latest nonconference win Coach Brooke Stoehr liked the way her team defended. Williams was just a step ahead.

“She’s one of the most versatile players in the country,” Stoehr said Williams was last season, too The difference, now is that the star junior has become an even more efficient shooter, an even more active defender and an even more productive playmaker than she was as a sophomore — as she showed when she tallied a season-high 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals against the Lady Techsters. The strides Williams has made won’t show up in her per-game averages. This season she is scoring four fewer points per night than last year But that’s because coach Kim Mulkey hasn’t needed to put her on the floor as often as she did a season ago. Through 11 games, Williams is averaging more than 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals per 40 minutes More than a dozen Division I players have those averages this season, but none of them are shooting as efficiently as Williams, who’s draining 56% of her field-goal tries and 46% of her 3-point attempts. Williams on Saturday shot 6 of 10 from the field and 2 of 5 from beyond the arc. She either scored or assisted on more than a third

of all the shots LSU made.

“I just feel like once she gets in her groove,” Flau’jae Johnson said, “she’s an unstoppable player

“We all know what she can do on the offensive side of the ﬂoor, but it’s also her defense. Tonight, she was getting over screens, she was doing the little things, getting down the ﬂoor and stuff like that, and so I just feel like her overall game is becoming more and more dominant.”

Before the season, Williams said she wants to improve how she plays defense. Whatever she did has worked so far The guard already has 21 steals a mark she didn’t hit last year until the Tigers’ 15th and ﬁnal nonconference game. Williams forced two of those turnovers on Dec. 4 in LSU’s come-from-behind road win over Duke, a game that shook out like the one the No. 5 Tigers (11-0)

played on Saturday against Louisiana Tech LSU got off to a slow start, then corrected course and raced to a double-digit win.

Each night, Williams took over the third quarter Against the Blue Devils, she buried a series of isolation jump shots. Then, two games later against the Lady Techsters, she stepped into a left-wing 3-pointer curled into a baseline jumper and set up two layups for center Kate Koval — each time on a perfectly thrown lob pass down to the rim.

“She’s sharing the ball,” Mulkey said. “She’s really working hard to get better on the defensive end. She just has a presence about her right now that’s better than it’s ever been.”

And that’s only one of the reasons why LSU is playing as well as it ever has since Mulkey’s tenure began. The Tigers will begin the last three-game stretch of their nonconference slate with

the nation’s highest scoring average (109.3 ppg), ﬁeld-goal percentage (56%), 3-point ﬁeld-goal percentage (43%), average margin of victory (53.1 ppg) and rebounding rate (65%).

The win over Louisiana Tech was LSU’s worst statistical offensive showing of the season

The Tigers still scored 87 points on 48% shooting. Few teams across the country will be able to match that kind of offensive firepower, especially if Williams keeps improving the way she already has between her sophomore and junior years.

“She’s got great strength.”

Stoehr said. “I mean, her midrange game is really, really nice She can shoot the 3 with great consistency She sees the floor, passes. I just think her versatility is really tough to defend.”

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

LSU men rediscover identity in SMU win

Tigers dominate in the paint against Mustangs

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Marquel Sutton retrieved a pass at the left elbow of the free-throw line. The 6-foot-9 LSU forward drove to the right block, pivoted, shot with his non-dominant left hand and ﬁnished an and-one through SMU’s 7-2 defender

The bucket gave LSU a 28-25 lead after the free throw and symbolized a return to the team’s identity: dominance in the paint.

“How could we not?” said Dedan Thomas, who had 16 points and a career-high 12 assists.

The Tigers’ 89-77 victory over SMU on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center was unlike its previous 24-point loss to a ranked Texas Tech team.

“I thought we played more to our identity, who we’ve become as a team,” coach Matt McMahon said. “I love the 50 points in the paint.” His star point guard agreed and explained how it lacked that consistent force against Texas Tech

“We just knew that’s not us,” Thomas said. “Didn’t hit shots, weren’t guarding, weren’t talking. And so Coach was really hard on us this week, and we just got better So yeah, it feels great, especially being in our home state.” LSU (9-1) shot 62%, its thirdhighest field-goal percentage of the season, and made 7 of 15 3-pointers in its first Quad One win. Its leading scorer was Sutton with 23 points and 12 rebounds. McMahon said his team’s disappointment was a major motivating factor ahead of the game against SMU (9-2), which he viewed as a

top-25 caliber team.

“What was really important to us was how we were going to respond coming off the performance we were disappointed in,” McMahon said. “(We) challenged our team all week. Think they understood the urgency of the game. They had watched a lot of SMU ﬁlm just as the staff did, so we had great respect for their team.”

One of the players who had the biggest resurgence was Max Mackinnon. Coming off an 0-of-9 shooting performance, the 6-6 senior proved why he is tasked with being the team’s primary shooter He made 8 of 9 shots for 22 points and made 6 of 7 shots from the

3-point line. “I thought he showed just phenomenal maturity tonight,” McMahon said. “For those who’ve watched our last two games, you know, we struggled to shoot the 3, so for him to come out with six of seven really helped us space the ﬂoor.”

Helping Sutton dominate around the basket was graduate student Pablo Tamba, who had his best performance of the season with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds. The 6-7 forward from Spain battled fouls in the previous contest, limiting him to 20 minutes. On Saturday he earned 38 minutes and played like a “junk-

yard dog,” said Sutton. McMahon was asked how the team was able to play at such a high level following a poor outing. The fourth-year coach was straightforward. “Simple answer would be, our offense didn’t stink,” McMahon said. “Tonight, we executed better on the offensive end. We were able to set our defense. We did a much better job of being organized with our defensive schemes there So our offense really helped us there, and then we have really good players. I mean, they’re about the right things. “I thought they really responded.”

Royals trade lefty reliever to Brewers for OF, pitcher

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals traded left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa to the Milwaukee Brewers for versatile outfielder Isaac Collins and right-hander Nick Mears on Sunday

The 28-year-old Collins hit .263 with nine homers and 54 RBIs in 130 games last year, his first full season in the big leagues He made 100 starts in left field, six in right field and two at designated hitter along with a start at second base.

The 29-year-old Mears had a career-best 3.49 ERA for Milwaukee last season. He also has pitched for the Pirates and Rockies.

The 26-year-old Zerpa made a career-high 69 appearances for the Royals last season, when he had a 4.18 ERA. He has proven to be a dependable middle reliever for Kansas City

Veteran pitcher Kelly returns to Diamondbacks

PHOENIX Veteran starting pitcher Merrill Kelly agreed Sunday to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a $40 million, two-year deal, according to a person familiar with the move.

The right-hander spent the ﬁrst 6 1/2 years of his career with the Diamondbacks before the pending free agent was dealt to the Texas Rangers at this year’s trade deadline in July Kelly, 37, was good for both teams, ﬁnishing with a combined 12-9 record and 3.52 ERA. Kelly’s return to the desert isn’t a huge surprise considering he’s a Scottsdale native and played in college at Arizona State.

The fan favorite was a key piece of the team that went to the World Series in 2023. He had a 12-8 record and a 3.29 ERA that season.

Germans sweep two World Cup bobsled races

LILLEHAMMER, Norway — Johannes Lochner’s retirement season is shaping up to be his best.

Lochner, who will end his career after the Olympics in February, won a World Cup four-man bobsled race for the second consecutive day on Sunday, leading another German sweep. Lochner’s team was ﬁrst, Adam Ammour drove to second and Francesco Friedrich crossed the line in third.

The Germans have ﬁnished 1-23 in four of the six men’s bobsled races this season and have collected 16 of a possible 18 medals to this point.

Kris Horn was the top U.S. fourman driver Sunday, ﬁnishing sixth. Germany also swept the medals in a two-woman race, with Laura Nolte winning, Kim Kalicki second and Lisa Buckwitz third Kaysha Love was fourth for the U.S.

Novak, Coughlin team up, win Thornton Invitational

NAPLES Fla.— Andrew Novak made three straight birdies on the back nine and Lauren Coughlin ﬁnished off their 9-under 63 in modified fourballs for a three-shot victory Sunday in the Grant Thornton Invitational, the second team title this year for Novak. They were challenged primarily by Chris Gotterup and Jennifer Kupcho until the par-5 17th at Tiburon Golf Club.

Gotterup and Kupcho both missed the green in tough spots and had to work hard for par Coughlin and Novak finished three ahead of Gotterup and Kupcho (63), Denny McCarthy and Nelly Korda (63), and Michael Brennan and Charley Hull (65). Novak also won the Zurich Classic with Ben Grifﬁn.

Porzingis to miss two weeks; Young nears return

ATLANTA The Atlanta Hawks will be without Kristaps Porzingis for the next two weeks, the team announced Sunday The center has missed seven of the past eight games with an illness and will undergo further evaluations.

Porzingis last played Dec. 5, scoring 25 points in Atlanta’s 134133 loss to the Denver Nuggets. The Hawks acquired Porzingis on June 24 in a three-team trade involving the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics. Porzingis played for the Celtics for two years. The Hawks will be losing one star and gaining another Trae Young is set to return to action this week after sustaining a right MCL sprain in a late October contest in Brooklyn.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

LSU players cheer after a teammate hits a 3-point shot against SMU on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center The Tigers made 7 of 15 3-pointers in the 89-77 win.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

LSU guard Mikaylah Williams, right, and Louisiana Tech guard Kaleigh Thompson run back down the court after Williams scored on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center

SAINTS 20, PANTHERS 17

RB Neal leaves game with injury

BY LUKE JOHNSON AND ROD WALKER Staff writers

RUSHING—Carolina, Young 7-49, Dowdle 1649, Hubbard 8-29. New Orleans, Shough 8-32, Neal 7-28, Hull 4-12, Estime 3-11, Hill 2-2, Tipton 1-(minus 4). PASSING—Carolina, Young 15-24-0-174. New Orleans, Shough 24-32-0-272, Rattler 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING—Carolina, Coker 4-71, Legette

2-39, McMillan 2-25, Tremble 2-13, Sanders

2-5, Hubbard 1-9, Ji.Horn 1-7, Dowdle 1-5. New Orleans, Olave 6-85, Vele 5-69, Johnson 4-30, Estime 3-39, Austin 3-33, Stoll 1-7, Tipton 1-5, Neal 1-4. PUNT RETURNS—Carolina, Etienne 1-16. New Orleans, None.

KICKOFF RETURNS—Carolina, Hubbard 2-50, Etienne 1-25, Dowdle 1-23. New Orleans, Hull 3-72, Tipton 1-19.

TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS—Carolina, Scott

6-4-0, Ja.Horn 6-1-0, M.Jackson 5-1-0, Rozeboom 3-3-1, B.Brown 3-3-.5, Smith-Wade

3-3-0, Moehrig 3-2-0, Wonnum 2-2-2, D.Brown

1-3-0, Robinson 1-3-0, Ransom 1-1-0, Gipson 1-0-1, Wallace 0-3-0, Scourton 0-1-.5. New Orleans, C.Young 4-2-1, D.Davis 4-1-0, Sanker

3-3-0, Howden 3-2-0, McKinstry 3-1-0, Jordan

3-0-0, Werner 3-0-0, Bullard 2-4-0, Riley 2-1-0, Taylor 2-1-0, Bresee 1-2-0, Godchaux 1-1-0, Rumph 1-1-0, Shepherd 1-1-0, Williams 0-2-0.

INTERCEPTIONS—Carolina, None. New Orleans, None.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.

OFFICIALS—Referee Alex Moore, Ump Terry Killens, HL Dana McKenzie, LJ Tom Eaton, FJ Mearl Robinson, SJ Anthony Jeffries, BJ Terrence Miles, Replay Tyler Cerimeli.

Continued from page 1C

committed an egregious hit that instantly drew a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty The hit appeared to shake up Shough, who was replaced by Spencer Rattler for a throwaway before Smyth’s kick.

Shough, though, rallied the Saints from a seven-point deﬁcit in the fourth quarter The Saints got into ﬁeld goal range after getting the ball back with 57 seconds left. And the drive before that, down 17-10, Shough led a seven-play, 83-yard series in which he found Chris Olave in the end zone for a 12-yard score. The touchdown to Olave was the kind of big-time throw in a moment that teams typically count on their quarterback.

But Shough didn’t do it alone. He had help everywhere, especially on defense. The unit, as it has for weeks, kept the game from spiraling out of control

The Saints won the ﬁrst meeting between these teams over a month ago by shutting down Carolina’s run game, forcing Young to throw, and hitting on a number of explosive plays that got their offense humming.

The rematch unfolded in an opposite manner early on. The

Devin Neal scored a touchdown for the second consecutive week — and then he didn’t play another down against the Carolina Panthers. Neal, the New Orleans Saints rookie running back, finished off a 17-play, 95-yard drive in the second quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7. Shortly after that, the Saints announced he was dealing with a hamstring injury and was questionable to return. Neal did not play in the second half.

The sixth-round pick out of the University of Kansas was already serving as an injury ﬁll-in for Alvin Kamara, who missed his third consecutive game with ankle and knee injuries.

Neal rushed for 28 yards and the touchdown on seven carries and he added a 4-yard reception.

With Neal sidelined, Audric Estime and Evan Hull handled running back duties for the Saints in the second half.

Long drive

The Saints had amassed just 21 net yards of offense and one ﬁrst down by the time they took over at their own 5-yard line on the second play of the second quarter

Saints, who have had a Jekyll-andHyde run defense all year, couldn’t contain the duo of Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard to begin the game. And when he was asked to pass, Bryce Young made enough plays to move the Panthers down the ﬁeld That combination led the Saints to give up a 13-play, 74-yard opening-drive touchdown — marking a league-high ninth time New Orleans allowed a touchdown on its ﬁrst defensive series. But the Saints hung tough in part because they were able to methodically move the ball. Like the last two games, Shough’s connection with wide receiver Devaughn Vele was on full display The 6-foot-5, second-year wideout has proved to be a go-to target for the rookie quarterback, who found Vele in long-distance situations. Add in a steady, if still unspectacular rushing attack, the Saints weren’t fazed when backed up all the way to their 5-yard line in the second quarter Instead, the Saints churned out an impressive 17-play, 95-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown from running back Devin Neal. The series, which lasted an eye-popping 11:22 of the second quarter, was the Saints’ longest touchdown drive in terms of time since at least 2000 and 2013 in terms of plays.

Neal’s score tied the game at 7, but the grind-it-out style is a hard

By the time Neal crossed the goal line for a game-tying touchdown, they’d gone 95 yards in 17 plays, eating up more than 11 minutes of game time.

It was the longest drive by a Saints team in terms of time of possession (11:22) since at least the 2000 season, and the longest in terms of the number of plays run since 2013.

New Orleans made several big plays to keep the drive alive.

Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough connected with Devaughn Vele for 16 yards to convert a third and 13, then found him again later in the drive for 17 yards on second and 18.

Shough also converted a fourth and 1 from the Carolina 6-yard line with a quarterback sneak to set up Neal’s touchdown.

Porter, Maxie honored

The 2025 Saints Hall of Fame class was introduced before kickoff.

This year’s class was safety Brett Maxie and cornerback Tracy Porter

Maxie played for the Saints from 1985-93, recording 438 tackles and 15 interceptions. His fourth-down tackle against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1987 season helped seal the Saints’ ﬁrst-ever winning season.

“This is one of the best locker rooms I’ve ever been a part of,”

Maxie said. “And the greatest fans ever.”

Porter, meanwhile, played in New Orleans from 2008-2011 and is responsible for one of the biggest plays in franchise history

The Port Allen native recorded 227 tackles and seven interceptions. He picked off a Peyton Manning pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl VLIV to help deliver the Saints their ﬁrst championship.

Maxie and Porter led the Who Dat chant after the coin toss.

Maxie has ties to both teams that played Sunday He spent two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, including their inaugural season in 1995. His son Adam Maxie, is a pro scout for Carolina.

Reid inactive

Justin Reid will need at least one more week before he’s ready to return to the lineup.

The Saints’ safety was inactive for Sunday’s game against the Panthers. He was questionable coming into the game after practicing in a limited capacity Thursday and Friday

Reid initially suffered the injury on the ﬁrst play from scrimmage against the Miami Dolphins in Week 13. He returned to play later in that series, but missed the remainder of the game as well as the following week’s win against

formula to sustain in the NFL. And even in Sunday’s game, the Panthers showed why Carolina quickly got into scoring range thanks to a series of explosive plays from Young. He found Jalen Coker for a 24-yard gain to open the drive and then soon after hit first-round wideout Tetairoa McMillan for a 21-yard completion. McMillan’s catch, in particular, was a blow for a New Orleans defense that had been quietly excelling in the last month. Facing fourth-and-3, Saints

defensive end Carl Granderson overshot his rush lane and missed a near-sack on Young — who sprinted out of the way and found McMillan wide open. The Saints managed to hold the Panthers to a ﬁeld goal — thanks to a touchdownsaving pass breakup from Quincy Riley but it set the stage for Carolina to be more aggressive the rest of the way After halftime, Young targeted Riley again — and this time, Coker torched the rookie cornerback for a 32-yard touchdown to give the

the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Safeties Jordan Howden and Terrell Burgess have split the defensive snaps at safety in Reid’s absence.

Running back Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle), offensive tackle Asim Richards (ankle), tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden, defensive back Rejzohn Wright and defensive tackles Khristian Boyd and John Ridgeway joined Reid on the Saints’ inactives list. Odds and ends

After Panthers receiver Jalen Coker made an athletic toe-tapping catch on the sideline for 15 yards in the first quarter, Saints coach Kellen Moore challenged the ruling The play was upheld after replay, making Moore 0-for-4 on challenges this season. But he successfully overturned a completed pass late in the fourth quarter his first successful challenge as a head coach For the seventh time in 14 games, the Saints did not pick up a first down on their opening drive. And for the ninth time this season, the defense gave up a touchdown on its opening drive — the most in the NFL Juwan Johnson made a bobbling circus catch in the first quarter, and joined an exclusive group in the process: Johnson became the third Saints tight end ever to record at least 60 receptions in a season, joining Ben Watson and Jimmy Graham.

Panthers a 17-7 lead.

Again, the Saints methodically worked their way down the ﬁeld. But the lack of explosives caught up to them. Shough was sacked on back-to-back plays, forcing the Saints to settle for a 42-yard ﬁeld goal. Kicker Charlie Smyth made the attempt without a problem. Injuries also took their toll. Neal, for instance, suffered a hamstring injury and did not return following his touchdown run. Vele and right guard Cesar Ruiz were also hobbled by shoulder and ankle injuries that also forced them out of the lineup.

But the Saints did not quit. The defense again put the Saints in a position to win the game. Like last week in Tampa Bay the unit came up with a huge fourth-down stop and then forced a punt for good measure.

That gave the offense new life. Despite failing to convert a fourthand-1 that shook Shough up, the Saints bounced back on the following drive with the rookie quarterback’s touchdown to Olave. That tied the game at 17. All New Orleans needed from there was one stop. It got it on the ensuing drive. Chase Young came up with a huge second-down sack to ultimately set up a Panthers punt.

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal runs for a first down against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of the game on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.

NFLROUNDUP

Rams clinch aplayoff berthwithwin over Lions

By The Associated Press

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA Matthew

Stafford passed for 368 yards and hitColby Parkinson for two touchdowns, and the NFC-leading Los Angeles Rams clinched aplayoff berth with afurious second-half rally for a41-34 victory over the Detroit Lions.

Kyren Williams rushed for two scores and Blake Corum added another TD for the Rams (11-3),who came backfrom adouble-digit deficit shortly before halftime with20 consecutive points to securetheir eighth victory in nine games. LosAngeles is headedtothe playoffs for the third straight year and for theseventh time in coach Sean McVay’snine seasons.

After throwing his ﬁfth interception of the season in an inconsistentﬁrst half, Stafford ruthlessly led the Rams to victory in the second half. He heard chantsof“M-VP! M-V-P!” from the SoFi Stadium crowd after hitting Parkinson for an 11-yard score with4:49toplay Amon-Ra St. Brown scorched his hometown team for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 13 receptions for the Lions (8-6). Jared Goff passed for 338 yards and three TDs, but Detroit has alternatedwinsand losses since Week 5, endangering its hopes for athird straight playoff berth.

SEAHAWKS 18, COLTS 16: In Seattle, Jason Myers kicked afranchiserecord six field goals, including a56-yarder with 29 seconds left, and the Seattle Seahawks outlasted 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts. Riversthrew atouchdown pass after coming out of retirement to make his first start in nearly five years,and he led the Coltsintoposition for Blake Grupe’sgo-ahead, 60-yard field goal with47 seconds left.

RAVENS 24, BENGALS 0: In Cincinnati, the Baltimore Ravens snapped atwo-gamelosingstreakasthey

blanked theCincinnatiBengals.

LamarJackson threw fortwo touchdownsand the Baltimore defense sacked Joe Burrow three times. Kyle VanNoy andAlohi Gilmanteamed upfor a95-yard pick6inthe fourthquarter that served as the knockout punch, and Burrow was shut out for the first time in hissix-year career EAGLES 31, RAIDERS0: In Philadelphia,Jalen Hurtsrebounded from his worst NFL game to throw three touchdown passes, Saquon Barkley had a2-yard touchdown run andthe Eagles snapped athreegamelosingstreak with their first shutout in seven years in awin over theLas VegasRaiders. The Eagles (9-5) were able to get their maligned offense underembattled coordinatorKevin Patullo right against the woeful Raiders and finallyshowed signsoflife with anice mix of play calling in bitter coldtemperatures and topped 21 pointsfor the first time in six games.

TEXANS 40, CARDINALS 20: In Houston, the Houston Texans have shaken off their awfulstart to the seasonwithasix-gamewinning streakthat has them in thethick of the AFCplayoff race with three regular-season gamesleft.

C.J. Stroud threw for 260 yards and threetouchdowns and the Texans (9-5) jumped out to abig early lead andcruisedtoa victory over the slumping Arizona Cardinals.

CHARGERS 16, CHIEFS 13: In Kansas City,Missouri, Los Angeles eliminated Kansas Cityfromplayoff contention when DerwinJames pickedoff apass by Gardner Minshew— whohad just taken over for the injured PatrickMahomes —inthe closing seconds to preserve avictoryoverthe reigning AFC champions.

Justin Herbert, playingthrough abroken left hand, threw for 210 yardsand atouchdown,and the Chargers (10-4) ensured consecutive 10-win seasons forthe first

time since 2006-07 by completing arareregular-season sweep of KansasCity

BEARS 31, BROWNS 3:InChicago,

Caleb Williams threw two touchdown passesand Chicagobeat Cleveland in one of thecoldest games ever at Soldier Field even though the Browns’ Myles Garrett movedwithin asack of the NFL’s single-season record. The Bears(10-4) heated up early on aday when the gametime temperature was 8degrees, scoring two ﬁrst-quarter touchdowns andbreaking the game open with two more in the third. It was justthe sort of performance they needed coming off a lossatGreen Bay that knocked themfrom ﬁrst to seventh in the NFC, with arematch against their rivals at home next week looming.

BILLS 35, PATRIOTS 31: In Foxborough, Massachusetts, Josh Allen threw three touchdownpasses, andJames Cook ranfor twoTDs andcaughtanother as Buffalo

SCOREBOARD

Portland, n Monday’s games Detroit at Boston, 6p.m. Toronto at Miami, 6:30 p.m. Dallas at Utah, 8p.m. Houston at Denver, 8:30 p.m. MemphisatL.A. Clippers, 9:30 p.m.

College football

Major Scores EAST Navy 17, Army16 SOUTHWEST SC State 40, Prairie View 38,4OT Villanova 26, Tarleton St. 21 FARWEST Illinois St. 42,UCDavis 31 Montana 52,South Dakota 22 Washington 38,Boise St. 10 Bowl glance

tackles, including 21/2 stopsbehind theline, aquarterback sackand a forced fumble.

“What agreat young man Terrence Williamsis,”ULdefensive coordinator Jim Salgado said “Hehas played aton forusand hasmade aton of plays. Coming in from last year,where he didn’t play alot. This year,he’staking this position andbecoming aleader on our defense.” With plenty of competition at the

position with leading tackler Jaden Dugger,Caleb Kibodi andKailep Edwards,the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder had to earn hisplaying time.

And I’m proud of him, you know, because he earned the right to start,he earned theright to play alot, and that’swhatit’sall about,” Salgado said. “When you’re a coach,that makes youproud, and I’mexcited for him.

“He’sgot one more game here, right, in the vermilion and white, andhe’sgoing to go outontop, man. That’sthe waywe’regoing to send himout onWednesday night.” Williams said having better command of his eyes on the ﬁeld

rallied from adeﬁcit to beat New England, preventing the Patriots from clinching the AFC East title. Allen finished 19 of 28 for 193 yards. Cook ran 22 timesfor 107 yards forthe Bills (10-4), who avoidedbeing swept by adivision opponent forthe ﬁrst time since 2019. Buffalo reached 10 wins for the seventh consecutive season.

COMMANDERS 29, GIANTS 21: In East Rutherford, NewJersey, Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for a touchdown, fellow rookie Jaylin Lane returned apunt 63 yards to the end zone and Washington ended its season-derailing skid at eight games by beating similarly woeful New York.

TheonlyNFL game this week with no playoff implications has afar biggerbearing on draft positioning. TheGiants (2-12) lost theireighthina row, moving a step closer to the top pick, alastplace ﬁnish in the NFCEastand potentially front-ofﬁce changes, with acoaching search already coming.

49ERS 37, TITANS 24: In Santa Clara, California,Brock Purdy threwthreetouchdown passes and SanFrancisco started the stretch run of their season with avictory over Tennessee.

The49ers (10-4) came back from abye week and looked extremely sharp on offense against the overmatched Titans(2-12) by scoring on their firstfive possessions of a gamefor the first time since the 2021 season.

JAGUARS 48, JETS 20: In Jacksonville, Florida, Trevor Lawrence accounted forsix touchdowns, including acareer-high five passing, and Jacksonville overwhelmed NewYork fromstart to finish in a drubbing Sunday Lawrence completed 20 of 32 passesfor 330 yards anddidn’t have aturnover for the third consecutive game. His passer rating of 136.7was the best of his fiveyear NFLcareer

Saturday Celebration Bowl South Carolina State 40, Prairie View,38OT LA Bowl Washington 38,Boise State 10 Tuesday Salute to Veterans Bowl Troy vs.Jacksonville State, 8p.m. (ESPN) Dec. 17 CureBowl Old Dominion vs.South Florida, 4p.m. (ESPN) 68 Ventures Bowl UL vs.Delaware,7:30 p.m. (ESPN) Dec. 18 XboxBowl Arkansas State vs.MissouriState, 8p.m. Dec. 19 MyrtleBeach Bowl Kennesaw State vs.Western Michigan, 10 a.m. (ESPN) Gasparilla Bowl Memphisvs. N.C. State, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN) College Football Playoff First Round No. 11 Alabama (10-3)atNo. 8Oklahoma (10-2),7 p.m. (ESPN-ABC) Dec. 20 College Football Playoff First Round No. 10 Miami (Fla.) (10-2) at No. 7Texas A&M (11-1),11a.m. (ESPN-ABC) No. 17 Tulane (11-2)atNo. 6Mississippi (111), 2:30 p.m. (TNT-HBO Max) No. 19 James Madison (12-1)atNo. 5Oregon (11-1),6:30 p.m. (TNT-HBO Max) No. 16 Southern Cal vs.TCU,8 p.m. (ESPN) Dec. 31 ReliaQuestBowl No. 13 Vanderbilt vs.No. 23 Iowa,11a.m. Sun Bowl Arizona St. vs.Duke, 1p.m. (CBS) Citrus Bowl No. 14 Texasvs. No. 18 Michigan, 2p.m. Las Vegas Bowl No. 15 Utah vs.Nebraska, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) College FootballPlayoff Quarterfinals Cotton Bowl Classic Miami-TexasA&M winneratNo. 3OhioSt., 6:30 p.m. (ESPN) Jan. 1 FCSplayoffs Quarterfinals Friday Montana St. 44, Stephen F. Austin 28 Saturday Villanova 26, Tarleton St. 21 Montana 52,South Dakota 22 Illinois St. 42, UC Davis 31 Saturday, Dec. 13 EAST Albany62, BostonUniversity46 Binghamton 69, Marist 58 Dartmouth 65, Iona 57 Georgetown 60, Delaware State 46 Providence63, Stonehill 51 RobertMorris 72, PennWest California 44 St. John’s 63,Hofstra60 Temple 88, VCU63 Wagner 46, Rider 34 Jan. 1 College FootballPlayoff Quarterfinals Orange Bowl James Madison-Oregon winneratNo. 4 TexasTech, 11 a.m. (ESPN) Rose Bowl Alabama-Oklahoma winneratNo. 1Indiana, 3p.m. (ESPN) Sugar Bowl Tulane-Mississippi winneratNo. 2Georgia 7p.m. (ESPN) Jan. 2 Armed Forces Bowl TexasState vs.Rice, noon (ESPN) Liberty Bowl No. 22 Navy vs.Cincinnati,3:30 p.m. (ESPN) Duke’s Mayo Bowl Mississippi St.vs. Wake Forest,7 p.m. HolidayBowl No. 21 Arizona vs.SMU,7 p.m. (FOX) Jan. 8 College FootballPlayoff Semifinals Fiesta Bowl TBD,6:30 p.m. (ESPN) SOUTH Central Arkansas 82, GramblingState 75 Gardner-Webb 77, WesternCarolina62 Howard 64, Hampton 60 Jacksonville State 90, PointUniversity 30 LSU 87, Louisiana Tech 61 Ohio 72, Radford67 Ole Miss 86, Wofford52 College basketball Men’s state schedule Friday’s game McNeese102, East TexasA&M 66 Saturday’s games Miami 104, UL-Monroe 79 Louisiana Tech 65, UL 44 Houston 99, UNO 57 Houston Christian 77, Southeastern702OT California 79, NorthwesternState 70 LSU89, SMU 77 California-San Diego 93, Tulane 67 Sunday’s games No gamesscheduled. Monday’s games East TexasA&M at Southeastern, 6p.m. McNeese at Houston Christian, 7p.m. Late Saturday LSU 89, SMU77 SMU (9-2) Washington 2-62-3 7, Yigitoglu 4-82-5 10, Edwards3-7 2-38,B.Miller 5-12 3-4 16, Pierre 6-14 1-216, Toombs 8-10 0-016, O’Neal 2-4 0-04,Davis-Ray0-0 0-00,Holmes 0-00-0 0. Totals30-61 10-17 77 LSU (9-1) Nwoko4-5 0-18,Sutton 8-15 6-623, Tamba7-9 0-114, Mackinnon 8-9 0-022, Thomas 6-15 4-416, R.Miller 2-20-0 4, King 1-30-0 2, Reece 0-00-0 0, Zipper 0-0 0-00.Totals36-58 10-12 89. Halftime—LSU 47-44. 3-Point Goals—SMU 7-19 (B.Miller3-4,Pierre3-8,Washington 1-2, Toombs 0-1, Edwards 0-2, O’Neal 0-2), LSU7-15(Mackinnon 6-7,Sutton 1-4, King 0-2, Thomas 0-2).Fouled Out—Washington, R.Miller. Rebounds—SMU 28 (Yigitoglu 10), LSU29(Sutton 12). Assists—SMU 10 (B.Miller4), LSU17(Thomas 12). Total Fouls—SMU 15, LSU18. Women’s state schedule Saturday’s games Central Arkansas 82, Grambling75 LSU87, Louisiana Tech 61 Sunday’s game Tulane 95, UNO 71 Monday’s games Jarvis Christian Un. at Grambling, noon Northwestern State at McNeese, 6:30 p.m. LateSaturday No. 5LSU 87, Louisiana Tech 61 LOUISIANA TECH (5-4) Dawson 0-41-2 1, Marshall 3-10 4-7 10, Bradley 5-11 5-519, Morris 4-70-0 11, Weaver 2-92-2 7, Aaron 1-10 2-24,Airey 0-0 0-0 0, Madison-Key 0-10-0 0, Terry 1-30-0 3, Thompson 2-31-2 6, Totals18-58 15-2061 LSU (11-0) Knox3-5 2-38,Koval 5-11 3-413, Flau’Jae Johnson 6-11 1-213,

is where his biggest upgrade came this season. “You have to have good eyes,” Williams said.“With allemotions now in college football, you get emotionevery play.It’seasy to getyour eyes in the wrong spot, so they can go here with theball. That affects thelinebackers alot,soI sayhaving my eyes on theright spot.”

His other contribution, which doesn’tshow up on any statistical lines, is the leadership Williams displayedasone of theteam leaderswhenthe Cajuns beganthe season 2-6. “I just madesurewecame to

work every day—just making sure nothing changed,” Williams said. “When we get on that practice ﬁeld or we get on that football ﬁeld, nothing should change. “Weshould playjust howwe’re playingWeek1orplaying when we’re winning andwewere 10-2. We should be playing that same type of ball and practicing with that same type of urgency and energy.None of that should change.”

The younger members of the Cajuns’ roster bought into that approach and nowULishoping to end the season on aﬁve-gamewinning streak. “Wehad adecision to make,” Wil-

liamssaid. “Coach called the team up anditwas like,‘We could pack it in, and it would be easier,orwe could fight and comeout on the othersideofthis thing where we wanttobe.’

” So despite the long, winding road Williams hastaken to Wednesday’s career-ending bowl game in Mobile, Alabama, he said he wouldn’t change the path for anything. “Extremely worth it,” Williams said.“This journeyhas changed me and shaped me into the person Iamnow.Itbuilt character,humility,being humble …ifIcould do it all over again, I’d do the same thing.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByKATIE CHIN Los Angeles Ramsquarterback MatthewStafford throws apass during agameagainst the Detroit Lions on SundayinInglewood, Calif.

If you’re in themarketfor anew vehicle, theremaining weeksofDecembercould be agreat time to buy

BY JOSH JACQUOT Edmunds

If you’re in the market for anew vehicle, the remaining weeks of December could very well be agreat time to buy.Several recurring industry trends converge at year-end, creating favorableconditionsthat can help you save money. The auto experts at Edmundshavecome up withthree keyreasons why December often delivers the opportunity forbetter deals —and what to know to ensure youget the best one Salesquotas, dealerincentives

Manufacturers anddealers operate under annual targets, and December is when they make theirmostconcertedeffort to meet them. According to Edmunds transaction data, December has historically delivered the highest averagediscountsoff the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for both newand used cars.The pandem-

ic somewhat upendedthat, sending new car prices skyrocketing year-round as demand exceeded supply,but that blip haslargely stabilizedsince 2022. Typically,asthe calendar year draws to aclose,automakers

andtheir dealer networks shift intohigh gear,deploying cashback incentives,ﬁnancing specials andprice cuts to help them meet sales goalsand ﬁnish the ä See CAR, page 6C

Is it therapeutic forsomeonewith Alzheimer’sordementia to listen to alot of Christmas carols or musicaround the holidays?

BY HILLELITALIE AP national writer

NEWYORK— Melanie Moore, who runs the Ohiobased Cincy Book Bus, is oneofhundredsofbooksellers who received a pleasant surprise for the holidays: acheckfor $500 from author James Patterson.

“I’ve never takena salary.All proﬁts from the bookstore go to

buybooks for kids in need,” Moore saidin astatement released through Patterson’s publisher,Little, Brown &Company,whichannounced the bonuses Wednesday.“This gift from JamesPatterson will be my very ﬁrst paycheck!” Over the past 20 years, Patterson has donated millions of dollars to schools, libraries,literacypro-

grams and others in the book community.For the past several years, he hasmadeatradition outofsending $500 checksto600 independent booksellers who have been recommended by peersorpatrons. The list for 2025 ranges from Katie Gabriello, social media coordinator for WhitelamBooksinReading, Massachusetts, to store manager KateCzyzewski of Thunder Road Books in Spring Lake, New Jersey

“I’ve said this before, but Ican’t

say it enough —booksellers save lives,” Patterson said in astatement. “What they do is crucial, especially right now.I’m happy to be able to acknowledge them andtheir hardworkthisholiday season.” Oneofthe world’smost popular and proliﬁc authors, Patterson received an honorary National Book Awardmedal in 2015 for his “Outstanding Service to the American LiteraryCommunity.”

Music has often been described as auniversal language, and studies have shown that music can affect brain waves, brain circulation and stress hormones. Though there are no claims that music can cure adisease, research has shownmusic beneﬁts in anumber of ways: reduces stress and anxiety, helps people sleep better,often helps alleviate pain, improves communication, is away to express feelings, promotes physical rehabilitation and also enhances memory. (American Music Therapy Organization, 2011). It has been showntoassist in memoryand language skills, can curb aggressive or agitated behaviors, and even spark aresponse from anonverbal, late stage Alzheimer’s patient.

Music motivates and inspires and is apowerful and nonthreatening medium and therefore, people with Alzheimer’s react positively,while their moodsare uplifted, and their emotional states are raised. Even the rhythm and structure of the music —with toes tapping and hands clapping —can itself provide aform of exercise.

Christmas music spurs memories in people with Alzheimer’sordementia. Because the brain has music organized through rhythm and melody,it helps those affected remember different aspects and times in their lives. The music during the Christmas season can be joyful and spiritually powerful as well as uplifting and afﬁrming. Alzheimer’sand dementia patients seemingly reconnect with memories triggered by music, and reminiscing with traditional Christmas tunes is very therapeutic, as it can spark much dialogue and interaction with the person.

Keepinmind, however,that there’sanappropriate amount of balance attached to listening to Christmas music. Toomuch can be overwhelming and can cause bouts of anxiety,depression or sadness. Toolittle can rob the person of the joy of the season and opportunities to reminisce about the past and draw out retained memories with others.

Anew study by the British AcademyofSound Therapy suggests that listening to just 78 minutes of music every day is good formental health and quality of life. The Academy even recommends aspeciﬁc “formula” needed forapositive outcome: 14 minutes of “uplifting” music to feel happy; 16 minutes of “calming” music to feel relaxed; 16 minutes of whatever you choose to overcome sadness; 15 minutes of “motivating” music to aid concentration; and another 17 minutes of whatever you choose to help manage your anger.Though this formula

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILE PHOTO By DAVID ZALUBOWSKI

Unsold 2024 F-150 pickups sit in along rowata Ford dealership in Broomfield, Colo.

Congestiveheart failurestartschain reaction in body

Dear Doctors: My husbandis74 and has congestive heart failure. He has what look like burns on his left leg. There is alot of swelling, and his leg is leaking blood and ﬂuid.Hesees acardiologist and has been told he should see avascular surgeon. Why asurgeon? How would that help?

Dr.Elizabeth Ko

Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

Dear reader: Congestive heart failure is acondition wherethe heart is no longer able to pump blood efﬁciently.Itstruggles to send enough oxygen and nutrients to the tissues of the body.Thismay be due to mechanicalissues, such as malfunctions in the chambers or valves of the heart. It could also be that the muscle itself is weak. Either way,the result is arange of symptoms. These caninclude shortnessofbreath, weakness and fatigue, irregular heartbeat,wheezing,a persistent cough and swellinginthe ankles, feet and legs.

The swelling that you described is acommon effect of heart failure. Known asedema, it is part of achain reaction that begins with the heart’sdecreased pumpingstrength. As blood lingers in the veins, pressure builds up. This, in turn,forces ﬂuid into the surrounding tissues, acondi-

tion known as peripheral edema. This swelling stretches the skin and causes inflammation. It can makethe skin fragile enough to break open and form theburnlike wounds you’ve observed. This type of weeping wound indicates acritical problem below the surfaceofthe skin. More specifically,itsignals serious circulatory issues. That’swhy your husband is being referred to a vascular surgeon. This specialty focuses on theveins and arteries that carry blood throughout thebody.Avascular surgeon can determine the tests needed to pinpoint thecause of theextreme edema your husband is experiencing. These tests can map and measure blood flow,detect blockages, evaluate valve function and assess how well circulation is

Nestingdishesand silverware

Dear Heloise: Thank you for the time-saving, informative and interesting hints that you and your faithful readershave been providing us with for years. Recently,there have been acouple of suggestions regarding loading the dishwasher,and I would like to add my two cents. As afamily of two, we rinse our silverware and dishes before placing them in the dishwasher as we may not run it for acouple of days. Thanks to my days as amotion and time study analyst, Ilearned how to save time whenever possible, which leads me to my hint: It takes the same amount of time to place an item in the dishwasher regardless of where you place it. If you “nest” the silverware, as well as your dinner plates, breadplates, bowls, etc.,

CAR

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you canquicklyunloadthe dishwasher with less motion and use up less time Very rarely is something notthoroughly cleaned

reaching thelower limbs. Although the title of this specialty includes the word “surgeon,”itdoesn’tnecessarily mean apatient is being referred fora surgical procedure. Treatment options for this type of edema may include medication to reduce ﬂuid buildup. Compression therapy can be used to improve circulation. There are also minimally invasive procedures designed to restore normal blood ﬂow.Major surgery is considered only when there is severe blockage or when structural problemsinthe veins or arteries cannot be managed in any other way. There is hope if your husband undergoes athorough evaluation by avascular surgeon and then follows up with appropriate treatment.Circulation in his legs and

the edemaand skin wounds can improve. He’ll likely work with additional specialists to manage his congestive heart failure. These mayinclude awound care specialist, acardiologist to monitor heart function and adjust medications, anutritionist or physical therapist to support appropriate lifestyle changes and aprimary care physician to coordinate overall care. This maysound daunting, but congestive heart failure is asystemic condition that beneﬁts from ateam-based approach.

Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

Employee struggles to stay awakeatwork

Hints from Heloise

Ihave used this techniquefor years, andnow thehabit of doingsoenables my recently blinded husband to easily unload the dishwasher This helpshim feel useful,whichispriceless. Kathleen, in Foster,Rhode Island Berrystorage

Dear Heloise: Iwash my berries and store themin therefrigerator in glass jars. They seem to keepfor much longer this way than with other methods. —Nelly B.,via email

Scareawayscamcalls

Dear Heloise: Ijust read the hint fromLoisR., in St. Paul, Minnesota, about stringing along an obvious phone

scam. I’ve done something similar, but what I’ve said is, “Oh, I’m so glad someone called me. I’m so lonely.” It usually resultsinthe caller quickly hanging up! And come to think of it,Ihaven’t had any scam calls since. Jane L., in Rutland,Vermont Jamonit

Dear Heloise: When fruits are in season, Ipurchase them. We eat some, then Iput them in my blender and pulverize them. Next, Imeasure how manycups Ineed to make jam. Iput them in bags or containers and put them in the freezer Ionly makeone batch at atime. When I’m ready to makemore, Ithaw thepulp and make another batch. It’sbetter when it’smade fresh instead of having several batches on hand. —Edna H., in Prattville,Alabama Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Dear Harriette: Ihave been struggling withchronic fatigue for way too long. After the pandemic, Ispent about four years working strictly from home. It had its pros and cons —one of those cons being me struggling to maintain normal energy outside of my home.

year strong. As acar shopper,you can take advantage of this year-end push. By choosing to buy avehicle in December,you are more likely to encounter adealership willing to make adeal, even if it’sless proﬁtable. It canget evensweeter for you if you canwait until the ﬁnal week of the month.

Edmunds data shows that the last few days of December —when dealerships are truly up against the wall of bothmonthly and annual deadlines —tend to produce the deepest discounts of the year.Think of it as the auto industry’sversion of aclearance countdown when every sale counts alittle extra Outgoing models,clearance As new-model-year vehicles begin to arrive, many dealerships ﬁnd themselves with previous model-year vehicles still on the lot. These outgoing models become ripe for discounts because they’re taking up spaceand declining in value. In ahandful of states, dealerships are also required to pay atax on the value of their inventory on thelot as of Jan. 1. This is amassive hidden motivator that drives desperation on Dec. 31, specifically for vehicles that have been on the lot for 90 days or more.

Edmunds highlights that vehicles from the outgoing model year or those un-

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can be practiced by anyone, Alzheimer’scaregivers can create aplaylist of Christmas music following this structure to improve mood and behaviors in their loved ones’ day Additionally,the caregiver can integrate accompanyingChristmas music with familiar and/ or favorite activities of the season. When pairing activities with music, the affected person can develop

dergoing minimal changes often getsteeperincentives. While newmodels are launched year-round these days,Decemberiswhen current-year modelsstill on thelot aretargeted by sales managers as “must-move” inventory.Currently, that means 2025 vehicles will receivethe largest discounts. Accordingly,you can also maximize your savings if youcan be ﬂexible on features, trim or color,sothe deals on carry-over modelscan be substantial.If the vehicle youwant hasn’t changed dramatically from yeartoyear,you may be able to purchase acar that’s essentially the same asa newmodel at alower price.

More financingleverage

Beyond pricereductions, December offers an advantageousbackdrop for better financing termsonnew vehicles.Edmunds’research shows thatautomakers and their financing arms often bundle lower interest rates, longer promotional terms or enhanced lease offers at year-end in tandem with their clearance efforts. For example, an automaker might offer special 0% financing oncertain vehicles for well-qualified buyers. Getting0%financing, or even 2%, is abig savings over thestandard financing rate of 6%-7% currently. Dealers eagertoclearout theirnew vehicle inventory before theend ofthe year maybeopentonegotiation on specific vehicles —especially thosethat have been

arhythm that helps them perhaps recall the memory of the activity, which could improve cognitive ability over time. Musical aptitude and appreciationare twoabilities that remain in peoplewith Alzheimer’s long after other abilities have passed; thus, music can have away of reaching the person beyond the disease.

Though theholiday season may be challengingattimes, caregivers can aspire to embrace the season, encouragingtheir loved ones to share all their Christmas memories avail-

on thelot forawhile.You can check the days on the lot when youbrowse Edmunds inventory.

For shoppers who have done their homework —secured preapproval, identified the trims they’re willing to consider,and are ready to sign —this timingcan offer bothalower purchase price and alower cost of borrowing. Buyers can gain even more leverage by being strategic: adealer may have several examples of the same model, some of which have been in inventory for an extended period. Each daya car sits unsold costs thedealership more. That creates extramotivationto discount older inventoryor specific vehicles In short, it’snot just about when youbuy,but which specific car you target.The right combination of timing, financingand flexibility can make December dealseven morerewarding.

Edmundssays

December packstogether three powerful forces for buyers seeking the best deals: dealer urgency to hit quotas,clearance of outgoing-model stock and enhanced ﬁnancing leverage. Make sure to get an early start on the shopping so that youhaveabetter selection and don’tfeel pressured to makeahasty decision.

This story wasprovided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. JoshJacquot is acontributor at Edmunds

able to them through the remnantsoftheir inner dwelling of personal memories. Christmas carols and music are giftsthat can tap into and unlock emotions in that still passionate and loving person with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts“The Memory Whisperer.” Emailher at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

Iguess Iamnolonger used to thehustle and bustle of commuting and being on high alert in heavily populated settings. I now work in person in New York Cityand have been gettingback intothe swing of public transportation, speed walking and staying awake! Iused to workfor 10 hours straight while at home, but for somereason,

Ifind myself nodding off now that I’minthe office. I don’twant to come off as abad hire or incompetent, so I need to figure this out ASAP.I’ve tried incorporating vitamins into my regimen,going to sleep earlier and avoiding screens before bed, but I’mstill struggling. Any advice formanaging my fatigue?

—Low Energy Dear Low Energy: Start by getting aphysical examination to makesure that your body is healthy.Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling, and ask for recommendations to support your new routine. Next, map out things you can do during the workday

to up your energy.Typically,people get abit lethargic after lunch and toward late afternoon. Can you take a 15-minute break right before you normally get sluggish and take avigorous walk outside your building? If not, go into the restroom and do afew jumping jacks to get your blood ﬂowing. Drink lots of water.Every hour,stand up for afew minutes, stretch and move your body.When you begin to feel sleepy,get up and walk around in the ofﬁce. Schedule afew minutesfor brief socializing where you talk to co-workers. This can help you get to know them and keep you alert.

Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com.

Tiny salespeopleatthe office

Dear Miss Manners: What do you think about employers who let their children come around the workplace to sellgoodies to theiremployees? Andworse yet, what about when theboss himself escorts his child around the building to sellstuff?

Yeah, Iknow,it’s always for agood cause, but isn’tthat putting people on thespot,and not in very good taste? Nobodyreally wants to buy these things, but you always feel obligated, especially when theboss is standing right there!

Miss Manners understands thatyou don’twant to antagonize the boss, and hopesthatyou also want to avoidembarrassing the children. But thatdoes not mean thatyou areobligedtobuy anything youdon’t want.

Gentle reader: Andanice lesson that is for the children —not in salesmanship, but in theuse of power to intimidate.

ByThe Associated Press

Today is Monday, Dec. 15, the 349th day of 2025. There are 16 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Dec. 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights, theﬁrst 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, went into effect following ratiﬁcation by Virginia.

Also on this date: In 1890, Hunkpapa LakotaChief SittingBull and 11 other tribe members were killed in Grand River, SouthDakota, during a confrontation with Indian agency police.

In 1939, theCivil War motion picture epic “Gone with the Wind,” starring Vivien Leighand Clark Gable, had itsworld premiere in Atlanta. In 1944, asingle-engine plane carrying bandleader Glenn Miller,amajor in theU.S. Army Air Forces, disappeared over the English Channel while en route to Paris

In 2011, theﬂag used by U.S. forces in Iraq was

Group action is the safest, of course.Perhaps youcan getyour colleagues to protest this, making an ofﬁcialcomplaint if necessary.But youcan also handle it on your ownby treating the childrenas the salespeople they are allegedtobe. In apleasanttone, askabout the merchandise —its use, its sturdiness, whatever If the child is able to answerthese questions, you

TODAYINHISTORY

lowered in aBaghdad airport ceremony,marking the formal end of the American military mission in that country.The war left110,000 Iraqis and 4,500 Americans dead.

In 2013, Nelson Mandela was laid to rest in astate funeral, ending a10-day mourning period forSouth Africa’sﬁrst Black president. Mandela died on Dec. 5ofthat year at the age of 95. In 2016, afederal jury in Charleston, South Carolina, convicted Dylann Roof of the racist killings of nine Black church members whohad welcomed him into their Bible study gathering. The following year he would becomethe ﬁrst person in the U.S. sentenced to death forafederal hate crime, asentence upheld in 2021. Today’sbirthdays: Singer Cindy Birdsong (The Supremes) is 86. Rock musician Dave Clark (The Dave Clark Five) is 86. Baseball Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is 81. Actor Don Johnson is 76. Film and

may still sayregretfully thatthe itemdoes not meet your needs(although Miss Manners would probably be touchedenough to buy). But if, as she suspects, the child is unprepared, youneed only sayregretfully thatyou can’t committobuying something youknow so little about.

Letushopethataresponsible parent would understand andappreciate the value of this lesson to the child.

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www.missmanners. com; to heremail, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

theater director Julie Taymor is 73. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia is 71. Rock musician Paul Simonon (The Clash) is 70. Actor and ﬁlmmaker Lee Jung-jae is 53. Actor Adam Brody is 46. Actor Michelle Dockery is 44. Actor Char-

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Focus on change that makes you feel good and encourages you to add to your skills and your aspirations. Take charge; your future is yours to complete.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Emotional excitement will surface, causing confusion and the need to revisit and revamp your plans. Put a timeline together, set your intentions and perfect what you want to reiterate to ensure success.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Think before you speak. A little charm will get you where you want to go, but if you use emotional manipulation, you will face rejection. Know your target and act accordingly.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Set guidelines and know your limitations, your attributes and what to share and what to keep secret. Play the long game, and you'll make your way to the winner's circle.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Don't waste time. Running about and taking care of year-end obligations will put your mind at ease and make your life less stressful.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Leave nothing to chance, and you'll enjoy the hustle and bustle that comes with the festive season. Strive to be joyful and uplifting.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Pay attention to detail when dealing with personal and professional partners. Consider how

WonderWord

you can grab attention and gain interest in what you propose to do or what you can offer others.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Put one foot in front of the other and take care of business. Make yourself aware of what others are doing and how it will influence the choices you make. Take control.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Get out and mingle. The conversations you have and the people you meet will offer a unique perspective that may not fit your budget or skills, but can be adapted to suit your needs.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Discuss matters openly and follow through with your plans. Don't waste time arguing when compromise is necessary. Timing will be essential to success.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Do whatever it takes to keep up. Don't trust anyone with your responsibilities. Take on or promise only what's feasible. Simplify your surroundings and focus on ways to excel.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Analyze what you face before forging ahead. Acting in haste will turn into an expensive lesson. Patience is a virtue, and doable plans are a necessity if you want to get ahead.

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: R EQUALS D

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS Hi

BY PHILLIP ALDER

As we approach the holidayseason, let’slookatsomebooksthatmightappeal to the bridge players on your gift list. Some whodunits with abridge theme havebeenwritten.Thebestsofar,inmy opinion, is “Death in Duplicate” by CaroleCoplea(Master Point Press).

Twodeathsoccurduringaduplicateat Kensington Collegeinthe Adirondacks, andthe book coversthe investigation. Today’sdiagram shows theonly bridge deal in the book If this layout occurredduring, say, an 11-table duplicate, there would no doubt be11differentauctions.Here,inparticular,East’sdoublewasbizarreafterhearingherpartnerraisediamonds.Notethat East would havemade five diamonds if shehad guessed spades correctly.

AfterWestledalowheart,South,astudent at thecollege,calledfor dummy’s 10, and East ruffed. She then cashed the spade ace: six, three, five. East, not guessing that thethree was West’s top spadespot,shifted to adiamond.

Declarer wonwithhis aceand ranall of his trumps, bringing everyone down to three cards. North had theheart acequeen-jack and South the spade queennine and heartthree.But what could West keep? He was squeezed. Seeing the need to retain three hearts, West was forced to discard thespade king, hoping his partner had the queen. South now produced that cardand claimed his contract for plus 550 and atop. MasterPointPressbooksareavailable fromthepublisherinprintedande-book editions ©2025

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